July 2008 News Archive

 

Jul 18th AC/DC In a short press release from Sony Music it has been confirmed that AC/DC will release a new single entitled "Run Away From Black Ice" next month, on Aug. 24. The song is the lead single from the first new AC/DC studio album in over eight years, an album that has been christened "Dirty Rhythm" and is set to be released in late October of this year. As well as Run Away From Black Ice "Dirty Rhythm's" track listing will also include "Heat It Up", "The Legacy", "Rock 'N Roll Defenders" and nine more classics.   AC/DC's World Tour will kick off in New York City on Jan. 1, 2009. More details soon. Jul 18th Pyromatic  - Press Release North Carolina rockers Pyromatic will release their highly anticipated debut album entitled “Reels & Stills” on August 12, 2008. The album will be released under the band's own label Rock Room Records and will be available for purchase in compact disk and mp3 formats through the band's online store located at www.pyromatic.net along with other online music distributors and retailers.  An agreement with Blastzone Entertainment Group for national and international release is expected to be revealed later this year. Reels & Stills brings a melodic rock sound that is currently gaining popularity in the mainstream rock and pop genres. The songs range from a heart touching ballad to fist pumping rockers and everything in-between. Any fan of rock & roll will be truly engulfed by this rock masterpiece. The full track listing for Reels & Stills is as follows: Angel no More, Falling in and out of Love, Take a Chance on Me, Prince Poison, New Bad Habit, Promise Worth Keeping, Different Way, Over the Edge, Taste of Love and Remember When. For more information on the album or Pyromatic log onto www.pyromatic.net  Jul 18th Story Of The Year Back In Europe For Taste of Chaos Tour Story Of The Year will head back to Europe in October, with the 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink Taste Of Chaos tour. The band, who are currently playing the main stage at the Warped Tour in the US, will play alongside Atreyu, As I Lay Dying, MUCC and Horse The Band on the European leg of the tour, which kicks off on 9th October in Hamburg. Rockstar Energy Drink Taste of Chaos , the only worldwide lifestyle festival tour, is coming to Europe again after over 260 worldwide dates in the past 4 years and playing in over 23 countries which have included the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico and many others. John Reese (co-founder) states, “We have succeeded in giving a world audience an action-packed lineup for the past four years. The success of the tour on a worldwide level has allowed a lot of great bands to continue their success around the globe”. Bassist Adam Russell from STORY OF THE YEAR adds, “We're so excited to be back on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos this year. It took us to a lot of new places in 2005, and we're ready to see lots more this time!” Story of the Year’s new album, The Black Swan, is out now on Epitaph Records. Taste Of Chaos 2008 Tourdates: Oct 15 London  Astoria Oct 16 Lincoln  English Shed Oct 17 Norwich  UEA Oct 19 Cardiff  Uni Oct 20 Nottingham  Rock City Oct 21 Birmingham  Academy Oct 22 Leeds  Met Uni Oct 24 Hull  Uni Oct 25 Edinburgh  Picturehouse Oct 26 Dundee  Fat Sam Live Oct 27 Glasgow ABC Oct 29 Preston  53 Degrees Oct 30 Manchester  Academy Oct 31 Oxford  Academy Jul 18th Todd Rundgren Announces New Album & UK Tour Rock’n’roll icon, guitar genius, interactive progenitor, consummate singer/songwriter and record producer, Todd Rundgren, returns to the UK shores for his first concerts since 2005. Todd Rundgren, the man who gave us classic albums like Something/Anything?, A Wizard, A True Star, Todd, Faithful, Hermit of Mink Hollow and 2004’s critically acclaimed Liars, will play four rare UK concerts that will follow the September 29th UK release of his long awaited new studio album . "Arena is a definite return to riff-oriented guitar rock," says Rundgren. "It's supposed to make you reflexively pump your fist and wave a lighter in the air.” The Arena Tour band will consist of Jesse Gress (guitar), Rachel Haden (bass), Matt Bolton (guitar and keyboards), Prairie Prince (drums), and Todd Rundgren (guitar and vocals). “The concerts will be a straight-ahead, guitar-rock extravaganza," assures Rundgren. “We can't afford the flamethrowers yet, but we'll make up for it with aggression." Rundgren is universally hailed as the most innovative rock star on the planet. He was the first pioneering recording and performing artist responsible for interactive audio and video. In 1981, his video for the song Time Heals was the second video ever aired on MTV in America. By 1992, Todd focused his creative energies on the ground-breaking No World Order, rock’s first interactive music album on the CD-i format. The album enabled music enthusiasts to create their own mixes of the album, something unheard of in the early nineties. Appropriately, when Rundgren filmed the world’s first interactive concert tour for video release in 1994, London’s Forum was the venue of choice, making this November’s show a homecoming of sorts. Two years later, Rundgren proved that he was two steps ahead of the music technology game by releasing what was to be rock’s very first full-length Enhanced CD, The Individualist, which featured the combined song and interactive video game Cast The First Stone. In 1998 he was the first artist to launch an online music service entitled PatroNet, years before Apple launched iTunes. PatroNet enabled its online subscribers to directly download new, previously unreleased songs, cutting out the major record labels. Sounds familiar?  It was Rundgren who predicted the future, and now, with , his rockiest guitar album in decades, he’s back to rock the house. Always the innovator, Rundgren continues to enhance his reputation as the ultimate Wizard, A True Star.  The four dates confirmed for the tour are as follows: 6th November - Manchester Academy 2 7th November - Edinburgh The Picture House 22nd November - Norwich The Waterfront 23rd November- London Kentish Town Forum Jul 18th Backyard Babies Backyard Babies return with their highly anticipated 6th studio album ‘Backyard Babies’ released through Spinefarm Records UK on August 18th 2008. With 20 years of hard rocking behind them, Backyard Babies have not only developed into one of Sweden’s best loved bands but they have stamped their mark on the world – with an impressive catalogue and a fearsome live reputation. The self-titled latest offering was recorded during 90 days and nights in Polar and Big Island Sound studios in Stockholm with producer Jacob Hellner (Rammstein,). From lead single, the sleazed out scuzzed up rock of “Drool” to no nonsense album opener ”Fuck Off And Die”, from punk-ed up “Zoe Is A Weirdo” to the self explanatory “Back On The Juice”, from the Pistols-esque “The Ship” to the acoustic instant classic of “Abandon”, this is a band at their very best… The album is packed with taut rhythms overlaid with driving guitars and the unique vocal take of Nicke Borg. Lead guitarist Dregen states “This record feels most like Backyard Babies. It was about time that we finally make an album that has all the ingredients that a classic rock album should have!” An established live draw, Backyard Babies will be touring the UK in support of “Backyard Babies” album this September. Expect the unexpected…. September Tuesday 2nd Birmingham Academy 2 Wednesday 3rd Nottingham Rock City Thursday 4th Newcastle Academy 2 Friday 5th Glasgow Cathouse Saturday 6th Sheffield Corportation Sunday 7th Manchester Academy 3 Tuesday 9th Brighton Barfly Wednesday 10th Southampton The Brook Thursday 11th Newport T.J’s Friday 12th London ULU Jul 18th Voodoo Six Voodoo Six, the British band formed by ex-Dirty Deeds bassist Tony Newton, will embark on a UK tour in September. Confirmed dates are as follows: Sep. 04 - Limelight - Crewe Sep. 05 - Roadhouse - Manchester Sep. 06 - Junktion 7 - Nottingham Sep. 07 - Queens Hall - Nuneaton Sep. 11 - Yardbirds - Grimsby Sep. 12 - Trillians - Newcastle Sep. 14 - Cathouse - Glasgow Sep. 18 - Sawyers - Kettering Sep. 19 - Twist - Colchester Sep. 20 - Little Civic - Wolverhampton Sep. 21 - White Rabbit - Plymouth Sep. 22 - Barfly - London Sep. 24 - Junction - York Sep. 25 - The Park - Peterborough Sep. 26 - The Rigger - Stoke Sep. 27 - Marlboro Club - Ilfracombe Sep. 29 - Freebutt - Brighton Oct. 01 - Joiners - Southampton Jul 18th Ephrat Ephrat, a new and extremely promising, 4-piece, progressive rock act from Israel whose songs represent a successful balancing act between traditional elements and the future of the genre, will release a new album entitled No One's Words throuhg InsideOut on August 25th.  The band has already found high profile supporters in Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), who mixed the album and guest vocalists Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain Of Salvation) and Petronella Nettermalm (Paatos). The album delivers a colourful mix of European influences with the atmospheric tone sequences of the Middle East. Mastermind, guitarist, flautist, keyboard player and sole composer of the group is Omer Ephrat, who describes his creative vision as follows: “It’s sophisticated, progressive music that’s driven by a rock ‘n’ roll feel. But I really think that my music sometimes slips from those definitions and creates a new entity. The main influences range from the progressive rock groups of the seventies, such as Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and King Crimson to newer metal bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater and many more.” The cherry on the cake of this album of haunting tracks is the warm, transparent mix courtesy of Steven Wilson. “His mix makes the album what it is. He understands music and knows how to handle it to get it where it belongs.” Jul 17th Extreme Head To The UK Reunited Boston rockers Extreme, who are set to release their comeback album  entitled Saudades de Rock  through Frontiers Records on August 1st are heading to the UK for a series of live shows in November in support of the album. The full list of confirmed dates are as follows: 14th Nov - Leeds Academy 15th Nov - Glasgow Academy 17th Nov - Newcastle City Hall 18th Nov - Manchester University 20th Nov - Newport Centre 21st Nov - Southampton Guildhall 23rd Nov - Birmingham Carling Academy 24th Nov - London Astoria Jul 17th Caldicot Castle Rock Caldicot Castle Rock takes place over August 1st and 2nd in the beautiful grounds of Caldicot Castle near Chepstow. Headlining the first night is rock legends the Australian Pink Floyd and joining them will be well known Welsh rock legends Man who are celebrating their 40th anniversary. The second day August 2nd see’s rock giants Magnum headline the day with support from Bad Company, Rattlesnake Remedy and Get Vegas. Ticket details are below. Caldicot Castle Rock, Caldicot Castle Park - Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd August FRIDAY 1st AUGUST The Australian Pink Floyd Show supported my Man - Tickets £26.50 inc booking fee. Gates Open 6pm SATURDAY 2nd August. Magnum, supported by Bad Company, Rattlesnake Remedy, Get Vegas. Tickets £19.00 inc booking fee. Gates Open 5pm. WEEKEND TICKET £42.00 Camping Available on site, £6 per pitch, per . Tickets available from 01291 627122 or www.hmp-gigs.com . Jul 16th Amon Amarth Reveal Track Listing Of Twilight Of The Thunder God Swedish Viking Kings Amon Amarth will release their new album ‘Twilight Of The Thunder God’ on the  22nd of September and the album will feature several high-profile guest appearances. Entombed singer L.G. Petrov sings a duet with Amon Amarth singer Johan Hegg on ‘Guardians Of Asgaard’ while Children Of Bodom guitarist Roope Latvala shreds a fierce solo on the title track. As if that wasn't enough, Apocalyptica do the honours on ‘Live For The Kill’, giving this tune the icing on the cake. ‘Twilight Of The Thunder God’ will be released as a limited first edition 3-disc-set including a bonus CD and a bonus DVD. This deluxe collector's edition comes in highly valuable packaging featuring special layout and the Amon Amarth comic which is currently being published in several metal magazines all over Europe. The album will also be released as a limited edition gatefold 2-LP on 180g etched vinyl! the full tracklisting of ‘Twilight Of The Thunder God’ is as follows: Twilight Of The Thunder God, Free Will Sacrifice, Guardians Of Asgaard, Where Is Your God?, Varyags Of Miklagaard, Tattered Banners And Bloody Flags, No Fear For The Setting Sun, The Hero, Live For The Kill and Embrace Of The Endless Ocean . The bonus CD, entitled Live At Summer Breeze 2007 features the following running order: Intro, Valhall Awaits Me, Runes To My Memory, Cry Of The Black Birds, Asator, Pursuit Of Vikings, Fate Of Norns, Without Fear, With Oden On Our Side, Where Silent Gods Stand Guard, An Ancient Sign Of Coming Storm, Victorious March and Death In Fire. The DVD also features the 2007 set from Summer Breeze and run Intro, Valhall Awaits Me, Runes To My Memory, Cry Of The Black Birds, Asator, Pursuit Of Vikings, Fate Of Norns, Without Fear, With Oden On Our Side, Where Silent Gods Stand Guard and An Ancient Sign Of Coming Storm Twilight Of The Thunder God is released on September22nd via Metal Blade Jul 16th The Return Of The Mighty Driver US Metal legends Driver are finally ready with their album "Sons Of Thunder" which will hit the stores on September 26th, 2008. Driver were one of the top US acts at the height of melodic heavy rock in the late 1980's and issued a widely circulated 5-song cassette EP demo in 1990 that garnered the band a dedicated worldwide following as well as attained cult status as one of the most underrated hard rock acts of their time, and it has held steadfast throughout the years. Since then, the two main writers and members of Driver - powerhouse vocalist Rob Rock and acclaimed guitarist/producer Roy Z - have forged ahead to garner long successful careers in the music business. Recording with various bands and recording projects like Impellitteri, Joshua, Warrior, Avantasia and Axel Rudi Pell over the years, Rock is currently well known as one of the very few hard rock/metal singers with a successful solo career - Roy is currently one of the most sought after metal producers, producing such artists as Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, Judas Priest, Sebastian Bach, Rob Rock, Tribe of Gypsies and Helloween. 2008 saw the reunion of the band, drummer Reynold “Butch” Carlson”, keyboardist Ed Roth and bassist Aaron Samson joining Messers Rock & Z, which resulted in the recordings of the aforementioned record. "Sons Of Thunder" offering exactly the sound the fans of the band have been waiting for and will excite any fan of the genre. The full track listing for Sons Of Thunder, which is released via Metal Heaven on September 26th, is as follows: Titans of Speed, I’m a Warrior, Fly Away, Heart’s on Fire, Sons of Thunder, Never Give Up, Change of Heart, Dark World, Winds of March, Only Love Can Save Me Now, Tears That I Cry, and I Believe in Love. Jul 16th Marshall Law Sign World Wide Deal With DR2 Records Global Music are delighted to announce that they have signed established cult metal legends Marshall Law to a long term deal on their imprint label, DR2 Records and will release the eagerly anticipated sixth studio album ‘Razorhead’ in October this year. Vocalist ANDY PYKE added, “Despite having the new album finished and mastered for the last twelve months, we chose to hold out for the right deal with the right label. We would like to thank our fans for their patience and are delighted to be working with Ged and Eric at Global Music. We believe that this is the right label to take the band forward. We’re looking forward to working with them and can’t wait to get back out on the road to promote the album”. Jul 16th Sister Sin - Ready To Rock Throw away your heavy metal rulebook: a new musical genre is about to hit the masses. Introducing “Street Metal”, and its new, irrepressible ambassadors Sister Sin! Having grown apathetic towards the popular trends in heavy Swedish music, Sister Sin arose from the gutters of Gothenburg in 2002. Settling on their moniker because it represented their “bound to absolutely nothing” lifestyles, the furious foursome entered the local scene as a hard-hitting, undeniable metal force. Female lead vocalist Liv, guitarist Jimmy, bassist Chris and drummer Dave created a rough-around-the-edges yet relatable image of dysfunction and attitude. Backed up with fresh lyrics and gritty riffs, SISTER SIN set out to inject some of what had been absent from the heavy metal scene since the glory days of Motley Crue, Motorhead, ,W.A.S.P. and Accept. Produced by Tobias Lindell at Bohus Sound Studios in Sweden, this album will rock your next party down! Now in 2008 the band are set to unleash their debut album, Switchbalde Serenades, via Metal Heaven on September 26th. produced by Tobias Lindell at Bohus Sound Studios in Sweden the album features the following track listing: Beat The Street, Death Will Greet Us, One Out Of Ten, Breaking New Ground, On Parole, Make My Day, Hostile-Violent, Switchblade Serenade, Love/Hate, All Systems Go! and Eye To Eye. Jul 15th Night Ranger's "Rockin’ Shibuya 2007" To Get A European Release in September Frontiers Records have announced the European release of Night Ranger's latest double live album "Rockin' Shibuya 2007" on September 19th 2008. Night Ranger is a band that left an indelible mark with a string of best-selling albums that sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. The band's popularity was fuelled by an impressive string of instantly recognizable hit singles and signature album tracks, including "Sister Christian", "(You Can Still) Rock In America", "When You Close Your Eyes", "Sentimental Street", "Goodbye" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me". Harnessing the frenetic drive of heavy metal to hook-laden rock songs, throwing in a stunning twin lead guitar team and melodic radio-friendly power ballads, Night Ranger inspired new descriptive phrases such as "melodic metal" and "metal power pop". Following a seven-year absence, Night Ranger reunited in 1996 for a tour of Japan and a summer US tour. Fans proved that they still loved the music and the band. Also that year, the band released "Neverland", and the following year, "Seven", studio albums that set the standard for the 80s rock revival. Nearly every summer since, Night Ranger has toured across the country, sharing stages with such acts as REO Speedwagon, Styx, Journey, Bad Company, Pat Benatar, Loverboy, Poison, Cinderella, Boston, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick and Kansas. 2007 proved to be another busy year for Night Ranger with a successful new studio album, "Hole In The Sun" released in Europe in April 2007. The band also embarked on a new Japan tour with Reb Beach filling in for long-time member Jeff Watson on guitar. The result is this exciting brand new Live album release which includes audio from the band's June 2007 show at the C.C. Lemon Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo on two CDs. The tracklisting includes all the classic hits from the band plus a handful of songs taken from the newest album "Hole In The Sun" and a driving rendition of Deep Purple's "Highway Star" incorporated in the concert opener "This Boy Needs To Rock". Full track listing includes: CD1: This Boy Needs To Rock / Highway Star; Tell Your Vision; Sing Me Away; Touch Of Madness; Drama Queen; Rumours In The Air; Seven Wishes; The Secret of My Success; There Is Life and Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight. CD2: Sentimental Street; Forever All Over Again; Goodbye; Whatever Happened; Four In The Morning; When You Close Your Eyes; Don't Tell Me You Love Me; Sister Christian; You're Gonna Hear From Me and (You Can Still) Rock In America. Jul 15th Nuclear Blast Updates Hackneyed – special MySpace page launched + new song up! A special MySpace page for the upcoming debut “Death Prevails” of south German death metal maniacs Hackneyed has been launched @ www.myspace.com/blastview Take your chance to get more info about the album and the band as well as listen to two tracks of “Death Prevails” You can also take part on the competition to win really really rare Hackneyed stuff. The fifth album trailer for the debut is also online@ www.hackneyed.de where you will find guitarist iX talking about some details of their first effort for Nuclear Blast! All Shall Perish – first two songs online + artwork revealed. Oakland CA’s extreme metal maestros, All Shall Perish, have posted two new songs on their Myspace page @ www.myspace.com/allshallperish.  The title track and “Never Again” have been taken from the band’s upcoming release “Awaken the Dreamers.”, the band’s third overall release, which is released on September 5th in via Nuclear Blast Records. Drummer Matt Kuykendall commented on the new material and the variation to be found within the new albums 12 tracks: “We have never been a band to write the same record twice and we have never enjoyed records that are 1 single and 11 worse versions of the same song. This record is the most diverse thing we have done to date. Every song is different and brings something new to the overall experience of the CD. When you look back to all the classic records of our time, they are full of all kinds of different songs. “Vulgar Display Of Power” just wouldn't be the same without “This Love” and “Hollow”. Our record is a breath of fresh air in a scene that is turning stale.” "Awaken The Dreamers" features the following track listing: When Life Meant More..., Black Gold Reign,  Never...Again, The Ones We Left Behind, Awaken The Dreamers, Memories Of A Glass Sanctuary, Stabbing To Purge Dissimulation, Gagged, Bound, Shelved And Forgotten, Until The End, From So Far Away, Misery's Introduction and Songs For The Damned All Shall Perish will embark on a European tour late this summer along with Sworn Enemy and Warbringer and in addition their classic debut album, "Hate.Malice.Revenge", will be reissued on September 8 as part of the Nuclear Blast "Reloaded" series. Sylosis – Track list & album concept revealed As recently reported, UK based modern thrashers Sylosis have just finished the work on their new album Conclusion Of An Age. The title, artwork and concept of the album are accompanying pretty much with each other with the main theme of the bands Nuclear Blast debut being the direction in which the planet is heading and the consequences humanity will face. The album covers many areas but the main concept is the idea of mankind destroying itself through war, self indulgence, religion etc., and how the earth is being ravaged by humanity to the point of being destroyed… but how the earth’s might will eventually prevail!“ The final track list  for “Conclusion Of An Age” is as follows: Desolate Seas, After Lifeless Years, Blackest Skyline, Transcendence, Reflections Through Fire , Conclusion Of An Age, Swallow The World, Teras, Withered, Last Remaining Light, Stained Humanity and Oath Of Silence. “Conclusion Of An Age” will be released on October 27th. Jul 15th Hot Leg Hot Leg is the brand new musical group featuring Justin 'Dave' Hawkins, former lead singer/lead guitarist/lead songwriter of The Darkness. Hot Leg are an entirely hairier beast, and they make really really brilliant rock music. Hawkins' patented 'Truth Larynx' is the perfect foil to the 6-stringed rapier of Pete 'Liquid Guitar Hands' Rinaldi, the Axemeister General. Meanwhile Samuel SJ Stokes and Darby Todd have emulsified into one muscular unit now known only as 'The PowerZone'. Four men with at least one machine apiece operating in pitch-perfect harmony. Who could ask for more? The band are setting off on their debut UK tour. Dates are as follows: Wed 6th August 2008 Proud Galleries, London Thurs 7th August 2008 Barfly, Birmingham Fri 8th August 2008 Roadhouse, Manchester Sat 9th August 2008 King Tuts, Glasgow Tickets are priced £10 (£12.50 in London) – subject to booking fee. Tickets are available through the bands myspace @ www.myspace.com/teamhotleg  - follow link to Music Glue. Each Music Glue ticket purchase will also get a free download of Hot Leg track “Heroes” (a track that will not be available on the album). Tickets are also available through us