As the year draws to a close, music publications such as us turn our attention to our end of year lists. There will be nods to the best albums, singles, festivals and gigs as December progresses towards it festive finale. The only problem is that 2022 isnât quite done yet!
Tonight for example the O2 Arena in London welcomes a fantastic package tour with three incredible acts set to grace the stage. Perhaps then those engravers should hold fire on etching the award winnerâs names just yet!
This evening is the final night of a tour that has hit five other UK and Irish arenas already this month having first made its way around Europe, and thereâs an end of tour / end of year atmosphere in the venue.
The first band up is Mammoth WVH led by Wolfgang Van Halen who showcases his natural talent and feels right at home on this massive stage. Playing a blistering set of material from their self-titled debut release, the band finish with âDonât Back Downâ and leave the stage with many more fans than when they arrived.
Next up are a band who debatably should be headlining arenas themselves these days, as the screams of Lzzy Hale welcome Halestorm to the stage. Opener, âThe Steepleâ, sets the theme with new album, âBack From The Deadâ taking centre stage. Thatâs no bad thing though as itâs a fantastic album as demonstrated by the likes of âWicked Waysâ, âMineâ and the title track.
All the usual Halestorm fun is packed into an abridged set where we still get crowd interaction, over-sized drumsticks and massive rock songs such as âLove Bites (So Do I)’ and âFamiliar Taste of Poisonâ. âI Miss The Miseryâ closes out the short but sweet set and leaves you thinking surely a Halestorm arena headline tour must be next on the cards.
WATCH ‘SILVER TONGUE’ FROM ALTER BRIDGE ON YOUTUBE
Alter Bridge – ‘Silver Tongue’
A band very familiar with headlining arenas at this point though is our headline act tonight, Alter Bridge. Another band with a new album to show off, the huge âSilver Tongueâ gets the ball rolling as the group once again demonstrate their obscene talents.
A musically sublime performance features their debut album more than recent tours with âShed My Skinâ, âBurn It Downâ and âIn Loving Memoryâ all highlights. The set list weaves between albums and highlights the musical dexterity of the band along with the commitment of their fans that stand in awe through hits and deep cuts alike.
âThis Is Warâ and title track âPawns & Kingsâ show that the band remain very much on form as far as new material goes, but naturally itâs favourites such as âMetalingusâ and âBlackbirdâ that elicit the best audience responses tonight.
An encore of âRise Todayâ and âOpen Your Eyesâ seals the deal and sends the crowd into the wintery embers of 2022 happy and thoroughly entertained. Itâs tours like this that remind us what weâve been missing in the past couple of years, and serve as grounds to hold back on those end of year awards until all the entries have made their case!
What an incredible story Alter Bridge are when you sit back and think about it; forming from the ashes an enormously successful band, with a relatively unknown but highly talented singer, with said singer even later auditioning for Led Zeppelin.
That singer then joining the legendary Slash for a new project and the original act briefly reforming; and then both the singer and guitarist of this band pursuing very successful solo careers. There is even a Frank Sinatra covers album in the mix now, but throughout all this Alter Bridge have remained ever present and ever evolving.
Now regrouped again, the band have bestowed upon us their seventh studio album, âPawns & Kingsâ. Despite all the distractions, this continues their record of a new album every three years having started that pattern with debut album, âOne Day Remainsâ back in 2004 â which is somehow almost twenty years ago!
During this time the band have delivered many hits and a few misses, but this album feels important. The band have established themselves in rocks arena filling ranks, but havenât shown any measurable growth in a decade or so. Whilst charting reasonably well their previous two albums have met mixed reviews and it does seem like Alter Bridge need an injection of momentum.
âPawns & Kingsâ may well be just what the doctor ordered. Starting out fast, heavy and soaring, the band set the bar high with âThis Is Warâ, âDead Among The Livingâ and âSilver Tongueâ.
âSin After Sinâ and âStayâ then demonstrate that evolution we mentioned. Myles Kennedy as a vocalist and Mark Tremonti as a guitarist are often ranked as amongst the best in their fields. In recent years the two have proven themselves well equipped in each otherâs departments and on âPawns & Kingsâ the two show just how far their dexterity has come.
Throughout the second half of this album, Alter Bridge maintain the quality that has perhaps tapered off on recent albums. This isnât a token effort with a handful of quality singles. This is an old school Alter Bridge album which shows the cohesion that made sophomore album âBlackbirdâ such a success.
The story of Alter Bridge is truly unique and itâs a testament to the talents of those involved that this far into their career, even with multiple side projects, they can still deliver a album as magnificent as this!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we start with tour announcements and the mighty Iron Maiden, who have revealed the ‘Future Past’ tour that includes a run of UK arena dates next Summer.
The show will feature previously unperformed songs from the bandâs most recent studio album, ‘Senjutsu’, along with a focus on 1986âs iconic, ‘Somewhere In Time’ record, plus other classic cuts.
Says founder member and bassist Steve Harris, âFollowing the release of our latest album, Senjutsu, we updated the current Legacy of the Beast Tour a little by opening the show with the first three songs from it, with the Japanese Palace stage set.
As it doesnât make a lot of sense to repeat this for a Senjutsu album tour, we thought about other options and weâve decided to revisit Somewhere In Time as that tour didnât feature in the various retrospective history tours weâve played over the years. They were based on our 80âs concert videos and sadly we did not film that tour (blame the manager!!).
We have had lots of requests from fans over the years for many tracks on it so we are now going to play them, plus of course a few others we know you will like! It will also be particularly satisfying to finally get to play some of the more epic tracks on Senjutsu, it’s been a long wait! 2023 is going to be an exciting time and weâre really looking forward to seeing everyone again in the UK, Ireland and around Europeâ.
Manager, Rod Smallwood adds, âThis combination of the two albums we feel is very exciting. We know fans want to hear those epic cuts on Senjutsu for the first time live and we think that by combining it with an iconic album like Somewhere In Time it will make for another really special tour for fans old and new!
Of course, for a new album tour in Europe and the UK we will go back largely to the relative intimacy of arenas and we know fans will be very happy about that too!â
Depeche Mode announce London Twickenham Stadium date
Another iconic act to announce a show for early Summer is Depeche Mode, who will takeover Twickenham Stadium in June.
The Memento Mori Tour will support the bandâs forthcoming 15th studio album, ‘Memento Mori’, due out in Spring 2023.
In speaking about Memento Mori, Martin Gore commented, âWe started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time. After Fletchâs passing, we decided to continue as weâre sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning.â
Dave Gahan added, âFletch would have loved this album. Weâre really looking forward to sharing it with you soon, and we canât wait to present it to you live at the shows next year.â
P!nk this week unveiled her ‘Summer Carnival’ 2023 tour with stadium dates in Bolton, Sunderland and Birmingham alongside an appearance at BST Hyde Park in London.
Our News Report looks at festivals now and the line-up for BST Hyde Park grew considerably this week with not just P!nk but also Billy Joel being announced for next Summer.
They join the already announced Bruce Springsteen in London.
It’s on to the week’s best new releases now as our News Report continues, and we start with Alter Bridge!
As the band prepare for the release of new album, ‘Pawns & Kings’, on October 14th, they have debuted new track, ‘This Is War’. You can check out that single above.
Bury Tomorrow have shared new single, ‘Abandon Us’, which you can listen to above. The track arrives as they reveal that their latest album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, will be released on March 31st.
“We are proud to present, âThe Seventh Sunâ. It is an understatement to say we are excited to share the new era of Bury Tomorrow with you all and the first single from the album, Abandon Us, is the perfect way to showcase our intent for the next phase of our band,” say the six-piece. “Visceral and heavy, this track is for each and every one of you that has stood by us either from the beginning, or supported us along the way.”
Of the song’s origins, the band share, “it started with a demo simply entitled, Abandon. Taken from a time of loss, uncertainty and insecurity, the intent was to create a heavy track that mirrored these feelings. The lyrics highlight the frustration and anger at the current state of our society and how our so-called leaders seem intent on satisfying self-interest above the collective needs of humanity.”
The Subways this week debuted their latest single, ‘Black Wax’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Uncertain Joys’, which is out January 13th.
Commenting on the track, front man Billy Lunn says: âCaught mid-wintertime during the pandemic, hibernating in the warmth of the band’s studio, I’d indulge in days’ worth of spinning my favourite artists’ records on my turntable. Following one particularly beautiful session, I felt compelled to express my gratitude for music itself. Not just the inspiration my favourite artists offer me as a songwriter, but all the various aspects music holistically offers us as people: the respite, the sense of belonging and being understood (and thus the validation), but also the mere aesthetic pleasure of the space between our ears being tended to.â
âGiven that our first ever gig was on the hallowed stage of The Square in Harlow, which, following over a decade of Tory rule is now resigned to rubble, it felt only right to record my guitar parts with the guitar that had been built from the wood lifted from The Square’s bar. This guitar, built by local legend Murray Torkildsen, was lent to me by a very good friend, Adam Smith, who fought so hard to save The Square in its final days. It’s no coincidence that his handle online is Black Wax. Long live The Square. Long live music.â
Cult hero Jamie Lenman has shared the details of his fifth album, ‘The Atheist’, which will be released November 25th. This week also saw Lenman debut new single, ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’, which you can listen to above.
âIâve got into the habit of saying, whenever I have a new record out, âIâve been trying to do something like this for a really long timeâ, because they typically have very lengthy gestation periods with a lot of thought going in,â says Lenman of what fans can expect from the new album.
âThis one is no exception â Iâve always loved mellowed-out indie rock like Gemma Hayes and Pete Yorn and Iâve always wanted to make an album with that sound. Trying to focus on simple songs, looking for any place we could add a bit of extra sugar â a little bit saccharine, but also slightly snide and in some places softly sad. The end result is â I hope â a bittersweet experience.â
Commenting on the track, which channels both his love of stadium rock giants Queen and his wife and long-term partner Lena, Lenman says: âItâs a song about what it actually means to refer to your partner as your âother halfâ. Thatâs how I feel about my wife and I. We started out as two separate people and over the past twenty five years weâve grown into two halves of a whole person. She fills up my missing parts and I fill hers – not that she has as many as I do. I always feel when people are talking to me that theyâre only really getting half the story if sheâs not around, just like it says in the song. And not the best half, either!â
âWhen I was a kid I loved bands like Queen with all their pomp, and then as a teenager I turned the other way with Nirvanaâs punk philosophy. I went through the post-hardcore thing with all the awkward timings and chonky riffs, and now I find myself leaning back towards those giants of stadium rock. I wrote âLenaâ to see if I could do something like Toto, with my best impression of Brian Mayâs guitar solos. Itâs my love letter to all those classic power ballads â itâs so uncool, itâs cool.â
The track comes with an official video homaging that particular brand of nostalgic 80s music video which always centred around the starâs desire for an unattainable, idealised lover.
âI wanted to do it with heart and genuine emotion instead of just spreading some poor model over the bonnet of a porch,â says Lenman of the concept. âI wanted the viewer to see my wife through my eyes, as this amazing, dazzling creature that I just get to be around. We went to the beach on the hottest day of the year and tried to forget the camera was there. Itâs nice for people to see all those old photos and how weâve grown together, just like in the lyrics. And itâs nice for us too!â
From Ashes To New – ‘Until We Break’ ft. Matty Mullins
This section of our News Report comes to a close with the new single from From Ashes To New. ‘Until We Break’ features Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, and you can check it out above.
Reciting lyrics from the song, Matt Brandyberry said, ââClose our eyes âcause there is nothing to see. Weâll all be fine if all we do is believe.â It seems we are increasingly taking the path of least resistance. Although, that is often the wrong path. Closing our minds to the truth because a lie is easier to believeâŠA short term solution for a long term problem. We are following our leaders one by one until we break.â
LA based Militarie Gun have shared their latest single, ‘Let Me Be Normal’.
Ian Shelton says: ââLet Me Be Normalâ is a plea for normality despite no matter what you achieve or how much money you have, ânormalityâ canât really ever be achieved if you grew up in a messed up situation. Thereâs no unseeing what youâve seen, something will always poke you in the ribs and remind you of the trash you come from.â
Doodseskader – ‘Alive & Not Well’
Belgium’s Doodseskader are gearing up for the release of their debut album, ‘Year One’, on November 18th with new single ‘Alive & Not Well’.
On the track, vocalist/bassist Tim says, ââAlive & Not Wellâ is things clicking for us.It was half Sigfried, half me. Half of it describes us struggling, but half of it also is us grabbing misery by the throat and facing it head first. Itâs the fifth song on the record and I feel like this is the point where things started shifting and we realised that while the record served as a document of our hardships and us trying to come to terms with the past weâd put on display in MMXX : Year Zero, from that point on itâd be us using our honesty and this band as both a weapon and an armour. âForty fucking five, I wear the number like a vestâ. Fortune gave us a shitty hand. Now we’re slowly turning it into the fist that’ll strike back.â
ROLLA – ‘Ease My Mind’
ROLLA have preview their upcoming debut EP with new single, ‘Ease My Mind’.
We recorded it at Rockfield, which was a week to never forget. Itâs a cool old place, and it was a pleasure to work with local legend Nick Brine. Creative carnage at its finest.â
Welcome everybody to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We are starting this week with the best tour announcements from the past week and we begin with a special treat for Pendulum fans.
Yes, after their secret sets at Reading & Leeds Festivals, Pendulum revealed not one but two dates at the legendary O2 Academy Brixton for March next year.
Pet Needs have just released their sophomore album, ‘Primetime Entertainment’, and this week they announced the obligatory headlining tour to accompany the release.
Support for these shows comes variously from Tundra and Bridget..
The tour finishes in their hometown Colchester on December 16th with special guest Sean McGowan plus Ecto Peach and Oxbowlake!
Speaking about the show, Johnny says: âWeâre headlining a 400-capacity venue in our hometown Colchester at Christmas. I moved here 7-8 years ago now. For local bands, if you play Colchester Arts Centre, youâve got credibility. I never thought weâd headline that venue and If we can sell it out, thatâd be incredible.â
We move our News Report now onwards to the best new releases from the past week and we start off with the return of Nickelback!
Yes the Canadians returned this week with new single, ‘San Quentin’, which you can listen to above. The track will feature on new album, ‘Get Rollin’, which will be released 31st March.
This week Black Star Riders shared the latest look at new album, ‘Wrong Side Of Paradise’, which is out January 20th. You can check out new single, ‘Pay Dirt’, above.
Frontman Ricky Warwick comments: âRockânâRoll is my lover, friend, enemy, ally, religion and saviour. RockânâRoll is my life.Christian Martucci and the late Todd Youth wrote the music for this. And when I heard it, it stank with defiance and attitude. It didnât need changing, just some words to echo the power of the chords.Itâs an ode to RockânâRoll⊠But also a dig at those that donât learn their art and donât play from the heart!â
About the album Ricky adds: âI am very proud of this record, Black Star Riders’ fifth release and the first with our new and exciting relationship with Earache Records. As with all BSR albums, âWrong Side Of Paradiseâ is an anthemic statement of intent, driven by ferocious guitars and thundering drums. I can only write about my own personal experiences, my families, my friends and how I see a world that is unraveling and changing faster than we can comprehend. That being said, Iâm a firm believer in the power of positivity, something that echoes throughout this albumâ
In addition to the new record, Black Star Riders will embark on their 10th Anniversary tour, starting from 13th February 2023.
Ricky Warwick further comments: âCan you believe 2023 is 10 years of Black Star Riders? ⊠How time flies while you are having fun! We decided to do something special to commemorate this occasion. For the UK tour only, to coincide with the albumâs release, we will be bringing back the legendary Scott Gorham (guitar) and Jimmy DeGrasso (drums) for the dates to make them extra special!â
Our News Report continues with the latest single from The Cult, ‘A Cut Inside’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from new album, ‘Under The Midnight Sun’, which is out on October 7th.
Leading to 2020, The Cult had been on a rolling cycle of releasing albums, touring, and recording. As the world shut down and everyone was forced to reprioritise the way they approached life and work. âWhen the world stopped, I had this moment to write in real time, to calculate,â says Ian Astbury.
When lockdown lifted and the group could meet to record, they teamed up with Dalgety. âI was compelled by this vision, this anomaly, this memory, of being under the midnight sun. Tom helped us bring a new musical shape and frequency to our process.â
Pixies up next in our News Report as they shared new track, ‘Dregs of the Wine’, this week, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘Doggerel’, which is out September 30th.
BlackFrancis says the song is about, âLiving in Los Angeles in the â90s with my then-wife, hanging out with Joey and his ex-wife, lots of trips to Las Vegas, a lot of drinking, little bit drug taking, some genuine good times.â
Flashforward to the present day. Joey Santiago was jamming at home on his guitar and the initial idea behind the song may well have been lost to the moment.
He recalls, âI guess I was in kind of a zombie state, just playing. After I stopped playing I put it down and went, âWell, that was a fucking waste of time, what a piece of shit I am.â I beat myself up a lot, but my girlfriend, unbeknownst to me, was recording me. She played it back to me and I go, âFuck! Hold on a second here! This stuff is good!ââ
Smith/Kotzen release ‘Got A Hold On Me’ live video
Smith/Kotzen – ‘Got A Hold On Me (live)’
The duo of Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen will release ‘Better Days… And Nights’ on September 16th.
This week they shared the live video for ‘Got A Hold On Me’, which you can check out above.
Adrian Smith comments, âI think everyone in the band was extremely happy with how our very first tour turned out. We were all naturally a little anxious as weâd never played live together before but once we got out there, everything fell into place really easily and we all had a tremendous amount of fun. I canât wait until we can do it again and get to play in many more places next time round.â
Richie Kotzen adds, âWe spent a lot of time discussing which of the songs from the live show to include on this CD. We wanted to capture an accurate snapshot of the special vibe we all felt on the tour and I think weâve achieved this in the songs weâve selected, and hope our fans will agree. Weâre looking forward to seeing everybody again on future tours.â
This week also saw Maximo Park share their latest single, ‘Merging Into You’, which you can check out above.
Singer Paul Smith comments on the song:
âMerging Into You’s organ sound reminds me of some of our early songs, which ended up on the flipside of our first singles. The song is a romantic look at the first, tentative moments of a relationship, enhanced by Du Blonde’s brilliant voice. We’re all fans of Beth’s music and she added a different texture to our sound, along with Faye MacCalman’s swooning sax that carries the song to its close.â
Stray From The Path share video for ‘Needful Things’
Stray From The Path – ‘Needful Things’
Stray From The Path celebrate the release of new album, ‘Euthanasia’, with the debut of the video for ‘Needful Things’.
The band will shortly play an intimate UK Tour to celebrate the album release even further.
Speaking of tour, guitarist, Tom Williams, says “We are stoked to return back to the UK and mainland Europe to do some small and intimate album release shows for our new record, ‘Euthanasia’. By the time we get there, it will be almost three years since we’ve been back. We’ve dropped ‘Guillotine’ and ‘III’ and our UK/EU people have been wanting us back ASAP, I’m glad we can get back there for them. We’re bringing with us a brand new album, two amazing up and coming bands in Vatican and Guilt Trip, and three years of too much time spent away from some of our favourite places on earth.”
As our News Report continues we look towards Wednesday 13 who this week debuted new single, ‘Insides Out’, which you can check out above.
The track comes ahead of 9th album, ‘Horrifier’, which is out October 7th.
About the track, Wednesday 13 says: âOur latest single ‘Insides Out’ is a very heavy song, so it only made sense to make a video to match the sound! Torture and violence is the main theme of this song, and we continue along the lines of the last music video with another horror movie theme here too.”
Beth Orton is another artist with an imminent album release. Her latest effort, ‘Weather Alive’ is out September 23rd, and this week she released her latest single. You can check out ‘Fractals’ above.
Orton says of the song, âThe track is a beautiful example of the nature of collaboration, where people come in as they are,â she says. âYouâre hearing the first take. I would never have been able to conjure that music without these musicians.â
Oakman have announced that their new EP, ‘SCP’, will be out September 30th. This week also saw the band share the video for the title track, which you can watch above.
âIt is finally the end of a period. We are very excited to be able to give you the last pieces of this new baby,â says lead singer, Marine, about the new EP. âThe last few months have gone by quickly and have been quite intense but it’s also a relief because we cannot wait to get our heads into what will be the next part of Oakman. We hope you enjoy this EP and we hope you can feel the sincerity of the emotions we wanted to share with you. Soon, this EP will belong to you.â
About the song, the band says, âMarine was watching a show during lockdown called “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”. The main character reminded her of a character she had played when she was doing theater. After the foundation of âSCPâ was written, she wrote the lyrics about these two characters. âSCPâ is a sarcastic and second degree track about the fear of loneliness and not being loved at all costs with a neurotic side.â
Grave Goods share the song ‘Die’ from their debut album, ‘Tuesday. Nothing Exists’, out now!
Speaking of the single, drummer Sarah Grimes said, âLois sent us the idea for DIE as a sort of electronic track, and when we were all together we worked out how to make it into a live band sound and add our own stamp to it. Whilst recording at Invada we felt that the build up towards the end of DIE needed more layers, so Lois and Phil tried out a couple of synths and settled on a sound that worked – itâs the only song that has synth.
During the last 15 minutes of our recording time Phil added extra layers by messing around with some guitar feedback – the final sound to be recorded on the album, which is kind of special when you think about it especially as DIE is the closing track of the album.â
Harpy – ‘Medicine’
Harpy is back to share her brand new single, ‘Medicine’!
âSometimes we donât want to be saved. Sometimes we want to feel the pain, to revel in the misery. We do things that are bad for us, because sometimes they feel good… so good that we go back to them again, and again, and again. Thatâs what Medicine is about.” – Harpy
Creature Cult – ‘ughly’
Creature Cult are a duo from Colchester, Essex consisting of Connar Ridd (vocals/guitar) and Jonn Downham (synths/backing vocals). The present their latest single, ‘ughly’.
Explaining the track further, Connar said, âI had to leave a job recently because I was told I didnât dress the way they wanted me to when I was dressed perfectly fine. If someone without piercings and tattoos and bleached hair would have worn the same thing I doubt there would have been an issue. Iâm bored of being made to feel like an alien for just trying to be who I am, this song is exactly about it. Itâs about paranoia to leave the f*cking house because youâre thinking about what homophobic comment someone is gunna say when youâre queuing in the corner shop. About feeling exhausted to be yourself because people try and make it hard for you to be. But there is a community for people who stick together and stand tall, a community where difference is celebrated and we are all âfreaksâ together, and this song is a f*ck you to the people who try to take that away.â
Jonn adds, âI was recently sitting at a bus stop and had a group of guys hurling the foulest homophobic comments at me simply because I was wearing makeup and dressed in a faux-fur coat. It’s both crazy and sad that there are people who still have these sorts of views towards others simply for being or looking different to what’s considered ‘normal’. It’s not okayâ
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report, where we roundup the best news from the past week. We start this week with the latest tour announcements, including the above from The Hunna!
Having just revealed the details of their upcoming new self-titled album, the band have now scheduled in a lengthy UK Tour for later this year. Support comes from Kid Kapichi and Lucy Deakin.
‘Trash’, the lead single from the new album kicks things off by giving the music industry both barrels, taking pot-shots at the execs who told them âTikTok, TikTok or else you get droppedâ.
âWeâre not calling anyone specific out,â explains Ryan. âitâs just overall industry suckiness. It highlights things weâve experienced in the industry over the years and things we see going on and hear about now. Thereâs a lot of bad shit that still goes on in the industry and a lot of it gets swept under the rug. But weâre in the position where weâre on our fourth album, we feel refreshed and confident and this is what weâre going to say. You either like it or you donât, itâs cool either way. We are who we are.â
Speaking of lengthy tours, Blossoms will truly be putting the work in at the end of this year with the above trek around the UK. With shows already starting to sell out, these aren’t ones to sit on.
Nile Rodgers & Chic announces End of Summer Parties
The legendary Nile Rodgers and Chic have announced two massive concert appearances at the iconic London venue O2 Academy Brixton, on Monday 19th September 2022 as well as a second show at O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester on the 21st of September.
Nile Rodgers said, âAfter the blues of Covid weâve had an incredible summer in the UK getting up front and close with all of our incredible fans. What better way to celebrate the last day of summer and the first day of autumn than with our final UK shows of the year at Brixton and Manchester. We want to invite all the Lionesses whoâve made the whole country so proud to get up on stage for what will truly be Good Times!â
Black Honey this week announced a special one-off show at OMEARA in London. The band has teased the show as the beginning of their new era. Tickets have already sold out, for more info check here.
Another band with new tour dates to reveal as we continue our News Report is none other than The Wonder Years, who will hit the UK this November!
Speaking of the tour, frontman Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell, says “Fun Fact: Weâve been touring the UK longer than anywhere in the world, including the US. This year marks 15 years since our first UK tour and the memories weâve madeâfrom playing literal basements up to Alexandria Palaceâhave been and continue to be some of our most treasured. So itâs with an immeasurable joy that we get to tell you today that, for the first time since 2019, weâre doing a headlining UK tour this November. We canât wait to play everything for youânew stuff from THGOF, old favourites, the whole damn thing.”
A single piece of festival news in our News Report this week and it comes from Manchester event Neighbourhood Festival.
The festival has revealed a second wave of acts including Pastel, Himalayas, Michael Gallagher, Planet, Rats, Rosellas, and Youth Sector.
They join the already announced The Snuts, Everything Everything, Sundara Karma, Baby Queen, Lauran Hibberd, Louis Dunford, Stone, Ten Tonnes, The Goa Express, The Royston Club, The Skinner Brothers and Courting!
We move our News Report onwards now to the best new releases from the past week and we begin with Slipknot.
The band continue to prepare for their upcoming album, ‘The End, So Far’, which is out September 30th. This week the band debuted new track, ‘Yen’, which you can listen to above.
Another massive rock act with new music this past week is Alter Bridge. The band shared their latest track, ‘Silver Tongue’, which you can listen to above.
The song will feature on upcoming album, ‘Pawns & Kings’, which is out October 14th.
This week also saw IDLES debut the video for their track, ‘Stockholm Syndrome’.
Speaking on the video, directors Charlotte Gosch and the bandâs own Lee Kiernan explain, âThe process of making the video was very fulfilling for the both of us as we were able to physically create what we were imagining. Both the masks and shapes were handmade and painted by ourselves and friends.
Working with our DOP Rob French we were also able to realise the long shots of each verse and the opening scene of the dancers. We both love the exhaustive and immediate feeling that a long shot can convey, like in Gus Van Santâs Gerry, which we referenced quite literally.
The initial idea of the video was to try and visualise the monotony hell of having to work to survive and how the âmachineâ eventually engulfs you and strips you of your freedoms. But we wanted to achieve this in a metaphorical way that kept the meaning as open as possible. So it becomes rather a visual representation that can be read in many different ways.”
There was also new music from LIFE this week as they debuted new single, ‘Duck Egg Blue’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on new album, ‘North East Coastal Town’, which is out on August 19th.
Speaking on the new release vocalist Mez says: ââDuck Egg Blueâ is a realist’s love song. The journey of trying to navigate through each otherâs feelings and emotions, the strains of close quarters trapped in a tiny flat, the minutiae of everyday life. The overarching sentiment is that no matter what happens, after all that is said and done, we love each other, and we are there for each other.â
Pet Needs debut new single ‘Fear for the Whole Damn World’
Pet Needs – ‘Fear for the Whole Damn World’
‘Discover’ New Music Playlist alumni now, and Pet Needs have shared their brand new single, ‘Fear for the Whole Damn World’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes ahead of new album, ‘Primetime Entertainment’, which is out September 9th.
Fellow previous ‘Discover New Music Playlist members Oakman have also released new music this week. You can listen to new single, ‘All The Way Up’, above.
About the song, the band says, ââAll The Way Upârepresents this long journey in a life between fear, hesitation and the desire to never stop going further. Since we were born, we all have dreams that we never stop fighting for. For which we will always be regarded as an alien by others because we are often misunderstood and not supported. And when everything else gets in the way, it’s often psychologically hard to continue to find strength. But every day is a new day and every day brings a new strength to keep going all the way up.â
The Lounge Society have shared new track, ‘Upheaval’, the latest track to be taken from their upcoming debut album ‘Tired of Liberty’, out August 26th.
The band comments, “Upheaval has a calmer atmosphere than anything weâve done before and looking back on the album as a whole, it may in fact be one of the most important tracks on there. In the studio Dan [Carey, producer] really helped us bring a certain vintage feel to life – with deep textured acoustic guitars, heavily impacted by the ambient room mixing we focused on in the closing stages of the album. This song, more than anything else weâve ever done, feels like us together as four mates playing a song that we love.â
Grave Goods – ‘Source’
Grave Goods have shared their new single, âSourceâ, taken from debut album ‘TUESDAY. NOTHING EXISTS.’, which is out 9th September.
On the track, drummer Sarah Grimes said, âThis was the second song we wrote. It was written on drums and guitar first, we wanted it to be really minimal in the verse with drums and vocals and contrasted with louder choruses with the guitar and drums working together with bass added later. When we were structuring the song we took the guitar line from the chorus and used it as the intro to hook people in.
When we wrote the song initially, I had a mic set up beside me and I whispered âha haâ at the end of each bar during the verses. Those were dropped as we started to play the song live but while we were recording we decided to add it back in – me whispering âHa Haâ on my tiptoes trying to reach Loisâ mic.â
ENOLA – ‘Strange Comfort’
Melbourne-based singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist ENOLA, sharesnew single âStrange Comfortâ.
ENOLA says of the track, âThere is a comfort in knowing that suffering can be a universal experience. We are alone, yet together in our aloneness.â
On the accompanying video they say, âIn the film I am not playing a role or character & Iâm not playing myself as I am today. I am looking back at a past self and a time & place gone. A time of fearlessness, hopelessness & rebellion.â
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report! This week is dominated by incredible new releases, so that’s exactly where we begin; and where better to start than with superstars Muse!
This week the band shared their latest single, ‘Kill or Be Killed’, which you can check out above. The single will feature on their upcoming new album, ‘Will of the People’, which is out August 26th!
ââKill Or Be Killedâ is MUSE at their heaviest! We wanted to update our hard rock sound on this album and with KOBK we found a modern metal sound featuring double bass drum action and even a death growl. Lyrically the song takes influence from my favourite Paul McCartney song âLive And Let Dieâ, a dark take on how lifeâs adversity can sometimes bring out the worst human instincts to survival at any costs.â â Matt Bellamy
Red Hot Chili Peppers announce ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’
Red Hot Chili Peppers surprised fans this week with the revelation that they will be releasing a new studio album this year!
‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, will be available October 14th, and the band had the following to say:
“We went in search of ourselves as the band that we have somehow always been. Just for the fun of it we jammed and learned some old songs. Before long we started the mysterious process of building new songs. A beautiful bit of chemistry meddling that had befriended us hundreds of times along the way. Once we found that slip stream of sound and vision, we just kept mining.
With time turned into an elastic waistband of oversized underwear, we had no reason to stop writing and rocking. It felt like a dream. When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. 2 double albums released back to back.
The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. Itâs packed. Made with the blood of our hearts.”
The iconic Ozzy Osbourne continues to prepare for the release of his latest studio album, ‘Patient Number 9’, which is due for release on September 9th.
This week saw the debut of new single, ‘Degradation Rules’ featuring Tony Iommi, which you can listen to above.
New music was also forthcoming this week from The Murder Capital, who debuted new track, ‘Only Good Things’, which you can listen to above.
Speaking on the new single, frontman James McGovern says,
âThis track for us has been an exciting evolution for the band. Itâs so bright. Itâs so colorful. This is a part of the narrative of the overall record that we feel reaches a real place of inner calm, inner peace but at its core, itâs a love song.
You get a song like this where, the protagonist in this song is quite simply asking – not pleading – just willing to ask their counterpart to rid them of their intrusive thoughts, the devils on their shoulders and to be truly vulnerable. Weâre so excited to go to a place like this because perhaps itâs not what is expected of us.
It stood out to me during the creation of this record that it is more about the friends that are still here and celebrating those connections, those relationships and being unafraid of life and itâs many seasons. Where âOnly Good Thingsâ stands within the record is at a moment where the sonic and the lyrical narrative especially, are of newfound joy.â
Another band with an album on the way is Dub War who will release ‘Westgate Under Fire’ on August 5th. This week they shared the latest single, ‘Art Of War’, which you can listen to above.
Speaking on the new single, Benji Webbe says, “Mikee âKRUPAâ Gregory was reading the book âThe Art of Warâ at the time that I was working on songs for the album, I thought it was a great title and just wrote a lot of words about Newport & Nazis.
Frankie Lodge (mentioned in the lyrics) was a guy with mental difficulties who once sang opera in the subway in Newport. Frankieâs mural features on the back cover of the album as he’s another piece of Newport history.
Spike T Smith really stepped up and brought the magic on the drums on this track.â
More great new music as our News Report continues and we turn now to The Virginmarys. The duo this week debuted new track, ‘You’re A Killer’, which you can listen to above.
VUKOVI also have a new album on the way. ‘NULA’ arrives on October 7th, but this week the duo debuted new single, ‘I EXIST’, which you can check out above.
Finally in our new releases section of our News Report, we have Deux Furieuses.
In a big news week the duo debuted new single, ‘Know The Score’, which you can listen to above, and announced new album, ‘Songs From Planet Earth’, which is out November 11th.
We do have a handful of tour announcements in our News Report this week, so let’s get started!
Japanese genre-blenders Crossfaith have announced the UK & EU leg of their upcoming ‘Atlas Of Faith World Tour‘, celebrating 15 years of the band!
Speaking of the tour, frontman Kenta ‘Ken’ Koie, says, “We just got back from festival run in Europe and had such a great time out there. As promised, weâll be returning back to UK & Europe and this will be our first headline tour since COVID.
I know that you guys have been waiting for it just like us so we are very excited to celebrate our 15th anniversary with all of you! We will play new songs and older songs as well, make sure to follow our discography and get sweaty with us! See you in the pit!”
Our final live announcement in our News Report this week, with no noteworthy festival updates, comes from Beans On Toast. The singer will return to the Clapham Grand next June.
Northern indie-pop artist Ellur returns with her new single ‘Close To You’.
Speaking on the single Ellur says, â’Close To You’ is a song about rejection and coping with it. I decided, last year, I wanted to write more songs that were about me and my relationship with myself. I think this process birthed some of my favourite lyrics Iâve ever written.â
3REE – ‘Demons’
Australian pop punk duo 3REE have teamed up with fellow Aussie and emo rapper Yung Gwopp for their brand new single âDemonsâ.
Speaking about the inspiration for the track 3REE drummer Sean Tighe says, âThis song came to me in a dream, after a nightmare I had. I woke up in the middle of the night with the lyrics and melodies still distinctly in my mind. I immediately put it all down in a voice note and sent it to Mitch. It was that powerful.â
Continuing vocalist and guitarist Mitch Volcan says, âSean sent me the voice memo and I quickly went to the studio with the verse he sent me and the chorus just came to me all in one go. Itâs definitely from a dark place but itâs also the realest thing weâve ever written.â
About the collaboration Yung Gwopp says, âWhen the boys sent me âDemonsâ I was instantly a fan. I just knew I had to throw a verse down.â
Elessar – ‘GOLD’
Pop-Rock trio Elessar present their foot stomping new single âGOLDâ.
âI wrote GOLD at a time when the entire world had been locked up, itâs about the good vibes only with friends who have inevitably moved on to their next stages in life, kids, marriage, houses. And how the pandemic lockdown made us realise how much we took our friends for granted. Iâd have given it all up to go back to that one weekend when money and inhibitions werenât an issue.â – Front man Ricky Powell.
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report! We start this week with our tour news section and with the one and only Don Broco.
This past week saw the band announce a huge arena tour set for March next year. Support on the shows will come from Papa Roach and Dance Gavin Dance.
Regarding the tour frontman Rob Damiani says, âBeyond pumped to announce the Amazing Things arena tour featuring a line up only the sweetest dreams are made of. Thereâs no two ways about it, we wouldnât be the band we are today if it wasnât for the legends that are Papa Roach so as you can imagine weâre super excited to have the guys out with us as well as our ridiculously talented friends Dance Gavin Dance. See you next year!â.
This week also saw Alter Bridge announce their return to the UK this December. As part of a bigger European Tour the band will be hitting arenas across the UK finishing up at the O2 Arena in London.
Joining the tour are very special guests Halestorm and Mammoth WVH!
Festival news now as our News Report continues, and Suffolk’s Latitude Festival have updated their line-up this week with 60+ acts being added from across the arts.
Joining the music line-up were the likes of Courting, m(h)aol, Matt Maltese, Nova Twins and TV Priest.
Beans On Toast has announced he will be hosting a second edition of his Foolhardy Folk Festival.
Taking place at Nottingham Arboretum, the event will also feature She Drew The Gun, Will Varley, Holy Moly & The Crackers, Gaz Brookfield, Kitty Liv, Jack Flanagan and Georgie!
On to new music release now as our News Report continues. First up is ‘You Got The Best Of Me’, the new single from icons Journey.
Listen to the track above, which will feature on a new album called, ‘Freedom’ which will arrive July 8th.
âI wanted kind of a punky rendition of âAny Way You Want Itââ, says the groupâs founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Neal Schonabout the single. âI usually don’t go in saying I’m going to look for something like that, but then it just came to me, like âWheel in the Skyâ did years ago. It just kind of flew out of my mouth.â
While the forthcoming album was made with visions of arena and stadium stages, it started from humble beginnings. In 2020, as COVID swept the globe, Schon was stuck at home like the rest of us. âDuring the pandemic, there wasnât much to do,â he says. âI spent a lot of time in my little studio at home, learning how to play keyboards and looping. Some of those ideas ended up being songs. So it kind of came out of nowhere.â
Another band releasing new music this week was Deaf Havana. The band are gearing up for the release of their new album, ‘The Present is a Foreign Land’, on July 15th.
This week they debuted the latest single from the album, ‘On The Wire’, which you can check out above.
MAN WITH A MISSION share new single ‘More Than Words’
MAN WITH A MISSION – ‘More Than Words’
Japanese superstars MAN WITH A MISSION have released their brand new single, ‘More Than Words’, the latest song to be taken from their forthcoming album ‘Break and Cross the Walls II’ out May 25th. You can check out the song above.
Bassist and songwriter Kamikaze Boy has a special connection with the song and says, “Itâs about people sharing thoughts and feelings, even though they have a hard time exchanging words.“.
Rising Los Angeles rock band Classless Act this week debuted their latest track, ‘Time To Bleed’, which you can check out above.
The song will feature on their debut album, ‘Welcome To The Show’, which is released on June 24th.
Bass player Franco Gravante, who produced, mixed, and cowrote the track, explained the origins of the song, “Itâs one of the first riffs I wrote for the record a couple years back. But I couldn’t finish the song. We got some magic dust sprinkled on it by Justin Hawkins and that gave me the confidence to know THIS song belonged on the record. But the record was already done and delivered. So we called the label and said, HOLD UP! Then we called Keith (Nelson), he booked a studio and 37 hours later, it was on the record and itâs coming out now! It was so fast. I think theyâre still cleaning up the mess we made. It takes what it takes, ya know?âÂ
After working on the song with the band during quarantine, Hawkinscommented, âI had the pleasure of writing with these young men at the beginning of the Covidian era. It quickly became apparent that I had underestimated their musicality and talent. They make really sleazy good time rock and roll music with smiles on their handsome faces and I am proud to have contributed. Good luck boys!â.
Bringing our new releases section of the News Report to a close this week are TV Priest. The band shared new track, ‘Limehouse Cut’ this week and you can listen above.
The track will feature on upcoming album, ‘My Other People’, which arrives June 17th.
Vocalist Charlie Drinkwater says of the track, “The song is about a feeling dislocated and displaced in an urban space you once felt you knew and âunderstoodâ, however itâs also a coming to terms with an idea that you never really âownâ somewhere as infinitely regenerative as a city. Itâs a bit of a psycho-geographical study, a little bit of pathos at my own mortality and smallness in the great tide of history. We loved the idea of something quite abstract, something that references landscape, feels mesmeric, melancholic, a little sinister but also quite beautiful.”
As always we finish our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist! Featured this week are:
‘Harlequin’ – Dissonants
A new look Dissonants return with new single, ‘Harlequin’.
âItâs been a tough year or so for us with the instability in the line-up, and at several points myself, Ben and Aaron wondered if the band would cease to exist, as it just felt like setback after setback was crippling us. Cuba and Harvey coming into the fold has been a massive breathe of fresh air, and has totally reinvigorated us with the ideas theyâve bought to the table. On this new track, Harlequin, I believe weâve never sounded better as a bandâ, explains bassist Mike Barton.
‘Decay’ – Trashed
Bristol-based emo punk-rockers Trashed share new single, ‘Decay’, ahead of their debut album ‘Happy In Hindsight’.
Speaking about the single, the band state:Â “Decay was the first song written for the album. It’s like a journal entry about being trapped between existential apathy and a desire to overcome it. We wrote the lyrics to be deep and relatable without being overwhelming or uncomfortable. It’s also a transitional song for us. We’re ready to move on from what we’ve done before, which is symbolised in the artwork. This track lays the foundation for what’s to come, perfectly.”
‘The Moon’ – The Shipbuilders
Surf-Rock scousers The Shipbuilders ready debut album, ‘Spring Tide’ with the single, ‘The Moon’.
Speaking of the track, singer Matty Loughlin-Day explains: “I’ve long been fascinated and drawn towards the concept of ‘Cante Jondo’, the folk music of Andalusia that literally translates to ‘deep song’. Moon’ came from a contemplation of all of this. It’s a song written from the perspective of a soldier in the Spanish Civil War who, while standing underneath a haloed moon, can hear “the wailing of this life and the next collide” while lamenting his love’s death and pondering if the same fate will fall on him⊔
Nobody should be shocked anymore at the quality of output from Myles Kennedy. He has set a high benchmark with his work with both Alter Bridge and Slash. He then produced a stunning piece of art with his debut solo album, âYear of the Tigerâ. Therefore it shouldnât be a surprise where this review is heading!
The disbelief perhaps comes with that Kennedy has once again managed to capture magic. With his output stretched between various projects, you could actually forgive him for the odd misstep and maybe that time will come. But âThe Ides of Marchâ certainly isnât that time.
WATCH ‘THE IDES OF MARCH’ ON YOUTUBE
Myles Kennedy – ‘The Ides Of March’
Despite featuring a more expansive and traditional to Kennedy sound, the record still manages to showcase Kennedy in a different way to his well known day jobs. What sets Kennedy apart is how he has now solidified a third project at a high standard. His role with Slash now far outstrips the use of the phrase side-project. Now his solo work has also reached the echelons of a main project.
It will be interesting to see how Kennedy splits himself into three going forward, but clearly his solo work now will be seen in an equally accomplished light. The likes of the titular âThe Ides of Marchâ are magnificent and elevate this album to magnum opus proportions.
There is a real good mix of sounds on this album which together encompass Kennedyâs various alter egos. Â You could say that âThe Ides of Marchâ acts like a greatest hits record, just without any of his established hits. What is meant by that is that this album would be the perfect introduction to Kennedy and the work that his astonishing voice has soundtracked.
In conclusion, âThe Ides of Marchâ is Myles Kennedy at his very best, which as we know is very good indeed. The biggest challenge for Kennedy going forward will be to keep up his track record for quality.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… and then the music hits and the fans go mad!
Itâs almost time for that famous countdown as WWEâs Royal Rumble is this month. In honour of that countdown to wrestlers entering the ring, we are going to countdown our Top 10 WWE Entrance Theme Songs.
WWEâs Royal Rumble officially kicks off the road to Wrestlemania, so what better time than now to celebrate our favourite WWE Entrance Theme Songs? But, what are the rules?
For this countdown we will be heavily focusing on themes supplied by artists other than Jim Johnston and CFO$, as thatâs another list altogether! Therefore you wonât find the likes of The Rock, D-Generation X or John Cena in this list; although Iâm sure Johnstonâs influence will be present.
As we are celebrating WWEâs Royal Rumble this will only feature WWE entrance themes so no âJudasâ by Fozzy!
So letâs get ready to rumble…
10
Boy Hits Car – ‘LoveFuryPassionEnergy’
Lita
Starting off our list at number 10 is Lita whose entrance theme was provided by Boy Hits Car. âLoveFuryPassionEnergyâ is a kickass theme which fitted perfectly with the legendary Lita’s rebellious attitude.
9
Story Of The Year – ‘Just Close Your Eyes’
Christian
WWE – Christian Entrance Video
When Christian returned to WWE he took on âJust Close Your Eyesâ as his theme song. Originally by Waterproof Blonde, we have gone for the later Story Of The Year cover as the definitive version.
Interesting Fact! When in TNA, Christian used an adapted – or ripped off – version of ‘My Last Breath’ by Evanescence!
8
Killswitch Engage – ‘This Fire Burns’
CM Punk
WWE – CM Punk Entrance Video
This awesome track from Killswitch Engage was kicked around for a while, with Randy Orton using it for a short time. âThis Fire Burnsâ found itâs home however as the entrance theme for the brash young CM Punk.
7
Rev Theory – ‘Voices’
Randy Orton
WWE – Randy Orton Entrance Video
Speaking of Randy Orton, he eventually settled on âVoicesâ by Rev Theory and the Viper never looked back.
6
Saliva – ‘Booyaka 619’
Rey Mysterio
WWE – Rey Mysterio Entrance Video
Another wrestler to never look back having settled on an iconic theme song is Rey Mysterio who we canât imagine hitting the ring and not being accompanied by âBooyaka 619â from Saliva.
5
Disturbed – ‘Glass Shatters’
‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
Whilst ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is probably most remembered for his classic entrance theme, he for a while was introduced by an awesome version created by Disturbed. âGlass Shattersâ gave a great new twist to his classic song and we actually prefer it!
4
Limp Bizkit – ‘Rollin”
Undertaker
Limp Bizkit – ‘Rollin”
The Undertakerâs well known demonic entrance number is truly iconic, and itâs easy to forget that during his American Badass phase he actually had a few epic entrance tracks.
You could argue for âAmerican Bad Assâ by Kid Rock here, but personally we loved his spell with the classic âRollinââ by Limp Bizkit.
Interesting Fact! Fred Durst and co even played Undertaker to ring at Wrestlemania 19.
3
Living Colour – ‘Cult of Personality’
CM Punk
WWE – CM Punk Entrance Video
Whilst we have tried hard to select just one track from certain wrestlers who have been graced by multiple awesome theme songs, CM Punk is the only wrestler that had to feature twice.
After returning from a short hiatus, Punk took the incredible âCult of Personalityâ by Living Colour as his new entrance theme. This combination became so iconic that Punk even used the theme when he transitioned to the UFC.
2
Motorhead – ‘The Game’
Triple H
WWE – Triple H Entrance Video
If we had broken down Triple Hâs theme songs and also included original WWE compositions then we could well have had a Top 10 of Triple Hâs theme songs.
For the bulk of his career Triple H has been serenaded to the ring by the legendary Motorhead. Both âKing of Kingsâ and âLine In The Sandâ are epic but we had to pick his classic âThe Gameâ.
1
Alter Bridge – ‘Metalingus’
Edge
WWE – Edge Entrance Video
If Triple H is the king of theme songs, Edge is very close. âNever Gonna Stopâ by Rob Zombie was epic and it was a surprise when he ditched the song.
Who knew at the time that he would pick the greatest wrestling theme song ever as its successor? âMetalingusâ by Alter Bridge accompanied Edge through the greatest years of his career.
Whilst we of course were excited by Edgeâs return at the Royal Rumble in 2020, we were even more excited by the return of this epic theme song!
What is your favourite WWE Entrance Themes? Let us know on social media!
