cleopatra-records

A star-studded and diverse roster of artists has contributed to a new album paying homage to the music of Eric Clapton.

The aptly titled A Tribute to Eric Clapton will be released on June 17 and can be preordered now on CD, as a limited-edition gold-vinyl LP and via digital formats. The album features renditions of a dozen of the guitar legend’s best-known songs, including tunes from his solo career and from his old bands The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos.

Among the artists featured on the various tracks are Cheap Trick‘s Rick Nielsen, former Paul Revere and the Raiders frontman Mark Lindsay, ex-Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle, original E Street Band keyboardist David Sancious, Arthur Brown, longtime Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, one-time Thin Lizzy guitarist Snowy White, Great White‘s Jack Russell, former Rainbow singer Graham Bonnet, and Molly Hatchet.

In advance of the album, a cover of Clapton’s 1977 hit “Lay Down Sally” featuring veteran country star Sammy Kershaw and acclaimed session guitarist Albert Lee has been released via digital platforms.

Here’s the full track list for A Tribute to Eric Clapton:

“Cocaine” — Kirk Fletcher & Brian Auger
“Lay Down Sally” — Sammy Kershaw & Albert Lee
“I Feel Free” — Arthur Brown, James Williamson & Rat Scabies
“Sunshine of Your Love” — dUg Pinnick & Eric Gales
“Let It Rain” — Jack Russell & Sonny Landreth
“Wonderful Tonight” — Oli Brown
“Layla” — Molly Hatchet
“I Shot the Sheriff” — Pat Travers, David Sancious & Artimus Pyle
“For Your Love” — Mark Lindsay & Rick Nielsen
“Tears in Heaven” — Ana Popovic
“White Room” — Graham Bonnet & Snowy White
“Can’t Find My Way Home” — Shirley King & Martin Barre

Four disc The Myths And Legends Of Rick Wakeman box set released in May

A four-disc set of historic live Rick Wakeman concerts, The Myths And Legends Of Rick Wakeman, is to be released through Cleopatra Records on May 13.

The set, which concentrates on the 1970s, features four concerts; North America, 1974, Winterland Ballroom 1975, Hammersmith Odeon 1976 and The Maltings 1976, with Wakeman performing tracks from the legendary albums The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and others.

“It’s really lovely to see some of the music I’m most proud of, released in a new way and presented so well,” says Wakeman. “I’m still wondering though if I am more of a myth than a legend!!!”

The clamshell set features individual wallets for each show plus a 16-page booklet brimming with liner notes and vintage photos.

DISC 1: Live In North America 1974
1. Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Pt. 1
2. Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Pt. 2
3. Anne Boleyn
4. Concerto for American Commercial TV

DISC 2: Live at Winterland Ballroom 1975
1. The Journey to the Center of the Earth, Pt. 1
2. Catherine Howard
3. Sir Lancelot & the Black Knight
4. Anne Boleyn
5. The Forest
6. Arthur & Guinevere
7. Merlin the Magician
8. Catherine Parr

DISC 3: Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1976
1. Music Reincarnate, Pt. 3: The Spaceman
2. Catherine Howard
3. Sir Lancelot & the Black Knight
4. Arthur
5. Music Reincarnate, Pt. 4: The Realisation
6. The Forest
7. Catherine Parr
8. The Prisoner
9. Merlin the Magician

DISC 4: The Maltings 1976
1. Recollection
2. Music Reincarnate, Pt. 4: The Realisation
3. Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight
4. Music Reincarnate, Pt. 3: The Spaceman
5. Catherine Parr
6. The Prisoner
7. Merlin the Magician

One of the largest and longest lasting independent record labels in existence, Cleopatra Records, are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. What began in 1992 as a small operation out of the garage of founder Brian Perera has since grown into a family of labels representing one of the most diverse catalogs that encompasses a variety of genres with an emphasis on unique and experimental artists. In a time when most small record labels either die out or get bought by a major, Cleopatra Records has managed to survive and thrive as a privately owned entity deftly navigating the seismic shifts in the industry that have caused so many labels to founder.

Primarily known for ushering in the second wave of Gothic and Industrial music with an eclectic roster of artists including Christian Death, Front Line Assembly, Leæther Strip, Rosetta Stone and Corpus Delicti, Cleopatra Records has also been a vital force in promoting underground and British punk rock bands such as The Vibrators, UK Subs, and The Damned as well as ‘80s metal and pop acts like by Quiet Riot, Berlin, Warrant, Missing Persons, Poison’s Bret Michaels and L.A. Guns. In recent years, the Cleopatra label group has expanded in a variety of directions, working with hip hop artists DMX, Vanilla Ice & Onyx as well as iconic artists such as Sly Stone, William Shatner and most recently, the multi-talented Ann-Margret. The label has also become the home label for folk music institution Judy Collins as well as recent Rock Hall Of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren, cult hero Misfits/Danzig singer Glenn Danzig and the new electronic project, Priest, featuring former members of Ghost.

The label will be officially commemorating their anniversary with a special concert event taking place at City Winery in Nashville, TN on May 10. The celebration is to be co-hosted by Cleopatra’s longtime digital distributor, and one of the fastest growing companies in the music industry, The Orchard, who are themselves celebrating an epic 25 years in the biz. The event will feature live performances from Judy Collins herself as well as 3-time Grammy nominee country artist Lorrie Morgan (who has released 2 albums with Cleopatra) and local singer-songwriter Leah Marie Mason.

Los Angeles, CA – “The past is never dead. It’s not even past” proclaimed William Faulkner. If anybody knows the truth of this statement, it’s longtime producer/songwriter/musician Tim Skold. After cutting his teeth with metal bands in his home country of Sweden, Skold came into his own with his eponymous industrial metal project, releasing his self-titled debut album Skold in 1996. The album was extremely well-received appearing in major studio films (Disturbing Behavior, Universal Soldier: The Return) and establishing Skold as a one-of-a-kind talent both in front of and behind the mixing board. On the cusp of completing the highly anticipated follow-up album, Skold was recruited by industrial empresario Marilyn Manson to join his band in 2001, touring and producing several albums and singles up to 2008.

From there Skold picked up where his solo career left off releasing more albums under the Skold moniker, but one album continued to linger: the abandoned follow-up album. Sure, several tracks had been leaked and downloaded innumerable times on the internet (at a time when digital music distribution was a wild wild west of piracy a la Napster) but the album seemed to be a piece of Skold’s past that refused to die, or even stay past. So, the artist got to work on finishing the mythic Dead God album (also known as Disrupting The Orderly Routine Of The Institution), mastering the album from the original full resolution mixes, and is now set to release it on all formats on April 15. This set crackles with turn of the century digital fury and paranoia, sounding as fresh today as it was groundbreaking then!

By way of previewing the album, the lead off track, “Don’t Pray For Me,” is being released to all digital platforms.

Expect to hear more from Skold this year as rumors that he is once again collaborating with Marilyn Manson have been confirmed. The two are also contributing to the new Ye album Donda 2. So pre-order your copy of Dead God before they disappear again!

Track List:
1. Don’t Pray For Me
2. The Point
3. Dead God
4. If
5. Believe
6. Burn
7. I Hate
8. Consequence
9. Don’t Ask Me
10. Too Weird

April 14th – The Fire – Philadelphia, PA
May 14th – Tompkins Square Park – Manhattan, NY
June 18h – Coney Island Brewery – Coney Island, NY

The Industrial Strength Tour

Celebrating 30 Years Of The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste And The Release Of Moral Hygiene
With Special Guests Melvins, and Corrosion of Conformity
MinistryBand.com

MAR 4 FRI
Stage AE
Pittsburgh, PA, United States

MAR 5 SAT
Madison Theater
Covington, KY, United States

MAR 6 SUN
Baltimore Soundstage
Baltimore, MD, United States

MAR 8 TUE
The Paramount
Huntington, NY, United States

MAR 9 WED
Franklin Music Hall
Philadelphia, PA, United States

MAR 11 FRI
College Street Music Hall
New Haven, CT, United States

MAR 12 SAT
The Wellmont Theater
Montclair, NJ, United States

MAR 13 SUN
State Theatre, Portland, Maine
Portland, ME, United States

MAR 15 TUE
House Of Blues Boston
Boston, MA, United States

MAR 16 WED
Buffalo RiverWorks @ 8:00pm
Buffalo, NY, United States

MAR 18 FRI
The Ritz
Raleigh, NC, United States

MAR 19 SAT
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, TN, United States

MAR 20 SUN
The Orange Peel
Asheville, NC, United States

MAR 22 TUE
Tabernacle
Atlanta, GA, United States

MAR 23 WED
Hard Rock Live Orlando
Orlando, FL, United States

MAR 24 THU
Fillmore New Orleans
New Orleans, LA, United States

MAR 26 SAT
Amplified Live
Dallas, TX, United States

MAR 27 SUN
Emos Austin
Austin, TX, United States

MAR 28 MON
Aztec Theatre
San Antonio, TX, United States

MAR 29 TUE
House of Blues Houston
Houston, TX, United States

MAR 31 THU
Riviera Theatre
Chicago, IL, United States

APR 1 FRI
Agora Theater & Ballroom
Cleveland, OH, United States

APR 2 SAT
The Rave / Eagles Club
Milwaukee, WI, United States

APR 3 SUN
Royal Oak Music Theatre
Royal Oak, MI, United States

APR 5 TUE
Palace Theatre
Saint Paul, MN, United States

APR 6 WED
Arvest Bank Theatre At the Midland
Kansas City, MO, United States

APR 7 THU
Diamond Ballroom
Oklahoma City, OK, United States

APR 9 SAT
Sunshine Theater
Albuquerque, NM, United States

APR 10 SUN
Mission Ballroom
Denver, CO, United States

APR 12 TUE
The Van Buren
Phoenix, AZ, United States

APR 13 WED
House of Blues Anaheim
Anaheim, CA, United States

APR 14 THU
House of Blues San Diego
San Diego, CA, United States

APR 16 SAT
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA, United States

APR 18 MON
The Showbox
Seattle, WA, United States

MAY 20 FRI
Welcome to Rockville 2022
Daytona Beach, FL, United States

JUN 24 FRI
Hellfest 2022
Clisson, France

SEP 24 SAT
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, OH, United States

OCT 29 SAT
Sinners Day 2022
Heusden-zolder, Belgium

NOV 5 SAT
Damnation Festival 2022
Manchester, United Kingdom

From the forthcoming album JUKEBOX FURY which also features performances by Steve Cropper, Danny B. Harvey, The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Linda Gail Lewis, & Earl Poole Ball!

Los Angeles, CA – There are outlaw country singers – and then there’s Dale Watson. Watson has built a 40+ year career out of ignoring trends and championing authentic country music, writing songs that come from real lived experience and demand to be performed with nothing but heart and soul. Getting his start in honky-tonks and bars all over the country, from Texas to Los Angeles to Nashville, Watson knows the power of a well-written song and he knows how each performer brings a little something unique to the songs they sing, which is what makes Watson’s new album Jukebox Fury such a natural next step and one of the most profound statements in Watson’s prolific catalog.

Jukebox Fury finds Watson covering some of his favorite artists and peers, performing songs that have stood the test of time and are probably right now blaring out of the corner jukebox at the local dive bar. The album’s first single sets the stage with a 1978 classic from the original outlaw cowboy, Waylon Jennings, “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” performed by Watson as a duet with Nashville royalty, the great Lorrie Morgan. In Watson and Morgan’s hands, the song becomes an emotionally poignant tale of two veterans who have seen their fair share of heartache and hard times, but who somehow keep themselves sane through it all, and keep coming back for more. Producer Danny B. Harvey, best known for his work with rockabilly acts like The Swing Cats and The Head Cat, shapes a gorgeous and austere musical backing punctuated with bright twangy guitar and tinkling piano.

Harvey had this to say of the track, “As if producing and playing guitar on Dale Watson’s new album wasn’t enough of an honor and a privilege, the added bonus of getting to produce the legendary Lorrie Morgan on the same track, is historic. Add Johnny Cash & Gram Parson’s pianist Earl Poole Ball to the mix and I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m awake. This track will blow your mind, and I’m sure Waylon is looking on and very proud of what we’ve done with his song.”

Jukebox Fury includes several more memorable performances of classic songs like Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page,” Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind,” and Kenny Rogers “The Gambler.” Featured guests include Stax legend Steve Cropper, Swiss rockabilly shakers The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Linda Gail Lewis and others! The album will be available for sale everywhere April 22 on all formats including limited edition GOLD vinyl.

TRACK LIST:
1. Turn The Page
2. Sundown
3. Always On My Mind feat. Linda Gail Lewis
4. Polk Salad Annie
5. For What It’s Worth
6. Treat Her Right feat. Steve Cropper
7. I’ve Always Been Crazy feat. Lorrie Morgan
8. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
9. Bluer Than Blue
10. The Gambler
11. A Horse With No Name
12. Act Naturally feat. The Hillbilly Moon Explosion

Los Angeles, CA – Modern metal heroes FLAW have been cranking out some of the most intense, passionate and melodic metal music since their founding in the late ‘90s. The band continues to be led to this day by founding member and vocalist Chris Volz, whose demon-growl-from-the-depths-of-hell vocal signature is counterbalanced by a confident and powerful baritone croon. Both of those dynamics, as well as Volz immense skill at musical arrangements, are on display in the band’s newest single, a cover of a 2017 hit by indie pop act lovelytheband. In the hands of Volz and Co., “Broken” becomes a true metal masterpiece, alternating atmospheric verses with ear shattering choruses and tons of distorted guitar. It’s enough to get even the hipsters to throw the horns up!

Volz had this to say about the track, “I am so excited to have the privilege of rewriting and covering this track. The lyrics and rhythm flow of the original song grabbed me right away. This was so much fun to record in the studio and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!”

And don’t miss the killer video that brings the song to life, directed by veteran filmmaker Michael Sarna (Megadeth, Candlebox) and starring character actress/musician Jon Mack (whose credits include Saw VI and Kill Chain starring Nicholas Cage).

“Broken” is the first single from Flaw’s newest studio album, Revival. The album features superb versions of well-known tracks by the likes of Peter Gabriel, The Police, .38 Special, Billy Idol and more. You’ve heard the originals but you’ve never heard them like this! Also be sure to check out the new versions the band recorded of their own hit songs – “Get Up Again” and “Only The Strong.” The Revival begins everywhere March 4 on all formats including limited edition SILVER or BLUE vinyl!

TRACK LIST:
1. Broken
2. Alive And Kicking
3. In Your Eyes
4. 7 Years
5. Eyes Without A Face
6. Every Breath You Take
7. I Don’t Care Anymore
8. Broken Wings
9. Hold On Loosely
10. Only The Strong
11. Get Up Again
12. Still Of The Night

Los Angeles, CA – When word got back to Neil Young and his band that their 1989 concert performance scheduled to take place in the Soviet Union had been cancelled by antagonistic government authorities, Young’s guitar player Frank Sampedro replied to the news with “well, I guess we’ll have to keep on rockin’ in the free world.” And thus, one of the most legendary and fiercely defiant rock anthems of the 20th century was born. The song became the bookends of Young’s brilliant studio album, Freedom, with an acoustic version kicking it off and an electric version closing it and would eventually be celebrated as one of Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time (#216).

Now that Young’s music has fallen silent on the world’s most prominent musical platform, Spotify, another band has stepped forward to make sure that Young’s rebellious spirit continues to live on with a powerful new version of “Rockin’ In The Free World.” Chicago alternative metal kings SOiL have released their own version of the song to all digital platforms, keeping the fire lit for future generations of rebels and iconoclasts.

As the band explains “Over the years, SOiL has considered covering Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ many times. It was a song that really struck a nerve with us individually in our younger days before SOiL was even a band. The song still stands the test of time and is as powerful today as it was back then. This version we recorded was scheduled to be released as part of a special upcoming album due out later this year, but we decided that now would be a good time to let everyone hear our take on the Neil Young classic with the SOiL twist. We hope you all enjoy it!”

In 1995, Bjork released her second solo album, Post. It featured a song called Army of Me. It was a personal song for Bjork that featured heavy synthesizer and a John Bonham sampled drum beat. In 2005, Army of Me was covered by various artists for a charity record. Flash forward to 2021, another artist and project is giving Army of Me a new look.

I’m not sure I understand why people are so eager to cover Bjork. Anytime an artist covers a song, being compared negatively to the original is a real fear, especially when being compared to Bjork. She is pure inspiration, original, and beloved by most every music fan…..oh, and did I mention she has an amazing, sometimes quirky voice with a huge vocal range?

So, if you want to create a new version, what do you do?

Chuck Wright from Quiet Riot had a pretty good idea- do what he does best, rock! The original version features heavy synth throughout and drum samples. He wisely changes that here. The synthe is still present, but nestled into the background. The foreground has been replaced with guitar- not heavy chords, but more sparse, drawn out, individual notes. Towards the end of the song, Lanny Cordola from House of Lords breaks into a traditional guitar solo to close the song. The drums, which were originally samples of John Bonham on When the Levee Breaks, are now actual drums. The changes here from industrial synthe to rock create a very different version, but both equally support the power of the lyrics and message. Of course, having a song built around a rhythm section created by John Bonham lends itself to a rock treatment, so it was an easy choice. (When the Levee Breaks is actually a song written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, but made famous by Led Zeppelin)

Now to the real problem of covering Bjork- finding a singer who can deliver a powerful performance without being a knock-off Bjork mimic. Wright could have chosen someone a little more quirky like Billie Eilish, but wisely chose Whitney Tai who recently won Best Vocalist at the Intercontinental Music Awards. Tai has her own style, her own voice, and it’s powerful. For those who aren’t familiar, check out songs like Surrender off of her most recent album Apogee or Enigma off of Metamorphosis in 2015. On both, Tai shows a deep dynamic range. On Army of Me, it is no different. Tai approaches the verses and the chorus differently. She sings slowly, impassioned on the verse as she implores the listener to be better, to get up and do what’s right. On the chorus, her voice soars, hitting bigger notes as she gives the ultimatum- do what I say or meet an Army of Me.

What Chuck Wright and company have done so well here is adapt a personal song from 1995, widening its message to a 2021 society that needs the message. He uses Ruth Bader Ginsberg in the video to bolster the point of doing what’s right in the face of adversity. The song and the video are beautiful re-imaginings of the original.

Music Produced By: Chuck Wright
Video Produced & Directed By: Chuck Wright
3D Animation By: Drew Lanius
Music and Lyrics Written By: Björk and Graham Massey
Engineered By: Chuck Wright, Tim Janssens, and Sven Martin
Mixed By: Tim Janssens

Whitney Tai • Vocals
Chuck Wright • Bass (Quiet Riot/ Alice Cooper/ House Of Lords)
Pat Torpey • Drums (Mr. Big)
Lanny Cordola • Guitars (House Of Lords)
Sven Martin • Keyboards (Jonathan Davis Band)
Tim Janssens • Additional Keyboards
Tosha Jones • Video Synch • Drums (Saliva)
Sam Bam Kolton • Video Synch • Guitar (Budderside)

Army of Me is the first song off of Chuck Wright’s Sheltering Sky record which is coming in 2022. The record features over 30 guest performers including members of Mr. Big, Skid Row, Tesla, Dream Theater, Asia among many others. And for those of us who are fans of Whitney Tai, this is not the only song on which she sings. If this song is any indication, The Sheltering Sky sounds like an album worthy of our attention.

(Source: wanderingsandwoolgathering.com)

Hailing from the same icy darkness of the Scandinavian inland that birthed the Grammy Award-winning theatrical metal band GHOST, PRIEST has come to thaw the icy circuits of your frostbitten, winter-chilled heart with a brilliant new single. “A Signal In The Noise” is the first single from the new album by the enigmatic trio, which consists of vocalist Mercury (known as Water when he played bass for GHOST), keyboardist Salt (formerly GHOST keyboardist Air), and programmer/ keyboardist Sulfur. The new album is slated for 2022 and is produced by another GHOST alumni Simon Söderberg (guitarist and producer/engineer of GHOST’s debut album Opus Eponymous).

Although the group has been putting out albums since 2017, this new album marks a significant departure, with a drastically darker mood yet still maintains the band’s penchant for strong hooks and melodies. Speaking about the new single, a spokesperson for PRIEST declares “‘A Signal in the Noise’ is the first glimpse of a darker era in PRIEST’s timeline. The industrial rhythms and melodies paint a vast canvas of an apocalyptic future. To accompany the track, we needed a gritty video with an urban feeling. We are very excited to show it to you!”

For more info:
twitter.com/dominumpupa
instagram.com/priestofficial
facebook.com/priestofficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6niO7WSbw5n0nD58jPi2Mx?si=IgmYyWGGQNms8tPV-Cix7Q
priestnexus.com

Los Angeles, CA – Before 2021 comes to an end, New Jersey surf punks Dentist are set to release their third single of the year, “Spilled Coffee.” While their prior two releases showcased sugary punk pop, the new single takes their beach fuzz and delves into the world of post-punk, with a darker sound inspired by groups like Interpol – a band favorite for long trips on tour. The new single has a persistent beat that would be perfect for your fall beach goth party.

“For this single, we wanted to release something that coincides with the feeling you get moving from fall into winter. ‘Spilled Coffee’ has an ominous vibe, but it’s also something you’d want to dance to, to help move away from your upcoming seasonal depression.”

The single was premiered yesterday on the website for Under The Radar magazine but is released to the general public today!

Check out the previous singles:

“Let Me Let Go”
Stream: https://orcd.co/dentist_let_me_let_go
Video: https://youtu.be/g0Prm5KbhHs

“Don’t Let Me Catch You”
Stream: https://orcd.co/dentist_dont_let_me_catch_you
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca7cjhWvb8o

Critical acclaim for Dentist’s previous album, Night Swimming:

“Thanks to tight chemistry, killer hooks, and a distinctive sound that’s both lo-fi and retro-pop smooth, New Jersey’s Dentist have managed to stand out amid a sea of like-minded musical acts.” – The AV Club

“Dentist make beachy guitar music sound so good you’ll think it’s just as easy to play.” – Noisey

“Dentist have precision and technicality that borders on math rock, but they also know how to temper their musicality for deft various of energy and aesthetic.” – Stereogum

What links Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lemmy and exploding hot water bottles? Muscleman singer Jon Mikl Thor – one of the greatest cult metal stars of the 70s and 80s.

Jon Mikl Thor has one piece of advice for anyone considering inflating a hot water bottle by lung-power alone: don’t.

“Oh, I never want to do it again,” says the professional body builder-turned-cult heavy metal singer of one of the many theatrical highlights of his gigs during the 70s and 80s. “The pain in my lungs. You’re blowing it up and it’s getting bigger and bigger, like a blimp, and you’re holding it with your fingernails to not let the air out, and it doesn’t explode when you want it to. I got knocked unconscious a few times, cos it’s so big it slaps you back… Boom, lights out.”

There’s footage of him blowing up a hot water bottle like a balloon on The Merv Griffin Show in 1976. He races around the stage in tight blue-and-white lycra briefs, golden hair gleaming and muscles aglow, as the in-house orchestra plays the Sweet’s Action! behind him. As he rolls around on the floor with the exertion of inflating up this giant pink blimp, the look on the audience’s faces shift from bemusement to awe. When it finally pops, so do they. “Liberace was on the show too. I walked off the stage and he said, ‘Very good Jon,’” says Thor. “I think I looked a lot like his boyfriend.”

Read more at loudersound.com

Album features collabs with Steve Stevens, Xiu Xiu, Tiffany, Leæther Strip, The KVB, and more!

Los Angeles, CA – Goth metal icon Jyrki 69, best known as the baritone crooner for Helsinki metal superheroes The 69 Eyes but also seen earlier this year ripping it up with his gothabilly side project The 69 Cats, is ready to sink his teeth into the supple necks of music audiences around with world with his brand new solo album, American Vampire, the follow-up to his widely praised debut solo effort, 2017’s Helsinki Vampire! Mixing both cover tunes and original tracks, the new album finds Jyrki teaming up with several renegade collaborators including fellow Nordic rocker Tim Skold (of the metal outfit Shotgun Messiah and industrial projects Skold and Not My God), Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, indie experimentalists Xiu Xiu, pop music queen Tiffany and many more! The album’s first single, a bone-chilling version of the psychedelic classic “White Rabbit” featuring virtuosic guitar work from Stevens, has already been released digitally and on 7”.

But now the first original track from the album is being released, just in time to haunt your dreams this Halloween! Both written and recorded with Skold, “American Vampire” might be the album’s clearest expression of purpose, opening with dark ambient keyboards before kicking into a massive metal riff and Jyrki’s opening word “Blood!” It’s a haunting, spine-tingling track with cinematic ambitions, as Jyrki explains “American Vampire is a character somewhere between Vampire Lestat and Tony “Scarface” Montana. Whenever they make a movie with that title, they already have a song for it! The music was done by Tim Skold, Hollywood legend and survivor, it was fantastic to make music with him!”

Naturally, the song is being accompanied by a gorgeously shot full-scale concept video filmed by director Vicente Cordero who has previously shot videos with for both Jyrki and Skold.

American Vampire will be released December 17 on all formats including CD in a deluxe gatefold wallet, vinyl in your choice of BLUE or SILVER, and digital!

Track List:
1. SexDrugsRocknRoll feat. Shotgun Messiah
2. White Rabbit feat. Steve Stevens
3. Dreamtime feat. Rosetta Stone
4. Bite It You Scum feat. Leæther Strip
5. American Vampire feat. Skold
6. Don’t You Want Me feat. Tiffany
7. Decision feat. The KVB
8. Deviant Carousal feat. Xiu Xiu
9. Clover feat. Youlooktired
10. Last Dance feat. Not My God

Los Angeles, CA – With their new album, Revival, being zealously embraced by audiences around the world and earning some of the best reviews of their career, Virginia-based band Sonsombre have been itching to spread their gospel of classic Sisters Of Mercy/The Cure-style goth rock to the masses via live stage performances. But with the world continuing its long slog through a hellish nightmarescape, live performances just haven’t been in the cards. However, today the band has come to offer relief and release in the form of a gorgeously shot virtual mini-concert featuring standout tracks from both Revival as well as 2020’s One Thousand Graves.

Filmed by Jacob Johnson, the video showcases the band’s flair for the theatrical reverie of goth’s glory days, from the flowing black coat and distinctive wide-brimmed hat worn by frontman Brandon Pybus to the candle-lit stage set where the band performs. In addition to the regular cast of talented players supporting Pybus, the group is joined for this mini-concert by bassist Mike Louis of Chronic Twilight and Shadow Assembly.

Watch the full video:

Set List
1. Dance Forever
2. Revival
3. One Thousand Graves
4. Long Way Down
5. Slumber
6. Fire

The band is also excited to announce the official CD release of Revival. Packaged in a sleek digipak, the CD version includes a full lyric booklet and additional band photos!

Track List
1. Calling Of The Faithful
2. Revival
3. Dance Forever
4. Reborn
5. Blackbird
6. Long Way Down
7. Coming Down
8. Dreaming
9. Optimist
10. Calling Of The Faithful (Reprise)
11. Ice

Los Angeles, CA – In 2019, the metal world was introduced to Align The Tide, a brutally heavy, technically dazzling new group from an unlikely locale, the beautiful, sun-soaked Mediterranean country of Malta. The quartet released their debut album Dead Religion with mega-indie label Cleopatra Records that year and quickly gained a solid following thanks to a superior combo of monster riffs, thundering drums and dark, heavy lyrical themes. Today, the band returns with an even fiercer sound, a newly expanded line-up and a brand new single, “Judgement.” Now a five-piece, ATT have brought onboard another guitarist as well as a new vocalist who hails across the sea from the state of Texas, USA. Together, this devastating quintet are set to attract attention worldwide as they prepare for a new full-length release coming in 2022.

The band shares these thoughts on the new single, “‘Judgement’ is a well-produced & proper introduction into what ATT has planned for the future: very catchy rhythms, harsh riveting vocals, killer breakdowns and everything else in between. We all hope that you will enjoy this euphonious masterpiece!”

Fans can stream the single and get their first glimpse at the newly revitalized ATT in the video for “Judgement!”

Watch the video:

All dates with The Casualties and Piñata Protest. Hole Hog (ex Monster Squad) are appearing 11/17-11/2. There will be additional special guests, etc announced in the coming weeks.

11/4 Austin, TX- Come and Take It Live
11/5 Dallas, TX- Three Links
11/6 San Antonio, TX- Rockbox
11/7 Houston, TX- Trip Six
11/8 El Paso, TX- Rockhouse
11/9 Albuquerque, NM- The Launchpad
11/10 Denver, CO- Bluebird Theatre
11/11 Salt Lake City, UT- The Loading Dock
11/12 Boise, ID- The Shredder
11/13 Seattle, WA- El Corazon
11/14 Portland, OR- Bossanova Ballroom
11/16 Eugene, OR- WOW Hall
11/17 Petaluma, CA- Phoenix Theatre
11/18 Bakersfield, CA- Jerry’s
11/19 Pomona, CA- Glass House
11/20 Palmdale, CA- Transplants
11/21 Los Angeles, CA- 1720
11/23 Mesa, AZ- Nile Underground

Available On:
CD | Limited Edition Colored Vinyl | Apple Music | Bandcamp | Amazon | Spotify

Legendary street punk band jump in the studio and unleash their fury on some of the highlights from their extensive catalog dating all the way back to their 1997 debut album!

Includes all-new supercharged versions of such classics as “Unknown Soldier,” “We Are All We Have,” “Punk Rock Love” and more!

This band continues to thrive releasing new albums with vocalist David Rodriguez, including 2018’s extremely well-received Written In Blood, and performing numerous shows throughout the US!

Available on both CD in a special gatefold wallet and vinyl in your choice of either RED, BLUE or GREEN!

Also available: Written In Blood CD & LP (CLO 0987)

Track List

1. Chaos Sound
2. Riot
3. Rejected And Unwanted
4. Under Attack
5. Unknown Soldier
6. Criminal Class
7. Resistance
8. Feed Off Fear
9. Punk Rock Love
10. Tomorrow Belongs To Us
11. Made In NYC
12. Do You Wanna Dance
13. My Blood, My Life, Always Forward
14. Unemployed
15. On The Front Line
16. Ugly Bastards
17. War Is Business
18. Running Through The Night
19. We Are All We Have

FOLLOW THE CASUALTIES

https://linktr.ee/indefenseofskatour

1/13/22 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
1/14/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar
1/15/22 – Phoenix, AZ (Mesa) @ The Nile Theater
1/16/22 – Garden Grove, CA @ Garden Amphitheater
1/17/22 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
1/18/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
1/19/22 – Sacramento, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
1/20/22 – Eugene, OR @ Old Nicks
1/21/22 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
1/22/22 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s

Los Angeles, CA – Celebrate the holidays this year with a little international flavor, courtesy of one of the most widely revered violinists, vocalists and musical geniuses who has collaborated with everyone from Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel and U2 to Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and many, many more – Indian-born L. Shankar. Known for his incredibly dexterous playing and his unique singing voice, Shankar has earned accolades from across the musical spectrum and has been recruited to perform live for the world’s most demanding talents. Now, Shankar brings Christmas From India, a brand new set of recordings where he recreates some of the most treasured holiday classics with the sound of tablas, sitar and, of course, violin and vocals to craft a Christmas album like no other. The album also includes 2 original compositions written by Shankar, “Christmas Time” and “Saviour.”

Shankar had this to say about the project, “It was a thrill and pure joy to work on my new album Christmas From India. It brought back fond memories of working on the music for both of the Jesus movies, first with the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Peter Gabriel on ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ and then with Mel Gibson and John Debney on ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ Christmas From India is like a third chapter.”

Today, Shankar brings the Christmas joy a little early, sharing his gorgeous take on the ‘80s Band Aid classic “Do They Know It’s Christmas.”

Christmas From India will be available on all digital platforms as well as on CD in a digipak!

1. Jingle Bells
2. All I Want For Christmas Is You
3. The First Noel
4. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
5. O Holy Night
6. Do They Know It’s Christmas?
7. Deck The Halls
8. O Christmas Tree
9. Christmas Time
10. Silent Night
11. Joy To The World
12. Last Christmas
13. Saviour

FOLLOW L. SHANKAR