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DEVILDRIVER Release Charging New Single “If Blood is Life”

Devildriver

Groove metal kings DEVILDRIVER recently made their triumphant return with part two of their Dealing With Demons saga, their 10th full-length, Dealing With Demons Vol. II, out May 12, 2023 via Napalm Records. Once again produced and engineered by Steve Evetts with additional engineering from guitarist Mike Spreitzer, Dealing With Demons Vol. II is inarguably heavier and relentlessly harsher than its predecessor – as proven last month with bludgeoning debut single, “Through the Depths”.

Today, DEVILDRIVER have dropped another unrelenting track, entitled “If Blood is Life”, plus an action-packed performance music video featuring exclusive footage from their recent US co-headline tour with labelmates Cradle of Filth. The dynamic anthem grips with an unforgettable hook and lead guitar lines, swaying with an undeniable headbang-worthy groove as it shifts between rhythmic passages.

DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara says about “If Blood is Life”:
“Shadows of the future, ghosts of your past walking the floor – why do these things haunt us as humans, when we should be focused on the fact that, like the chorus says, ‘Time, it waits for no one, Time, it’s worth the taking.’ Learn to focus on the now, the here, the present.”

As DEVILDRIVER enter their third decade with nine full-length albums, countless international tours and worldwide renown, they prove more resilient than ever. As the world was upended in 2020, iconic groove metal leaders DEVILDRIVER didn’t pause, releasing the highly-acclaimed first installment of their two-part Dealing With Demons saga, Dealing With Demons I. Now, as society emerges more hardened and determined than before, so does Dealing With Demons Vol. II. The new album represents celebrated frontman Dez Fafara’s psyche and the final purging of his demons that have long haunted the band’s music.

International media mainstays like RevolverMetal HammerKerrang and Consequence lauded Dealing With Demons I, which debuted at #4 on the US Current Hard Music Albums Chart. Blabbermouth stated, “If the second half of this mammoth endeavor matches the first, this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the DEVILDRIVER story.” Dealing With Demons Vol. II doubles down on the brutality – and then some!

If there is any question as to whether DEVILDRIVER is slowing down any time soon, Dealing With Demons Vol. II proves that 20 years into their career, even with their demons in tow – they move forward at the forefront of metal.

Pre-Order Dealing With Demons Vol. II

Track one, “I Have no Pity”, instantly keeps fans guessing with its contrasting, marching rhythmic groove and Dez Fafara’s icy, earworm warnings. The album’s standout production immediately shines, with the track’s thick riffs, haunting leads, room-filling drums and Fafara’s vocal prowess leading the way. Eerie, insistent “Mantra” drops a wave of melodic aggression on the listener, instantly inducing headbanging with its breakneck pace and occult lyricism. Dynamic tracks like “Nothing Lasts Forever” and “Summoning” cascade with alternating passages of sinister riffage and memorable chants. “Bloodbath” is as brutal as its name suggests, ominously bending and pummeling with immediate aggression, as “It’s a Hard Truth” continues the onslaught, cautioning against delusion amid balanced melodic leads. Closer anthems “If Blood is Life” and “This Relationship, Broken” are the blood-soaked cherries atop Dealing With Demons Vol. II, bringing together all of the elements that make DEVILDRIVER the best at their craft.

Dealing With Demons Vol. IItrack listing:
1. I Have no Pity
2. Mantra
3. Nothing Lasts Forever
4. Summoning
5. Through the Depths
6. Bloodbath
7. It’s a Hard Truth
8. If Blood is Life
9. This Relationship, Broken

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The Aggression Sessions | EP Review

Split EPs are something of a hidden treasure for music fans. Sometimes they mix genres, and other times they bring together some of the best in a specific genre to craft a longform listen that opens fans up to new bands in one of the most natural ways possible; it’s almost comparable to discovering a new band lower on the bill of a band you originally came to see. Record label Nuclear Blast is hoping to do just this with three bands on their roster: Fit For an Autopsy, Thy Art is Murder, and Malevolence. The Aggression Sessions is a six-song compilation with each band showing off both a new song and a cover song, of At The Gates, Cannibal Corpse, and Anastacia. Is this EP worth checking out?

On The Aggression Sessions, you can expect to hear the order of Fit For an Autopsy, then Thy Art is Murder, then Malevolence, twice in succession. The former two have been on Nuclear Blast for several years, whereas Malevolence self-releases under their licensing. There’s a bit of a popularity gap between the first two and Malevolence, but there’s no shortage of talent within the English metal group. FFAA kicks things off with “Hellions”, a signature heater of a track on-par with the rest of the band’s discography. Thrashy riffs and blast beats aside, I felt an urge to growl along to the hook “Caged fucking animals, begging to die a perfect death” as vocalist Joe Bad commands what’s probably the best track on The Aggression Sessions.

Thy Art is Murder’s original song on The Aggression Sessions is “Until There Is No Longer” and it’s practically a required listen after “Hellions”. Anyone that knows both Fit For an Autopsy and Thy Art is Murder knows that these two share a common brand of deathcore that’s equal parts punishing, fast-paced, and grand in scale; it’s worth following along the lyrics that paint the picture of a war-torn battlefield and the sins of man. Malevolence brings a change of pace with “Waste of Myself” as this band showcases more of a beatdown hardcore style in contrast of FFAA/TAIM. That isn’t to say it’s out-of-place on The Aggression Sessions – it’s almost like a breather before the cover songs as Malevolence’s clean vocals and slower BPM are just as headbang-worthy as the prior two tracks.

On to the covers in The Aggression Sessions, as Fit For an Autopsy covers At The Gates’ “Under a Serpent Sun”. Joe Bad flexes his range as he sticks to the higher range of unclean vocals to match ATG’s Tomas Lindberg’s run off the 1995 progenitor to many metal bands’ sounds to this day. Just as Bad hits highs in the ATG cover, CJ McMahon bellows his lows in the iconic “Hammer Smashed Face” by Cannibal Corpse. Hearing this 1994 track with 2023 production from the more-than-capable Thy Art is Murder is like hearing it for the first time; some may prefer the original but I can think of few other bands that could do a legendary song like this proper justice. Meanwhile, Malevolence closes out The Aggression Sessions with a dark-horse cover of Anastacia’s “Left Outside Alone”. The biggest departure on this EP, I laughed heartily hearing this pop-rock track under a nu-metal/-core guise, and came around after a few listens to ultimately enjoy the peculiarity on display.

Save for the Malevolence cover, Fit For an Autopsy and Thy Art is Murder play it pretty safe on their renditions of classic metal tracks on The Aggression Sessions. I was hoping for these talented groups to inject some of their flair into these classics as opposed to beat-for-beat covers, but at the same time, they’re fun to hear with modern bells and whistles. I also wish there were some crossover vocal features, especially since CJ McMahon has a deep track record of showing up all over metal. Still, The Aggression Sessions is a serviceable EP and most listeners will come away craving 1 or 2 songs after all is said and done.

Fit For an Autopsy’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Thy Art is Murder’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Malevolence’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Powerwolf – Interludium | Album Review

Power metal is supposed to be fun and Powerwolf gets that on this part new/part rarities album along with an orchestral soundtrack 2nd album. This is the cult of werewolves stepping things up a bit. The guitar and key work along with amazing hooks and bombastic singing make this such a fun listen. It’s more sing-alongs with Attila Dorn and they all pull you in and get you to shout along. Tracks like “No Prayer At Midnight” and “My Will Be Done”. Interludium is not veering away from what Powerwolf has done before. It’s definitely a continuation of other albums in tone and style, but it’s done so well here that it’s hard to not enjoy. If you are unfamiliar with Powerwolf, you’ll enjoy this. If you already are one of the wolves, you’ll LOVE this. 8/10.

Powerwolf Interludium Album Review

Powerwolf, often stylized as POWERWOLF, is a German power metal band founded in 2003 in Saarbrücken by members of Red Aim. The band consists of vocalist Karsten Brill as “Attila Dorn”, lead guitarist Benjamin Buss as “Matthew Greywolf”, bassist/rhythm guitarist David Vogt as “Charles Greywolf”, keyboardist Christian Jost as “Falk Maria Schlegel” and drummer Roel van Helden. The group uses religious themes and images, contrary to traditional power metal music, as well as corpse paint, gothic-tinged compositions and songs about werewolf and vampire legends.

Click here for a video on the
Top 10 BEST Debut Metal Albums!

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Powerwolf’s sound has primarily been described as power metal and traditional heavy metal. The band’s musical style is different from other power metal bands. In addition to the classic metal instruments, organ sounds are used. For the studio albums a church choir was recorded. The band states that their main influences are Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate, Forbidden and Iron Maiden.

Powerwolf has been praised by critics for their energetic live performances and their unique sound. The band has been described as “the most metal band in the world” and “the future of heavy metal.”

Powerwolf is a popular band with a large and devoted following. The band’s fans are known as “Wolves of the Church.” The band’s official fan club is called “The Church of Powerwolf.”

Powerwolf Interludium Album Review

Rival Sons Unveil Official Video For “Bird In The Hand”

Rival Sons
Photo Credit: Pamela Littky

2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated band Rival Sons have unveiled the official music video for their anthemic hit single, “Bird In The Hand,” premiering today at YouTube HERE. “Bird In The Hand” heralds Rival Sons’ hugely anticipated new album, DARKFIGHTER, arriving everywhere via Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records on Friday, June 2. Pre-orders/pre-saves are available now HERE.

“Bird In The Hand,” directed by Kurt Kubicek, continues the narrative featured in the previously released companion videos for the explosive singles, “Nobody Wants To Die” (dir. Eli Sokhn) and “Rapture” (dir. Kurt Kubicek), both streaming now at the official Rival Sons YouTube channel HERE.

“The saga continues with another prequel in our new video,” says Scott Holiday. “Jay and I teamed up to write and produce this one again, as well as working with our pal, Kurt Kubicek (director/Rapture video). All shot in our backyard in the Hollywood Hills… right off the sunset strip! Right up the street from the world-famous Whiskey a Go Go actually! We found this incredible time capsule mid-century home that sets the scene for most of the video. It’s been incredible making these little vignettes. Really fun. All created on pretty tiny budgets. But the limitations force us to get ultra creative and focused. We’ve been extremely blessed to have such talented friends/crew/and collaborators working with us that see these videos as passion projects… which is the only way they come together. I think when you watch the series of videos you can feel the love that’s gone into them.”

Jay Buchanan adds, “’Rapture’ was a prequel to ‘Nobody Wants To Die’ and ‘Bird In The Hand’ is a prequel to ‘Rapture.’ Same cast of characters, different part of the story. It’s been a great time writing and producing these videos along with great directors and crew. With video production we’re really at that sweet spot where we don’t know the rules so we’re not afraid of breaking them. We’ll see where it goes from here.”

“Nobody Wants To Die” was hailed by Rolling Stone as “hard-charging,” adding “The video has Kill Bill grindhouse vibes for days and is a literal blast.” “It would be cliché to say it’s been worth the wait,” wrote Guitar World, “but the phrase applies: ‘Nobody Wants to Die’ has enough high-gain riffage and classic rock fretboard throwdowns to more than make up for Rival Sons’ absence.

Rival Sons will mark the arrival of DARKFIGHTER with a truly epic live schedule, including a special guest run on Smashing Pumpkins’ “The World Is a Vampire” Summer 2023 North American Tour, also featuring Stone Temple Pilots and Interpol, getting underway August 1 at Salt Lake City, UT’s USANA Amphitheatre and then continuing through early September. Tickets for all announced dates are on sale now. For compete details and ticket information, please visit www.rivalsons.com.

In the meantime, Rival Sons will embark on their own extensive North American headline run, “The DARKFIGHTER Tour,” beginning May 11 at Oklahoma City, OK’s Diamond Ballroom and then traveling through mid-June. Special guests throughout include The Black Angels and The Record Company, with Starcrawler also appearing on select dates. What’s more, Rival Sons – who only just wrapped a series of arena dates supporting Greta Van Fleet – have slated a number of top-billed festival performances, including Daytona Beach, FL’s Welcome To Rockville (May 20) and Columbus, OH’s Sonic Temple (May 27).

Expect this tour to comprise of the forthcoming DARKFIGHTER album in its entirety, along with familiar songs and a few deeper cuts,” says Rival Sons guitarist Scott Holiday. “We’re working on plans to make it extra special. With a big added bonus of the incredible acts we’re taking with us: The Black Angels, The Record Company, and Starcrawler. It’s going to make for a REALLY fantastic night of music!

DARKFIGHTER will be accompanied by a stunning companion volume, LIGHTBRINGER, arriving later this year. Both produced by longtime collaborator and 8x GRAMMY® Award-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), the two new LPs marks the first new music from Rival Sons in more than four years, following 2019’s critically acclaimed, GRAMMY® Award-nominated sixth studio album, FERAL ROOTS.

In comparison to our previous records, we certainly took our time both writing and recording this collection,” says Rival Sons vocalist Jay Buchanan. “When we set out, the intention was mostly to dig as deep as possible. Even in the beginning before the body had formed, we agreed to throw the map away and chop our way through the woods to make a new path. Then lockdown hit and it felt like the whole damn country decided to throw the map away too. For myself, 2022 was like an eight-stage rocket of life changing events, so every time I thought I was finished writing, a new bull would come tearing through the clothesline and I’d have to illustrate it in some way. By the end, there were really two different sides to the same story being told. On one side, you’re fighting the darkness and, on the other, you’re bringing your own light to where there is none. One side in a corner, on the ropes, and the other advancing, cleaning the ring. Without an intermission, a refractory period, the collection would be too big a bite, so splitting it in two was the only way to do it.

MAY

11 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom * #

12 – Little Rock, AR – The Hall * #

13 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s * #

16 – Chattanooga, TN – The Signal * #

17 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle * #

18 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works * #

20 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville †

21 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater * #

23 – Richmond, VA – The National * #

24 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa * #

26 – Morgantown, WV – Ruby Amphitheater *

27 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple †

28 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom *

30 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore * #

31 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium * #

JUNE

1 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square * #

3 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall * #

4 – Albany, NY – Empire Live * #

6 – London, ON – London Music Hall * #

8 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore ^ #

9 – Chicago, IL – Radius ^ #

10 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore ^ #

12 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave ^ #

13 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Club 5 ^ #

14 – St. Louis, MO – Pageant ^ #

16 – Omaha, NE – The Admiral ^ #

17 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater ^ #

18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre ^ #

JULY

21 – Buktafestivalen – Trømso, NO †

22 – Malakoff Rockfestival – Nordfjordeid, NO †

AUGUST

1 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre **

3 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre **

5 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre **

6 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater **

7 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre **

9 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre **

10 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre **

13 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater ^^

15 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion ^^

16 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP ^^

17 – Huntsville, AL – The Orion Amphitheater ^^

19 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre ^^

20 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre ^^

22 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion ^^

24 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center ^^

25 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion ^^

30 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater ^^

31 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live ^^

SEPTEMBER

2 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage ^^

3 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre ^^

8 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater ^^

9 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center ^^

* w/ Special Guests The Record Company

^ w/ Special Guests The Black Angels

# w/ Special Guests Starcrawler

† Festival Performance

** The Smashing Pumpkins “The World Is a Vampire” North American Tour

w/Special Guests Stone Temple Pilots

^^ The Smashing Pumpkins “The World Is a Vampire” North American Tour

w/ Special Guests Interpol

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Poppy Returns With New Single ‘Church Outfit’

Poppy
Photo Credit Jesse Draxler

Globally renowned independent record label, Sumerian Records have today announced the triumphant return of musical enigma, Poppy, to her original label home. To celebrate the newly inked deal, Poppy has also released brand new single “Church Outfit” which can be streamedHERE and it’s accompanying music video which can be watched HERE

Speaking on his partnership with Poppy and her return to his label, Sumerian Records founder, Ash Avildsen shares

“The only thing more exciting than signing an iconic artist for the first time is signing them again, when they choose to return home. Poppy is a pioneer and lover of music, film, pro-wrestling, the unorthodox and the avant-garde. That is why I believe Sumerian is still the best label in the world for her. We are thrilled to have her back.”

During her initial time as a Sumerian Records artist, Poppy released two albums and an EP – 2020’s break out, I DISAGREE’, 2021’s EAT (NXT SOUNDTRACK) and FLUXShe also became the first ever solo female artist to be nominated for “Best Metal Performance” at the Grammys for her single “BLOODMONEY”. Now, following a brief stint with Lava Records and the release of her EP STAGGER last year, she returns home to Sumerian Records to continue her global domination. 

Look out for more from Poppy coming soon.

Follow Poppy:
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Poppy’s music has been described as “a mix of pop, metal, and electronic music”. She has cited a variety of artists as influences, including Björk, Marilyn Manson, and Nine Inch Nails. Poppy’s music videos are often characterized by their surrealism and dark humor.

Dying Wish Share Music Video For “Torn From Your Silhouette”

DYING WISH SHARE VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE “TORN FROM YOUR SILHOUETTE” — WATCH

Portland’s DYING WISH have just dropped the video for their brutal new single “Torn From Your Silhouette.” Watch it here.

“‘Torn From Your Silhouette’ is written about taking the risk of being vulnerable with another person, only to find they have dishonest intentions and take advantage of your willingness to love,” says singer Emma Boster. “While writing this song, I was tender from a recent heartache. I felt as if society’s standard for romance had become increasingly casual. While that felt comfortable for me for a while, I had grown into a place in my life where I was seeking more from my connections with other people. I was ready to tear down the walls I had put up to protect myself. This song is about accepting what would result in what I had feared the most: rejection and pain.”

She continues, “The line ‘I’d rather feel everything than nothing at all‘ is particularly important to me. I took pride in the feeling that I had at least given myself the opportunity to fail rather than continue contributing to a repeating cycle of being numb to surface-level attachments. Thanks for listening.”

“Torn From Your Silhouette” follows last winter’s video for “Now You’ll Rot.” Watch it here.

Click here for a video on the
Top 10 BEST Debut Metal Albums!

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Dying Wish is an American metalcore band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2018. The band consists of Emma Boster (vocals), Sam Reynolds (guitar), Pedro Carrillo (guitar), Andrew Le (bass), and Jeff Yambra (drums). Dying Wish is known for their politically charged lyrics and their aggressive sound. The band has released one full-length album, Fragments of a Bitter Memory, which was released in 2020.

Dying Wish formed in 2018 when Boster, Reynolds, Carrillo, and Le met while playing in other bands in the Portland hardcore scene. The band quickly released a demo and a split EP before signing to SharpTone Records in 2019. Dying Wish’s debut album, Fragments of a Bitter Memory, was released in 2020 and was met with critical acclaim. The album was praised for its powerful lyrics and its intense sound.

Portfolio – Luke Spencer

All photos taken by Luke Spencer.
Please contact inquiries@getrocked.net
for more information.

From Perplexity: “Luke Spencer of Rocked is a renowned photographer known for capturing the electrifying essence of live music through his concert and festival photography. His work encapsulates the raw passion and energy of performances, providing a unique perspective that allows viewers to immerse themselves in the live music experience. From the explosive BABYKLOK Tour to the intense performances at Riot Fest, Luke Spencer’s photography beautifully encapsulates the essence of each event, making him a sought-after photographer in the music industry. His ability to freeze moments of musical euphoria in time has earned him a well-deserved reputation as a top-tier concert and festival photographer.”

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Here are some tips for taking great concert and festival photos:

  1. Focus on Composition: Be mindful of your framing and composition instead of shooting endlessly. Center your subject in some images and practice capturing the atmosphere and energy of the live music event.
  2. Use Manual Camera Mode: Start with the lowest aperture number, go for a fast shutter speed, use a high ISO setting, and do spot metering. Avoid flash photography and adjust your shutter speeds based on the setting and the stage performers.
  3. Stability is Key: Hold the camera steady, preferably against a rail or something. Avoid taking pictures while the camera is moving, and use enhanced stabilization settings if available. For video, use enhanced stabilization settings and turn the exposure setting down.
  4. Understand the Environment: Concert photography requires you to move around the stage and venue a lot as you try to capture the bands and the crowd. Respond to performers as they sing, dance, and move around the stage. Adjust your settings based on the lighting and the level of activity on stage.

By following these tips, you can improve your concert and festival photography skills and capture the essence and excitement of live music events.

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Click here for photos and video from
Riot Fest 2023!

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Portfolio – Luke Spencer

Top 10 BEST Debut Metal Albums

It’s one thing to make it big in metal, but another to start big. This video looks at the Top 10 BEST Debut Metal Albums.

Top 10 BEST Debut Metal Albums

Black Sabbath is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 13 February 1970 by Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and Warner Bros. Records in the United States on 1 June 1970.

Kill ‘Em All is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 25, 1983, through the independent label Megaforce Records.

Iron Maiden is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 14 April 1980 by EMI Records in the UK and Harvest and Capitol Records in the US. 

Slipknot is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999, by Roadrunner Records, following a demo containing a few of the songs which had previously been released in 1998.

Undertow is the debut studio album by American rock band Tool, released on April 6, 1993, by Zoo Entertainment

Holy Diver is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Dio, released in 1983.

Blizzard of Ozz is the debut studio album by English heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, released on 12 September 1980 in the UK and on 27 March 1981 in the US. 

Opus Eponymous is the debut studio album by the Swedish rock band Ghost.

Remission is the debut album by American heavy metal band Mastodon

Calculating Infinity is the debut studio album by American metalcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Combichrist Headlined Dark Force Fest at the Sheraton Castle in Parsippany, New Jersey

VampireFreaks hosted its first Dark Force Fest at the Sheraton Castle in Parsippany, New Jersey and had one hell of a lineup for the three day festival between March 31st and April 2nd. There were performances by Psyclon Nine, Danny Blu, Curse Makey, Empathy Test, and dozens more. Saturday night’s headliner was none other than the industrial/aggrotech powerhouse, Combichrist. 

Throughout the hotel’s corridors and lobbies were a mass collection of creative vendors, musicians, and the best dressed of the goth and industrial community. Anywhere you looked there were endless works of art, jewelry, clothes, and trinkets to purchase. Honestly, the hardest thing to do was to keep firm to my budget while waiting for Combichrist to take the stage. 

The band had organized an old school set with an all-electronica hit list of crowd favorites. Fueled by a never-ending cascading stream of bass and rhythmic beats, Combichrist’s performance was on fire. Frontman Andy LaPlegua accompanied by Elliott Berlin on keys and back-up vocals blazed through the stage and ignited the high energy set that engulfed the entire venue. Guitarists Jamie Cronander and Eric 13 joined intermittently throughout the show and further propelled the already crazy fun setlist. With smiles beaming from the audience and band alike, whenever these guys are in town there is a guaranteed music party of industrial proportions.  

Combichrist has also announced an upcoming tour in September and October with Megaherz throughout Europe.

Photo Credit: Franz Schepers

Make sure to check out the links below:
Dark Force Fest
Combichrist Instagram
Megaherz Instagram

Nothing More Kick Off Spirits 2023 North American Tour

The Spirits 2023 North American Tour kicked off at The National in Richmond, VA. This sold-out performance was the first time I had seen Nothing More on the first stop of a headline tour. After following the band since 2014, it’s amazing to see how much the band has taken into their role as headliners. RIAA certifications, Grammy nominations, Billboard charting, and Song Of The Decade from SiriusXM Octane are amazing accolades, but the ability to headline a tour and sell out venues is proof to the people how important Nothing More has become.

Nothing more ft. Lacey Sturm – “Best Times”

The opening of Mr. Sandman and a fun little singalong from the crowd morphing into a speech from Alan Watts (a staple in through Nothing More albums) led to the title track of the band’s latest album Spirits. This is the album that has spawned several singles, some of which are now being reimagined into features including “Best Times” with Lacey Sturm of Flyleaf. Nothing More always does more than just play a set. Along with the many messages played through Nothing More’s music, Jonny Hawkins also took a few quick moments to talk about topics like hope. The band tries to give a spectacle. Meddelies, covers, Scorpion Tail, this is a show that has more facets than most rock bands.

Many people have already sung the praises of Nothing More live. My words cannot do more justice than so many others said before me, so here are some reviews of Nothing More’s live performances:

“Nothing More is one of the most exciting live bands I’ve ever seen. They put on a show that is both visually and musically stimulating.” – Loudwire

“Nothing More is a must-see live band. They have the energy and the talent to put on a show that will stay with you long after the concert is over.” – Alternative Press

“Nothing More is a band that is constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries of rock music. Their live shows are a reflection of that, and they are always a great time.” – Revolver

Nothing More | Spirits 2023 North American Tour

I’ve been a fan for almost ten years now and shows like last night remind me why I will continue to support the group. Nothing More will continue on the Spirits 2023 North American Tour with Crown The Empire and Thousand Below through the end of May, ending in Ohio with a performance at Sonic Temple Festival. You can find more information on their website at https://nothingmore.net/.

Nothing More – “Tired Of Winning/Ships In The Night”

Click here for a video on the
Top 10 BEST Debut Rock Albums!

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