Tag Archives: New Album

Shakira Announces First Run Of Dates On Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour

Kicking Off November 2 In Palm Desert, CA

On the heels of her chart-topping new album, GRAMMY®, and Latin GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Shakira has just announced the first string dates on her highly anticipated world tour, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour,” promoted by Live Nation, with 14 arena shows across North America kicking off this fallThe tour’s first leg will start on November 2 in Palm Desert, CA, and includes stops in Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto, Brooklyn, Chicago and more. See below for full tour routing. Known for her dynamic and high-energy performances, Shakira will bring tracks from her new album and her legendary catalog of hits to life on stage.

Shakira Tickets

GENERAL ONSALE BEGINS MONDAY, APRIL 22 AT SHAKIRA.COM

Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Wednesday, April 17. The artist presale will begin Friday, April 19 at 10am local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Monday, April 22 at 10am local time at shakira.com.

Presale

Citi is the official card of the “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour” in the U.S. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 17 at 10am local time until Sunday, April 21 at 10pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

VIP

Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, a meet & greet and photo op with Shakira, an autographed item, access to the pre-show VIP lounge, an exclusive VIP merch item & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

Shakira first hinted at the tour during her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last month. On Friday, the global superstar surprised fans at Coachella when she appeared during Bizarrap’s set to perform their global smash hit “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and “La Fuerte,” both featured on her new album. Before exiting the stage, Shakira teased the tour news to a roaring crowd.

Coachella marks the second time in the last month that Shakira has surprised fans with a showstopping performance. Last month, following the album release, Shakira shut down New York City’s Times Square giving a crowd of 40,000+ fans a peek into the energy of her live shows when she performed at the TSX Stage. The performance included her iconic hits like “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Te Felicito/TQG,” and “Session 53,” as well as “Puntería” and “Cómo Dónde y Cuándo” from her new album.

The tour is in support of her new album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which in 24 hours of its release became the most streamed album of the year with over 10 billion, and was certified 7x platinum. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Latin Album and Latin Pop Album Charts, while “Puntería” with Cardi B holds the #1 spot on both the Billboard Latin Airplay and Latin Pop Airplay chartsListen to the album HERE!

This is Shakira’s first tour since 2018, when she wowed fans at sold out stadiums and arenas around the planet with the El Dorado World Tour, cementing her reputation as “an international pop goddess” (Rolling Stone).

Shakira Tour Dates

  • Sat, Nov 02Palm Desert, CA – Acrisure Arena
  • Thu, Nov 07Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
  • Sat, Nov 09Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
  • Sat, Nov 16San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
  • Sun, Nov 17Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
  • Wed, Nov 20Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
  • Sat, Nov 23Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
  • Mon, Nov 25Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
  • Sat, Nov 30Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
  • Thu, Dec 05Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
  • Sun, Dec 08Boston, MA – TD Garden
  • Tue, Dec 10Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
  • Sat, Dec 14Chicago, IL – United Center
  • Sun, Dec 15Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

About Shakira

Shakira is a Colombian singer-songwriter and multi-GRAMMY® award winner. She has sold over 95 million records worldwide and has won numerous awards including three GRAMMYs®, twelve Latin GRAMMYs®, and multiple World Music Awards, American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards, to name a few. She is the most-viewed female Latin artist, and one of the top-10 artists of all time on YouTube with over 27 billion cumulative views, and the most-streamed female Latin artist of all time on Spotify.

Most recently, Shakira released her twelfth studio album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran to rave reviews. The album is a dazzling testament to her resilience and strength, as well as music’s power to transform the most trying experiences into precious moments. In the first 24 hours it was released, the album became the most streamed album 2024 and was certified 7x Platinum.

Shakira’s previous album El Dorado ranked #1 on iTunes in 37 Countries, won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2017 Latin GRAMMY® Awards, and Best Latin Pop Album at the 2018 GRAMMY® Awards. With over 12 billion streams, it is one of the most-streamed female albums of all time. In 24 hours, “SHAKIRA || BZRP Music Sessions #53” made history both on Spotify with over 14 million streams and on YouTube with over 52 million views. The song debuted at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is another historic moment for Shakira as she is the first solo woman to debut in the Top 10 on the chart with a song recorded in Spanish. It is also the Spanish language song with the most streams in a single day in Spotify history. In September, Shakira received the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards and in honor of her award put on a breathtaking performance of her greatest hits.

Less than a week after releasing her critically acclaimed new album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira surprised a crowd of over 40,000 people, the largest audience for a performance in Times Square, with a mesmerizing performance at the TSX Stage.

Global Sensation Jennifer Lopez Announces “‘This Is Me…Now’ the Tour”

May 31, 2024 Update: Jennifer Lopez has canceled her upcoming stops for the ‘This Is Me… Live’ tour, including the Phoenix concert originally set for July 9 at Footprint Center.

Today, one of the most influential entertainers of our time, Jennifer Lopez, announced her highly anticipated return to the touring stage with “This Is Me…Now” The Tour. This marks her triumphant comeback to the touring scene after a five-year break, following the successful 2019 tour that grossed over $50 million and sold out venues across the country. The tour will feature Lopez performing her catalog of chart-breaking hits across her renowned discography as well as new songs from her album, This Is Me…Now.

This is Me…Now (Amazon Exclusive Vinyl)
This is Me…Now (Amazon Exclusive Vinyl)

Produced by Live Nation, the 30+ city tour kicks off on June 26 in Orlando, FL at Kia Center making stops across North America in Miami, Los Angeles, Toronto, her hometown of NYC, and more before wrapping up in Houston, TX on August 31 at Toyota Center.

“This Is Me…Now” the Tour comes on the heels of Lopez’s announcement of her forthcoming album This Is Me…Now and Amazon Original, This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, out on February 16th. Most recently, Lopez was featured in Dunkin Donuts’ Super Bowl LVIII commercial and dropped a new version of “Can’t Get Enough ft. Latto” which she performed on SNL.

Tickets Available Starting Tuesday, February 20 at 9 AM Local Time via Presales

General Onsale Begins Friday, February 23 at 10 AM Local Time on LiveNation.com

Tickets will be available starting with a JLo Fan Club presale beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 9 AM local time. Additional presales (details below) will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, February 23 at 10 AM Local Time at LiveNation.com.

CITI Presale

Citi is the official card of the “This Is Me…Now” the Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets for the U.S. dates beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, February 22 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit citientertainment.com.

Verizon Presale

Verizon will offer customers an exclusive presale for “This Is Me…Now” the Tour for applicable U.S. dates through Verizon Up. Customers will have access to purchase presale tickets for select shows beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, February 22 at 10 PM local time. For more details visit Verizon Up.


The release of This Is Me…Now, her first studio album in nearly a decade, is Jennifer Lopez’s story, in Jennifer Lopez’s words. The album serves as a rich tapestry of sounds and emotions, seamlessly blending elements of pop, R&B and hip hop influences to create a fusion of genres. Her lyrics delve into the highs and lows of life, love, and relationships with unflinching honesty and introspection as she unveils a genuine story of growth, resilience, hard work, and the transformative power of self love. Jennifer Lopez’s distinctive vocals intertwine flawlessly with captivating melodies, delivering a musical experience that is both commanding and deeply meaningful.

Written and recorded at her Los Angeles home in 2022 and 2023, Jennifer Lopez collaborated with a star-studded lineup of hit producers, including Rogét Chahayed, Angel Lopez, and Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman. Additional songwriter-producers were HitBoy, Tay Kieth, Yeti Beats, Carter Lang, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk, Jason Derulo, and Brandon Riester, who served as A&R for this project. The album can be preordered here

Streaming globally on Prime Video starting February 16th, This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Jennifer Lopez. Alongside director Dave Meyers, Jennifer has created a narrative-driven cinematic odyssey, steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing. Dropping in tandem with her first studio album in a decade, this genre-bending Amazon original showcases her journey to love through her own eyes. With fantastical costumes, breathtaking choreography, and star-studded cameos, this panorama is an introspective retrospective of Jennifer’s resilient heart.

“Can’t Get Enough”, the first single from This Is Me…Now is available now on all platforms.

“This is Me…Now” The Tour dates:

Get Tickets

  • Wed Jun 26 | Orlando, FL | Kia Center
  • Fri Jun 28 | Miami, FL | Kaseya Center
  • Tue Jul 02 | Austin, TX | Moody Center
  • Wed Jul 03 | Edinburg, TX | Bert Ogden Arena*
  • Fri Jul 05 | San Antonio, TX | Frost Bank Center
  • Sat Jul 06 | Dallas, TX | American Airlines Center
  • Tue Jul 09 | Phoenix, AZ | Footprint Center
  • Thu Jul 11 | Los Angeles, CA | Kia Forum
  • Sat Jul 13 | Anaheim, CA | Honda Center
  • Tue Jul 16 | San Francisco, CA | Chase Center
  • Wed Jul 17 | Sacramento, CA | Golden 1 Center
  • Fri Jul 19 | Palm Springs, CA | Acrisure Arena
  • Sat Jul 20 | Las Vegas, NV | T-Mobile Arena*
  • Mon Jul 22 | Denver, CO | Ball Arena
  • Wed Jul 24 | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center
  • Fri Jul 26 | Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena
  • Sat Jul 27 | Indianapolis, IN | Gainbridge Fieldhouse
  • Tue Jul 30 | Pittsburgh, PA | PPG Paints Arena
  • Wed Jul 31 | Detroit, MI | Little Caesars Arena
  • Fri Aug 02 | Toronto, ON | Scotiabank Arena*#
  • Mon Aug 05 | Montreal, QC | Bell Centre*#
  • Wed Aug 07 | Boston, MA | TD Garden
  • Fri Aug 09 | Belmont Park, NY | UBS Arena
  • Sat Aug 10 | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center
  • Tue Aug 13 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center
  • Wed Aug 14 | Washington, DC | Capital One Arena
  • Fri Aug 16 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden
  • Tue Aug 20 | Cleveland, OH | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse*
  • Thu Aug 22 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena
  • Sat Aug 24 | Raleigh, NC | PNC Arena
  • Sun Aug 25 | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena
  • Tue Aug 27 | Tampa, FL | Amalie Arena
  • Fri Aug 30 | New Orleans, LA | Smoothie King Center
  • Sat Aug 31 | Houston, TX | Toyota Center*

*Verizon Up Presale Not Applicable | #Citi Presale Not Applicable

Justin Timberlake Returns to the Global Stage with the ‘Forget Tomorrow’ World Tour

Last night on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, renowned musician, actor, and entertainer Justin Timberlake announced his first tour in 5 years with The Forget Tomorrow World Tour. 

Produced by Live Nation, the first leg of his global outing will include 22-cities and kicks off on April 29 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC making stops across North America in Seattle, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Boston, MA and more before wrapping up in Lexington, KY at Rupp Arena on July 9.

Additional dates including stops in Europe and the UK will be announced soon. See full ticketing and routing information below.

Get Tickets for All Tour Dates Here

Justin Timberlake 2024 world tour dates
Justin Timberlake 2024 world tour dates

About Timberlake’s New Album – Out March 15

'Everything I Thought It Was' album artwork
‘Everything I Thought It Was’ album artwork

Fans can expect to hear songs from his forthcoming new album Everything I Thought It Was, his latest single “Selfish” out now, and everyone’s favorite hits. Written by Timberlake, Louis Bell (Taylor Swift, Post Malone), Cirkut (Maroon 5, The Weeknd), Theron Thomas, Amy Allen and produced by Timberlake, Louis Bell and Cirkut, “Selfish” is the first taste of solo music from Justin since his 2018 Man of the Woods record.

Justin’s sixth studio album Everything I Thought It Was is out March 15th. Pre-order HERE. This weekend, Timberlake will return to Saturday Night Live as musical guest, making the TV debut of his newly released single “Selfish”.

Justin Timberlake 2024 North American Tour Dates

  • Mon Apr 29 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
  • Thu May 02 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
  • Mon May 06 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose
  • Fri May 10 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena*
  • Tue May 14 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena San Diego*
  • Fri May 17 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
  • Tue May 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
  • Wed May 29 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
  • Fri May 31 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
  • Tue Jun 04 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
  • Thu Jun 06 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
  • Mon Jun 10 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
  • Wed Jun 12 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
  • Fri Jun 14 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
  • Sat Jun 15 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
  • Fri Jun 21 – Chicago, IL – United Center
  • Tue Jun 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
  • Sat Jun 29 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
  • Wed Jul 03 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
  • Thu Jul 04 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
  • Sun Jul 07 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse*
  • Tue Jul 09 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena

*Verizon Up Presale Not Applicable

North America Tickets

GENERAL ONSALE BEGINS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 AT 10AM LOCAL ON JUSTINTIMBERLAKE.COM

Tickets will be available starting with a fan club presale beginning on Monday, January 29. Existing Fan Club members will receive a unique code via email for access to purchase tickets. Additional presales including Verizon and Citi (details below) will run throughout the week. The general onsale begins Friday, February 2 at 10 am local time at JustinTimberlake.com.

TICKETS AVAILABLE WITH CITI AND VERIZON PRESALES STARTING TUESDAY, JANUARY 30

  • CITI PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Forget Tomorrow World Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets for U.S. dates beginning Tuesday, January 30 at 10am local time until Thursday, February 1 at 5pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit citientertainment.com.
  • VERIZON PRESALE: Verizon will offer customers presale access for the Justin Timberlake Forget Tomorrow World Tour for applicable U.S dates through Verizon Up. Customers will have access to purchase presale tickets for select shows beginning Tuesday, January 30 at 10am local time to Thursday, February 1 at 5pm local time. For more details visit Verizon Up.

VIP:

The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include tickets in the exclusive VIP Stage Bar section with in-seat service throughout the night, specially designed VIP gift item, early entrance into the venue & more. For additional information, visit vipnation.com

REVIEW: Ben Folds Creates More Beautiful Moments with Tall Heights for Die-Hard Fans in Mesa (8-15-23)

Jump to Photo Galleries

View Setlist

Mesa, AZ — In the moments before the start of Ben Folds’ performance at the Mesa Arts Center with support from Tall Heights, the line for the merch table stretched back through Ikeda Theatre’s lobby and out the door. As the audience poured in for the evening’s show, so many eras of Ben Folds’ career was present across t-shirts, some clearly dating back the 28 years of his career (one attendee was sporting an early Ben Folds Five t-shirt that was surely coveted by many of the long-time fans). Special shoutout to the Ben Folds glasses-cleaning set, the most audience-specific piece of merch sold, this side of Taylor Swift friendship bracelets and Cypress Hill rolling papers. Throughout the entryway, die-hard fans shared memories of their favorite Ben Folds show, detailing their favorite moments. 

Tall Heights

Tall Heights
Tall Heights with touring member Paul Dumas (Drummer)
Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

Boston’s Tall Heights pulled double duty, serving as both the opener for Folds and also as a part of his backing band. The two-piece group, consisting of guitarist Tim Harrington and cellist Paul Wright, has been building a steady following since their 2009 debut album on the strength of their gorgeous melodies and the duo’s lush harmonies. They opened their set with “Back to Autumn” and “Murmuring State” before introducing themselves to the crowd and making note of the delicious empanadas they’d eaten that day – presumably at downtown Mesa’s gem Republica Empanada less than half a mile away from the venue. 

Paul Wright of Tall Heights
Paul Wright (Singer, Cellist), Tall Heights
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

The duo covered Blink-182’s “Dammit” – a captivatingly ethereal rendition that surprised, amused, and delighted the audience. They released their reimagined version of this song in 2022. After playing “Only,” the duo talked about getting to tour with Folds and how they were recruited by him to play on his latest album, which in turn inspired them to get to work on their own new album.

Tim Harrington of Tall Heights
Tim Harrington (Singer, Guitarist), Tall Heights
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

They then debuted a brand-new song “Still Feel the Same,” so new in fact that they had the lyrics printed and out on stage with them. When the crowd immediately embraced the song and gave it a long round of applause after, Harrington laughed and said “you are so sweet. I was shitting my pants the whole time, and it was not because of the empanadas!” 

Tall Heights
Tall Heights
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

After a haunting rendition of their “Spirit Cold,” Harrington implored the crowd, since “Still Feel the Same” was so new, “If you took a video of the song, don’t post it on social media, and you already have… you know what? Fuck it. We’re not famous enough for anyone to care if something gets leaked early.” They closed their set with a completely unplugged, standing performance of “To Be Young.” 

Ben Folds

Ben Folds with touring band, including Tall Heights
Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

For being such an incredibly dynamic performer, Folds is so humble and gracious in between. Even his arrival on stage came with a brief pause at the front of the stage for a quick smile and nod before he went to his piano, and opened his show with “Exhausting Lover,” “Winslow Gardens,” and “Clouds With Ellipses” from his new record What Matters Most (his set would feature eight of the album’s ten songs), all of which sounded great. The new album is a must for those who don’t already have it. 

Ben Folds
Ben Folds
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

After “Losing Lisa” off of Rockin’ the Suburbs, Folds shared with the crowd that during the pandemic he had an online song-writing course he taught and that one assignment involved students in the class using headlines to inspire songs. He himself got two songs out of it: “Fragile” (inspired by a story of a would-be burglar who was caught by the family, started to cry, and then gave them $200 before quickly leaving their home) and “Kristine from the Seventh Grade” (drawn from an article by a woman explaining why she wouldn’t remove her shoes in homes that ask you to remove shoes). “This is funny,” he added before starting the song, “but I put it in a minor key.” Indeed, it was amusing, eliciting laughter throughout, as it told the tale of a former school friend. She had given herself over to online conspiracy theories and near-constant anger at the world.

Ben Folds
Ben Folds
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

One of the reasons why Ben Folds’ fans are so loyal is in part because of his incredible song writing. While his songs can be many things: funny and sad, uplifting and sorrowful, heartwarming and heartbreaking, they are all deeply rooted in an unmistakable humanity. Though we may at times laugh at his protagonists, be they him, a surrogate, or a character he’s created, it is in response to something we can all connect to and understand.

Ben Folds
Ben Folds
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

“Still Fighting It,” a song written about his son Louis, has been a live-show staple for years and always a highlight. I mean, who of any age can’t relate to the line: “Everybody knows it sucks to grow up”? “What Matters Most,” the title track from the new album, and “Landed” both deal with missing friends, whether from death or confusing estrangement. These songs were performed back-to-back, making for a poignant one-two punch.

Ben Folds with touring band, including Tall Heights
Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

“If you know Regina’s parts, go ahead and sing along,” prompted Folds before playing “You Don’t Know Me,” his duet with Regina Spektor from Way To Normal. The audience took Folds’ cue and responded majestically. One of the hallmarks of any Ben Folds show is audience participation. For a time after the release of Rockin’ the Suburbs, his first album away from Ben Folds Five, he embarked on a solo tour that featured only him and a piano each night. He made the audience a part of the show, directing them to add harmonies or, in the case of “Army,” stand in for the trumpet and trombone parts.

Ben Folds
Ben Folds
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

As Folds and the band arrived at the first instance of Spektor’s vocals, it clearly surprised and delighted Folds to hear her parts sung so loudly and enthusiastically from all corners of the Mesa Arts Center, even briefly stopping the song at one point to express how much it pleased him. “How cool is that?!” he marveled. Following a spirited run through of Way To Normal’s “Effington,” Folds ran the audience through a quick three-part harmony rehearsal to accompany the performance of “Not the Same” — Folds’ ballad of a high school friend who dropped acid at a party and climbed up into a tree where he stayed all night before climbing down the next morning and promptly becoming a born-again Christian. Throughout the song, Folds stood, playing many of the parts one-handed so he could keep his right hand free to direct the audience through the harmonies. For a song that is somewhat somber in tone, it managed to be one of the evening’s highlights, especially as a scan of the audience revealed universal expressions of glee. 

Ben Folds
Ben Folds
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

As Folds began to set up “Moments,” the final track on the new album and what would be the pre-encore closer, an audience member called out “Rock This Bitch,” Folds’ long-running live show staple improvised song. Folds obliged the request, playing an Arizona-specific version of the song and once more assigning the audience vocal parts. Folds came back out and performed “Annie Waits” solo (eventually joined by Tall Heights, who added some of their incredible harmonies at the tailend of the song). They followed with full-band runs through “Still” and “Zak and Sara”. 

Ben Folds
Ben Folds
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

“Moments” was the evening’s pinnacle. It was, after all, a night about living in the moment, being present for life. As the lyrics go “We try to hold these moments as they glow/We’ll breathe them in and then we’ll let them go.”

Ultimately, it is these moments — shared moments with strangers — that are what matter most (yeah, that’s right, I worked in TWO references to Folds’ stellar new album in one sentence). There is something so real, so uplifting, and ultimately something so life affirming about a Ben Folds concert that it should never be missed. Despite arriving as strangers and departing as strangers, a Ben Folds audience in between is a community drawn into the experience, singing along to every word, providing harmonies, laughing, crying, and being present. We held in the moments like one of life’s most precious breaths before letting it go into the night, a community forever but strangers once more.

View Setlist

Photo Galleries

Photographer: Katherine Amy Vega

View Separately: Ben Folds | Tall Heights

Ben Folds & Tall Heights – Mesa Arts Center 8-15-23

Photography © Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
All Rights Reserved.

REVIEW: Distant is Out to Destroy Everything in Their Path with the New Album Heritage

Heritage, the album released today by five-piece downtempo deathcore band Distant, is the band’s third album, and the second with their current line up – joined by Jan Mato on drums and Eise Smit on guitar in 2020. While their second album Aeons Of Oblivion showed what the band was capable of, especially on the four-part “Ritual,” an almost deathcore suite, Heritage is the band at their full power. 

Distant album "Heritage" cover art
“Heritage” album artwork

While the band is legendary for the brutality of their music, the opening track “Acid Rain” is almost beautifully melodic with an undercurrent of doom, like a fairy tale that starts with a welcoming path in the forest but portends darkness buried deep in the woods. 

That darkness erupts on “Paradigm Shift,” and if a paradigm shift is a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions, then the song represents that for the band. Building off of “Acid Rain,” the track announces the band’s new direction, like their first two albums were the hunt, and now with Heritage, they’re here for blood. 

The third track, “Born of Blood,” builds slowly, propelled by guitarists Vladimir Golic and Nouri Yetgin’s twin-assault pulverizing riffs. In the background of the song, though, is a swirling rhythm pulling the listener upwards with the song. Alec Grnja’s vocals seem to swirl throughout the song’s vortex before casting you out of the apex into the ether. 

The centerpiece of the album is “Agent Justice,” a seven-minute epic that sounds like the score for an cult-classic horror film. The video for the song sees the band performing live, trapped behind a staticy red and black color palette, like you’re seeing it on a channel you’re not meant to watch, and the band is fighting through the static to the surface. While everyone shines on the track, Jon Mato’s blast beats are so relentless that it is astounding to realize a human being is capable of maintaining such a persistent beat. The song is a rollercoaster, taking you to its very peaks and then dropping you, screaming face-first into an almost-calming piano interlude that only gives to another sharp climb. Grnja’s vocals threaten to tear you in half as they run at you full force. 

Tracks such as “A Sentence to Suffer” and “Human Scum” are played at such furious intensity that you can feel blood dripping from the tracks, with each member of the band going hard on both songs. The one-two punch of closing tracks “Orphan of Blight” and “Plaguebreeder” both start with the same kind of haunting, almost orchestral sound that then pulls you down sharply into an audio demolition derby, throwing you around and around until the merciless conclusion. 

For a band that describes their own sound as “bone-crushing, thick-as concrete heaviness,” Heritage might as well be a hydraulic compactor, the kind that could pancake a military vehicle. The band has never sounded tighter and more in tune with each other than ever before. Grnja’s vocals are intense, working in conjunction with Golic and Yetgin’s guitars – which would be intense enough on their own, but combined with Elmer Maurit’s steady basslines and Mato’s blast beats, they are out to destroy everything in their path. Distant is at the forefront of European deathcore for a reason, and Heritage moves them firmly to the top of the mountain .Heritage was released on February 10th on all platforms, with physical copies available on Distant’s website, including a badass limited edition Heritage vinyl pressing on marbled white and red smoke – with only 500 copies available.

Be sure to catch the band when they play The Underground in Mesa on March 13th, along with Bodysnatcher, AngelMaker, and PALEFACE (CH).

More tour dates here.

Distant online:

Distant deathcore band
Distant

Once Human to Release “Scar Weaver” on February 11

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 FlynnLogan 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.

Band Members:

  • Logan Mader
  • Lauren Hart
  • Damien Rainaud
  • Dillon Trollope
  • Max Karon

Once Human Online:

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

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

Five Finger Death Punch Announce Massive Spring 2020 U.S. Arena Tour

Special Guests Papa Roach, I Prevail,
& Support from Ice Nine Kills

4x Platinum, 6x Gold record selling rock juggernaut Five Finger Death Punch have announced that they will kick off the 2nd leg of their current U.S. arena headline tour in April, featuring special guests Papa Roach, I Prevail, as well as highly acclaimed newcomer Ice Nine Kills. The tour is co-produced by Frank Productions and Live Nation. See all dates below.

VIP presale, artist fanclub presale, and cyber monday presale begins today at 10:00 AM (local time). Citi is the official presale credit card of the tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase U.S. presale tickets beginning Tuesday, December 3rd at 10:00 AM (local time) until Thursday, December 5th at 10:00 PM through Citi’s Entertainment program. Local promoter venue and radio presales will kick off on Thursday, December 5th at 10:00 AM (local time). Tickets will go on-sale to the general public beginning Friday, December 6th at 10:00 AM (local time).

Five Finger Death Punch are currently touring US arenas before heading to Europe right after the holidays for their nearly sold out European arena run with very special guests Megadeth and global breakout rock sensation Bad Wolves. Information on all tour dates including links to tickets and VIP packages can be found HERE.

FFDPTour

Five Finger Death Punch Spring 2020 Tour Dates:

  • 4/8 – Sunrise, FL // BB&T Center
  • 4/10 – Duluth, GA // Infinite Energy Center
  • 4/11 – Pelham, AL // Oak Mountain Amphitheater
  • 4/13 – San Antonio, TX // AT&T Center
  • 4/14 – Ft. Worth, TX // Dickies Arena
  • 4/16 – Houston, TX // Toyota Center
  • 4/18 – Phoenix, AZ // Talking Stick Resort Arena
  • 4/19 – San Diego, CA // Viejas Arena
  • 4/21 – Los Angeles, CA // The Forum
  • 4/23 – Tacoma, WA // Tacoma Dome
  • 4/25 – Portland, OR // Veteran Memorial Coliseum
  • 4/27 – Morrison, CO // Red Rocks Amphitheatre
  • 4/29 – Kansas City, MO //Sprint Center
  • 5/3 – Baltimore, MD // Royal Farms Arena
  • 5/5 – Worcester, MA // DCU Center
  • 5/6 – Newark, NJ // Prudential Center
  • 5/8 – Cincinnati, OH // Heritage Bank Center
  • 5/12 – Detroit, MI // Little Caesars Arena
  • 5/14 – Pittsburgh, PA // PPG Paints Center
  • 5/15 – Camden, NJ // BB&T Pavilion
  • 5/17 – Nashville, TN // Bridgestone Arena
  • 5/19 – Rosemont, IL // Allstate Arena
  • 5/20 – St. Paul, MN // Xcel Energy Center

Coinciding with the unveiling of their next massive tour, Five Finger Death Punch have announced their long awaited eighth studio album, titled F8. The album will be released globally on February 28th, 2020 and is available for pre-order now.

Five Finger Death Punch have amassed over 3 billion streams to date, over 2 billion video views and are the 3rd biggest artist in the hard rock space measured by total consumption (sales and streams) – surpassed only by Metallica and AC/DC. Newly signed to Better Noise Music, they’ve garnered 22 top 10, hit singles over the last few years.

Today, Five Finger Death Punch also premiered the debut single from F8, “Inside Out” one of the most personal songs that the band has released to date. Watch the official lyric video HERE.

Fans who pre-order the album digitally will receive an instant download of “Inside Out” along with two other new tracks before the release on February 28th. The album will be available in the following formats: CD, digital download, mastered for iTunes download, double gatefold vinyl and picture disc vinyl. The band also curated special F8 merchandise bundles of albums with exclusive t-shirts, hoodies and more, available for pre-order HERE.

Says Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory, “We had an extremely successful, yet tumultuous couple of years as a band. We didn’t just weather the storm but came out on the other side better than ever. It was a focused sober group recording, our most important album to date and without a question it shows.”

“This album represents rebirth, progression, transcendence both personally and musically.” Vocalist Ivan Moody adds, “This record to me is ‘absolution’ – everything I’ve done in my life has led up to this moment.”

F8 was produced by Five Finger Death Punch with long time producer Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed, Slash, etc). See the full tracklisting for F8 below.

FFDP F8

TRACKLISTING FOR F8:

  1. F8
  2. Inside Out
  3. Full Circle
  4. Living The Dream
  5. A Little Bit Off
  6. Bottom Of The Top
  7. To Be Alone
  8. Mother May I (Tic Toc)
  9. Darkness Settles In
  10. This Is War
  11. Leave It All Behind
  12. Scar Tissue
  13. Brighter Side Of Grey
  14. Making Monsters (BONUS)
  15. Death Punch Therapy (BONUS)
  16. Inside Out (Radio Edit) (BONUS)

The new album F8 follows Five Finger Death Punch’s hugely successful 2018 release, And Justice For None, which debuted in the Top 5 around the world and became the #1 streaming Hard Rock/Heavy Metal album of that year. They’ve built a rabid, global fan base by creating a unique sound that blurs the line between rock and metal, which has never been more apparent than on their upcoming eighth studio album F8 and their upward trajectory doesn’t seem to waver.

Five Finger Death Punch Is:

Zoltan Bathory
Ivan Moody
Jason Hook
Charlie Engen
Chris Kael

Download/Stream Five Finger Death Punch:

Spotify | Apple Music

Five Finger Death Punch Online:

Website | Twitter | Instagram  
Facebook | YouTube



Featured photo (top) by Stephen Jensen


INTERVIEW: My Immortal Enemy Singer Discusses Impending Debut Album — ‘Akuma’

Rock and punk fans should keep an ear out for the band My Immortal Enemy, especially if some of your favorite bands include Beartooth, Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance, and AFI.  Steven Juliano is their vocalist, Joel Chandler is bassist, Ryan Loomis is on drums, and Ryan Heggum is the guitarist.

My Immortal Enemy
Photography:
Cats Eye View Photography

If Juliano’s name sounds familiar, then perhaps you’ve heard of the band I Am Ghost from Epitaph records. Juliano is hitting the ground running with My Immortal Enemy, and their new duet album Akuma, featuring 12 head-banging rock songs, is coming out soon on January 10th, 2020. Their album was recorded at Indigital Studios in Santa Cruz, CA. It was mixed/mastered by Zack Ohren who has previously worked with Machine Head, All Shall Perish, and Set Your Goals.

Most of the members are still in their early 20’s and are excited to hear what music lovers think of their new record. They can’t wait to hit the road and meet their fans on tour, hopefully sometime in 2020.

Juliano generously gave Burning Hot Events some of his time to discuss the album concept, choices behind its development, and band evolution:

Interview with Steven Juliano, Singer of My Immortal Enemy

Q & A with music journalist Brittney Coon

The word “akuma” is Japanese for “demon” or “devil”, and Akuma is also the name of a character from Street Fighter. What is the inspiration for your album title?

Juliano: From the very beginning, before we had even written a song, I had a concept for this record. With my last band (I Am Ghost), rock-opera-albums was our thing, but after the band disbanded I started a few other music projects and kind of steered away from all that. The reason being concept albums are a lot of work. Mentally hard work. I wasn’t ready to wrap my head around such a large endeavor then.

This time I felt I was ready again, knowing all too well I was making a lot more work for myself lyrically. But I like challenges, I guess. I’m a glutton for punishment as they say. So, I created this detailed story; a semi-fictional tale with me as the protagonist, the devil (Akuma) the main antagonist. It’s a life journey story in a sense, something I believe we can all relate to.  

On your website and on SoundCloud, the track “Paradise” shows an image of Baphomet, a Satanic deity. Lyrically, does your album contain a lot of occult elements? If so, does this reflect your personal beliefs, or is it more of a stylistic choice?

Juliano: It’s all about the concept of the album, honestly, and has nothing to do with our religious beliefs. None of us in My Immortal Enemy are Satanist. None of us are very religious to begin with. I’ve been asked by a lot by people on what the artwork means, why all the dark/religious undertones, etc… and it’s hard to explain since the album isn’t out yet. Once you hear it all in context, it makes sense. 

What drew you to having Zack Ohren produce your debut album?

Juliano: The band actually wrote/produced the album ourselves and Zack did the entire mixing/mastering. Before he came on board we had another guy, a semi-famous gentleman whose band had sold millions and millions of albums in the past. So we thought it was a no brainer to have him mix our album. Well, his mixes were turning out… terrible. And not only terrible, he was taking months to get mixes back. There was a definite low period in the band. I had never gone through anything like that before in my career. We all felt helpless, like our album had been hijacked. Finally, I just called up the guy and fired him.

Soon after the search was on for a new mixing-engineer. My bass player told me about a guy he’d worked with in the past, a guy whose discography of bands was perfect for what we’re trying to convey. At the time, Zack was working on the new Machine Head album but graciously took on our project. 

Out of all the tracks on your new album, why did you choose “The Laughing Heart” as your first single?

Juliano:  Figuring out the first song to release is always difficult. Especially from a new band no one’s heard of yet. You have all these questions swirling in your head: “Do we release an aggressive song? A “radio song”? What if no one likes it? Blah blah blah.” All artists are insecure in a way. If they say they’re not they are lying. We decided it was best to release something that had a little bit of everything.

What I’ve learned from doing this for so long is that not everyone is going to like your music. It took me quite some time to realize that. Easier said than done… I know. But in the end you just have to put out songs you dig and keep moving forward. Second thing I’ve learned (mostly by trial and error) is that if you’re writing honest music with honest lyrics, people tend to lean towards that more often than not.   

Currently showing four men as your band members, who is the female vocalist on tracks such as “Into the Blue”?

Juliano:  At the early conception of the band we had a female guitarist who played and sang on the album. But, as in life, shit happened… shit that was completely out of our control. One minute she’s all about that tour life… the next minute she’s like “I’m going to get married and I don’t want to be in a band anymore.” Ultimately she moved away and gave up.

That’s the hardest part of being in a serious band; finding people who are all on the same page. Some would think finding great, seasoned musicians is the hardest part, but that’s not true at all. That’s the easy part actually. Finding musicians who you get along with and are willing to put in the long hours is definitely the hardest part. 

We know how difficult it can be to retain band members in a new band. With six members listed on your Facebook page, have you gained and lost many members over the past year? If so, how were you able to recover?

Juliano: We’ve been lucky enough to keep the four main members, all of whom are the main song writers of the group. So in retrospect it’s been rather painless. Most touring bands have members who are really just hired guns anyways, so the fact we’ve kept our core unit in tact is a blessing. 

How is this band different, in sound or otherwise, than I Am Ghost?

I Am Ghost’s Those We Leave Behind Album Cover

Juliano: The biggest difference with My Immortal Enemy and I Am Ghost is that I Am Ghost had a strong, almost ungodly major label push from day one. I Am Ghost was signed by Epitaph Records very early in our career. We signed a three album deal after only a couple of shows under our belts. And when I say couple, I mean only like three of four shows… ever.  After that we became another monster. We had real management and agents and a team of publicists… big dogs that would never even return my emails in any of my previous bands… and all this happened literally overnight.

My Immortal Enemy’s Akuma Album Artwork
By:
Steven Juliano

My Immortal Enemy, on the other hand, is all DIY. We do everything ourselves. We paid for the recording and mixing of our album ourselves… which was very expensive. Our upcoming music video we paid ourselves. We book all our own shows. I design all the artwork in the band. The negative in all that is its financially draining. The positive, and you have to always look at the positive being in a band, is that there is zero outside influence regarding our music, and for the moment, we rather enjoy the freedom. As to the actual musical styles between the two, My Immortal Enemy is definitely very similar, although I wasn’t trying for that to happen at all. It just kind of happened, I guess. 

Your website currently shows a “coming soon” message under the “Tour” section. Are tour plans currently in the works to support the album release?

Juliano: We wanted to take off a few months and get the album release in order. All that takes a lot of work since we are doing it ourselves. Also, being that it’s winter, there really is no reason to hop into a van and travel the US battling all that darn rain and snow. Again, I’ve been touring since I was 19 years old, so subsequently I know how it goes. Winter dates more likely than not get canceled because of bad weather, and most importantly it’s too dangerous traveling. We will be back early 2020 with tour dates, so rest assured. We hope to play as many shows and in as many different places as we possibly can. 

What headlining bands would you love to tour with?

Juliano: The cool thing about our band is I feel we could tour with anyone and do ok. We have that definite metal vibe but I’m a punk kid at heart and I think we’d do well on a punk tour, or a hard rock tour. I think we’d fit in well on a pop punk tour… hell, throw us on a ska tour we’d survive. But bands that would be fun to tour with would be bands like Beartooth or Avenged Sevenfold, or even My Chemical Romance now that they have gotten back together. 

How are you going to celebrate the release of your new album?

Juliano: This might sound stupid but it feels as though we’ve gone to war in some far off country and have finally returned home… like years later.  There’s definitely this “Holy shit man, we did it. We made it home alive…” type mentality with the four of us, which in the end has only brought us closer together. Ultimately, bad things happen in life… things completely out of your control and you can either be resilient or just give up.

But we honestly believe in this album. We think it’s not just good, but rather exceptional. Especially if you know all the history surrounding its inception… of how many times we were knocked down but kept getting back up. My Immortal Enemy are fighters, that’s for damn sure.

Order Akuma:

Arrives in stores everywhere January 10th, 2020. You can now pre-order your physical copy of My Immortal Enemy’s debut 12 song album, “Akuma” HERE. Signed by entire band. Includes two stickers and 1.5 inch button. Bundle pack includes Black Skull/Coffin T-Shirt. FREE shipping (if in the USA). Album ships world-wide.

Also Available for Pre-Order at:

Amazon | Apple Music

Track Listing:

  1. Dangerous
  2. I Devil’lyn
  3. Into The Blue
  4. The Laughing Heart
  5. Atlas
  6. Paradise
  7. Blood On My Hands
  8. Chances Are
  9. After the Funeral
  10. Shiver
  11. Dearly Departed
  12. Hellos Are Harder Than Goodbyes

Stream My Immortal Enemy:

Spotify | SoundCloud | Deezer
YouTube | Play Music | iHeartRadio

Connect with My Immortal Enemy

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Celtic Vocalist Leah to Release “Ancient Winter” Winter-Themed Album on November 15

After a crowdfunding campaign that far exceeded the goal, symphonic/Celtic vocal goddess Leah has revealed that her upcoming winter-themed album, Ancient Winter, will officially see release on November 15.

Says Leah, “Now that the crowdfunding campaign is complete, I’m really excited to focus on the release of this album in November. My closest colleagues have told me this album might be some of my best work yet. Regardless, I hope this new music will make the coming winter season much more magical.”

Ancient Winter features eight tracks – five of which are originals and three traditional century medieval songs that Leah puts her own unique touch on. The album offers a slight departure from Leah‘s traditional symphonic metal into a more atmospheric, ethereal sound. It is a more earthy sounding album filled with new instrumentation such as fiddles and uilleann pipes, which give it a beautiful harmony of middle eastern feeling and Celtic folk and fantasy. Ancient Winter proves Leah‘s ability to venture into musical realms beyond metal.

Ancient Winter represents a new approach to holiday music as it celebrates winter themes in a way that is sure to give it a wider appeal. This is not simply a “Christmas album” but rather an emotional journey into transcendent ideals that will inspire any listener from anywhere.

Ancient Winter Tracklisting:

The Whole World Summons
Light of the World
Upon Your Destiny
Redemption
The Messenger
Gaudete
Puer Natus
Noël Nouvelet

For Ancient Winter, Leah tapped a top-notch talent cast of musicians, including Troy Donockley (Nightwish), Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling), Shir-Ran Yinon (Eluveitie), Oliver Philipps (Everon, Phantasma) and renowned string musician Rupert Gillett. This diverse lineup adds an international flavor to the album alongside Leah‘s beautiful vocals.

A variety of bundle packages will be available soon HERE. Watch the lyric video for “Redemption,” the first single from Ancient Winter, HERE:

About Leah:

Leah has amassed a generous and dedicated fanbase that has allowed her to crowdfund three of her five recordings without the assistance of a record label. Leah‘s first four albums, Of Earth and Angels (2012), Otherworld (2013), Kings & Queens (2015), and The Quest (2018) are a rapturous blend of a symphonic metal style carefully spiced with Celtic, folk and fantasy. Her emotive vocals are often compared to Loreena McKennitt, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan.

Leah – described affectionately by her fans as “the metal Enya” – hails from the coast of British Columbia, Canada, and is inspired by Celtic and world music influences such as Clannad and Enya to European symphonic and progressive metal influences. Her debut self-released album Of Earth & Angels received international critical acclaim, including landing the “The Best Symphonic Metal AlbumMetalstorm Award for 2012. Her 2013 release, Otherworld, is a five-song Celtic-metal masterpiece, mixed by ChristianMoschusMoos at SPACELAB in Germany (Delain, Everon, Imperia) and features the vocals of guitar legend Eric Peterson (Testament/Dragonlord) on the ethereal metal track “Dreamland.” 2014 was very successful year for Leah as she raised over $27,000 through Indiegogo via her fans to record and produce her heaviest album, Kings & Queens, which was eventually released in early 2015 through Inner Wound Recordings. The album received dozens of four and five-star reviews, and helped her gain thousands of new fans around the world. Leah raised over $87,000 in 30 days via Indiegogo and her shop to launch last year’s The Quest, again released via her own independent record label, Ex Cathedra Records, along with Inner Wound Recordings. The Quest received 5-star reviews and critical acclaim.

Leah Online:

Website | Facebook | YouTube
Instagram | Twitter