Spector Basses is hosting a meet and greet opportunity with Anthrax bassist, Frank Bello, on Friday, January 24 during the NAMM Show between 1:30 – 5 PM inside the Korg USA Booth 6902.
Spector is also hosting a meet and greet opportunity with Living Colour bassist, Doug Wimbish, on Thursday, January 23 during the NAMM Show between 1:30 and 5PM inside the Korg USA Booth 6902.
NAMM 2025 is underway now, and runs through Sunday, January 26 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
A guitar owned by legendary rock musician Jeff Beck has been sold for £1,068,500 at auction, reports BBC. Beck died at his home in Wadhurst, East Sussex, at the age of 78 in 2023.
The 1954 ‘Oxblood’ Gibson Les Paul, which featured on the cover of his 1975 album Blow By Blow, went under the hammer in London on Wednesday.
Over 130 guitars, amps and pedals from his six-decade career will be auctioned at Christie’s, where the collection has been on display for a week. The instrument had a pre-auction estimate of £300,000 – £500,000.
“Originally it was not an Oxblood” said Amelia Walker from Christies, “it was a Gold Top. Fans will know it from the cover of his debut solo album Blow By Blow, released in 1975, recorded with George Martin. He used it for the encore at the end of David Bowie’s final performance as Ziggy Stardust in July 1973.”
With their latest full-length record available worldwide in just 16 days, Grammy-winning, progressive music titans, Dream Theater, are releasing the next piece of music from their sixteenth studio album, Parasomnia.
The track “Midnight Messiah” – clocking in at 7:58 – is now available via all digital service providers and is the third musical composition available from the iconic reunited lineup of vocalist James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Portnoy.
The song marks Portnoy’s first lyrical contribution since 2009. A tour diary music video featuring footage from multiple dates of their successful European leg of the 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 was directed and edited by longtime collaborator Mike Leonard from footage compiled by tour documentarian Wolfe Eliot and Paul Green Productions.
“It was great writing lyrics again and contributing this chapter to the Parasomnia story. DT fans may get a kick out of discovering some of the hidden nuggets I planted in the song referencing many of my past DT lyrics…and the music video is a great representation of the excitement of the first two tour legs we recently completed throughout Europe and South America. Just in time to prepare for our next leg throughout North America which we are so excited to embark on,” explains Mike Portnoy.
An album announcement that is fifteen years in the making, Dream Theater return with their sixteenth studio album, Parasomnia, scheduled for release on February 7 via their longtime label home, Inside Out Music/Sony Music.
From the opening track “In The Arms Of Morpheus” to the closer of “The Shadow Man Incident,” Dream Theater returns with a collection of songs that showcase what has earned the band a loyal following for four decades. Clocking in at 71 minutes, Parasomnia takes the listener on a musical journey that has become synonymous with the band since the beginning of their career. Parasomnia is a term for disruptive, sleep-related disturbances including sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, and night terrors. Songs like “A Broken Man,” “Dead Asleep,” “Midnight Messiah” and “Bend The Clock” all build upon the themes brought on by the album title.
The album was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James ‘Jimmy T’ Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returns once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.
Parasomnia is available for pre-order here in the following configurations:
– Ltd Deluxe Box-set – includes Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (Incl. CD1: full album, CD2: instrumentals, Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos & 5.1 Surround Sound – mixed by Mark Gittins, High-Resolution Stereo Mixes, animated visualizers for each song created by Wayne Joyner, + 68-page booklet), Ltd Gatefold 180g Dark Green 2LP (feat. alternative cover artwork), Majesty-logo dream catcher keyring, Sleeping mask, Dream journal, 60x60cm poster & hand-numbered, foil-stamped certificate of authenticity. Limited to 3500 copies worldwide.
– Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook – (Incl. CD1: full album, CD2: instrumentals, Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos & 5.1 Surround Sound – mixed by Mark Gittins, High-Resolution Stereo Mixes, animated visualizers for each song created by Wayne Joyner, + 68-page booklet)
– Gatefold 180g 2LP + 12-page LP-booklet
– Special Edition CD Digipak
– Digital Album – (incl. Dolby Atmos – mixed by Mark Gittins)
Parasomnia tracklisting:
“In The Arms Of Morpheus” (5:22) “Night Terror” (9:55) “A Broken Man” (8:30) “Dead Asleep” (11:06) “Midnight Messiah” (7:58) “Are We Dreaming?” (1:28) “Bend The Clock” (7:24) “The Shadow Man Incident” (19:32)
“A Broken Man” visualizer:
“Night Terror” video:
An Evening with Dream Theater 40th Anniversary Tour dates:
February 7 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met 8 – Raleigh, NC – Martin Marietta Center 10 – Nashville, TN – Opry House 11 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy 12 – Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Café 14 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall 15 – Dallas, TX – Texas Trust CU 16 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Center 19 – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theater 21 – Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea 22 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater 24 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic 25 – Sacramento, CA – Safe Credit Union Performing 27 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater 28 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
March 2 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra 4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center 6 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom 8 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre 9 – Cleveland, OH – MGM Northfield Park 11 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum 12 – Montreal, QC – Place des Arts 14 – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theater 15 – Boston. MA – Boch Center 17 – Rochester, NY – Kodak 18 – Wheeling, WV – Capitol Theater 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Brady Music Center 21 – Washington, DC – The Anthem 22 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
More information on all tickets and VIP packages can be found here.
Black Star Riders / The Almighty frontman, Ricky Warwick, has released the new single and music video, “The Crickets Stayed In Clovis”, from his new solo record, Blood Ties, arriving on March 14 via Earache Records.
Says Warwick, “I’ve kept you waiting for this one – was it worth the wait?! My new single ‘The Crickets Stayed In Clovis’ is out now! We unashamedly fired up the Thin Lizzy harmony guitars on this one! You’ll find the track on my upcoming album Blood Ties, which you can pre-order now at earache.com/rickywarwick – heads up that the splatter vinyl edition is 50% sold out!
“’The Crickets Stayed In Clovis’ is about how life can change in the blink of an eye, as was seen with the ill-fated plane journey that took the lives of Buddy Holly and three others. A few weeks before the flight, Buddy had fired his backing band, The Crickets. Waylon Jennings was supposed to be on the flight but gave his seat up to the Big Bopper, who had the flu and Waylon felt sorry for him. Ritchie Valens flipped a coin with Tommy Allsup for his seat, Ritchie won and lost his life.
“Life’s a game of chance, sometimes it’s better to play the long game and not be envious of others, as you never know what tomorrow brings.”🤘
Warwick previously stated: “Blood Ties is a look into my deepest, darkest personal demons – but I’ve made sure the guitars were turned up way beyond driven to turn that negativity into an uplifting slab of rock’n’roll that I can’t wait for all of you to hear. Along with Lita Ford, you’ll hear my partners in R’n’R Charlie Starr, Billy Duffy and Tuk Smith amongst others on the album. Thank you to everyone who helped me create Blood Ties but, most importantly, thanks to YOU for making sure that I can keep doing what I love: making music for each and every one of you.”
The journey from Belfast to Los Angeles, entwined with a lifetime spent at the coalface of bona fide rock n roll, has made for a heady cocktail of creativity and popularity. Ricky Warwick, founder of The Almighty, Black Star Riders, The Fighting Hearts, acclaimed and respectful frontman of Thin Lizzy since 2011, remains unstoppable.
This time he’s on a solo run with the release of his new album, Blood Ties.
Acknowledging that it was time to mine a deep seam for this record, the busiest man in the business has left nothing in the dressing room. Big cathartic guitar sounds and life-affirming, often joyous assessments of where he stands in this time and place make this album a standout piece of work in a career that has spanned over four decades. The Northern Irish man has spent his time well and the foundations for an album such as Blood Ties have been laid on solid ground.
As a solo artist and an esteemed singer/songwriter in his own right, Ricky Warwick has also collaborated with some of the finest musicians on the planet, with Blood Ties featuring Billy Duffy (The Cult), Lita Ford and Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke). Ricky has gathered many strings to his bow and his capacity to deliver new work to an appreciative fanbase with the accuracy of a perfectly flighted arrow is beyond impressive.
Having written with his friend and creative compadre Mr Keith Nelson (Buckcherry, Velvet Revolver, Blackberry Smoke) on this album, Ricky stresses that the guitars are turned up “beyond driven” on Blood Ties. When Warwick is as happy as this with a new work, you can rest assured there’s another hit album barrelling down the track… And it’s coming at a pace.
Tracklisting:
“Angels Of Desolation” “Rise And Grind” (Feat. Charlie Starr) “Don’t Leave Me In The Dark” (feat. Lita Ford) “The Crickets Stayed In Clovis” “Don’t Sell Your Soul To Fall In Love” “Dead And Gone” “The Hell Of Me And You” (feat. Billy Duffy) “Crocodile Tears” “Wishing Your Life Away” “The Town That Didn’t Stare”
“Don’t Leave Me In The Dark” video:
Warwick will be doing a string of UK tour dates around the release of the new album. Dates below.
March 8 – Blackpool – Waterloo Music Bar 9 – Milton Keynes – Craufurd Arms 11 – Brighton – Concorde 2 * (SOLD OUT) 12 – Nottingham – Rock City * 14 – Manchester – Academy * 15 – Newcastle – O2 City Hall * 17 – Glasgow – Barrowland Ballroom * (SOLD OUT) 18 – York – Barbican * 20 – Birmingham – O2 Academy * 21 – Bristol – O2 Academy * 22 – London – Roundhouse * 24 – Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach 25 – Lincoln – The Drill
UK metalcore favourites Employed To Serve have unleashed an absolute worldie of a new single, the first from newly announced fifth studio album Fallen Star. The single, titled Atonement, continues the ongoing evolution of Woking’s finest, merging chunky metal grooves with scraping hardcore riffs and a big, old school heavy metal guitar solo. It also features a surprising cameo from Lorna Shore frontman Will Ramos, who initially arrives on the scene to dish out some of his trademark, gnarled growling vocals before making a shocking about-turn by actually singing the track’s super-catchy chorus.
Ramos, widely regarded as one of modern metal’s most impressive screamers, has rarely aired the more melodic side of his vocal range, though he did delight fans with a clean take on Sleep Token single Chokehold via Youtube in 2023. So far, he’s never brought his singing voice into his day job.
“Atonement takes aim at those who try to lord their power over you. The only way to defeat these people is by rising above their behaviour and pushing forward on your own path,” explainsguitarist Sammy Urwin. “We wanted to lead with this single because it is the track that encompasses the ethos of Employed to Serve as a whole. We’re strong believers of working hard and not letting life and the negative people in it affect your goals and aspirations.”
The video for Atonement pays tribute to the (inferior but still very good, let’s be honest) US version of The Office, having actually been filmed in the sitcom’s home of Scranton, PA.
“The studio was a shrine to the show, and Dwight, which was fun to explore in between filming!” says Employed To Serve vocalist Justine Jones. “We wanted to portray someone in power/authority trying to wear down their captive through aggression. I found it very hard to keep a straight face while choking out Sammy; by take fifteen or so I got more into it as the jetlag and hot weather made me feel more unhinged.”
Watch the video for Atonement below. Fallen Star lands on April 25 via Spinefarm. Employed To Serve head out on a UK headline tour this April, with Celestial Sanctuary and Burner in support.
Employed To Serve – Atonement (feat. Will Ramos) – YouTube
Apr 21 Wolverhampton KK’s Steel Mill Apr 22 Glasgow The Cat House Apr 23 Leeds The Key Club Apr 24 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach Apr 25 London 02 Academy Islington
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On January 22, 1989, Metallica finally made it onto the airwaves with their video for …And Justice For All standout One. The clip catapulted the Four Horsemen into living rooms around the world and only strengthened their grip as they climbed to metal’s pinnacle. However, in this 2015 op-ed, one Metal Hammer scribe writes about the life-long scars its brutal imagery gave him.
“I’m surprised you’re not scared of this,” said my mother as I sat with my eyes fixed on the television.
When I was 12, I’d dutifully record The Power Hour, a weekly show on ITV which was broadcast during the small hours.
At the time, Metallica didn’t have any proper videos. I can only remember seeing a grainy video of the band performing For Whom The Bell Tolls in Oakland in 1985. But that was it.
But one morning in January 1989, that – and my life – was all about to change. The show’s presenter Nikki Groocock announced that they were to play a new video from Metallica – a promo for their One single. It felt like a big deal, so I remember pausing the video, pouring myself some cereal and making another mug of coffee. I drank a lot of coffee when I was 12.
I remember feeling slightly unsettled a few months earlier when I first listened to the song. I bought and played …And Justice For All for the first time on Bonfire Night in 1988. I recall this vividly because the firework display outside seemed to blend into the song’s opening battlefield sound effects and those eerie opening notes. And my non-metal-loving friends said I was sad for staying in to listen to music.
Shot in black and white and layered with a cold blue hue, the video opens with close-ups of the band’s various body parts: the back of Jason Newsted’s head, James Hetfield’s body, his face intermittently obscured by the shadow of an overhead ceiling fan. The band’s role in the video was simple: tear through the song in an empty warehouse space in Long Beach, California. Grimace and headbang. That was it. They were all dressed in black, save for Lars Ulrich, who chose to wear one of the band’s own 1988 white tour t-shirts – the one with his own face on it, just to drive home who he is and which band he plays in.
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Now, at this point, I’d go through the video and break it down, minute by minute. But the truth is that I’ve seen the video three times in full, and they were all on that winter’s morning. It’s the film they used clips from that’s responsible for a monthly recurring nightmare. And I’m never watching it again.
Johnny Got His Gun was an anti-war novel written by Dalton Trumbo in 1938 and published a year later. The story is centred around a young American man called Joe Bonham who serves in World War I and gets hit by an artillery shell.
As the story unfolds, he realises that he has woken up on a hospital bed with no arms, no legs and no face. There’s a very graphic chapter in the book where he realises he’s lost his eyes, nose and mouth by exploring the gaping wound with his tongue. He’s also deaf and can only communicate to nurses and soldiers via Morse code, which he does by bashing his head on a pillow.
A film – directed by Trumbo himself – was released in 1971 and stars Timothy Bottoms. It also features appearances by Jason Robards, David Soul and Donald Sutherland, who makes a cameo as Jesus Christ in a dream sequence. It flits between black and white and washed-out colour, as we see Bottoms alone in a stark hospital room with a mask covering what’s left of his face.
Even typing this now makes me feel slightly sick and my shoulders feel considerably heavy. Who’d have thought a rock video had the power to ruin someone’s life?
After watching that video a few times, I began to overthink what I’d just seen. My cereal went uneaten and my coffee grew cold on the windowsill. I remember sleeping with the light on that night. I can’t remember sleeping alone in the dark again after that, actually.
Metallica’s James Hetfield (left) and Kirk Hammett on the Damaged Justice tour in 1989 (Image credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
This experience has bled into my life in all sorts of ways. The following year, I had a massive panic attack during a school trip to London’s Imperial War Museum. Their visitor attraction, the Trench Experience, recreates the sounds and smells of being on the frontline. Of course, my curiosity quickly turned into blind panic as I pushed through my classmates and ran outside, pausing to retch drily into a bin.
I had a nightmare that night.
On October 28, 1992, I got to see Metallica at Whitley Bay Ice Rink. This was during their colossal Black Album tour, where they brought their Snake Pit stage set up and played a 20-minute film in lieu of having a support band. Lars’ face would be beamed onto a screen and he’d talk to the fans from their dressing room before a documentary of sorts would kill time before their set. A brief clip from One was shown and I spent the entire gig wondering if I’d get to sleep when I got home.
I had a nightmare that night.
When the band released their 1993 boxset extravaganza, Live Shit: Binge & Purge, I tried fast-forwarding the film from their set at the San Diego Sports Arena. I managed to see the One clip then, stopped the tape and never watched the rest of it.
I had a nightmare that night.
Around this time, I’d also spend a lot of days at my friend Stephen’s house listening to records and plucking out bass lines from slower rock songs. A small dene divided the two housing estates where we lived, and it reminded me of a scene from the film, where the hapless Joe Bonham runs down a bank before the mortar attack. Some nights I’d sprint home with my heart beating out of my chest; some nights I’d walk home the long way round. And, I’m ashamed to say, Stephen escorted me across the bridge a few times, laughing his head off as I went back to safety.
I had a nightmare every night.
When I moved to London in 1994, I would regularly go to Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus. One day, I clocked the Johnny Got His Gun paperback on a shelf and snapped it up immediately. I’ve yet to experience a surge of fear quite like it since.
From the time it took to get from Piccadilly Circus to Oakwood tube station, I must have read half of the book and blinked perhaps twice. It was very easy to read: its pace quickens with a lack of punctuation during Joe’s fevered rants. I drank myself to sleep that night, which took a few pints on an empty stomach.
Over the years, I’ve had so-called friends hum One’s opening bars just to see my good mood change in an instant. I don’t like fireworks and I can only half-enjoy Blackadder Goes Forth. I can’t wash my hair with my eyes closed. I will often sleep with my feet and arms sticking out of the bedsheets. I don’t like people covering their faces with their hands and have developed the knack of turning a TV off the second I sense the video will start. It’s quite impressive, actually.
Why am I so scared of this video? I’ve always had a thing about World War I. Maybe it’s that. The idea of locked-in syndrome terrifies me, too. But it’s definitely the cloth mask covering Timothy Bottoms’ disfigured face and his feeling of utter helplessness that makes my stomach turn. And his weary voiceover makes me want to run out of the house. People I’ve bored to death talking about it agree that it’s a bleak premise, but they’re able to go to the toilet without turning every light on in their house.
So, two years ago, after consuming several glasses of vodka, I attempted to watch Johnny Got His Gun in its entirety.
I didn’t do this alone – are you mental? I watched it with my girlfriend, who I once asked to put her arms on top of the duvet to double-check she wasn’t a double amputee. She definitely isn’t.
‘Let’s watch it, draw a line under it and move on’, I probably slurred as I turned on my Macbook. It’s on YouTube in its entirety, if you’re feeling brave. With a sphincter so tight it could squeeze the life out of a single human hair, I managed 10 minutes before slamming my laptop shut. I admitted defeat, before realising I’d plunged the bedroom into complete darkness. I probably deserved that, to be fair.
This whole paralysing fear of a song, a film and a music video came to a head when I once did a phone interview with Lars. I went off-topic – the interview was supposed to be about Through The Never – and asked him whether the video had affected him to such an extent. He admitted it hadn’t, but he ended up apologising for causing me nightmares.
I didn’t have a nightmare that night. I had two, including a vivid scene where I was locked in a room with the film on an endless loop.
So thank you, Metallica. Thank you very fucking much.
Post-rock pioneers Talk Talk are to have their 1997 collection, The Very Best Of Talk Talk, reissued through Rhino Records on March 14.
The new version, which will be available as a double vinyl and CD, now places all the tracks in chronological order, as well as adding New Grass from the band’s farewell album Laughing Stock. That album was released in 1991, but was Talk Talk’s first and subsequently last album for new label, the reactivated jazz label Verve which went through Polydor Records. Verve had signed the band from EMI, following an acrimonious split with their former label, hence no tracks from Laughing Stock originally featuring on the compilation.
Talk Talk disbanded following the release of Laughing Stock, with singer Mark Hollis wanting to spend more time with his family. The singer did release a lone solo album, Mark Hollis, in 1998, but retired from music shortly afterwards. Hollis died in 2019, aged 64.
Guitarist Paul Webb and drummer Lee Harris formed the experimental .O.rang. who released two albums in the late 90s. Webb also performs under the name Rustin’ Man, while Harris featured on Bark Psychosis’s 2004 album ///CODENAME: dustsucker.
LP1 Side A: 1) Talk Talk 2) Today (Single Version) 3) Have You Heard The News? 4) It’s My Life 5) Such A Shame (Original Version)
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Side B: 1) Dum Dum Girl 2) Life’s What You Make It 3) Living In Another World 4) Give It Up
LP2 Side A: 1) April 5th 2) Time It’s Time 3) I Believe In You (Single Version)
Side B: 1) Eden (Edit) 2) Wealth 3) New Grass
CD 1) Talk Talk 2) Today (Single Version) 3) Have You Heard The News? 4) It’s My Life 5) Such A Shame (Original Version) 6) Dum Dum Girl 7) Life’s What You Make It 8) Living In Another World 9) Give It Up 10) April 5th 11) Time It’s Time 12) I Believe In You (Single Version) 13) Eden (Edit) 14) Wealth 15) New Grass
“We’ve been in the studio working on what could be new BFG’s material as well as working with Frank (Beard) and Ellwood (Francis) on a ZZ Top piece, and this was a little side trip,” Gibbons tells UCR about the new song, which debuted during the season finale of Paramount+’s Taylor Sheridan drama Landman. He says that recording is “about halfway done” on the other endeavors and adds that, “I suspect 2025 may reveal something new on both the BFG’s front as well as ZZ.”
That said, Gibbons also cautions that live plans for both groups will certainly impact on when we hear any more of the new music. “We still enjoy stepping aboard the tour bus and making the rounds,” he acknowledges. “The challenge is finding time to get it all together in a recording studio as a backdrop.”
Fans have certainly been waiting for both groups to drop something new. For the BFG’s — which now includes original member Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin on keyboards and new drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton from Stevie Ray Vaughan‘s Double Trouble — it’s been four years since Hardware, the troupe’s third album. ZZ Top, however, hasn’t had anything new out since La Futura in 2012, and Gibbons has said some of the material he, Beard and Francis are working on was started with the late Dusty Hill, who passed away during 2021.
Gibbons says the grinding, uptempo “Livin’ It Up Down in Texas,” which he co-wrote with Landman star Billy Bob Thornton and singer-songwriter Mark Collie, “was rather unexpected. They needed a special song for (the show) and I was more than happy to scratch my head and say, ‘Gimme an idea of which direction you want to go in.’ They sent me a photograph of a burning oil well and said, ‘Let’s make something that sounds like this…'”
The song, Gibbons adds, helped jostle the BFG’s into road action again this year. “The next thing you know we were going full-steam ahead, and then the management office said, ‘Well, pack your bags; it looks like the BFG’s are well on their way to bring in some loudness…’,” he says. The trio began with shows last weekend at the Blue Note Hawaii in Honolulu and is at the Note Napa in California this week, with 17 more dates across the country before wrapping up Feb. 20 in Bristol, Tenn.
Hear Billy F. Gibbons Perform ‘Livin’ It Up Down in Texas’
The repertoire, Gibbons promises, is “a little bit of this, a little bit of that — and a lot of loudness,” drawing on both of his bands’ material. “The good news on a creative front is the ability to work with new compadres and kind of taking steps in different directions,” he says.
“Of course having said that, it’s no secret that one of the (band’s) cornerstones is it keeps one foot in the great American art form called the blues. Y’know, the ZZ Top sound developed with the minimalist approach by, I think, Jimi Hendrix and then (Eric) Clapton and Cream. It forces a side of creativity that demands 100 percent, 110 percent — everybody’s gotta be pumping. When you limit it to the sparity of a trio, it keeps everyone on point.
“With these guys, really, all I have to do is walk out, stand up and let it rip.”
ZZ Top will hit the road in early March. The remaining dates for Gibbons and the BFG’s include…
Jan 21-24 – Blue Note Napa @ Napa, CA Jan 25 – Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City @ Cathedral City, CA Jan 26 – Musical Instrument Museum @ Phoenix, AZ Jan 28 – Vilar Performing Arts Center @ Beaver Creek, CO Jan 31 – The Pageant @ St. Louis, MO Feb 1 – Park West @ Chicago, IL Feb 2 – House of Blues @ Cleveland, OH Feb 4 – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille @ Warrendale, PA Feb 6 – Kentucky Theatre @ Lexington, KY Feb 7 – The Paramount Theater @ Charlottesville, VA Feb 8 – Borgata Theater @ Atlantic City, NJ Feb 10 – The Bardavon 1869 Opera House @ Poughkeepsie, NY Feb 12 – The Music Hall @ Portsmouth, NH
Feb 13 – The Cabot @ Beverly, MA Feb 14 – Ridgefield Playhouse @ Ridgefield, CT Feb 15 – Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center @ Great Barrington, MA Feb 19 – The Birchmere @ Alexandria, VA Feb 20 – Paramount Bristol @ Bristol, TN
Ranking Every ZZ Top Album
From the first album to ‘La Futura,’ we check out the Little ‘ol Band From Texas’ studio records.
Amenra make their return with two EPs that highlight the band’s career as one of the most compelling and unequivocally vital entities in extreme music.
Titled De Toorn and With Fang and Claw respectively, each of these EPs have distinct soundscapes, songwriting approaches, and emotional weight. The result is a two part journey through Amenra’s raw, visceral beginnings, and a look into the band’s future as one of the most enthralling and cinematic experiences in the genre.
“With De Toorn we finish what we have started with De Doorn in 2019,” Amenra vocalist Colin H. Van Eeckhout comments. “We came as close to our cultural heritage as we possibly could and offered the world a glance of where we come from. With the artwork reached back to the early beginnings of the band, Mass I. Aline Gorsen interpretation of the art propelled us in a world forlorn.”
Guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove comments: “With De Toorn, we carry forward the spirit of De Doorn, delving deeper into the raw emotions of grief, wrath, and transformation. It is a continuation of the ritual, a step further into the fire. At the same time, With Fang And Claw harks back to the essence of Mass I, embracing the primal force that defined our beginnings.
These two works intertwine: De Toorn channels the lament and fury of De Doorn, while With Fang And Claw recalls the unfiltered intensity of Mass I to Mass IIII. Together, they form a crucial passage in our 30-year journey—a reflection of where we began and where we are going. This transition is not just a bridge; it is a reckoning, a moment that prepares us for the resolution to come with Mass VII. Through rage and sorrow, we rise, bearing both the scars of the past and the fangs of resilience.”
Guitarist Lennart Bossu says: “The track ‘Heden’ grew very organically while playing together in the rehearsal room and it set the tone for the rest of ‘De Doorn’ and ‘De Toorn,’ so it’s definitely a track that is special to us.”
Van Eeckhout shares, “With Fang and Claw explores our earlier work, and merges with our contemporary being, setting the direction to what will soon become our Mass VII.”
Recorded in a single session at the same studio in the Belgian Ardennes where the band’s massive Mass VI was recorded with Seth Manchester (Machines With Magnets). Both EPs herald a new era for Amenra. “These EPs feel like the closure we were desperately seeking, as we prepare for a new beginning in our almost 3 decade long trajectory” says Van Eeckhout.
Preorder De Toorn and With Fang and Claw at relapse.com.
Deluxe 2LP + Flexi is a onetime pressing of both EPs housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket with an exclusive cover.
Returning for its 6th edition after another year of crowd-pleasing epic fun in Vancouver, B.C., Canada’s premier melodic and power metal festival Hyperspace Metal Fest announces the addition of headliner Greyhawk along with The Astral Prophets to their 2025 lineup to replace the unfortunate cancelations of Planeswalker and support from Heyoka’s Mirror.
Festival organizer Joey Hockin of Journeyman Productions adds:
“There has been a shakeup in the Hyperspace lineup for this year. Planeswalker and Heyoka’s Mirror have had to cancel their appearances this April. We’re hoping that we’ll be able to have them at the fest in the future, we’re going to keep trying for next year. For this year please welcome newcomers The Astral Prophets and for the Friday night headliner, we have the mighty Greyhawk stepping up to play once again! Anyone who’s seen them at Hyperspace before knows that they are going to tear the roof off!”
Being hosted at The Cobalt (April 10 &11) and the Rickshaw Theatre (April 12), Hyperspace Metal Fest’s 2025 lineup features headliners Enforcer, Psychostick, along with Crimson Shadows, Lunar, Owlbear, Tower Hill, Solarus, Red Cain, Tylor Dory Trio, Serpent Rider, Luminator, and Crüzer.
Headlining Saturday, April 12 at The Rickshaw Theatre, Sweden’s Enforcer have proved themselves both live and on record, they stake their place amongst the world’s most renowned heavy metal bands since first forming in 2005. They have toured the world over, playing the biggest festivals and garnering a global fanbase. Their latest sixth studio album Nostalgia (released May 2023 – Nuclear Blast), features 13 heavy metal anthems and throws Enforcer back to their speed metal roots. Fusing extreme guitar riffing with catchy stadium choruses, Enforcer is out to conquer the world.
Supporting Enforcer on the closing night lineup will be Comedy Metal Kings Psychostick. These humorcore titans bring forth a nostalgic escapade of sing-alongs and moshing fun with iconic titles such as “Beer!”, “Numbers (I Can Only Count To Four)”, “Dogs Like Socks”, “Obey The Beard!”, “Boobs”, and their latest single “Ultra Mega Fast”.
The Saturday night lineup will also witness the return of the formidable force that is Toronto’s Crimson Shadows bringing forth tales of fantasy and warfare in their fierce melodic power and death metal imbued sound. Thundering across the icy Canadian mountains, Crimson Shadows has awoken after five years away. The band has emerged from the dark and is preparing to forge its own path in this next stage of its journey.
Across their defiant career stretching almost two decades, to date notable highlights of Crimson Shadows’ journey include the band’s appearance at Wacken Open Air in Germany in mid-2013 and subsequent victory in obtaining the title of International Wacken Battle Champions. Alongside international performances, Crimson Shadows has ventured across the length and breadth of their homeland delivering brutality, technical prowess, and unyielding intensity in their melding of power and death.
Headlining Friday, April 11 at The Cobalt and returning for their third time at HMF is Seattle’s Greyhawk. This will be the band’s first time headlining along with performing with new vocalist Anthony Corso. They are supporting their latest album Thunderheart released in April 2024 on Fighter Records, a division of Xtreem Music.
The second night of the festival will also unleash the first-ever live performance of Lunar, a progressive metal project from California that features members from Witherfall, Helion Prime, Planeswalker, Novareign, Mokili Wa, Nordic Frost, Outloud, and Double Vision.
Their fourth and latest album The Illusionist features guests Jørgen Munkeby (Shining), Christian Münzner (Obscura), Andy Gillion (Mors Principium Est), Taylor Washington (Paladin), Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse), Ben Karas (Thank You Scientist), Gleb Kanasevich, and Patrick Corona.
Meant to perform on the 2024 lineup, but forced to cancel, Tylor Dory Trio returns for 2025, they are a monstrous progressive metal unit and beloved by many in Western Canada. This live performance on Friday, April 11, will be their first following a nearly seven-year layoff.
Also added to the Friday lineup and opening the night is The Astral Prophets, a psychedelic rock/metal band from Calgary, AB featuring Apprentice, Lycanthro, and Scythia members. This is the band’s first time on the fest although some members have played the fest before in previous groups. They will be supporting their latest 2023 EP Anywhere But Here.
Opening night of the festival, Thursday, April 10 at The Cobalt, will showcase the Pacific Northwest’s Glyph, which is not just a heavy metal band, they are a crew of intergalactic mercenaries escaping a dying planet in their spaceship, the VSS Dragonlord. Clearly, Glyph isn’t just writing songs, they’re building worlds and they bring it forth in their latest album “Honor, Power, Glory” released this past March.
Traveling from Edmonton, AB, Tower Hill delivers premium old-school heavy metal inspired by bands like Running Wild, Riot, Judas Priest, early Blind Guardian, and Helloween. Forging the best of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s German, British, and US metal scenes into a new blend of shimmering steel, Tower Hill’s riff-driven, hook-laden traditional metal will have you banging your head and singing along.
Replacing the originally announced Lost Nebula, Calgary’s Red Cain has been imported to perform their power-prog storytelling with Eastern European roots for the masses. They have been making waves since their first release in 2016, with award-winning music videos and concept albums Kindred: Act I, Kindred: Act II and NÄE’BLISS.
The albums contained a ton of genre inspirations, from gothic rock to ambient electronica, power, black, and death metal, and were universally lauded for their inventiveness, variety, and strong conceptual content. They continue this momentum with the latest singles “Firestarter” and “Demons II”.
