French metal band, Gojira, announced their headline tour coming this fall with the New Zealand metal trio, Alien Weaponry, as the openers.
The tour comes after Gojira released their seventh album, Fortitude,their first album drop since 2016. Fortitude has 11 tracks with messages urging people to imagine a new world and advocating for the environment. Some singles from the album, including “Another World”, “Born For One Thing”, “Into the Storm”, “Amazonia” and “The Chant”, set the tone and highlighted the theme.
Fortitude was produced and recorded by the band’s frontman, Joe Duplantier, in Ridgewood, Queens at their headquarters. After their 2X Grammy-nominated album, Magma received much admiration from fans and the media for their self-reflection and transparency. Like their previous album, Fortitude has been getting good reception and shows their ability to continue to change heavy music.
Alien Weaponry
Joining Gorija on tour this fall is, Alien Weaponry and Knocked Loose as the opening acts. In their debut album Tū released in 2018, the band delivered emotional and political stories filled with conflict and grief with the passion of warriors, mostly sung in their native tongue, te rao Māori.
They maintained the number one slot on SiriusXM Liquid Metal’s Devil’s Dozen Countdown and were acclaimed by Revolver to be one of the bands most likely to break out this year. Before the tour kicks off later this year, Alien Weaponry is performing in their Stronger Together series with the New Zealand Orchestra on May 22 and May 29.
Gojira will be supportingDeftoneson their tour this summer from August 12 to September 22 before kicking off their fall tour. Their fall run in the U.S begins on October 11 in Salt Lake City, UT until October 29 in Cleveland, Ohio. They will be stopping in Albany at the Upstate Concert Hall on October 25 and in Rochester at Main Street Armory on October 28. Tickets go on sale on Gojira’s website on Friday, May 7 at 10 a.m.
South of Eden rolled into a steaming hot Jacksonville, FL aboard their school bus, “Bluebird,” only minutes before storms hit the town. The band has ventured far south from their Columbus, OH residence to share new music with a growing fan base before an album release. Their EP, The Talk, was released August 2020 (Lava Records) and received positive reviews in the press, including a videoreview in Rolling Stone. They plan to tour the entire country as soon as possible.
Reminding of rock and roll cowboys, the band stepped on stage and was immediately welcomed at the 1904 Music Hall, where they played on May 2. The small but supportive Sunday-night audience cheered them on from their first song to their last. One person remarked: “Now, that is rock and roll!” The venue felt welcoming, unfancy, beloved by locals, and had excellent lights and sound.
The band’s performance rose true to their declared dream: “We aren’t looking to bring anything back, but instead to remind people what rock n roll means.” They transmitted exactly this impression as they blasted off with “The Talk” and maintained a fast pace throughout their set. The very first catchy guitar riffs, along with Tom McCullough’s drums, pulled the audience into a world that was equally nostalgic and current.
The band, in their present line-up, formed only in 2018, but their sound gives the feeling that they had played all the larger stages for a decade. Their remarkable stage presence, confident sound, and Ehab Omran’s soaring voice, are reminding of early Sabbath, blousy southern vibes, and gritty garage rock.
South of Eden also put on a party! They interacted with the audience, taunting them to guess how many guitar solos Justin Young would insert into any one of the songs, or if Nick Frantianne (bass) would play the correct intro to “Hurricane.” The melodies were catchy and the rhythms fast paced, perfect for dancing and signing along. Their setlist was much longer than the music already released. Seeing this band live is by far a more entertaining experience than just listening online.
Setlist: The Talk, Monica, Hurricane, Mr. Brownstone (Guns N’Roses), Solo, Touch the Ground, Thunder, Lone Riders, Stranglehold, Loaded Bong, Pindrop, Sister, Dancing With Fire
It’s time. Megadeth and Lamb of God cannot be stopped and today announced the rescheduled run of the Metal Tour of the Year.
Joining them, as previously planned, will be special guests Trivium and In Flames, heralding the long-awaited return to the stage for these bands, who are every bit as excited about these historic and not-to-be-missed shows as fans are.
Produced by Live Nation, the epic, rescheduled tour will now kick off on Friday, August 20th in Austin, TX and hit a further 26 cities before wrapping in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on Saturday, October 2nd.
Megadeth, fueled by Dave Mustaine’s triumphant return to the stage following his diagnosis and recovery of throat cancer, will finally embark on their first North American tour since 2017.
Megadeth’s leader and frontman, Dave Mustaine says:
Can you hear that sound of armies on the march – of destruction on the horizon? That’s this tour, coming for you. We cannot wait to return to the stage and I promise you you do NOT want to miss these shows. You’re not going to know what hit you!
Lamb of God pressed ahead with the release of their crushing self-titled album, one of the best-selling metal albums of 2020.
The band now looks to take the show on the road as they return to the stage for the first time since the release of the record. Randy Blythe, inimitable frontman of Lamb of God, adds:
It’s been far too long since we got together to do our thing— by ‘we’ I mean bands, road crew, bus drivers, truck drivers, local venue staff, vendors, audience, parking lot attendants, the freaking janitors- the whole damn enchilada. ALL OF US. TOGETHER. Everyone has been waiting, but the time has come to put the puzzle back together— I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been more ready to hit the road with lamb of god. See y’all in a few months with Megadeth, Trivium, & In Flames. Over a year with no live music? These shows are gonna be INSANE…
Trivium’s Matthew Kiichi Heafy added, “The Metal Tour of the year couldn’t be stopped by anything. It is still happening, and we can’t wait to bring back shows with this monumental tour. We’re ready. Are you?”
With In Flames singer, Anders Fridén stating:
“I can’t really describe how good it feels to be really talking about going on tour, let alone The Metal Tour of the Year. This setup is long overdue and we can’t wait to finally make it happen.”
Tickets and VIP packages for the rescheduled Megadeth and Lamb of God dates go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 7th, 2021 at 10am local time at LiveNation.com.
All previously purchased tickets for any of the rescheduled dates listed below will be valid for the new date. For any cancelled dates, refunds will automatically be processed at your point of purchase.
Megadeth and Lamb of God 2021 North American Tour Dates:
Fri Aug 20 Austin, TX Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Sat Aug 21 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Sun Aug 22 Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
Tue Aug 24 El Paso, TX Don Haskins Center
Wed Aug 25 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater
Fri Aug 27 Denver, CO Ball Arena
Sun Aug 29 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Federal Theatre
Tue Aug 31 Reno, NV Reno Events Center
Wed Sep 01 Irvine, CA FivePoint Amphitheatre
Thu Sep 02 Concord, CA Concord Pavilion
Sat Sep 04 Portland, OR Moda Center
Sun Sep 05 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
Thu Sep 09 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago
Sat Sep 11 Danville, VA Blue Ridge Festival*
Sun Sep 12 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Mon Sep 13 Boston, MA Leader Bank Pavilion
Wed Sep 15 Camden, NJ BB&T Pavilion
Thu Sep 16 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sat Sep 18 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Center
Sun Sep 19 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
Mon Sep 20 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion
Wed Sep 22 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP
Fri Sep 24 Mount Pleasant, MI Soaring Eagle Casino Amphitheatre
Sun Sep 26 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis
Buffalo based four-piece rock group, Grosh, is locked and loaded for their release of Not Down for Long. The group, consisting of Grace Lougen (guitar), Josh English (drums), Megan Brown (vocals), and Dylan Hund (bass) are some of the area’s most talented musicians.
Grosh is a high energy rock band that regularly sells out shows in Buffalo, showcasing their heavy-hitting style of hard rock. Recorded and mastered at GCR studio in Buffalo, Not Down for Long is Grosh’s second full-length album. The album offers tunes reminiscent of bands like Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam. But overall, it has a clear Grosh stamp on it.
The band never abandons their fast-paced energy throughout the album, with hard hitters like “The Fight” offering a great idea of what Grosh brings to the table. The band isn’t afraid to break out of the hard rock element, and sprinkle in some dirty funk in the second track, “Not Down for Long”. Lougen’s guitar riffage is absolutely spot on, chugging the song along and breaking into face-melting solos that soar over Hund’s thick bass line and the ever-climaxing drum beat.
Relentless, this album grabs the listener and holds them throughout the long jams, and even pop melodies in songs like “Mr. Rogers.” Brown’s vocals hold their place among a luscious instrumentation, with the lyrics featuring a trade-off between her vocals and male vocals. The conversation-like feeling of the song yields a nice story as well. The horn section shows an alternate side of the band’s heavier sound earlier in the album.
The band has a soft side too, as they show their ability to create a beautiful dynamic arc in “Don’t Forget Me.” The acoustic track feels like a musical number, with yearning vocals and a wonderful transition to the final song, “Tread the Wave.” Here, the band rounds out the release by offering another harder song with some prog-rock influence. English’s work on the hi-hat is stuff of gold, and a master-class in how drums, when played this well, can give a song rhythmic layering.
Lucky for listeners and supporters, Not Down for Long is set to be released on May 1. You can find the album streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. You can keep up with the band on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The group also has a YouTube page with official videos and quarantine recordings. Keep a look out for the group to be playing live as things continue to clear up and venues open at some capacity.
Key Tracks: Mr. Rogers, The Fight, Don’t Forget Me
It is rare to see an arena rock show where the headliner gets completely overshadowed by the opening band. It is even rarer when that headliner is a legendarily mighty live performer like ex-Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, with Metallica opening the show. But on April 27, 1986, 35 years ago tonight, the exalted Ozz was utterly outshined by a youthful, ‘Master of Puppets’-era Metallica at Glens Falls Civic Center.
James Hetfield – photo by Dino Petrocelli
Master of Puppets – hailed by many as the best thrash metal album of all time, along with Slayer’s Reign in Blood, released the same year – had come out around 2 months before this gig. Metallica was the best heavy band in the world in 1986. Period. It is inarguable. I know you might think they suck now, and that there were a ton of great other metal and punk bands then, but I don’t care – in April 1986, Metallica were better.
Cliff Burton – photo by Dino Petrocelli
During Metallica’s “Ecstasy of Gold” intro tape there was a curtain in front of the stage, and this writer remembers a good crush down the front, as about half the crowd – Metallica were relatively new then, and many of those present that night did not know them – surged down towards the front. Legendary Metallica bassist Cliff Burton came out from behind the stage-left curtain to check out the crowd, smoking a cigarette and nodding at the people down front. Then the curtain dropped to reveal a stage-set modeled after the Master album cover, and the band opened with a blasting “Battery,” sounding as ferocious and tight as you’d want. The band utterly crushed for 55 minutes, with James, Cliff and Kirk headbanging madly the whole time – and a good 2/3 of the crowd were right there with them.
James Hetfield – photo by Dino Petrocelli
There was a great song selection for the near-hour they played – a few new songs (“Master of Puppets”, “Sanitarium”), plenty of ‘Ride The Lightning’ stuff (the title track, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, set-closer “Creeping Death”), “Seek & Destroy” from Kill ‘Em All, and a crushing encore medley of Diamond Head’s classic “Am I Evil?” and the now-immortal thrash god-song “Damage, Inc.” Still one of my favorite shows ever. Sadly, this was the last time I saw Cliff Burton play – I had tix to see them in August in Montreal before Cliff’s untimely death, but James had that skateboard accident and it was cancelled. By the next time I saw them, Thanksgiving ’86 in Poughkeepsie, it was Jason on bass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qcn2wVG9aI
And Ozzy played too. He went down well, naturally, bringing the house down as he descended from the ceiling on a “monster Ozzy” throne. But, as pro and energetic a live performer as Ozzy and his always-professional band is (in those days led by guitarist Jake E. Lee), it was anticlimactic. Of course I mean no disrespect to Ozzy, who after all sang for the greatest band of all time and has always rocked live – I’d seen him before and many times since and this was easily the least awesome, contributed to, no doubt, by having to follow a hungry, young Metallica at their utter peak. To be sure, he didn’t suck – it’s hard to truly fall flat with songs like “Suicide Solution”, “I Don’t Know”, “Flying High Again” or his old band’s “Iron Man” – but it seemed like standard arena-rock after what had come before.
Also, Ozzy in 1986 was promoting the flaccid ‘Ultimate Sin’ record and flirting with a glittery, frosted-hair-and-makeup, almost glam image, which didn’t work for him – after 3 songs he was his usual sweaty self and the glittery outfit and frosted hair made him look like some bloated, middle-aged, hysterical, sweaty housewife who’d had too many glasses of wine. He opened with “Bark at the Moon”, closed with “Paranoid”, played lots of first album classics and crappy then-new songs from ‘The Ultimate Din’ and not enough Sabbath. Ozzy Osbourne lost, Metallica won.
All hail METALLICA, 1986-edition.
Metallicasetlist: Battery, Master of Puppets, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Ride The Lightning, Sanitarium, Seek & Destroy, Creeping Death, Am I Evil?, Damage, Inc.
Ozzy Osbournesetlist: Bark at the Moon, Suicide Solution, Never Know Why, Mr. Crowley, Shot in the Dark, I Don’t Know, Killer of Giants, Guitar Solo, Thank God for the Bomb, Flying High Again, Secret Loser, Drum Solo, Iron Man, Crazy Train, Paranoid
Guitarist, multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Songwriters Hall of Fame electee Steve Miller has dug deep into his archives, now releasing the recording on both music formats such as vinyl and CD as well as a full-length video available on Amazon Prime Video.
The original liner notes by music journalist David Fricke read:
Breaking Ground captures the Steve Miller Band on stage in one of their biggest years, 1977. They were at a perfect crossroads of psychedelic zeal and progressive, popcraft while staying true to Miller’s first love, the blues.
The year 1977 was a top year for the Steve Miller Band, playing theaters, arenas, and stadiums. It was recorded at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD on multi-track tape and newly mixed and mastered by Miller and his veteran audio engineer Kent Hertz.
Pre-order the album here. For more information about the Steve Miller Band, visit stevemillerband.com. The new archive concert Breaking Ground: August 3, 1977 arrives on Friiday, May 14, 2021.
Heavy rock supergroup The Limit, consisting of former The Stooges and Pentagram members, release new single “Death Of My Soul” accompanied by a video in preparation for their upcoming album Caveman Logic – releasing April 9, 2021.
The Limit is an astoundingly fresh and hot-blooded shot to the veins that heavy rock needs in this day and age. “Death Of My Soul” sees the band go straight to the heart of rock to deliver a electric performance accompanied by some eerie visuals. The gothic mood of the track conjured forth by the intersection of all the various sounds from the band members background helps deliver a song that does the legacy of these rock mainstays justice.
This song and video is not something warm and fuzzy you can wrap your arms around and feel good about. It represents a deep feeling of alienation, loneliness, a sense of an unchangeable and Doomed timeline of life and world events.
Sonny Vincent, Musician
The Limit consists of several high profile members such as Ex-Stooges member Jimmy Recca on bass, Sonny Vincent an early NYC punk scene legend and member of Testors on guitar and vocals, Bobby Liebling from Doom Rock originators Pentagram on vocals, and Hugo Comin and Joao Pedro on guitar and drum from Portuguese band Dawnrider. The diverse range of musical influences come together and create a sound that respects the band’s Punk and Doom Rock origins while creating a whole new sound entirely.
The upcoming album Caveman Logic is set to be released on April 9, 2021, the album can be pre-ordered here.
St. Patrick’s Day is normally for pints of Guinness, Irish music, parades, and indeed in New York City that was the case in 1990, as always before the plague temporarily swept all that away. The Pogues had played a Friday night gig at the Beacon, and were playing Saturday Night Live on this night, the parade happened in Manhattan, the pubs were no doubt full, but in Brooklyn there was nary a tin whistle in sight, only the loud and the heavy. This was a killer triple-bill on St. Patrick’s Day that had naught to do with being Irish: Quebec heavies Voivod, Seattle bruisers Soundgarden and just-achieving-stardom west coasters Faith No More, at L’Amour in Brooklyn – doubtless one of the great gigs ever.
This was the final night of this tour – Voivod and Soundgarden had been on tour together for months, with FNM the opening band on early shows, and then again at the end of the tour. So there was a celebratory air, each of the bands getting on stage during the other bands’ sets, jamming.
Voivod headlined. Soundgarden was in the middle slot. This seemed unthinkable just a year or two later, when FNM and Soundgarden both blew up, but in 1989-90, Voivod was the bigger band, beloved left-field underground metal kings.
Voivod jamming with Soundgarden and Faith No More – Chris Cornell with two beers in hands. Photo by Greg Fasolino
So Faith No More, on ‘The Real Thing’ tour, opened the night – they were certainly the least-known of the bands, but shortly before this gig, MTV started playing the “Epic” video on heavy rotation, and FNM were the trendy new band of the moment. ‘The Real Thing’ started selling bucketloads. Consequently, L’Amour, a Voivod stronghold that would have been full even without the other two bands, was utterly sold out, jam-packed before FNM hit the stage.
The crowd went apeshit. When they played, they were excellent, opening with “From Out of Nowhere,” playing a roaringly-received set of mostly ‘The Real Thing’ songs (plus old chestnut “We Care a Lot”) and closing with Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Various guys from Soundgarden and Voivod jammed along.
photo by Greg Fasolino
Soundgarden played second, promoting their heavy, killer Louder Than Love record. I’d seen them not long before this, but they were definitely my favorite band in 89-90, so I had to see them (and Voivod) again. They played “Flower,” the pummeling “Gun,” “Loud Love,” “Hands All Over” and a bunch of other sludge-metal classics.
Snake from Voivod – photo by Greg Fasolino
During “Big Dumb Sex” Voivod guys sexually harassed Chris Cornell with an inflatable sex doll, and at one point Chris Cornell crawled out over the crowd hanging from the low ceiling and dropped right in to the packed, swirling pit. Mighty. They finished with Spinal Tap’s “Big Bottom,”,and the creeping, all-consuming doom-metal of “Beyond The Wheel” closed the show.
Photo by Greg Fasolino
Voivod headlined, touring behind that godlike Nothingface record, played almost that whole record, plus a few choice oldies and a cover of ZAPPA’s “What’s The Ugliest Part of Your Body?,” during which song drunken Soundgardeners and Faith No Mores jammed or just undulated around them like 60s bellydancers, with Mike Patton running around with a sex toy strapped to his head. Which was odd. Great night, amazing bands, and this one was up there with the best triple-bills ever.
Setlists
Faith No More: From Out Of Nowhere, Introduce Yourself, The Real Thing, Underwater Love, Zombie Eaters, We Care A Lot, Sweet Dreams, Surprise! You’re Dead!, Epic, Woodpecker From Mars, War Pigs
Soundgarden: Flower, Hands All Over Me-American Woman, Gun, Loud Love, Get On The Snakel Big Dumb Sex, Full On Kevin’s Mom, I Awake, Big Bottom, Beyond the Wheel
Voivod: The Unknown Knows, Nothingface, Tribal Convictions, X-Ray Mirror, Tornado, Pre-Ignition, Missing Sequences, Brain Scan, Into My Hypercube, Astronomy Domine, Inner Combustion, What’s The Ugliest Part of Your Body?
Record Heat, formerly known as Spirit Animal, is back with a new 3-song EP titled 1 out on March 12. “Nathan” and “Just Hits” are previously released tracks, with brand-new closer “Networks.” Produced by Nolan Lambroza, 1 has an industrial, ground-shattering, alternative-rock sound.
Record Heat’s NST Album Art
The opening track “Nathan” booms into headphones with a huge grimey bass sound and commanding, catchy vocals. The beats are redolent of “Believer” by Imagine Dragons and “Black Skinhead” by Kanye West, delivering a powerful energy that is cinematic and danceable. One could imagine a live show with pyrotechnics and a zealous crowd. “Couldn’t really say that I’m the patient type,” lyrically encompasses the strength of this song.
“Just Hits” opens with a mysterious synth line and a techno beat that kicks in with a groove. Steve’s vocals are confident, almost rapped, giving the song a quick, invigorating aura. There is a spoken-word prechorus that induces reflection about nature: “We came from the sky / We came from the trees.” The song morphs into a bravado-filled chorus, with idiosyncratic production. The manipulated vocals, sirens blaring, and synth motif coat the song in a bold color palette. Record Heat knows that they are hot stuff.
The newest track on the EP is the closer “Networks.” It opens with a jangly percussive bar and instantly adds groovy guitars. The energy is infectious immediately. The song criticizes networking and its inherent artifice; Record Heat are not in search of fortune and fame – even stating “The music industry sucks” as an ad-lib – they are artists, here for music, not commerciality. “Networks” is an anger-tinged indie dance track. It’s a powerful track in less that 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Record Heat’s new EP “1” is a whirlwind of confident, experimental, industrial rock. Their sound is refreshing, and you can listen to it on March 12th on all streaming services. You can find more about Record Heat on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Amityville Music Hall released a compilation album on Friday, February 26 to benefit its Long Island music venue.
Twenty-eight artists are included on the compilation, including John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday, Straylight Run), Jade Lilitri of Oso Oso, Johnny Booth, Sainthood Reps, Brian Byrne (Envy On The Coast, Violent Joy), Somerset Thrower, Rare Futures, and Wreath Of Tongues.
The album will be a mix of covers, originals, and stripped-down songs, available for a $15 donation on Long Island Emo’s bandcamp page starting on February 26th.
Amityville Music Hall has been a beloved hub for rock music in Long Island for many, many years. It has been the starting point for many bands that end up growing larger, but their nascence is from the Long Island scene. These small venues are critical to musicians and music lovers. As the pandemic continues, these venues need support in order to come back when it is safe in the future.
Go support AMH here:
Live music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Daily events and specials. Available to rent for private events.Additional InformationLive music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Weekly bar events and specials. Catering hall for private events.
