The Gaslight Anthem has shared “Positive Charge,” the first single on their own Rich Mahogany Recordings label, distributed via Thirty Tigers. Produced and mixed by GRAMMY® Award-winner Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Kurt Vile) at his Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, the gloriously optimistic track marks the band’s first new music together in almost a decade.
“‘Positive Charge’ began as a message of joy to ourselves and to our audience,” says The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon. “The central theme is about looking at the things you’ve come through and feeling like you want to go ahead with an open heart toward the future, believing that the best years are not behind any of us and the good we have is worth something.”
The Gaslight Anthem will celebrate “Positive Charge” and their recent return to action with a spring headline tour, highlighted by the band’s first live shows in the Southern US since 2015. Dates begin May 1 at Houston, TX’s House of Blues and then continue through the month. Special guests include Oso Oso and Emily Wolfe on select dates.
The band has also just announced a series of Midwest and West Coast shows this September and October, kicking off with a festival appearance at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, KY. For full details and ticket information, please see www.thegaslightanthem.com.
In addition, The Gaslight Anthem is set for top-billed performances at a number of upcoming festivals, including Atlanta, GA’s Shaky Knees Music Festival (May 6), Washington, PA’s Four Chord Music Fest (August 13), and Louisville, KY’s Bourbon & Beyond (September 15). What’s more, The Gaslight Anthem will join fellow New Jersey natives The Original Misfits as special guests for an epic home-state show at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center on July 8, with additional support from Fear.
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM – US TOUR 2023
MAY
1 – Houston, TX – House of Blues * †
2 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater * †
3 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom * †
6 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Music Festival
6 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
7 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall *
9 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution * †
10 – St Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live * †
12 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz * †
14 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium * †
16 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte * †
17 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live * †
19 – Atlantic City, NJ – Sound Waves at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino * †
20 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Outer Harbor Site *
21 – Wallingford, CT – The Dome at Toyota Presents Oakdale * †
23 – Portland, ME – The State Theatre *
25 – Bethlehem, PA – The Wind Creek Event Center *
26 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount *
27 – LaFayette, NY – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
JULY
8 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center !
29 – Richmond, VA – Brown’s Island ^
AUGUST
13 – Washington, PA – Four Chord Music Fest
SEPTEMBER
15 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond
16 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
19 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
20 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
22 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone
23 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
24 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
26 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
27 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
29 – Sioux Falls, SD – The District
30 – La Vista, NE – The Astro – Indoor Theater
OCTOBER
2 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore Auditorium
4 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
5 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live
7 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House
8 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Spokane
* w / Special Guest Oso Oso
† w/ Special Guest Emily Wolfe
! w/ The Original Misfits and Fear
^ w/ AVAIL
The Gaslight Anthem made their long-awaited return to the road last year with their first world headline tour in four years. Hailed by Kerrang! as “an amazing, career-spanning 21-song setlist…(that) celebrated all eras of their music,” the tour lit up stages across North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom before culminating in October with a sold-out home state finale at Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Arts Center.
The Gaslight Anthem is: Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Benny Horowitz (drums, percussion, backing vocals).
Rock band PLUSH returns with a brand new single, entitled “Left Behind,” which showcases the band’s heavier side. “Left Behind” was recorded in Nashville with producers Zac Maloy, Blair Daly and Kile Odell, and is out now via Pavement Entertainment.
Lead vocalist Moriah Formica belts outs a fierce and aggressive range with vocal lines such as “We’re the cast-outs of society, one big, twisted family.” The ferocious riffs, down tuned guitars, and over the top vocals make this a rock anthem to be reckoned with.
Formica says, “This song was written for anyone who has ever felt like an outcast or a misfit.”
PLUSH also has a new video available for “Left Behind,” which was filmed in the historic Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg, NJ. The dark setting complements the overall mood of the song, featuring eye-catching visuals of the band members’ dynamic performance. It was directed by Dale Resteghini of Raging Nation Films and edited by George Lambriodes of LUXANGELES/STUDIOS.
To celebrate the new single, PLUSH has a limited edition “Left Behind” bundle, which features a signed CD single and an exclusive t-shirt. This item is currently available for pre-order and will start shipping in June 2023.
PLUSH is set to tour with The Warning and Holy Wars this spring. The tour kicks off on April 30th at the House of Blues in San Diego, CA, and ends on May 23rd at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA.
For tickets and venue information, visit: https://www.plushrocks.net/ PLUSH is composed of talented young women, ranging from 18-22, whose accomplishments and talent eclipse their age. The band is fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Moriah Formica, lead guitarist Bella Perron, bassist Ashley Suppa and drummer Faith Powell. The debut album featured the Billboard Top 40 charting singles “Hate” and “Better Off Alone.”
It’s been almost ten years since Placebo’s last New York City area show – a particularly damp and miserable Autumn day in 2014 on Governor’s Island. Since then, the band released its 2022 studio albumNever Let Me Go and returned, this time, to Brooklyn for two sold out performances at Brooklyn Steel. A much more comfortable experience, if I may say so. But while the short set in 2014 was catered to a festival-going crowd and the casual fan, this year’s tour set list digs in deeper with about half of the band’s remarkable 22-song setlist coming from Never Let Me Go, and other deeper cuts. It’s definitely not the usual tour formula for a band to favor the brand new material this heavily on a tour, but I certainly appreciate it.
In their almost 30-year career, Placebo has managed to stay solidly consistent. The new music sounds fresh without abandoning the overall dark, glam rock vibe they’ve cultivated since their 1994 inception. I consider myself a casual fan, popping on a few tracks on a playlist from time to time, and while I generally enjoy most of the band’s music, it’s Placebo’s raw edge on the live stage where they really shine. That kind of energy cannot be captured in a studio recording. It’s even difficult to capture on the page because, this isn’t your usual kind of rowdy, high energy performance. There’s a contained, subtle beauty to it that makes Placebo such an amazing band to see live.
So really it is no wonder that both Brooklyn dates have been completely sold-out months in advance.
And despite having to gently remind the audience to tuck away their phones during the nearly 2-hour performance, it’s clear that guitarist/singer Brian Molko and bassist Stefan Olsdal were having fun. Does this mean we won’t have to wait another ten years before seeing Placebo again? I don’t know. I hope not. But in the interim, I encourage you to catch them on one of the remaining US dates this spring.
Remaining North American Tour Dates: April 27 – Toronto, Canada April 29 – Philadelphia, PA April 30 – Boston, MA May 2 – Washington, D.C. May 3 – Washington, D.C. May 5 – Shaky Knees Festival, Atlanta GA May 8 – Dallas, TX May 10 – Tempe, AZ May 11 – Los Angeles, CA May 13 – Sick New World, Las Vegas NV May 14 – San Francisco, CA May 16 – Portland, OR May 17 – Seattle, WA May 19 – Salt Lake City, UT May 20 – Denver, CO
Placebo Setlist: 01. Forever Chemicals 02. Beautiful James 03. Scene of the Crime 04. Hugz 05. Happy Birthday in the Sky 06. Bionic 07. Twin Demons 08. Surrounded by Spies 09. Chemtrails 10. Sad White Reggae 11. Try Better Next Time 12. Too Many Friends 13. Went Missing 14. For What It’s Worth 15. Slave to the Wage 16. Song to Say Goodbye 17. Come Undone 18. The Bitter End 19. Infra-red Encore: 20. Shout (Tears for Fears cover) 21. Fix Yourself 22. Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush cover)
Welcome To Rockville 2023 Set Times, On-Site Experiences, Food & Beverage Offerings Announced For May 18-21 Festival At The World Center Of Rock Daytona International Speedway In Daytona Beach, FL Tool, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, Deftones, Rob Zombie, Godsmack, The Cult, Evanescence, Incubus & More Lead Lineup For The Kick-Off Of Danny Wimmer Presents 2023 Festival Season…The Biggest Year In Rock! Limited Passes Still Available At www.WelcomeToRockville.com
Independent festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents has announced the music set times, their 2023 mobile app, additional on-site experiences and unique food and beverage offerings for the 12th year of Welcome To Rockville, held May 18-21 at “The World Center of Rock,” Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Welcome To Rockville kicks off Danny Wimmer Presents’ 2023 festival season–The Biggest Year In Rock!–that offers seven multi-day destination events with some of the most prominent and exciting names in rock and metal taking the stage. Welcome To Rockville is DWP’s longest-running annual festival and brought together 150,000 fans in 2022.
The 2023 music lineup features headliners Tool, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold and Pantera plus Deftones, Rob Zombie,Godsmack, Evanescence, Incubus, The Cult, Alice Cooper, The Mars Volta, Puscifer, I Prevail, Chevelle, Coheed & Cambria,Hardy, Trivium and many more.
The Cult was recently added to the lineup and fans can not only expect to hear their stellar musicianship but tracks off of their latest album, Under The Midnight Sun. Attila, Bones UK, Holy Wars and Silly Goose were also recently added to the lineup.
Overall, Welcome To Rockville features nearly 100 music performances over four days on four stages, amusement rides, a giant water slide, art installations, partner experiences, award-winning spirits, and delicious food and beverage options. Jose “Metal Ambassador” Mangin is the official Welcome To Rockville host, who will be participating in on-stage appearances and fan meet and greets.
A very limited number of Welcome To Rockville passes are still available for purchase at https://welcometorockville.com.
Attendees can create a personalized Rockville 2023 Set Times festival schedule with alerts and find all Welcome To Rockville details via the festival’s official mobileapp presented by Lyte, which is available for download now at: https://welcometorockville.com/mobileapp/
Attendees at Welcome To Rockville will have the opportunity enjoy a wide variety of on-site experiences in addition to music performances, which include:
● The Music Experience powered by American Musical Supply – a must-visit for music lovers and musicians with gear to play, giveaways, special deals, selfie stations, guitar shred contests and the fastest feet drum contest
● Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach – Hard Rock’s mission is about creating authentic experiences and their partnership with Welcome To Rockville brings that mission to life. Panoramic ocean views, legendary amenities, and modern luxury await at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach.
● Road Hounds – supporting emerging talent in the rock music industry by creating a decentralised community of NFT, Metaverse and music fans
● Take Me Home not for profit volunteer animal foundation
● Rock N’ Ride carnival rides –WhipSplash Water Slide, Roundabout Ferris Wheel, The Round Up and The Swinger
On-site beverage experiences and lounges include: Bud Light Backyard with a shaded main stage viewing area, Blue Chair Bay Rum Presents Heavy Tiki Bar, BeatBox Beverages (non-carbonated, gluten-free, and resealable), Caduceus Wine Garden, featuring Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, Craft Beer Bar, Jack Daniel’s (offering cocktails in a shaded space) and The Blackened Whiskey Bar (featuring the super premium blend of straight bourbons and ryes created by the late, legendary Master Distiller Dave Pickerell and the almighty Metallica).
Welcome To Rockville campers will have the ultimate experience by spending five days on the festival field in the middle of all the action with the quickest access to all the stages. The 2023 campground theme is “Rockvillian Campground Invasion.” Campers are encouraged to decorate their campsite with glow-in-the-dark stars, planets, and alien props, while dressing as astronauts, aliens, or space-rock legends like Ziggy Stardust to win prizes. Campers can also enjoy the exclusive Wednesday Night Pre-Party headlined by Hatebreed, as well as Bloody Mary brunches with iHeart radio, silent discos and more at The Pit Stop and Boardwalk Club in the campground, plus opportunities to get first looks at activations and festival merch.
Welcome To Rockville will feature a wide variety of food and beverage options curated by Southern Hospitality Concessions LLC, DWP’s affiliate concessionaire. Participating vendors include: BBQ Highlife, Big Wil and The Warden, Bru Brothers Coffee, Bulgogi Korean BBQ and Dumplings, Burger Boyz, Capuano’s Wood Fired Pizza, Champs Corn Dogs, Chicken Mac Truck, Chinchilla Truck, Churros N Cream, Crossroads Café, Dos Bros Food, El Cubanito Truck, Emangeo’s Brick Oven Pizza, Event Specialists, Fistfull of Tacos, Funky Cow Creamery, Guanabana Ice Pops and Smoothies, Happy Belly Bistro, Island Noodles, Jammin Concessions, Japanese Flair, Loving Cup, Mama’s Food Truck, Margus Empanadas, Mistfit Chef, Pie Baby, Romega Taqueria, Seafood at The Shack, Sir Cooks A Lot Truck, Smokestack BBQ, Smokin R’s BBQ, Spicy Pie, Stoked Poke, Twisted Okie BBQ, Twisted Tots, Vegan Demon and What’s The Catch Seafood.
Welcome To Rockville is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination music festivals in America.
Welcome To Rockville is proud to thank its new and returning partners: Anheuser-Busch, BeatBox Beverages, Blackcraft Cult, Blue Chair Bay Rum, BRŸT Beverage, Capital Vacations, Checkers & Rally’s, Demons Behind Me, Distortion – Road Hounds, DripBar, Fxck Cancer, Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, LYTE, Mortus Viventi, Parlor Root Beer, Plank Eyewear, Red Bull, Revolver Magazine, Take Me Home, The Music Experience, The Taylor Foundation, To Write Love on Her Arms and US Army.
For more information on #WelcomeToRockville, visit:
“Welcome to Rockville 2023 is a four-day rock festival taking place at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida from May 18-21, 2023. The festival features a massive lineup of rock and metal artists, including headliners Tool, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, and Pantera. Other notable performers include Deftones, Rob Zombie, Godsmack, Evanescence, Incubus, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice Cooper, The Mars Volta, Puscifer, I Prevail, Chevelle, Coheed & Cambria, Hardy, and Trivium.
Welcome to Rockville is one of the largest rock festivals in the United States, and it has become a staple of the Florida music scene. The festival is known for its high-energy performances, its diverse lineup, and its family-friendly atmosphere.”
The Mars Volta have officially released ‘Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazón’ – an acoustic and reimagined version of their 2022 fan and critically acclaimed comeback album ‘The Mars Volta’.
Much more than a simple “un- plugged” version of ‘The Mars Volta’ – the bands self-titled seventh album and return as a band – this acoustic rendition furthers the mission of the source music, which drew into sharper focus the traditional Latin influences that have always inspired Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala. This is, says Rodríguez- López, The Mars Volta’s version of a “folk record”, tracing the melodies and rhythms of the parent album back to their traditional Caribbean roots and challenging listeners to hear the group in an entirely new light.
The upcoming new album isn’t simply more content, but a bold, radical, political album, and one that recontextualizes the music of the group’s powerful last album within the lineage of the Latin and Caribbean sounds that Rodríguez- López has been mining his entire career, only many ears couldn’t hear past the distorted guitars to know what was going on. The songs are re-orchestrated and set to the traditional Caribbean rhythms that Rodríguez-López grew up on. Here, “Black Condolences” becomes an object lesson in this music, segueing be- tween three different traditional rhythms across its three-and-a-half minutes.
‘Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon’ track listing
Blacklight Shine (Acoustic)
Graveyard Love (Acoustic)
Shore Story (Acoustic)
Vigil (Acoustic)
Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon (Acoustic)
Cerulea (Acoustic)
Flash Burns From Flashbacks (Acoustic)
Palm Full Of Crux (Acoustic)
No Case Gain (Acoustic)
Tourmaline (Acoustic)
Equus 3 (Acoustic)
Collapsible Shoulders (Acoustic)
The Requisition (Acoustic)
For Rodríguez-López, ‘Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazón’ is a long-held dream, finally coming true. “I realized I could finally make a record like this now, I just had to make it happen,” he says. “That was the experiment. And it was super-fun. I feel like The Mars Volta is finally beginning – that’s why the last album was self- titled, because we’ve finally stripped everything away and arrived at what the whole concept was at the beginning. And this acoustic version comes from a profound place, with its own meaning and philosophy, and its own reason for be- ing.”
The Mars Volta are set to headline upcoming shows that will take place this May and include performances at Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Welcome To Rockville Festival in Daytona, FL and a show supporting Red Hot Chili Peppers in San Diego, CA. Tickets on sale now at www.themarsvoltaofficial.com.
Today the band has announced additional headline dates set to take place this fall. A full list of upcoming dates below. The dates announced today will go on sale Friday, April 28 at 10AM local time. Tickets and more information is available at www.themarsvoltaofficial.com
The Mars Volta – Upcoming headline tour dates
May 5 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA (Shaky Knees pre-show)
May 6 – Shaky Knees Festival – Atlanta, GA
May 9 – The Criterion – Oklahoma City, OK
May 10 – Revel – Albuquerque, NM
May 12 – Snapdragon Stadium – San Diego, CA w/ Red Hot Chili Peppers, Thundercat
May 13 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
May 14 – Abraham Chavez Theatre – El Paso, TX
May 16 – Tech Port Center & Arena – San Antonio, TX
May 18 – Orpheum Theatre – New Orleans, LA
May 19 – 713 Music Hall – Houston, TX
May 21 – Welcome To Rockville Festival – Daytona Beach, FL
Tickets on sale for below dates on Friday, April 28 at 10AM local time.
September 13 – Uptown Theater – Minneapolis, MN
September 15 – GLC Live at 20 Monroe – Grand Rapids, MI
September 16 – Agora Theater – Cleveland, OH
September 19 – The National – Richmond, VA
September 20 – Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD
September 22 – Kings Theatre – Brooklyn, NY
September 25 – MTELUS – Montreal, QC
September 27 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA
September 29 – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall – Louisville, KY
September 30 – The Andrew J Brady Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
October 1 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
October 3 – The Factory at The District – St. Louis, MO
October 8 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO
October 9 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Denver, CO
October 11 – The Union Event Center – Salt Lake City, UT
In celebration of Record Store Day 2023, the band’s highly celebrated singles “Frances The Mute” and “The Widow (live)” have been re-mastered and will be available on vinyl exclusively at participating record stores worldwide.
Gold-selling, billion-streaming rock band BEARTOOTH — Caleb Shomo, vocals; Zach Huston, guitars; Will Deely, guitars; Oshie Bichar, bass; and Connor Denis, drums — have just unleashed their new single “Sunshine!” and it has all the hallmarks of your favorite Beartooth bangers — cranked up to 11.
There’s a supremely catchy, anthemic singalong chorus and a tectonic plate-shifting breakdown that will have you pumping your fist in the air. Say hello to your feel good hit of the summer, courtesy of the ‘Tooth!
“‘Sunshine!’ is about a lot of things, the most obvious being seasonal depression,” says Shomo. “It’s always been prevalent in my life but as I grow older, it gets more intense. This song is also about moving on from the dark place I was in during 2020-2021. At the end of the day, life should be enjoyed and a Beartooth song doesn’t always have to be miserable.”
In other Beartooth news, the band was recently nominated for a Libera Award for “Best Heavy Record” for the 2022 hit single “Riptide,” which has garnered over 20 million streams to date. They also wrapped an 18-date, sold-out tour in the UK and Europe, where they headlined some of their biggest shows to date, including the iconic Wembley Arena. It marked the band’s most successful overseas run its history so far!
Beartooth will next embark on a 38-date U.S. co-headline tour alongside Trivium, which includes a triumphant return home at Sonic Temple Festival in Columbus, OH. The band will follow the co-headliner with trips to Australia and Europe, while concluding 2023 with an appearance at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, VA.
TRIVIUM + BEARTOOTH ON TOUR: WITH MALEVOLENCE + ARCHETYPES COLLIDE: 4/21 — Tampa, FL — 98RockFest* 4/22 — Orlando, FL — Earth Day Birthday* 4/23 — St. Augustine, FL — Planet Band Camp* 4/28 — Newark, NJ — Rock The Rock Fest* 4/29 — Worcester, MA — The Big Gig* 5/1 — Stroudsburg, PA — Sherman Theater 5/3 — Green Bay, WI — EPIC Event Center 5/4 — Milwaukee, WI — Hog Fest* 5/6 — St. Paul, MN — Twin City Takeover* 5/8 — Grand Rapids, MI — GLC Live at 20 Monroe 5/9 — Buffalo, NY — Buffalo Riverworks 5/10 — Huntington, NY — The Paramount 5/12 — Hampton Beach, NH — Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom 5/13 — New Haven, CT — College Street Music Hall 5/14 — Portland, ME — State Theatre 5/16 — Richmond, VA — The National 5/17 — Raleigh, NC — The Ritz 5/18 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville (Trivium Only) 5/20 — Myrtle Beach, SC — House of Blues 5/21 — Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore 5/23 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE 5/24 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works 5/25 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple Festival (Beartooth Only) 5/26 — Indianapolis, IN — Egyptian Room at Old National Centre 5/27 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple Festival (Trivium Only) 5/28 — Corbin, KY — Corbin Arena 5/30 — Omaha, NE — The Admiral 5/31 — Clive, IA — Horizon Event Center 6/2 — East Moline, IL — The Rust Belt 6/3 — Kansas City, MO — Uptown Theater 6/4 — Tulsa, OK — Tulsa Theater 6/6 — Austin, TX — Emo’s 6/7 — Dallas, TX — The Factory in Deep Ellum 6/9 — Tempe, AZ — Marquee 6/10 — Las Vegas, NV — Brooklyn Bowl 6/11 — Riverside, CA — Riverside Municipal Auditorium 6/12 — San Francisco, CA — Warfield 6/14 — Spokane, WA — The Podium 6/15 — Seattle, WA — Paramount Theater * Festival Dates with Beartooth Only
Deathcore is experiencing something of a renaissance in the 2020s. Lorna Shore is now a household name in metal, amassing more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify, whereas 2000s groups like Suicide Silence and Chelsea Grin are still going strong with no signs of stopping. So when metalcore act The Afterimage decided to turn up the heavy and rebrand as Brand of Sacrifice in 2018, the Berserk-themed rockers turned their sound up to 11 and took a risk starting from scratch after building their Afterimage name for 7 years. When the Ontario outfit released Lifeblood in 2021, it stuck in my rotation thanks to compelling features, an onslaught of breakdowns, and undeniable talent making for an instant classic. I’ve been impatiently awaiting its follow-up, and it’s finally here in the form of the Between Death and Dreams EP. Can Brand of Sacrifice recapture the magic?
As Brand of Sacrifice released two of the four songs on Between Death and Dreams as singles, there’s two new offerings serving as the opener and closer of this EP. This is a brilliant strategy to ensure listeners that have been keen on this listen to give the EP a full listen. Leading up to the release of Between Death and Dreams, Brand of Sacrifice teased that there would be “the heavy one” and “the sad one”. This was a novel prospect considering deathcore isn’t typically associated with sadness (save for Darko’s “Donna”), but we’ll explore that on the closer. “Blinded” welcomes the listener into Between Death and Dreams as the aforementioned “heavy one”. Considering all four songs have breakdowns and blast beats, it’s fair to call them all “the heavy one”, but the downtempo breakdown in this one coupled with vocalist Kyle Anderson doing the pig-squeal highs that have made this genre so popular make for a positively demonic-sounding intro to the EP.
“Exodus” is up next on Between Death and Dreams, creating instant hype with the phrase “You will not survive”. This chorus includes clean vocals, typically a curveball in deathcore, but slowly becoming more prevalent with bands like Whitechapel and Left to Suffer breathing new life into one of the heaviest genres. Kyle’s ability to switch from filthy uncleans to impassioned cleans is what will set this band apart from the pack. I also found the groove of utilizing blast beats within the third measure of the pre-chorus fascinating and fresh. Second single “Dynasty” also manages to drum up instantaneous excitement with a high-speed synth intro ahead of the instruments. The band’s best breakdown yet arrives as they manage to flip a switch from a blistering frenzy into a mesmerizing snail’s pace in the matter of a few measures of music. This is peak songwriting meeting talented execution and easily some of Brand of Sacrifice’s best work yet.
The closeout of Between Death and Dreams lies with the title track. Instant comparisons will be drawn to Linkin Park with the synth reminiscent of “Faint” and “Crawling”, truly an unexpected but welcome addition to this EP. Another clean vocal chorus puts the “sad song” context in full view with lyrics “Never-ending agony / the fear it lives on inside you and me / separating death from dreams / no sympathy, my misery, complete”. Brand of Sacrifice fits in one more breakdown before wrapping up Between Death and Dreams with a chorus outro. Sitting at 16 minutes of new music, there’s not a second of filler as these four tracks had me putting it on repeat without a second thought. Brand of Sacrifice have perfected their songwriting and seamlessly found their niche in a genre that is exploding in popularity; with Between Death and Dreams, it’s only a matter of time before they’re headlining North America and amassing the popularity they’ve proven they deserve.
Rock icons The Used have shared their newest single “Numb” off of their upcoming album Toxic Positivity, out May 19 via Big Noise. The track tackles the all-too-familiar sensation of feeling too much and nothing at all simultaneously. The reoccurring line – “does anybody else feel numb?” delivered in Bert McCracken’s passionate voice – is as much a reminder as it is a question, searching for reassurance that we aren’t alone in this feeling.
When asked, McCracken draws a parallel between the band’s 2020 track “To Feel Something” and their newest track: “I just wanna feel something. Anything is better than this. I just wanna feel something. No different from anyone else. Wanna waste my time but not like this at all. I just wanna feel something. No different from anyone else.”
“Cause I feel numb. Does anybody else feel numb?”
“Numb” is the first single from The Used’s new album Toxic Positivity. Over 20 years into their career, Toxic Positivity is everything fans have come to know and love from The Used – straightforward, in-your-face, destructive, and vulnerable all at once.
The Used have also recently released two no-holds-barred singles, “Fuck You” and “People Are Vomit.”
The band recently announced that they will be hitting the road with Pierce The Veil this summer on the Creative Control Tour. The epic co-headliner kicks off on May 23rd in Austin, TX, making stops across the U.S. and Canada in Tampa, Toronto, Baltimore, New York, Grand Rapids, Irvine, and more before wrapping up in Phoenix, AZ on July 2nd with support from Don Broco, Deathbyromy (5/23 – 6/10), and girlfriends (6/12 – 7/1). For a full list of tour dates and more details on how to purchase tickets, please visit https://theused.net/
The Used vocalist Bert McCracken shares “We are more than excited for our first tour with Pierce the Veil. We’ve been friends for a long time and I know this will be a tour to remember. We can’t wait for you to hear some new music! We are so fucking stoked and will see you there!”
Established in 2000, The Used was brought to life and have since released a collection of albums that pioneered the scene of emo rock. High energy live shows, gut wrenching relatable lyrics, and melodies that blended pop sensibility and hard rock was the perfect combination to make an everlasting impression on fans globally.
The Used released their ninth studio album, Heartwork (Deluxe), in 2021 via Big Noise. The extended album features 11 never-before-heard tracks that were all written during the original Heartwork (2020) sessions. A variety of collaborators including producer John Feldmann, co-writer Mark Hoppus (Blink-182), guest artists Travis Barker, Jason Aalon Butler (Fever 333), Caleb Shomo (Beartooth) and more helped deliver this now 27-track album that simultaneously showcases what made The Used emerge as one of the most prolific bands of the early 2000s as well as what has kept them at the forefront of the genre ever since. The band locked in #4 spots on both the Top Alternative and Top Hard Rock Album charts, #11 on Top Rock Album charts as well as landing in the Billboard Top 200 at the #87 spot.
The Used is Bert McCracken (Vocals), Jepha (Bass), Dan Whitesides (Drums) and Joey Bradford (Guitar).
Creative Control Tour Dates
May 23 – Austin, TX – HEB Center @ Cedar Park^+ (SOLD OUT)
May 24 – New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore Harrah’s New Orleans^+ (SOLD OUT)
May 26 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa^+ (SOLD OUT)
May 27 – Boca Raton, FL – Mizner Park Amphitheatre^+ (SOLD OUT)
May 28 – St Augustine, FL – The Saint Augustine Amphitheater^+
May 30 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy^+ (SOLD OUT)
May 31 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium^+
June 2 – Toronto, ON – RBC Echo Beach^+
June 3 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion^+ (SOLD OUT)
June 5 – New York, NY – The Rooftop @ Pier 17^+ (SOLD OUT)
June 6 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union LIVE!^+
June 7 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre^+ (LOW TICKET WARNING)
June 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Skyline Stage @ The Mann^+ (SOLD OUT)
June 10 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena^+
June 12 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage^# (SOLD OUT)
June 13 – New York, NY – The Rooftop @ Pier 17^# (SOLD OUT)
June 15 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center^#
June 16 – Moon Twp, PA – UPMC Events Center^#
June 17 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center^#
June 19 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live @ 20 Monroe^# (SOLD OUT)
June 21 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center^# (LOW TICKET WARNING)
June 22 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee^# (SOLD OUT)
June 24 – Dallas, TX – So What?! Music Festival*
June 28 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex^# (SOLD OUT)
June 29 – Reno, NV – Grand Theatre @ The Grand Sierra Resort^# (SOLD OUT)
July 1 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre^# (SOLD OUT)
July 2 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre^# (SOLD OUT)
September 7 – Alton, VA – Blue Ridge Rock Festival*
September 8 – Alton, VA – Blue Ridge Rock Festival*
September 9 – Alton, VA – Blue Ridge Rock Festival*
September 10 – Alton, VA – Blue Ridge Rock Festival*
Sleep Token have released new single “DYWTYLM.” Offering something entirely different from what we’ve heard thus far, you can watch the official video here.
With fan worship more intense than ever, and worldwide interest and intrigue growing at runaway speed, studio album No. 3, Take Me Back To Eden, will be released on May 19 via Spinefarm.
Take Me Back To Eden (an hour-plus of music across 12 distinctive tracks) is Part 3 of a trilogy, a spectacular chapter-closer in the ongoing Sleep Token saga — a saga that kicked off in earnest with debut album, Sundowning (2019).
Eden features probably the heaviest moments thus far recorded by Sleep Token (i.e. “Vore“and “The Summoning“), along with some of the most immediate and certainly the most emotional (i.e. “Aqua Regia” and “DYWTYLM“), with a slew of other tones, textures, and tangents touched on in-between.
TMBTE sees Sleep Token boldly re-confirming a true love of the epic (the title track is eight minutes plus), whilst further exploring and developing those elements that keep the music removed from any kind of pack, howling at a moon that’s all its own.
TAKE ME BACK TO EDEN TRACK LISTING: “Chokehold“ “The Summoning” “Granite” “Aqua Regia” “Vore” “Ascensionism” “Are You Really Okay?” “The Apparition” “DYWTYLM” “Rain” “Take Me Back To Eden” “Euclid”
Pre-orders are now available across various formats, including four stunning limited vinyl pressings, exclusive cassettes and other merch items such as t-shirts, long-sleeves, and hoodies.
Meanwhile, available album tracks, “Chokehold,” “The Summoning,” “Aqua Regia,” “Granite,” and “Vore” have collectively amassed over 85 million streams, whilst standout single “The Summoning” has generated some 38.8 million streams alone, causing the track to trend on Twitter and take the #1 song spot on a host of international Spotify viral charts, as well as being selected as a “YouTube Trending Artist On The Rise,” featuring on YouTube’s homepage, viewed by millions of people every day.
The unprecedented accolades keep rolling in, between the fact that ST has never played a headline show in the UK that didn’t sell out, “Aqua Regia” picking up consistent airplay on the Radio One “Future Sounds” show hosted by Clara Amfo, plus huge pop star Demi Lovato sharing Sleep Token’s music with her 153 million Instagram followers, Sleep Token consistently smash boundaries that they refused to acknowledge in the first place.
And even though Sleep Token notoriously do not speak to the press (out of necessity, not ego or gimmick), media can’t help but write about the phenomenon, reporting on the band’s every move; NME note, “Sleep Token offer their fans an entire world to immerse themselves in if they so wish. It’s a place of escapism, and the foundation of a huge fan community that’s dedicated to studying the band’s creativity. While they have the same fervor as any other fandom, there’s still a notable difference.” Elsewhere, Metal Hammer called them “the most exciting band in metal right now.”
As such, Sleep Token’s entire upcoming Australian and U..S tours, in addition to a one-off headliner in Germany, are completely sold-out. U.S tour dates are below.
SLEEP TOKEN ON TOUR: 9/8 — Alton, VA — BLUE RIDGE ROCK FEST* 9/9 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer 9/10 — New York, NY — Webster Hall 9/12 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium 9/13 — Baltimore, MD — Ram’s Head Live 9/15 — Detroit, MI — The Cathedral at The Masonic 9/17 — Minneapolis, MN — The Myth 9/19 — Dallas, TX — Studio at The Factory 9/20 — Oklahoma City, OK — Tower Theatre 9/22 — St. Louis, MO — Hawthorn 9/23 — Louisville, KY — LOUDER THAN LIFE* 9/25 — Denver, CO — The Ogden Theatre 9/26 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex 9/28 — Spokane, WA — Knitting Factory 9/29 — Boise, ID — Knitting Factory 9/30 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox Market 10/1 — Portland, OR — Roseland Theatre 10/3 — San Diego, CA — The Observatory NP 10/4 — Los Angeles, CA — The El Rey Theatre 10/5 — Anaheim, CA — House of Blues 10/7 — Sacramento, CA — AFTERSHOCK* *FESTIVAL DATES
An album all about finding beauty and a shred of positivity in a bleak, horrifying world. Enter Shikari indulges in the electronic and synth world of rock again; they’ve learned how to lean into it. Some of the big moments, especially in the first half of the album, hit hard. The first four songs have such a journey through them, it’s all great. The problem, this album is short. You are left wanting more, especially after several interlude and fade-out tracks. Even if not all the digital elements connect, the good parts along with the messages shine. Just wish this whole world was bigger. 7/10
Enter Shikari A Kiss For The Whole World Album Review
Enter Shikari is a British rock band formed in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe. In 2003, guitarist Rory Clewlow joined the band to complete its current line-up, and it adopted its current name.
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From Google Bard:
Enter Shikari is a British rock band formed in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1999. The band consists of Rou Reynolds (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Chris Batten (bass), Rob Rolfe (drums), and Rory Clewlow (guitar).
Enter Shikari’s musical style has been variously described as alternative rock, electronic rock, post-hardcore, electronicore (which they are considered to have pioneered), experimental rock, post-rock, and on their early releases, metalcore, and synth-metal. It is recognizable for combining rock music (especially punk rock and hardcore punk) with elements of various electronic music genres, including drum and bass, dubstep, techno, electronica, and trance.
The band’s lyrics often deal with political and social issues, such as climate change, war, and religion. They have also been known to incorporate elements of philosophy and science into their music. ___
Enter Shikari A Kiss For The Whole World Album Review
