Bullet For My Valentine – Gravity


What a ride Bullet For My Valentine (BFMV) have been on thus far, having gone from being part of a newly anointed ‘New Big 4 of Thrash’, and heralded in the same breaths of Metal’s greatest bands upon the release of their debut album The Poison (Visible Noise) to the flip side of the real lows felt after the release of their fourth record Temper, Temper (RCA) which saw creative levels dip to point where many wrote the band off completely. They attempted a return with 2015’s Venom (RCA) and seemed to be slowly kicking in the Metal cogs into motion again and saw a kind of spluttering rebirth. Continue reading


Sons Of Apollo Book First Tour Dates Of 2018


 

Progressive metal supergroup Sons Of Apollo featuring ex-Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force) will start 2018 with the first dates of their debut wold-tour. They begin in Tampa, FL on February 3 as part of the Cruise To The Edge prog rock music cruise, which will be sailing to Belize and Costa Maya. Next, they will play Miami, FL on February 9 as part of the Monsters Of Rock Cruise Pre-Show party. Tickets for the upcoming tour dates go on sale this Friday, December 1 at 12pm local time. Psychotic Symphony is out now via InsideOut Music. Continue reading


Sons of Apollo – Psychotic Symphony


Psychotic Symphony is the long-awaited, highly anticipated release from what most people are calling the next new super group known as Sons of Apollo. I think the more fitting term is something more than human. For context Apollo (son of Zeus) was recognized as a god of music, truth, poetry, healing, the sun and the light so it would only be befitting to call these “Sons” the demigods of music; if that seems to be overboard for us mere mortals. Then there is this all-star cast of musicians just being super in what they do. Continue reading


Sons Of Apollo Release Video For Coming Home Track


Progressive metal supergroup Sons of Apollo have released a music video for the track ‘Coming Home’. You can see the video below.Continue reading


Prog Supergroup Sons Of Apollo Release Single – Signs Of The Time


Sons Of Apollo, a new progressive rock and metal supergroup featuring former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force) have announced their début album, Psychotic Symphony, due for release on October 20 via InsideOutMusic/Sony. You can hear the first track, ‘Signs Of The Time’ below.Continue reading


BABYMETAL To Support The Red Hot Chili Peppers On UK Tour


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International teen sensations BABYMETAL have been tapped as the opening act to the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their Upcoming winter tour of the UK, their first in five years. BABYMETAL’s hybrid of J-pop and heavy metal has been a hit with crowds the world over, especially following their sophomore album Metal Resistance (Sony/RAL) released this past April. The début landed atop Billboard’s “World Albums” chart and iTunes’ “Top Heavy Metal Albums” chart, while simultaneously entering at #2 on Billboard’s “Hard Rock Albums” chart, #17 on Billboard’s “Top Album Sales” chart and #39 on the overall Billboard 200. BABYMETAL recently became the first Japanese act to headline London’s Wembley Arena, where they achieved the highest-ever merch sales at the massive venue (capacity 12,500 people). The Chili’s are supporting their recent album The Getaway (Warner Brothers).

Red Hot Chili Peppers and BABYMETAL tour admat ghostcultmag

Tickets for the UK shows go on general sale 10am Friday 2 September from www.MYTICKET.CO.UK / www.SEETICKETS.COM

Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Getaway World Tour, with BABYMETAL

Dec 05: The O2 – London, UK

Dec 06: The O2 – London, UK

Dec 08: The SSE Hydro – Glasgow, UK

Dec 10: Genting Arena, Birmingham, UK

Dec 11: Genting Arena, Birmingham, UK

Dec 14: Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK

Dec 15: Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK


Amon Amarth- Jomsviking


It seems to be somewhat overlooked just how impressive Swedish death metallers Amon Amarth have grown in terms of status and position, especially for an extreme act. Somewhat under the radar for many for the early days of their career, out of nowhere 2008’s Twilight Of The Thunder God(Metal Blade) took the world by storm (pun intended) with some catchy, but still thunderous (ahem) death metal offerings. Further albums since have also seen high praise and more of the same sonically, culminating in a signing to a major label in Sony for European releases (still Metal Blade for North America). This is a death metal band we are talking about, this is huge news.

As a result of major label signing you could be forgiven for thinking the band may water down, but instead Jomsviking(Metal Blade/Sony) is in some ways, the band’s boldest album to date. Unsurprisingly Jomsviking goes down the Viking route again, but for the first time in the band’s career, this has a full conceptual narrative; that of a young man joining the elite Jomsviking after being separated from the love of his life, a befittingly tragic tale which invokes the ferocity of both its historical context, and of Amon Amarth’s music.

Musically the band have never been ones to deviate massively from their formula other than some examples of fine tuning or refining, and much is the same here. A mantra which did no harm for the likes of Motorhead and AC/DC and has certainly not done so for Amon Amarth. Thus, Jomsviking doesn’t throw any new surprises our way, other than some of the band’s finest and most instant songs to date. The white hot fury of ‘First Kill’ proves a suitably morbid and striking opener, whilst ‘Raise Your Horns’ is surely the most archetypal anthem the band has written thus far. Vocalist Johann Hegg may not have the most diverse of vocals but he pulls off individuality of differing characters with ease, whilst the addition of the legendary Doro Pesch on ‘A Dream That Cannot Be’ adds an extra dimension that could bolster the band further if explored further.

Amon Amarth are never going to make a Jazz fusion record or hugely surprise us; but what they do offer however is continuous refinement and subtle evolution, and Jomsviking is further evidence that Amon Amarth are still a huge and creative entity. The boldness of an in depth and intricate storyline intertwined with some of their strongest and catchiest songs to date, and you have perhaps the best album of their career.

8.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL

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Audio: Lower Than Atlantis -The Reason


lower than atlantis black editon

UK rockers Lower Than Atlantis are streaming their new single, ‘The Reason’, from their recent Lower Than Atlantis: Black Edition album. You can hear the track at this link or below:

 

Lower than Atlantis also recently made their cover of Vanessa Carlton’s hit song ‘A Thousand Miles’ available to stream. Listen to it here:

 

Lower Than Atlantis: Lower Than Atlantis Black Edition track listing

CD 1

1. Here We Go

2. Ain’t No Friend of Mine

3. English Kids In America

4. Criminal

5. Words Don’t Come So Easily

6. Emily

7. Stays The Same

8. Live Slow, Die Old

9. Damn Nation

10. Time

11. Just What You Need

12. Number One

CD 2

1. Get Over It

2. The Reason

3. I’m Partying

4. Superhero

5. Sewer Side

6. Real Love (Live Lounge Performance)

7. Am I Wrong (Live Lounge Performance)

8. Strong

9. Wish You Were Here

10. Everybody Wants To Rule The World

11. A Thousand Miles

12. Here We Go (Alt Version)

13. English Kids In America (Alt Version)

14. Words Don’t Come So Easily (Alt Version)

15. Ain’t No Friend (Alt Version)

 

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