Evanescence is out today with the video for “Better Without You,” the latest single from their new album ‘The Bitter Truth,’ out now on BMG.
A kiss-off to the naysayers and the cheats in the rearview mirror, “Better Without You” explodes with the “metal catharsis” that runs through ‘The Bitter Truth’ (LA Times). The video was directed by film-maker Eric D. Howell (Ana’s Playground, Voice From The Stone) who also directed the video for Evanescence’s previous video for “Use My Voice.”
Watch the video for “Better Without You,” which will premiere live on YouTube at 3pm ET today, 4/16, here:
The Band Announces a Free Livestream Event Presented by Cooper Tire
Evanescence is also announcing their next livestream event, “Driven to Perform Livestream Concert,” slated for May 13th. Presented by Cooper Tire and hosted by Alice Cooper, the free concert stream will include several songs from ‘The Bitter Truth’ performed live for the first time.
Check out the band performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to get a taste here:
Since its release on March 26th, ‘The Bitter Truth’ has risen to the top of the Rock and Alternative charts, hit #1 on iTunes in 22 countries, and garnered widespread critical acclaim.
Two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Evanescence has made an impact on people around the world. The group’s 2003 landmark debut album Fallen laid the foundation spending 43 weeks on the Billboard Top 10 and selling more than 17 million copies worldwide. Debut single and global hit “Bring Me to Life” reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and marked their first U.K. #1 hit single. The equally popular “My Immortal” peaked at #7 in the U.S. and U.K. Following multiple worldwide tours, The Open Door came next, which went on to sell more than five million copies followed by the self-titled Evanescence which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts.
Evanescence lead singer-songwriter and pianist Amy Lee, bassist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt, lead guitarist Troy McLawhorn, and guitarist and backing vocalist Jen Majura went down both very new and familiar paths for their fourth and most ambitious release to date, Synthesis, in 2017 via BMG. The symphonic effort scored four Billboard #1s, debuting atop the Independent, Alternative, Rock, and Classical Album Charts. Evanescence launched their worldwide “Synthesis Live” tour in October 2017 combining their intense live performances and timeless songwriting with a powerful live orchestra. The Bitter Truth, out now on BMG, is Evanescence’s fourth studio album.
Mac Sabbath has revealed details on their first book, Drive Thru Metal, but don’t expect a stereotypical biography from the fast food-themed parody kings. There’s plenty of “juice” inside, albeit in the form of burgers cooking in the kitchen as the four members of Mac Sabbath take fans on a journey through a dystopian fast-food world polluted by its own waste in an innovative hybrid pop-up book.
Mysterious Mac Sabbath frontman Ronald Osbourne comments on the book, “What’s that? A pop-up book is not what you were expecting? Well SUFFER! ….and you’re welcome.”
Available via Poposition Press, Drive Thru Metal features illustrations by Gris Grimly, well-known for his darkly whimsical children’s books and the upcoming Netflix film adaptation of his Pinocchio book, and will be available in Regular and Special Editions. Both editions are available in limited quantities, so be sure to pre-order now to reserve a copy of this piece of Drive Thru Metal history! Pre-orders are available here.
Both editions of Drive Thru Metal include pop-up scenes highlighting “The Factory,” “The Ascension” and “Utopia” and include a special vinyl surprise with seven Mac Sabbath stories, including “Organic Funeral,” Sweet Beef” and “N.I.B.B.L.E.” The Special Edition is a super limited version complete with a foil stamped cover, a Gris Grimly art print and ketchup and mustard splattered vinyl surprise.
Mixing raucous comedy with borderline-horrific theatrics, the only thing more petrifying than impending health problems resulting from years of overeating is a Mac Sabbath show. Mac Sabbath puts on a theatrical, multimedia stage show – complete with a smoking grill, laser-eyed clowns, bouncing burgers and many more magical surprises… basically anything and everything an unwary show-goer could ever want in their wildest dreams. The band has been named by Buzzfeed as one of the “13 Metal Bands You Didn’t Know How to React To”, and as LA’s “Best Tribute Band” by LA Weekly.
Los Angeles – Puscifer unveil the next chapter in the saga of desert dwelling scamp Billy D with the psychedelic, alien-infused mini film for “Bullet Train to Iowa“. Watch it here.
“The ‘Bullet Train to Iowa’ video is sort of a bridge between the Money $hot Live at the Mayan Theater performance (“Billy D and the Hall of Feathered Serpents”) and the Existential Reckoning Live at Arcosanti performance,” explains Maynard James Keenan. “Kind of like what ‘Rogue One’ is to the Star Wars films, but without the Storm Troopers and snarky robots.”
The clip was created by longtime Keenan collaborator, Meats Meier. Meats’ work with Puscifer spans the band’s history, from the band’s debut video, “Queen B”, which saw the introduction of the group’s de facto mascot of the same name, to the special-ops laced “Dozo” video, and most recently, the prescient “Apocalyptical” clip, which features the visual wizard surfing the pandemic-swept streets of Los Angeles. “Bullet Train to Iowa” also features a subtle nod to Money $hot, with the cowboys featured on the album’s cover, serving as bartenders in the newly released footage.
“Bullet Train to Iowa” comes from the band’s recently released album, Existential Reckoning (Alchemy Recordings/BMG). The 12-song collection, featuring artwork from Daniel Martin Diaz, has received widespread praise with Variety saying “…the airily hypnotic electronic rock…works…brilliantly,”Stereogumdescribing the music as “darkly playful,” and Revolvernoting “you’re highly unlikely to find another album that explores the fear and loathing of our uncertain times in as chill a fashion as the latest from Maynard James Keenan’s art-rock outfit Puscifer.” Download and stream the album here.
Meats Meier-Created Video Follows BillyD’s Journey from Arcosanti to The Hall of Feathered Serpents
Watch the “Billy D and The Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring Money $hot by Puscifer” trailer here:
Puscifer Performs Money $hot in Its Entirely on Apr. 17
The band’s next visual offering arrives April 17, with the global streaming event, “Billy D and The Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring Money $hot by Puscifer”, a performance that sees Puscifer build upon their Luchador-infused performances surrounding the 2016 album, Money $hot (which will be played in its entirety). The production highlights Puscifer’s unique marriage of music-meets-theater, having seen the touring incarnation hailed as “extraordinary” (Kerrang!), “stunning” (Loudwire), and “a modern blend of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’” (Relix).
Los Angeles’ historic Mayan Theater, a 1920s era revivalist theater featuring original artwork by Mexican painter and sculptor Francisco Cornejo, serves as the backdrop to the one-time outing. The elaborate cultural landmark, with its jaw-dropping Mayan calendar infused chandelier and a lobby dedicated to the bird-meets-reptilian deity Quetzalcoatl, gave birth to the performance’s title. “While looking both forward and backwards, we stumbled into The Hall of Feathered Serpents,” explains Mat Mitchell. “The perfect site to pay homage to the Money $hot album and tour.”
Purchase tickets to “Billy D and The Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring Money $hot by Puscifer” livestream event here.
About Puscifer
Born somewhere in the Arizona desert, Puscifer is an electro-rock band, multimedia experience, traveling circus, and alien abduction survivors. The group’s catalog consists of three full-length studio albums—“V” is for Vagina [2007], Conditions of My Parole [2011], and Money Shot [2015]—in addition to a series of EPs and remixes.
Beyond the core trio of Maynard James Keenan [vocals], Mat Mitchell [guitar, production], and Carina Round [vocals, songwriting], the group’s ever-evolving ecosystem encompasses Greg Edwards (bass, guitar, keys), Gunnar Olsen (drums), as well as a cast of characters such as Billy D and his wife Hildy Berger, Major Douche, Special Agent Dick Merkin, and many more.
Meanwhile, the moniker’s origins can be traced to a 1995 episode of the HBO classic Mr. Show where Keenan first utilized the name “Puscifer.” In addition to tallying tens of millions of streams and views, they’ve piqued the curiosity of press. Entertainment Weekly christened them, “Exceptionally groovy,” and Revolver fittingly described them as “indescribable.”
Renowned for an immersive live show, the group’s performances blur the lines between concert and theater, traversing the dusty American Southwest with Billy D and Hildy or the sweaty squared circle with Luchadores. They’ve brought this to life everywhere from Coachella to Bonnaroo. On their debut for Alchemy Recordings/BMG entitled Existential Reckoning, Puscifer track Billy D back to the desert and, just maybe, uncover the truth about aliens once and for all.
Los Angeles, CA — What is “Trouble“? It’s Jane N’ The Jungle‘s new, stunning and in-your-face rock song out TODAY! These Phoenix, AZ natives won’t be silenced in any regard and have proven to be a powerhouse in the music world making their mark with “Animal” and “Lucky 7“, which are both still gaining attention. Watch “Trouble” here:
Jane N’ The Jungle is Jordan White, who leads the way with her intense and memorable vocals, while Brian Dellis belts out his crunchy licks on guitar and “Big B” hits you hard on bass.
White says, ““Trouble” exemplifies the influence of other people’s perception of you that attracts trouble based on false assumptions of your own personal traits and past experiences.” She also states, “We wanted to write a song that embodied our live performance energy and rock ‘n’ roll vibe and to give listeners a record with our passion and excitement that we have in our show performances.”
Jordan White (Vocalist), Jane N’ The Jungle | Photography: Jim Louvau
“Trouble” was produced by Super Producer/Engineer Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Soundgarden, Tantric) at legendary Pearl Sound Studios (Asking Alexandria, Eminem, Filter). Video was produced by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera.
Jane N’ The Jungle Is:
Jordan White – Vocals Brian Dellis – Guitar Big B – Bass
Los Angeles – Serj Tankian’s eagerly-awaited Elasticity EP arrives on March 19 via Alchemy Recordings/BMG. A preview of the five-song release comes via the Vlad Kaptur-directed video for the EP’s title track, “Elasticity”, which can be viewed here.
“When I conceived possibly doing another record with the guys from System of a Down a few years back, I started working on a set of songs that I arranged in rock format for that purpose,” Serj explains. “As we weren’t able to see eye to eye on the vision going forward with an SOAD album, I decided to release these songs under my moniker.”
With his trademark eclecticism and one-of-a-kind vocal style, Serj delivers a collection that runs the gamut from hard-driving, electronically enhanced anthems like the title track, a rallying cry for his beloved Armenia (“Electric Yerevan”), the tongue-in-cheek political mash-up of “Your Mom,” the piano-laden “How Many Times?” and “Rumi,” a song that Serj wrote both about his son Rumi and Rumi the poet.
One of the most multi-dimensional figures in modern music, the GRAMMY Award winning artist is profiled in the upcoming film, “Truth to Power” (Oscilloscope Laboratories/Live Nation Production). View the trailer here.
With exclusive interviews, adventures, and original footage personally filmed by Serj, “Truth To Power” (Feb. 19, truthtopowerfilm.com) allows audiences backstage access to an international rock star whose faith in music not only revolutionized heavy metal, but also world events. Throughout his life, the musician has pursued social justice, harnessing the power of his songs and celebrity for real political change. Serj’s voice is equally likely to take on American corporate greed as lambast the corrupt regime of his homeland. His decades-long campaign for formal U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide was finally approved by Congress in December of 2019.
Elasticity EP tracklist:
Elasticity
Your Mom
Rumi
How Many Times?
Electric Yerevan
Pre-orders, including limited-edition indie retail purple vinyl variant and a galaxy vinyl web exclusive, as well as an Elasticity-themed collection of merch, are available here.
About Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian | Photography: George Tonikian
A singer, poet, songwriter, visual artist, film producer, activist, and composer; Serj Tankian has always created music as an outlet to express his thoughts and feelings with a level of passion and consciousness that few in today’s world of music can rival. An Armenian born in Lebanon and re-rooted in Los Angeles, Tankian was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas, and ideals from a very young age. The principles learned from this integration and adaptation have led to his understanding of the oneness of all things and have since maneuvered and transfigured into the music and art that he lives to create.
As the lead singer and songwriter for System of a Down, Serj has released five studio albums, winning a GRAMMY Award in 2006 for “B.Y.O.B.” and selling over 40 million albums worldwide. Despite this success, Serj has never grown complacent with his art, always striving to open up new channels of sound and arrangement to articulate his artistic expressions. He has released five albums of solo material, beginning with 2007’s chart-topping hard rock album Elect The Dead. His sophomore solo album Imperfect Harmonies was released in 2010, followed by Harakiri in 2012. 2013 saw two distinct releases from Serj, the first being the critically acclaimed Orca Symphony No. 1, released in June of that year, followed up with the very unique Jazz-Iz Christ one month later.
Over the past few years, his time spent in the recording studio has been focused on creating musical scores and compositions for film and video game projects. Serj recently lent his vocals to a modern-day cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s rock classic “Godzilla” for the blockbuster Michael Dougherty film “Godzilla: King Of The Monsters.” He also recorded a modern version of the Armenian folk song “Sari Siroun Yar” along with the Authentic Light Orchestra for the film “The Promise,” directed by Terry George and starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. Serj was also brought on by Survival Pictures, the producers of the film, to serve as an Executive Music Consultant.
Most recently, Tankian composed the full musical score for award winning documentary “I Am Not Alone” directed by Garin Hovannisian and the upcoming Live Nation Productions film “Truth To Power,” which chronicles Serj’s own journey through the crossroads of music and activism. In 2017, Serj composed music for Emmy nominated “Intent To Destroy”, a gripping film directed by award winning documentarian Joe Berlinger. That same year, he created an intense score for the epic Russian action film “Furious – The Legend of Kolovrat,” followed by his 2018 musical score for award winning film “Spitak,” directed by Alexander Kott. Additionally, Tankian composed the full musical score for independent films “1915” and “The Last Inhabitant,” an original composition for Ilya Naishuller’s “Hardcore Henry” and video game musical scores for “Midnight Star” and its sequel, “Renegade,” which were created by one of the chief architects of the famed “Halo” game franchise.
Serj’s resume also includes the formation of a record label, Serjical Strike Records (established in 2001), which has released albums from many critically acclaimed artists, including Fair To Midland, Buckethead and Death By Stereo.
Along with fellow musician Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Serj co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice in 2002, which strives to bring together musicians, music fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has also dabbled in the world of broadcasting as co-host of the Axis Of Justice Radio Network, which can be heard via Sirius Satellite Radio and KPFK in Los Angeles. With a mission of spreading diversity and understanding through music, poetry and activism, Serj Tankian will continue to surprise and enlighten those who listen to his music and hear his words.
In recent years, Tankian has split his time between holding a mic and a paintbrush, having feverishly created over 60 pieces of art since 2013. His journey into the world of fine art began with his Disarming Time Musical Paintings, which were exhibited at Project Gallery in Los Angeles. Since then, he has had multiple exhibitions at galleries in both the United States and New Zealand. In 2015, his artwork was exhibited at the grand opening of New Museum Los Gatos in Northern California as part of a group exhibit that ran from May through September of that year. Most recently, Serj’s artwork was exhibited at two notable galleries in New Zealand during February and March of 2019.
“‘Aid and Abet’ is about the internal struggles of breaking habits and addictive behaviour. Knowing that you have to push through and might feel worse, temporarily, before getting better. For the video, we worked with our talented friend, Bobby Pook (Sumo Crucial Media). We’ve worked with him on previous videos and unsurprisingly, he astounded us all with the final result.
For those disturbed by a particular scene in the video, please keep watching until the end. Whatever you’re going through, there is always someone out there available to listen and help.
The websites listed at the end of the video are a few examples with links to international helplines. Asking for help is never a burden. You do not have to face this alone.”- Isa Holliday (Slow Crush)
Watch the New Music Video for “Aid and Abet”
SLOW CRUSH To Reissue Out-Of-Print ‘Aurora’ LP
The band’s successful 2018 debut full-length “Aurora”, was released to much acclaim, selling 4000 physical copies, going into its 4th press. The album’s track “Glow” has racked up nearly 500,000 streams alone.
On March 19, Quiet Panic will re-issue the out-of-print LP, with pre-orders launching today.
Slow Crush is a compelling and abrasive shoegaze band out of Belgium, dealing with the aesthetics of contrasting sounds. The vulnerable soft floating voice of Manchester, UK’s Isa Holliday underneath layers of grungy shoegaze soaked noisepop, has resonated with fans and music critics alike.
Slow Crush has been touring consistently throughout North America and Europe with over 180 shows played in 2019-2020, consistently selling-out shows on both continents, at venues such as LA’s The Echo, Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus and more.
PHOENIX — Grey Daze marks the release of Amends… Stripped (Jan. 29, Loma Vista Recordings), a five-song re-imagination of tracks originally featured on the band’s critically-acclaimed 2020 full-length album, Amends, with a one-of-a-kind global listening session that brings the stirring acoustic songs to life via internationally renowned sand artist Anna Streklova’s animated illustrations.
The special event, including an exclusive interview from the band’s first radio interview from back in the ’90s, is viewable via Grey Daze’s YouTube channel tomorrow, Jan. 28, at 1:00 PM Pacific / 4:00 PM Eastern / 9:00 PM GMT.
“We wanted to create a unique listening experience for our fans to hear this EP for the first time,” says Grey Daze co-founder and drummer Sean Dowdell. “One that was visual, moving, and something we had never seen done before. The nature of sand art as a medium is one that fits well, aesthetically, with the stripped down nature of this particular music. A fleeting form of art that aptly expresses the fragile nature of our band. The resulting illustrated film feels like a perfect metaphor, a dream sequence, an experience that sums up our new release. We hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do.”
Grey Daze returned to the studio in October, working with producer Billy Bush (Garbage, Muse) and a selection of alternate vocal tracks from Chester Bennington. The concept of an acoustic release was something Grey Daze had discussed prior to the release of Amends, knowing that the songs present an entirely new aspect to the material and spotlight Bennington’s immense talent, something they’d only been able to witness in the studio.
Amends… Stripped pre-orders are available now, with the vinyl variant of the EP set for an April 9 street date. The vinyl release includes a trio of ‘90s era interviews with the band from the new defunct Phoenix alternative radio station, KEDG. The release is also available digitally. The band released the single “Shouting Out (Stripped)” and its accompanying video.
Grey Daze releasedAmends in June of 2020 with All Music calling it “a gift for those who loved Chester,” Kerrang! proclaiming the collection “both celebratory and emotional, the record stands as a heartfelt echo of Chester Bennington’s power,” Rolling Stone describing the album “modern without sacrificing Bennington’s inherent adolescent grit” and Billboard saying it “provides some grunge-laced light in an otherwise dark hour.”
Amends’ arrival followed months of build-up for an album that serves as a tribute to Chester Bennington, the man “who was known for his piercing scream and free-flowing anguish”(New York Times) and “a human being with a huge heart and a caring soul” (Associated Press).
The people surrounding the release, his Grey Daze bandmates: Sean Dowdell, Mace Beyers, Cristin Davis, as well as Chester’s family members: Talinda Bennington, his parents, Susan and Lee, and his son Jaime all participated in the curation and storytelling that served as both catharsis and the completion of a promise to see the 11-song album through to completion. They shared stories and insight into how Amends became a reality via a documentary, an eight-part, studio driven video series titled “Making Amends”, and a Dave Navarro (Inked Master, Jane’s Addiction) hosted roundtable discussion featuring Dowdell with Amends contributors Brian “Head” Welch (Korn), Chris Traynor (Bush/Helmet), LP and producer Esjay Jones.
New England-based extreme metal quintet AVERSED has revealed a video for the scientific-inspired track “Laboratory” from the band’s upcoming release, Impermanent. Watch the video for “Laboratory” today via Toilet Ov Hell or here:
“‘Laboratory’ turns self-reflection and actualization on its head, discussing the consequences of ignoring and exploiting the natural world for our own gain regardless of its spiritual or intellectual benefit,” says drummer Jeff Saltzman. “In this interconnected world, we sow the seeds of our mechanized destruction if we only look inward rather than aim to help others.”
“Laboratory” was inspired by Saltzman’s own time working in a biology laboratory and its effects on the world outside of the lab. “Despite our cutting-edge research, we weren’t helping a soul,” he says. “What’s the point? ‘Laboratory’ is my criticism of the pursuit of scientific progress just for the sake of progress.”
Aversed’s Impermanent is set for release on March 19. Mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Shadow of Intent), Impermanent illustrates Aversed’s unique approach to songwriting with nine diverse compositions full of catchy hooks and vast melodies. Aversed offered fans a glimpse of the album last month with a video for the title track.
Pre-orders for Impermanent are available here. In addition to the album, a variety of bundles are also available, as well as a brand new t-shirt design.
With the release of Impermanent, Aversed presents a metal experience cultivated of unprecedented beauty and torment. The third release following 2011’s self-titled EP and 2016’s Renewal EP, Impermanent marks a turning point for the New England scene veterans as they pivot from melodic death metal towards a nuanced balance of blackened and orchestral melodic metal.
In the darkest midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, LORE and her band recorded a locked-in LIVE audio & video performance.
These are the DEADLY SESSIONS
3 Live Recordings • 3 Live Videos
It all started with Stay-In-Fest 2020…
LIVE from Heretic Sound in Los Angeles, bandmates LORE, Chris Egert, and Vincent Cabagnot were captured performing and recording three songs. This was for Infest’s “Stay-In-Fest 2020” music festival — one of the electro/industrial and goth scene’s most revered UK festivals.
“Our band is proud of these performances because we look and sound just as we do in concert – LIVE, RAW & REAL!”
“It was an exciting offer and we had to make it happen! Plus, after months of lockdown, we needed some fun! I hired a notable music video director and we got it together fast!” said LORE.
“It was also a fun opportunity to premiere a new song, “Until The Day I Die (Gothic Wedding Song) LIVE.”
LORE continued, “These are not the polished album versions. They are more guitar heavy with the electronic elements still prominent. When we realized how great they sounded, we decided to officially release them as a new product. Out of nowhere, a new release!”
Previously released on the SAW IV soundtrack album/Trisol, this version features the same intensity of industrial trip hop with insanely powerful and emotional vocals. “The Wait” is a cowrite between LORE and Julian Beeston.
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Chris Egert at Heretic Sound
About LORE
Trip-Hop put her on the map with her song “My Soul Speaks” included on “SHE – a female Trip-Hop Experience.” Next, LORE is featured with LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT performing Hebrew vocals on “Blessing.” LORE then got her revenge featuring Sean Brennan/LAM on “Haunting” with her debut album, also entitled “MY SOUL SPEAKS.” The album, received outstanding reviews (released in Germany and Russia). Now, LORE delivers her “DEADLY SESSIONS (LIVE)” 3 song locked-in quarantine set of songs and videos. A full studio album anxiously waits in the shadows.
LORE has performed concerts alongside London After Midnight, The Birthday Massacre, Abney Park & more.
LORE’s songs are also included on:
SHE – a female Trip-Hop Experience “My Soul Speaks” (Sonic Images Records)
SAW II OST “My Soul Speaks” (Trisol)
SAW III OST “Haunting feat. Sean Brennan” (Trisol)
