‘Merry metallers’ Reckless Love will be returning to London in June in the wake of their sold out show at the Scala Theatre in March. The flamboyant Finns, who have recently released their fourth studio album, ‘InVader’, via Spinefarm Records UK, have now been added to the line-up for the ‘Camden Rocks’ festival, set to take place on Saturday, June 4th.
Says guitarist, Pepe: “Camden Town is truly a special place for Reckless Love, as we rocked our first ever UK show there back in 2010! Since then, we've returned many times to this beautiful place, and even held a smashing month-long residency at one of its many lively rock clubs. So it is with the greatest pleasure that we come back in 2016 to take part in the awesome Camden Rocks Festival!!”
In support of this one-off outing, Reckless Love will be releasing a new single / video, ‘We Are The Weekend’ – opening track on ‘InVader’ and a genuine party-starter in true RL spirit. In addition, a double coloured vinyl version of ‘Invader’ – complete with previously unreleased bonus track, ‘Zoo’ – is about to go into production; apart from a Record Store Day piece in 2014, this will the first time the Finnish Four have had their music issued on vinyl!
And the colour of the vinyl? Pink. Next silly question.
Bullet For My Valentine’s Matt Tuck, performs world’s most thrilling gig for his best mates; skydiving, on speedboat and husky sledding, culminating in Jägermeister’s most extreme ‘Ice Cold Gig’ to date:
On the weekend of March 12th/13th, Jägermeister accomplished a world first by producing a thrilling continuous gig on air, sea and land, featuring Matt Tuck – lead singer of multi-award winning British heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. The adrenalin-filled gig, which marked the fifth and most extreme chapter in Jägermeister’s Ice Cold Gig series, took place amidst (and above) the Lyngsfjord region, near Tromsø, in the stunning setting of North Norway, 192 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Jägermeister, the iconic German herbal spirit renowned for pushing the limits in the music world, invited the Bullet for My Valentine frontman, who has been part of the JägerMusic programme for years, to perform in this exhilarating world first attempt. The epic event encompasses three elements – never before associated with one continuous gig.
Matt and his unsuspecting audience of three loyal friends - completely oblivious to the adventure ahead until arriving at the dropzone - ascended to 15,000 feet above the stunning Lyngsfjord in a Eurocopter AS350 helicopter, set to start the show of a lifetime and truly test the bonds of friendship. Each paired with a specially trained instructor, Jägermeister’s 2016 Ice Cold Gig started in freezing freefall with the band launched into the brutal -30 Norwegian air. After the icy and swift free-fall and with canopy opened at 7000 feet, Matt grabbed his guitar playing the first song of the gig, The Last Fight, recorded on Zaxcom receivers for his floating audience, listening in on Sennheiser G3 headphones; a unique moment in music history.
Stage two of the Ice Cold Gig saw Matt and his mates whisked across the tranquil Lyngsfjord they had plummeted towards moments before, in a Buster Magnum speed boat. With wind chill factored in at -20 the challenge for Matt to sing and play the guitar was very real, yet spirits remained high with Matt wanting to put on a show deserving of his closest friends, who all sang along to Matt’s second song of the gig, Venom, the title track of Bullet for My Valentine’s phenomenally successful latest album which topped charts across the globe, and hit number 3 in the UK.
When the quartet arrived back on land they were led by Siberian huskies through the glistening Norwegian snow towards the Gukkesgaissa Mountains with Matt playing his 2010 classic Bittersweet Memories. Ushering his crew back to a traditional Norwegian Sami camp, the friends gathered alongside enthusiastic locals (including a couple of reindeer) – and, toasting to friendship and a world’s first in music; air, sea and land, celebrated with a well-deserved ice cold shot of Jägermeister.
After the gig, frontman Matt Tuck said: “I’ve played some incredible gigs around the world, but that was right up there, literally. Jäger’s Ice Cold Gig was one of the very best and definitely the most extreme! It’s my first skydiving experience, so dealing with the excitement and nerves – even before you add in the ruthless cold – was intense, but totally worth it. It’s awesome to say you did a world’s first in music, but to do it with my best mates, the guys who were there with me from the beginning, made it unforgettable. Now for a drink!”
In the Ice Cold Gig series, there’s no obstacle too big for Jägermeister to overcome. Jägermeister’s 2015 Ice Cold Gig saw UK progressive rock band TesseracT perform on top of an immense gigantic igloo, thought to be the world’s biggest, spanning the equivalent of 3.5 double decker buses in Ylläs Village in Lapland, Finland.
In 2014, Jägermeister hosted the world’s first gig on an iceberg with UK metal band The Defiled. The band performed a special set to a host of locals from the nearby town of Kulusuk Greenland, who ventured out to the ice field to watch this once-in-a-lifetime experience from an array of fishing boats and leisure craft.
Tom Carson, Jägermeister UK music manager added: "We go bigger every year and because of the nature of this world first, spanning air, sea and land, in extreme conditions, this gig was not only a test of friendship but one of supporting each other too. I think they had a great laugh. The Ice Cold Gigs have become such a prominent feature for our JägerMusic programme and this year we really wanted to celebrate musicians giving back to the people who supported them from the very start; typically their best friends".
Like Jägermeister’s 85 year old secret recipe, plans like these do not come about overnight. The mammoth challenge of putting this incredible tribute to friendship together fell to Secret Compass, a professional expedition company whose Brand Projects team is adept at conceptualising and delivering multi-platform media projects of this nature in the world's wildest places. Faced with extreme modes of transport, freezing temperatures, high winds and rock stars, the team utilised strategic planning, the latest high tech equipment and sheer human endurance to capture the essence of the project.
Tom McShane, Operations Director, Secret Compass commented: “From having to film from helicopters, skydiving, speedboats to huskies, this project was mammoth in the extreme. From looking after all the filming and audio kit in freezing temperatures, to co-ordinating the permissions to run a really complex project, and getting the logistics in place has been challenging to say the least, but like Jägermeister, we revel in breaking boundaries."
About Jägermeister:
Best served as an ice cold shot, original Jägermeister is a unique herbal spirit that was developed by Curt Mast from a secret recipe and launched in Germany 82 years ago. The liqueur is made by Mast-Jägermeister SE, in Wolfenbüttel Germany using a secret blend of 56 different herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits from all over the world and this secret recipe has not changed since it was first made. The pure and natural ingredients used within Jägermeister guarantee a high quality finish, and authentic taste. Jägermeister contains 35% alcohol by volume. Jägermeister is distributed by Mast-Jägermeister in the UK.
Secret Compass
Secret Compass redefines what is possible by creating pioneering projects in the world's wildest places. Secret Compass is built around a team of trusted experts who combine a passion for exploration with industry-leading professionalism. Secret Compass reignites your primal need for adventure, providing the catalyst for you to come alive and achieve the extraordinary. Upcoming destinations include Afghanistan, Armenia, Burma, Ethiopia, Gabon, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mongolia, North Korea, Panama, Siberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad and the southern Sinai.
The Virginmarys, having recently returned from a successful US tour, have now confirmed a run of headline UK shows for June; the shows, including an appearance at the inaugural Stone Free Festival at the O2 in London, are in support of the Macclesfield trio’s latest studio album, Divides, set for release via Spinefarm Records on May 6th…
“This is an incredibly special tour for us!” says vocalist / guitarist Ally Dickaty. “The ‘Divides’ album tour!! It's going to be so great to get back in front of our home fans again, and really important to us to play some of the towns we've been wanting to come back to for so long. Our fans always do us proud, they are incredible.”
The band recently unveiled new track, Motherless Land, the video for which is about to be launched; the song – as with previous single, Into Dust – comes from the aforementioned Divides, a 12-track work laced with power, passion & outspoken energy, and produced by the legendary Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, etc.).
THE VIRGINMARYS UK TOUR + FESTIVAL DATES 2016
08/05/16 @ Deaf Institute, Manchester (headline album launch show)
09/05/16 @ Blackheart, London (headline album launch show)
05/06/16 @ Camden Rocks Festival, London
13/06/16 @ Stereo, Glasgow
14/06/16 @ O2 Academy 2, Newcastle
15/06/16 @ Key Club, Leeds
17/06/16 @ Academy 2, Manchester
18/06/16 @ Stone Free Festival, London
19/06/16 @ Thekla, Bristol
Follow Luna Rise on the dance floor next fullmoon with their brand new video release - "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" - released on Friday, April the 22nd.
Luna Rise are back! Having released two masterfully produced music videos (Dead Alley, Valentine), and their critically acclaimed debut-effort "Dark Days & Bright Nights" the self-proclaimed "Heart-Rockers" now reveal quite literally - the crude truth. No overly special film location, no casted actors and no make-up at all. More than ever before do Luna Rise offer a glimpse behind the curtains of the recording-process.
For the first time the moonstruck rockers present their interpretation of a cover-song. The title "Dancing with Tears in my Eyes" orignially by the 80s-classic rock icons "Ultravox" is being re-shaped and modelled following the unique blend that gives Luna Rise their signature sound. Ye be warned - tears are gonna be shed.
Additional info:
The release of their debut album Dark Days & Bright Nights in 2015 via NRT-Records was followed by positive reception and acclaim from fans and the press alike. Luna Rise so beautifully crafted an interplay of passionate Melodic-Rock and full-on Dark-Rock which won the hearts of fans all over the globe. Already in their founding year in 2011, Luna Rise built up a loyal following with the release of the debut-EP "Smoking Kills, But Love Can Break A Heart".
Now, after their previous music video release to the song "Valentine" (2014), Luna Rise now invite you to come and dance under the moonlight by releasing their most recent motion picture effort for their Ultravox cover "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes".
Inital ideas and concept for the video were developed by bandleader Chris Divine, who also supervised production and editing of the project.
Belgian record label Bearded Punk Records keeps steadily building to its roster. After the signing of a couple of talented locals (Coma Commander // Groezrock & For I Am // Punk Rock Holiday) and not so locals (Trophy Lungs // US - Boston Punk act of the year + Pouzza Fest 6 & Jon Creeden & The Flying Hellfish // FEST 14) it has now joined forces with London/Leeds based two piece Kamikaze Girls. Here’s a statement from the label itself:
“We’re super stoked and proud to announce that Kamikaze Girls from the UK is joining our dysfunctional little family! Those of you that saw them tear up Crossbonefest earlier last month will immediately understand why we asked these super babes to do some cool stuff together. More on that later though! Now it’s time to sit back, relax and book your plane tickets to Florida to see KG play FEST /w the likes of Latterman, The Menzingers, Captain, We're Sinking, Off With Their Heads, Propagandhi, A Wilhelm Scream,... and many more!”
Exile On Mainstream announces the impending vinyl-only release of fourth album from German post-rock trio THE ANTIKAROSHI, the succinctly-titled 11 Songs Mostly Written And Played On Wednesday Evenings By A Band Called The Antikaroshi.
In advance of its May street date, a video for the album's catchy "The Only Witness" has been created, conceived by the band, filmed by Fritzie and THE ANTIKAROSHI, and edited by the band as well, the video sees its genesis through an exclusive premiere at Louder Than War.
Get caught up in "The Only Witness" by THE ANTIKAROSHI at Louder Than War RIGHT HERE.
THE ANTIKAROSHI has always worn their influences of DC punk and hardcore on their sleeves, and with each album they've been carving their own sound from these very origins. Following their regular rehearsals, the band locked themselves in the studio in May 2015 for two days to record eleven tracks in a 100% live setting. Perfection wasn't the goal. There is no binding concept behind the combination of songs and neither does the album mark a closed chapter. It rather remains a snapshot of a band at a certain level, at a certain point in time. The songs on 11 Songs Mostly Written And Played On Wednesday Evenings By A Band Called The Antikaroshi.travel through emotional landscapes, swimming in melodies and crawling through disharmonics.
11 Songs Mostly Written And Played On Wednesday Evenings By A Band Called The Antikaroshi will be released on LP format via Exile On Mainstream on May 6th, but the album is shipping early two weeks ahead of street date through the label now.
PA beard enthusiasts BLACK CROWN INITIATE today have announced some brand new details surrounding their new release, due out later this year. The band will release Selves We Cannot Forgive on July 22, 2016 via Entertainment One Music (eOne). The tracklist and visually mindbending cover art created by Travis Smith (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Avenged Sevenfold) is also being revealed today. "We've been through a great deal as a band since our last release," says guitarist Andy Thomas. "We've grown a great deal as writers, players, and people and put everything we had into this one."
Recorded and mixed by Carson Slovak & Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Texas In July, From Ashes To New) at Atrium Audio Recording Studio’s in Lancaster PA, Selves We Cannot Forgive will be the follow up to the buzzworthy debut LP The Wreckage of Stars released at the end of 2014. The Wreckage of Stars also propelled the band into the international touring act it is today. BCI quickly found themselves on the road with the likes of Behemoth, Deicide, Napalm Death and Voivod.
Selves We Can Not Forgive, the band’s sophomore album with Entertainment One, is a lean and focused collection that jettisons the extraneous fat found too often within ambitious metal bands, striking a balance between fearless adventurousness and methodical might. It follows The Wreckage of Stars, which together with their self-financed Song of the Crippled Bull EP introduced Black Crown Initiate’s unapologetic exploration of everything from Friedrich Nietzsche and Greek Sophist Gorgias to Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous mysticism, with a pragmatic skepticism.
Thomas continues on their new release, "we feel it is a more than fitting next chapter for the band; one that we are truly proud and excited to enter. We hope you all enjoy it too. See you on the road!"
Black Crown Initiate have worked their way into the heavy music community’s collective consciousness with steady determination. Likeminded supporters who made the thrilling discovery of songs like “A Great Mistake,” “The Fractured One,” and “Withering Waves” are rewarded in kind by the continued evolution on Selves We Can Not Forgive. As Black Crown Initiate continuously proves, heavy metal and heavy intelligence don’t have to be mutually exclusive. These men are conjuring an awe inspiring body of work that is as unstoppable as it was inevitable, like existence itself. This is high-minded art delivered with a guttural growl.
Track listing:
1. For Red Cloud
2. Sorrowpsalm
3. Again
4. Belie The Machine
5. Selves We Cannot Forgive
6. Transmit To Disconnect
7. Matriarch
8. Vicious Lives
On tour:
4/29/2016 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
4/30/2016 - Lowell, MA - Mill City Ballroom
5/1/2016 - New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
5/2/2016 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
5/3/2016 - Chicago, IL - Reggies Rock Club
5/4/2016 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
5/5/2016 - Winnipeg, MB - The Park Theatre
5/8/2016 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
5/10/2016 - Seattle, WA - Studio 7
5/11/2016 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
5/12/2016 - Petaluma, CA - The Phoenix Theater
5/13/2016 - Pomona, CA - The Glasshouse
5/14/2016 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky a Go Go
5/15/2016 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto
5/17/2016 - Denver, CO - The Summit Music Hall
5/18/2016 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
5/20/2016 - Fort Worth, TX - The Rail Club
5/21/2016 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog Bar
5/23/2016 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Hall
5/25/2016 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum Theatre
5/26/2016 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
5/27/2016 - Knoxville, TN - The International
5/28/2016 - Dayton, OH - Oddbody's
5/29/2016 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete's
