MYRKUR ANNOUNCES NEW JUNIPER EP OUT 12.7 ON RELAPSE RECORDS UNVEILS VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK – WATCH “JUNIPER” HERE
CONFIRMS ROADBURN 2019 ‘FOLKESANGE’ PERFORMANCE
Danish composer, vocalist and classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Myrkur, unveils her powerful new ballad and video, “Juniper”. Director Philippe de Grenade, gorgeously captures her ethereal performance on 16mm film as she stuns listeners with an infectious chorus and lush string arrangements.
Myrkur is Amalie Bruun. For her forthcoming Juniper EP, she’s joined forces with Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Paradise Lost, Solstafir, Cathedral) at Orgone Studios in Bedfordshire, England. The album’s B-Side, “Bonden og Kragen”, is a solo reinterpretation of a traditional Danish folk song from the 1600s. Together, both tracks exquisitely display Myrkur’s eclectic sound and captivating personality. A limited edition of the 7″ will coincide with the digital release, December 7th on Relapse Records.“Juniper” is available now on all streaming services and you can pre-order it here.
Myrkur’s 2017 sophomore album ‘Mareridt’, was released to soaring, worldwide critical acclaim from NPR, Rolling Stone, FACT, The Guardian, Revolver, Paste, Decibel, Kerrang! and many more. Since then, she’s toured the globe, including direct support slots for The Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, Enslaved and more. Myrkur is currently on her first headlining European run and has confirmed a performance at Roadburn 2019. Check below for a full list of dates.
Photo: Jacob Top Møller
MYRKUR LIVE DATES:
12/03: SE Stockholm, Vasateatern 04/12 – NO Oslo, John Dee #
12/05: SE Gothenburg, Pustervik #
12/07: DK Aarhus, Voxhall #
12/08: DK Copenhagen, Pumpehuset (Sold Out) #
12/10: PL Poznan, U Bazyla #
12/11: PL Krakow, Kwadrat #
12/13: HU Budapest, Durer Kert #
12/14: AT Vienna, Arena #
12/16: NL Tilburg, 013 KZ #
12/18: UK London, The Dome #
12/19: UK Bristol, The Fleece #
12/20: UK Nottingham, Rescue Rooms #
12/21: UK Glasgow, CCA #
12/22: UK Manchester, Gorilla #
04/11: NL Tilburg – Roadburn Festival ^
07/14: PL Bolkow Castle, Castle Party
08/09 – 08/10: CZ Jaromer, Brutal Assault
Iron Maiden Announce 2019 North American “Legacy of the Beast” Tour
IRON MAIDEN will bring the “Legacy Of The Beast” tour to North America in 2019 for an extensive series of arena and amphitheater shows produced by Live Nation, including a first-ever headline appearance at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The tour will cover a total of 33 cities right across the U.S.A. and Canada, including Portland, Oregon where they haven’t played since 1987 on the “Somewhere In Time” tour, Hartford, Connecticut where they last played in 2005, and many other places not visited since the “Maiden England” 2012-2013 tour. The full list of dates is below.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, November 16 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com. As always, there will be an exclusive pre-sale for IRON MAIDEN fan-club members.
The band’s triumphant first leg of the “Legacy Of The Beast” tour opened in Europe earlier this year to outstanding critical acclaim, not just by the 750,000-plus fans who came to see the show but right across national press and rock media, including The Times (UK) newspaper calling it “an extraordinary show filled with world class theatrics… a masterclass in performance and staging.”
MAIDEN vocalist Bruce Dickinson comments: “We’re excited to return to North America and share the ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ tour with all our friends there! We’re immensely proud of this show and we’ve had great reactions from the many fans who came to see us in Europe earlier this year. The production is based on our mobile game ‘The Legacy Of The Beast’ which basically takes various incarnations of Eddie into many different MAIDEN worlds. This inspired us to put together a stage show to take our fans through different worlds and experiences set to appropriate songs. It is not that easy designing different worlds on stage and we put a huge amount of work into this to make it work and the end result we feel is our most spectacular and certainly the most complex show to date. We’ve got all kinds of crazy things going on, including a replica Spitfire plane dominating the stage during ‘Aces High’, tons of pyro, a giant Icarus, muskets, claymores and some truly marvellous flame-throwers which I have a hell of a lot of fun with, as you will see! And, of course, we have Eddie, as you’ve never seen him before, and absolutely loads of other surprises. I’ve had the time of my life playing with all these magnificent props on stage, it’s been fantastic, we can’t wait to bring this show to you!”
Steve Harris, bassist and founder member adds: “We gave a lot of thought to the set list for this tour as the songs needed to follow the narrative of the changing worlds of the stage show. We feel we ended up with a very strong and well balanced set mixing songs we haven’t played in many years, like ‘Flight Of Icarus’, ‘Sign Of The Cross’ and ‘The Clansman’ with songs we know the fans want to hear like ‘The Trooper’, ‘2 Minutes To Midnight’, ‘The Number Of The Beast’, ‘Fear Of The Dark’, ‘Run To The Hills’, ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ and others, reflecting the journey through the different themes of the show. The whole band is really enjoying this tour and we are really looking forward to seeing everybody again!”
Support on the 2019 tour comes from THE RAVEN AGE. Additionally, FOZZY will be guests for the Banc of California Stadium show in Los Angeles.
IRON MAIDEN “Legacy Of The Beast” 2019 North American tour dates:
Jul. 18 – Sunrise, FL – BB&T Center
Jul. 20 – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheater At Lakewood
Jul. 22 – Charlotte, NC – Pnc Music Pavilion
Jul. 24 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Jul. 26 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center+
Jul. 30 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center*
Aug. 01 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center
Aug. 03 – Hartford, CT – Xfinity Theatre
Aug. 05 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Aug. 07 – Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre
Aug. 09 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Aug. 10 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Aug. 13 – Buffalo, NY – Keybank Center
Aug. 15 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Ppg Paints Arena
Aug. 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Aug. 22 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Aug. 24 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
Aug. 26 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center*
Aug. 28 – Winnipeg, MB – Bell Mts Place
Aug. 30 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Aug. 31 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Sep. 03 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live At Rogers Arena
Sep. 05 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
Sep. 06 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Sep. 09 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Sep. 10 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
Sep. 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Mgm Grand Garden Arena
Sep. 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Banc Of California Stadium
Sep. 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Arena*
Sep. 19 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Sep. 21 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sep. 22 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sep. 25 – San Antonio, TX – At&T Center
* on sale starting 12 p.m. local time
+ on sale starting Monday, November 19 at 10 a.m. local time
No further cities will be added to this touring schedule.
For the 2019 shows, IRON MAIDEN will, in conjunction with the promoters, be implementing a partial digital ticketing system in as many venues as possible. This technology, being used by the NFL amongst others, is a progression of the paperless system that MAIDEN have been successfully using since 2010 and has worked well in lessening ticket scalping and the drain of prime tickets into the Secondary market.
Fans in the USA and Canada will once again be able to enjoy a Trooper VIP Upgrade package allowing early access to the venue, a pile of Trooper goodies, Trooper beers, food and a designated area to meet with other fans, plus the opportunity to win some great prizes. Packages will be available from IronMaiden.com, priced at $220 ($290 CAD for Canadian shows), with a 10% discount for IRON MAIDEN fan-club members.
Kiss Announce First Dates For “End of the Road” Final Tour
After an epic and storied 45-year career that launched an era of rock and roll legends, KISS announced that they will launch their final tour ever in 2019, appropriately named “End Of The Road”. The initial announcement was made a month ago on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”, which sent the Internet into overdrive with fans hoping their city would get one final KISS show. The band announced today the first set of dates and cities in North America, produced by Live Nation. International markets were also announced simultaneously today. Tour itinerary detailed below; KISS will be offering VIP experiences and special KISS Army fan presales.
KISS Meet & Greet Experiences will be available beginning Tuesday, October 30 at 10 a.m. local time through KissOnline.com. KISS Army fan club presales will begin Wednesday October 31 at 10 am local time also through KissOnline.com. Citi is the official presale credit card for the “End Of The Road” world tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase U.S. presale tickets beginning Wednesday, October 31 at 12:00 p.m. local time until Thursday, November 1 at 10:00 p.m. local time through Citi’s Private Pass program. Tickets to the general public will go on sale starting Friday, November 2 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why it is hands down the most iconic live show in rock and roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have said this tour is devoted to the millions of KISS Army fans.
Said KISS: “All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who’ve filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years. This will be the ultimate celebration for those who’ve seen us and a last chance for those who haven’t. KISS Army, we’re saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we’ll go out the same way we came in… Unapologetic and Unstoppable.”
“End Of The Road” tour dates:
North America
Jan. 31 – Vancouver, BC, Canada @ Rogers Arena
Feb. 01 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Moda Center
Feb. 02 – Tacoma, WA @Tacoma Dome
Feb. 04 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena
Feb. 07 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
Feb. 08 – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
Feb. 09 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
Feb. 12 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
Feb. 13 – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
Feb. 15 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
Feb. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
Feb. 19 – Corpus ChrisW, TX @ American Bank Center
Feb. 20 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Feb. 22 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
Feb. 23 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
Feb. 26 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake
Feb. 27 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Mar. 01 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
Mar. 02 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Mar. 04 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
Mar. 06 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
Mar. 07 – Omaha, NE @ CenturyLink Center
Mar. 09 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
Mar. 10 – Moline, IL @ Mark of the Quad CiWes
Mar. 12 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
Mar. 13 – Detroit, MI @ Lible Caesars Arena
Mar. 16 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
Mar. 17 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
Mar. 19 – Montreal, QC, @ Canada Bell Centre
Mar. 20 – Toronto, ON, @ Canada Air Canada Centre
Mar. 22 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Mar. 23 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Mar. 26 – Boston, MA TD @ Garden
Mar. 27 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Mar. 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Mar. 30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Apr. 02 – Quebec City, QC @ Videotron Centre
Apr. 03 – Obawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
Apr. 06 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
Apr. 07 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
Apr. 09 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Apr. 11 – Tampa, FL@ Amalie Arena
Apr. 12 – Jacksonville, FL@ Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Apr. 13 – Birmingham, AL @ BJCC
Europe
May 27 – Leipziger Messe – Leipzig, Germany
May 29 – Stadthalle – Vienna, Austria
May 31 – Konigsplatz – Munich, Germany
Jun. 02 – Georg Meiches Stadium – Essen, Germany
Jun. 04 – Waldbuhne – Berlin, Germany
Jun. 05 – Expo-Plaza – Hannover, Germany
Jun. 07 – Sweden Rock Festival – Sölvesborg, Sweden
Jun. 11 – Ice Arena – St. Petersburg, Russia
Jun. 13 – Dinamon Stadium – Moscow, Russia
Jun. 16 – Nsa Stadium – Kiev, Ukraine
Jun. 18 – Tauron Arena – Krakow, Poland
Jun. 25 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jun. 27 – Tons Of Rock – Oslo, Norway
Jun. 28 – Trondheim Rocks – Trondheim, Norway
Jul. 02 – Ippodromo Snai San Siro – Milan, Italy
Jul. 04 – Hallenstadion – Zurich, Switzerland
Jul. 06 – Rennbahn – Iffezheim, Germany
Jul. 09 – Birmingham Arena – Birmingham, England
Jul. 11 – O2 Arena – London, England
Jul. 12 – Manchester Arena – Manchester, England
Jul. 14 – Newcastle Arena – Newcastle, England
Jul. 16 – Sse Hydro – Glasgow, Scotland
As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a “Farewell Tour”. The trek, which was the last to feature both guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.
“Let’s put it into perspective and try to at least get a sense of what’s different [this time around],” frontman Paul Stanley told Rolling Stone. “The farewell tour took place 19 years ago. The farewell tour was at the end of the time that we had brought back the two original members [guitarist Ace Frehley and Peter Criss] and it was such drudgery and so difficult and so unhappy that it just seemed, like, ‘Let’s put the horse down.’ And after the tour was over, it didn’t take me very long to realize I didn’t want to say goodbye to the band; I wanted to say goodbye to two members. So that was the differences. We’ve had 19 years of the band. The band has never been better, happier… But with all that in mind, it’s time to think about an end.”
Although Stanley didn’t rule out the possibility of guest appearances by former members, he didn’t promise anything either. “I really can’t say,” Stanley said. “This will be a celebration of KISS and not any individual lineup or any individual members. I wouldn’t rule anything out, but it’s not the crux of what we’re doing… and I’m not being coy either. I don’t want to mislead anybody, really that’s not something that’s been given a lot of thought at this point, the majority of our time has gone into what is the stage going to be, what is the show going to be, and we’re actually in the midst of toying with setlists now.”
Rumors of KISS’s final run of live shows gained strength several months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase “The End Of The Road.” An application from KISS was filed in February to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which means that the band could use it in connection with “live performances by a musical band.”
Bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons recently told Sweden’s Expressen newspaper that KISS’s next tour will last three years. Calling it the band’s “most spectacular tour ever,” the bassist/vocalist added that the trek will make stops on “all continents.”
Metalcore mavens Atreyu have returned with a brand new full length studio album titled “In Our Wake” The album is being released via Spinefarm Records and includes 12 tracks from the So-Cal natives. “In Our Wake” is the bands seventh studio release and the follow up to the 2015 album “Long Live” which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200.
Since the bands return from a self imposed hiatus Atreyu have produced a continuous stream of melodic infused metal which can be describes as two parts metalcore and two parts post-hardcore and they further cement this statement with their latest offering “In Our Wake” from tracks like the anthemic opener “In Our Wake” to the thunderous, angst filled “Nothing Will Ever Change” the band showcases the numerous facets of their signature sound which they first debuted in 2002 with the release of “Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses”. The band continues to incorporate more and more electronic elements into their sound and tracks like “Blind Deaf & Dumb” and the somber “Terrified” are fitting examples. Another highlight of the album is its closing track “Super Hero” which features guest appearance from Avenged Sevenfold front man M. Shadows and Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie.
Atreyu fans will certainly want to add “in Our Wake” to their collection as nearly every song on the album has potential to dominate the charts and your playlist and even though I found the use of gang vocals to bit a excessive (almost every track features some form of this) each songs performance seems to have been carefully crafted and arranged as the album has a solid flow and unique textures providing an enjoyable listen time and time again.
Track Listing:
1.) In Our Wake
2.) House of Gold
3.) The Time Is Now
4.) Nothing Will Ever Change
5.) Blind Deaf & Dumb
6.) Terrified
7.) Safety Pin
8.) IntoThe Open
9.) Paper Castle
10.) No Control
11.) Anger Left Behind
12.) Super Hero
Ben Beddick is the vocalist for the North Carolina based rock group Stellar Circuits. The band is set to independently release their first full length album titled “Ways That Haunt” on November 9th. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Ben recently about the group’s formation, the creation of the new album and the bands upcoming tour.
Adam Lawton: Can you tell us a little bit about your band Stellar Circuits?
Ben Beddick: The band has been together for about 3 or 4 years now. We were all friends and we started out initially playing covers. From there thing’s happened rather organically as we began to write our own material. Stellar Circuits is a band that I like to think has a sound that spans across multiple genres or styles. We all have lots of different influences and I think that comes across in our sound. We grew up on the west coast in the 90’s listening to bands like Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and the Deftones. That style of music certainly impacted us early on and I think you can hear those influences when you listen to us.
AL: What was it like be able to work on your first full-length release?
BB: It was a long process. We started writing this shortly after our EP came out in 2015. Even though it was a long process I think this was something that each us has always had as a goal. As much as we loved doing our first EP it was more of us getting our feet wet. Being able to write a full-length record was like creating a feature film. That’s how we looked at in the scope of the work. I think we all changed quite a bit during the process and when you work on something over the course of three years those changes are inevitable. I think we were able to hone in our individual crafts as well as being a band. The fact we were able to spend a good amount of time on this release played a big part in the end result. We didn’t have to feel rushed or pressured to get things done. It was all up to us.
AL: Are the tracks that make up “Ways That Haunt” all newly written songs or was there some material left over from the EP that you chose to include as well?
BB: With the exception of two tracks everything was newly written. Our drummer Tyler who joined the band about two years was a part of writing a
majority of the songs. The song “Fuller Dream” was one of the tracks we had written for the EP however, we chose not to include it for whatever reason. It was interesting to see how that song evolved over the course of time. We added quite a bit to it. I see that song as sort of a transition song for us from where we started to where we are now. The other older track “Nocturnal Visitor” was one that was around but never finished. We sort of had bits and pieces of it but nothing solid. To be able to finally finish that was really cool.
AL: How did your relationship with producer Jamie King come together?
BB: Jamie is also from Winston-Salem. This is where he did all his work with bands like Between the Buried and Me and The Contortionist. He is a hometown hero to fans of heavy music in the area. He actually mastered our EP and that helped us get our foot in the door. From then on we had our hearts set to work with him on our full-length. Jamie has an amazing track record and was super accommodating. It was like a dream for us to be working with him and getting to spend so much time with him I think helped us take the record to the next level.
AL: A lot of bands choose to release their records independently today. Can you tell us about your bands decision to do so?
BB: This was an area we were really unfamiliar with. Jamie was really helpful again because we could bounce ideas off of him and he could gauge his advice based off of other bands he had worked with. We had our hearts set on finding a label at the beginning to help us with and we talked to a few smaller labels but when it came down to it we had to look at what would be the most beneficial move for the bend. At this point in our career we are still doing basically everything ourselves including financing the projects. Unfortunately we were unable to come to terms with any of the labels we talked to. There was certainly no bad blood between any of us but things just didn’t work out. As a young band these things can be difficult to navigate but it was one of those things that just happened the way it was suppose to. We learned a lot and made some good connections. We of course are still interested in working with a label in an effort to get our music to as many people as possible but this time around the best choice was to release things independently.
AL: Are there any tour plans in place to help support the release when it comes out?
BB: We are very excited to go out on our first tour which kicks off on the same day as the album release November 9th. We have played a bunch of shows on the east coast but never much further than that. This time around we are hitting the road and going all over. After that we have a few things in the works for if not the end of 2018 for early 2019 that will take us further.
For more in on Stellar Circuits you can visit their official website here.
Multi-platinum guitar legend Ted Nugent announces a new full-length album. THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT, due out Friday, November 9th via Round Hill Records.
The effort is Nugent’s first studio album in four years. The album features Greg Smith (Billy Joel, Alice Cooper, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow) on bass, Jason Hartless (Joe Lynn Turner, Mitch Ryder) on drums, and the Motor City Madman himself on lead guitar and vocals. Accompanying the CD is a Bonus DVD, LIVE AT FREEDOM HILL, an electrifying full-length concert captured at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
In advance of the album’s release, Nugent has just released the live music video for title track, “The Music Made Me Do It”. The video was shot at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California during Nugent’s summer tour and showcases the raw energy of his legendary live performances, offering a taste of the new studio material he recorded over the last year for the upcoming album, THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT. To access the full album, THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT, please click here. Please consider the album for feature and review coverage. Ted Nugent is available for interviews, please let me know if you would like to set something up.
Ted Nugent has carved a permanent place in rock n’ roll history as the ultimate guitar-shredding showman, selling more than 40 million albums and performing in excess of 6,700 (and counting!) high-octane live shows. As a budding musician, Nugent was strongly influenced by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly, and knew he wanted to pursue that type of sound and attitude. Early bands, The Royal Highboys, and The Lourds, paved the way for the Amboy Dukes – and their psychedelic JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE MIND kicked young Ted’s career into hyper drive. The axe maniac soon broke out as a solo artist, where the guitarist’s prodigious talent, earshattering volume and over-the-top stage antics quickly earned him the moniker of Motor City Madman.
Cranking out hits like CAT SCRATCH FEVER, JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED, FREE FOR ALL and the iconic STRANGLEHOLD, Ted Nugent garnered international acclaim and truly hit his stride, becoming one of the top-grossing tour acts in America. His no-holds-barred career now spans six decades of multi-platinum hits. The ultimate Road Warrior, touring and recording continue at Ted’s breakneck pace. Nugent and his inimitable sound have been featured on VH1’s Behind the Music, A & E’s Biography and more. He was recently named Detroit’s Greatest Guitar Player of All Time by readers of MLive. For more information, please visit www.tednugent.com.
Influential Italian Prog Rock Masters to Live Score Soundtrack to Fantastical Film on Highly Anticipated Autumn Trek
Legendary horror film soundtrack composer Claudio Simonetti and his critically acclaimed band, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, have announced a fall North American headlining tour. At the special shows, the group will live score their classic soundtrack to Dario Argento‘s revered 1977 supernatural horror film Suspiria, during a full screening of the film. Due to popular demand, the highly anticipated tour event, which will launch on October 28 in Baltimore, MD, has added tour stops in an additional 16 cities as well as special matinee shows and/or additional performances in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, New York and Oakland, where the previously-announced shows have sold out in advance. Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin — the keyboardist’s new version of Goblin — will also perform additional time-honored Goblin material at the shows.
Described by Rolling Stone as both “iconic” and “horror canon”, the soundtrack to Suspiria has become the genre’s standard bearer and the criterion by which resulting horror film scores have come to be judged. Utilizing experimental instruments atypical of soundtracks at the time – tabla, bouzouki, and Moog synthesizer – Simonetti and Goblin created the movie’s iconic, eerie music-box–like main theme, and additional tense exercises in rhythm, dissonance and bizarre funky prog that NPR has hailed as “chilling” and Entertainment Weekly called “hauntingly spooky”. The main title theme was named as one of the best songs released between 1977–79 in the book The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present, compiled by influential music website Pitchfork.
The updated tour itinerary is as follows:
Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin Performs ‘Suspiria’ North American tour dates: Presented by Tone Deaf Touring and MetalSucks
October 28 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live (Days of Darkness Festival) /All ages, $19
October 30 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre /All ages, $20
October 31 Atlanta, GA The Earl / 21+, $25 ADV – $30 DOS
November 2 Austin, TX Come and Take It Live /All ages, $35 ADV – $40 DOS
November 2 Austin, TX Come and Take It Live / matinee show /All ages, $25 ADV – $30 DOS
November 3 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall /All ages, $30
November 4 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey /All ages, $20 ADV – $25 DOS
November 6 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre /All ages, $33
November 7 San Diego, CA The Irenic /All ages, $35
November 8 Los Angeles, CA Union /18+, $30
November 9 Oakland, CA Oakland Metro Operahouse /All ages, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
November 9 Oakland, CA Oakland Metro Operahouse /All ages, $35 ADV – $45 DOS
November 11 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre /All ages, $25
November 12 Seattle, WA El Corazon / 21+, $25 ADV – $30 DOS
November 14 Salt Lake City, UT Metro Music Hall / 21+, $27 ADV – $29 DOS
November 15 Denver, CO Gothic Theatre / 16+, $29.75 ADV – $35 DOS
November 16 Kansas City, MO Armour Theatre /All ages, $40
November 17 Milwaukee, WI Oriental Theatre /All ages, $35
November 18 Chicago, IL Reggies Rock Club / 17+, $35 ADV – $40 DOS
November 18 Chicago IL Reggies Rock Club / matinee show /17+, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
November 19 Grand Rapids, MI Wealthy Theatre /All ages, $25 ADV – $30 DOS
November 20 Toronto, ON The Opera House / 19+, $32.50 ADV – $38 DOS
November 21 Ottawa, ON Mavericks / 19+, $35 ADV – $45 DOS
November 22 Montreal, QC Théâtre Fairmount / 18+, $35 ADV – $40 DOS
November 23 Homer, NY Homer Center for the Arts /All ages, $35
November 24 Brooklyn, NY Murmrr Theatre /All ages, $35 ADV – $40 DOS
November 25 Brookline, MA Coolidge Corner Theatre /All ages, $40
November 26 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge / 18+, $30
November 28 Asheville, NC Orange Peel / 16+, $25 ADV – $28 DOS
November 29 Louisville, KY Diamond Pub Music Hall / 18+, $25 ADV – $28 DOS
November 30 Pittsburgh, PA Mr Smalls Theatre / All Ages, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
December 1 Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlies / 18+, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
December 2 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works / All Ages, $37.50 ADV – $40 DOS
December 3 Birmingham, AL Saturn / 18+, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
December 4 Tampa, FL Orpheum / All Ages, $25 ADV – $30 DOS
December 5 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero / All Ages, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
December 6 Atlanta, GA Aisle 5 / All Ages, $25 ADV – $30 DOS
December 7 Richmond, VA Byrd Theatre / All Ages, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
December 8 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero / All Ages, $30 ADV – $35 DOS
December 10 Winnipeg, MB Park Theatre / All Ages, $40 ADV – $45 DOS
With filmmaker Luca Guadagnino set to unleash his much-talked-about film retelling of Suspiriathis fall, including a score composed by Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke, there is no better time to revisit the terrifying original motion picture and its shocking soundtrack, performed by its original creators in an intensely intimate setting.
About Claudio Simonetti:
Claudio Simonetti (born 19 February 1952, São Paulo) is a Brazilian-born Italian musician and film composer. The keyboardist of the progressive rock band Goblin, Simonetti has specialized in the scores for Italian and American horror films since the 1970s. A long-time collaborator of director Dario Argento, Simonetti has worked on several of the director/producer’s films including Deep Red, Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead, Tenebrae, Phenomena, Demoni, and Opera. His work has long been an iconic staple of Italian genre cinema, collaborating with directors like Ruggero Deodato, Umberto Lenzi, Lucio Fulci, Enzo G. Castellari, Lamberto Bava, and Sergio Martino. Simonetti’s highly experimental scores are known for their signature, electronic and progressive rock-influenced sound, and have been imitated countless times. He studied at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
About Suspiria:
Suspiria (pronounced [sʊsˈpɪ.ri.a], lit. Latin: “sighs”) is a 1977 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Dario Argento, co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi, partially based on Thomas De Quincey’s 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis (Sighs from the Depths) and co-produced by Claudio and Salvatore Argento. The film stars Jessica Harper as an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany but realizes, amidst a series of brutal murders, that the academy is a front for a supernatural conspiracy.
Ken “K.K.” Downing is a founding member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He was active with the group from its inception in 1969 to his departure from the group in April of 2011. Downing has recently released a book via Da Capo press title “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest”. Media Mikes had a chance recently to speak with Ken about the creation of the book and where he plans to go next
Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background behind the writing of the book?
Ken Downing: Since my departure from the band eight years ago lots of people have been asking me if I would like to do a book. Year after year I just kept saying no and then finally last year I decided to finally do it. I sort of had three basic ideas for doing this. I thought it would be a good opportunity for fans to get to know me a little bit better. That probably sounds a bit ridiculous after having been around for so long now but, there is always another story to tell. I wanted to share how I started off in life and ended up playing some of the biggest stages in the world. Lastly I wanted to bring some sort of closure to the banter which was being thrown about across the internet related to my position within the band.
AL: How did you go about selecting what memories or stories you wanted to include in the book?
KD: That was really the difficulty part as I didn’t have a plan or anything. My ghost writer Mark Eglinton helped quite a bit with this side of things. He helped me dig a bit deeper along the way as we approached things chronologically as one lives life. As we moved along we paid attention to what would come to the surface and tried not to dwell on certain topics too long as we wanted to keep the book moving. If I had elaborated too much on things this would be a very thick book. (Laughs) It was difficult at times as I wanted to keep things honest and after forty years in rock and roll there were a couple stories we had to leave out. (Laughs)
AL: How did you get connected with Mark (Eglinton)?
KD: Mark came to me through my website which is run out of Helsinki, Finland. I had been approached previously by a bunch of other people about doing a book but Mark was in the UK and he made a couple trips down to see me where we just talked and got to know one another. I felt that worked well and we went from there. We did things in chunks based on a certain amount of years. That let me focus on one specific time period at a time. Mark and I would just basically talk. Every now and then he would prompt me to elaborate more on certain periods of the band. Both Mark and his brother have been rock fans for a very long time so he had a fans perspective of what other fans might want to know more about.
AL: Was it hard revisiting some of your earlier years growing up?
KD: It was. I had always kept a lot of those memories be it good or bad to myself. My childhood was very personal to me and I had never shared my experiences with anyone. To have someone hear them and then in turn document them for others to read was something I really had to think about. To keep things transparent we went ahead with it. I may have skirted around a couple things or been less descriptive but it’s all there. When you are born in to a dysfunctional family things are going to be a bit different so I didn’t have to go into too much detail.
AL: Had you let any of the people included in these stories know beforehand that you were releasing a book on your life?
KD: No not really. I had talked to my mom as I was a bit concerned she might get a little emotional about me telling the family story. As it happened when I spoke with her she told me she was not worried and she also mentioned she had read Ozzy Osbourne’s book and loved that one. (Laughs) When she did get the chance to read my book she affirmed that that’s how things were so I was pleased with that.
AL: Now that people have had a chance to read the book, are there any pieces you feel you should not have included or been so detailed with?
KD: I feel a little relieved now that it’s out and that I have not received any real adverse repercussions. The general feedback has been much better than I was expecting. Every now and then I think about other things I would have mentioned but didn’t. That seems to happen though be it with this book or records you always want to turn out the best product so you keep working and working at it. Eventually you just have to stop and turn it in. I wanted to put out something that people could get their heads into and find it just as enjoyable as watching television or something.
AL: With the completion of the book are you looking to now shift your focus back to music?
KD: I am thinking with the coming winter here in the UK I am going to disappear into my music room and just see what happens next. I have a few ideas I might want to play about with but this game for me is all about getting that chance to jump back into Judas Priest. If I am not doing that then the name of the game is creating new material.
For more in on Ken you can visit his official website at www.kkdowning.net
Be sure to check out our review of “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest” here.
During an introduction a few years ago on CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” the now-retired host said this about the Foo Fighters, “We can all sleep easy at night knowing that somewhere at any given time, the Foo Fighters are out there fighting Foo.” With founder Dave Grohl at the helm, Foo Fighters did plenty of that and then some in front of a packed audience for three wild hours on Friday night (Oct. 12) at the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
After hitting the multi-generational crowd with three songs – “Run,” “The Sky Is a Neighborhood” and “La Dee Da” – from their ninth studio album “Concrete and Gold,” Grohl, who somehow manages to not blow out his vocal chords, took a break from wailing to let drummer Taylor Hawkins perform an epic solo, which was upon a miniature stage that rose a couple stories above the main stage. This led into “Something From Nothing,” also from their current album, before Grohl and company – bassist Nate Mendel, guitarist Pat Smear, Hawkins, guitarist Chris Shiflett, and keyboardist Rami Jaffee – took the Sprint Center on a rock journey across their 23-year music career.
Using just the right amount of laser lights and other visuals to complement their music, the Foo Fighters often went on extended, improvised versions of such classic hits as “The Pretender” and “Learn to Fly.” Without missing a beat, the audience was impressively able to sing every song word for word when called upon by Grohl, who once again proved he is a master showman. Some singers can bore you to tears when they decide to stop and talk in between songs. Grohl is a brilliant exception. Even with plenty of f-bombs to spare, Grohl, much like he did while sitting in a guitar throne three years ago during their last Sprint Center appearance, kept his spectators engaged and entertained.
The Foo Fighters took a break from their hit parade to allow each band member to have their own feature solo. No one in the house was disappointed as they demonstrated masterful musicianship, highlighted by a fantastic rendition of “Blitzkrieg Bop” with Smear taking the lead and “Under Pressure” with Grohl on drums and Hawkins on lead vocals. However, perhaps no more fun was to be had than when Grohl explained how important music can be to healing differences with Jaffee playing “Imagine” in the background. With everyone expecting to sing along with the John Lennon classic, Grohl surprised everyone by doing Van Halen’s “Jump” lyrics to the music of “Imagine,” again showing their versatility and playful side.
The Foo Fighters wound up the raucous evening of pure American rock with classics “My Hero,” “Monkey Wrench” and “Best of You” before diving into a slightly surprising encore. It featured Grohl inviting an 11-year-old kid onstage to play “Enter Sandman” on guitar, which was to the gleeful delight of the crowd, before the group ultimately ended with mainstay “Everlong.”
SET LIST: Run, The Sky is a Neighborhood, La Dee Da, Sunday Rain, Something From Nothing, Walk, These Days, Arlandria, The Pretender, Times Like These, All My Life, Learn to Fly, Breakout, Another One Bites the Dust, Imagine/Jump, Blitzkrier Bop, Under Pressure, My Hero, Monkey Wrench, Best of You. ENCORE: Enter Sandman, Dirty Water, This is a Call, Everlon.,
You know their name, you know their music but do you know their story? Everyone’s favorite blood spewing alien band return to comics in an all new 96 page graphic novel.
The Master is at it again in a fierce battle against Cardinal Syn. To get into the Master’s good graces, the Destructo brothers have trapped GWAR in order to interrogate them to find the key to destroying Cardinal Syn once and for all. Will Sawborg and Bozo Destructo get the answers they need? Can GWAR escape their clutches? Will Cardinal Syn destroy them all? And what really happened when GWAR were banished to earth?
All will be revealed in GWAR: The Enormogantic Fail, a new 96 page graphic novel from GWAR and Renegade Arts Entertainment. Written by Matt Maguire (GWAR) and Matt Miner (Critical Hit, Toe Tag Riot), with art by some of the greatest comic creators this side of Flab Quarv 7, hand-picked by GWAR themselves.
Available for pre-order now along with exclusive prints, pins, CDs, signed goods and even unique stage props. Pre-orders will be delivered June 2019.
Now, go to GWARCOMIC.COM and get your pre-order in to make sure you get the exclusives before they run out.
Quotes:
Sawborg Destructo, GWAR: ‘The time has come once again, human filth, to show your Lords and Masters your undying, but most likely dying, devotion! I Sawborg Destructo commands you to get your pre orders in now for GWAR’s new comic The Enormogantic Fail! That’s right, get your preorder in today and maybe you’ll survive long enough to read it.’
Matt Miner, writer: ‘Well it looks like I’m not quite done with GWAR yet, and I’ll be hanging out with that crew long enough for some more dick jokes and blood spray. Always a good time when I can hide from the world in piles of bodies, covered in spew.’
Alexander Finbow, Publisher: ‘The opportunity to work with GWAR on this new graphic novel gave us the chance to help create a great story in a collaborative process that respects the band, creators and GWAR fans. The first GWAR comic series was successfully funded through Kickstarter, but the team were keen to try out a different approach this time, one that tied in with some ideas we’d also wanted to try. That’s why we created the gwarcomic.com website, a place where GWAR fans can find out easily what the book is all about, and decide whether they want to sign up for the ride.’
Writers: Matt Maguire And Matt Miner
Artists: Matt Maguire, Liana Kangas, Lukasz Kowalczuk, Matt Lejeune, Katie Longua, Jeff Martin, Kelly Williams
Colour Artist: Josh Jensen
Cover Artists: Jonathan Brandon Sawyer And Josh Jensen
Letters: Taylor Esposito Editor: Brendan Wright Publisher: Alexander Finbow
ACE FREHLEY RELEASES NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR “ROCKIN’ WITH THE BOYS” VIA BILLBOARD MAGAZINE ALL NEW SOLO LP, SPACEMAN, DUE THIS FRIDAY NYC POP UP STORE ANNOUNCED FOR STREET DATE
FREHLEY TO APPEAR ON GOOD DAY NY
2018 TOUR DATES ON SALE NOW PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW
Founding KISS guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame member ACE FREHLEY has released the music video for “Rockin’ With The Boys.” Filmed live in Detroit Rock City, this is the first music video we’ve seen from The Spaceman since he released the video for “Fire and Water.”
That video featured KISS frontman Paul Stanley and was off of Origins, Vol. 1, released in 2016. The video was done by veteran director Justin Reich.
This is the second song Frehley has released this year, from his forthcoming all-new Spaceman album, due October 19, 2018, via Entertainment One (eOne). Frehley previously released the track “Bronx Boy” in April.
Spaceman, Frehley’s eighth solo LP, features nine new original tracks, plus a cover of Eddie Money’s “I Wanna Go Back,” a ripping power pop makeover of the original.
Ace Frehley will be appearing on GOOD DAY NY/WNYW Fox 5 tomorrow, October 16, 2018, at 9 AM EDT, performing his new single, “Rockin’ With The Boys” in its entirety.
Additionally, an Ace Frehley “Spaceman” pop up store powered by Looney Tunes is planned for Friday, October 19 at the Sam Ash Music store, located at 333 W 34th St. in New York City. Ace will be appearing from 5-7PM EDT signing copies of his new album.
Spaceman LPs and CDs will be available to purchase as well as the limited edition Orange Vinyl only currently available at indie store locations in the U.S.
“No need to worry, I’ll be home soon, ’cause I’m rockin’ with the boys,” Frehley sings on “Rockin’ With the Boys,” which tells the tale of life on the road. Ace says he wrote the original version of the song back in KISS’s heyday in the ’70s. Both “Rockin With The Boys” and “Bronx Boy” are available on all streaming platforms today, and are iTunes instant grat tracks for fans who preorder the album.
In addition to Ace’s distinctive guitar sound on each track, Ace played bass on all of the songs on Spaceman except for two. The listener might recognize the mighty dinosaur growl of a bass tone belonging to Gene Simmons on the album opener, “Without You I’m Nothing,” which Gene also co-wrote, and “Your Wish Is My Command.” Both songs were recorded at Frehley’s home studio in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Ace’s reconnection with Simmons and fellow KISS vocalist-guitarist Paul Stanley (who joined Ace on a cover of Free’s “Fire and Water” for 2016’s covers LP Origins, Vol. 1) might be chalked up to the fact that Frehley has been sober for more than a decade (he celebrates 12 years of sobriety in September). Ace’s clean living no doubt has a lot to do with his productive streak, which began with the release of his top 20 Anomaly album in 2009.
Spaceman (a title suggested by Simmons, himself) serves as the first collection of all new Frehley-penned material since 2014’s Space Invader, which debuted at #9 on the Top 200 Chart. The LP scored the highest charting position of any former or current KISS band member ever and marked Frehley’s first return to the Top 10 since KISS’s 1998 Psycho Circus reunion album.
Space Invader received praise from critics. Rolling Stone wrote, “Gene Simmons has claimed Ace Frehley doesn’t deserve to wear Kiss’ Kabuki clown paint, but the former Spaceman’s first solo LP in five years says otherwise,” while Associated Press hailed, “…the original Kiss lead guitarist has recorded his best solo album since his groundbreaking self-titled album in 1978.”
Widely known as the original “Space Ace” and founding guitarist for 16 cumulative years (over 2 tenures) of the multi-platinum selling rock band KISS, Frehley is demonstrably the most popular original member. In addition to having the best-selling solo album career (vintage or current) among the original foursome, Frehley’s self-titled Ace Frehley, released in 1978, went on to sell over one million copies, producing the only Top 40 single, “New York Groove,” from any of the legendary KISS solo albums (peaking at #13).
Upcoming 2018 Dates
Oct 27, 2018 – Oct 28, 2018 – Las Vegas, NV, KISS Mini Golf
Oct 31, 2018 – Nov. 5, 2018 – Miami to Key West and Nassau, KISS Kruise VIII
November 7, 2018- Pensacola, FL, Pensacola Saenger Theatre
November 9, 2018- Clearwater, FL, Capital Theatre
November 10, 2018- Melbourne, FL, King Center for the Performing Arts
November 11, 2018- Miramar, FL, Miramar Ampitheatre
Track Listing
1. Without You I’m Nothing
2. Rockin’ With the Boys
3. Your Wish Is My Command
4. Bronx Boy
5. Pursuit Of Rock and Roll
6. I Wanna Go Back
7. Mission To Mars
8. Off My Back
9. Quantum Flux
ACCLAIMED HARDCORE HEROES KNOCKED LOOSE DEBUT NEW VIDEO FOR “THE RAIN” *BAND’S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN SUPPORT OF LAUGH TRACKS UNDERWAY NOW*
Critically heralded Kentucky hardcore band Knocked Loose has teamed up with ConsequenceOfSound.net to unveil a new video for their song “The Rain.” The track is featured on the band’s acclaimed, debut album, Laugh Tracks, which is available everywhere now from Pure Noise Records.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “THE RAIN” NOW AT CONSEQUENCEOFSOUND.NET: http://bit.ly/2A25dke
“We’re really excited about this one, I think we’re ending the Laugh Tracks cycle on a strong note thanks to Max Moore. Definitely the most fun video to shoot.” – Bryan Garris
Knocked Loose’s new video for “The Rain” comes as the band is amidst their final North American tour in support of their groundbreaking 2016 debut album, Laugh Tracks. The band’s tour with Beartooth and Sylar will continue through October and November. Tickets are on sale now!
Knocked Loose 2018 Fall Tour Dates with Beartooth and Sylar:
10/10 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
10/11 – Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
10/12 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
10/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
10/14 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
10/16 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
10/17 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum Theatre
10/18 – Jacksonville, FL @ Nighthawk’s
10/19 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10/20 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/21 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Brewster Street Ice House
10/23 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
10/24 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall
10/26 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Pressroom
10/28 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
10/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco Theater
10/31 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
11/01 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
11/02 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s Bar & Grill
11/03 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
11/04 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
11/06 – Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
11/07 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
11/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
11/10 – Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
11/11 – Wichita, KS @ Rock Island Live
11/12 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
11/13 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
11/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
11/15 – Sauget, IL @ Pop’s
11/17 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
12/15 – Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo Riverworks * * with Every Time I Die (no Beartooth or Sylar)
JASON BECKER AND MUSIC THEORIES RECORDINGS / MASCOT LABEL GROUP TO RELEASE TRIUMPHANT HEARTS GLOBALLY ON DECEMBER 7. 2018 The album features Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, Uli Jon Roth, Richie Kotzen, Gus G., Jake Shimabukuro, and many more.
WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO FOR “VALLEY OF FIRE” FEATURING THE MAGNIFICENT 13 FEATURING STEVE VAI, JOE BONAMASSA, PAUL GILBERT, NEAL SCHON, MARTY FRIEDMAN, MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS, MATTIAS IA EKLUNDH, GREG HOWE, JEFF LOOMIS, RICHIE KOTZEN, GUS G, STEVE HUNTER AND BEN WOODS HERE: https://youtu.be/1gS5ibUPUvgg
Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group are extremely excited and honored to present the new album ‘Triumphant Hearts’ from Jason Becker, which will be released on 7th December 2018.
Jason Becker’s story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and, ultimately, triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo Cacophony, with his great friend Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded on his 3rd solo album ‘A Little Ain’t Enough’ and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. Maybe.
That was 29 years ago. He lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Jason spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles, magazine cover stories, and an award-winning documentary, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet.
The album’s 14 tracks showcase Jason’s gift for melody and his deep knowledge of classical composition and orchestral arrangement. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who’s who of 6-string gods including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. And, in what will absolutely delight his fans, Jason’s amazing guitar playing—recorded in the ’80s and ’90s—features throughout.
The first song to be released from the album is the beautifully mesmerizing 9 minute and 5 second instrumental ‘Valley of Fire’ that features The Magnificent 13 – Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Mattias IA Eklundh, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G, Steve Hunter and Ben Woods. A phenomenal cast to feature on a single song.
The album opens with the title track, featuring Jason’s old bandmate Marty Friedman and an astounding violin performance. “I wrote ‘Triumphant Heart’ and it made me feel triumphant,” says Becker. “When Marty found out I was making this album, he told me he would play anything I needed. I sent him this, and his wife, Hiyori Okuda, who is a cellist, also offered to play on it. The great violinist, Glauco Bertagnin, recorded my violin parts in Italy. That fast solo section I wrote is way too hard; I don’t know how Glauco pulled it off. He put so much soul in the whole song.”
‘Hold on to Love’ is the first vocal song on the record, although it didn’t start out that way. “It was going to be an instrumental,” explains Jason, “but after I wrote the chorus with lyrics, I knew I had to tell my story, to explain how I can continue living without feeling hate. I hadn’t written many lyrics before.” In addition to its beautiful, gospel-tinged choir, the heartfelt song features Bay Area singer Codany Holiday on lead vocals.
‘Fantasy Weaver’ displays the 4-string magic of world-renown ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro and harp arpeggios that were written back in his Cacophony days. ‘Once Upon a Melody’ not only features two Jason Becker guitar solos from his Cacophony era, but also audio of him as a three-year-old. The full-circle nature of having little boy Jason, guitar virtuoso Jason, and modern-day composer Jason all on the same song is a breathtaking accomplishment while ‘We Are One,’ features soulful Flipsyde vocalist Steve Knight, and more Jason Becker guitar delights.
Uli Jon Roth appears on ‘Magic Woman,’ along with ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick who counts both Uli and Jason as big influences. Fans of Jason’s work with David Lee Roth will be thrilled by the inclusion of two previously unreleased outtakes from the ‘A Little Ain’t Enough’ sessions, the hard rocking ‘Taking Me Back’ and the blues-infused ‘Tell Me No Lies.’ There are also performances by Joe Satriani, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse, Trevor Rabin, and many others.
“Some people feel sorry for me,” he concedes, “and I understand that. I really feel lucky though. I don’t miss playing guitar anymore. I’m sure that’s out of necessity, but I am grateful for so much more. I am surrounded by loving people, and I can still make music.”
Track Listing:
1.) Triumphant Heart- (feat. Marty Friedman, Glauco Bertagnin, Hiyori Okuda)
2.) Hold On To Love- (feat. Codany Holiday)
3.) Fantasy Weaver- (feat. Jake Shimabukuro)
4.) Once Upon A Melody- (feat. Steve Knight)
5.) We Are One
6.) Magic Woman- (feat. Uli Jon Roth & Chris Broderick)
7.) Blowin’ in the Wind- (feat. Joe Satriani, Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse)
8.) River of Longing
9.) Valley of Fire- (feat. The Magificent 13)
10.) River of Longing- (feat. Trevor Rabin)
11.) Taking Me Back- (feat. Codany Holiday) [Chuck Zwicky Remix]
12.) Tell Me No Lies
13.) Hold On To Love
14.) You Do It
LISTEN TO AGAINST ME! COVER “PEOPLE WHO DIED” (ORIGINALLY MADE FAMOUS BY THE JIM CARROLL BAND) FROM SONGS THAT SAVED MY LIFE HOPELESS RECORDS ALONG WITH THEIR NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION SUB CITY ANNOUNCE, ON WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY, A NEW PROJECT TO BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION ORGANIZATIONS
COMPILATION ALBUM TO BE RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 9 THROUGH HOPELESS RECORDS
Fans can stream Against Me!’s cover of “People Who Died” (originally made famous by The Jim Carroll Band) now on People Magazine. The song is taken from Songs That Saved My Life, a brand centered around music that has played a pivotal role in the lives of artists and fans and that benefits mental health and suicide prevention charities. The compilation will be released on November 9 through Hopeless Records and includes covers from bands like Neck Deep, Against Me!, Taking Back Sunday, Dan Campbell and Ace Enders, Movements, The Maine, Dance Gavin Dance, and more. Full track listing can be found below.
“Choosing to cover a song that is filled with death to be featured on a compilation dedicated to the thought that music can save your life seemed completely fitting to me,” says Against Me! vocalist and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. “I’ve always thought music was about taking all the sadness, pain, fear and trouble that you have weighing on you and turning it into something empowering, celebratory and life-affirming.”
Songs That Saved My Life looks to engage current artists with cover versions of those songs and share those stories with the world. This project benefits a variety of mental health and suicide prevention organizations. Currently, this project benefits Crisis Text Line, Hope For The Day, The Trevor Project, and To Write Love On Her Arms.
Last month, the Songs That Saved My Life grant was announced. The $10,000 grant will be awarded to a fan or band partnering with a non-profit organization related to mental health awareness and/or suicide prevention. Applications are open now and due on October 12th. To apply, visit songsthatsavedmylife.com/grant.
Songs That Saved My Life Track Listing:
1. Neck Deep – Torn (originally made famous by Natalie Imbruglia)
2. Movements – Losing My Religion (originally made famous by R.E.M.)
3. Stand Atlantic – Your Graduation (originally made famous by Modern Baseball)
4. Dance Gavin Dance – Semi Charmed Life (originally made famous by Third Eye Blind)
5. Against Me! – People Who Died (originally made famous by The Jim Carroll Band)
6. Taking Back Sunday – Bullet With Butterfly Wings (originally made famous by Smashing Pumpkins)
7. Dream State – Crawling (originally made famous by Linkin Park)
8. As It Is – Such Great Heights (originally made famous by The Postal Service)
9. Oceans Ate Alaska – Shape of my Heart (originally made famous by Sting)
10. Too Close To Touch – Let It Be (originally made famous by The Beatles)
11. Dan Campbell & Ace Enders – Broom People (originally made famous by The Mountain Goats)
12. The Maine – Transatlanticism (originally made famous by Death Cab For Cutie)
When fans pre-order digitally through iTunes, they will receive and instant grat download of Neck Deep’s cover of “Torn”. It is also now available to stream through Apple Music and Spotify. Fans can watch the music video for Neck Deep’s cover of “Torn” here: http://smarturl.it/TornVideo
Sub City, the 501(c)(3) non-profit arm of Hopeless, donates funds and raises awareness for various non-profit organizations by connecting artists, fans and causes they are passionate about. Sub City has raised over 2.5 million dollars for more than 50 non-profit organizations including Living the Dream, It Gets Better Project, A Place Called Home, DoSomething.org, and New Directions for Youth.
Learn more about the benefiting organizations from Songs That Saved My Life:
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line offers free, 24/7 support for people in crisis via text. We support people across a range of crises from anxiety and depression, to self-harm and suicide, and lots of crises in between, to help them get from a hot moment to a cool calm.
Hope For The Day
Hope for the Day achieves proactive suicide prevention by providing outreach and mental health education through self-expression platforms. It’s ok not to be ok, have hope.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24. The mission of The Trevor Project is to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people.
To Write Love On Her Arms
To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
Following an earth-shattering appearance at this weekend’s Rock Allegiance Festival in the cesspool known as Camden, NJ your Lords and Masters GWAR kicked off the Gore, Core and More Tour last night with co-headliners Hatebreed. Find a complete list of dates below.
But there is no rest for the wicked! GWAR have now confirmed a run of shows in December in addition to their previously announced New Year’s Eve show in Norfolk, VA. These shows start December 27th in Indianapolis, IN and will see support coming from Iron Reagan and Against the Grain.
Tickets for the December shows go on sale this Thursday October 11th via special pre-sales and to the general public this Friday October 12th. VIP upgrades will be available HERE.
“HO! HO! HO! Merry SeXmas! Come join GWAR for a special holiday show as we stalk and kill the fat bearded pedophile known as Santa Claus, fill the stockings of every child in the world with diarrhea, decapitate Father Time, and molest the Baby New Year!”says lead singer Blöthar.
GWAR W/Iron Reagan and Against the Grain:
12/27: Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
12/28: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
12/29: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12/30: Philadelphia, PA @ North Seventh
12/31: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva^
^Stonecutters to open
GWAR & Hatebreed Co-Headline
10/9: Lawrence, KS @ Granda Theater
10/10: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
10/11: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/12: Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House
10/13: Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival*
10/15: Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
10/16: Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/18: Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater
10/19: Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
10/20: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/22: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10/23: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
10/24: Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
10/25: Sauget, IL @ Pops
10/26: Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
10/27: St. Paul, MN @ Myth Live
10/28: Peoria, IL @ Monarch Music Hall
*Festival Appearance
GWAR Headline Dates:
10/29: Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews Hall
10/30: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
10/31: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/2: North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
11/3: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/4: Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theater
11/6: Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
11/7: Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/8: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/9: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
11/10: Richmond, VA @ The National#
#With Municipal Waste, High on Fire and Toxic Holocaust
GWAR W/Iron Reagan and Against the Grain:
12/27: Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
12/28: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
12/29: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12/30: Philadelphia, PA @ North Seventh
12/31: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva^
