Weekly Music News 02.04.23
Weekly news roundup for the week beginning April 2, 2023
We still cannot get over "Fearless", released last week by Canadian duo "Crown Lands". Yesterday they shared videos of three more songs from the album, performed live!!! Why is that special? Because this is a duo, not a full band, playing this extraordinary album live. Cody Bowles sings and plays drums, percussion and wind instruments, while Kevin Comeau plays guitar, bass, keyboards, bass pedals and more, all at the same time. You have to see it to believe what these two can do. Their influences include fellow Canadians Rush (and the talented Comeau is Jewish), while the vocals may remind you of Josh Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet, especially in the song below. We particularly recommend the video for the album opener "Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II", an 18-minute tribute to Rush and its complex 1970s works, in both words and music.
Speaking of "Greta Van Fleet", today they release "Meeting the Master", the first single from their next album, "Starcatcher", due July 21.
It is incredible how much good material was left off "Meteora". "Linkin Park" releases another previously unheard song to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary. "Healing Foot" was recorded during the "Meteora" sessions and reaches streaming platforms today.
After finishing their European tour a little over a month ago, "Bring Me The Horizon" launched a new YouTube series documenting the tour. In the first episode, "01BMTHS5 - TEN MINUTES TIL TIL.MP4", the band is in Germany, where they meet the legendary Till Lindemann.
The band "Shredhead" releases its fourth album, "I Saw You Burn", calling it its best and most honest work yet. Tue Madsen produced, recorded and mixed the album at Denmark's Antfarm Studios. His credits include Meshuggah, Suicide Silence, Aborted, the Haunted, Sick of It All and Dark Tranquillity.
Listen on: Spotify
Israeli band "Acid Johnson" releases its debut album, "Metaphysical Mumbo Jumbo". The Jerusalem alternative hard-rock band features Aviv Milevski, Benaya Sagiv, Binyamin Berman, Israel Stolar and Johnathan Schwartzman. Do not miss this fascinating album, which blends doom, prog, spoken word, classic rock and more.
Listen on: Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube
Last week we told you about the band's third single. This week "Matricide" releases the wild video for "Obey", from its forthcoming second album. The band says the clip was inspired by the current political climate in Israel, but is relevant anywhere in the world. The song has heavy, meditative riffs, groove-metal and hardcore elements, slow tribal drums and a sweeping, epic chorus. Its lyrics question our society's seemingly blind obedience and ask: why do we obey? Matricide combines the speed and aggression of death metal, the attitude and aesthetic of hardcore, and a powerful groove. Its acclaimed debut EP, "We Are Alive", arrived in 2008, followed by the first full-length album, "When Random Turns to Fate", in 2013. Now we have the third single from the second album on the way.
A reminder that tomorrow you can catch Matricide onstage at "Psycho Ward FEST" at Tel Aviv's Gagarin club. From 1 p.m. until after midnight, some of the finest bands in the Israeli metal scene will take the stage one after another. Do not miss it. Buy tickets here:
Speaking of "Psycho Ward FEST", this week we learned that "Scardust", also appearing at the festival, will join forces with Blind Guardian, opening for them in Europe this autumn.
The band also shared a new video showing the extraordinary versatility of singer Noa Gruman, performing "Tantibus II" live in one take!!! You can see Noa and the talented members of "Scardust" onstage tomorrow at "Psycho Ward FEST".
Staying with "Psycho Ward FEST", one of its headliners, "Walkways", announced a short break from the studio for a trip to London. They will appear as special guests of Australian instrumental prog masters the Omnific at Camden's Black Heart on May 17. If you are in London in May, go and support Walkways, who will play a 50-minute opening set.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Houses of the Holy", guitarist Jimmy Page shared an early demo of "The Rain Song" on his YouTube channel. The recording, titled "The Seasons", captures his original ideas for the opening tracks of "Houses of the Holy". He envisioned a short instrumental overture with layered electric guitars, followed by contrasting acoustic guitar and Mellotron before the first vocal. Page said it was a memo to himself, recording his ideas for the song in its early stages over one evening at home.
Gibson has released a new version of Kirk Hammett's 1979 Flying V. It made 200 guitars, aged to match Hammett's original, each accompanied by a photograph and a certificate of authenticity signed by him, for no less than $15,000. The 1979 Flying V was his first Gibson, inspired by some of his favourite guitarists who played the model. He used it on classic Metallica albums including "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "...And Justice for All", and "The Black Album". Kirk still plays it and calls it "one of the most important heavy metal guitars of all time."
"Metallica" keeps making guitar headlines. Now comes James Hetfield's book!!! The 400-page "MESSENGERS: THE GUITARS OF JAMES HETFIELD" explores his personal guitar collection. James shares the stories and meaning behind these instruments in his life and career as Metallica's singer, guitarist and songwriter. The book is due October 17. Preorder it here:
"Nightwish" makes a dramatic announcement: after the final shows of the Human :II: Nature world tour in June, the band will stop performing live for an indefinite period and will not tour its next album. In a joint statement, the band says the reasons are personal but vital to its wellbeing and future. They still love working together, and the decision has nothing to do with Floor's pregnancy or the members' other projects. They also promise an album of 12 new songs in 2024!!!
What a treat... Seven years after his last wonderful show in Israel, Morrissey returns for two shows:
July 2 - Shuni Amphitheatre.
July 4 - Pavilion 1, Expo Tel Aviv.
Tickets here:
This week we learned that Raymond Shulman, one of the talented Shulman brothers of "Gentle Giant", died on March 30 at 73. He passed away peacefully at home in London after a long illness. Gentle Giant formed in 1970 with three brothers from the Jewish Shulman family among its founders: Phil, born in 1937; Derek, born in 1947; and Ray, born in 1949. The family had roots in Glasgow, where the older brothers were born; Ray was born in Portsmouth. All three grew up surrounded by music and became multi-instrumentalists. They sang and played wind instruments including saxophone, trumpet and clarinet (Phil, Ray and Derek), strings including violin, guitar and bass (Ray and Derek), keyboards (Derek), and even percussion and drums (Ray and Derek).
"Mudhoney" returns with its 11th album, "Plastic Eternity". Although the material was written during the first year or so of the pandemic, the album was eventually recorded in just nine days at Seattle's Crackle & Pop studios. It is the first album from Mark Arm and company since 2018's "Digital Garbage", and marks the 35th anniversary of both the band and the legendary Sub Pop label.
Listen on: Spotify
What a lovely, moving tribute to guitarist Gary Rossington, the last surviving original member of "Lynyrd Skynyrd", who died last month at 71. At this week's CMT Music Awards, Billy Gibbons, Paul Rodgers and Slash were among the musicians who performed two of the band's classics in his memory.
Speaking of Slash, a few days before his CMT Music Awards appearance, he took the stage at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles to perform with "Dorothy". Led by singer Dorothy Martin, the American hard-rock/blues-rock band formed in 2013 and has released an EP and three studio albums. Slash joined them for an explosive performance of "Gifts from the Holy Ghost", the Led Zeppelin-style title track and closing song of their latest album.
Singer Anthony Kiedis is attached to star in and executive produce an animated adaptation of "Hellicious", in development at TBS. Inspired by the comic created by Mina Elwell, Alan C. Medina, Kit Wallis and Simon Oré, it follows Cherry, the Devil's seven-year-old granddaughter, who steals the soul of rock-goth icon Briggy Bundy, voiced by Kiedis.
This week's events in collaboration with "Rocking Israel"
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