After almost six years since releasing music and an indefinite hiatus, beloved trio Paramore have returned with their sixth studio album, This Is Why (Atlantic Records). Much like their last two albums, this is another one that is best experienced with no expectations…meaning it is no Riot! Part 2 or even After Laughter – the sequel, and hoping so will set you up for disappointment.
Saint Andrew’s Hall is one of the most treasured music venues in Detroit. It once was home to The St. Andrew’s Society which has been around since 1849. Like most of the buildings in Motor City’s downtown, there is a rich and interesting history that goes along with it. These repurposed places carry a rare kind of magic which feeds directly into the pleasant experience attendees have at Saint Andrew’s. It was the perfect spot for one of Modern Metal’s hottest bands to bring their headlining 2022 USA tour last weekend. Jinjer came to town, and they came ready to show off.
Halestorm has released the a new music video for “Wicked Ways”, the latest single from their album, Back From The Dead, out now via Atlantic Records. Read our review here! The band also held a watch party with fans alongside the video drop. Halestorm is currently on tour in the USA supporting the new album. Watch the clip now!
The chatter in the buildup to Shinedown’s seventh album Planet Zero (Atlantic Records) has focused on the lyrics and subject matter and a new ground for a band who have stood up for unity, mental health support, and anti-bullying. Freedom of speech has long been a vanguard of rock lyrics, and it is interesting that Shinedown’s challenge of cancel culture has been seen as evidence of an underlying conservatism, though lines about people being “woke, but not awake” and sections of the society being “Clueless and Dramatic” will invite comment, even if the stated intention is to encourage exploration of nuance and individuality. Indeed, the band stated on the album launch “It’s not a record for the right, it’s not a record for the left… it’s a record for all of us.”
While it’s damn near time to call a moratorium on the “bands affected by the pandemic” introduction to review pieces, it does seem particularly prevalent to do so in reference to Halestorm, for whom life on the road seems such an integral and core part of who and what they are. That isn’t to say that a fifth album wouldn’t have been coming around now, just that the circumstances and unplanned quiet time wouldn’t have dictated the methods of its creation.Continue reading
Eleven albums deep and showing no signs of slowing down, alternative metal tour de force Skillet enter their twenty-sixth year of existence with Dominion (WMG / Atlantic), a collection of big rocking tunes, expertly polished and produced, which continues in their now trademark vein. We get the arena stompers, the WWE PPV-ready (or premium live event as they seem to now be known as) montage accompaniers, the saccharine reflective synth and strings ballad, and the chirpy up-tempo deeper cuts.
A year ago there were no shows to attend, let alone tours or festivals. As we claw our way slowly out of the darkest time in recent history as music fans, and concert goers (and photogs and writers too) the specialness of even the average show is not going to be taken for granted right now. So the return of Chain Fest, which has sprouted a life of its own after a humble beginning as the flagship event for Anaheim, California’s Chain Reaction, is huge for fans and really, the entire SoCal scene. While Chain Reaction remains a vital venue for bands, Chain Fest has kind of become a monster, growing every year and expanding to the Fivepoint Amphitheatre. When it was announced for 2021 and sold out pretty fast you could tell the excitement was high. Chain fest not only features special bands from Punk, Indie, Emo, and post-Hardcore, but always features bands doing special sets you can’t see anywhere else. We are all kind of living in a 2021 Punk version of Almost Famous where “it’s all happening” all the time!
Stone Temple Pilots are celebrating 25 years of their third album Tiny Music… Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop (Atlantic Records) with a deluxe edition of the album, releasing on July 23rd via Rhino Records! The new release will feature a newly remastered version of the album with unreleased early takes, an alternate version, and a full concert from 1997. As a warm-up, you can hear a new version of “Big Bang Baby” on all DSPs today! Continue reading
Stone Temple Pilots will perform their iconic album, Purple (Atlantic Records) in its entirety for an epic livestream event, Friday, October 16 @ 5pm PST / 8pm EST at the link below. There is also a cool t-shirt and ticket bundle and other exclusive merch. Purple, which turned 25 years old in 2019, sold more than eight million copies and earned a Grammy Award. The album debuted #1 on the Billboard album chart on its way to selling more than six million copies. STP’s current album is the unplugged release Perdida (Atlantic).Continue reading
Halestorm, ft. frontwoman Lzzy Hale have a new EP out today, Reimagined, (Atlantic Records) which features b-sides and covers. Listen to them cover “I Will Always Love You”, the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton, right now!. The EP also features EVANESCENCE’s Amy Lee on a new version of the track “ Break In”. Continue reading