Pioneering female rockers Fanny – then called Wild Honey – snaffled a deal with Warner Bros offshoot Reprise Records after they were talent-spotted at LA’s Troubadour by the secretary of record producer Richard Perry. But there was a problem. Perry put himself in charge of the sonics for Fanny’s first three albums, employing a light touch – a tap on the shoulder as opposed to a sock to the jaw.
Thus the potential of the band, led by the Filipina-American Millington sisters June (guitar) and Jean (bass), wasn’t fully realised until album number four. This box-set includes their early 70 albums Fanny, Charity Ball and Fanny Hill (recorded in London at The Beatles’ Apple Studios) and their final release for Reprise, Mothers Pride [sic]. With Todd Rundgren at the controls, the latter platter is where it’s at.
Last Night I Had a Dream – Fanny | The Midnight Special – YouTube
This is claimed to the most comprehensive collection of Fanny material to date; there’s certainly an unfeasible abundance of bonus tracks (better than Sweet F.A.). The band’s true prowess can be heard on the live cuts: Charity Ball (the song, recorded in Cleveland) is reminiscent of a female Foghat; Young And Dumb, from a gig in Philadelphia, highlights Fanny’s blues chops; Badge, from the same show, offers a CSN&Y twist to the Cream chestnut.
But if you listen to only one album, it’s gotta be Mothers Pride, which benefits enormously from Rundgren’s eccentric touch. Keith Moon liked the song Solid Gold so much – inebriated vocals and all – he recorded it for his only solo album.
In the new video below, Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Morrison delve into the dark and twisted world of notorious serial killers.
From the chilling acts of Jeffrey Dahmer to the calculated crimes of the BTK killer, they explore what makes these infamous figures so captivating and the psychological thrill behind their horrific deeds.
The duo also discusses the impact of true crime on media, the morality of glorifying such criminals through films and series, and the deep-seated fascination society holds for the macabre.
This gripping discussion is not only a deep dive into the minds of the most sinister criminals but also a reflective look at the societal obsession with true crime.
In the new video below from Bloodstock, sculptor Alan Williams joins Bloodstock TV’s Oran O’Beirne on the BOA sofa where he talks about getting the call to create the now, infamous bust of late Motörhead frontman, Lemmy Kilmister.
Find out all about the project and how he approached the task at hand in this exclusive interview. The Lemmy bust will be on display at Nottingham Rock City, where it will remain until Bloodstock 2025. So, get your tickets and be sure to drop by and say ‘Hello’ to Lemmy!
Bloodstock Open Air (August 8 – 11 at Caton Park, Derbyshire, UK) featured a re-creation of late Motörhead frontman Lemmy’s dressing room, as well as a a special “Lemmy Forever” ceremony with festival management and the band’s Phil Campbell.
The Motörhead camp shared the video below, stating: “Phil Campbell and the Bloodstock family just unveiled the specially-created bust of Lemmy containing his ashes. Video by Oran O’Beirne.
Another video features the Lemmy memorial on stage with Phil Campbell:
Van Halen drummer, Alex Van Halen, will release his autobiography, Brothers, on October 22 via Harper Collins Publishers, and Van-Halen.com has revealed more details, most importantly that the audio book edition of Brothers contains an unreleased song composed by Edward and Alex Van Halen. Titled “Unfinished”, it is the last piece of music they wrote together and can be heard as Alex narrates his story.
In this intimate and open account – nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever read – Alex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate.
Told with acclaimed New Yorker writer Ariel Levy Brothers is seventy-year-old drummer Alex Van Halen’s love letter to his younger brother, Edward, (Maybe “Ed,” but never “Eddie”), written while still mourning his untimely death.
In his rough yet sweet voice, Alex recounts the brothers’ childhood, first in the Netherlands and then in working class Pasadena, California, with an itinerant musician father and a very proper Indonesian-born mother – the kind of mom who admonished her boys to “always wear a suit” no matter how famous they became – a woman who was both proud and practical, nonchalant about taking a doggie bag from a star-studded dinner. He also shares tales of musical politics, infighting, and plenty of bad-boy behavior. But mostly his is a story of brotherhood, music, and enduring love.
“I was with him from day one,” Alex writes. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 square foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic. Later, we shared the back of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of becoming famous, of becoming fathers and uncles, and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime.”
There has never been an accurate account of them or the band, and Alex wants to set the record straight on Edward’s life and death.
Brothers includes never-before-seen photos from the author’s private archives.
Further pre-order options can be found at Harper Collins.
Last Thursday, August 15, Pantera – comprised of original members vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Sabbath) and drummer Charlie Benante (Anthrax) – headlined an intimate club show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN.
Comedian Craig Gass, who performed a stand-up routine prior to Pantera taking the stage, addressed the crowd suggesting that the band’s performance would be recorded for an upcoming live album.
“Announcement number one. The band you are seeing tonight is not called Cowboys From Hell. You are about to watch an exclusive show from the band Pantera. The rumours got out quickly, and you guys bought up all the tickets. And you may have heard this rumour. And this is also true, we are recording our first ever live album right here at the First Avenue. So, there’s a couple things you need to know about it. First of all, you will all, for eternity, be heard on a live Pantera album. That’s the good news. The bad news, you’re not gonna get paid for this. Welcome to the music business.”
Rex Brown has since shared photos from the First Avenue show, stating: “Photos from @firstavenue ! What a great night! And no, we didn’t record a live album that night. That was a joke that @craiggasscomedy made!”
Pantera’s First Avenue setlist (as per Setlist.fm):
“A New Level” “Mouth For War” “Strength Beyond Strength” “Becoming” “I’m Broken” “Suicide Note Pt. II” “This Love” “Fucking Hostile” “Walk” “Domination / Hollow” “Cowboys From Hell”
Encore: “Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit”
Pantera have announced an early 2025 European tour. Tickets are on sale now.
Dates:
January 21 – Helsinki, Finland – Ice Hall 23 – Stockholm, Sweden – Hovet 24 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum 26 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena 28 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live 31 – Ljubljana, Slovenia – Arena Stožice
The band previously announced a string of UK / Ireland dates in February 2025.
Dates:
February 18 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro 19 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena 21 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena 23 – Birmingham, UK – Resorts World Arena 25 – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley
2024 Pantera dates:
August 23 – Commonweath Stadium – Edmonton, AB (with Metallica) 30 – Lumen Field – Seattle, WA (with Metallica)
R.I.P. Layne Rutherford Staley (ALICE IN CHAINS, MAD SEASON) – August 22nd, 1967 – April 5th, 2002 (aged 34)
Happy 65th Juan Croucier (RATT, DOKKEN) – August 22nd, 1959
Happy 66th Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR) – August 22nd, 1958
Happy 59th DC COOPER (ROYAL HUNT, SILENT FORCE) August 22nd, 1965
Happy 35th L.A. GUNS’ Cocked And Loaded – August 22nd, 1989 ENUFF Z’NUFF’s Enuff Z’Nuff – August 22nd, 1989 FATES WARNING’s Perfect Symmetry – August 22nd, 1989
Happy 29th THE GATHERING’s Mandylion – August 22nd, 1995
Happy 18th DEICIDE’s The Stench Of Redemption – August 22nd, 2006 GOROD’s Leading Vision – August 22nd, 2006 THE HUMAN ABSTRACT’s Nocturne – August 22nd, 2006 LAMB OF GOD’s Sacrament – August 22nd, 2006 MISERY SIGNALS’ Mirrors – August 22nd, 2006 TERRORIZER’s Darker Days Ahead – August 22nd, 2006 UNEXPECT’s In A Flesh Aquarium – August 22nd, 2006 WALLS OF JERICHO’s With Devils Amongst Us All – August 22nd, 2006
Happy 17th ANDRE MATOS’ Time To Be Free – August 22nd, 2007 DIMENSION ZERO’s He Who Shall Not Bleed – August 22nd, 2007 EPICA’s The Divine Conspiracy – August 22nd, 2007 ROB ROCK’s Garden Of Chaos – August 22nd, 2007
Happy 13th ICS VORTEX’s Storm Seeker – August 22nd, 2011 LEPROUS’ Bilateral – August 22nd, 2011
Happy 12th LOUDNESS’ 2012 – August 22nd, 2012
Happy 10th MACHINAE SUPREMACY’s Phantom Shadow – August 22nd, 2014
Happy 1st DETHKLOK – Dethalbum IV – August 22nd, 2023
With Bowers & Wilkins’ legendary 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers playing a pivotal role in recording studios such as Abbey Road, it makes sense to listen to music on headphones from the same brand.
Enter the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, the audio firm’s new flagship True Wireless earbuds. The company has gone back to the drawing board for these new noise cancelling in-ear headphones, making significant changes to both their design when compared to the previous Pi7 and componentry. The end result is a jaw-dropping audio experience.
However, they do come at a price. So are they worth it? Let’s find out…
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Design
With neat rounded edges and gloss finish, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 look suitably premium. There’s also a choice of four colour finishes: Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green and Midnight Blue.
The design is snug yet comfortable, and easy to wear for prolonged periods. Unlike the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7, the seal is a hard but pliable rubber that nestles perfectly in the ear. The brand suggests this improvement in fit is worth around five decibels of noise attenuation. It also acts as something of a heat barrier, so that the earbuds don’t get overly warm when you’re 80 minutes into Iron Maiden‘s The Book Of Souls.
Bowers & Wilkins has also sought to upgrade usability by improving the responsiveness of the capacitive touch surface at the top of the earbud by adding more sensors. This interface can be used to toggle Noise Cancellation, for Bluetooth pairing, and playback and track navigation, as well as answering incoming calls.
There are also three additional ear tip sizes provided: XS, S and L, which should cater for all manner of lugholes. Finally, you won’t have to fret if you’re out and about in the rain, because the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are IP54-rated for protection against dust and water spray.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Features
(Image credit: Future/Steve May)
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are built around Qualcomm’s Bluetooth 5.4 wireless transmission platform, which has support for aptX Adaptive up to 24-bit/96kHz, as well as aptX Lossless. It’s definitely leading edge. To help get you quickly up and running there’s Made for iPhone (MFi) support. Google Fast Pair (GFP) is due soon for Android users.
Interestingly, there’s no dedicated pairing button, but you can force the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 into Bluetooth mode by pressing and holding both earbuds for three seconds. There’s also Multipoint support.
The accompanying app features a five-band Advanced EQ function, noise cancelling toggle and touch control customisation – and you can also link and play from subscribed music streaming services.
The Active Noise Cancellation algorithm used here is basically the same as that employed by the brand’s Px8 over-ear headphones. It does the job, but it’s not as effective as that on rival earbuds and I wasn’t shielded quite as effectively when doing a noisy commute. That said, ANC does provide some cover and doesn’t interfere with the listening experience, which I assume was Bowers & Wilkins’ principal concern.
The Transparency mode has also been improved to better take in ambient sound around. Sensors and microphones have been relocated to a notch that sits clear of the ear itself, thereby gaining 360 degrees of coverage.
The charging case is nice and slim and easily pops into a pocket. A colour coded LED beneath the brand logo is used to communicate.
The case is also able to retransmit audio up to 24-bit 96kHz audio from USB and 3.5mm connected music sources and the requisite cables are provided in the box. The case can convert analogue signals to digital and then transmit them in aptX Adaptive Low Latency to the buds. This means you can use the Smartcase and Pi8 buds with in-flight entertainment systems, as well as laptops, iPads and USB-C-enabled iPhones.
Battery life is around 6.5 hours with ANC in use, which can be considered pretty average. The case itself has a power reserve of 13.5 hours. You’ll likely not easily run out of juice, but if you do, a 15 minute quick charge will earn you a couple of hours of play time.
What’s missing though is support for Spatial Audio, which recently landed on the LG T90S, and any dedicated voice interaction.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Sound
(Image credit: Future / Steve May)
Sublime. Exciting. Authentic. All these adjectives can be applied to the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8. They’re mighty when it comes to delivering thunderous riffs, riotous rhythms and full-throated roars and for sheer musicality, these earbuds are up there with the very best I’ve heard. The treble is as clear as crystal and the midrange as rowdy as the front row of a Bowling For Soup gig.
Significantly the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 feature all new 12mm drive units that use the same Carbon Cone technology first heard on the brand’s PX8 over-ear headphones. A key attribute of these dynamic drivers is exceptional transparency at high frequencies.
This translates to zero vocal disintegration at volume: Slipknot’s Wait And Bleed tries hard but fails to confound those fancy Carbon Cones – and their spatial integrity is remarkable for a pair of True Wireless earbuds. Instruments can be placed exactly where you would expect them to be.
The live version of Dragonforce’s Through The Fire And Flames on their 2015 album In the Line of Fire… Larger Than Live gave me chills – the audience singalong and ambiance of the venue are all perfectly presented, even as Herman Li shreds the roof off the Saitama Super Arena.
Their bass response is also surprisingly good. The Steve Aoki dance remix of My Chemical Romance’s Welcome To The Black Parade (16-bit 44.1kHz) didn’t lose any of its club scene intensity, and they really plunge the depths with Billie Ellish’s Bad Guy (24-bit 44.1kHz on Tidal).
I also particularly liked the way they sounded with guitars, both acoustic and mad metal riffing on WASP‘s Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue).
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: The alternatives
Produced in collaboration with high-end UK Hi-Fi specialist Meridian Audio, the LG Tone Free T90S are excellent performers for the cash. They combine a class leading (ANC) battery life of 9 hours, with Spatial audio support. Meridian developed Headphone Spatial Processing (HSP) can also be used to enlarge the soundstage of regular two channel stereo.
If you can forgo noise cancelling, and have a more limited budget, the beefy Marshall Minor IV are well worth shortlisting. Oozing street cred, the Minors combine the amp brand’s signature-sounding 12mm dynamic drivers with a 7 hour battery life, and popular stick-style form factor.
The tracklisting for the soundtrack to 2024’s The Crow has been unveiled.
According to a report by The A.V. Club, the remake of the 1994 Brandon Lee vehicle, starring Bill Skarsgård as its undead vigilante, will feature suitably moody and industrial songs by Gary Numan, Enya, Joy Division, The Bug and more. See the full tracklisting below.
The selection stays true to the vision and influences of original The Crow comic creator James O’Barr. O’Barr wrote The Crow as a way to grieve following the death of his partner and drew aesthetic inspiration from such artists as Joy Division, Iggy Pop and Bauhaus.
The 1994 film adaptation featured a heavy, gothic and alternative soundtrack, with the likes of The Cure, Rollins Band, Pantera and Nine Inch Nails appearing. The sequel, 1996’s The Crow: City Of Angels, featured Korn and Deftones, among others.
Despite O’Barr’s longtime love for Joy Division, the 2024 soundtrack will be the first time the band appear in a Crow film. The band’s song Dead Souls was covered by Nine Inch Nails for the 1994 film.
The new Crow film has been in development since late 2008. Multiple stars and directors have been attached across that time, including Game Of Thrones and Aquaman’s Jason Momoa. The final product is directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White And The Huntsman, Ghost In The Shell) and stars Skarsgård, FKA Twigs and Danny Huston.
The reboot has proven controversial among fans of the first film. Many have taken umbrage with the recasting of the Eric Draven / The Crow role, previously performed by Lee in what would be his final film performance. Lee died in an onset accident during production at the age of 28.
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At time of publication, The Crow 2024’s theatrical trailer, released in March, has seemingly divided opinion 50/50: it has 116,000 ‘likes’ on Youtube and 116,000 ‘dislikes’. The trailer was soundtracked by Post Malone and Ozzy Osbourne’s collaborative song Take What You Want.
The director of the 1994 film, Alex Proyas, spoke out against the reboot in March. “I really don’t get any joy from seeing negativity about any fellow filmmakers work,” the director wrote on Facebook. “And I’m certain the cast and crew really had all good intentions, as we all do on any film. So it pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fan’s response speaks volumes.
“The Crow is not just a movie. Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy. That’s how it should remain.”
In a recent Esquire interview, star Skarsgård took issue with the way the film ended. “I personally preferred something more definitive,” he said.
The Crow is released in theatres tomorrow (August 23) by Lionsgate.
The Crow (2024) Official Trailer РBill Skarsg̴rd, FKA twigs, Danny Huston РYouTube
Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.
Seven Hours After Violet, featuring System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, have announced their debut album.
The US five-piece will put out their self-titled LP on October 11 via Sumerian Records and 1336 Records. The announcement is accompanied by the release of new single Radiance. The song can be heard below. The album’s artwork and track listing are also below.
Odadjian comments: “This album is the culmination of years of creative exploration. With Seven Hours After Violet I wanted to return to my roots in heavy music but also bring something entirely new to the table. Radiance and its precursor, Paradise, are but a small glimpse of the intensity, musical diversity and emotion that run through this album.”
He finishes: “We can’t wait for everyone to hear it in full and to bring these songs to life on stage at our first live performance at Mayhem Fest.”
Seven Hours After Violet were unveiled and released their debut single Paradise in June. Joining Odadjian (again on bass) in the lineup are Taylor Barber (vocals), Morgoth (guitars, production), Alejandro Aranda (guitars) and Josh Johnson (drums).
The band will make their live debut at the Mayhem festival in San Bernardino, California, on October 12. Also playing the event will be Bad Omens, Parkway Drive, Architects, Jinjer and more. Tickets are now available.
System of A Down played a co-headline show with fellow nu metal-era stars Deftones over the weekend in San Francisco over the weekend. The band currently have no future live dates planned.
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System Of A Down formed in 1994 and initially split in 2006. The band returned from inactivity in 2011 but have released only two songs since, 2020’s Protect The Land and Genocidal Humanoidz. Despite intense fan interest in a new album, the band do not seem to be making progress with one.
SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET – Radiance (Official Music Video) – YouTube
King Crimson and Peter Gabriel bassist Tony Levin has announced that he will release his new solo album, Bringing It Down To The Bass, through Flatiron Recordings on September 13.
The new album, Levin’s seventh solo album, explores Levin’s signature instrument and his musical life through a variety of styles including prog, jazz, thrash, classical and even a touch of barbershop quartet.
“I had pieces very much in the prog rock vein and I had pieces that were based on the bass,” Levin says, “and somewhere around the middle of the record I made the difficult decision to toss the prog stuff – well, not toss it exactly, save it for another album – and the more I focused, I chose the kind of pieces that had to me a sense of unity to it in that it’s about the bass. Not songs with singing about the bass, but each song is either based on a bass riff or a bass technique that I then invited some great rhythm sections to play on.”
Given Levin’s pedigree Bringing It Down To The Bass features an array of celebrated guests including Robert Fripp, who donated one of his distinctive soundscapes to the moody Floating In Dark Waters, drummers Mike Portnoy, Pat Mastelotto, Steve Gadd and Jerry Marotta, keyboard players Larry Fast, Gary Husband and Levin’s bother Pete, guitarists Earlk Slick and David Torn and more…
“Way back when we toured with King Crimson a lot, there were a few tours this century where Robert would play a looping soundscape he would create before the show and the audience would hear it as they came in,” Levin reveals about Fripp’s soundscape. “He would make up a different one every day, maybe a half hour. Some nights when we were about ready to go at 8 – we always started at 8 – Robert said, ‘Tony, go out and play bass to my soundscape.’ These soundscapes were often atonal, but sometimes they were tonal. We played many on stage, every night for years and it occurred to me then that it would make a very interesting piece on an album, just bass and soundscape.”
Bringing It Down To The Bass will be available on double vinyl, CD, Blu-ray and digital. The Blu-ray will feature Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD 7.1/5.1 mixes and hi-res stereo audio. The Apple Music stream will be available in Immersive Audio/Dolby Atmos.
Tony Levin: Bringing It Down To The Bass 1. Bringing It Down To The Bass 2. Me And My Axe 3. Road Dogs 4. Uncle Funkster 5. Boston Rocks 6. Espressoville 7. Give The Cello Some 8. Turn It Over 9. Beyond The Bass Clef 10. Bungie Bass 11. Fire Across The Sky 12. Floating In Dark Waters 13. On The Drums 14. Coda
Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.
