SABATON - "ANGELS CALLING" LIVE PERFORMANCE FROM THE GREAT SHOW DVD FEATURING APOCALYPTICA STREAMING

The clip below features Sabaton's live performance of "Angels Calling" featuring Apocalyptica at The Great Show in Prague in 2020. The clip is taken from the new live-in-concert double-DVD/Blu-Ray, The Great Show.

Sabaton recently announced the limited-edition, live-in-concert, double-DVD/Blu-Ray, The Great Show, and The 20th Anniversary Show, both set for release on November 19 (Nuclear Blast). Both titles were filmed during the band’s 2019-2020 The Great Tour world trek, and both feature special guest performers. Tracklistings are below; pre-orders can be placed here.


For the greater part of the Wacken concert, Sabaton commandeered the festival’s two main stages, the side-by-side-and-connected Faster and Harder Stages, becoming the first artist in Wacken's 30-year history to utilize both stages simultaneously in this way. Vocalist Joakim Brodén, guitarists Chris Rörland and Tommy Johansson, drummer Hannes Van Dahl, and the 20-voice Great War Choir, fitted out in a variety of military uniforms, performed on the Faster Stage. At the same time on the Harder Stage, bassist Pär Sundström welcomed back previous Sabaton members Thobbe Englund and Rikard Sundén/guitars, Daniel Mÿhr/keyboards and Daniel Mulback/drums - all nine musicians, plus the choir, giving an intense and impassioned en masse performance. Sabaton was also joined by the internationally acclaimed Grammy-nominated virtuoso cellist Tina Guo for the encore. Prague’s The Great Show reunited Sabaton with Finland’s multi-Platinum cello-rockers, Apocalyptica, who provided a fiery orchestral backing to several of Sabaton’s songs.

In support of Sabaton’s most recent chart-topping album, The Great War, The Great Tour saw the band setting the barre sky-high for live rock’n’roll stage production. Both sets of discs effectively capture the visually electrifying in-concert experience that is a Sabaton show. Sabaton’s cinematic songs transport fans onto the battlefield, encountering the horrors of war as well as acts of heroism and bravery, based on historical fact and told as if through the eyes and minds of soldiers in the line of fire. For “The Great Tour,” and as seen on both of these DVD/Blu-Ray sets, Sabaton’s live stage production was forged as a battlefield, with barbed-wire stretched across the front of the stage, stacks of sandbag barricades, mic stands fashioned after the period’s rifles and trench guns, a two-ton military tank complete with a battery of rocket launchers and flame jets that doubles as a drum riser, a keyboard built into the body of The Red Baron’s iconic blood-red tri-plane, and Brodén armed with a giant bazooka. Live rock’n’roll at its finest.

The 20th Anniversary Show (Wacken) tracklisting:

"Ghost Division"
"Winged Hussars"
"Resist And Bite"
"Fields Of Verdun" (with Thobbe Englund)
"Shiroyama" (with Thobbe Englund)
"The Red Baron"
"The Price Of A Mile"
"Bismarck"
"The Lion From The North"
"Carolus Rex"
"40:1"
"The Last Stand"
"The Lost Battalion"
Drum Battle (Hannes Van Dahl vs. Daniel Mullback)
"Far From The Flame"
"Panzerkampf"
"Night Witches"
"The Art Of War"
"82nd All The Way"
"Great War"
"Attero Dominatus"

Encore:
"Primo Victoria"
"Swedish Pagans" (with Tina Guo)
"To Hell And Back" (with Tina Guo)

THE WILDHEARTS - 21ST CENTURY LOVE SONGS

 

you really think UK protagonists The Wildhearts have crafted a series of love songs, then you know nothing! The artwork: bloody, crudely severed human heart, pierced by barbed hook, on a heavy duty fishing chain, is more accurate. The gritty, bass thumping title cut, which kicks things off, tosses the gauntlet from the word Go, trashing pop music hitmakers/influencers. "So this man's an expert? He sounds about 12. He said, 'A man needs a woman, at the end of the day.' What a moronic crock of shit for anybody to say. Because if you're bisexual, asexual, lesbian or gay, then you are not represented by the radio, anyway!"


As usual, their brand of pop-punk never minces words, often adding a couple of profanities along the way. The tempos, as well as the words raise a two-fingered Brit "salute" to modern life/society. On the ninth original studio platter (discounting '08 covers effort, Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before) Ginger & the boys once again train their sights on worthy targets and fire away, indiscriminately. Wouldn't have it any other way!

"Remember These Days" gets introspective, looking at himself and the bands career. Debuted in April, via internet livestream, "Splitter", with some slide guitar, courtesy of Ginger, calls out an old pal (bandmate?), chasing memories. At 5:34 "Institutional Submission" is practically gargantuan, in The Wildhearts' world. "Enemies that are not real, fear that no one needs to feel. Left or right, black or white, it's us or them, wrong or right" Caught in the deathgrip of government paranoia." Not only an anthem for our times, regardless of geography, but an infectious call-response chorus that should go down well, in concert.

Somewhat surprisingly, it's backed with "Sleepaway", almost exactly as long, but the paces quickens throughout the remainder of the record. Check out the horror film inspired video, for "Sleepaway", an exception to the pedal-to-the-metal approach, opting for more of a Fab 4, Sixties naivety instead. Spoken, devoid of musical accompaniment, "Fish don't know they're in water" begins "You Do You" decrying the fact "everybody is an 'expert' these days", during the pandemic.

By title alone, current single "Sort Your Fucking Shit Out" should be huge. The catch phrase is already adorning clothing. Directed at a David (?), it's delivered with a pop sensibility, not overtly hostile, making it all the more funny. "If you don't sort it out, you're a twat!" Back to the Earth Vs. The Wildhearts debut, they've used previous recorded bits (old records, telephone answering machine message, etc.) between tracks and "Directions" is prefaced by someone raving about his house being broken into, by a dog. Story behind that clip would be more interesting than said number.

Revved up guitar greets "A Physical Exorcism" which sees Ginger unloading. "Relationships end. Relationships start. Then relationships end again, and you can never be friends, so who the fuck would want to go through that again?" Disc closer "My Head Wants Me Dead" inhabits a similar mindspace, literally: the inner workings (or not) of dealing with/letting go of thoughts, memories, etc. Not the most uplifting way to finish things off, neither in terms of sentiment, nor music, but plenty to enjoy elsewhere.

EX-MEMBROS DO IN FLAMES SE JUNTARAM PARA FORMAR O HALO EFFECT

 

No início deste mês, THE HALO EFFECT , o novo projeto com cinco ex-membros da banda sueca de metal IN FLAMES – Jesper Strömblad (guitarra), Daniel Svensson (bateria), Peter Iwers (baixo), Niclas Engelin (guitarra) e Mikael Stanne ( vocal) – lançou seu single de estreia, “Shadowminds” . A faixa, cujo videoclipe oficial pode ser conferido abaixo, aparecerá no primeiro álbum do THE HALO EFFECT , que será lançado em 2022 pela Nuclear Blast.

TRIVIUM RELEASE "FEAST OF FIRE" PERFORMANCE VIDEO FROM THE HANGAR

Florida metal titans Trivium - Matt Heafy (vocals, guitar), Corey Beaulieu (guitar), Paolo Gregoletto (bass), and Alex Bent (drums) - have released a performance video for "Feast Of Fire", taken from the band's new album, In The Court Of The Dragon. Watch below:

Trivium's tenth album, In The Court Of The Dragon, is out now via Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in autumn 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Order In The Court Of The Dragon here.

The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres (@mathieunozieres on Instagram)

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YES’ JON DAVISON ON THE QUEST – “I HOPE TO INSPIRE THE LISTENER TO TAKE THEIR OWN MUSICAL JOURNEY”

 

Progressive rock icons Yes continue to soldier on, confronting their advancing years with fierce determination to write new music regularly and boldly. There’s been much tittering about the band slowing down, about Steve Howe and Alan White in particular showing their years, not to mention that we’ve lost original bassist Chris Squire, passed on for six years now. Indeed Alan’s condition has caused an ‘augmentation” for live work from drummer Jay Schellen, who also provides additional percussion on the band’s smooth but intriguing, intimate, almost new agey album, The Quest, fully the band’s 22nd album, and third since 2011. Almost in sympathy to Alan and Steve, there’s not much of the other venerable band member Geoff Downes on this album either.

Then again Steve really steps up across The Quest, leading authoritatively, producing, playing lots of fluid guitar lines and singing quite a bit, doing his own augmentation, joining new guy Jon Davison—this is his second Yes record, after 2014’s Heaven & Earth—on many of the songs. Rounding out the lineup is the ever-youthful Billy Sherwood, officially back in the band after two Yes studio albums in the ‘90s.

The Quest is also the band’s first record for prolific prog label InsideOut Music, with head honcho Thomas Waber remarking in a statement, “I am delighted to welcome Yes to the label and am looking forward to seeing the reaction of the band’s fans to the new album. Being a long-time fan myself, I am really excited by the new material. Steve Howe managed to capture many of the important elements that we all love about Yes.”

BraveWords caught up with lead singer, lyricist and occasional guitarist Jon Davison for a few remarks on the tenor and times of the new album.



“With this record,” figures Jon, “we’ve got a label more interested in the art, and a supportive detail-oriented producer who is also a band member (note: by this he means Steve—the last album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker!), caring about the music to the utmost, which has made a massive difference this time around.”

As for his lyrics, Jon says that, “to avoid redundancy, I try to follow a general rule of not attaching to any familiar points of lyrical topic, which of course can make things more difficult (laughs), but ultimately leading to a more rewarding conclusion, I hope. As far as fresh topics for The Quest, I touch on everything from personal loss to global issues, be it environmental or pandemic-related. Concerns about the effects of exponential technology growth is another new topic I found interesting to explore.”

With respect to lyric-writing modus operandi, is it a case of keeping a notebook, writing at the last minute, writing directly for the music? “All of the above,” chuckles Jon, “including banging my head against the wall. In other words, whatever works to get the job done.” As for any degree of book-ish inspiration, Jon cites, “professor and science fiction author Vernon Vinge, who played a vital role in influencing some of my lyrical direction, as did the spiritual teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. Honestly, for my lyrical direction on ‘A Living Island,’ for example, I can probably offer credit to a credible journalist or two who informed the rest of us of the severe state of world affairs during the pandemic.”

“I think an essential trademark of Yes music has always been that each member has a prominent voice or character within the music,” continues Jon, asked about self-producing this time out. “And no one knows this better than Steve, who I found as a producer to be completely equitable in this respect. See, we had a pretty clear idea of how we wanted to operate and function as a creative force. Often times, the artist’s vision can get diluted by having to compromise to higher powers (laughs). We didn’t have any of that while making this record. The folks at InsideOut have been completely supportive in allowing Steve and the rest of us to freely realize our creative potential.

And whose decision was this album title, The Quest?

“Steve came up with the title, and the rest of us unanimously acquiesced without question. There were no working titles used or other official titles considered that I can remember, because we all knew what Steve had come up with was right.”

Obvious off-topic, I wondered if Jon had any thoughts on why Yes was able to strike such a chord with the public back at 1983’s 90125. “Well, I suppose they had successfully managed to tap into the current sound of the time,” figures Davison, “while still preserving just enough of the familiar Yes trademarks that endeared the ‘70s fan base. Having a hit single with ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ certainly solidified their validity to a more immediate and pop-oriented music culture too, right?”

In closing, I asked Jon what the mission of the band was. I’ve asked everybody in Yes this over the years, because it really does seem like there’s a set of philosophies to this band, one that emerges into something resembling a unified persona… of purpose.

“To challenge ourselves to new musical heights by uniquely amalgamating the plethora of musical genre influence we collectively share—how’s that? I’ve often heard Steve say that Yes has always avoided, whenever possible, following rules and therefore making their own way instead. Most of Yes’ success has been built on that one principle, right? But as it stands, I’ve just always wanted to make another great Yes record! It requires every member to share a singular focus toward a common goal. Our particular lineup now is the longest standing in Yes history and it’s because we get along as individuals and fortunately possess a united focus.”

 

DIRTY HONEY REVEALS A LOOK INTO THE MAKING OF “THE WIRE”

Dirty Honey has shared a glimpse of what went down during the recording of their song, "The Wire", at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, California. Check it out below.

Directed and edited by the award-winning Scott Fleishman/APLUSFILMZ, Dirty Honey's brand new music video, "The Wire", was shot at various locations on the band's current US tour with The Black Crowes, and provides the viewer a laminated, All Access pass to life on the road with what one journalist called "a band at the top of the new breed of rock and rollers."

On the tour bus... arriving at the next gig... a little sightseeing on a day off... dinner and a cigar at La Scarola... soundcheck... signing copies of their debut album for that night's merchandise booth... an after-show celebratory night-cap at a local saloon... from the dressing room to the stage... this is Dirty Honey's, "The Wire":

he Dirty Honey album features eight new songs that capture the lightning-in-a-bottle dynamics and energy of the band's live sound. "California Dreamin'," with its massive riffs and smoking guitar solos, "Tied Up," a sultry and soulful rocker, "Gypsy," that showcases plenty of swagger and gritty guitar work, "The Wire," leaving no doubt that Marc LaBelle is one of contemporary rock's best vocalists, and "Another Last Time," a mid-tempo, organ-fueled album closer with its bittersweet lyrics and bursting with soul, are just a few of the nuggets on this album.

Korn explica afastamento indefinido de Fieldy: “Queremos que ele fique saudável”

James “Munky” Shaffer comentou a ausência do baixista na turnê da banda

James “Munky” Shaffer, guitarrista do Korn, explicou o afastamento de Fieldy por tempo indeterminado da banda, que se prepara para lançar o álbum Réquiem.

“Agora ele está se dando um tempo para descobrir o que lhe faz feliz, entender sua felicidade e o que quer fazer da vida. Acho que é a melhor maneira de dizer isso”, explicou Munky à Loudwire Nights (via Blabbermouth). “E para garantir que a saúde mental dele esteja no melhor estado, porque se você não estiver bem, você faz escolhas ruins”.

De acordo com o guitarrista, esse tempo longe da turnê da banda e outras obrigações promocionais tem o objetivo de ajudar Fieldy nessa jornada de autodescobrimento e cura: “Estamos dando tempo para ele descobrir o que quer fazer, sem pressão, porque [assim] ainda podemos trabalhar e sair em turnê. Mas sentimos falta dele. Amamos esse cara e queremos que ele fique saudável”.

O hiato das atividades como baixista foi anunciado pelo próprio Fieldy, cinco meses atrás, para reabilitação de “maus hábitos” com os quais teve recaídas nos últimos anos.