JOHN 5 and The Creatures to Release “It’s Alive!” Live Album in January

JOHN 5 and The Creatures to Release “It’s Alive!” Live Album in January
Physical Pre-Orders Coming Soon | Available Digitally via www.john-5.com
“It’s Alive!” U.S. Tour to Begin February 1 in Orlando, FL | VIP Packages Available

JOHN 5 and The Creatures (bassist Ian Ross and drummer Logan Miles Nix) are set to release a brand new live album, It’s Alive!, in January. Becoming available on Thursday, January 25, 2018, It’s Alive! is the first album released by the world-renowned guitarist to be featured on vinyl. A stunning 24-page, full color tour book covering the JOHN 5 and The Creatures tour journeys so far will also be available for separate purchase.

Pre-orders are available now at www.john-5.com/store, with more options coming soon. Fans can check back to www.john-5.com for updates.

JOHN 5 says about the recording of It’s Alive!, “I remember pulling up to a beautiful venue that we played in Sellersville, Pennsylvania and before we were unloading the equipment, the soundman said, ‘Hey guys, would you like to record the show?’ We said, ‘sure that would be amazing!’ I always wanted to have a really great recording of the show. We were a few weeks into the show so we were really well rehearsed, so I said, ‘Alright guys, let’s not jump around. Let’s just really try to get a great performance because we only have one shot – no other shows if we mess up!’ So, we explained to the crowd that we would be recording. You can hear that on the recording of the album, which makes it very magical. It came out amazingly! That’s the magic of live albums to me – capturing the performance.”

It’s Alive! track listing:
1. Guitars, Tits and Monsters
2. Flight of The Vulcan Kelly
3. Six Hundred and Sixty Six Pickers In Hell, CA
4. Here’s to the Crazy Ones
5. This is my Rifle
6. Jiffy Jam
7. Hall Haw
8. Season Of The Witch
9. The Nightmare Unravels
10. Portrait of Sydney Sloan
11. Triple D
12. Black Grass Plague
13. Behind The Nut Love
14. Making Monsters
15. Beat It
16. Now Fear This
17. Medley

JOHN 5 adds, “I’m so proud of it that I wanted to put it out and also tour it like bands used to tour live albums back in the 70s. I thought that was so cool! I’ve put out a lot of records, so I thought – goddammit, I’m going to do it!”

JOHN 5 and The Creatures will begin an extensive tour of the United States in February for a first leg, and will pick back up in late March for a second. The tour will start in Orlando, FL on February 1 and come to an end in Tacoma, WA on April 21. Tickets will become available very soon, and VIP packages will be available exclusively at www.john-5.com/store. See below for a full listing of dates.

JOHN 5 and The Creatures It’s Alive! tour dates:
2/1 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
2/2 – Jacksonville, FL @ 1904 Music Hall
2/3 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
2/5 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
2/6 – Greensboro, NC @ Blind Tiger
2/7 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Shaka’s
2/8 – Richmond, VA @ Broadberry
2/9 – College Park, MD @ Milkboy
2/10 – Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater
2/11 – Stanhope, NJ @ Stanhope Theater
2/12 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
2/13 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
2/14 – Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
2/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Hard Rock
2/16 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland
2/17 – Westland, MI @ Token Lounge
2/18 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies
2/20 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
2/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ Vogue
2/22 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House
2/23 – Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
2/24 – Chattanooga, TN @ Songbirds
3/29 – San Antonio, TX @ Rock Box
3/30 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
3/31 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
4/2 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
4/3 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
4/4 – Mesa, AZ @ Club Red
4/5 – San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick
4/6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go
4/7 – Las Vegas, NV @ Vamp’d
4/8 – Fullerton, CA @ SlideBar
4/11 – Ventura, CA @ Discovery
4/12 – San Jose, CA @ Ritz
4/13 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
4/14 – Fresno, CA @ Full Circle Brewery
4/15 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlows
4/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
4/18 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
4/19 – Bend, OR @ Volacanic Pub
4/20 – Portland, OR @ Hard Rock PDX
4/21 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome – Tacoma Guitar Festival

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The Haxans Matt Montgomery talks about the bands new album “Party Monsters”

Matt Montgomery aka Piggy D is probably best known for his work as the fanged four string player in Rob Zombie, a position he has helmed for over ten years. Matt’s latest project The Haxans is the culmination of three years of work which have resulted in the band’s debut full length “Party Monsters”. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Matt recently about the band, the albums creation and where things are at with the latest Rob Zombie album.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us how The Haxans initially came together?

Matt Montgomery: This was an idea I had kicking around for some time. I had been working on music with a girl back and forth for years. At first we started by sending CD’s with ideas on them to each other through the mail. It was very archaic. We had two songs under The Haxans name but it was just never really a good fit as we both were going in different directions musically. I knew in order to do this the way I had envisioned it I was going to have to make a change. By chance I met Ash Costello at an awards show through a mutual friend and thought she would get what the project could be. We started hanging out and finding out what stuck musically and that’s when things really started to take shape and become something.

AL: Is the “Party Monsters” album made up of all new material or does it contain ideas from the bands earlier incarnation?

MM: We started recording three years ago. What came out first was “Three Hits From Hell”. That was us trying to find our footing and musical finger print. The oldest song which is still kicking around is “Black Cat Bones” which Ash and I reworked and it made it on to “Party Monsters”. We tried a whole bunch of things both new and old for this record. Its funny how one person’s energy can change the room as I would pull some of the older songs out that I was excited about but after working on them a little bit they just didn’t have the same feel I had hoped for. We really tried to go for what made us both excited and that’s the stuff that kept making it through the filters. There was a lot of material we went through but we went with what made the clearest statement of what the record and we as a band were about.

AL: How does working on a project like The Haxans compare to the work you do with Rob Zombie or some of your other previous groups?

MM: Going back to my work with Wednesday 13 what people saw of me with that group was basically just from a live stand point. I never wrote any riffs or lyrics with them. With Rob I have wrote a little but not very much. There has been I think two songs on two records in the time I have been with him. I played on all the records but I wasn’t the guy sitting around for months figuring out where all the riffs would go. In a way “Party Monsters” is the first thing I have done since my first solo record that I did a long time ago. This album is in a way my first music statement since being a part of groups like Amen, Wednesday 13 and Rob Zombie.

AL: Can you tell us about the most recent video you filmed for the song “Young Blood”?

MM: This is our fifth video as a group and fourth for this album as we have done videos for “Vampira”, “Dirty Magic”, “Black Cat Bone” and “Lights Out” as well. We actually shot five videos in three days. “Young Blood” was shot during the first half of one of those days. We knew visually what we wanted for that one. I directed the last four videos and that made things easier as I knew what shots I wanted to get and where I wanted the camera. I only had to be in one so the rest of the time I was making sure we got coverage of everyone else. We story boarded everything beforehand but we still had to hurry to get everything done.

AL: How did you go about choosing which five songs were going to get video treatments?

MM: That was tough. You just have to listen through the songs and get everyone’s input as to which might be the ones to choose. Of course everyone has their own opinions so it can make things be a bit all over the place. The feedback I got from those who heard the songs all mentioned the songs we shot so we decided to start with those ones.

AL: Have there been any talks to do some live performances of this material?

MM: There has been a lot of talk about doing shows and we have made a few attempts however nothing has come together just yet. We were looking at options to tour in the first quarter of 2018 however schedules just are going to match up. Touring sort of goes hand and hand with why this record took three years to make. Ash and I are these two whirling tornadoes that randomly collided and that’s what we are trying to contain which is just impossible. (Laughs)

AL: Can you give us a quick update on where things are at with the new Rob Zombie album and anything else you might have in the works for 2018?

MM: I have heard things and it’s fucking nuts! It’s really awesome and that’s about all I am going to say. There is a lot of material and things are still in the demo stage so I have yet to go in and play my parts just yet. As for what else is in store for 2018 I am not sure. You would think after being in bands for so long the last thing I would want to do at my age is start another band but, I might, maybe I will start two! There are a lot of things on the list that have been there for some time but I think it’s that way for everyone. We will just have to wait and see.

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Black Veil Brides Release New Song “When They Call My Name”, New Album Out January 12, 2018

BLACK VEIL BRIDES RELEASE NEW SONG “WHEN THEY CALL MY NAME”
NEW ALBUM VALE OUT JANUARY 12, 2018, PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE TODAY
NORTH AMERICAN CO-HEADLINE TOUR DATES WITH ASKING ALEXANDRIA KICKS OFF IN JANUARY

NEW YORK, NY (November 3, 2017) — Today, BLACK VEIL BRIDES release new song “When They Call My Name” off their highly anticipated fifth full length album, VALE [LAVA/Republic Records].

Listen to “When They Call My Name” Here!

After quietly fueling fan anticipation over the past month, BLACK VEIL BRIDES share the details for their anxiously awaited fifth full-length album, VALE [LAVA/Republic Records]—available, January 12, 2018. Pre-Order VALE Here!

The official pre-order grants fans immediate downloads of the first three songs to be released off VALE, “My Vow,” “The Outsider,” and now “When They Call My Name.” Listen to “My Vow” Here and “The Outsider” Here!

Produced by longtime collaborator John Feldmann [blink-182, Panic! At the Disco], VALE sees BLACK VEIL BRIDES sharpen their signature sound to knife point precision.

The band hits the road on January 10th, 2018 for their North American co-headline tour with Asking Alexandria in Salt Lake City and will hit major markets across the country including New York’s Terminal 5 on February 8th and more! Tickets & VIP Packages are on-sale now. Check out the full itinerary below and purchase tickets here!

To keep in touch with the band, join the new BVB ARMY and be the first to get news by Text Message! Sign up at www.BVBARMY.com OR Text BVBV to 856-282-2769

BLACK VEIL BRIDES have shocked and electrified modern rock back to life. Their critically acclaimed self-titled fourth album, Black Veil Brides, bowed in the Top of the Billboard Top 200 and received “Album of the Year” at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards. It followed up 2013’s Wretched and Divine, which crashed the Top 200 at #7 and yielded the signature smash “In The End” proclaimed “Song of the Year” at the Revolver Golden God Awards. Playing to millions of rabid fans worldwide, they’ve ignited festivals such as Download and Rock on the Range and been tapped for high-profile tours with Avenged Sevenfold, Slash, Mötley Crüe, Hollywood Undead, and more.

Tour Dates:
1/10 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
1/11 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium
1/12 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
1/13 St. Paul, MN Myth Live
1/15 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
1/17 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE – Indoor
1/18 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live
1/19 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Club Stage
1/20 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
2/2 Worcester, MA Palladium
2/3 Portland, ME State Theatre
2/4 Montreal, QC M Telus
2/5 Toronto, ON Rebel
2/7 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
2/8 New York, NY Terminal 5
2/9 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
2/10 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
2/12 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
2/13 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works
2/14 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
2/16 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Live
2/17 Houston, TX House of Blues
2/19 Albuquerque, NM El Rey Theater
2/20 Tempe, AZ The Marquee
2/22 Boise, ID Knitting Factory Concert House
2/23 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
2/24 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
2/25 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre
2/27 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory Concert House
3/1 San Francisco, CA The Warfield Theatre
3/2 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues

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Album Review: GWAR “The Blood of Gods”

“The Blood of Gods”
GWAR
Metal Blade Records
Producer: Ronan Chris Murphy
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The story of GWAR is one that has been carved across the history of this barren and hopeless planet and continues on with the group’s latest offering “The Blood of Gods”. The bands 14th studio album is nothing less than a sacred text chronicling the rise of humanity against their makers, and the massive battle between GWAR and the forces of all that is uptight and wrong with the world. Over the course of the albums 12 tracks the band challenges the sins of their great mistake, from politics, pollution, and organized religion, to fast food, and factory farming. Humans are shown as what they are; a parasitical disease that must be eradicated before they suck the planet dry. “The Blood of Gods” is a sonic scar…a question asked and answered…Death cannot kill GWAR!

With the passing of GWAR front man Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus in 2014 many a bohabs questioned the future of the band. Thankfully the band forged on with the addition of former bassist Michael Bishop stepping up to the mic in the form of Blothar the Berserker. Though the transition caused some to start the #BlotharRuinedGwar movement the band took everything in stride allowing three years to pass before giving fans a true taste of the newly helmed GWAR. “The Blood of Gods” is a fresh take on an old favorite that will undoubtedly have some bohabs up in arms. The twelve track offering from the costume clad space aliens is made up of a variety of styles ranging from the Slayer esque “Auroch” to the catchy “I’ll Be Your Monster” (think early Motorhead). Other notable tracks include the Michael Derks (Balsac) penned “Fuck This Place” and in my opinion one of the best GWAR tracks to come out in the last fifteen years “Phantom Limb”, a haunting tribute to the bands fallen leader which details the bands doubts and insecurities while trying to satisfy a looming presence.

“The Blood of Gods” is a fresh and fitting entry into the GWAR mythos that showcases the determination of a band and its members to move past events that would end lesser groups. I will save all the “This doesn’t sound like Oderus” listeners the trouble as No! This does NOT sound like Oderus and that is ok because it’s not nor is it trying to. Each track on “The Blood of Gods” is a blending of styles which cement a new foundation for GWAR as they continue forward on their quest. Over the course of the albums twelve tracks listeners get a variety of new material which is sprinkled with familiarity making for a really an enjoyable listen.

Track Listing:
1.) War on Gwar
2.) Viking Death Machine
3.) El Presidente
4.) I’ll Be Your Monster
5.) Auroch
6.) Swarm
7.) The Sordid Soliloquy of Sawborg Destructo
8.) Death to Dickie Duncan
9.) Crushed By the Cross
10.) Fuck This Place
11.) Phantom Limb
12.) If You Want Blood (You Got It) **AC/DC Cover**

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Filed Under: CD Reviews, Music Tagged With: album, blood, gods, gwar, review

GWAR’s Blothar The Berserker Talks New Album “The Blood of Gods”

GWAR fans were first introduced to Blothar the Berserker in 2014 when he returned to Earth shortly after the death of Oderus Urungus. Since that time Blothar has cemented himself as the formidable leader of the crack addicted space aliens from Scumdogia. On October 20th the band will release their 14th studio album titled “The Blood of Gods” via Metal Blade Records. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Blothar recently about  the new album, the bands upcoming fall tour and which celebrities they have in their sites to slay.

Adam Lawton: The band recently wrapped up its debut appearance on this summer’s Warped Tour can you tell us a little bit about that?

Blothar: It was miserably hot! With us coming from Antarctica and being over a million years old it wasn’t exactly a glory gig getting dressed in a semi truck and then exposing ourselves to a whole new group of young people. Despite all the annoyances and high level of venereal diseases that were flying around we did it. We had trouble even getting good drugs out of these kids. What is ecstasy anyways? I don’t want drugs to make me feel good. I want drugs to amplify my misery! It was however a delight to see all the innocent faces upturned and the light drain from their eyes as they witnessed something they had never seen before and possibly never will see again. It’s always fun to play to a crowd who has never seen us before so it was a good time.

AL: Gwar’s new album “The Blood of Gods” will be your first full length recording with the band. What do you think you were able to bring to the album?

Blothar: Without Oderus we knew we had to do something different. If we had just gone and done the same thing we knew it would probably come off as a cheap imitation. There are things that Oderus did that were wonderful and they were his so, for us to try and recapture that was much less interesting. Gwar has always been a group effort. When Oderus was around people could work behind the scenes and not be visible as Oderus’s role in the band was to be the front man and be seen. Now that he is gone there is room for everyone who helped create this project to become more known. Everyone in the band has risen to the occasion beyond anything I could have imagined. Who knew Balsac was such a great lyricist. That guy knows the Gwar voice better than anyone. Oderus was a great writer and his songs were jammed full of words and phrases. I made a deliberate choice to scale back on the lyrics and let the sounds be the focal point.  I mainly wanted to add the hooks and melody. This is definitely a different approach from the last few Gwar albums. That’s not to say they never had these types of elements but I think this album has more of those things and the music has more space.

AL: Was coming up with a new style part of the reason an album featuring you took so long to complete?

Blothar: Yes. We had to find a way to be able to make music without Oderus. We went down a few different paths before we got to where we are with this album. There was also a lot of material that was created during this time. We needed to focus on eight songs that seemed to have what it took to be a Gwar record in order to make the best record we possibly could. A lot of material came very last minute which tends to be fairly typical. Between April and May we wrote a lot of the music. Once we figured out what we were doing and how it was supposed to go that’s when things took off. Prior to all of this the band was very distracted with lots of other things aside from having to work without the guy who had such an important vision. We didn’t know how to deal with the massive hole that was left and it took awhile to figure everything out.

AL: The first single released from the record was titled “Fuck This Place”. With Gwar having been around for millions of years now why have you just decided to say fuck this place?

Blothar: Gwar has always been this sort of cosmic Gilligan’s Island. We are stuck on this planet that we can’t get off and the few times we have gotten off we get sucked right back in. “Fuck This Place” I think is in some ways like all the rest Gwar being in the wilderness. We are looking around and now that Oderus is gone things look a lot different. Balsac wrote this song because he just didn’t like what he saw anymore.

AL: The album also features a cover of AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood”. Was this the bands idea or just another trick by manager Sleazy P. Martini to try and make more money off the fans?

Blothar: When you do a cover really you are not making any money for yourself. Sleazy doesn’t like that so he had AC/DC killed and replaced by animatronic puppets. As a result we now collect all of their publishing. What Sleazy wants is important and the theme of us dealing with corporatization is all across the new album. We did the first recording of this song for the AV Club. I think that recording is actually a much better vocal performance that what ended up on the album. I wish we did that first version now. (Laughs) It’s a tough song to sing. Like most AC/DC songs its bit ridiculous as you don’t really know what it’s about.

AL: The band heads back out on the road the same day the album releases (Oct. 20). Who has the band decided to kill this time around?

Blothar: People keep expecting the Trump family to show up. Maybe they will? It would be nice to just move through all of them at one time. He does have a lot of kids though. Sawborg Destructo has been making some noise lately so he might show but, as far as celebrities goes aside from Trump I’m not sure. That guy we found out is immortal. We have been ripping his guts out every night and he keeps coming back for more! We can’t figure out a way to keep him down.

AL: Do you think “Blood of Gods” will finally silence the #BlotharRuinedGwar movement?

Blothar: No! It’s not going to silence it. What it is going to do is kick it into overdrive. That’s what I am expecting it to do anyways. This album is polarizing and people are going to either like it or not like it. Gwar has such an immense history that musically it’s difficult because people will hear this record and hear things they maybe haven’t heard since “This Toilet Earth”. At the same time you have people who will listen and there experience from the band has been from “Violence Has Arrived” on and they are expecting a more metal sound. “Blood of Gods” is somewhere in between. It definitely is a lot different as compared to the group’s last three albums.

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Black Veil Brides Announce New Album “Vale”

BLACK VEIL BRIDES ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM VALE OUT JANUARY 12, 2018, PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE TODAY UNLEASHES TWO NEW SONGS “MY VOW” & “THE OUTSIDER”

BAND ANNOUNCES BVB ARMY PHONE NUMBER FOR FANS

NORTH AMERICAN CO-HEADLINE TOUR DATES WITH ASKING ALEXANDRIA ON SALE TODAY

NEW YORK, NY (September 29, 2017) — After quietly fueling fan anticipation over the past month, BLACK VEIL BRIDES share the details for their anxiously awaited fifth full-length album, VALE [LAVA/Republic Records]—available, January 12, 2018. Pre-Order VALE Here!

The official pre-order grants fans immediate downloads of the first two songs to be released off VALE, “My Vow” and “The Outsider” which was released online last year. Listen to “My Vow” Here and “The Outsider” Here!

Produced by longtime collaborator John Feldmann [blink-182, Panic! At the Disco], VALE sees BLACK VEIL BRIDES sharpen their signature sound to knife point precision.

On the album, front man Andy Biersack stated: “We cannot wait for the BVB army to hear VALE in its entirety! In my opinion, this record is the most complete and exciting album we have done to date. The opportunity to work with John Feldmann once again over the course of the past 2 years creating VALE was an incredible experience and I am thrilled with the collection of songs we have put together as a band. The Latin translation of VALE is “be well, be strong!” and central to the message of this record. We hope to continue to inspire our fans and friends to embrace their own individuality and inner strength. The central narrative once again finds “The Wild Ones” characters facing the challenge of moving on from the pain and anguish of their past and looking to a new chapter in their lives. This concept is one that is near to my heart and I believe will resonate with those that find themselves cast on the fringe of society. From our inception Black Veil Brides have stood up for the outcasts and disenfranchised, with this album as hope to give you hope, fun and most importantly a kick ass rock and roll record.

The band hits the road on January 10th, 2018 for their North American co-headline tour with Asking Alexandria in Salt Lake City and will hit major markets across the country including New York’s Terminal 5 on February 8th and more! Tickets are on-sale now. Check out the full itinerary below and purchase tickets here!

This week, the band announced an official BVB Army phone number as a new way for fans to keep up with the group. Join the new BVB ARMY and be the first to get news by Text Message! Sign up at www.BVBARMY.com OR Text BVBV to 856-282-2769

Get ready for the band’s biggest year yet.

Tour Dates:
1/10 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
1/11 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium
1/12 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
1/13 St. Paul, MN Myth Live
1/15 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
1/17 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE – Indoor
1/18 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live
1/19 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Club Stage
1/20 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
2/2 Worcester, MA Palladium
2/3 Portland, ME State Theatre
2/4 Montreal, QC M Telus
2/5 Toronto, ON Rebel
2/7 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
2/8 New York, NY Terminal 5
2/9 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
2/10 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
2/12 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
2/13 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works
2/14 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
2/16 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Live
2/17 Houston, TX House of Blues
2/19 Albuquerque, NM El Rey Theater
2/20 Tempe, AZ The Marquee
2/22 Boise, ID Knitting Factory Concert House
2/23 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
2/24 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
2/25 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre
2/27 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory Concert House
3/1 San Francisco, CA The Warfield Theatre
3/2 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: album, announce, black, brides, vale, veil, ...

Act of Defiance’s Matt Bachand talks about the bands new album “Old Scars, New Wounds”.

Matt Bachand is probably best known for his work with the heavy metal band Shadows Fall however since 2014 he has been a member of the band Act of Defiance which features former Megadeth members Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick along with former Scar the Martyr front man Henry Derek. The band is set to release their second full length album titled “Old Scars, New Wounds” and Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Matt about the release, his switch to bass guitar and the plans prospective tour plans.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us a little bit about the band’s new album “Old Scars, New Wounds”?

Matt Bachand: Everything was different for us this time around with this record. With the first record Chris and Shawn wrote a majority of the album and they did it pretty quickly. They went from not having a band at all to having a record out in a matter of months. When I came in the material was pretty much done. I did write some bass lines around things which was a bit different from me but it was fun to be doing something different. This time around we had a good chunk of time to work the material and provide input. We all wrote a bunch of stuff for the album and you can definitely tell that this is a band no and not just a project.

AL: Can you talk about the decision to record separately from one another?

MB: That was done more by necessity than anything. We didn’t have a budget that would allow us all to travel and stay in one place while we recorded so we worked on things in each of our own locations. With all of us living in different parts of the country the cost would have been astronomical just for travel not to mention studio time. Once everything was done we sent it to Dave Otero for mixing and after a few tweaks everything was sounding good. Dave was awesome to work with and gave us a great sounding product.

AL: What has the transition from guitar to bass been like for you?

MB: I had known Shawn for a long time going back to when Shadows Fall toured with King Diamond and he was a tech for them. He knew I played bass in a cover band around where I am from and also knew that Shadows Fall was going to be taking a break for awhile so they gave me a call. Even though I had played bass in a cover band I had never really written music from a bass perspective. I think part of the appeal for me in wanting to do this was it was something different from what I had been doing. On that first record I was basically just writing and playing around what had already been written. I was focusing on now being apart of the percussion section as opposed to just riffing. With the bass playing off of what the drums are doing I really wanted to make sure I locked in with Shawn first.

AL: What are the plans for the band to tour behind the release?

MB: We are trying to pull some things together as we speak. We had a few things lined up but unfortunately they have fallen through so we are working as quickly as we can to remedy the situation. In the mean time we are working on some play through videos and things like that to keep things moving and to keep everyone involved with the band.

AL: Has there been any talk of Shadows Fall coming out of hiatus any time soon?

MB: Everyone is super busy right now so we haven’t really talked about it. Jason is playing with Overkill and Jon is with Anthrax and I am doing this project so everyone has a lot going on right now. A couple other guys in the band have families now so we have to figure out the timing. After 20 years of being in a band life eventually gets in the way so everyone has slowed down. Nothing is out of the question for us to play again it just has to be the right time for everyone.

For more info on Act of Defiance visit https://www.facebook.com/actofdefiancemusic/

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music, Music Interviews Tagged With: act, album, bachand, bands, defiances, matt, ...

Tetrarch guitarist Diamond Rowe talks about the bands new album “Freak”

The Atlanta, GA based Nu-Metalcore band Tetrarch are set to release a brand new full-length album on September 29th titled “Freak”. The band is currently out on the road with Devil Driver and Media Mikes had the chance to speak with guitarist Diamond Rowe about the creation of new album, the bands plans for the remainder of 2017 and got her thoughts about being a female guitarist in the heavy metal scene.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the formation of the band?

Diamond Rowe: I started Tetrarch with my best friend while we were still in high school. It took us a little while to hone our sound and really figure out what it was we were going for but things came together and from there we just started touring. Our sound is a mixture of early Nu-Metal with a few modern elements.

AL: Did/Do you ever have any reservations about being a female guitarist in a scene that is predominantly men?

DR: When I started playing guitar and playing in bands I never honestly thought about the fact that I was a female playing metal music. I didn’t see it as anything really different. It wasn’t until people started bringing it to my attention that I noticed this was something different. I was never nervous or hand any reservations as I just did what I could to make the band work and get better at guitar. With they’re not being a lot of females out there playing metal it’s kind of cool to be somewhat influential. We are starting to see a few more females come up in the metal world however there still aren’t a lot of African-American females performing in bands. Being a female metal guitarist I think people might expect you to not be that good (Laughs) so I just go out there and really try to be the best as I can at my instrument.

AL: Can you tell us about the band’s new album “Freak”?

DR: We had never done a full-length release prior to this record. In this day and age it’s not really necessary to release more than one or two songs at a time via an EP. We wanted to do something different this time so we could give people more of who we are. As we were writing I noticed we were getting a lot of influence from more than just metal music and that there were quite a few different music elements present. Lyrically a lot of the subject matter is about weird things and/or embracing differences. We started looking at being weird in a positive way as opposed to negatively. The title “Freak” really came out of that approach.

AL: How did the bands creative process work this time around and, what was it like working with Producer Dave Otera?

DR: Josh Fore and I the predominant writers in the group. We live together so it seems we are always working on something. One of us might start out with a riff and then the other builds on or vice versa. Once we have the basics of a full song will take it to the other guys and they will put their spin on it. Dave actually mixed one of our first EP’s. People had said they really liked the sound so we knew he was someone we wanted to work with again. When it came time to do this record he was someone who came up naturally during the selection process of where to go. Dave is a big name in the death metal scene so working with him certainly brought a new/different perspective to things. Dave was excited to work with the band as we were something a little different for him and things went well. Dave is very easy to work with and made things comfortable.

AL: The band is out until till late September, What do you guys have planned for the rest of the year and going forward in to 2018?

DR: We will be out on this run of shows for a couple more weeks with Devil Driver. After that we return home for a few days and then we head out with Devil Driver for a few west coast dates. We also will be shooting a couple videos in that time as well. The album comes out September 29th and we will be doing a festival show in Texas in November and we might possibly do a short run shows towards the end of November. Once the New Year starts we will be out there in full force pushing this album.

For more info on Tetrarch you can visit their official website at www.Tetrarchmusic.com

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Gwar Announces Full Details of New Album “The Blood of Gods”

GWAR Announces Full Details Of New Album “The Blood of Gods”
First Song Streaming; Pre-orders Available Now

The time has come, your Lords and Masters GWAR have unveiled the details of their latest masterpiece “The Blood of Gods”. Today the first single “Fuck This Place” is available for audio and video streaming. Watch the video, check out the song and pre-order your copy of “The Blood of Gods” at metalblade.com/gwar! Your Intergalactic Overlords demand it! Digital pre-orders include an instant gratification download of “Fuck This Place”. Limited edition special bundle packs are available for pre-order as well.

“The Blood of Gods”, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Ronan Chris “Lord God” Murphy, will be released October 20th via Metal Blade Records. The album will be available in Standard CD, 2LP Colored Vinyl and Digital formats.

“The Blood of Gods Track Listing:
1. War on GWAR
2. Viking Death Machine
3. El Presidente
4. I’ll Be Your Monster
5. Auroch
6. Swarm
7. The Sordid Soliloquy Of Sawborg Destructo
8. Death to Dickie Duncan
9. Crushed By The Cross
10. Fuck This Place
11. Phantom Limb
12. If You Want Blood (You Got It) – AC/DC Cover

The Berserker Blothar says:
“Fuck This Place,” the name says it all. Look around you. Your life sucks. Your planet is dying. You want to kill yourself and everyone you meet. So do it. You’ve drenched yourselves in gasoline, and now GWAR offers you a light. The finish line of the human race is at last within reach. Scream it now at the top of your lungs…”Fuck This Place!”

“The Blood of Gods” is nothing less than a sacred text chronicling the rise of humanity against their makers, and the massive battle between GWAR and the forces of all that is uptight and wrong with the world. Along the way, the band challenges the sins of their great mistake, from politics, pollution, and organized religion, to fast food, and factory farming. Humans are shown as what they are; a parasitic disease that must be eradicated before they suck the planet dry.

Sleazy P. Martini comments on “The Blood of Gods”:
“Sorry scoffers, you thought GWAR was finished? You’re the one who’s finished when GWAR starts their fall tour after dropping their heaviest album yet. “The Blood of the Gods” will be the soundtrack that covers up your pathetic cries for mercy. So go ahead and scream all you want. Just make sure your in key or your death will be excruciating beyond comprehension.”

In support of “The Blood of Gods” release GWAR will be on the road throughout the rest of 2017 including three shows in September with a stop at Chicago’s Riot Fest. GWAR will then return to the road On October 20th, the release date of “The Blood of Gods.” The first show on “The Blood of Gods Tour” is in their adopted home base of Richmond, Virginia and will run through December 10th in Detroit, MI. A complete list of “The Blood of Gods Tour” dates including an NYC appearance on Halloween can be found below. Support on the tour will come be provided by Ghoul, Doyle(10/20-11/5), He Is Legend (11/7-12/10) and U.S. Bastards.

GWAR On Tour:
9/15: Knoxville, TN @ The International
9/16: Middletown, OH @ Land of Illusion
9/17: Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest

GWAR W/Ghoul, Doyle and U.S. Bastards:
10/20: Richmond, VA @ The National
10/21: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
10/22: Toronto, ON @ Opera House* (No Doyle)
10/23: Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls
10/25: Greensboro, NC @ Arizona Petes
10/26: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
10/27: New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
10/28: Worcester, MA @ Palladium
10/29: Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
10/31: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/1: Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/2: Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom* (Stonecutters Open)
11/3: St. Louis, MO @ Pop’s
11/4: Sioux City, IA @ Hard Rock
11/5: Lawrence, KS @ Granada

GWAR W/Ghoul, He Is Legend and U.S. Bastards
11/7: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
11/8: Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid
11/9: Saskatoon, SK @ Saskatoon Events Center
11/10: Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall
11/11: Calgary, AB @ The Palaces
11/13: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
11/14: Portland, OR @ Roseland
11/15: Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
11/17: Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
11/18: Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club
11/19: Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
11/21: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
11/22: Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater
11/23: Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
11/24: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
11/25: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
11/26: Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
11/28: Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
11/29: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
11/30: Houston, TX @ House of Blues
12/1: San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater
12/2: Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater
12/3: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
12/5: Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
12/6: Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
12/8: Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
12/9: Peoria, IL @ Limelight
12/10: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall

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

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GWAR Announces North American Tour and New Album “The Blood of Gods”

GWAR Announces North American Fall Tour
New Album “The Blood of Gods” Out October 20th via Metal Blade Records

On October 20th, GWAR will release a new studio album entitled “The Blood of Gods” via Metal Blade Records. In support of the new album, your Lords and Masters will leave their arctic slumber and return to the road to cause aural (and anal) devastation across North America. Joining in the chaos will be Ghoul, Doyle(10/20-11/5), He Is Legend (11/7-12/10) and U.S. Bastards. The tour kicks off in Richmond, VA on October 20th and runs through December 10th in Detroit, MI. The tour includes a stop in New York City on Halloween as well! A complete list of dates can be found below.

Don’t miss your chance to pleadge allegiance to GWAR each night when they pillage your town. Head to http://www.gwarvip.com to take part in “The Lords and Masters VIP Experience”.

The Lords and Masters VIP Experience Includes:
•One (1) General Admission Ticket with Venue Early Entry (potentially guest list)
•Exclusive access to GWAR soundcheck where you will pledge allegiance to your Lords & Masters!
•Invitation to play a GWAR instrument onstage at soundcheck
•Tour of the weapons of your Lords & Masters
•Crowd Free Merch Access
•One (1) Souvenir item signed by members of GWAR
•One (1) Souvenir GWAR laminate
•Photo opportunity with GWAR before the show
•You will be killed by GWAR on stage during the show.
•Designated Slave Pit Area to pledge your allegiance before you are killed on stage by GWAR!

There are only 5 VIP TICKETS available per show, that’s it so don’t wait.

General admission tickets and VIP Packages go on sale to the public this Friday August 18th at 10:00 AM Eastern.

Concerning the album; “The Blood of Gods” is nothing less than a sacred text chronicling the rise of humanity against their makers, and the massive battle between GWAR and the forces of all that is uptight and wrong with the world. Along the way, the band challenges the sins of their great mistake, from politics, pollution, and organized religion, to fast food, and factory farming. Humans are shown as what they are; a parasitic disease that must be eradicated before they suck the planet dry. Meanwhile, Sleazy P. Martini, the crooked entrepreneur who discovered the Scumdogs, and has always envisioned them as a sort of horrific boy band, finally managed to convince the group to write a hit song called “I’ll Be Your Monster.” If all goes according to plan, it may be just stupid enough to work!

GWAR:
9/15: Knoxville, TN @ The International
9/16: Middletown, OH @ Land of Illusion
9/17: Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest

GWAR W/Ghoul, Doyle and U.S. Bastards:
10/20: Richmond, VA @ The National
10/21: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
10/22: Toronto, ON @ Opera House* (No Doyle)
10/23: Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls
10/25: Greensboro, NC @ Arizona Petes
10/26: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
10/27: New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
10/28: Worcester, MA @ Palladium
10/29: Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
10/31: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/1: Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/2: Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom* (Stonecutters Open)
11/3: St. Louis, MO @ Pop’s
11/4: Sioux City, IA @ Hard Rock
11/5: Lawrence, KS @ Granada

GWAR W/Ghoul, He Is Legend and U.S. Bastards
11/7: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
11/8: Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid
11/9: Saskatoon, SK @ Saskatoon Events Center
11/10: Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall
11/11: Calgary, AB @ The Palaces
11/13: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
11/14: Portland, OR @ Roseland
11/15: Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
11/17: Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
11/18: Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club
11/19: Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
11/21: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
11/22: Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater
11/23: Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
11/24: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
11/25: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
11/26: Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
11/28: Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
11/29: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
11/30: Houston, TX @ House of Blues
12/1: San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater
12/2: Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater
12/3: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
12/5: Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
12/6: Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
12/8: Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
12/9: Peoria, IL @ Limelight
12/10: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall

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

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MOTÖRHEAD to Release “Under Cöver” Album on September 1

MOTÖRHEAD to Release “Under Cöver” Album on September 1, 2017
Covers Compilation to Include Unreleased Version of David Bowie’s “Heroes”

One thing Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee liked to do throughout their years together in MOTÖRHEAD was grab a favorite song by another artist and give it a good old fashioned ‘Motörheading’. To run them through the Motörizer, if you will. To rock them, roll them and even give them an extra twist and edge.

In celebration of some of those finest moments, the band will release Under Cöver, a collection of some of their best covers, and a collection which will include the previously unreleased version of David Bowie’s timeless classic “Heroes”. Recorded during the Bad Magic sessions in 2015 by Cameron Webb, and was one of the last songs the band recorded together.

Under Cöver will be available in 1CD (Digi pack), 1x 180 grams Black Vinyl in gatefold, Super Deluxe Boxset (1CD digipack, 1x 180 grams black vinyl and VIP guest pass), Digital Audio and MFiT Audio.

Pre-order links as follows:
CD: http://hyperurl.co/MHUnderCoverCD
Vinyl: http://hyperurl.co/MHUnderCoverLP
Boxset: http://hyperurl.co/MHUnderCoverBS
iTunes: http://hyperurl.co/MHUnderCoverIT

“It’s such a great Bowie song, one of his best, and I could only see great things coming out of it from us, and so it proved to be,” says Phil Campbell, “and Lemmy ended up loving our version.”

“He was very, very proud of it,” says Mikkey Dee, “not only because it turned out so well but because it was fun! Which is what projects like this should be – fun!”

To that ethic, the rest of the album contains loud and proud, raucous and raging rock ‘n’ roll takes on the likes of “God Save The Queen” (Sex Pistols), “Cat Scratch Fever” (Ted Nugent), “Rockaway Beach,” (The Ramones), Breaking The Law” (Judas Priest) and “Whiplash” (Metallica) which earned the band a Grammy in 2005 for Best Metal Performance.

“We were happy with them at the time and we’re happy with them now!” affirms Campbell, whilst Dee says, “We should remember that it’s about having some fun with songs that we all loved.”

If that doesn’t have you scrambling for your music delivery device, then check your pulse pronto. Or just start scrambling for a copy of Under Cöver immediately. You won’t be sorry.

Under Cöver Track listing
1. Breaking the Law (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2008
2. God Save the Queen (Produced by Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet) 2000
3. Heroes (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2015
4. Starstruck (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2014
5. Cat Scratch Fever (Produced by Peter Solley) 1992
6. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Produced by Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet) 2001
7. Sympathy for the Devil (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2015
8. Hellraiser (Produced by Billy Sherwood) 1992
9. Rockaway Beach (Mixed by Cameron Webb) 2002
10.Shoot ‘Em Down (Produced by Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet) 2001
11. Whiplash (Produced by Bruce Bouillet and Bob Kulick) 2005

All songs performed by MOTÖRHEAD.

MOTÖRHEAD is:
Lemmy Kilmister – Bass/Vocals
Phil Campbell – Guitar
Mikkey Dee – Drums

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Singer Michael Monroe Talks New Compilation Album “The Best”

Legendary Hanoi Rocks singer and solo artist Michael Monroe is set to release “The Best” a 2 disc retrospective compilation showcasing tracks from the Finish rockers 10 album solo career along with a handful of unreleased tracks and a new single. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Michael recently about the release and also about the work he and his band are doing for their next studio album.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about your new collection release titled “The Best” and how you went about selecting which tracks from your catalog would be included?

Michael Monroe: There was a time limit to get everything figured out so basically what I did was choose two songs from each of my solo releases. I did choose to include 4 songs from “Demolition 23” as that material has not been available for almost 20 years now. From that record alone we included “Nothings Alright”, ”Hammersmith Palais”, “You Crucified Me” and “Deadtime Stories” which is a very special one. That song is dedicated to Stiv Bators and the lyrics and everything are in homage to him. A lot of the songs that appear were originally released as singles with accompanying videos. The “Nights Are So Long” album didn’t have either of those so I chose “It’s A Lie”. The version included on this compilation was originally recorded in 1985 and features a duet with me and Stiv. This was done right around the time that I was thinking of starting a solo career. It previously had only been released as a bonus track in the States and Germany with the “Piece of Mind” album. This is a much better version that one I did by myself for the album due to Stiv not being able to make it to the studio. That stuff is all included on disc 1. Disc 2 of the set features tracks from my three most recent albums “Sensory Overdrive”, “Horns and Halos” and “Blackout States” as well as a few other tracks including a cover of “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf which features Slash. Slash is someone who has always been great to me and was really significant during my solo years so I wanted to include a piece of that. Ultimately fans will get a two disc set featuring 29 tracks including the new single “One Foot Outta the Grave”, 4 unreleased tracks, a handful of bonus songs and a few songs from each album. I think fans will really enjoy what we have put together.

AL: Was this material all remixed and re-mastered or are these the original versions of each song?

MM: We really didn’t do much in the way of re-mastering. We did bring up levels on some of the older recordings and we tweaked things a little here and there so each track matched. When you’re pulling songs from different albums for a compilation like this you have to make sure they are all have a consistent sound. Svante Forsback who masters a lot of the records made in Finland did a great job with this. He wasn’t trying to make something sound like a certain era he was just out to get the best sound possible for each song.

AL: What was it like revisiting a lot of this material?

MM: I think it was a healthy thing to do. I got to look back at my career thus far and it put things in perspective for me. I think “The Best” is a really great representation of what I have done as a solo artist. It in a way was like doing an autobiography. Looking back I may not be the biggest or most famous but not everyone has to be that. As long as I have my integrity and never compromise for the wrong reasons and keep making quality material that’s all I need. I think a lot of this material really stands the test of time unlike today with a lot of things where after 20 years or so it just doesn’t hold up.

AL: Were the unreleased tracks ones that you have had for awhile or are they fairly recent compositions?

MM: We had “Fist Full of Dynamite” and “Simple Town” left over from the last album sessions. They were supposed to be used as bonus tracks before now however that weren’t needed. “One Foot Outta the Grave” is a pretty fresh song. That was recorded in February in Helsinki. The others material was stuff I had around on tape.

AL: Can you tell us about the new studio album you are currently working on?

MM: We have a lot of creative energy in this band. I have given everyone the freedom to write as much as they would like and then we pick the best material to record. We don’t let any egos get in the way. This band has been together for seven years now and we all know each other really well. Steve Conte and Rich Jones are really great songwriters. I don’t have to be the only one writing lyrics as these guys are capable of writing stuff that I instantly relate to. Depending on the situation we may write together or alone as we each live somewhere else in the world. There is never a lack of songs which makes things easy when it is time do a new record. We write then we pick the best songs and go in and record.

AL: Are there any plans for you and the band to tour this year?

MM: We are going to be doing some date in the UK in December. At the moment we’re going through a management change as in the past few years I haven’t had proper management. Hopefully by making these changes we will be able to tour more. We have done some smaller shows in the States over the past couple years but to really get noticed outside of New York or Los Angeles you have to be on one of the bigger tours. The plan is to keep doing what we are doing and hopefully we will catch some breaks. I have had some pretty bad luck throughout my career but I don’t let that get me down and am looking forward to the future.

For more info on Michael Monroe you can visit www.michaelmonroe.com

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M.O.D. Vocalist Billy Milano Talks About the Bands New Album “Busted, Broke & American”

Billy Milano is the outspoken vocalist for the legendary hardcore/thrash band M.O.D. On July 7th the group will release its 10th full-length studio album titled “Busted, Broke & American” via Megaforce Records. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Billy recently about the album which was an extremely personal record Milano as well as his thoughts on the current state of hardcore and the possibility of this being the group’s final album.

Adam Lawton: M.O.D. went through a couple rough patches during the making of the new album which was originally slated to be released a couple years ago. Can you tell us about that?

Billy Milano: I have never been one of those guys that say’s I “have” to do something because of music. A lot of people know me from music but that’s not all of who I am. I did the “Red, White and Screwed” album in 2007 and then toured it for a year and a half. During that time one of the things I realized was that I had been forcing myself into a position I didn’t want to be in. I needed some time for myself as I just didn’t care anymore. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the band it’s just that I generally do about a two year run with a group of guys and then that’s it. People change and I tend to get angsty unless, they bring something to the table. I don’t agree with people being involved in my life that are all encompassing. I am an adult and want to be able to go and live my life how I want to without any interference. When I came back from California in 2012 after the first sessions for this album there was a myriad of problems. There were guys in the band I was tired off, the producer I was working with wasn’t the right guy for the job and what we ended up with didn’t work for me. I took about a whole year off after this. Also at this time my dog Buster was very sick. To watch him go through what he did was heart breaking and I couldn’t leave him. I started playing guitar again at this time and that’s when this record started to come to life.

AL: The band is back with Megaforce Records. Can you tell us how that relationship came back together?

BM: I had started working on the record again and it was starting to turn out special. I had a couple labels that were interested at the time and out of nowhere Missy the owner of Megaforce calls me up to talk about doing a 30th anniversary edition for the “U.S.A. for M.O.D.” record. I thought that would be really cool and while we were talking I asked her if she would be interested in hearing the new record. I played it for her and she liked what she heard. From there we decided to work together on this record and also to re-release three M.O.D. records from our back catalog. Megaforce has been very good to us and the packaging has come out amazing.

AL: What are your thoughts on the recent upswing that hardcore music is experiencing right now and, where do you feel M.O.D. fits in with today’s music scene?

BM: A lot of people have always looked at M.O.D. and wondered what is it? If you listen to the records it’s not hardcore, thrash or punk. It’s got a little bit of everything in it. I think it has a hardcore punk attitude which is something I myself have always been, a New York Hardcore Skinhead even as hairy as I am now I still consider myself that. (Laughs) When we would start putting together a tour I would think to myself about bands who we could tour with and it was hard because there was no one else really like M.O.D. We just didn’t fit any one specific category. M.O.D. has a core group of fans and I accept that because that is what I have offered. I have only offered a cursorary involvement with M.O.D. live around the world because I feel there are other things in my life that take precedent. That’s not what musicians who are successful think like. In my case growing up in an Italian family with 11 brothers and sisters with tight nit community around us gave me a different attitude towards things. As to addressing where M.O.D. fits on the tooth of the gear to this day this is something I still can’t answer. I know we have a great record coming out to go along with some of the other great records we have put out in the past. “Busted, Broke & American” is a very memorable record. I think it’s coming to a point where it wasn’t the timing of other things going on that might be good for it as much as it was the timing of where I am at. Things are coexisting together and that’s something you just can’t plan. It just happens. I have always just been Billy Milano. There are a lot of hardcore bands out there doing reunions and playing shows right now and I think a lot of that has to do with the vinyl market. Bands are able to release their back catalogs for the first time on vinyl and getting deals based on that which allows them then to put out new music. The anniversary of “U.S.A For M.O.D” and the history M.O.D. had with Megaforce Records certainly helped me get this new record out and I am grateful for that.

AL: You stated in a press release that “Busted, Broke & American” very well could be M.O.D.’s last album. Is that still the case as we get closer to the July 7 release date?

BM: Yes, Absolutely! Do I think I could write another record like? No. Too much pain went into this record. Watching my dog die while writing this and learning how to play guitar again was just awful. At my age the stress that comes along with doing a record is not something I want to deal with. This was a very personal record to me and I put a lot into it. I mixed this thing seven times because it was so personal. It was Busters record. I don’t think I am doing another record. Will I do a single or an EP? Sure. I think I can write a few great songs every one or two years and put out an EP with somebody. It would be cool to do something with M.O.D. and maybe some unsigned punk bands and put that stuff out and expose people to new music. For me that would be a better legacy than a follow up record. I have always tried to help unsigned people. I have brought in unknown musicians to my records because I wanted to bring people into that pool of the music industry.

AL: Are there any plans to perform the new album live?

BM: I have no live shows planned at this moment. We haven’t even been able to rehearse as we are minus a drummer at this moment. I had a guy lined up but due to some personal things he was not able to keep going with us. We will find a drummer eventually. There are always guys out there that want to get paid to play. Our music isn’t Rush or Dream Theater. Maybe more like “Mystery Science 3000 Theater” but not those other groups. (Laughs) When we are ready will be out there ripping it. In the mean time I am focusing on two books I am writing. The first one is my personal book and the second is a cook book which I am doing for my mom. I have another band I am working with called “Billy Be Damned”. I play rhythm guitar in that band. If I had to describe it, it would be a mixture of The Pogues meets Stiff Little Fingers meets the Clash and Foo Fighters. It’s heavy but it’s not metal.

Be sure to check out our exclusive review of “Busted, Broken & American” here. And for more info on Billy and M.O.D. head over to www.milanomosh.com

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GWAR To Embark On The “Vans’ Warped Tour” Tomorrow; New Album Details Revealed!

GWAR to embark on the “Vans’ Warped Tour” tomorrow;
 New album details revealed!

For the first time ever, Antarctic Alien Overlords GWAR will hit the road beginning tomorrow as part of the “Vans’ Warped Tour.” The tour crisscrosses the United States, running through August 6th in Pomona, CA. A complete list of dates can be found below.

Last week, during GWAR’s “Vans’ Warped Tour” social media takeover, the band announced the name of their forthcoming new album: The Blood Of Gods. The record will be released this fall via Metal Blade Records. The album is a hard rock masterpiece, a new milestone for GWAR’s music that will be totally unexpected, and is going to blow people away. Speaking of blowing people, this is the first album to feature the Berserker Blothar on lead vocals! For those of you human scum that are attending the “Vans’ Warped Tour,” you will have your chance to pre-order the album before anyone else. That’s right Bohabs, just head over to the GWAR merchandise tent to pre-order your copy of The Blood Of Gods. When you give the hateful slave working the GWAR merchandise booth your hard earned cash, they will give you a special laminate that will guarantee you a copy of the CD upon release date. So act now, and spare yourself the wrath of the most violent band in universe… And don’t lose your special laminate, it’s your ticket to a guaranteed lifetime of eternal suffering!

Guitarist Pustulus Maximus did his best to explain the pre-order process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqsW0TnZIAk

Following their run on “Vans’ Warped Tour”, the band will make an appearance at Chicago’s “Riot Fest”, as well as two other headline dates, before they return home for a brief Antarctic slumber. Expect a full fall tour in support of The Blood Of Gods. More details on the new album, including artwork, full track-listing and your first taste of new music will be made available over the coming weeks.

GWAR on “Vans’ Warped Tour”:
June 16: Seattle, WA @ Century Link North Lot
June 17: Salem, OR @ Oregon State Fairgrounds
June 21: Albuquerque, NM @ Balloon Fiesta Park
June 22: Phoenix, AZ @ Fear Farm Festival Grounds
June 23: Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel
June 24: Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fair Park
June 25: Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
June 27: Nashville, TN @ The Fairgrounds Nashville
June 28: Metairie, LA @ Zephyr Field
June 29: Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
June 30: Orlando, FL @ Tinker Field
July 1: St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa) @ Vinoy Park
July 2: West Palm Beach, FL (Miami) @ Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
July 4: Wilmington, NC @ Legion Stadium
July 6: Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte
July 7: Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
July 8: Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Amphitheatre
July 9: Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre
July 10: Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
July 11: Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
July 12: Mansfield, MA (Boston) @ Xfinity Center
July 13: Darien Center, NY (Buffalo) @ Darien Lake PAC
July 14: Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
July 15: Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 16: Columbia, MD (Washington, DC) @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 18: Cuyahoga Falls, OH (Cleveland) @ Blossom Music Center
July 19: Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 20: Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
July 21: Tinley Park, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
July 22: Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 23: Shakopee, MN (Minneapolis) @ Canterbury Park
July 24: Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater
July 26: Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino
July 27: Bonner Springs, KS (Kansas City) @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
July 28: Dallas, TX @ Starplex Pavilion
July 29: San Antonio, TX @ AT&T center
July 30: Houston, TX @ NRG Park – Main Street Lot
Aug. 1: Las Cruces, NM @ New Mexico State University (Intramural Field)
Aug. 4: Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 5: San Diego, CA @ Qualcomm Stadium at Jack Murphy Field
Aug. 6: Pomona, CA @ Fairplex Pomona

GWAR headline dates:
Sept. 15: Knoxville, TN @ The International
Sept. 16: Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
Sept. 17: Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest*
*=festival appearance

GWAR online: http://www.gwar.net/

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: album, details, embark, gwar, revealed, tomorrow, ...

Queens of the Stone Age Announce New Album “Villians”

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE “VILLAINS”
OUT AUGUST 25 ON MATADOR RECORDS
Preorders Live Now Including Instant Grat First Single “The Way You Used To Do”
North American Tour Dates Announced—Including Headline
Stops At Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks & More
Tickets On Sale To The Public June 22
Face The Truth At http://www.qotsa.com

“The title Villains isn’t a political statement. It has nothing to do with Trump or any of that shit. It’s simply 1) a word that looks fantastic and 2) a comment on the three versions of every scenario: yours, mine and what actually happened… Everyone needs someone or something to rail against—their villain—same as it ever was. You can’t control that. The only thing you can really control is when you let go.”—Joshua Homme

Hundreds of epic shows, memory lapses, unexplained injuries, one yearlong detour with Iggy Pop and multiple Grammy nominations later, Queens Of The Stone Age reemerge from the desert newly scarred and somehow strangely prettier with lucky seventh album, Villains, out August 25 on Matador Records. Now available for preorder on deluxe vinyl, standard vinyl, CD and digital (all formats include an instant download of first single “The Way You Used To Do”), Villains consists of the following songs:

1. Feet Don’t Fail Me
2. The Way You Used To Do
3. Domesticated Animals
4. Fortress
5. Head Like A Haunted House
6. Un-Reborn Again
7. Hideaway
8. The Evil Has Landed
9. Villains Of Circumstance

Produced by Mark Ronson and co-produced by Mark Rankin and mixed by Alan Moulder, Villains is the first full album offering from Queens Of The Stone Age since 2013’s …Like Clockwork gave the band its first #1 album in the U.S. (and #1s in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, #2s in the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, Finland… but really, who’s counting?). Like the stunning artwork of returning illustrator Boneface, the sonic signatures of the lineup that took …Like Clockwork around the world and back—Founder/guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Joshua Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar, keys), Michael Shuman (bass), Dean Fertita (keys, guitar), Jon Theodore (drums)—are as unmistakable as ever, though coexisting with sufficient new twists to induce recurring double takes. As Homme himself puts it, “The most important aspect of making this record was redefining our sound, asking and answering the question ‘what do we sound like now?’ If you can’t make a great first record, you should just stop—but if you can make a great record but you keep making records and your sound doesn’t evolve, you become a parody of that original sound.”

Of his role working within such a closed and confident ecosystem as Queens Of The Stone Age, Ronson says, “Queens are and have always been my favorite rock n roll band ever since I walked into Tower on Sunset and bought Rated R in the summer of 2000, so it was incredibly surreal to be welcomed into their secret, pirate clan—or the ‘jacuzzi’ as Josh likes to call it. I also knew that my super fandom alone would not keep me in the jacuzzi. There were moments during the making of the album in which i was aware i was watching my musical heroes craft something that was sure to become one of my favorite moments on any Queens album. And to have some part in that felt like being in a dream–a very heavy, dark, wonderful dream.”

Longtime Queens cohort co-producer Mark Rankin added, “After the baptism of fire that was …Like Clockwork, I was excited to get into the studio again with the challenge of pushing the sound for this record, especially with the the addition of Ronson into the creative mix. We wanted to evolve the production to be processed in a modern way yet be totally organic and still performed fully live, like lifting a veil and what you thought was electronic is actually live and things are not as they first appear… What we’ve made is forward looking yet unmistakably Queens.”

Queens Of The Stone Age have also confirmed a slew of North American dates filling in the space between and beyond their previously announced appearances at Outside Lands and Riot Fest. The new shows, which include Queens’ first ever Madison Square Garden headline, are detailed below. For tour dates and tickets, head over to http://smarturl.it/QOTSALive.

For further information, keep an eye on Queens Of The Stone Age sites and socials and just let go.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
“VILLAINS” North American Tour
with Special Guests ROYAL BLOOD (Sept. 6 through Oct. 24 Headline Dates)

June 22 — Rapids Theater — Niagara Falls, NY
June 24 — Amnesia Rockfest 2017 — Montebello, QC
August 10 – Majestic Ventura Theater – Ventura, CA
August 12 – Outside Lands – San Francisco, CA
September 6 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
September 7 – Festival Pier – Philadelphia, PA
September 9 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
September 10 – 20 Monroe Live – Grand Rapids, MI
September 12 – Express Live! Outdoor Pavilion – Columbus, OH
September 13 – Stage AE (Outdoors) – Pittsburgh, PA
September 15 – Agora Theater – Cleveland, OH
September 16 – Riot Fest – Chicago, IL
October 9 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
October 10 – Red Rocks – Morrison, CO
October 12 – Peabody – St. Louis, MO
October 13 – Crossroads KC – Kansas City, MO
October 14 – Roy Wilkins Auditorium – Saint Paul, MN
October 15 – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
October 17 – Fox Theatre – Detroit, MI
October 18 – Old National Centre – Murat Theatre – Indianapolis, IN
October 20 – TBC – Washington, DC
October 21 – Agganis Arena – Boston, MA
October 22 – State Theatre – Portland, ME
October 24 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Photo: Andreas Neumann

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: age, album, announce, queens, stone, villians, ...
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