Author: uylrjp

Drummer Nick D’Virgilio (Mr. Big, Spock’s Beard) has shared a new episode of his “So…You Want To Be A Musician?” podcast. Check it out below.

“Welcome to Episode 11 of the podcast, where I’m joined by my bandmate in Big Big Train, Clare Lindley. Clare is not only my first female guest, but also an incredibly talented musician with a wealth of experience. It’s truly inspiring to hear her perspective on what it takes to make music your life. Her dedication, hard work, and passion are undeniable, and I’ve had the privilege of witnessing her professionalism and skill on stage time and time again.

In this episode, we dive into Clare’s journey — starting in Scotland, where she grew up and made a name for herself, before moving to London to take on the city’s music scene head-on. Clare is also an educator, sharing her love of music with students of all ages, and—on top of that—she’s a professional rock climber! Her passion and drive are contagious, and I’m lucky to be in a band with someone so talented.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Cheers!”

Big Big Train will reissue their third studio album, Bard, on March 21, 2025. Originally released in 2002 and after many years of being unavailable as a physical CD, the album has been completely remixed by their longstanding engineer Rob Aubrey.

Additionally, the reissue features a live version of the album’s opening track, “The Last English King”, recorded during the band’s tour in fall 2024, as well “Headlands”, a song recorded during the original sessions but unavailable until now.

“I’m pleased to see Bard being reissued at last,” comments Andy Poole, the band’s former bassist and this album’s producer. “On its original release we expected Bard to be Big Big Train’s farewell. The album has a number of songs that I think stand up pretty well and which in retrospect laid some of the foundations for the upwards curve that the band subsequently embarked on. Rob Aubrey has worked wonders with the re-mix and enhanced the album considerably.”

“I’m never going to pretend that Bard is our best work,” Gregory Spawton adds. “But there’s been increasing demand from fans for a reissue and over the last few years, I’ve warmed towards the album, especially with the benefit of Rob Aubrey’s remix. I had never expected us to play anything from Bard live, but I’ve always been proud of ‘The Last English King’ and was particularly pleased with how we breathed new life into it on tour this year. It proved one of the highlights of the set, both for the band and apparently for fans too.”

“Since I joined the band in 2022, in parallel with creating new music I have been keen to embrace the entire back catalogue of Big Big Train,” says lead vocalist Alberto Bravin. “Of course, over 20 years ago, this was a very different Big Big Train and with the vocals being shared between a number of singers, Bard precedes David Longdon’s arrival as well. Bard certainly has its moments and I loved playing ‘The Last English King’ on tour this year.”

Bard will be released via the band’s own label English Electric Recordings on CD and 2LP and via Bandcamp high resolution download.

The CD and vinyl versions will be strictly limited editions and Bard will not be made available on streaming or other download platforms. The 2LP version of the album will be available as 180 gram “shark” blue vinyl (exclusive to Burning Shed and The Bandwagon USA) and 180 gram black vinyl.

The CD/2LP versions of the album will include extensive 4,000 word liner notes by Andy Stuart (author of the book A View From The Embankment, A View From The Line, which documented the band’s 2023 tour) using material from a new interview with Gregory Spawton.

An audio teaser for the album is available below. Pre-order via the following links:

– Burning Shed
– The Bandwagon USA
– Bandcamp

Tracklisting:

“The Last English King”
“Broken English”
“This is Where We Came In”
“Harold Rex Interfectus Est”
“Blacksmithing”
“Malfosse”
“Love Is Her Thing”
“How The Earth From This Place Has Power Over Fire”
“A Short Visit to Earth”
“For Winter”
“A Long Finish”
“Headlands”
“The Last English King” (Live 2024 version)

On December 3rd, Arch Enemy played at El Foro Jai Alai in Tijuana, Mexico without vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, who was “very sick” and unable to perform. Fan-filmed video from the fully instrumental show can be viewed below.

Arch Enemy recently unleashed the title track from their forthcoming twelfth studio album, Blood Dynasty. The full album is slated for release on March 28 via Century Media Records.

Following the surprise drop of their single “Dream Stealer” in July and the subsequent release of “Liars & Thieves” in October, “Blood Dynasty” marks the third single offering from the highly anticipated album. The track promises to deliver Arch Enemy’s signature blend of powerful guitar riffs and dynamic vocals, showcasing the band’s evolution while staying true to their roots.

Founder and guitarist Michael Amott shares, “The third single from our upcoming album has arrived, and it’s the title track: ‘Blood Dynasty!’ This one shifts gears from the fast and furious energy of our two recent singles, diving deeper into melody and atmosphere. Immerse yourself in this dystopian soundscape!”

“Blood Dynasty” was mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios. The video was directed and produced by Mirko Witzki at Witzki Visions.

Stream/download the single here, and watch the official music video below:

Blood Dynasty marks Arch Enemy’s 12th studio album. The record features 11 new tracks full of the band’s signature powerful guitar riff and guttural force.

Blood Dynasty is available for pre-order in the following formats:

– Special Edition CD (11 tracks)
– Special Edition CD (US version) (11 tracks)
– Ltd. Deluxe CD Box Set (11 + 2 bonus tracks)
– Ltd. Deluxe A/B split (red&golden) LP (11 tracks) + bonus LP (2 tracks) + CD Artbook (13 tracks) + art print black LP & LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. deep blood red LP + LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. grey LP + LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. transp. red LP + LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. creamy white LP + LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. dark green LP + LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. bright gold LP + LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. red blood splatter (clear-red splatter) LP + LP-Booklet (11 tracks)
– Ltd. Liquid Blood Vinyl (limited to 666 copies) (11 tracks)
– Ltd. black ice LP + LP-Booklet (US version) (11 tracks)
– Ltd. milky clear LP + LP-Booklet (US version) (11 tracks)
– Ltd. tangerine colored LP + LP-Booklet (US version) (11 tracks)
– Digital album (11 tracks)

Next to the limited deluxe editions that feature two exclusive bonus tracks, fans can direct their attention to the Ltd. Liquid Blood Vinyl that is exclusively available in the band stores and limited to 666 copies.

Blood Dynasty tracklisting:

“Dream Stealer”
“Illuminate The Path”
“March Of The Miscreants”
“A Million Suns”
“Don’t Look Down”
“Presage”
“Blood Dynasty”
“Paper Tiger”
“Vivre Libre”
“The Pendulum”
“Liars & Thieves”

“Liars & Thieves” video:

“Dream Stealer” video:

Arch Enemy are set to ignite stages across Europe on their new “Blood Dynasty” headline tour in fall/winter 2025.

Joining them on their unrelenting metal crusade are the mighty Amorphis and Eluveitie as co-special guests, with the crushing force of Gatecreeper poised to blast open the gates of chaos.

Michael Amott enthuses, “Only three weeks after wrapping up our most successful European tour to date, we’re ecstatic to share details of the Arch Enemy 2025 tour! Can’t wait to bring the heat with Amorphis, Eluveitie and Gatecreeper supporting us on this one!”

Tour dates:

October
10 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyerhalle
11 – Frankfurt am Main, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
12 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
14 – Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra
15 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
17 – Berlin, Germany – Columbiahalle
18 – Prague, Czech Republic – Sportovni Hala Fortuna
19 – Gliwice, Poland – PreZero Arena Gliwice
21 – Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall
22 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
23 – Lyon, France – Radiant-Bellevue
25 – Madrid, Spain – Vistalegre
27 – Paris, France – Zenith
28 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live
30 – Wolverhampton, UK – Civic Hall
31 – Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo

November
1 – London, UK – Eventim Apollo
3 – Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal
4 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
5 – Leipzig, Germany – Haus Auensee
7 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Partille Arena
8 – Stockholm, Sweden – Annexet
10 – Helsinki, Finland – Ice Hall
12 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
13 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Poolen
14 – Hannover, Germany – Swiss Life Hall
15 – Duesseldorf, Germany – Mitsubishi Electric Hall

Arch Enemy are:

Alissa White-Gluz – Vocals
Michael Amott – Guitars
Joey Concepcion – Guitars
Sharlee D’Angelo – Bass
Daniel Erlandsson – Drums

Devin Townsend has released his brand-new studio album, PowerNerd. His career is one of many distinct eras. He’s been the leader of Strapping Young Lad, the lynchpin of the Devin Townsend Project and the co-architect of country duo Casualties Of Cool, all while maintaining his prolific and lauded solo project. Now, the polymath’s newest era starts with PowerNerd.

Townsend has released the sixth video in a small series of interesting facts about the recordings of PowerNerd. Check it out below.

PowerNerd is available on several different formats, including a Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (featuring the album, bonus tracks and Devin’s first ever Dolby Atmos mix), Limited 2CD Digipak in O-card, Standard CD, Gatefold LP & Digital Album. Order here

The album’s artwork was created by longtime collaborator Travis Smith.

PowerNerd tracklisting:

“PowerNerd”
“Falling Apart”
“Knuckledragger”
“Gratitude”
“Dreams Of Light”
“Ubelia”
“Jainism”
“Younger Lover”
“Glacier”
“Goodbye”
“Ruby Quaker”

“Gratitude” video:

“Jainism” video:

“PowerNerd” video:

PowerNerd lineup:

Devin Townsend – Vocals, Guitars, Synths, Bass and Computer
Darby Todd – Drums
Diego Tejeida – Keyboards, Synths
Mike Keneally – Additional Keyboards
Jean Savoie – Additional Bass
Aman Khosla – Additional Vocals
Tanya Ghosh – Additional Vocals
Jamey Jasta – Additional Vocals

Prog collective Unitopia have announced they will release a new live Blue-ray/CD and USB, Alive And Kicking, through progrock.com’s Essentials label on March 7.

The new release was recorded on the band’s tour in support of 2023’s Seven Chambers album at a gig at Zoetermeer’s famous Boerderij venue in the Netherlands on September 14, 2023.

“We threaded the needle to make this tour happen,” explains label boss Mark Monforti. “Alphonso Johnson was unavailable and Don Schiff had to learn the show in four weeks. Chester Thompson had a bad case of tendinosis and asked to be replaced but came anyway, Mark Trueack was unable to stand for long periods, the band came from six different timezones and hadn’t met until three days before their show.

“John Greenwood and I had to donate money to get the production values to where they needed to be for the seven-show tour. It was only appropriate that they were touring an album about the frailty of the human condition.”

Formed in Australia in 1996 by singer Mark Truack and keyboardist Sean Timms, the band released four respected albums before splitting in 2012, with Timms forming Southern Empire and Truack United Progressive Fraternity. The band reformed in 2020 with an all-new line-up including Chester Thompson and fusion legend Alphonso Johnson.

A 15th-anniversary edition of Unitopia’s 2010 album Artificial is also to be released in 2025 along with Truack’s own Save US EP.

The USB version of Alive And Kicking includes a high-quality mp4 of the concert video, 48kHz 24-bit stereo audio tracks, and lyric videos. The Blu-ray, in addition to the stereo mix, includes a selectable DTS surround mix by band violinist Steve Unruh.

Pre-order Alive And Kicking.

Unitopia: Alive And Kicking

CD 1:
1. Broken Heart
2. Introduction of Seven Chambers
3. Something Invisible
4. The Stroke of Midnight
5. Mania
6. The Uncertain

CD 2:
1. Tesla
2. The Garden
3. The Great Reward

Blu-ray

1. Broken Heart
2. Introduction of Seven Chambers
3. Something Invisible
4. The Stroke of Midnight
5. Mania
6. The Uncertain
7. Tesla
8. The Garden
9. The Great Reward

Judas Priest have added a London date to their summer 2025 European tour.

The Metal Gods will play their biggest-ever show in the UK capital on July 25 at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena. As if that weren’t massive enough, support will come from shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper.

Presale tickets will be available from December 12 at 10am local time via Live Nation, with general sale starting the day after at 10am.

The Birmingham metal legends have also announced a date at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre for July 23, where support will come from Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons. Tickets for that show will also go on Live Nation presale on December 12 at 10am, then onto general sale on December 13 at 10am.

The two UK shows have been added to the end of Judas Priest’s previously announced mainland European tour. See dates below.

The band announced the run of continental shows last month, and revealed they’ll not only honour material from their new album Invincible Shield, but also celebrate the 35th anniversary of classic record Painkiller. On social media, they promised a “rare” and “unique” set featuring “beloved classics” from their 1990 album.

Judas Priest released Invincible Shield back in the spring and it received rave reviews. Metal Hammer’s Rich Hobson said it “may well be the most defiantly, unrelentingly triumphant record of their career” and awarded it a near-perfect 4.5 stars. It was also the highest-charting album of their career in the UK, reaching number two.

In September, singer Rob Halford said that Invincible Shield will not be Judas Priest’s final album. “I think that it’s inevitable there will be something else. When it will happen, I have no idea,” he told Audio Ink Radio.

The vocalist added: “This band thrives on the metal that we make, the time that we spend with each other, ’cause there’s a lot of love in this band for each other.”

Judas Priest 2025 European tour dates:

Jun 14: Oslo Tjuvholmen Arena, Norway
Jun 17: Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
Jun 18: Hessentag Festival, Frankfurt, Germany
Jun 25: Viveiro Resurrection Fest, Spain
Jun 27: Lisbon Evil Live Fest, Portugal
Jun 29: Barcelona Rock Fest, Spain
Jul 01: Ferrara Summer Festival, Italy
Jul 03: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Jul 05: Hannover Niedersachsenstadion, Germany (supporting Scorpions)
Jul 07: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland
Jul 10: Rattvik Dalhalla, Sweden
Jul 13: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Jul 15: Carcassonne Festival De Carcassone, France
Jul 17: Sion Sous Les Etoiles, Switzerland
Jul 19: Luxembourg Rockhal, Luxembourg
Jul 20: Oberhausen Rudolf-Weber-Arena, Germany

Jul 23: Scarborough Open Air Theatre, UK
Jul 25: London O2 Arena, UK

Guns N’ Roses will embarked on a sprawling worldwide tour in 2025.

The newly announced trek — given the title Because What You Want and What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things — kicks off on May 23 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the band’s first performance in that country. From there, GNR will wind their way through such major cities as Istanbul, Barcelona and London.

The tour, which will find the band headlining stadiums and festivals, is currently scheduled to wrap on July 31 with a performance at in Wacken, Germany. The full list of dates can be found below.

Public Enemy, Rival Sons and Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter will trade opening duties  on select dates. Tickets for all non-festival shows go on sale through Guns N’ Roses Nighttrain fan club Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 9AM local time.

When Was Guns N’ Roses’ Last Tour?

After touring extensively from 2021 to 2023, Guns N’ Roses took a break from the road in 2024.

“I think for me, I know I had to rest — I had to rest my body,” bassist Duff McKagan explained in a recent interview with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk. “A lot of hours on stage. A lot of traveling. And I’ve gotta listen to my body these days. I’ve gotta listen. So I had to rest. I think we all need to rest. Slash, he’ll go out and tour, like, four weeks later [with one of his projects] and do it all over again. I’m, like, ‘Okay, dude. More power to you. I’m gonna go to Hawaii. I’m going to Hawaii, man.’”

READ MORE: Every Guns N’ Roses Song Ranked Worst to Best

GNR’s members still found plenty of ways to stay active during their break. McKagan toured behind his Lighthouse solo LP and released a new live album, while Slash released and toured behind his second solo effort, Orgy of the Damned. Meanwhile, Axl Rose collaborated with other artists, covering UFO‘s “Love to Love” with Michael Schenker and making a surprise appearance alongside Billy Joel at the Piano Man’s final Madison Square Garden residency show.

Guns N’ Roses, Because What You Want and What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things 2025 World Tour
May 23 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
May 27 – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
May 30 – Shekvetili, Georgia
June 2 – Istanbul, Turkey
June 6 – Coimbra, Portugal
June 9 – Barcelona, Spain
June 12 – Florence, Italy
June 15 – Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
June 18 – Dusseldorf, Germany
June 20 – Munich, Germany
June 23 – Birmingham, U.K.
June 26 – London, U.K.
June 29 – Aaehus, Denmark
July 2 – Trondheim, Norway
July 4 – Stockholm, Sweden
July 7 – Tampere, Finland
July 10 – Kaunas, Lithuania
July 12 – Warsaw, Poland
July 15 – Budapest, Hungary
July 18 – Belgrade, Serbia
July 21 – Sofia, Bulgaria
July 24 – Vienna, Austria
July 28 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
July 31 – Wacken, Germany