Author: wamdines

A Connecticut state senator is trying to force movie theaters to reveal exactly what time the actual movie starts, to let people reduce the amount of trailers and ads they have to watch.

If you’re a regular movie-goer you’re probably well aware that revenue-seeking theaters are cramming more and more movie trailers and straight-up commercials into their screenings, dramatically increasing the amount of time between the announced and actual movie start times.

(From personal experience, in recent years our favorite Akron-area theaters have expanded from a relatively acceptable 20 minutes to a more unpleasant half-hour of trailers and ads. At a recent screening of Moana 2 that gap was stretched even further, to 35 minutes, which is a completely unacceptable amount of extra time to try and hold children’s attention. Or, if you left the kids home, to pay for extra babysitting.)

As reported by the CT Insider, state senator Martin Looney has put forth a bill that would “require that each movie advertisement or listing include, and separately list, the scheduled start time for (1) the movie trailers and advertisements that precede the advertised or listed movie, and (2) the advertised or listed movie.”

Read More: 45 Sequels That Will Rule the Box Office in 2025

Theoretically, this bill would make movie-going a less time-wasting process, particularly if you’re going to a theater that offers advanced reserved seating. You’d know the real start time and could plan your arrival accordingly. But as the AV Club points out, declining movie attendance means more theaters are counting on that ad revenue, and the advertising companies may cut their spending if they think even fewer people will be there to watch these promotional clips.

The other problem would come from your less considerate fellow movie-goers. There are always a few stragglers who arrive after the movie starts, even with the current half-hour cushions. Imagine how much worse that’ll get when they try to arrive at the exact start time? Or how fun it’ll be for you to get there two minutes before your movie, then find out that somebody else is mistakenly (or opportunistically) sitting in your seats, and someone else is sitting in their seats, setting off a chain reaction of arguments and noisy re-alignments that run well past the movie’s actual start time?

(Sorry, I was looking for a more positive ending, but we hosted 12 kids for a sleepover last night. Maybe tomorrow?)

15 Movies That Could Have Starred John Belushi

John Belushi only made seven full-length feature movies in his life, but there could have been many more.

Gallery Credit: Dave Lifton

More From Ultimate Classic Rock

Timothee Chalamet appeared as both the host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing three songs by Bob Dylan.

Chalamet, who recently portrayed Dylan in the biopic A Complete Unknown, offered up his versions of “Outlaw Blues” from 1965’s Bringing It All Back Home, “Three Angels” from 1970’s New Morning and “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” which did not appear on a normal studio album but on 1971’s Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II. James Blake, the English singer-songwriter and record producer, was among Chalamet’s backing band on keyboards.

You can watch the performance below.

When Chalamet was recently asked about his favorite Dylan song, he initially didn’t name one. “Man, I couldn’t tell you, it changes everyday,” he said before relenting. “Today, I don’t know if I could do it, but just today — and it might change tomorrow — I would say ‘Outlaw Blues.'”

‘A Complete Unknown’ at the Oscars

Chalamet has another important public appearance coming up: the Oscars on March 2. A Complete Unknown is nominated for eight awards, including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role (Chalamet), Actress in a Supporting Role (Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez), Actor in a Supporting Role (Edward Norton as Pete Seeger), Director (James Mangold) and more.

READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Bob Dylan Album

As for the real life Dylan, he has just one concert date scheduled for 2025, which will take place on March 25 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Watch Timothee Chalamet Perform Bob Dylan’s ‘Outlaw Blues’ and ‘Three Angels’ on ‘SNL’

Watch Timothee Chalamet Perform Bob Dylan’s ‘Tomorrow Is a Long Time’ on ‘SNL’

Bob Dylan at the Movies: A Guide to 10 Films

“In one way I don’t consider myself a filmmaker at all. In another way I do,” Dylan once said. 

Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp

More From Ultimate Classic Rock

Emerging from the competitive Australian heavy music scene, modern metal act GhostSeeker took the metal world by storm with their infectious debut EP, Initium Novum, which amassed almost a million streams across major platforms since its release in 2022. 

Playing frenetically-acclaimed shows across Australia, the band quickly built a strong local fanbase, now they are ready to conquer the world. After joining forces with powerhouse label ROAR, GhostSeeker are currently gearing up for the release of their first full-length studio album, entitled Divergence, slated for a release on April 25, 2025.

A video clip to accompany the band’s first album single, “Interment”, is now available.

GhostSeeker comment: “‘Internment’ portrays the journey of someone grappling with external control and internal turmoil, leading to a feeling of being ‘paralyzed’ and disconnected from themselves. The vocal lines ‘lost time’ and ‘frozen still’ suggests regret over missed opportunities or the inability to move forward. Despite the heaviness of despair, the raw emotional delivery hints at a simmering rebellion and a wish for liberation.”

Originally formed by ex-Letters To Amara guitarist Tim Campey, vocalist Celeste Bojczuk and guitarist Cory Walkeden, the band completed the line-up adding singer Daniel Breen (ex-Storm The Sky) and Daniel Gay (ex-Anyone Anyone). Fans will be encapsulated by the unique aesthetic and soaring vocals provided by Celeste Bojczuk married together with the harsh yet melodic flow offered by Daniel Breen. 

The band’s sound greets a contrast that’s sure to command attention. Guitarists, Cory Walkeden and Tim Campey, effortlessly feed off one another creating a feeling and atmosphere which resonates with all listeners alike, whilst rhythm and bass provide perfectly complements and leads what GhostSeeker are.

Preorder Divergence here.

Tracklisting:

“Internment”
“The Looking Glass”
“Wake Up (Imposter)”
“Metempsychoses”
“Cursed Till The End”
“Glow In Decay”
“Dissension”
“A Reverie In Atonement”
“Beta War”
“The Prototype” 

“Internment” video:

Having carved their place in the melodic death metal scene for over a decade, Serenity In Murder continues to push boundaries with their latest masterpiece, Timeless Reverie. It will be released on February 28, 2025 via Apostasy Records. New lyric video for “The Flames Ablaze” is streaming below.

The group also recently announced two release shows for their native Japan. Details below.

Following the acclaim of 2021’s Reborn, the Japanese band further refines their signature blend of raw aggression and symphonic beauty. The album navigates a dark and emotional landscape, taking listeners on a journey through themes of time, destiny, inner turmoil and personal revolution.

The narrative within Timeless Reverie is tied to existential questions and the search for meaning in an unforgiving world. The title itself, Timeless Reverie, suggests a meditation on moments that feel suspended in time, where the past, present, and future collide. The album explores the fragility of life, the complexities of human emotions and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

Musically, the album seamlessly weaves complex melodies, atmospheric symphonic elements, and crushing heaviness. Opening with the ferocious God Forsaken, Timeless Reverie sets a strong tone that is sustained throughout the album, offering listeners both intense moments and melancholic, atmospheric passages that allow them to immerse themselves fully in the experience, absorbing every layer and feeling the music resonate deeply with every note.

Tracklist:

“God Forsaken”
“Matrix”
“Blue Roses Gracefully Fall”
“And the World Awake”
“Never Difiled”
“A Dance of Sorrow”
“The Flames Ablaze”
“Revolt”
“Past: Timeless Reverie”
“Noticed This Is the Betrayal” (2025)
“Hope: Timeless Reverie”

“The Flames Ablaze” lyric video:

“God Forsaken”

Pre-order / pre-save the album here.

The Van Halen Store has issued the following, introducing the Van Halen 1984 Collection:

This week in 1984, Van Halen kicked off the legendary 1984 tour! Their most massive tour ever, consisting of 75 crew members and 175 tons of equipment loaded onto nine trucks and five buses, bringing the world’s biggest rock ‘n’ roll music party to millions of people.

The Mighty Van Halen was a music and visual tsunami that left nothing and no one untouched, often playing 2 or 3 nights in cities, annihilating everything in its path. Their concerts were as uplifting as they were awe-inspiring. You left the show feeling like you were walking ten feet off the ground, energized and invincible.

If you were a kid in 1984, you knew it was Van Halen’s year. Celebrate the music and memories with our 1984 merchandise collection!

Featured items:

Megawatt Shirt (pictured at top):

A truly electrifying design! Eddie Van Halen, in all his Guitar God glory, in 1984! The colors are vibrant, detailed, and really pop on this “Megawatt” tee!

Cherub 1984 Shirt:

New reissue of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most iconic tour shirts! The mischievous baby smoking a cigarette – from Van Halen’s monstrous 1984 album, which spawned timeless hits such as “Jump,” “Panama,” Hot For Teacher,” “I’ll Wait,” and fan faves “Drop Dead Legs,” “Girl Gone Bad,” and “House of Pain!” The young angel looks just a little devilish with that cigarette in hand, looking up at the heavens and wondering if he’s doing something that isn’t quite right…

Eddie Van Halen 1984 Funko:

Eddie’s perfectly captured – wearing his 1984 stage outfit, playing his famous red-white-and-black striped 5150 guitar, airborne in his iconic scissor-kick jump, and smiling as he always did onstage!

Flying Eddies Shirt:

It doesn’t get more iconic than Eddie Van Halen’s flying scissor kicks—the ultimate rock and roll expression of exuberance!

1984 Eagle Shirt in Black or Retro Orange:

Features the famous Van Halen 1984 design, with the flying eagle carrying “Van Halen” in it’s talons.

Van Halen’s t-shirts, especially this one, were the must-have souvenirs that showed everyone that YOU were part of it all! To this day, the “1984 Eagle” shirt has been one of the most iconic concert shirts of the ’80s.

1984 Long Sleeve:

Last chance! Just a few left. Sizes Medium, Large & 2XL.

Shop The 1984 Collection (37 items) here.

A new episode of The SDR Show, featuring Raven, is now available wherever you get your podcasts. Watch video below.

Raven band members John and Mark Gallagher join Ralph Sutton and Dov Davidoff and discuss other famous bands with brothers as members, the origin of the band name Raven, Ozzy Osbourne hearing Raven on the radio then asking them to open for him, John Gallagher’s perfect pitch, Mark Gallagher being accident prone and the tragedies the band had to deal with, vomiting on stage, keeping high energy when performing at a more advanced age, Raven releasing a live album with tracks already recorded, a silly game to see if John and Mark Gallagher can identify different birds, John and Mark Gallagher’s first concert, first drug, and first sexual experiences.

On Ozzy picking them as an opening band, John said: “The way it was in England at the time. This DJ only did one thing—they played new music. I don’t know where Ozzy was, but he heard it and said I want that band.”

On being in their seventies and still rocking hard, Mark said: “We’re chasing our legacy. We still want to make sure that we’re still on point—we don’t want to be less. There’s no acoustic part of the set!”

The SDR Show is part of the GaS Digital Network, an audio/video podcast hosted by radio personality Ralph Sutton and comedian Dov Davidoff. The SDR Show is often in the top fifty comedy interview podcasts on iTunes, was selected as one of the first podcasts on Spotify, and is available on Google Play, iHeartRadio, and theSDRshow.com. Recent guests include musicians Peter Frampton, Gene Simmons, Alice Cooper, DMC of Run DMC, and Shaggy; comedians Ray Romano, Thomas Lennon, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Sussie Essman, and Mario Cantone; and notable personalities including Mark Cuban, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Daymond John.

Newcastle, UK metal legends, Raven, recently unleashed the ear-splitting title track from their 50th anniversary Can’t Take Away The Fire release, out February 14 via Silver Lining Music.

Stream the new single “Can’t Take Away The Fire” here. The video, by widely acclaimed visual arts icon Costin Chioreanu, can be viewed below.

This rebel cry from the insane new Raven release underlines that the band aren’t letting their legacy dictate what they are… instead, they continue to push and redefine their approach by employing mega metal flamethrowers of CRUNCH!

Co-founding lead vocalist and bassist John Gallagher comments: “After the last album, All Hell’s Breaking Loose, we knew it was time to raise the bar yet again… ‘Can’t Take Away The Fire’ is the perfect introduction to this new EP … five tracks of pure cranium crushing headbanging mania!”

Founding Geordie brothers John Gallagher (lead vocals, bass) and Mark Gallagher (guitar, backing vocals) aligned with the jet-propulsive power of Mike Heller (drums), throw down their speed demon gauntlet on “Black And Blue”, roar with turbo charged intensity on “Power Hungry”, carpet bomb and bludgeon with the mega riffs of “Can’t Take Away The Fire” then accelerating back to the pyrotechnic fury of “Gimme A Lie”. The new suite of songs wraps up with “The Wreckage” – a doom-tinged epic with the weight of a thousand baseball bats pummelling your skull!

Adding to the festivities are live bonus tracks from across the band’s career – “The Power”, as well as “Architect Of Fear”, with Joe Hasselvander on drums and “Don’t Need Your Money” with Rob Hunter.

Featuring artwork by All Things Rotten, Can’t Take Away The Fire is a very limited-edition release, with only 1,000 CDs available, all of which will be numbered and signed by the band as well as coming with an exclusive 50th anniversary Raven patch. The limited-edition CD will also only be available from the official Raven store, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Digital pre-order is now available, all formats can be pre-ordered here.

Tracklisting:

“Black And Blue”
“Power Hungry”
“Can’t Take Away The Fire”
“Gimme A Lie”
“The Wreckage”
“The Power” (Live In Clifton, New Jersey, 2022)
“Architect Of Fear” (Live In Erlangen, Germany, 1991)
“Don’t Need Your Money” (Live In Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1984)

Raven are:

John Gallagher: Lead Vocals, Bass
Mark Gallagher: Guitar, Vocals
Mike Heller: Drums

Building on a huge touring run that saw the band visit their biggest ever venues across the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and Japan, Bury Tomorrow look forward to an even bigger 2025.

New single, “Let Go”, serves as the third preview of the recently announced LP, Will You Haunt Me, With That Same Patience, and looks set to continue stoking the furnace of a fanbase already burning brightly.

On “Let Go,” the band table perhaps the biggest addition to their sonic approach to date, whilst still maintaining their signature savagery. Drum and bass beats collide with breakdowns, as aggressive vocals interweave in and around the tempo in a spoken word delivery, reinforced by stadium-sized choruses.

The track explores concepts of honesty, as frontman Dani Winter-Bates expands, “Both within yourself and the people around you. To be dishonest with yourself leads to decisions based in fear and can lead to regret, while to be true to yourself can cost some of the things you hold closest.”

Co-vocalist Tom Prendergast goes further, saying “There is a sense throughout the song that we can often give all of our energy to a toxic situation and need to recognize when to cut ties to grow. ‘Let Go’ is about how that can shape you, change you and define your choices and your path through life. There is a cost to every choice, and there are some harder to let go of than others.”

For Bury Tomorrow, the last two years have been about trying to fill the space where they knew something was missing.

From the depths of uncertainty, through line-up changes and COVID-inspired road blocks, the arrival of guitarist Ed Hartwell and keyboardist/vocalist rendergast and the creation of 2023’s The Seventh Sun has allowed them to lay out a whole new path of possibilities that felt unavailable before. Now, with an invigorated belief and fresh outlook on what the band can encompass, they present Will You Haunt Me, With That Same Patience, their most fantastically visceral offering to date.

Crafted more intimately and intricately than ever before by internalizing every aspect of the writing process, with Carl Bown [Sleep Token, Bullet For My Valentine, While She Sleeps] manning production duties for the first time, the result is a profoundly personal, extraordinarily expansive, and punishingly grand display of cathartic craftsmanship.

Born from a shared sense of frustration in feeling an ever-shifting disconnect from the state of modern society, the band have created an earnest, heart-wrenching, and definitive look at the overlapping effects of brutal self-sabotage, crippling anxiety, fierce despondency, and the never-ending search for peace and clarity in a world so full of noise. It is a record about division as much as togetherness, an outpouring of personal devastation but a hopeful reminder that we are all navigating it together.

“To haunt is to revisit or recur persistently to the consciousness of someone or something,” explains guitarist Kristan Dawson. “There’s beauty in that commitment somewhat. In a world full of distraction, discourse, instancy and demand, patience seems hard to attain. In patience, there is peace, one thing society is short of. The title serves as a call of reflection, relying on the present moment, remembering what truly matters. I think the notion of patience being haunting is quite a contrast and that’s certainly reflective of the album musically.”

Within such deep sonic exploration and shared emotional understanding, and despite its bleak outlook on things, Will You Haunt Me With That Same Patience still strives to represent that lingering presence, that hope, that reminds us that this isn’t the be-all and end-all of this existence. That things can change for the better, just like we can change for the better with it, and persevering through such separation will bring us back around eventually. We just have to weather the storm and trust in that feeling to pull us through.

To have allowed themselves the time and space to reach this point of comfort and confidence now feels like a starting point for everything that the band will do in the future. Expanding their empire in all corners of the world and delivering their biggest statement of intent to date is the beginning of a whole new chapter in the story of one of the most devastating and dedicated assets to British heavy music.

Pre-order/pre-save the album here.

Tracklisting:

“To Dream, To Forget”
“Villain Arc”
“Wasteland”
“What If I Burn”
“Forever The Night”
“Waiting”
“Silence Isn’t Helping”
“Found No Throne”
“Yōkai”
“Let Go”
“Paradox”

“What If I Burn” video:

“Villain Arc” video:

Texas Hippie Coalition has announced a slew of new tour dates, which will see the band rocking stages across America from February through June 2025. Confirmed venues are listed below.

Tickets and VIP Packages are available now at this location.

February
14 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
21 – Fort Worth, TX – The Rail 
22 – Baytown, TX – D’s Irish Tavern

March
26 – Harrison, OH – Blue Note Harrison
28 – Cadillac, MI – The Venue Event Center 
29 – Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s 

April
1 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
2 – Sioux City, IA – The Marquee
3 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads Kansas City
5 – Wyandotte, MI – District 142
6 – Hobart, IN – Hobart Art Theatre
19 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom

May
2 – Pittsburg, KS – Kansas Crossing Casino
3 – Springfield, MO – Southbound Bar & Grill
16 – Fort Smith, AR – TempleLive Fort Smith
17 – Shreveport, LA – Bayou Thunder Saloon
18 – New Orleans, LA – Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall
22 – Huntsville, AL – Shagnastys
24 – Clearwater, FL –  OCC Road House 
25 – Fort Myers, FL – The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon
29 – Knoxville, TN – Open Chord Stage
30 – Greenville, SC – The Radio Room
31 – Hickory, NC – Wayneo’s Silver Bullet

June
1 – Leesburg, VA – Tally Ho Theater 
5 – Albany, NY – Empire Live Albany
6 – Syracuse, NY – The Song & Dance
7 – Campbell Hall, NY – Private Show 
8 – Buffalo, NY – Rec Room Buffalo
11 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
13 – Unity, WI –  Monster Hall Festival Grounds
14 – Fountain, MN – Beaver Bottoms Saloon
15 – Sioux Falls, SD – Bigs Bar

Lone Star State rockers, Texas Hippie Coalition, have issued the hilariously entertaining animated video for their recently released track, “Bones Jones”. The video was directed by musician Edsel Dope and co-directed by David Perada, and animated by Makinita Silva.  The video tells the crazy story of the character Bones Jones, with the heavy riffs on the tracks setting the manic mood.

“In our hometown, there was a guy named ‘Bones’,” says frontman Big Dad Ritch. “He was about six-foot-seven-inches tall like Lurch from The Addams Family. I’d get weed from him, but he sold everything you could think of. Just weed for me though,” he chuckles.

Texas Hippie Coalition released their new album, Gunsmoke, via MNRK Heavy on October 4, 2024. This time, Big Dad Ritch and his crew wholeheartedly embrace their country and Southern rock stylings as well as a lifelong passion for westerns.

With drinks poured, fists raised, and smiles wide, Texas Hippie Coalition (THC) always know how to have a good time. A collective of tried-and-true rabble-rousers and dyed-in-the-wool storytellers, the Texas quintet – Big Dad Ritch [vocals], Cord Pool [guitar], Nevada Romo [guitar], Rado Romo [bass], and Joey Mandigo [drums] – spike ass-whopping hard rock with a kick of country swagger and a whole lot of Texas grit and gusto.

Gathering tens of millions of streams, logging thousands of miles on the road, and energizing countless fans, they deliver ten anthems tailor-made to simmer and scorch on Gunsmoke. “In terms of the lyrics, the vibe, and where THC come from, we definitely went home on this album,” says Ritch. “It represents the wild west Texas-Oklahoma area. You’ve got a little red dirt country spilling over into the storytelling and metal. It’s a return to the dirt where we came from.”

Stream / buy Gunsmoke here.

Tracklisting:

“Deadman”
“Baptized In The Mud”
“Bones Jones”
“She’s Like A Song”
“Droppin Bombs”
“Gunsmoke”
“Eat Crow”
“Million Man Army”
“Test Positive”
“I’m Gettin High”

“Gunsmoke” video:

January 23, 2025, 11 hours ago

news hard rock rarities ac/dc queen pink floyd professor of rock

Professor Of Rock has released the new video below, along with the following introduction:

“The year 1980 was a fascinating time for music. The decade was ushered in by some bold songs by artists who pushed their own boundaries to stay relevant and challenge their fans. It’s also a year that gave us some of the most influential & timeless tracks of the rock era. Including two of rock’s greatest bands, Pink Floyd and Queen releasing disco-influenced tracks… by rock’s most progressive band in ‘Another Brick In The Wall, Part Two’  and ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ by Queen, who stole the iconic bass line from disco group, Chick, but everyone claimed Chic ripped Queen off. Then there’s Kenny Loggins’ ‘I’m Alright’ that has a mystery vocalist that shocked people when they figured out who it was, as well as ‘Call Me’ by Blondie that we’ve all sung for years even though it’s about a male… well ya know… And AC/DC’s classic song ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’. It’s all coming up next as we countdown the Top 10 Songs Of 1980 on Professor Of Rock.”

Stadium rockers, Kissin’ Dynamite, and Estonian folk-metal band, Metsatöll, are the latest acts confirmed for the 2025 edition of 70000 Tons Of Metal, taking place January 30 – February 3, 2025. Metsatöll  will play songs from their debut album Hiiekoda, as well as a varied second set.

This year’s cruise will take fans back to an absolute favorite port that hasn’t been visited in a decade – Ocho Rios, Jamaica!

60 Bands, 4 Days, 1 Cruise Ship, and only 3000 Tickets. This is 70000 Tons Of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise!

70000 Tons Of Metal 2025 roster: Arcturus, Benighted, Beyond Creation, Candlemass, Crownshift, Decapitated, Delain, Emperor, Ex Deo, Finntroll, Flotsam And Jetsam, HammerFall, Ihsahn, In Extremo, Kalmah, Kissin’ Dynamite, Majestica, Metsatöll, Mork, The Kovenant, Samael, Septicflesh, Sepultura, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Subway To Sally, Swallow The Sun featuring Finnish Ballet, Tankard, Symphony X, The Zenith Passage, Trollfest, Trouble, Twilight Force, Unleash The Archers.

On 70000 Tons Of Metal you get unrestricted festival access to all 120 live shows on board, 70000 Tons Of Karaoke until sunrise, Jamming In International Waters – the Official 70000 Tons Of Metal All Star Jam which writes heavy metal history every year, clinics and work-shops with the musicians, our infamous belly flop contest, shore excursions with your favorite artists, and much more.

Organizers: “Everyone on board is a VIP, we don’t have assigned seating (this is a heavy metal cruise after all), and most importantly the bars on our ship never close – you heard us, bars that never close! On this life changing adventure you will spend five days and four nights at sea mingling side-by-side with your favorite artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It’s like having an All-Access backstage pass!”

Visit 70000Tons.com or the official 70000 Tons Of Metal Facebook page for further details.