ALBUM REVIEW: Fozzy – Boombox


Whether it is due to the day-job of Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho, or their weird roots and route, stumbling into being a “proper band” by evolving from a high-profile covers act formed by former Stuck Mojo six-stringer Rich Ward, rightly or wrongly (and the answer is wrongly, by the way), it took 2017’s breakout anthem ‘Judas’ (from the album of the same name), a bona-fide fists-in-the-air voices-to-the-sky classic anthem, to put a stamp of credibility on the twenty-year labour of musical love of Ward and Jericho and push them headfirst through the glass ceiling and into the next level of mainstream consciousness.

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Five Finger Death Punch Release Video For Their Cover Of “Gone Away” By The Offspring


On the heels of their successful European tour with In Flames, Five Finger Death Punch have given us an early Christmas present. They have dropped their new music video for their current single, a cover of The Offspring’s ‘Gone Away’. Continue reading


REVIEWS ROUND-UP: Week 47/48 Five Finger Death Punch, Silent Descent, InAir, Felix Hagan and more…


 

The Ghost Cult album roundup is back in town, for your vulgar delectation, though we’re taking a different approach this week and grouping together some of the less-“heavy” releases that are polluting our ears; it’s a walk on the lighter side of the Ghost Cult coin…
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More Dates Added To Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, Sixx:A.M., As Lions Tour


Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, Sixx A.M., As Lions Tour ghostcultmag

 

Due to overwhelming fan demand more dates have been added to the previously booked co-headline tour from Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown. Special guests on all dates are Sixx:A.M. and As Lions. Special pre-sales dates are as follows: VIP Pre-Sale Begins August 22 At 10 am Local Time; Spotify Pre-Sale Starts August 24 At 10am Local Time; Local Venue And Radio pre-Sales Start August 25 At 10 am Local Time. You can watch the tour trailer at this link or below:

The four bands have partnered to donate $1 from each ticket sold on the tour to four hand-picked charitable organizations close to their hearts: Five Finger Death Punch chose the Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation, Shinedown selected MusiCares, Sixx:A.M. will support Jada Pinkett Smith’s Anti-Human Trafficking organization Don’t Sell Bodies, and As Lions will donate to Make A Wish America. In addition to the $1 donation per ticket, the bands have teamed up with Crowdrise to give fans the option to enter for the chance to win VIP tickets plus a Meet & Greet by choosing to donate an additional $5 at the time of ticket purchase. Also, fans who don’t live in one of the cities on the tour, but would still like to support the efforts, can visit Crowdrise to donate $5 and be entered for a chance to win a flyaway to the show of their choice plus a Meet & Greet with all four bands.

Five finger Death Punch Shinedown Sixx AM fall 2016 US tour band photo ghostcultmag

Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown co-headline tour with Sixx:A.M. and As Lions

Oct 18: Verizon Arena- Little Rock, AR

Oct 19: Verizon Theater- Grand Prairie, TX

Oct 21: Chesapeake Energy Arena- Oklahoma City, OK

Oct 22: Intrust Bank Arena Wichita, KS

Oct 23: Pepsi Center- Denver, CO

Oct 25: Maverik Center- West Valley City, UT

Oct 27: Talking Stick Resort Arena- Phoenix, AZ

Oct 28: T-Mobile Arena- Las Vegas, NV

Oct 29: Honda Center – Anaheim, CA

Oct 31: SAP Center- San Jose, CA

Nov 02: Moda Center- Portland, OR

Nov 03: Spokane Arena – Spokane, WA

Nov 05: Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA

Nov 07: Taco Bell Arena- Boise, ID

Nov 09: MetraPark Fairgrounds- Billings, MT

Nov 11: Bismarck Civic Center – Bismarck, ND

Nov 12: Denny Sanford Premier Center – Sioux Falls, SD

Nov 13: La Crosse Center – La Crosse, WI

Nov 15: Alliant Energy Center – Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Madison, WI

Nov 17: U.S. Bank Arena- Cincinnati, OH

Nov 18: KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY

Nov 19: Peoria Civic Center – Peoria, IL

Nov 21: Huntington Center – Toledo, OH

Nov 22: Blue Cross Arena- Rochester, NY

Nov 25: DCU Center – Worcester, MA

Nov 26: Prudential Center – Newark, NJ

Nov 27: Cross Insurance Arena – Portland, ME

Nov 29: OnCenter – Syracuse, NY

Dec 01: Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA

Dec 02: Giant Center – Hershey, PA

Dec 03: Big Sandy Superstore Arena – Huntington, WV

Dec 05: Bon Secours Wellness Arena- Greenville, SC

Dec 06: N. Charleston Civic Center- Charleston, SC

Dec 08: Amway Arena – Orlando, FL

Dec 09: Amalie Arena – Tampa, FL

Dec 10: Infinite Energy Center- Duluth, GA

 

Five Finger Death Punch online

Five Finger Death Punch on Facebook

Five Finger Death Punch on Twitter

Five Finger Death Punch on Instagram

 

Shinedown online

Shinedown on Faebook

Shinedown on Twitter

 

SIXX:A.M online

SIXX:A.M. on Facebook

SIXX:A.M. on Instagram

SIXX:A.M.Twitter

 

As Lions online

As Lions on Facebook

As Lions on Twitter

 

 

 


Slipknot, Disturbed, Korn, FFDP, Chevelle, Meshuggah, And More Join Chicago Open Air


chicagoopenairdisturbedposter

Chicago Open Air, buoyed by naming Rammstein as their inaugural headline act, has now added a plethora of bands including Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Chicagoans like Disturbed, Chevelle, and Ministry, plus Meshuggah, Of Mice and Men,In This Moment, Hollywood Undead, Trivium, Carcass, Hatebreed, Periphery, Drowning Pool, Butcher Babies, Through Fire, Breaking Benjamin, Pop Evil, Gojira, Deafheaven, The Devil Wears Prada, Helmet, Nothing More, Saint Asonia, Miss May I, Beartooth, Silver Snakes, City Of The Weak, Marilyn Manson, Bullet For My Valentine, Killswitch Engage, Babymetal, Asking Alexandria, Corrosion Of Conformity, Letlive. All That Remains, We Came As Romans, Jim Breuer & The Regulators, Upon A Burning Body, Gemini Syndrome and more. With this incredible lineup of talent as well as craft beer and “Gourmet Man Food”, Chicago Open Air from the very outset is vying to become the premiere American music festival.

Disturbed released a statement about playing the festival in their hometown:

“It is long overdue that one of the greatest rock cities in the world has a festival of its own. We are honored and excited to be one of the headliners at the inaugural Chicago Open Air festival in our hometown of Chicago.”

Daily band lineups (subject to change)

Friday, July 15:

Rammstein
Chevelle
Ministry
Of Mice & Men
Meshuggah
In This Moment
Hollywood Undead
Trivium
Carcass
Hatebreed
Periphery
Drowning Pool
Butcher Babies
Through Fire

Saturday, July 16:

Disturbed
Korn
Breaking Benjamin
Pop Evil
Gojira
Deafheaven
The Devil Wears Prada
Helmet
Nothing More
Saint Asonia
Miss May I
Beartooth
Silver Snakes
City Of The Weak

Sunday, July 17:

Slipknot
Five Finger Death Punch
Marilyn Manson
Bullet For My Valentine
Killswitch Engage
Babymetal
Asking Alexandria
Corrosion Of Conformity
Letlive.
All That Remains
We Came As Romans
Jim Breuer & The Regulators
Upon A Burning Body
Gemini Syndrome

General Admission and VIP tickets are on sale now at ChicagoOpenAir.com.

Weekend GA Field: $219.50
Weekend GA Bowl: $119.50
Weekend VIP: $399.50
Weekend VIP 2-Packs: $860.00
Single Day GA Bowl: $49.50

All VIP tickets include: VIP entrance lanes into the event, access to a VIP lounge area featuring dedicated food and beverage offerings (for additional purchase), field and stadium level viewing areas of the main stage, dedicated restroom facilities, and a commemorative Chicago Open Air VIP-only laminate.

Festival doors open at 11:00 a.m. each day and the show ends at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Chicago Open Air online

Chicago Open Air on Facebook

Chicago Open Air on Twitter

Chicago Open Air on Instagram


Five Finger Death Punch – Got Your Six


PromoImage

“Chaaarge!” growls prowling timebomb Ivan Moody to open up the newest Five Finger Death Punch album, Got Your Six (Prospect Park), as a massive, neck-loosening snap of a metal groove launches the title-track of their sixth opus. It’s a start that sets the tone as Nevada’s biggest metal act go on to flex their muscles once again all through, delivering to your ears another batch of arena-filling monsters.

Six albums in and you know by now exactly what you’re getting with 5FDP, and the latest installment lives up to expectations with eleven tracks of chugging, conviction, cussing, posturing, ball-breaking and a slew of grooving mainstream metal anthems. All the above are present and correct, Sir!

The majority of 5FDP’s output sits comfortably in the mid-tempo crunch n’ grind, and it’s in that comfort zone that Got Your Six exists, as ‘Jeckyll and Hyde’ lurches its steam-roller intent. Yet, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Moody has the perfect big metal voice, spitting and gruff with conviction then switching to strong, powerful melodies when the song needs them, while Jason Hook provides the type of melodic, memorable solos that are oft overlooked at regular intervals, adding colour with a classical guitar interlude to ‘Question Everything’, another track that slaps your chops and leaves them sporting a shit-eating grin. Likewise there will be no complaints when the heads are snapping to the thrashing, lively ‘No Sudden Movement’ or arms are in the air while singing out to ‘My Nemesis’.

While this time around the bands emphasis is slightly on the more fist-pump, growl-along side of their arsenal, there are some great choruses, not least ‘Ain’t My Last Dance’, that switches from juddering metal riffery to a trademark 5FDP descant with a refrain created for thousands to find themselves waking with an earworm, and in ‘Wash It All Away’ they have an absolutely colossal tune.

Got Your Six is side-to-side, front-to-back representin’ the good ship Death Punch in style with nary a whiff of filler. There may be no surprises, but there are no disappointments either from a band who knows exactly what they’re good at and how to deliver it in spades.

 

7.5/10

STEVE TOVEY


Dreams of the Carrion Kind (Part III) – The Watcher from FEN


To celebrate the release of their stunning 9/10 album Carrion Skies (Code666 – review here) The Watcher, guitarist and vocalist of England’s atmospheric post-Black Metal band Fen spoke to Ghost Cult on a range of subjects. In the third of four parts, with a further feature to follow in the next Ghost Cult digimag, talk turned to the role of the audience in the development of a band…

 

Fen 2014 - 14

 

When it comes to writing music, and developments and changes in Fen’s sound, do you care what your fans think, or is writing music for Fen purely for the band members?

First and foremost you have to write music that satisfies yourself; that is an absolute underlying fundament of being in a band, but I do care, yes. I think a band takes on a life of its own after a point. We’re on our fourth album, we seem to have quite a few people out there who support us, and I think it’d be disingenuous to say that your audience, or the buyer, isn’t in mind when you’re putting together material. If people are willing to take the time and effort, and potentially money, to invest in your art, then there has to be an element of reciprocation there. We are conscious of the fact we have listeners; it’s not like we’re a global phenomenon but we are aware, and if we put out a record and our established fans didn’t like it, I’d be really interested to know why.

By not being a band that is overtly a touring artist, does that audience becomes more distant, and contact with the people that buy your product is reduced? It’s not like you are a 5fDP with 18 month tours…

“It isn’t, but that’s not to say we wouldn’t like it to be [on tour that long – not that they want to be Five Finger Death Punch – ST]. I enjoy doing this, I enjoy doing shows, we enjoy getting opportunities, and if you’re in a band and you have an audience, you look to grow that audience, and it’s important. I think there are bands that are disingenuous, and they say ‘We just write for ourselves, and it’s a bonus if people choose to listen to us’, but if you’re just doing it for yourself, then just play your music loudly in the rehearsal room.”

To Misquote Al Jourgensen, as soon as you play music to other people you’re selling out…

“I think it’s a dishonest thing to say ‘We just in it for ourselves’. When you pick up a guitar when you’re 13 or 14 years old, you just want to rock the fuck out. You want to be the man! No matter how many permutations your musical endeavours go down, or whatever prisms you view yourself through, as an artist the minute you’re going onto a stage and plugging into an amp that’s cranked up, there’s an element of that original instinct that kicks in, of wanting to just rock out in front of a crowd. I’m not going to lie about that just to make myself look a little bit cooler or more detached, or more intellectual.

“OK, we have signifiers and caveats to it – we’re playing “Atmospheric post-Black Metal…” Well, ultimately, we’re playing loud rock music. That’s an underlying fact. And a part of that is an audience. It’s an important part of being in a band. No one in a band can look me in the eye and tell me they enjoy playing in front of fuck all people. That’s not true. You can lie to yourself with your ‘There were only 2 people there, but those 2 people really loved it’.

“So… ?”

Fen 2014 - 2.2

 

“I remember in my old band, in Skaldic Curse, we started working on a 25 minute long progressive black metal epic, and we were ‘Oh, this is really going to piss people off’… Hang on a minute, where’s this thinking leading? Are we getting so wrapped up in trying to do what people don’t expect of us? But then you are still thinking about what the audience think, you’re just looking at it through a different end of the telescope. It’s an un-ignorable part of the artistic process, unless you are going to record music on your own at home and only listen to it alone. The minute anyone else enters the picture, even band mates, you’re sharing, and there’s consideration for the listener, and I don’t have a problem with that. I don’t see why that has to somehow compromise the purity of the art.”

I guess it’s always been something that’s intrinsic within the Black Metal / Kvlt Metal mentality or mindset…

“Yes, there’s always the isolationist thing, but if you look at the second wave of black metal, Euronymous still wanted to shift records. He ran a record label. He wanted to sell records from a shop. It was under the guise of spreading the message of the horned lord, or whatever, but he wanted an audience.”

And let’s not pretend De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (Deathlike Silence) is shit…

“It’s a brilliant record, and Euronymous wanted an audience for it. He’d do tours; Mayhem were touring around Eastern Europe in 1990, 1991, and they were one of the first second wave Black Metal bands out there doing it. And there are some real headbanging moments on De Mysteriis… take the riff on ‘Pagan Fears’, that’s a proper fists in the air riff. The mid-section of ‘Freezing Moon’… that’s a head-banging classic, and that’s why I don’t think considering your audience has to be a compromise at all. I think there’s some dishonesty in that level of thinking because you can be inspired, you can write with integrity and you can still consider your audience.

“If you’ve got to a point where your band has a fanbase, then your band has overtaken you. It’s no longer yours and yours alone. And I know John from Agalloch gets really upset with this, he gets upset with fans having a sense of entitlement, and that’s fair enough, but these people are buying and consuming your music, and it’s a sense that’s born from them enjoying your music. While that can be annoying, in a sense, you can listen to them and take some stuff on board. There is a line, but if they’re genuine fans, buying physical releases and merchandise, and they’re investing in your band and your music, then you owe it to them to take them into consideration.”

 

Fen on Facebook

Order Carrion Skies here

 

Words by STEVE TOVEY