People of Europe!!!  It has been over 10 years since your Alien Overlords GWAR feasted on the souls of the Old World. At last, the wait is finally over. The time has come for GWAR’s insatiable thirst for blood to be quenched. Yes, you heard right!  Your Lords and Masters GWAR will make their triumphant return across the pond late this November into December on their “Use Your Collusion” 2019 European & UK Tour.  The attack begins in Bochum, Germany on November 22nd. They end their invasion by storming Zurich, Switzerland on December 14th, and by that time the continent will be little more than a smoldering pile of poo. Main support for the whole tour are metal legends VOIVOD! All tickets will be available for purchase at http://www.gwar.net. Pre-sales begin today and the general public on-sale is set for August 16th at 9:00am GMT.  

“GWAR has waited long enough to terrorize youth across the pond. What better way to spend a winter than pillaging and copulating across Europe, says guitarist Pustulus Maximus. 

Lead singer The Berserker Blóthar chimes in, “All of Europe will bow to the majesty of GWAR! We will destroy your cities and consume all of your drugs. We will bring welcome death to the most depressed, emotionally and sexually repressed people on Earth. I cannot wait to wreak havoc on your infinitely inferior plumbing.” 

“In Europe they call me doner kabob because that’s all I eat there. I Love European culture. Can’t wait for the tour, adds drummer JiZMak da Gusha. 

Footage of the band announcing the tour has leaked from their fortress in Antarctica. Watch the video HERE.https://youtu.be/_LkUoHVBU84

GWAR is:

The Berserker Blóthar: Lead Howler

Beefcake the Mighty: Bass Guitar, Vocals

Pustulus Maximus: Lead Guitar, Vocals

BälSäc the Jaws ‘o Death: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals 

JiZMak da Gusha: Drums

Bonesnapper: Bodyguard, Crappy Vocals

Sawborg Destructo: Annoying Nemesis, Annoying Vocals 

GWAR “Use Your Collusion” Europe & UK 2019 Tour:

Nov. 22: Bochum, DE @ Matrix*

Nov. 23: Vaureal, FR @ Le Forum*

Nov. 24: Mannheim, DE @ MS Connexion*

Nov. 26: Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall

Nov. 27: Kortrijk, BE @ De Kruen

Nov. 28: Tilburg, NL @ 013 KZ

Nov. 30: Manchester, UK @ Club Academy

Dec.1: Glasgow, UK @ The Garage

Dec. 2: Wolverhampton, UK @ Steel Mill

Dec. 3: Newcastle, UK @ Riverside

Dec. 4: London, UK @ Islington Academy

Dec. 5: Antwerp, BE @ Zappa

Dec. 6: Bremen, DE @ Schlachthof

Dec. 7: Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset

Dec. 8: Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg

Dec. 9: Prague, CZ @ Meet Factory

Dec. 10: Ziln, CZ @ Masters of Rock Cafe 

Dec. 11: Graz, AT @ Explosvi

Dec. 12: Ljubljana, SI @ Kino Siska

Dec. 13: Pinarella di Cervia, ITL @ Rock Planet

Dec. 14: Zurich, @ Komplex 

VOIVOD Main Support All Dates*- Downcast Collision (from…The Netherlands) opens Nov. 22-24   – Childrain (from…Basque Country) opens Nov. 26- Dec.14  

For More Info Visit:http://www.GWAR.net

“Age of Unreason Tour 2019”

Bad Religion, The Lawrence Arms
Tuesday, August 6^h, 2019
Anthology, Rochester, NY

Our score: 5 out of 5 stars

Bad Religion made a stop at Anthology in Rochester, NY on August 6^th as part of the bands current “Age of Unreason” tour.  Along with the elder statesmen of punk were special guest The Lawrence Arms. Despite a thirty year lapse since the bands last performance in the Flour City both groups brought their A game to the sold out crowd who packed the gills of the intimate venue on a warm Tuesday night.

Epitaph label mates The Lawrence Arms opened the evening’s festivities promptly at 8pm and as the venue quickly filled to capacity the three piece group from Chicago, IL held court treating fans to their windy city brand of grit infused punk rock. Bassist/vocalist Brendan Kelly jokingly traded barbs with the audience between songs and at one point noted that this was the bands first time performing in Rochester. The band sounded great as it played songs from it six album catalog including a handful from their most recent release 2014’s “Metropole” before leaving the stage to a chant of one more song from the ever growing crowd.

After a somewhat timely change over Bad Religion would take to the stage basked in powerful, dark blue lighting. The band opened their set with the edgy “Them and Us” from the 1996 album “The Grey Race”. Vocalist Greg Graffin and the rest of the band consisting of Jay Bentley, Brian Baker, Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller blasted through a 27 song set full of classic BR songs like “Stranger Than Fiction”, “Atomic Garden”, Suffer” and “21^st Century (Digital Boy)” and newer songs like “Chaos From Within”, “My Sanity” and “Do The Paranoid Style” all of which are from the bands recently released studio album “Age of Unreason”.

Bad Religion certainly made up for their long absence in Rochester as the bands high energy 27 song set fed the need of both long time fans and fellow new comers (some of whom were as young as 12 years old). Anthology’s medium sized venue played a near perfect host for the humble punk veterans who seemed to really appreciate the vibe and energy they received in return for their stellar performance. Bad Religion will be on tour in the States through October so if the band is coming to your area you owe it to yourself to be there!

Bad Religion Set List:

1.) Them and us

2.) End of History

3.) Fuck You

4.) Stranger Than Fiction

5.) The Dichotomy

6.) Recipe for Hate

7.) Chaos From Within

8.) Los Angeles Is Burning

9.) The Handshake

10.) My Sanity

11.) Atomic Garden

12.) Lose Your Head

13.) Suffer

14.) No Control

15.) Against the Grain

16.) Skyscraper

17.) Anesthesia

18.) I Want to Conquer the World

19.) 21^st Century (Digital Boy)

20.) Generator

21.) The New Dark Ages

22.) You

23.) Do The Paranoid Style

24.) Fuck Armageddon…This Is Hell

25.) Sorrow

Encore

26.) Infected

27.) American Jesus

New York based heavy metal group Damn Your Eyes have just released a brand new 10 track album titled “Kill The Outside”. The band which consists of former We Are The Enemy and Bonesmith members along with current Black Water Rising bassist Oddie McLaughlin have come together to forge a new musical path which draws deeply from the each of the members own personal experiences. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Oddie recently about the creation of the new album, its deep personal meaning and what it like balancing duties between two bands.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about some of the work that went in to the new album “Kill The Outside”?

Oddie McLaughlin: Artie (Alexander) and I have played together off and on since we were first out of high school. We were always writing or learning different material. We recorded I think five songs with this drummer about fifteen years ago and then went our separate ways. Two of those songs from that period we kept. Basically it was just the riffs as there was no melody or vocal lines. That’s really where everything started. I got a call on day asking if I would be interested in starting something new and I said yes so shortly after we started writing songs for this release. When I got together with Artie after talking he already had few songs laid out including the two riffs we originally worked on. He had added some new ideas and things just started rolling. The writing for this album has been amazing and things have come together fairly easy. The songs all fell together nicely. Once we got our singer Kenny (Vincent Jr.) things moved even quicker. It’s just been a great process.

AL: The songs all seem very personal. Were the lyrics pulled from members past experiences?

OM: Oh yeah. Most of it is from Artie and some of it is from the other guys. They pulled from their experiences in the music business to how the world is going today. We expressed our emotions related to some of those events along with a bunch of other things. It’s definitely a record that deals with what is going on around us and personally.

AL: Do you ever find it hard to dig in to some of those emotions?

OM: No. We feel that if we put this stuff out there that it might help someone. Someone might see that they aren’t the only one feeling a certain way. I think it’s a great avenue to get it across to people especially metal fans.

AL: Along with personal lyrics the album also features a variety of musical styles. Was this something the band did consciously or was it something that occurred more naturally?

OM: I think it was something that happened organically. All the guys in the band like different styles of music but at heart we are total metal heads. We like a certain tone which has come from each of us evolving our sounds over the years. We all spent time on our own to craft just the right tone to get to where we are now. That’s what we are in to. The genre of music comes naturally for as we like to chug it out in order for that melody to come with a groove chorus or a main verse riff. We all have been doing this for some time now and we have a solid process which allows for the creation of material to occur fairly easily.

AL: What are the bands plans to tour in support of the album?

OM: We all work regular jobs and a couple of us have kids so planning a tour can be a little tricky. We are always willing and ready to get out there but for now have just a few shows set up to help things get going. I think this is a great band with great songs. I feel that no matter where we play we will go over well and we hope to be able to play as many shows as possible. Playing live is what we absolutely love. Practice, Recording and all that stuff is great but nothing beats performing live on stage.

AL: You also play in Black Water Rising. How do you go about splitting time between the two groups?

OM: It can be tough sometimes balancing two bands and your own personal life. You have to be really careful with scheduling in order not to double book yourself. Just last month this happened where I played with both bands in one night. I played an early show with Damn Your Eyes in Long Island and then had to drive to New Jersey for a show with Black Water Rising. I made it in plenty of time and something like that doesn’t happen often. When you’re booking you have to do things so far in advance that you forget and things get piled up.

For more information on Damn Your Eyes visit their official Facebook page here 

TRAFALGAR RELEASING TO BRING METALLICA AND SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: S&M²  TO CINEMAS WORLDWIDE ON OCTOBER 9

CELEBRATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1999 PERFORMANCE AND GRAMMY-WINNING S&M ALBUM, METALLICA & SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY REUNITE FOR S&M². 

THE FILM WILL FEATURE THE FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCES OF S&M ARRANGEMENTS IN 20 YEARS PLUS RENDITIONS OF SONGS WRITTEN AND RELEASED SINCE ORIGINAL SHOW.

TICKETS ON SALE FROM AUGUST 7 FROM METALLICA.FILM

Trafalgar Releasing is excited to announce the forthcoming release of Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M² in cinemas worldwide this October 9. Metallica and San Francisco Symphony reunite to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original S&M (Symphony & Metallica) show with S&M², filmed at San Francisco’s new Chase Center. 

Tickets will be on sale on August 7 from metallica.film. 

The original S&M concerts were performed by Metallica and San Francisco Symphony and conducted by the late Michael Kamen in spring of 1999 at the Berkeley Community Theatre. 2019’s S&M² concert will feature the first live performances of these arrangements in 20 years, plus the first-ever Metallica and San Francisco Symphony renditions of songs written and released since the original concert, with new orchestral charts by Bruce Coughlin. 

Legendary conductor Michael Tilson Thomas completes the first week of his final season as San Francisco Symphony Music Director with a special appearance, conducting a portion of the show. 

Metallica’s first collaboration with San Francisco Symphony was documented by the Grammy-winning live album S&M. 

Kymberli Frueh, SVP for Programming and Content Acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing has said: “Trafalgar Releasing is excited to give Metallica fans around the world a chance to celebrate this anniversary concert together in local cinemas in October.

The original collaboration between two San Francisco legends—Metallica and San Francisco Symphony became a true moment in music history two decades ago. Reuniting again to perform S&M² is a salute to the legendary collaboration and creates a special moment for Metallica fans to see this iconic pairing.” 

The event will be screened in cinemas around the world on October 9. More information can be found at metallica.film, where fans can sign up for event alerts including when tickets go on sale.This announcement follows a busy 2019 in music for Trafalgar Releasing with the upcoming release of Roger Waters Us + Them, Rush: Cinema Stangiato, The 9th Annual Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Moviescoming to cinemas worldwide for the first time ever and BRING THE SOUL: THE MOVIE, the latest film from K-Pop phenomenon BTS. Recent releases have included Tribeca documentary Between Me and My Mind about Phish front man Trey Anastasio, The Cure – Anniversary 1978-2018 Live in Hyde Park London, Khalid Free Spirit and The Music Center presents Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration.

Calling all bohabs! Gwar Launch New Kickstarter Campaign for “GWAR vs Time” deck building game

Players will get to go and conquer and kick butt throughout the entire history of the greatest band of all time!

“Gwar vs Time” is an exciting dual-resource deck building card game for 3 to 5 players, featuring your favorite GWAR characters. items, and locations, as well as their enemies, from throughout the band’s decades-long history.

If you’re a GWAR fan but don’t play these types of games, it’s pretty easy to learn. If you’re not a GWAR fan (which are called Bohabs), but you’re a gamer, it’s a fun game and you just might be a Bohab when you’re done.

Features

• Art by GWAR! Some never seen before! You must have it! (Includes key characters, such as Balsac the jaws of Death, Beefcake the Mighty, Berserker Blothar, Jizmak da Gusha, Oderus Urungus, and Flattus and Pustulus Maximus!)
• Includes key villains, such as Techno & Sawborg Destructo, Cardinal Syn, the Master, Boss Glom, and Mr. Perfect.
• New things from the GWARniverse! Made up by these guys and GWAR!
• Mechanics for things to do when it isn’t your turn!
• Optional depth for more serious gamers
• More or less family friendly, or at least teen friendly, while still being GWAR.

Click Here to Back it on Kickstarter.

“2019 Summer Slaughter”

Cattle Decapitation, Carnifex, The Faceless, Rivers of Nihil, Nekrogoblikon, Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice
Friday, July 26^th, 2018
The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY

Our score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The 13^th annual Summer Slaughter tour made a stop at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY on July 26^th as part of the tours 23 stop run. Being billed as “the most extreme tour of the year” we were anxious to see if this year’s package which is headlined by Cattle Decapitation, Carnifex, The Faceless and Rivers of Nihil could deliver an experience worthy of the aforementioned moniker.

As the vintage doors of the Westcott Theater came squeaking open on fairly normal Upstate, NY summer afternoon something stuck out amidst the horde of black t-shirt wearing metal heads. No it was not the over the top graphics or the hard to read fonts which adorned said shirts instead it was a unique sense of camaraderie that seemed to occur between both bands and fans as they mixed and mingled cohesively through out the day long event which made for a nice friendly gathering of metal lovers.

Opening up the tour billing was Brand of Sacrifice who performed a spattering of tracks from their most recent album “God Hand” to the incoming crowd. New Jersey’s Lorna Shore would follow promptly not allowing the energy dip too low with a high impact thirty minute set. Goblin-Metal forefathers Nekrogoblikon would hit the stage next complete with the bands loveable mascot John Goblikon who leaped and bounded across the stage as the band shredded through songs like “We Need a Gimmick”, “Dressed As Goblins”  and  “Powercore”.  The saxophone laden River of Nihil was up next performing songs from their latest offering “Where Owls Know My Name” which filled the dank theater with jazz infused metal. The Faceless would be up next banging out a somewhat lack luster set which featured very little movement from the band themselves. Carnifex took the stage next and singlehandedly brought the energy back and to a whole new level. Makeup clad front man Scott Ian Lewis worked the stage like a maniacal mad man while the rest of the band did their duty of laying down a thunderous, circle pit ensuing dirge that commanded attendees attention. Closing out the 8 plus hour day was tour headliner Cattle Decapitation who despite the dwindling crowd size hit the stage running blasting through songs like “The Prophets of Lost”, “Times Cruel Curtain” and “Pacific Grim” before leaving the stage at a prompt 11 pm.

With our ears ringing and our brains rattled we made our way out of the venue while trying to process just what our senses were put through over the course of the day. What we were able to piece together is this. Summer Slaughter is not for the faint of heart or for the casual death/extreme metal listener and, this tour could very well be as the banner boast’s the most “Extreme” musical offering this summer. With the tour running through mid August you still have time to catch a show and experience this for yourself, If you dare.

Tenacious D/Wynchester
July 27th, 2019
Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, MO

The self-named greatest band in the world, Tenacious D, stopped by Kansas City on a hot Summer night to promote their fourth studio album, “Post Apocalypto.” Their newest album isn’t filled with a lot of bangers, so the duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass stacked their setlist with more recognizable songs, predominantly leaning on their first two albums to fill their setlist. The crowd, certainly inebriated to some extent, ate up every minute of it.

Before the iconic comedy duo hit the stage, Wynchester, featuring Tenacious D’s electric guitarist, took the stage to perform some comedic country music and a handful of covers. The acoustic act was a fitting opener as they played some decent toe tapping music and joked with the crowd, although a good portion of fans weren’t even in their seats yet, as they waited in a never-ending merchandise line or loaded up on beverages before the main event. 

Once the sun set, and Black and Gass hit the stage, the real show was on. Much like other comedic acts, Weird Al and Psychostick, Tenacious D is very serious about their silliness and their act. For those who don’t know, their shtick is that they’re a couple of guys who believe they’re the greatest musicians to walk the Earth, even though they’re a couple of pot heads equipped with acoustic guitars and a severe case of writers block. They crank that persona to 11 on stage, doing a handful of sketches before specific songs and sometimes improvising with one another. For those who’ve probably never heard of the band, or know of them, I’m not sure you would enjoy attend their show because you’d certainly be out of the loop and wondering why everyone in the crowd knows every word to their sexually explicit and juvenile songs.

Because any fans of The D would be content with a front to back cover of their first album, the concert felt a bit short because they only played six tracks off of their self-titled album. However, when I checked my phone before the encore, the duo, accompanied by a very talented backing band, had more than filled the requisite amount of time required, clocking in at nearly an hour and a half. By the time they were prepared to saunter off the stage, fans were already on their feet applauding and chanting, hungry for more, but happy with the massive helping of pot rock that they got. Fans who have yet to see the comedy rockers, like myself, will certainly leave satisfied. Those who’ve seen them before certainly won’t feel disappointed and will most certainly catch them on their next tour.

Tenacious D Set-List

1. JB JR Rap
2. Woman Time
3. Save the World
4. Post-Apocalypto Theme
5. Rize of the Fenix
6. Low Hangin’ Fruit
7. Sax-a-Boom
8. Roadie
9. Throwdown
10. POD
11. Dude (I Totally Miss You)
12. Kickapoo
13. Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)
14. The Metal
15. Dio
16. Kielbassa
17. Tribute
18. Double Team
19. Wonder Boy
20. Fuck Her Gently

“Thoughts and Prayers”

Good Riddance

Fat Wreck Chords

Producer: Bill Stevenson/Jason Livermore

Tracks: 12

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Punk rock band Good Riddance return with their 9^th studio release titled “Thoughts and Prayers”. The album is being released via Fat Wreck Chords as is the follow up to the bands 2015 release “Peace in our Time”. Produced by Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore “Thoughts and Prayers” features twelve new tracks from the Santa Cruz, CA natives.

Since the reformation of the band in 2012 Good Riddance have forged ahead with the same fast paced ferocity that cemented them as a mainstay during the pop-punk boom of the mid 1990’s. The group’s latest album “Thoughts and Prayers” is a solid example of this as it packs a solid one, two punch of fast paced rhythms and catchy melodies. Tracks like the frenzied “Rapture” and the thought provoking “Our Great Divide” combine the bands signature sound with a fresh batch of hooky choruses that will have you singing along in no time. The track “No King but Caesar” does a great job breaking up the album as it slows the momentum just enough for the listener to catch a breath only to be sucked in seconds later as the track ends up morphing in to one of the fastest, most intense songs of the release and makes way for other upbeat numbers “Who We Are”, “Pox Americana” and “Lo Que Sucede” before coming to rest with the closing rallying cries of “Requisite Catastrophes”. 

When a band breaks up and then gets back together you never know if the same energy and cohesiveness that made the original incarnation of the band work will still remain. “Thoughts and Prayers” shows that Good Riddance have not lost a step but they have also kicked things up a notch with an album that showcases the bands progression as people and musicians. If 2015’s “Peace in our Time” record served as a reminder to who Good Riddance was during their heyday then “Thoughts and Prayers” is the road map for where the band is going next,

Track Listing:

1. Edmund Pettus Bridge
2. Rapture
3. Don’t Have Time
4. Our Great Divide
5. Wish You Well
6. Precariat
7. No King But Ceasar
8. Who We Are
9. No Safe Place
10. Pox Americana
11. Lo Que Sucede
12. Requisite Catastrophes

Deluxe Collector’s Box-Set “1979” and Special 40^th Anniversary Individual Deluxe Reissues of “Overkill” & “Bomber” to be Released on October 25, 2019

Watch a Previously Unreleased, Live Version of “Bomber” via YouTube, Plus Pre-Orders Here –https://motorhead.lnk.to/1979PR

After several years of planning, MOTÖRHEAD and BMG are delighted to announce the start of an exciting, extensive and detailed ultra-fan-friendly release program spanning the band’s career from the 70s, ’80’s, 90’s, and beyond! 

Kicking things off with the “Motörhead ’79” campaign – which celebrates the 40^th Anniversary of the incredible Overkill and Bomber albums with fantastic new deluxe editions, both as hardbound bookpacks in two CD and triple LP format; featuring previously unheard concerts from the ’79 tours, interviews and many unseen photos. Also, the ’79 campaign will see the release of the spectacular ultimate fan / collectors “1979” Box-Set. All three of these releases have been created with the full cooperation and involvement of the estates of Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, “Fast” Eddie Clarke and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor. 

The “1979” Box-Set contains:

* Both the original Overkill and Bomber albums half-speed mastered and pressed on 180 gram vinyl created from the original master tapes

*Two double-live albums of previously unheard concert material from the ’79 tours

*A 40-page period-accurate “music magazine” featuring unseen photos and fresh interviews regarding the era

* The Rest of ’79 Vinyl, featuring B-sides, outtakes and rare tracks

* No Class 7″ single with gatefold art

* The Bomber tour program

* Overkill sheet music book* ’79 badge set

* All encased in black biker jacket box 

Pre-orders: https://motorhead.lnk.to/1979PR

Watch “Bomber” (Live in ’79): https://youtu.be/yWIS3jTseOc

Watch “Bomber”, official video: https://youtu.be/eVxt7zM1BrU

Watch “Overkill”, official video: https://youtu.be/MlzTET_8SQg 

Listen to “Bomber (Live at Le Mans)” now via Spotify. 

By going through the band’s extensive private archives, to receiving the assistance of key people who were part of their ’79 circle of friends, crew, and accomplices – as well as consulting with super fans – all parties are immensely proud to show the level of detail and commitment which has gone into all 3 of the ’79 releases, and which will continue with future projects. It was always Lemmy’s demand to give the fans the very best possible in every respect, we believe we have achieved that with these reissues. 

A further element of the ’79 box-set release is to offer Motörfans new, old and in-betweenish the full scope and context of how life was when these classics were being created. 1979 was a seismic year for many reasons, and both Overkill and Bomber were written, recorded and toured against a Great Britain dealing with strikes, Margaret Thatcher, football hooliganism plus Buggles and the Bee Gees! 

And on the 9^th March 1979, millions of unsuspecting viewers tuned into the BBC’s Top of the Pops to witness the loudest, most raucous, dangerous and downright exciting band on earth perform the title track of their album Overkill. 

A hybrid of punk, rock and heavy metal played with relentless, ear-curdling power, MOTÖRHEAD were a force of nature propelled by bassist and vocalist Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor. The alchemy between these three outrageous and utterly immortal men was nothing short of life-changing for millions, and all three shared a wonderful “mad band of brothers” approach to life and music; there was no “off” switch and they became legends as a result. Overkill and Bomber are icons, brain-damagingly brilliant to the nth degree, and their enormous influence still reverberates through all genres of music to this day.

“Invasion”

John 5 and the Creatures

Producer:  Barry Pointer

Tracks: 10

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Guitarist John 5 and his band The Creatures (bassist Ian Ross, Drummer Logan Miles Nix) are back with a brand new studio album titled “Invasion”. The fourth studio release from the Los Angeles based trio features 10 tracks produced by Barry Pointer which plunge listeners head first into the twisted, musical mind of guitar virtuoso/front-man John 5.

Just when you thought guitarist John 5 had taken his unique mixture of “Hee-Haw” infused shred as far as it could possibly go the former Marilyn Manson/K.D.Lang/Rod Stewart guitarist flips the switch to show listeners that all previous accounts were just the catalyst to “Invasion”. From the eerie opening sound-scape “Invasion” to the robotic “I Am John 5” and the quirky “Zoinks” listener’s senses are put through the wringer before being pushed even further with the twang-tastic, “Howdy” and the pedal steel laden “Cactus Flower” both of which showcase 5’s strong country influences. On the back end of the album are tracks like “I Want It All” and “I Like The Funk” both of which are doused with enough funky textures and tones that they will have the one and only George Clinton scratching his head.

You don’t have to be a guitar player to enjoy the music contained on “Invasion”. From over the top molten distortion to funkified wah worbles and sparkly cleans the latest offering from John 5 and the Creatures is a hodge-podge of musical influences which explode out of your speakers with reckless abandonment. Despite “Invasion” not being the most cohesive collection of songs from the group the album does give listeners a wide pallet to choose from making it worth checking out.

Track Listing:

1.) Invasion

2.) I Am John 5

3.) Midnight Mass

4.) Zoinks!

5.) Howdy

6.) Crank It/Living With Ghosts

7.) Cactus Flower

8.) I Want It All

9.) I Like The Funk

10.) Constant Sorrow

TRAILER UNVEILED FOR ROGER WATERS
US + THEM
FILM COMING TO CINEMAS AROUND THE WORLD
ON OCTOBER 2ND & 6TH
FEATURING SONGS FROM HIS LEGENDARY PINK FLOYD ALBUMS AND FROM HIS LAST ALBUM, IS THIS THE LIFE WE REALLY WANT?

TICKETS NOW ON SALE AT ROGERWATERSUSANDTHEM.COM

London, July 17: Trafalgar Releasing are excited to unveil the official film trailer for Roger Waters Us + Them, filmed in Amsterdam on the European leg of his highly successful and critically acclaimed 2017/2018 world tour, US + THEM. The film will be screened in 2500+ cinemas across 60+ countries around the world on October 2 and 6 only. Tickets to see the film are on sale now from rogerwatersusandthem.com.

Roger Waters, co-founder and creative force behind Pink Floyd, with visionary director, Sean Evans, brings to the screen the live story of Us + Them to inspire you with its powerful music and message of human rights, liberty and love.

The film features songs from Waters legendary Pink Floyd albums, The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here, as well as his last album, Is This The Life We Really Want?

The tour saw Waters perform a total of 156 shows to 2.3M people throughout North America, Australia & New Zealand, Europe, Russia, Latin America and Mexico.

“I’m so looking forward to the launch of the movie in October. US + THEM is not standard rock and roll fare, some in the audience may ‘yee haaaa!!!’ Which is ok, but many will weep. That is what I hope for. US + THEM is a call to action. Homo Sapiens stand at a crossroads, we can either pool our love, develop our capacity to empathise with others and act collectively for the good of our planet, or we can remain Comfortably Numb, and continue, like blind lemmings, on our current omnicidal death march towards extinction. US + THEM is a vote for love and life.”
Roger Waters, 11th July 2019

Director, Sean Evans added: “This is a great film – an amazing performance delivered with care, emotion and meaning. Didn’t think it was possible, but I believe we’ve outdone The Wall…”

The event will be screened in cinemas around the world on Wednesday, October 2 and Sunday, October 6 (in Dolby Atmos where available). More information can be found at rogerwatersusandthem.com, where fans

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• Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
• July 11, 2019

50 years ago next month, over 400,000 people attended a little 3-day music festival known as Woodstock. One of the bands playing that weekend was led by a young man whose last name the band had adopted as theirs…Carlos Santana.

Tonight at Kansas City’s Sprint Center, the master guitarist entertained a packed house playing as powerfully as he did five decades ago, his skill and energy amazing for a man who turns 72 next week. After the show began with a video tribute to Woodstock, Mr. Santana and his highly talented group of musicians chose for their opening number “Soul Sacrifice.” The next two hours was a collection of hits (“Oye Como Va,” “Black Magic Woman”) and album cuts. As the show progressed, opening band the Doobie Brothers joined Santana on stage for a rousing medley of “She’s Not There,” “Spill the Wine” and “Shotgun.” A highlight of the medley was the Doobie’s Tom Johnson and Mr. Santana trading wicked guitar riffs.

As the show progressed, the band continued to jam, extending some songs several minutes, which the crowd, their eyes fixed on Mr. Santana’s flying fingers, ate up. Another highlight occurred when the band took a brief break, allowing drummer Cindy Blackman Santana to bring the house down with a prolonged and entertaining drum solo.

Of course, the biggest song of the night was the multiple Grammy-award winning “Smooth,” which the audience sang along to with gusto. The show ended with Mr. Santana encouraging the audience to strive for peace and harmony. After the performance he gave, how could we refuse him.

SET LIST: Soul Sacrifice, Jin-go-lo-ba, Evil Ways / A Love Supreme, (Da Le) Yaleo, Put Your Lights On, She’s Not There / Spill the Wine / Shotgun, Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va, Hope You’re Feeling Better, Love of My Life, Breaking Down the Door, In Search of Mona Lisa, Maria Maria, Foo Foo, Corazon Espinado, Toussaint L’Ouverture. ENCORE: Are You Ready, Smooth, September / Love, Peace and Happiness.

Rockstar Disrupt Festival 2019

Thrice, The Used, Circa Survive, The Story So Far, Atreyu

Tuesday, July 2^nd, 2019

St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse, NY

Our score 3 out of 5 stars

The Rockstar Disrupt Festival made a stop in Syracuse, NY on July 2^nd as part of the tours inaugural run featuring a variety of musical acts including Hyro the Hero, Andy Black, The Used and Thrice. Despite the event starting off under questionable skies it didn’t stop the bands or fans from giving their all over the course of the 7 plus hour event.  

Kicking of the day on the Festival Stage was the Texas based Hyro the Hero who performed a handful of songs of their latest album “Flagged Channel”. Though fans were still filling in the sprawling lake side venue the bands high energy and unique style of rap infused metal quickly grabbed people’s attention and set the stage perfectly for the day’s festivities. After checking out the various merchandise booths which were placed around the venue grounds we made another stop at the Festival stage where we took in performances by Memphis May Fire, Four Year Strong and Andy Black. All of which put on solid sets despite the muggy afternoon conditions. Sleeping with Sirens closed out the Festival stage lineup however it was hard to focus given the lineup which was about to be performing on the Main Stage. Veteran metal act Atreyu opened up the stage performing songs from their various albums including “Ex’s and Oh’s”, “Bleeding Mascara” and their cover of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”. The band sounded great and really got the crowd going again after a brief lull during stage changes caused the energy to dip. The Story So Far and Circa Survive would follow both turning in note worthy performances that had large portions of the audience dancing and singing along from beginning to end. The Used were up next performing a spattering of songs from their career including “Take It Away” “The Taste of Ink” and “Buried Myself Alive. Front-man Bert McCracken and company even included a cover of the Oasis song “Wonderwall” which made us question if a majority of the crowd were even alive when that song first debuted? Thrice would close out the night with an eleven song set including songs “The Artist in the Ambulance”, “In Exile” and “Black Honey” before closing out the evening with “The Earth Will Shake” from the bands 2005 album “Vheissu”.  Though the band members were all fairly stationary throughout the performance the crowd did not seem to mind as they loudly sang along to front-man Dustin Kensrues lyrics.

For those looking to fill the void left by the Warped Tour whose last full summer run was in 2018, Rockstar Disrupt Festival could be just! Yes the festival is much smaller and not hitting as many cities as its predecessor however the artist lineup is on par as are the various vendors and pop-ups. Probably the biggest selling point for us was the fact that you could actually see all the acts on the bill if you chose to. Having only two stages made for a much less stressful day and ensured you could everything. This feature alone makes the tour stand out above others with a similar design. Sure the tour has to contend with some growing pains and the various first year hiccups however with those things aside if you are looking for a full day of diverse music where you can actually see everything then we highly recommend the Rockstar Disrupt Festival.

Festival Stage:

Sleeping With Sirens

Andy Black

Four Year Strong

Memphis May Fire

Trophy Eyes

Juliet Simms

Hyro The Hero

Main Stage:

Thrice

The Used

Circa Survive

The Story So Far

Atreyu

At 2:00 PM on Friday, August 30th, 2019, GWAR will unveil a monument to the band’s co-founder and longtime leader Dave Brockie, which will be set in Richmond, Virginia’s famed Hollywood Cemetery (412 S Cherry St, Richmond, VA). All are invited to the unveiling, and to a free party the next day, August 31st, at the GWARbar (217 W Clay St, Richmond, VA). 

The party will feature a performance by RAWG, the greatest GWAR tribute band of all time. Friday, August 30th marks what would have been Dave Brockie‘s 56th birthday. The erection of this monument has been a long time coming, and we are grateful and happy we can finally do this for Dave. 

We thank the many people who donated time and money to make this a reality. We hope the marker will provide a long-needed place for Brockie’s friends, family, and fans to pay their respects to this wonderful and deeply talented human being, and of course, to Dave’s famous creation; Oderus Urungus, who will always be remembered as one of the greatest frontmen in rock and roll history. 

“Down On The Upside” 35th Anniversary Vinyl

Soundgarden

AM Records

Producer: Soundgarden

Co-Producer: Adam Kasper

2 LP’s

Tracks: 16

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Soundgarden’s Platinum selling 1996 release “Down On The Upside” is the latest album from the bands catalog to be included in the Seattle natives 35 year Anniversary Collection. The third in a series of vinyl releases commemorating the bands career the 16 track, 2 LP set is being pressed on limited edition 180 gram colored vinyl and comes packaged in a full color, dual gatefold sleeve complete with album liner notes.

Though this is not the first time “Down On The Upside” has appeared on vinyl it is certainly the brightest. Right away listeners will notice the heavy weight, 180 gram, limited edition Orange and Purple marble pressings which play host to some of Sound Garden’s biggest hits of the mid 90’s. Listeners will obviously want to check out “Pretty Noose”, “Blow Up The Outside World” and “Burden In My Hand” but I also would recommend “Rhinosaur” and “Dusty” as well. Visually the release pulls out all the stops as the orange and purple vinyl feature subtle marble swirls which look really cool when spinning on your turntable. The gatefold packaging is also nicely done and is printed on heavy weight card stock fitting of a special release.

Though the album is nice to look at I found it to be pretty lax in the listening dept. The sound quality was ok but it was certainly dated and could have benefited from a remix and re-master. In 1997 the band released a greatest hits compilation including the songs “Karaoke” and “Bleed Together” which we outtakes from the “Down On The Upside” sessions however, neither of those songs were included here making for a big miss in my book. The last disappointment was the fact that no digital download codes were included thus making it slightly difficult to listen on the go. If you purchased a copy of this record upon its initial release then I say stick with that and skip over this re-release but, if this is an album that has been on your list to pick up now is a great time while it is available in a limited edition release.       

Track Listing:

1.) Pretty Noose

2.) Rhinosaur

3.) Zero Chance

4.) Dusty

5.) Ty Cobb

6.) Blow Up The Outside World

7.) Burden In My Hand

8.) Never Named

9.) Applebite

10.) Never The Machine Forever

11.) Tighter and Tighter

12.) No Attention

13.) Switch Opens

14.) Overfloater

15.) An Unkind

16.) Boot Camp