Author: Logan Rocker

Danish hard rock act, D-A-D, have released a lyric video for “Speed Of Darkness”, the title track of their thirteenth album, out today via AFM Records. Watch below:

Earlier this year, D-A-D turned 40 years and even got their own museum exhibition. But this is by no means the end of everything. The quartet is brimming with energy, and they have written 40 songs since their last album, A Prayer for the Loud, that was released in 2019. Out of these songs, the band has selected 14 of the best ones for their new double album Speed Of Darkness. Many bands never get to stick together and celebrate their 40-year anniversary without any breaks, but the fact this is currently happening to one of Denmark’s best and most popular rock band, with an even greater audience beyond the country’s borders, is remarkable. It’s in fact more than that, according to bassist Stig Pedersen: ”Turning 40 as a band is in and of itself totally crazy. We are a social experiment!”, he states.

While this year started with a trip back in time for D-A-D, now, they look into the future with their brand new studio offering, without a doubt a remarkably strong collection of songs. Some would call this a clear understatement; the four band members have not been in so much agreement about the quality of new songs for an album in many years as they are today. As Jesper Binzer says: ”I am totally stoked about this new collection of songs – I can’t wait for the fans to hear this album. It is so much D-A-D – and so much better!”

Drummer Laust Sonne agrees: “I think that we have taken a collective step up, on many parameters, with “Speed of Darkness”: We have never played better than we do on this album. Our songwriting is on top notch, and this collection of songs is our strongest in many years. Sound- and production-wise, we have cared deeply for every little detail. It has both power and finesse. All of this makes us sleep soundly at night and just look forward to presenting Speed Of Darkness in its entirety to all of our fans.”

Speed Of Darkness was produced with Nick Foss and was mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Powerwolf). Jacob Binzer adds: ”Although you can’t really judge albums before one to two years after their release, I think that this is a strong pool. Some of these songs have surprised me positively while we recorded them, and that is very promising.”

Jesper Binzer agrees with his brother: ”For the first time in three to four albums, I am totally excited about our material, and I was looking forward to go into the studio every single day. We have an excess of both songs and ideas, and this is a place that I have wanted to reach with the last three to four D-A-D albums. It’s crazy how things are circular that way. I thought that everything was done, and I thought that we were just old guys who were doing whatever we could, but a new necessity has arisen.”

After a major festival summer run with 24 concerts, D-A-D will soon embark on a tour with numerous shows in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, as well as a completely sold-out show in Royal Arena in Denmark on November 1. And if you want even more D-A-D, the National Museum, Copenhagen exhibit will run all the way to late October.

Order the album here.

Tracklisting:

“God Prays To Man”
“1st, 2nd & 3rd”
“The Ghost”
“Speed Of Darkness”
“Head Over Heels”
“Live By Fire”
“Crazy Wings”
“Keep That MF Down”
“Strange Terrain”
“In My Hands”
“Everything Is Gone Now”
“Automatic Survival”
“Waiting Is The Way”
“I’m Still Here”

“Head Over Heels” lyric video:

“Keep That Mother Down” lyric video:

“The Ghost” lyric video:

“1st, 2nd & 3rd”:

Tour dates:

October
22 – Trondheim, Norway – Tapperiet
24 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
25 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan
26 – Göteborg, Sweden – Gothenburg Film Studios

November
1 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
8 – Malmö, Sweden – Slagthuset
9 – Malmö, Sweden – Slagthuset
27 – Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7
28 – München, Germany – Backstage (Werk)
29 – Aschaffenburg, Germany – Colos-Saal

December
1 – Heidelberg, Germany – Halle02
3 – Oberhausen, Germany – Turbinenhalle 2
4 – Nürnberg, Germany – Hirsch
5 – Berlin, Germany – Columbia Theater
6 – Hannover, Germany – Musikzentrum
7 – Hamburg, Germany – Docks

Mötley Crüe returns with Cancelled, the brand new EP featuring the Top 5 radio hit, “Dogs Of War” and new single, a cover of the Beastie Boys classic, “Fight For Your Right”, as well as the title track, now available for streaming below.

For their first release with Big Machine Label Group, the Crüe are back to remind fans why they remain “The World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,” 40+ years into their career.

Available today, you can psave/order the Cancelled EP here.

Cancelled EP tracklisting:

“Cancelled”
“Dogs Of War”
“Fight For Your Right”

“Cancelled”:

“Fight For Your Right”:

“Dogs Of War” video:

For details on Mötley Crüe’s upcoming Höllywood Takeöver shows, and their new Las Vegas residency, head here.

On the new edition of Chris Akin Presents…, Chris sits down with Judas Priest bassist, Ian Hill. Hill discusses the current Invincible Shield tour and how the band adapted when Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap joined. He shares insights on whether the band has ever regretted any of their releases. The conversation also touches on upcoming touring plans and the possibility of retirement. Dive into this deep and revealing interview with one of heavy metal’s legendary figures.

Asked if Invincible Shield will be the band’s final album and tour, Hill responds, “I doubt it. We know we’re not getting any younger, well, Rob and myself anyways, we’re not spring chickens anymore. We know that there will be a time when we can’t do it. I think the yardstick is going to be whether we can… if the performances start to dip is some way, and we’re not being as confident, or as, I don’t know… if things change for the worse, even perceptibly, it’s time to start thinking about it. But there’s no plans for that yet. As I said, the tour now is going off into next year, and we’ll get to the end of next summer when we finish the third European leg, and then we’ll see where we go from there, whether we do another record, whether we continue to tour. We’ll know more of that when the tour is finished. But there’s no plans to announce retirement yet.”

Currently the second leg of their Invincible Shield North American Tour, Judas Priest recently shared an official live video for “Riding On The Wind”. Check it out below.

Upcoming Judas Priest live dates are listed below.

October
5 – Idaho Falls, ID – Mountain America Center  
6 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena  
9 – Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds Arena  
10 – Portland, OR – Alaska Airlines’ Theater of the Clouds  
12 – Sacramento, CA – After Shock Festival^  
13 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino*
15 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater  
16 – Las Vegas, NV – Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood  
18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre  
20 – Loveland, CO – Blue Arena  
22 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land  
24 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater  
26 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

* Not A Live Nation Date
^ Festival Date

With over 830M all-time streams, #1 charting albums, multiple sold-out headlining tours across the globe, appearances at major festivals worldwide, recognition from top government agencies and officials, and collaborations with some of rock’s biggest names, The HU have brought Mongolian music to the forefront with their innovative brand of ‘Hunnu Rock.’ They will now bring their unparalleled and immersive performance to audiences across North America as they join forces with rock legends Iron Maiden as direct support on their “Future Past” arena tour starting tonight, October 4 in San Diego, CA. The HU have paid tribute to Iron Maiden by today releasing a cover version of one of the band’s most popular songs, “The Trooper”.

Founding member, Lead Throat Singer, and Morin Khuur musician GALA excitedly states: “The HU is thrilled to be on Iron Maiden’s Future Past Tour in North America. For us, this tour represents an important milestone for the Mongolian music industry and a historical step towards world stage. As a special thank you, and out of huge respect as fans of the band, we covered their legendary song ‘The Trooper’ and are happy to be sharing that with you ahead of this tour!”

Stream The HU’s version of “The Trooper” now across all digital platforms here. Watch the music video below.

The HU will also perform a series of headlining shows throughout the tour with special guests The Funeral Portrait. See all upcoming dates below. Tickets and VIP upgrades are available now, here.

The HU tour dates:

October
4 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre &
5 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena &
8 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum &
9 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center &
12 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst ^
14 – Portland, OR – MODA Center &
15 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory ^
16 – Tacoma, WA -Tacoma Dome &
18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Delta Center &
19 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena &
21 – West Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom ^
22 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center &
24 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena &
25 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues ^
26 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena &
27 – Quebec, QC – Videotron Centre &
28 – Ottawa, ON – Bronson Centre ^
30 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell &
31 – Buffalo, NY – Electric City ^

November
1 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center &
2 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center &
4 – Albany, NY – Empire Live ^
6 – Worcester, MA – DCU Center &
7 – Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center ^
8 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena &
9 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center &
12 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena &
13 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center &
15 – Houston, TX – House of Blues ^
16 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena &
17 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center &

& with Iron Maiden
^ with The Funeral Portrait

Ahead of Mötley Crüe’s three-night string of exclusive sold out club shows this October at legendary Hollywood venues, The Roxy, Troubadour, and Whisky A Go Go, Global Merchandising Services “Global”, an award-winning music, celebrity, and lifestyle merchandising company that represents the iconic rock band, announces a roster of new collaborations to launch during the ‘Höllywood Takeöver’ event.

Represent, Prince Street Pizza, Rainbow Bar & Grill, and Hot Topic are amongst the brands to launch exclusive drops beginning October 5 to coincide with the three Mötley Crüe’s shows on October 7, 9 and 11. Additionally, as previously announced, Mötley Crüe is launching the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative, a moniker under which the band will partner with different non-profit organizations near and dear to their hearts moving forward. The first organization to benefit from the initiative is Covenant House, which supports young people experiencing homelessness. Fans can now place bids for the band’s one-of-one stage-played instruments and rare collectibles from the Höllywood Takeöver shows at an auction benefitting Covenant House here.

“The reception to our ‘Höllywood Takeöver’ has been phenomenal, and Global Merchandising has created new opportunities for our fans with these LA-centric collaborations that extend the experience beyond the clubs,” said Mötley Crüe. “We are also excited to kick off the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative and are aiming to raise $ 250K before the end of this year for Covenant House, an organization near and dear to our hearts.”

“The Höllywood Takeöver is a once in a lifetime intimate opportunity for Mötley Crüe fans, and we are thrilled to work with the band and all of our partners involved to celebrate this unique occasion by offering exclusive, limited-edition products and local venue experiences,” stated SVP of Licensing & Brand Development for North America, Lisa Streff.

In honor of Mötley Crüe’s Hollywood Takeover, Prince Street Pizza will be offering a custom 4-slice combo called “The Mötley Crüe Combo” at all eight Los Angeles locations: West Hollywood, Hollywood Arby’s Drive Thru, Pasadena, Studio City, DTLA, Venice, Malibu, and Costa Mesa. Each member of Mötley Crüe selected their favorite iconic Prince St. Pizza Sicilian slice: Vince Neil – Spicy Spring, Tommy Lee – The Naughty Pie, Nikki Sixx – Meat Lovers, John 5 – Vegan Cheese with Green Peppers, and customers will be able to mix and match these slices to create their own personalized Mötley Crüe Combo. Each combo will be served in a custom designed box.

“We’re so excited to be part of this legendary collaboration honoring Mötley Crüe’s return to the Sunset Strip. They were one of my favorite bands growing up and such an iconic staple of The Strip. I can’t wait for everyone to try their favorite slices,” said Lawrence Longo, CEO, Prince Street Pizza.

The world-famous Rainbow Bar & Grill will feature a Mötley Crüe pop-up store with exclusive, band-curated merchandise including a co-branded tee and pint glass (Mötley x Rainbow). The glass can also be purchased for a nominal upcharge with the purchase of signature cocktails inspired by the band including the Dr. Feelgood RX, Kickstart my Heart-Tini, Sticky Sweet, S.O.S., and signature mocktail, Without You.

An array of apparel partners will also participate in the event with Represent launching a limited-edition t-shirt, available exclusively at their Los Angeles store. Additionally, specialty retailer Hot Topic will offer a limited-edition Mötley Crüe tee available at its Ovation Hollywood store location and online.

Mötley Crüe are returning to the Las Vegas strip for the “Las Vegas Residency”, a limited run of shows at Park MGM between March 28 – April 19, 2025.

A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to Nevada Partnership For Homeless Youth through Mötley Crüe’s Giveback Initiative and Live Nation.

S.I.N. Club pre-sale is set for today, Friday, October 4, at 10 AM, PT. Sign up for the S.I.N. Club free at cruesuem.com.

Citi card members pre-sale Friday, October 4 at 12 noon, PT. For details visit citientertainment.com

Tickets on sale Friday, October 11 at 10 AM, PT.

For travel packages, hotel, and ticket info, head here. Watch a video trailer below:

(Photo – Ross Halfin)

Public Service Broadcasting’s fifth album, The Last Flight, explores Amelia Earhart’s 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the world. Ahead of its release, J Willgoose, Esq told Prog how the record came together.

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J Willgoose, Esq knew very quickly that pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart – who, in 1928, became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic – had to be the subject of Public Service Broadcasting’s fifth album.

Earhart, already a record-breaking pilot, went missing somewhere in the Pacific Ocean in 1937 as she attempted to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world, and it’s that adventure that forms the basis of The Last Flight.

“Because so much of the historical archive is male-focused, male-recorded and male-stewarded, I was looking for an inspiring female-focused story,” Willgoose says. “And as soon as I started investigating Amelia Earhart and started looking at the story of her final flight in particular, it just clicked. It made perfect sense.”

He continues: “I like the fact that she’d written her own account of it. She’d written a book of her final flight. She was making journals and sending stuff back to her husband as she went.

“I don’t think this is a story of failure: it’s indicative of the human spirit and willingness to try these things. This was a spiritual call that goes beyond humanity.”

Earhart’s journals informed the album’s lyrics, which are performed by a number of guests including Gurr vocalist Andreya Casablanca and Kate Stables of folk-proggers This Is The Kit.

In the absence of archival recordings of the pilot herself, journal entries and historical quotes helped Willgoose create his own ‘samples,’ read by actor Kate Graham, which were treated to sound like they’d been recorded at the time.

Willgoose is full of praise fore Earhart: “She was a rare combination of technical brilliance, courage and the ability to be in control of those moments at high stress,” he says.

“But she also had a poetic nature and a philosophical nature. My takeaway is: ‘What a shame she didn’t make it – but we can all learn so much from what happened anyway.”

Paul Simon may have retired from touring, but playing live generally is not off the table.

“I’m hoping to eventually be able to do a full-length concert,” he recently told The Guardian. “I’m optimistic. Six months ago I was pessimistic.”

Six years ago, the singer-songwriter announced his retirement from the road and has since spoken about struggling with hearing loss — at one point, he noted that he had lost nearly all hearing in his left ear, a reality that made playing live difficult.

Retired From the Road, Not From Music

Last month, he made a brief appearance at the SoHo Sessions loft in New York City, performing seven songs for around 150 people. Speaking with The Guardian, Simon clarified that his 2018 announcement was never intended to spell the end of his career.

“I never said I was going to retire,” he said. “I said I was going to stop, which I did. I thought that with that band and the repertoire we were doing we’d developed it as far as we could. It was enjoyable, but I wanted to find out what happens when you stop. Then I had a dream, and everything changed back to a new version of reality.”

That dream led to the creation of his most recent album, 2023’s Seven Psalms. It was during this time that Simon’s hearing loss worsened.

“It was scary, frustrating,” he explained. “You’re in denial and then you’re overwhelmed by this change in your life because you now have a disability. But even though it wasn’t pleasurable any more, I started to think that this was some new information that I needed to absorb into the piece. I started to focus on sounds, not from computers or synthesizers, but acoustic instruments used in unusual ways.”

READ MORE: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Paul Simon

Not only is Simon thinking about more performing, he’s also written two entirely new songs.

“One of them, a duet with Edie, is different from anything I’ve written. I might just put it out into the ether, see where it goes,” he said, referring to his wife and sometimes creative collaborator Edie Brickell. “I’m interested in relearning how to write songs, like I did in England, and developing new acoustic sounds. Maybe I’m something of a lone wolf in that respect. But I’m kinda interested in the conclusion of where my thinking in music finally ends up.”

Jethro Tull has remixed and expanded a 2003 Yuletide album which served as their last with stalwart guitarist Martin Barre. The Jethro Tull Christmas Album: Fresh Snow at Christmas is set to arrive on Dec. 6.

The multi-format return of Jethro Tull’s 21st studio album includes a limited-edition deluxe 4CD/Blu-ray box with all-new artwork and additional live material. This set features the original album mixes (disc one), 2024 remixes of the LP by Bruce Soord of the Pineapple Thief (disc two), Christmas Live at St. Bride’s 2008, also newly remixed by Soord (disc three), the previously unreleased Ian Anderson Band Live at St. Bride’s 2006 (disc four), and Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound and high-resolution stereo mixes on a Blu-ray disc.

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album will also be released on vinyl for the first time, with a gatefold 180g 2LP set also featuring the 2024 remixes. See a complete track listing below. Pre-orders are already underway.

READ MORE: Ranking Every Jethro Tull Album

Highlights include Jethro Tull interpretations of age-old songs like “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” “Greensleeves” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” as well as holiday-inspired originals like 1968’s “A Christmas Song,” the B-side to the group’s first U.K. charting single “Love Story.”

“Some of the tracks are not necessarily Christmas songs,” frontman Ian Anderson said in a news release. “They’re more seasonal so that gives a broader window – and then there are a couple of them that I quite often play in the middle of summer and say, ‘It’ll soon be Christmas – it’s in the diary. So let’s kick it off now.’ And that’s part of what I’ve done over the years since October of 1968 when I went in to record ‘A Christmas Song.’ So, yes – it goes back a long way.”

Also included are reworkings of “Ring Out Solstice Bells” from 1977’s Songs from the Wood, “Weathercock” from 1978’s Heavy Horses and “Another Christmas Song” from 1989’s Rock Island. Barre composed the closing instrumental, “A Winter Snowscape.” The live recordings feature updates of Tull favorites “Thick as a Brick” and “Aqualung,” too.

“Part of the joy of redoing those things,” Anderson added, “is that you can … not necessarily recreate, but you can keep all the essential elements of the song and maybe declutter it a little bit and give it a fresh look, but essentially still staying faithful to the original arrangements.”

Jethro Tull’s lineup was completed by keyboard and accordion player Andrew Giddings, bassist Jonathan Noyce and drummers Doane Perry and James Duncan.

‘The Jethro Tull Christmas Album: Fresh Snow at Christmas’ Track Listing
Original Mixes/Remixes
“Birthday Card at Christmas”
“Holly Herald”
“A Christmas Song”
“Another Christmas Song”
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”
“Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow”
“Last Man at the Party”
“Weathercock”
“Pavane”
“First Snow on Brooklyn”
“Greensleeved”
“Fire at Midnight”
“We Five Kings”
“Ring Out Solstice Bells”
“Bouree”
“A Winter Snowscape”

Christmas Live at St. Brides 2008
“Weathercock”
“Introduction: Rev. George Pitcher / Choir: What Cheer”
“A Christmas Song”
“Living in These Hard Times”
“Choir: Silent Night”
“Reading: Ian Anderson, Marmion”
“Jack in the Green”
“Another Christmas Song”
“Reading: Gavin Esler, God’s Grandeur”
“Choir: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful”
“A Winter Snowscape”
“Fires at Midnight”
“We Five Kings”
“Choir: Gaudete”
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman / Thick as a Brick”

Ian Anderson Band Live at St. Brides 2006
“Living In The Past”
“Griminelli’s Lament”
“A Christmas Song”
“Mozart”
“Pastime With Good Company”
“Holly Herald”
“Pavane”
“We Five Kings”
“Aqualung”