Warner Music Group Intends to Buy French Digital Music Company Believe SA, Owner of Nuclear Blast Records and Tunecore


One of the largest record labels in the world, Warner Music Group (WMG) has announced it intends to purchase Believe SA, a French digital music company. Among the many companies Believe owns includes a controlling stake in Nuclear Blast Records (acquired in 2018) and its offshoot Blood Blast Distribution, as well as Tunecore a Brooklyn, New York–based digital music distribution, publishing and licensing service founded in 2006. Tunecore distributes music through online retailers such as iTunes, Deezer, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal, Beatport. According to the press release you can read below, Warner “would provide Believe with strategic support and financial stability to help the development and growth of the Company, including by accelerating its expansion into new geographies.” Nuclear Blast founded in 1987 in Germany, is home to some of the greatest bands in Metal such as, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, C.O.C., Nightwish, Sepultura, Sabaton, In Flames, Lamb of God (Europe), and countless others. In addition to their legendary main brand known for Rock, Pop, Country, and Dance music, WMG owns a ton of sub labels boasting some of the biggest names in Hard Rock, Metal and Punk like 10K Projects, 300 Entertainment (Highly Suspect, Waterparks), Asylum, Atlantic (Shinedown, Halestorm) Big Beat, Elektra Entertainment (formerly: Metallica, Slipknot & Paramore – current: twenty one pilots, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson) Erato, First Night, Fueled By Ramen (Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, A Day To Remember), Nonesuch, Parlophone (Iron Maiden), Reprise (Lamb of God in the USA, Deftones, Disturbed, Crosses), Rhino (boxed sets, vinyl and CD reissues, and countless legacy releases), Roadrunner (Gojira, Turnstile, Motionless In White, Trivium, newly signed Deafheaven, Coheed and Cambria, Stone Sour), Sire, Spinnin’, Warner Records, Warner Classics, and Warner Music Nashville. WMG’s music publishing arm, Warner Chappell Music, as well as artist management and services divisions. If the sale goes through, it remains to be seen what shape the deal would have and what impact is might have for Nuclear Blast and Tunecore. Stay tuned for more news on this story.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Slope – Freak Dreams


You would not expect a band from Germany to have become as stricken by a plague that makes their booty move as Slope has on their new album “Freak Dreams” (Century Media Records). The slapped bass and in-your-face energy might make more sense if it were being delivered by skater punks from Southern California in the summer of 1989. Slope wastes no time laying out their own uplifting mofo party plan. This unique approach sounds like it could catch on much, in the same manner, Turnstile proved audiences are ready for more grooves and tired of the same old same old. “It’s Tickin” proves that the band is not just living off of the nostalgia for 90s funk rock, though it does have doses of that as well. Continue reading


Hardcore Band Militarie Gun Has Their Song “Do It Faster” Featured in The Latest Taco Bell Campaign “Do It Faster”


Hardcore Metal band Militarie Gun have seen their song “Do It Faster” featured in the latest advertising campaign from Taco Bell. The ads have been running for a week so far but gained much traction this weekend during the Christmas NFL games. The band is the latest hardcore-adjacent or Punk band used by the fast food giant, Taco Bell, including Turnstile, Scowl, and Pop Punk icons Green Day. All of these bands faced a backlash from the scene after these ads aired, but also helped raise the profile of these bands. Militarie Gun released their new album Life Under The Gun via Loma Vista Recordings in June 2023 and dropped a recent new single as well. Continue reading


Louder Than Life Festival Announces Set Times – ft. Foo Fighters, Green Day, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack, Pantera, Queens Of The Stone Age, Weezer, and More!


Louder Than Life—known as America’s Biggest Rock Festival—returns to Louisville, Kentucky in just three weeks. And now fans can get ready for the nonstop four-day weekend with the announcement of music performance times and additional onsite entertainment. Taking place September 21, 22, 23 & 24, 2023 at the fest’s home at Highland Festival Grounds At Kentucky Exposition Center, this year’s event—produced by Danny Wimmer Presents—promises to be one of the top music events of the year. Check out the set times now!

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Riot Fest 2023 Announces its Daily Lineups with Foo Fighters, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, The Cure, Queens of the Stone Age and more


 

Riot Fest 2023 has previously announced their stellar lineup with Foo Fighters, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, The Cure, Queens of the Stone Age, Turnstile, with The Mars Volta, Mr. Bungle, Tegan and Sara, 100 Gecs, The Gaslight Anthem, AFI, Death Grips, The Used, The Dresden Dolls, Say Anything, 070 Shake, The Breeders, Kim Gordon, Viagra Boys, Pup, Sleep Token, The Interrupters, Flogging Molly, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Pennywise, Bayside, Ani DiFranco, Finch, Silverstein, Insane Clown Posse, Head Automatica, Parliament Funkadelic Ft. George Clinton, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, L.S. Dunes, Gorilla Biscuits, Ride, Cults, Nothing Nowhere., Code Orange, White Reaper, Balance and Composure, Fake Names, Eshu Tune, Quicksand, Enter Shikari, The Wrecks, Thursday, Hawthorne Heights, Bowling For Soup, Braid, H20, Spitafield, Jehnny Beth, Drain, Snapcase, The Bronx, Microwave, Oso Oso, Origami Angel, The Exploited, Plosivs, Steve Ignorant Band / Crass, Black Angels, Yard Act, Warpaint, Nothing, Screaming Females, High Vis, Rival Schools, Caroline Rose, Sludgeworth, Free Throw, Just Mustard, Hotline TNT, Quasi, Corey Feldman, Just Friends, Bearings, Pinkshift, Olivia Jean, Calva Louise, The Aquadolls, Enola Gay, Earth Crisis, Empire State Bastard, Cassyette, FEA, Fleshwater, The Bobby Lees, Pool Kids, Young Culture, Fade ‘Em All, CK Vassi, and Total Chaos. Tickets are on sale now and the fest just announced their daily schedule!

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FESTIVAL REVIEW: Sick New World Festival Live at Las Vegas Fairgrounds


Some people told me I was crazy when I decided I was going to go to the Sick New World Fest, a debut Metal and Rock Festival in Las Vegas. In the month of May. I hate to sound like a boomer and complain about the heat in Las Vegas, which is an actual desert, but the bottom line is I knew in advance it was going to be hot as hell, and it certainly lived up to that prediction. That being said, I was really excited to come to the festival enjoy a day with my metal community, meet new friends, and see some incredible bands; some I had never seen ever, and some I had not seen in a long time.

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Riot Fest 2023 Books Foo Fighters, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, The Cure, Queens of the Stone Age


 

Riot Fest 2023 has announced their lineup and it’s a banger, easily the heaviest and most throwback lineup to 1990s and 2000s bands in recent memory. Headliners include, Foo Fighters, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, The Cure, Queens of the Stone Age, Turnstile, with The Mars Volta, Mr. Bungle, Tegan and Sara, 100 Gecs, The Gaslight Anthem, AFI, Death Grips, The Used, The Dresden Dolls, Say Anything, 070 Shake, The Breeders, Kim Gordon, Viagra Boys, Pup, Sleep Token, The Interrupters, Flogging Molly, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Pennywise, Bayside, Ani DiFranco, Finch, Silverstein, Insane Clown Posse, Head Automatica, Parliament Funkadelic Ft. George Clinton, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, L.S. Dunes, Gorilla Biscuits, Ride, Cults, Nothing Nowhere., Code Orange, White Reaper, Balance and Composure, Fake Names, Eshu Tune, Quicksand, Enter Shikari, The Wrecks, Thursday, Hawthorne Heights, Bowling For Soup, Braid, H20, Spitafield, Jehnny Beth, Drain, Snapcase, The Bronx, Microwave, Oso Oso, Origami Angel, The Exploited, Plosivs, Steve Ignorant Band / Crass, Black Angels, Yard Act, Warpaint, Nothing, Screaming Females, High Vis, Rival Schools, Caroline Rose, Sludgeworth, Free Throw, Just Mustard, Hotline TNT, Quasi, Corey Feldman, Just Friends, Bearings, Pinkshift, Olivia Jean, Calva Louise, The Aquadolls, Enola Gay, Earth Crisis, Empire State Bastard, Cassyette, FEA, Fleshwater, The Bobby Lees, Pool Kids, Young Culture, Fade ‘Em All, CK Vassi, and Total Chaos. Tickets are on sale now!

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FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Sick New World Fest in 2023 Announces Set Times for This Weekend – ft. System Of A Down, Korn, Deftones, Incubus, Evanescence, Turnstile, Chevelle, Coal Chamber, Flyleaf, Mr. Bungle and More


 

System Of A Down, Incubus, Korn, Evanescence and Deftones will headline Sick New World Festival this weekend, a new music festival featuring some of the biggest names in Nu-Metal, Goth Rock, Industrial Metal, and some modern bands as well! Among the dozens of bands on the bill, it will mark the reunions of both Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm and Coal Chamber. Other bands are promising some surprise sets as well as Ice-T’s Body Count might be joined by Ice’s daughter, Chanel Nicole! Tickets are totally sold-out, but you can join the wait list at this link here. The event will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Las Vegas, Nevada. Check out the stage spits and set times below!

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ALBUM REVIEW: Jesus Piece – …So Unknown


 

In recent months, there have been quite a few “sophomore” releases that have been exciting to look forward to. However, none have been as highly anticipated as Jesus Piece return in …So Unknown (Century Media) after their debut took the metallic hardcore world by storm five years ago. While the lyrical emotions of just being pissed off about past trauma is left on the previous album, Aaron Heard still brings a level of aggression and chaos, yet a level of positivity. Either way you slice it, this record really hits the marks for a sophomore effort which will excite fans.

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EP REVIEW: Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine


 

Negative Approach meets The Breeders” is the description offered by the members of Scowl of this their latest release the Psychic Dance Routine EP (Flatspot Records) – if that’s not a tagline that grabs your attention outright I don’t know what is and what help there is out there for you! Said EP is the follow-up to the 2021 How Flowers Grow debut full-length.

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