Tom’s return does bring back the familiar, nostalgic side of blink-182. Equal parts serious and ridiculous. Sometimes to extremes as the album covers everything from Cancer to…well, “Edging”. Travis Barker is amazing and the riffs on top normally come across clean outside of a few production and mixing choices that leave tracks feeling unlevel. One More Time is 17 tracks and while I enjoyed most of the singles, some tracks here could have easily been scrapped. Songs like “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” and “When We Were Young” really deal with repetitious writing for little effect. There’s deep and meaningful material, cheeky pop-punk shenanigans, and absolute cheese. All with varying mileage. All in all, it’s a good reflection of Blink’s entire career. It was nice to hear Mark, Tom, and Travis together one more time. 6/10
From Google Bard: “One More Time, the ninth studio album by American rock band Blink-182, was released on October 20, 2023, through Columbia Records. The album marks the return of guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, reuniting their best-known lineup for the first time in seven years. After bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus received a cancer diagnosis in 2021, the three reconvened to overcome old disputes, leading to DeLonge rejoining. It is also their first album to be produced by drummer Travis Barker.
The album’s title track and first single, released on September 21, 2023, is a mid-tempo ballad with a catchy chorus and introspective lyrics. The song reflects on the band’s history and their desire to make music together again, despite their past differences. It’s a fitting theme for an album that marks their much-anticipated reunion.”
RIAA-Certified Gold rock sensation Bad Omens have today announced new dates for the postponed Albuquerque, Tempe (now taking place in Mesa, AZ with a venue upgrade), and Dallas CONCRETE FOREVER headliner shows slated for April 2024. Not only that, but the band has also unveiled new dates in San Antonio and Tulsa, as well as an additional Dallas show to boot. Previously purchased CONCRETE FOREVER tickets and VIP for postponed dates will be honored, while refunds are available for those unable to attend at point of purchase. Fans also have their chance to see the band’s electrifying live show at the now sold-out Sick New World Festival in Las Vegas on April 27. Tickets go on sale this Friday, October 20 at 10 a.m. local time at the link here, so don’t miss your chance to secure yours before they’re all gone.
CONCRETE FOREVER Dates:
April 21 – San Antonio, TX @ Boeing Center at Tech Port*
April 23 – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel+
April 25 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre+
April 30 – Tulsa, OK @ Tulsa Theatre*
May 2 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum*
May 3 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum+
Sick New World Festival:
April 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ Las Vegas Festival Grounds
* Added Show
+ New Date
Bad Omens slither through boundaries, only to ultimately choke convention in the process. The quartet—Noah Sebastian (vocals), Joakim “Jolly” Karlsson (guitar), Nick Ruffilo (bass), and Nick Folio (drums)—materialize with ghostly atmospherics, striking hooks, and the tingles of sensual high-register harmonies uplifted by cinematic production. Racking up over 250M worldwide streams to date and earning acclaim, the band presents an uncompromising and undeniable vision on their third full-length album, ‘THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND’ (Sumerian Records).
“Making the record changed us as songwriters and musicians. In many ways, I feel like it set me free as an artist because every decision made in the writing process was for myself, with no fear for anyone else’s expectations of what our third album should sound like. Be it our fans or our record label.”
They’ve always wielded this level of magic though…
The group’s 2016 self-titled debut, ‘Bad Omens’, yielded fan favorites such as “Glass Houses” and “The Worst In Me” which eclipsed 46 million Spotify streams. On its heels, 2019’s ‘Finding God Before God Finds Me’ spawned “Dethrone” (36 million Spotify streams) and “Careful What You Wish For”. Along the way, they toured with numerous marquee acts and received tastemaker praise.
After their first headline tour was canceled mid-way at the top of the global pandemic, the band found themselves at home in Los Angeles with plenty of time. Where they absorbed and imparted a different palette of unexpected inspirations. Channeling what the frontman describes at times as a “cursive sound” they embraced newfound confidence and boundlessly loose creativity. Anything went in the studio, and all “rules” were broken. Noah and Jolly wrote, produced, and engineered the music themselves while GRAMMY® Award-nominated producer and songwriter Zakk Cervini (Halsey, Grimes, Poppy, blink-182) lent his talents with the mix and master. Challenging himself, Noah decided to “make a track sampling items around the house, none of which were musical instruments”.
This ultimately became the framework for the first single “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND”. Claps puncture the icy soundscape as his voice stretches from a breathy moan into an evocative and entrancing hook, breaking from a whisper into the seductive chant, “It wasn’t hard to realize. Love’s the death of peace of mind.” It culminates on a climactic scream uplifted by a distorted crunch.
“The whole record really details the loss of peace of mind,” he explains. “The lyrics in the title track are a little more specific in terms of the conflict at the heart of something more intimate and personal.”
By speaking it aloud, Bad Omens offer a level of comfort and empathy, with a sinister shroud. At the same time, they also give rock music a sexy new shape on‘THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND’.
“Sonically, we want to do something you can’t arrive late or early too,” he leaves off. “You can’t cheat your way to the final act. You have to get on the ride and process it until the end. The songs are meant to be heard from start to finish. We want you to take the whole trip with us.”
The towering ambition of CREEPER‘s larger-than-life and darker-than-death new album Sanguivorehas been heralded with the best reviews of their career to date. Now, they showcase their black-hearted rock opera by sharing the epic and cinematic 9-minute video for its opening track “Further Than Forever.”
“Further Than Forever” is the most grandiose and escapist moment of the record, a rush of Jim Steinman-esque theatrics, rollicking rock riffs, prog excess, lashings of OTT dark humour (“I’m Jesus in a strip club giving head”), a touch of their goth punk roots, and a high drama spoken word section for good measure. It introduces the story’s two main characters: the deceptively sweet but devilishly sinister vampire Mercy, an “armageddon girl could end your world with one look” and her relationship with Spook, who is dangerously beguiled by her spell.
The video brings their story to life, starting with the moment Spook first laid eyes on Mercy and flash-forwarding to snapshots of their horrifyingly cursed future together — complete with vocalist William von Ghould whipping up the drama like a macabre master of ceremonies. As the video unfolds, it feels like a blend of arty folk horror and Hammer Films flamboyance, as well as the ultimate visual representation of who CREEPER are at this moment in time.
William says, “The music video for ‘Further Than Forever’ is an ambitious 9-minute epic made by Billy H Price and Jacek Zmarz. The film dives back into the world of Sanguivore, introduces the character of Spook, and tells the story of his relationship across oceans of time with Mercy.”
The video stars Paulina Kehlet as Mercy and Jamie She as Spook. It was produced by CREEPER, and directed by Billy Howard Price (Puppy) and Jacek Zmarz — the same team behind the recent “Teenage Sacrifice” video.
Sanguivore is available HERE, with a picture disc of the album’s striking portal-to-hell artwork one of four vinyl variants.
CREEPER launched Sanguivore with two sold-out shows in a day at London’s Lafayette, and are now completing a record store today that calls at Manchester’s hmv Arndale tonight and Crash Records in Leeds tomorrow. Their full theatrical show is back on the road next month for “The Sacred Blasphemy” tour, which features special guests Save Face and The Nightmares.
SANGUIVORE TRACK LISTING:
“Further Than Forever”
“Cry To Heaven”
“Sacred Blasphemy”
“The Ballad Of Spook & Mercy”
“Lovers Led Astray”
“Teenage Sacrifice”
“Chapel Gates”
“The Abyss”
“Black Heaven”
“More Than Death”
The Podcast That Rocked for 10/18/23. TesseracT VS Merch Tips, the next Papa of Ghost, $500 for a TOOL album, and more.
0:00 – TesseracT VS Merch Tips 8:07 – New Ghost singer? 9:12 – TOOL release special edition of Undertow 10:49 – Iron Maiden heading down under in 2024 11:39 – Ronnie Radke is awful 13:58 – Thank you YouTube Members & Patrons!
From Google Bard: “Tesseract is a British progressive metal band from Milton Keynes, England. The band was formed in 2003 by guitarist Alec “Acle” Kahney and drummer Jay Postones. They are credited as one of the bands to pioneer the djent movement in progressive metal, a subgenre characterized by its use of low-tuned guitars and complex polyrhythms. Tesseract has won a number of awards for their music, including the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award for Best New Band in 2012. They have also been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for their song “Nocturne” in 2014. Tesseract is a band that is constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries of their genre. Their music is both complex and accessible, and they continue to attract new fans with each release.”
Murdersome metal trailblazers, Ice Nine Kills brought the latest chapter of their expansive cinematic universe to a brutal and sinister end last night as they premiered brand new ‘Silence of The Lambs’ inspired single and video “Meat & Greet” at an immersive event, hosted by INK frontman and maniacal mastermind, Spencer Charnas and entertainment journalist, Ryan J Downey. Fans tuned in from around the world to watch the event, that was also globally livestreamed on the band’s YouTube channel from The Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Photos of the event can be found HERE.
Dubbed “Ice Nine Kills Presents: Meat & Greet: The Horrorwood Saga Comes To A TASTEFUL End”, the delicious event marked the launch of “Meat & Greet” as part of a premiere screening of Ice Nine Kills’ complete Horrorwood Saga film. Composed of all eight of their official music videos from 2021’s chart topping album, ‘The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood’. This marked the first time the pieces of the Horrorwood puzzle were presented together as one cohesive film and gave fans both in attendance and watching around the world, the first look at the unsettling and blood soaked end to the epic saga with the addition of the grand finale – ‘Meat & Greet’. Watch the video HERE or by clicking the image below and stream the track HERE.
“Meat & Greet” appears on Ice Nine Kills’ forthcoming release ‘Welcome To Horrorwood: Under Fire’, out October 20th via Fearless Records, which caps off the ambitious Horrorwood Saga concept and is by far the band’s most intricate and detail-oriented release yet. ‘Welcome To Horrorwood: Under Fire’, is a 3LP Deluxe Edition of ‘The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood’. It features the original album, now with the addition of ‘Meat & Greet’, two reimagined tracks and a limited edition, wearable Silence mask, all encased in a super limited and highly collectible flame-engulfed box set. Pre-orders are available now HERE.
On concluding this multi-year concept, Charnas said:
“After two years and eight music videos, we’re ready to bring the ‘Welcome To Horrorwood’ saga to a shocking and tasteful climax with the unveiling of the final episode – ‘Meat & Greet’. Join us in celebrating the entire blood-soaked era of ‘The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood’ as we present the horrifying climax of our cinematic saga…..at least for now.”
With one final twist of the knife, Ice Nine Kills have closed out their most horrific and ambitious era in spectacular, blockbuster fashion as the terrifying Horrorwood tale comes to a fittingly sinister close with “Meat & Greet”. What will follow no one knows. Sleep with one eye open and enjoy the silence while you still can.
The Sweet Oblivion tour has commenced on the Death Chariot (the newly named tour bus) and Baroness is night by night performing more songs of STONE live. On October 14th, 2023 at the Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia, Baroness debuted “Magnolia” to the East Coast crowd.
STONE won me over after playing it a few times and hearing songs like “Last Word” and “Shine” performed live reinforced my appreciation for Baroness’ latest release. It’s a continuation of sludge and groove metal expertise while also offering different formats and styles with the same sound.
It was not just new material at the Richmond stop. Hearing “March To The Sea” from Yellow & Green and seeing the crowd instinctively jump to the beat was an impressive pump-up moment early on. The sing-along to “Chlorine & Whine” and “Shock Me” (my personal favorite) off of Purple always makes the crowd sound giant and unified.
October 14th, 2023 was a dreary, overcast day in Virginia. On the second floor of The Canal Club, everyone saw the colors Baroness was shining. It was the best way to spend an evening, regardless of the weather. Check out photos and footage of the Richmond performance below.
Setlist:
Last Word
Kerosene
March To The Sea
Beneath The Rose
Shine
Chlorine & Wine
Under The Wheel
Magnolia
War, Wisdom, and Rhyme
The Sweetest Curse
Isak
Seasons
Shock Me
Before the concert, I was able to speak with Gina Gleason on the creation process of STONE, pedal configurations, and the love of touring. You can find that interview below.
The Sweet Oblivion Tour will continue through October and November, ending December 1st in Philadelphia, PA. Full tour dates are listed below.
From Google Bard: “Baroness is known for their eclectic sound, which incorporates elements of heavy metal, sludge metal, progressive rock, and post-metal. The band has released six studio albums, all of which have been critically acclaimed. Their most recent album, Stone, was released in September 2023.
The band is currently on tour in North America in support of their new album, Stone. The tour began in October 2023 and is scheduled to end in December 2023.
Baroness has also announced a number of acoustic in-store tour dates for October 2023. These shows will feature the band playing stripped-down versions of their songs in an intimate setting.”
Caleb Shomo’s attempt at being a bit more optimistic and less angry. All while trying to still give the signature Beartooth sound. My biggest problem is that while none of the album sounds bad, high-production value in fact, The Surface is still definitely more of the same. Guitar riffs and mainstream format down to the letter. Less anger, but still plenty of bitterness and self-loathing. “Life’s not fair.” “I don’t love myself.” It’s not just cliche for metalcore but cliche for even Beartooth at this point. Outside of that bland, pointless Hardy collaboration. That was a waste of time. It’s fine. It exists. I wanted to enjoy Beartooth in 2023 more than I did, but in the end, The Surface is the groove Beartooth has stayed in for years. 6/10.
Here are some of the critical reactions to the album: Kerrang!: “The Surface is a collection of tracks that are the best and most consistent Beartooth have ever sounded on record.” Louder Sound: “As a whole, The Surface is a sharp, poignant, and blazingly cathartic celebration of life, warts and all.” AllMusic: “The Surface is a more hopeful and optimistic album than Beartooth’s previous work, but it still retains the band’s signature heaviness.” Rolling Stone: “Beartooth’s fifth studio album is a powerful and moving collection of songs about overcoming adversity and finding hope.”
From Google Bard: “Beartooth’s fifth studio album, The Surface, is a departure from the band’s previous work in several ways. It is a more hopeful and optimistic album, with lyrics that focus on self-love, overcoming adversity, and finding one’s place in the world. The music is also more melodic and accessible, while still retaining the band’s signature heaviness.”
This is a full rock opera and it’s exactly what Creeper needed to make in order to show how fun this band can be. Sanguivore relishes in the dramatic sing-alongs that are broodingly gothic and 80s-tastic. Will and Hannah once again how well they can sing together. The best selling point besides the singles is the nine-minute opener “Further Than Forever”. It’s the best way to open this gritty opus. Part fantasy, part macabre, and lots of hooks. Over the top doesn’t begin to describe Sanguivore but this album is filled with vampires and it’s not total cheese. Halloween has a new soundtrack. For old Creeper fans wanting the next chapter and new listeners wanting something different, Sanguivore won’t lead you astray. 9/10
Here are some of the critical reactions to Sanguivore:
“Sanguivore is a bold and ambitious album that sees Creeper fully embrace their love of classic rock, punk, and metal.” – The Skinny
“Sanguivore is a love letter to the 80s, whether it’s punk, pop, hard-rock or heavy metal, and it’s bursting with great songs that are sure to please long-term and new fans alike.” – Rock Sound
“Sanguivore is an impressive and unapologetic romp through an ever-expanding pool of reference points: the drama of Meat Loaf, the brooding urgency of Sisters of Mercy, and the 70s punk edge of The Damned, to name a few.” – Rolling Stone UK
Time for Rock Coliseum XVII where Jon, Mark, Crash, and Luke all take YOUR suggestions and give the thumbs up or thumbs down. Unless you are obnoxious, then we won’t care.
Thanks to everyone who tuned in live and big thanks to everyone who made a Super Chat. We enjoy doing these and it wouldn’t be anything without the audience making it fun. Stay tuned for all of our year-end content and we’ll pick up Rock Coliseum at the start of 2024.
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Rock Coliseum XVII
From Google Bard: “The Rock Coliseum live stream is a great way to discover new music, learn about the latest trends in the rock music world, and have some fun with other music fans. If you are a fan of rock music, I highly recommend checking it out.”
The above is proof that Google Bard, though impressive at times, is still quite easily confused and cannot be trusted by the masses. Also, I want to be the Emperor of Tacos.
Bones UK have today dropped their new single “Ride“ and the accompanying music video (via Sumerian Records). Speaking about the track, the band shared:
“‘RIDE’ is a response to toxic masculinity and the pressure people feel to buy certain things or to look a certain way. No amount of money can buy cool or happiness. It’s not about the size of the machine it’s what you do with it, that ALWAYS counts.
So many people, men and women, live their lives thinking that the more they have, and the shinier and newer what they have is, the happier they will be. And the more fulfilled their lives will feel. For men the phrase, “bigger is better” is always being thrown about. And we wanted to turn all of those ideas on their head. Maybe it’s less about “Big dick energy” and more about “Don’t BE A DICK energy.“
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJRuZL0fvww
BONES UK are on a mission of intent. “We want our music to empower, to make you feel like you’ve found your home, your gang, your army,” the London raised/LA based duo confidently assert. “We want to help you get out of bed in the morning – to be proud of every scar or beautiful imperfection, on or inside your body. We want our music to make you stand on your bed and scream “FUCK FITTING IN!”” Made up of vocalist Rosie Bones and virtuoso guitarist Carmen Vandenberg, the GRAMMY-nominated BONES UK don’t waste a second of their self-titled debut album, confronting everything from the beauty industrial-complex to toxic masculinity and music-scene sexism; embedding each track with choruses primed for passionate shouting along.
