Today, Bullet For My Valentine announce their self-titled, seventh album Bullet For My Valentine. The record will be released on October 22 via Spinefarm /Search & Destroy and sees the band open a bold new chapter. It’s easily their heaviest, fiercest album so far. Watch the video for the new single “Knives,” directed by Fiona Garden, here or here.
“This is the beginning of Bullet 2.0,” says vocalist and lead guitarist Matt Tuck. “It signifies where we are right now. The music is fresh, it’s aggressive, it’s more visceral and passionate than it’s ever been.”
Bullet For My Valentine follows the success of their last album, 2018’s Gravity, which saw the metal juggernauts’ catalogue surpass 1 BILLION (yes, with a B!) streams in the U.S. That accomplishment solidifies Bullet’s hard-earned status as one of the most elite bands in the hard rock scene.
On the last cycle, Bullet For My Valentine played their biggest shows to date, including a UK arena tour and a massive show at London’s Alexandra Palace. But this time around, the band has taken things back to basics. Bullet For My Valentine is stacked with squealing solos and monstrous riffs that will delight fans — both new and old.
“I think it’s the most ferocious side of Bullet For My Valentine that I’ve ever known,” says lead guitarist Michael “Padge” Paget. “It’s time for us to put out a really angry, heavy, aggressive record. I just can’t wait to grimace on stage!”
“I wanted to come out guns blazing, fucking middle fingers flying, and just go for the throat,” agrees Tuck. “I think this is a far more aggressive, intense part of Bullet For My Valentine. It’s always been there. I’ve just never opened the floodgates on it. I want to take people’s heads off in a metaphorical way.”
True to their word, the first single, “Knives,” arrives like a punch in the face.
Tuck began writing the album in September 2019 before the Coronavirus pandemic brought things screeching to a halt in early 2020. But in June 2020, Tuck and long-time producer, Carl Bown, who co-produced the band’s 2015 album, Venom, and produced and mixed Gravity, picked up the pace again. Together, they hunkered down at Treehouse Studio in Chesterfield, where the remainder of the album was written.
Aptly self-titled, the band has triumphed, creating an album that will cement its place in the metal pantheon.
Pre-orders for Bullet For My Valentine’s seventh studio album are now live, with an instant download of the first single, “Knives,” and special bundle options, including a unique clipping from the backdrop used on the bands ‘Venom’ world tour from 2015 – 2017, t-shirts, hoodies, gold & silver cassettes, and limited vinyl. Get it here.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE TRACK LISTING: “Parasite” “Knives” “My Reverie” “No Happy Ever After” “Can’t Escape The Waves” “Bastards” “Rainbow Veins” “Shatter” “Paralysed” “Death By a Thousand Cuts”
In addition to all the existing hits, fans will get the chance to hear new music live for the first time this Sunday when the band make history by headlining the Download Festival Pilot at Donington Park on June 18-20.
BFMV have launched an official fan club, dubbed “Army of Noise,”via Patreon. Sign up here.
Serj Tankian has just released a 24-minute modern classical composition titled Disarming Time:A Modern Piano Concerto on his Serjical Strike Records label along with a self-produced video Serj made utilizing a lot of his own pictures and videos as a visual compliment to the epic track available for viewing here:
The multifaceted artist releases Disarming Time:A Modern Piano Concerto on the heels of his critically-acclaimed rock EP, Elasticity, that was released in March of this year via BMG/Alchemy Recordings.
Disarming Time:A Modern Piano Concerto is a Dada-esque tapestry of classical to modern mini compositions expertly superimposed together like a Beatles medley with the dynamics of System Of A Down utilizing pianos, strings, rock instrumentation, ethnic instruments, choirs, the works.
Tankian himself expounds:
“When quarantine hit and all our projects and releases were cancelled, I started itching for a musical challenge. One night sitting in bed looking through different voice memos on the iPhone I realized I have this huge trove of short, special, unrealized musical ideas. Right then the thought of creating an epic piece utilizing them all made me smile. So I recorded them all and started arranging the instrumentation to create this incredibly unique musical experience. I mean, who the fuck listens to 24 minutes of music as one piece today? We’re about to find out :)”
Over the past decade, Tankian has delved deeply into the world of cinematic composition whilst creating music for various film, television and video game projects for both major studio productions and independent films. At the same time he released Elect The Dead Symphony in 2009 and Orca, Symphony #1 in 2010. This project is an amalgamation of all this and more.
Disarming Time:A Modern Piano Concerto will make a redux presence three weeks from now, when it is released as part of the Cool Gardens Poetry Suite. The release is a rich suite of four elegant cinematic works layered with intimate recital of prose from Tankian himself, taken from the pages of his first published book of poetry, “Cool Gardens.” Tankian narrates 87 poems over the nearly 48 minutes of music, weaving his way through a bevy of topics ranging from humorous to sullen.
Cool Gardens Poetry Suite will also be accompanied with videos, this time at the hands of visual artist David Bradford, a previous collaborative partner on other Tankian projects. Bradford’s visuals quite literally animate pixelated paint onto digital canvas as viewers are caravanned across their screens via Tankian’s soundtrack and the gradual unveiling of his visual compliment. The video for “Cinematic Piano Theme (With Poetry)”, the lead track from Cool Gardens Poetry Suite is available to watch now, three weeks ahead of the release.
Cool Gardens Poetry Suite tracklist:
Cinematic Piano Theme (With Poetry)
Les Melodies (With Poetry)
Percussion (With Poetry)
Disarming Time: A Modern Piano Concerto (With Poetry)
Tankian has slated additional music releases for later this year, as he’s queued up an assemblage of 25 cinematic compositions that roam through light and dark soundscapes. The release will be called Cinematique and split up into two collections released at the same time in early August. Before the end of year, listeners can also expect two film soundtrack releases from Tankian, for Truth To Power and I Am Not Alone, both being documentaries that the composer produced and scored.
Teased over the last few months with just the hashtag #JINJER4, JINJER have now dropped the biggest heavy music news of the year: The band will release their long-awaited new studio album, entitled Wallflowers, on August 27, 2021 via Napalm Records.
Through their relentless hard work, non-stop international touring and critically acclaimed chart-topping releases gaining them over 250 million cross-platform streams/views – JINJER are inarguably one of modern metal’s hottest and most exciting bands today. The band has become synonymous with doing things their own way and breaking every rule in the heavy metal handbook, which is loudly evident on their highly anticipated fourth studio album and the successor to the groundbreaking Macro.
Eugene Abdukhanov adds: “Growing creatively has always been a major goal for us. The day JINJER stops reaching for new musical horizons- will be our last day as a band. We could have churned out what our peers expected us to do or produce Pisces clones without end but we’ve never done that and we never will. Instead, we wrote an album whose level of emotions range from the fiercest aggression we’ve ever had, to the most intricate melodies and melancholic vibes you could ever get from our music. We decided to rip apart all possible stylistic boundaries without regard to financial success or competing with our previous albums. Wallflowers is a different kind of album musically and visually. It’s about our identity as a band, as individuals and a clear statement that we are different from most artists… and that it is OK to do your own thing.”
Already regarded as one of the most anticipated metal albums of the year, with Wallflowers, JINJER once again prove their exceptional knack for mixing groove, prog, alternative and experimental influences to create a sound unlike anything that has ever come before it.
JINJER’s first video and single “Vortex” drop jaws with a massive look and some serious groove!
Along with an impressive new music video, the band just dropped their hypnotizing first single “Vortex”. This first taste of the new album features Shmayluk’s vocal power entwining with the eclectic, propulsive spiral aura of the track, not only showcasing the four-piece’s tonal diversity, but also proving their individuality once again. The accompanying music video holds up a black mirror to current world events: Qualitatively in the absolute top league and featuring an interplay of potent band shots and virtual features, the four minute track devours the viewer with destructive energy, and on the other hand represents the gloomy, absorbing mood and oppression of an entire period of time.
JINJER state:
“”Vortex” is the first. The first song we recorded and the first single we played live (at Hellfest From Home 2021). This is a perfectly balanced song in our opinion. A story told through the music and it deserved a video to perfectly match it… The video is a journey, giving the single another layer, another message, as Tatiana sings about the burden of heavy thoughts and how devastating it can be, the video mirrors what the world has sadly become for many of us…”
Wallflowers not only presents a methodical and premeditated next step in the band’s already imposing career, but moreover, it mirrors the personal adversities they’ve faced due to the worldwide events over the last year. Wallflowers is not only an upgrade to the progressive groove metal sound that all JINJER fans crave, but also a sonic pressure cooker of technical musicianship, emotional fury and an intense soundtrack befitting the harrowing state of the world today. Hailing from the conflict-ridden Ukrainian region of Donetsk but now calling Kiev their home base, JINJER truly do not mince words – or riffs – on Wallflowers. Their exceptional precision of modern metal paired with tough as nails attitude has earned them a fiercely loyal, rabid fanbase and massive critical acclaim, making JINJER one of the most talked about bands today and garnering them many sold out performances across the globe. With nearly all of JINJER’s releases composed between vans, backstage rooms and constant touring, Wallflowers continues where its predecessor Macro left off, only this time with less distraction and more time to focus on songwriting.
The new album Wallflowers will be available in the following formats for now – more exciting versions will follow next week!
Deluxe Box (Hand-Numbered Box, Limited Shirt (different sizes available), 7″ Black incl. 2 Bonus Tracks, CD Digipak (Sleeve)) – Limited to 1000 Copies (Napalm Mailorder ONLY)
Righteous Green, Black and White Vinyl (7″ White incl. 2 Bonus Tracks, Signed Picture Offsetpaper 12″ Booklet, Hand-Numbered Gatefold, Alternative Artwork) – Limited to 400 Copies (Napalm Mailorder ONLY)
White Vortex Vinyl – Limited to 500 Copies (Napalm RoW/EU ONLY)
Colossal Golden Vinyl – Limited to 500 Copies (Napalm NorAm ONLY)
1 LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
M (White) – Limited to 100 Copies (Napalm Mailorder ONLY)
1 CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle (Napalm RoW/EU ONLY)
1 CD Digipak
Digital Album
… more formats and Limited Edition specials, as well as new merch will be available in the new JINJER online shop on June 22!
Tracklisting: 1. Call Me a Symbol 2. Colossus 3. Vortex 4. Disclosure! 5. Copycat 6. Pearls and Swine 7. Sleep of the Righteous 8. Wallflower 9. Dead Hands Feel No Pain 10. As I Boil Ice 11. Mediator
Catch JINJER headlining in North America with support from special guests Suicide Silence and All Hail The Yeti this fall!
JINJER North American Tour Dates w/ Suicide Silence & All Hail The Yeti: 10/22: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon – Sold Out 10/23: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater 10/24: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater – Sold Out 10/27: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore – Sold Out 10/28: Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades – Sold Out 10/29: San Diego, CA @ SOMA 10/30: Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater – Sold Out 10/31: Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues 11/2: Denver, CO @ Summit 11/4: Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater 11/5: Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theater 11/6: Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis 11/7: Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 11/9: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s 11/11: Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave II 11/13: Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection 11/14: Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theater 11/16: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues 11/17: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall 11/18: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix 11/19: Montreal, QC @ M Telus 11/20: New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place 11/21: Boston, MA @ Big Night Live 11/23: Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw 11/24: Philadelphia, PA @ TLA 11/26: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva 11/27: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage – Sold Out 11/28: Charlotte, NC @ Underground – Sold Out 11/30: Orlando, FL @ House of Blues 12/1: St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus 12/2: Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl 12/3: Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theater 12/4: Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 12/5: New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues 12/7: Houston, TX @ House of Blues 12/8: San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater 12/9: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues 12/11: Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater 12/12: Phoenix, AZ @ The Pressroom
Smith & Myers – the duo comprised of multi-platinum artistsBrent Smith and Zach Myers – has released the official music video for their single “Bad At Love,” off their 2020 full-length album Smith & Myers Volume 2 (Atlantic Records). The vulnerable pop-rock track touches on the difficulties of staying in a romantic relationship while the visual, filmed at a 71-year-old drive-in theater in Tennessee, shows snapshots of others experiencing and overcoming those trials and tribulations. PRESS HERE to watch the “Bad At Love” music video, directed by DJay Brawner. “Bad At Love,” which has garnered nearly 6 million global streams and been featured on Spotify’s “Rockin Vibes” and Apple Music’s “Breaking Hard Rock” and “New In Rock” playlists, is now impacting Hot AC Radio nationwide. PRESS HERE to listen to “Bad At Love (2021 Mix),” a new version of the song just released last week.
“We’re excited for people to hear this new take on ‘Bad At Love’ and to watch the music video, which we really enjoyed creating,” shares Brent. “When we were making the record, this song had almost an Americana vibe, but we had an idea of changing the mix and presenting it in a different, more modern way for 2021. For the video, we wanted to showcase more than one example of love. It features three different scenarios with three different couples showcasing the diversity in each storyline. As the video unfolds, you don’t exactly know where the relationships will end up. That’s the beauty of the reveal in the finale.”
“Lyrically, Brent was writing about things in his life that maybe we wouldn’t really touch on with Shinedown and I think ‘Bad At Love’ came out to be an incredibly naked and honest song,” adds Zach. “If you’re bad at love, just realize that it’s okay. It only makes you better.”
Last October, Smith & Myers released their double album, Smith & MyersVolume 1 & Volume 2, which showcase the duo’s ability to pack power and soul into songs created with nothing more than a microphone and an instrument or two, highlighting their sonic versatility throughout a mix of poignant original songs and unexpected covers. Produced by GRAMMY nominated and longtime collaborator Dave Bassett, the duo’s debut album Volume 1 features original song “Not Mad Enough,” which touches upon the rights and wrongs of society and our connection as human beings, and original song “PANIC!” alongside renditions of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World,”Post Malone’s “Better Now” and INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart.” Meanwhile, Volume 2 features the alt-rock original tune “One More Time” in addition to “Bad At Love” as well as a re-imagining of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” and other covers such as Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell.” The double album marked Smith & Myers’ first original music since releasing a pair of acoustic cover EPs, Acoustic Sessions, Part 1and Acoustic Sessions, Part 2, in 2014when fans first fell in the love with the magic that is created between Brent and Zach in the studio and on stage, leading to Smith & Myers live shows that instantly sold out.
Smith & Myers, who recently wrapped a spring headlining tour, illuminates the depth of Brent and Zach as a duo and showcases a very different yet just as intriguing musical side of these two versatile artists. As one-half of multiplatinum band Shinedown — who were recently named #1 on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists chart — Brent and Zach can often be found topping the rock charts, earning mainstream recognition, and playing to sold-out arenas around the globewith 10 million albums and 10 million singles sold worldwide, 14 platinum and gold singles, five platinum and gold albums, more than2.7 billion streams and 16 number one rock hits (breaking the record for the most ever #1s in the 39-year history of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs Chart with their single “Atlas Falls”). As part of their “Atlas Falls” COVID-19 relief effort, Shinedown has raised more than $500,000 for Direct Relief, one of the largest providers of humanitarian medical resources in the world whose mission is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergency situations by mobilizing and providing essential medical resources needed for their care.
The Podcast That Rocked for 6/15/21. Talk on Courtney Love’s accusations and apology toward Dave Grohl and Trent Reznor, Blue Ridge Rock Fest, new album and tour announcements, and more.
The Podcast That Rocked on Spotify
NOTE: THE AUDIO IS BOOSTED AND CLIPPING IN THIS EPISODE! SORRY ABOUT THE ISSUE THIS WEEK AND IT’LL BE FIXED FOR NEXT EPISODE!
Discussion Topics: -Accusations and apology from Courtney Love toward Dave Grohl and Trent Reznor. -Blue Ridge Rock Festival lineup announced. -New album announcements for Deafheaven “Infinite Granite” and Angels & Airwaves “Lifeforms”. -New tours from Dropkick Murphys/Rancid, Coheed & Cambria/The Used, Angels & Airwaves. -Big albums that critics hated at first.
Following the launch of the blistering track “MOOT” (featuring Kittie’s Morgan Lander) that premiered via Revolver in April, We Are PIGS today unleashes her latest creation — the gripping and brutally honest single “Blood Diamond,” accompanied by a visually alarming new video.
We Are PIGS is the brainchild of accomplished South African-born producer / songwriter / artist Esjay Jones who has worked behind the scenes with Krewella, Grey Daze, Billy Corgan and Brian “Head” Welch. For “Blood Diamond,” Jones collaborated with eclectic producer and musician M.O.B. – after sending her the beat, Jones wrote and sang to it for the heart-thumping final result. Standing for Music Over Business, M.O.B. is a music collective that mixes top-tier artists like Fever 333, DJ Lethal and 311’s P-Nut, with new and upcoming talents.
The song, which Jones says ultimately both petrifies and awe-inspires her, is about the destruction waged by past trauma at the hands of family — and Jones hopes to use the song as a mechanism to reach out to others going through the same healing process and letting them know they are not alone.
She says, “’Blood Diamond’ is a song for all those healing and evolving in their lives, as I myself am still doing. In many ways I think the track was subconsciously written by a little girl that is still yearning for acceptance and learning what love really is while overcoming trauma. The pain of dealing with a dysfunctional parental relationship has really made for great art over the years but has also led to my own struggles with eating disorders, sexuality, self-love, and anger issues, and I just want people who are going through the same to know they are not alone. ‘Blood Diamond’ is my way of burying this burden and hopefully helping others navigate these stormy waters.”
In the video, Jones wears a T-shirt from Dave Navarro and PADHiA’s art collective Duel Diagnosis, aligning with the organization’s mission to encourage people not to be shamed by struggle, but to celebrate coming out on the other side of it. Proceeds of sales from their line of prints and wearable art benefits organizations such as Safe Horizon, Musicares and Serenity Trauma Healing Center.
As Jones says of the group, “They sum it up perfectly: We all have our struggles, disorders, traumas, misadventures, flaws and defects. We are not set in concrete summarized by some shitty one-dimensional label. We are human, fallible, covered with bruises, affected … we are also healing, evolving and each uniquely beautiful.”
Jones met Navarro while producing the upcoming Grey Daze album, which is one of the great hallmarks of Jones’ sought-after production work. With the We Are PIGS project, characterized with a pig-masked frontwoman, Jones further steps into her own spotlight with a hybrid nu-metal/trap style that combines brutal riffs, brazen screams and ethereal melodies.
After debuting with a cover of Slipknot’s “Duality” in 2020, followed by original single “Pulse Queen” in early 2021, We Are PIGS has found an incredible following and support through playlist placements on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.
More We Are PIGS original tracks and collaborations will be coming soon.
Dropkick Murphys and Rancid will hit the road together for the first time since 2017, for the co-headlining Boston To Berkeley II Tour with special guests The Bronx on most dates. The U.S. trek–which was originally scheduled for May of 2020–runs from August 10 – October 16 and will also feature festival appearances by Dropkick Murphys and Rancid at Riot Festin Chicago on September 18 and Aftershockin Sacramento on October 8.
Tickets for the Boston To Berkeley II Tour go on sale Friday, June 18 at 10:00 AM local time in most markets. The final band of the night will vary by date, with either Dropkick Murphys or Rancid as the closing act. Visit www.DropkickMurphys.com and www.RancidRancid.com for more details and to purchase tickets.
Rancid’s Tim Armstrong said, “Looking forward to hitting the road with the Dropkick Murphys again for the second edition of our Boston To Berkeley Tour. Our good buddies The Bronx will be joining us on tour as well. See ya in the pit!”
Dropkick Murphys’ Ken Casey said, “Can’t wait to get back out there and kick the touring door open again. This is a great lineup and we are gonna take the country by storm.”
Rancid and Dropkick Murphys have a long and important history together. Back in 1997, Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen came across a copy of DropkickMurphys’ original EP at a friend’s house. He turned it over to his bandmate and Hellcat Records president Tim Armstrong, who quickly snatched up the band for his new label.
Emerging from the blue-collar swamps of Berkeley, California, Rancid has now been a living, breathing punk rock band for over a quarter century. Back in 1991, after the demise of their much beloved first band, Operation Ivy, founding members Tim Armstrong (vocals, guitar) and Matt Freeman (bass, vocals) decided to do the impossible – start an even better band. Thus, Rancid. Signing with Epitaph Records, the band released their first album Rancid in 1993. Shortly thereafter, Lars Frederiksen (vocals, guitar) joined the band, because…well, are you going to tell him he can’t? The result, in 1994, was Let’s Go. In 1995, Rancid released the classic platinum-selling …And Out Come The Wolves. You still remember when you first heard it. They followed with the even more ambitious Life Won’t Wait in 1998, and in 2000, Rancid released another album entitled Rancid, just to see if anyone was paying attention. After Indestructible in 2003, Branden Steineckert (drums) joined to solidify Rancid’s current lineup. They subsequently released the albums Let The Dominos Fall (2009) and Honor Is All We Know (2014). And out now is another immediate classic, Trouble Maker (2017).
Dropkick Murphys proudly remain Boston’s rock ‘n’ roll underdogs turned champions. Since 1996, the boys have created the kind of music that’s meant to be chanted at last call, in packed arenas, and during the fourth quarter, third period, or ninth inning of a comeback rally. Their celebrated discography includes four consecutive Billboard top 10 album debuts (2021’s Turn Up That Dial, 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory, Signed and Sealed in Blood, Going Out In Style), along with2005’s gold-selling The Warrior’s Code featuring the near double platinum classic “I’m Shipping Up To Boston.” Whether you caught a legendary gig at The Rathskeller (The Rat) under Kenmore Square, found the band by taking the T to Newbury Comics to cop Do Or Die in ’98, discovered them in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning The Departed, or saw ‘em throw down at Coachella (or one of hundreds of other festivals), you’ve become a part of their extended family. Dropkick Murphys’ music has generated half-a-billion streams, they’ve quietly moved 8 million-plus units worldwide and the band has sold out gigs on multiple continents. In 2020, the band was one of the first to embrace streaming performances, starting with their Streaming Up From Boston St. Patrick’s Day virtual performance. It was followed by last year’s landmark Streaming Outta Fenway livestream, which drew more than 5.9 million viewers and held the #3 spot on Pollstar’s “Top 2020 Livestreams” chart. Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day Stream 2021…Still Locked Down, was #1 on Pollstar’s Livestream chart for the week ending March 22, 2021, logging over 1 million views. Dropkick Murphys is: Al Barr (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, accordion, mellotron, whistles, vocals), Ken Casey (lead vocals, bass guitar), Jeff DaRosa (banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica, acoustic guitars, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, vocals), James Lynch (guitar, vocals), Kevin Rheault (touring bassist) and Lee Forshner (touring bagpipe player).
The Dropkick Murphys / Rancid Boston To Berkeley II tour dates are as follows:
Times of Grace, featuring Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage, will release their eagerly awaited second album Songs of Loss and Separation on July 16 via the band’s own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide.
The band has just shared the second single and video for “Medusa,” directed by Nick Hipa. The song originally premiered at SiriusXM’s Octane.
Watch the story-driven clip for the slow-burning track, set against the stunning and powerful backdrop of the ocean and other majestic forces of nature, here.
“‘Medusa’ is one of the heavier tracks on the record,” says Dutkiewicz. “It definitely keeps within the theme of the record since it’s about a broken/abusive relationship. We hope you guys dig it.”
Leach shares that “‘Medusa’ is about betrayal, abuse, and deceit. It’s a story about the dark side of the soul and the struggle to tear away from those who feed off of your heart. When faced with these types of people and situations, there is a battle to not allow it to destroy a part of your soul and change you. This song is a testimony of that internal warfare of killing of the beast and taming the demons that remain in the aftermath. It’s about finding a way to keep your heart and your spirit alive after being broken and beaten down.”
Pre-order Songs of Loss and Separationhere, and check out the band’s newly-relaunched D2C webstore, complete with brand new merch and exclusive limited vinyl offerings, here.
SONGS OF LOSS AND SEPARATION TRACK LISTING: “The Burden of Belief“ “Mend You” “Rescue” “Far From Heavenless” “Bleed Me” “Medusa” “Currents” “To Carry the Weight” “Cold” “Forever”
The band’s debut album The Hymn of a Broken Man arrived in 2011, nearly a decade after Leach’s exit from Killswitch Engage, the pivotal New Wave of American Heavy Metal band the duo co-founded with friends in 1999. The first music from Times of Grace materialized during Dutkiewicz’s arduous recovery from near-crippling back surgery. A collection of songs the multi-instrumentalist and producer knew would suit his once and future bandmate. The first album earned acclaim from BBC Music, The Aquarian, and Rock Sound. It willfully upended expectations, with flourishes of shoegaze and ambiance in its songs.
Now, 10 years after Times of Grace first surfaced, the eagerly awaited follow-up arrives.
Comfortably stretched beyond the parameters of what came before, without sacrificing an ounce of integrity, Times of Grace weave between pensive, heavy, midtempo rock, riffs, and atmosphere. The pair’s vocal interplay makes for a rich, dense, and enthralling concoction, powering through various trips through dark nights of the soul and mind-expanding excursions into the wild. Songs of Loss and Separation benefits wildly from the powerhouse performance of ex-Envy On The Coast drummer Dan Gluszak, who toured behind the first album and is now an official member of the band.
The sprawling second album from Times of Grace, with a stunning album cover painted by John McCormack and album art layout by Tom Bejgrowicz, channels a dissonant, menacing, and unrelenting depression. Haunting romanticism and deep spiritual yearning collide in beautiful melancholy. It’s a diverse but singular statement, like the most beloved work of classic bands. Songs of Loss and Separation, insistent in its bluesiness, bleeds distortion and emotion, like a nerve, exposed.
Sometimes an artist or band will return from obscurity and make a big album reminding people of who they are. This video looks at 8 big comeback albums.
Death Magnetic is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on September 12, 2008, through Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Rick Rubin, marking the band’s first album since …And Justice for All (1988) not to be produced by longtime collaborator Bob Rock. It is also the first Metallica album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo, and the second to share writing credit to all of the band’s members.
You Won’t Get What You Want is the fourth studio album by American rock band Daughters. It was released on October 26, 2018, through Ipecac Recordings, and is the band’s first album since their 2013 reformation. The album was released to universal critical acclaim, with many critics naming it one of the best albums of 2018. It marks a significant departure from the band’s earlier style, moving away from mathcore towards a more industrial and noise rock influenced sound.
Supernatural is the eighteenth studio album by Latin rock band Santana, released on June 15, 1999, on Arista Records. After Santana found themselves without a label in the mid-1990s, founding member and guitarist Carlos Santana began talks with Arista president Clive Davis. Davis had originally signed the group to Columbia Records in 1969 when he was president of that label. Santana and Davis collaborated with A&R man Pete Ganbarg, as Santana wanted to focus on pop and radio-friendly material; Santana collaborated with contemporary guest artists including Eric Clapton, Rob Thomas, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, Maná, KC Porter and CeeLo Green.
Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 2009, on the 17th anniversary of the release of their second album, Dirt. It is their first record without original lead singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002, and their first album with new vocalist and rhythm guitarist William DuVall sharing vocal duties with lead guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who sings lead vocals on most of the songs. The title track is a tribute to Staley featuring Elton John on piano.
Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released on 25 July 1980 by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It is the band’s first album to feature lead singer Brian Johnson, following the death of previous lead singer Bon Scott. After the commercial breakthrough of their 1979 album Highway to Hell, AC/DC was planning to record a follow-up, but in February 1980, Scott died from alcohol poisoning after a drinking binge. Instead of disbanding, they decided to continue on and recruited Johnson, who was previously vocalist for Geordie.
Brave New World is the twelfth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 29 May 2000.[1] It was their first studio release since the return of longtime lead singer Bruce Dickinson (who left in 1993) and guitarist Adrian Smith (who left in 1990) in 1999, as well as the band’s first studio recording as a six-piece, as Janick Gers, who replaced Smith in 1990, remained with the band. The album artwork and title song are references to the novel of the same name, written by Aldous Huxley.
Permanent Vacation is the ninth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released in August 1987 by Geffen Records. The album marked a turning point in the band’s career. It was their first to employ songwriters outside the band, instead of featuring songs solely composed by them. This came at the suggestion of executive John Kalodner. He also pushed the band to work with producer Bruce Fairbairn, who remained with them for another two albums.
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Incendiary guitarist and solo artist, John 5, has today announced his North American 2021 tour taking place this summer. Joining him on his 22 date trek will be blues-rock guitarist and singer Jared James Nichols and industrial rockers Black Satellite. Joining the tour for shows in Sioux Falls, Sioux City and Lincoln will be YouTuber, musician, and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Longfield. Tickets are on sale now from John5.com.
Speaking on his newly announced tour, John 5 shares,
“I’ve always been excited to go on tour but this time it’s amplified by a million. I can’t wait to see everybody’s faces and say hello to everybody coming out to the shows. I’m very excited to have Jared James Nichols, Black Satellite and Sarah Longfield joining us on this run. I’m sure we’re gonna have a great time.”
Don’t miss your chance to catch one of the best guitar players going when he comes to a city near you this summer. Tickets for the John 5 2021 N. America tour are on sale now from John5.com. Full dates are below:
Tue 10 Aug Iowa City, IA Wildwood Wed 11 Aug Des Moines, IA Lefty’s Thu 12 Aug Sioux Falls, SD Bigs Bar Fri 13 Aug Sioux City, IA The Marquee Sat 14 Aug Lincoln, NE Royal Grove Sun 15 Aug Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck Tue 17 Aug St. Louis, MO Red Flag Wed 18 Aug Ft. Wayne, IN Piere’s Event Center Thu 19 Aug Hobart, IN The Art Theater Fri 20 Aug Marietta, OH Adelphia Music Hall Sat 21 Aug Leesburg, VA Tally Ho Theater Sun 22 Aug Stroudsburg, PA Sherman Theater Tue 24 Aug Nashville, TN Basement East Wed 25 Aug Chattanooga, TN Songbirds Thu 26 Aug Johnson City, TN Capone’s Fri 27 Aug Pipestem, WV Metal In The Mountains Sat 28 Aug Birmingham, AL Saturn Sun 29 Aug Miramar Beach, FL Village Door Tue 31 Aug Huntsville, AL Sidetracks Wed 01 Sep Jackson, MS Martin’s Thu 02 Sep Memphis, TN Growlers Fri 03 Sep Pryor, OR Rocklahoma
John 5 is one of modern rock’s most highly revered guitarists. Notorious for his lightning fast playing and enormous versatility, he quickly became a sought after session guitarist scoring high profile gigs at the age of 18 touring with Lita Ford and k.d. lang and in the studio playing with Rob Halford’s industrial metal project Two and David Lee Roth’s The DLR Band album.
John 5 released his debut solo album ‘Vertigo’ in 2004 and its follow up ‘Songs For Sanity’ in 2005 just as he paired up with Rob Zombie for Ozzfest. John went on to play on the majority of Zombie’s 2006 release ‘Educated Horses’ and has been part of Rob Zombie’s band since. Their most recent album ‘The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy’, released earlier this year, saw enormous success on the Billboard charts, hitting #1 across 11 charts, including Current Rock, Top Albums and Top Current Albums and #9 on the Top 200.
Most recently, John 5 combined forces with Rob Zombie, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Clufetos to create a supergroup dubbed The LA Rats and record “I’ve Been Everywhere”, the lead track for upcoming movie “The Ice Road” starring Liam Neeson.
John 5 has been hard at work on his next solo album. More news on that coming later this year.
