Photo Credit: Jessica Stacy
Ep. 122 Matt Heafy (Trivium) – Talk Toomey: The Metal Nexus Podcast
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PM Star Promotions
Louder Than Life
Bourbon & Beyond
Black Label Society (Pikeville, KY)
Jake Kiszka Of GRETA VAN FLEET On Their Song Being Featured On Shameless “This Better Be In A Sex Scene”
Photo Credit: Sean Murphy Photography
By now Greta Van Fleet should be a household name to anyone that even remotely listens to rock and metal. If the band has somehow not made it on your radar let us catch you up. Greta Van Fleet– which took its name from one of the close-knit community’s town elders – is a hard rocking quartet whose creative ambitions and achievements reach far beyond the ages of the four band members, not all of them old enough to have voted in last November’s election. The band includes brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam Kiszka (bass, keyboards) and best friend drummer Danny Wagner (Who I also must add is an accomplished golfer) – are dedicated to bringing real rock’n’roll back to the mainstream. The band delivers high-energy, sweaty, rock’n’roll loaded with attitude and bravado that exemplifies each band member’s killer musical chops and Josh’s simply jaw-dropping voice. Greta Van Fleet bring back a throwback kind of sound that most old school metal heads thought was gone forever. The band has been kicking down doors of venues all over the country and gracing stages at dives and renowned venues. Their four-song debut EP ‘Black Smoke Rising’ was released on April 21, and the group deftly straddles the line between timeless and future, sounding at once like many things you’ve heard before and also something you’ve never heard before. Some have even referred to the band as America’s next greatest rock band. The band doesn’t have an intense history or discography to tell you about as of right now. Greta Van Fleet is currently making their own history and you can be a part of the crowd when they take the stage in your area. Pick up their record because it’s an instant classic…mark my words. Continue reading
Review: Left Behind – ‘Blessed By The Burn’
Noise, angst, grit and melodrama are all undeniable qualities that compose and define the emerging new sound of West Virginia-based group LEFT BEHIND. Signed to Unbeaten Records, the group’s status is one of ambiguity for upon listening to them it’s incredibly easy to mistake them for a Southern Lord Records group. Their new LP, ‘Blessed by the Burn’ is in style analogous to contemporaries such as PRIMITIVE MAN and ALL PIGS MUST DIE, Continue reading
CKY Release New Music Video For “Head For A Breakdown” [HIM Tour Dates Listed]
CKY have debuted a brand new music video for their single “Head For a Breakdown.” Directed by The Costa Sisters, this is the third music video we’ve seen from the band off their latest LP. The video was shot in and around London, UK during the band’s near sellout run earlier this year.
“We were lucky enough to get a day off to explore one of the best cities on earth with our friends,” says the band. “The extremely talented Costa sisters, Elena & Sofia were behind the camera. We decided to crash the Queen’s Garden Party and film our video in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace.” Continue reading
Stream A PERFECT CIRCLE’s All New Amazing Single “The Doomed”
Maynard James Keenan’s TOOL may have been in a deep slumber for now about an entire decade, but fret not. His other project, A PERFECT CIRCLE have released the new song, “The Doomed”. The track is the first music to be heard from the multi-platinum outfit’s highly anticipated 2018 full-length.
“Fourteen years have passed since we released eMOTIVe,” said Maynard James Keenan. “A new release is long overdue. In light of this current difficult and polarized social, spiritual and political climate, we artist types need to open our big mouths and share the light a little louder.”
“Years of life experience has brought our music to this moment,” added Billy Howerdel. “We know where we came from. Deeply connected to the path we’re on.”
You can also purchase “The Doomed“ HERE!
Louder Than Life 2017 – Louisville, KY DAY 1 REVIEW
It’s been about two weeks now since one of the biggest music festivals stormed through Louisville, KY and forever stamped the Louder Than Life name on the Bluegrass State, offering one of the best lineups the festival has ever hosted. 2 days, 37 bands, and 60,000+ ‘Loudmouths’ fueled by what seemed like an endless supply of alcohol and a desire to rock. For many, (myself included) it was the first time attending the festivities, and I can assure you that I will be returning if the chance ever comes around again. There were people from all walks of life, adults and children, goths, punks, rockers, any type of person you could think of – they were there. Continue reading
Review: WildeStarr – Beyond the Rain [Song Link Below]
Over the past decade or so concerns have been raised amongst the metal community regarding a lack of homage to the groups that began it all. WILDESTARR are in many ways a group that exist to deny such criticisms seeing as they’re a modern group with a keen gravitation towards conventionality and tradition. Influenced by Eighties-spawned acts such as DIO, QUEENSRYCHE, and SAVATAGE yet coupled with their own touch of magic, the group are set to release their third studio album via Scarlet Records. The album is titled ‘Beyond the Rain’ and is a highly emotional work of heavily orchestrated rock coupled with a high sense of melodic sophistication and song-writing efficiency. The group consists of husband-and-wife duo Dave Starr (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS) Continue reading
Album Review: MOONSCAPE – “Entity”
Let’s welcome Moonscape to the world of melodic metal! Moonscape has just released their debut album, “Entity” on October 2nd and I have only good things to tell you. They are actually one man, Håvard Lunde. He is a multi-instrumentalist native to Gjøvik, Norway. And Moonscape itself is considered a prog/melodic metal solo artist.
DEAD HORSE TRAUMA Teams Up With EKTOMORPH For “The Death Before Dishonor Tour”
DEAD HORSE TRAUMA is teaming up with EKTOMORF (Hungary) for The Death Before Dishonor Tour before heading to Europe. This U.S. portion of the tour will be accompanied by hard-hitting locals from each area and will meet up with various touring bands along the way!
Album Review: TOBY KNAPPS’ AFFLIKTOR – ‘SELF-TITLED’ [Partial Album Stream]
Hold on to your horns because you’re about to be taken on the ride of your life from the furthest depths of space to the darkest pits of hell with the mighty Black/Thrash aficionado Affliktor. One of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year from legendary guitar virtuoso Toby Knapp (Ex-Godless Rising, current Waxen/Where Evil Follows), who proves he is master of all with his brand new solo venture. Released this coming Friday 20th October via Transcending Obscurity, India’s dominating label for underground metal. Get your pre-order here!
Having been scouted in the early 90’s at just age eighteen by Shrapnel Records President Mike Varney, Wyoming-based Knapps has rightly become part of the underground elite and a pioneering force in the scene. Arguably one of the greatest guitarists of the present times and with an entire discography of solid releases across a multitude of genres, expectations were already high after 2016’s mind-blowing Heavy metal/Neo-classical infused instrumental venture “The Architect Of Paradox”, and recent guest appearance on Mark Riddick’s Fetid Zombie on 2016’s “Epicedia”. Fittingly Riddick has created the grotesquely eloquent artwork to grace Affliktors debut, which suits it down to the bone.