Mad About Rock

  Credit: Emily Jade Photography Dissonants are back with fresh faces and a new lease on life. The long-awaited return see’s the heavy rock quintet share their first taste of new music since their 2020 Nescient EP. ‘Harlequin’ is the natural progression for a band that will embark on a new era while continuing to push all boundaries. With their new single, Dissonants welcome new drummer Harvey Lord and guitarist Cuba Stanley while previous guitarist Benjie Allen is taking on a natural succession to become the bands front man. Check out the official music video for ‘HARLEQUIN’ right here: Acting as a departure to their previous sound, Harlequin quickly became a chance for the band to create a truly honest offering of music. While incorporating personal themes of self-doubt, the lyrics to ‘Harlequin refer towards wearing a mask that you’re terrified will slip allowing and the whole world will see what you think you really are. “It’s been a tough year or so for us with the instabili...

  [Photo by Paul Harries] UK alternative metal act NEONFLY have announced a string of Mexican live dates for May 2022, supporting symphonic metal masters EPICA, plus headline shows in Querétaro and Mexico City, and a live TV appearance on Sonidos Siniestros Metal TV. Please find the dates below. Formed in 2008 as the brainchild of guitarist & composer Frederick Thunder, NEONFLY have carved a dynamic and distinctive career, touring as main support for some of rock’s biggest names, including Alice Cooper, Dragonforce, Anvil, Gamma Ray & Magnum and storming festival main stages worldwide. The band's third full-length album, The Future, Tonight, released last summer via Noble Demon reflects NEONFLY's musical maturity and evolution: ten modern rock anthems, heavy yet catchy allied with hard-hitting riffs, big metal grooves and decidedly socially conscious lyrics. After Mexico, the band will return to Europe to perform at Rock Imperium festival in Spain alongside bands such a...

  With a mix of reflective lyrics, alternative rock riffs and punk rock sensibilities, Backdrop Falls returns with the release of new single "Closer to the edge". The era of social networks brought with it the imposition of the need to impress, to be interesting to other people. It is more important to appear than to be, in fact. Looking cool, looking cool, looking smart, successful, happy… while trying to look like all of these, we lose track of who we are. The track is a reflection on that atmosphere and its impact on our mental health. "Closer to the edge" is a song with a direct and strong message, with super striking riffs and an unusual energy. The quartet was formed in 2016 in the coastal city of Fortaleza, Brazil, after being conceived and created by vocalist/guitarist/composer Matheus Collyer. Starting out as a studio project, they became a full band shortly after the release of their first EP, as they began touring their hometown, taking their first steps ...

  Already having made a name for themselves across the globe with their downtempo, slam-infused deathcore, DISTANT are back and have just dropped a crushing new track entitled ‘Cursed’. The single which is accompanied by a haunting new music video is out now via Unique Leader Records. Check out the official music video for ‘Cursed’ right here: Speaking about the new single, the band tell us, “Cursed” is a new chapter in the story of DISTANT. Story starts where “Aeons Of Oblivion” left off and takes us on a pilgrimage to the new dimensions full of despair.” Fresh off their UK tour supporting Lorna Shore, Distant are about to embark on the legendary Chaos & Carnage Tour in the USA alongside Suicide Silence, Carnifex, Lorna Shore and many more. The band will make their way back to the UK/EU later this year where they will support Despised Icon and Decapitated. ‘CURSED’ IS OUT NOW VIA UNIQUE LEADER RECORDS. Stream here: orcd.co/distantcursed Hailing from The Netherlands and Slov...

  Photo Credit: Travis Shinn Progressive metalcore project ONI, have today revealed another colossal new track, 'Secrets', featuring guest vocals from punk icon Iggy Pop and Lamb of God frontman, Randy Blythe. The single, along with previously released songs, 'The Lie' and 'War Ender' featuring NYC trap metal squad, City Morgue, are taken from the band's forthcoming second album, 'Loathing Light', which is set to land on June 17th, via Ironshore Records. Pre-order/pre-save your copy here . Jake had initially invited Randy Blythe to bring his vocal skills to 'Secrets' and as the song came together, the idea of a second guest voice to add another dimension to the track was discussed. “Iggy’s vocals are so iconic and instantly recognizable, his style is what we were after. But we figured, let’s see if we can get the man himself to check it out?” They did, and the Stooges legendary leader and 'Godfather of Punk' loved the track. Jake cont...

  Multi-Platinum, Grammy nominated band Saliva announced they will be hitting the road this June with the band Otherwise! The tour begins on June 2nd in Columbia, SC at New Brookland Tavern and ends on June 26th in Johnson City, TN at Capones. In addition, the band released the official music video for their single "Revelation Man"! WATCH Saliva - "Revelation Man": https://youtu.be/2QBWJbVeWa4 "Revelation Man" can be streamed/downloaded at: https://orcd.co/revelationman Saliva is back with their first new music in 4 years. The first track, "Revelation Man," is very personal to singer Bobby Amaru who states, "Revelation man is about a guy who couldn’t accept the struggles of his own addictions. He had to hit rock bottom to see the light. When I say “had to die to find a revelation.” I don’t mean dying literally but there were moments in my life where I felt like I had. It particularly relates with me because of my sobriety of 3 1/2 years. I...

  Aussie rockers, You'll See One Day, have released their latest single "The Letter" as of 4/22/22. "The Letter" is a powerful ballad-esque track with meaningful lyrics intended to move the listener. "The Letter" surrounds the sensitive subject of suicide and You'll See One Day does the topic justice by taking their highly impactful lyricism and matching it with an equally driving rhythm section to invoke an emotional and mental response from their audience. "The Letter" comes in as the fourth single from the Australian trio. You'll See One Day has been in action for less than two years, the group is already paving their way through the rock and metal genre by pumping out content with passion, tied together with strong musical craftsmanship. Check out the video below: "It's a statement regarding the lack of awareness for male mental health and suicide. We have lost so many friends and family and had no idea what was going o...

English rock'n'roll band The Quireboys will make a triumphant and welcome return to the States to finish what they started back in 2020 - but this time they are joined by the legendary Chip Z'Nuff of Enuff Z'Nuff on bass! The lads were in the throws of a stunning country-wide tour when the pandemic hit - and have been itching to get back ever since. That time is now, and May 2022 sees the band - most famous for their hit album "A Bit Of What You Fancy" - embark on a fresh tour of the USA taking in New York, Denver, Las Vegas and many more cities across the country including a stop at the prestigious M3 Festival in Baltimore. The tour will reach a triumphant conclusion at the world-famous Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood - and for the tour The Quireboys are joined by the amazing Midnight Devils and Steve Ramone. In addition to tickets which will be available shortly, the band are available at most venues for meet and greets - follow the link below to reserve y...

Photo credit: Two Minutes To Late Night Boston legends CAVE IN makes a highly anticipated return with their Relapse Records debut, Heavy Pendulum, their first full studio record in over a decade. Today, CAVE IN share the new track, Blood Spiller! Watch CAVE IN fight for their lives and battle demonic possession AT THIS LOCATION Filmed and directed by Jordan Olds and Drew Kaufman of Two Minutes To Late Night. Guitarist/Vocalist Stephen Brodsky comments: “If you laid out the timeline for 2020 like a recipe, it might look something like this: global pandemic + lockdowns + worldwide protests over the wrongful death of George Floyd + election year = cocktail for end times. Somewhere in that concoction, we found ingredients for a new Cave In album. Blood Spiller is the sound of us swallowing it, getting ripped on the horrors within, and coming down to reflect on it through song.” Heavy Pendulum is out May 20 on DLX 2xLP/2xLP/CD/CS/Digital. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.co...

  Combining powerful, in-your-face songwriting with a penchant for the progressive, Danish metal quartet DEFECTO are back with their most outrageous single to date. After releasing their third full-length album ‘Duality’ in 2020, the quartet have now taken a step back towards their progressive metal roots as they continue to showcase a fierce run of new singles. Check out the official music video for ‘Worlds Collide’ featuring Kim Song Sternkopf of MØL right here: "WORLDS COLLIDE is wild. You never know where things are going to go. It has so many crazy firsts for us as a band – blast beats, death screams (featuring vocals by Kim Song Sternkopf from MØL), saxophone solos, haunting atmospheres and much more. It serves as a great example of how songwriting can take a lot of different forms while staying coherent. The lyrical concept deals with the loss of a family member experienced within the band, As such, the sprawling and diverse instrumental side of the song can be seen as a ...

  North Yorkshire Fuzz Rock quartet Scruffy Bear boasts a strong, diverse, and exciting sound, which their new EP ‘Face The Rain’ asserts. The opening bluesy rock ‘Stories Of Strange Women’ is uplifting and empowering. Vocalist Georgy Eaton delivers commanding and powerful, loud vocals about listening to your spirit and not driving yourself mad. A great gripping, groovy and melodic track to reel you in. ‘Magic At Our Fingertips’ is more mellow and laid back but hits hard with heavy riffs and a thunderous chorus. Georgy’s vocal style and delivery are varied, and the whole track keeps you on your toes. This song about climate change also features a very slick and soulful instrumental section and an impressive fuzzy solo. The striking ‘Blackmoss’ is an immediate high impact track with great bass, swagger and style brimming throughout, and Georgy gives it all as expected on vocals. This is a tremendous free-spirited, energetic rock track. The final song, ‘Solace’ has a 70s blues-rock v...

  Employed To Serve have announced a last-minute run of UK headline shows, set to kick-off in Huddersfield on May 17th 2022. South London metallers, BURNER, will be opening proceedings across the 9-date tour, whilst shoegaze two-piece, Zetra, will appear as special guests across both Milton Keynes and St Albans. "Surprise! Come hang out this May, we can't wait to see you \m/ tickets on sale now" – ETS Employed To Serve UK headline tour dates: 17 May Huddersfield @ The Parish 18 May 2022 Sheffield @ Sidney & Matilda 19 May 2022 Norwich @ The Waterfront 20 May Stoke on Trent @ The Sugarmill 21 May Hull @ Tower 23 May Milton Keynes @ The Craufurd Arms ** 24 May St Albans @ The Horn ** 26 May Southampton @ The Joiners 27 May Exeter @ Cavern ** w/ support from Zetra Employed To Serve summer festival appearances: 15th - 16th June - Rock For People 17th June Graspop Metal Meeting 29th June - 2nd July - Roskilde Festival 29th June - 3rd July - Resurrection Festival Employ...

  Four Chord Music Festival returns for its eighth installment of the independently produced festival bigger and better than ever before. For the first time since its inception, the Four Chord Music Festival will be expanding to a two-day festival on September 9th and 10th and will feature a multitude of bands, including headliners All Time Low, Bad Religion, Descendents, and Jimmy Eat World, plus additional performances from Pennywise, The Story So Far, Silverstein, Lagwagon, The Starting Line, The Maine and many more. The festival will take place at Wild Things Park, in Washington, PA, just a short 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, and is presented by Four Chord Music & Drusky Entertainment. What began in 2014 as a local punk rock festival in a 1500 capacity club, has quickly grown into a massive stadium-sized 2-day destination event, featuring some of the scene's biggest and brightest, while keeping its independent DIY roots intact. Festival founder Rishi Bahl says, "Th...

  Saturate, a hard-working band out of Houston, TX, is made up of musicians who long ago decided to make art their true pursuit in life. The group was formed in 2005. They have done many national tours and have yielded new fans that stick with the band album after album. The band prides itself on its passionate performances, musical versatility, and the ability to craft hooks that get fans singing along word for word. We really mean it... "Thank You" .  After 15 years, 4 albums, and coming hot on the heels of their recent music video “Light the Match” , Hard rock band Saturate (Houston, TX) is out with a brand new offering for the fans. The band’s latest track “Thank You” is a hard-hitting, unabashed letter of gratitude to those who have offered a hand to the band through the years. The track, the second release from the forthcoming Feed the Fire EP puts heavy riffs, slapping bass, huge choruses, and a myriad of unique vocal styles into 3 and a half minutes that you’ll not ...

  Polish death metal legends VADER - who are ready to kick off this Friday their "De Profundis XXV Album Reedition Tour 2022 Part 2 - have announced their new tour in Australia and New Zealand for October 2022. The support comes from Polish Industrial/Groove Metallers THY DISEASE. Massive Music stated: "Vader is coming back to Australia and New Zealand!!! After 5 year long break Vader will visit Australia and New Zealand! We were planning this for a long time and in 2017 we had a tour booked for these territories, but back then we had to change our plans for reasons beyond our control. Now the time has come to announce that CREATIVE MUSIC together with SLAMMAN BOOKING ASIA, HARDLINE MEDIA and VALHALLA TOURING are bringing the pride of Poland to Australia and New Zealand! We just keep our fingers crossed that nothing will stand in our way in these weird times. During their shows in Australia and New Zealand, VADER will be accompanied by Polish band Thy Disease who had the oppo...

  Groove metal quartet MATRICIDE from Israel have just unleashed their new single and video for 'Walk Into The Flames'. It marks their first track written as a four-piece band, and it portrays the direction they are heading in. Check out the video for the powerful and searing single below: For more information on MATRICIDE visit: https://www.facebook.com/MTRCD https://mtrcd.bandcamp.com/

  One of the most recognizable songs by Brazil’s Sepultura is 1996’s Roots Bloody Roots. A cultural statement on the social trife between the different groups present in the country spoke to classically-trained native Bruna Wanderley who picked up her cello to create a new rendition of the classic song. She speaks to the meaning behind the track: “Twenty-six years ago, Roots Bloody Roots pleaded for the preservation of Brazilian cultural diversity. Today, Kapitur’s distinctive revisit of the song revolves around the historical alienation of common people regarded as different, the bloody roots of us outsiders. It grips on the struggle of finding oneself estranged from one’s original and adoptive cultures, to the ongoing murder and colonization suffered by many in a land that was theirs for centuries; from immigrant, racial, religious intolerance to the global, modern alien anxiety suffered by African descendants and their relationship to an inaccessible homeland. Roots Bloody Roots...

  NY pop punk vets With The Punches have signed with Chicago-based Mutant League Records and will release a new EP "Discontent" on May 27, 2022. The band has also dropped the first single "Stoneham Blues" offering fans a taste of what's to come. Stream "Stoneham Blues": https://orcd.co/aro532y Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT_OEylk9Ic "Discontent" pre-save link: https://orcd.co/discontent Pre-order the vinyl: https://withthepunches.presspressmerch.com/shop/ Of the new track, vocalist Jesse Vadala says, "In the time when we were touring independently and writing our own way around the country, I often felt invincible even if just for a while. Inevitably, the rubber band would snap and bad news would arrive. I would be reminded swiftly of the severity of time and certainty of death. Always mildly obsessed with thoughts of my own. This song is loosely written about a few close friends who passed away. I struggled l...

The Veer Union are sharing their heavy yet melodic new album ‘ Manifestations ’ as they crank up the tour bus and head out on the Rock Shop Records Spring Tour with label mates 2 Shadows, Heartsick, Late Night Savior and Maddzilla. They are also sharing the video for lead track ‘ From The Fire In You’ which has been added to key Rock & Metal playlists at Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora. The Veer Union's Crispin Earl says: "In 2012 I lost my record deal and soon after lost myself mentally and emotionally, I thought this was the end of my music career. After a few dark days of self-exploration, I found a small spark inside myself that lit the fire to bring me to the life I have always wanted. The moral of the story is, there is so much truth behind the quote "It is always darkest right before the dawn" so dig deep down and change your life From The Fire In You. 'Manifestations' Track Listing & Listening Link: https://bit.ly/3tOst16 1). ...

  From the depths of North Yorkshire comes the earth-shattering sound of Scruffy Bear. Spreading a message of creativity and self expression, they are loud and raw yet embrace a depth of eclectic influences. The Fuzz Rock quartet continue to storm towards their upcoming EP with the release of their staggering new single ‘Blackmoss’. With a serious and stylish attitude ‘Blackmoss’ is further confirmation of the bands ability to surpass all expectations while showcasing honest musicianship with inspirational vocal work that has the ability to command any listener. Watch the official video for ‘Blackmoss’ below: "The world is a proper heavy place. I hate that everything is spun so negatively and we are trained to look for the worst in people and situations. Blackmoss is trying to work through the mud of confusion that everything is in and not getting too bogged down with it, but also learning to be open to other people’s experiences” - Lead singer Georgy Eaton 'Blackmoss’ follo...

  Owls & Aliens Release Their Single "These Vices" with MVK Music Group. "These Vices" - WATCH HERE is their last single release from their forthcoming album due out this summer! Owls & Aliens bring the hot sauce to rock ‘n roll, taking inspiration from the genre’s most quintessential styles. When the music of Owls & Aliens hits listeners' earholes, layers of classic rock, heavy metal, punk rock, alternative rock, metalcore, and everything in between come crashing together, creating a beautiful amalgamation of sounds. The brotherhood formed between the five members is caused by each of their unfettered need to play, write and listen to music - despite coming from quite different musical backgrounds. Check out the official visualizer below: "These Vices" is a song that has always felt emotionally massive and sonically dynamic to me, with lyrics written on a much more personal level than I had ever done before, as well as being an opportun...