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May 23, 2024
Megan Milner

Slash Releases Star-Studded New Solo Album ‘Orgy Of The Damned’.

SLASH
RELEASES STAR-STUDDED NEW SOLO ALBUM
‘ORGY OF THE DAMNED’

FEATURING VOCALS FROM BRIAN JOHNSON (AC/DC), CHRIS STAPLETON, IGGY POP, BETH HART, GARY CLARK JR, BILLY F. GIBBONS (ZZ TOP), PAUL RODGERS, CHRIS ROBINSON (THE BLACK CROWES), DEMI LOVATO, DOROTHY, AND TASH NEAL

‘PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE’
NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO FEATURING DEMI LOVATO
OUT TODAY — WATCH NOW

SLASH BREAKS DOWN EVERY SONG AND COLLABORATION ON
‘ORGY OF THE DAMNED’

SLASH, the iconic, GRAMMY-winning guitarist and songwriter, has released his highly anticipated sixth solo album titled Orgy of the Damned, out now via Gibson Records, in partnership with Sony Music Australia and is available here.SLASH has also revealed the third single and a new video for Papa Was A Rolling Stonefeaturing Demi Lovato’s powerhouse vocals.Watch/share the Papa Was A Rolling Stone video which portrays Demi Lovato, SLASH and his blues band Johnny Griparic (bass), Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis (keyboards), Michael Jerome (drums), and Tash Neal (vocals/guitar)recording the song in the studio fused with historical footage and a 70s raw energy and vibe befitting the song here:

Slash is a legendary talent and friend I’ve known for years, so I was thrilled to collaborate with him again for his project. He brought such an amazing energy when we were in the studio and reimagining this iconic song together was effortless and fun. He had such a clear vision for the song and I’m grateful that he wanted to honor my story. I’m so proud of what we created! – Demi Lovato

A vibrant homage to the blues, SLASH’s star-studded blues album and sixth solo album of his career overall, Orgy of the Damned is a collection of 12 dynamic songs that revitalize the blues with a stripped-down approach. Celebrating both well-known and largely undiscovered songs, SLASH offers a nostalgic nod to the past while reinvigorating the songs with his inimitable guitar playing and the spirit of collaboration. On Orgy of the Damned, the acclaimed guitarist reteamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted the album’s diverse guest vocalists, which include Gary Clark Jr., Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson, and Beth Hart. Rounding out his blues band in the studio and on the road, SLASH reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball outfit in the 90s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

On Orgy of the Damned, everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of energized songs that are vital and raw. Highlights include Oh Well with outlaw country star Chris Stapleton’s gritty vocals on the beloved early Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac tune, listen HERE, and the Howlin’ Wolf-penned first single Killing Floor an electrifying collaboration with Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica, listen HERE. Hoochie Coochie Man,–written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters–showcases the album’s the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy with Z.Z. Top’s Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals, Gary Clark Jr. joins in for a rowdy take on Robert Johnson’s Crossroads, and Beth Hart stuns on the twanging and soulful rendition of T. Bone Walker’s Stormy Monday. Some of the songs, like Steppenwolf’s The Pusher, Charlie Segar’s Key to the Highway, and Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign, had been performed by Slash’s Blues Ball, while others, like Stevie Wonder’s Living for the City, were long-time favorites for SLASH. Check out SLASH’s full breakdown of all the songs and artist collaborations on Orgy of the Damned below.

Next week, SLASH will perform songs on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Launching in July, SLASH has curated an all-star Blues lineup for the first-ever S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival which stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance to bring fans together to celebrate the spirit of the Blues, and to perform with other Blues artists he admires who share his love of the genre. SLASH’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival artists include Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ ‘Mo, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe. On all dates, SLASH will perform alongside his Blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome, and singer/guitarist Tash Neal. For all S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival dates, visit: SerpentFestival.com.

The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival is designed with maximum social impact in mind and SLASH has chosen five nonprofit organizations to directly benefit from touring proceeds to help lift marginalized communities and support mental health initiatives that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. Through PLUS1.ORG, the S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival will donate a portion of the proceeds from every VIP package, as well as every Ticket sold, directly to NAMI the National Alliance on Mental Illness, The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute, and War Child. For details on all S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival VIP packages, visit serpentfestival.com/vip.

Below SLASH gives a full breakdown of the songs and artist collaborations on Orgy of the Damned: 

  1. ‘The Pusher’ featuring Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes on vocals and harmonica.

Written by Wayne Hoyt Axton

Above: Chris Robinson records “The Pusher” from Slash’s Orgy of the Damned.

SLASH: “‘The Pusher’ is an old Steppenwolf song. Yeah, I’ve always loved Steppenwolf, but I particularly like this song, and it was a song that we used to do in Slash’s Blues Ball back in the 90s. I definitely wanted to bring it back around and it’s a good example of a song that’s not a standard blues song. It’s a 60s rock and roll sort of drug song. Anyway, I had the idea to do it and Chris Robinson was the first guy that I brought into the studio, and he was totally down to do it. He came into to the studio and brought his harmonica and we did three different takes, all entirely different, and just played the harmonica and vocals live. We took the one that we liked the best and that was it.”

02. ‘Crossroads’ featuring Gary Clark Jr. on vocals, rhythm guitar/solo.
Written by Robert Leroy Johnson

Above: Gary Clark Jr. records “Crossroads” for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.

SLASH: “Originally, we had talked about doing the Robert Johnson version of this song, which was a diverse thing, but as I started to get into it, I realized I wanted to do on a more electric version, so I started to sort of go more along the lines of the live Cream version. It’s definitely influenced more by Cream and their sound. I met Gary Clark Jr. a few years ago and he’s probably one of the best young blues guitar players to come along in a really long time, a soulful, emotive guitar player and vocalist. Gary came down to the studio and we kept the whole live version with our blues band, and then he did a killer vocal.”

03. ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ featuring Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top on vocals, rhythm guitar/solo.
Written by Willie Dixon

Above: Billy F. Gibbons records “Hoochie Coochie Man” for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned. 
 

SLASH: “This is one of the sexiest songs, well, all of the Muddy Waters material is. One of the great things about Muddy Waters was there was a certain sexual quality to his voice, his tone, and his cadence. Then he added this insane fucking rhythm section that was just like, I don’t know, I can’t think of any music that’s really (excuse my French), but that you want to fuck to more. And, anyway, so I wanted to cover this particular song, but do it in a unique way… Because it’s a commonly covered riff and so many people have their own take on this particular very, very simple tune. It’s a rhythm and a certain kind of very simple three note pattern. We did a version of it that was as close to the original vibe that the Muddy Waters thing had. Our drummer who played on this record is Michael Jerome, and he’s got that groove really, really down and he was the perfect drummer to be able to put this together. Once the music was basically done, I’d always thought about Billy Gibbons doing the vocals. I chased Billy down and he added the vocals and some guitar in a studio in Palm Springs. That’s how it all came together. It’s very live, a very live sounding track, which is really cool. It sounds like you’re in a bar somewhere. I had Les Stroud play on harmonica. He’s a friend of mine and he was always talking about his harp playing and it turns out he’s a really fucking accomplished harp player. So, Les came down to our studio and put the harp on it.”

 
04. ‘Oh Well’ feat. Chris Stapleton (vocal)
Written by Peter Alan Green

Above: Chris Stapleton records “Oh Well” for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.
 

SLASH: “So, this is the original Fleetwood Mac, which was founded by Peter Green, one of the greatest singer-songwriter-guitar players, he’s less known in the public, but very well known to us guitar players re the 60s British blues and he’s up there with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Mick Taylor. He sort of had a misadventure with drugs and disappeared early in his career, but he had some great fucking songs and ‘Oh Well’ is one of my favorites. I remember hearing the song on the radio when I was probably 13, they used to play both the older version of Fleetwood Mac and the new version of the band with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham a lot. I always loved this song, and it’s a great guitar riff. I jammed it with the Blues Ball back in the ‘90s, and I’ve played it live here and there. I knew from the beginning I wanted to do the song on this record. It was also one of the songs that I was trying to figure out who would be the right vocalist for it, and one of the ideas I had was Chris Stapleton, who is one of the most brilliant singer songwriters today. He’s also got such a gritty and distinctive voice, so I called him up and he did an amazing job. I mean, his voice is so cool.”

 

05. ‘Key to the Highway’ featuring Dorothy on vocals.
Written by Charles Segar, William Broonzy

Above: Dorothy records ‘Key to the Highway” for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.
 

SLASH: “This is one of the blues standards that I’ve been playing with Johnny and Teddy in our blues band since we first hooked up way back in like 1997 or ‘96 maybe. It was the first song on my list of songs to do for this record. The original was done by Freddie King, and we stayed somewhat true to the original arrangement-wise. We kick the tempo up a little bit just to make it rock a little harder. It’s a very open-ended type of a one, four, five blues progression, but it’s got a little bit of a swing to it. It’s just a cool song. And then I asked Dorothy, who’s this great American blues and rock singer, who has a distinctive raspy and soulful voice, to sing it. Dorothy came in and did a kickass job on it. There’s a lot of different versions of the song out there, so I sent her some of the ones that I liked, and she came up with her own version of the vocal approach for the song and it came out amazing.”

06. ‘Awful Dream’ featuring Iggy Pop on vocals.
Written by Sam (Lightnin’) Hopkins, Clarence Lewis, C. Morgan Robinson

Above: Iggy Pop records “Awful Dream” on SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.
 

SLASH: “Oh, now, this is an interesting story. When I got the Blues band back together, I had an idea for the overall feel and the vocalists in my head for the whole thing, and as we went from song to song, we found the right fit. In our conversations about singers, Iggy Pop is somebody that I’ve been friends with and worked with for many years, and I really have the utmost admiration and respect for him. Johnny, our bassist mentioned that Iggy said in an interview he’d like to do something in the blues genre. I’d never heard that, so I called Iggy, and we talked about the record. Since I didn’t have a song earmarked for him yet, I asked him if there was a particular song he would like to do, and he said ‘Awful Dream’ by Lightnin’ Hopkins. Listening to the original track, I imagine it’s Lightnin’ Hopkins sitting on a stool with an acoustic with a pickup, and a very old school, primitive version of an electric-acoustic, and then there’s someone in the background playing very loose drums, and you can tell it’s a one-take almost made up on the spot recording. So, I very loosely learned that version. Iggy came to my studio in L.A., and we just sat down, he was on one stool, and I was on another, and I had my man, Michael Jerome come in and play some drums, and we just grabbed the tape live. So, it’s really, really very cool, and spontaneous. Iggy’s interpretation of that song is actually sort of sublime. And I think it’s something that nobody’s ever heard from him. Then there’s something cool on it at the very end of the track. We’re just playing the vamp out and I have my headphones on and I’m hearing this thing that sounds like a harmonica and I turn around and it’s Iggy singing the harmonica parts. It is really cool. So yeah, that was a very special moment on the record.”

 
07. ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ featuring Paul Rodgers on vocals.
Written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones

Above: Paul Rodgers records “Born Under a Bad Sign” for SLASH’sOrgy of the Damned.
 

SLASH: “One of my favorite all-time favorite Albert King songs, and one of the coolest blues rock riffs that I grew up listening to ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ was a no brainer and we did our own version of it and created our own arrangement of it. Then Paul Rogers, who is somebody I’ve worked with before and is a good friend, came into the studio. You know, he’s got the most amazing blues voice, he’s somebody that everybody in the 60s in England admired. Paul is a top blues vocalist, he was in Free and went on to do Bad Company, and then he did a bunch of different things after that. I asked him if he would sing it, and he did an amazing job. I can’t even say amazing job—it’s just so perfect.”

 

08. ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’ featuring Demi Lovato on vocals.
Written by Barrett Strong and Jesse Norman Whitfield

Above: SLASH and Demi Lovato in the studio for Orgy of the Damned.
 

SLASH: “This song is the most left-of-center for a sort of blues cover record because it’s a song by The Temptations, which is really R&B. From 1972, I grew up with this song and it was a really popular song in the early ‘70s when I was a kid. It’s a cool song, and an adventure in and of itself. The original version is super long, as in 10 minutes long, if not longer. And it’s got this an amazing instrumental arrangement to it. I mean, the whole song is amazing. We used to jam it back in the 90s with another band that I had called Snakepit that Johnny Griparic, our bass player, was also in. So, I definitely wanted Demi to do this song because the subject matter of the song is basically about the unsavory habits of an absent father who eventually passes away that the kids are asking their mom about, as in ‘What’s this about our dad that we’ve never met, and we hear all these stories about?’ It’s a very dark and personal kind of subject matter, therefore whoever sings it can’t just cover it for the sake of covering it, they have to be able to relate to it in some way. I’ve been friends with Demi Lovato for a few years now and I wanted a strong female voice to sing it. She has that really young and powerful voice that has this kind of, not an entirely innocent delivery, but definitely an almost childlike quality to it. I asked her to do it because Demi’s had some interesting stories in her past and she jumped at the idea. I had no idea how she was going to react to the question, but she totally knew and related to the song. Demi came in and did an amazing job. It was really, really fun to do this song with her.”

 

09. ‘Killing Floor’ featuring Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals.Written by Chester Burnett (Howlin’ Wolf)
*With special guest Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica.

Above: Brian Johnson of AC/DC performs vocals on “Killing Floor” for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.
 

SLASH: “Killing Floor is by Howlin’ Wolf, one of the giants of American blues. He had a very sort of cool and unique style and sound, and ‘Killing Floor’ is only one of his most well-known songs. It’s been covered quite a few times, but it’s a great guitar riff and it’s a solid groove and I’ve always wanted to cover that. It’s a little bit of a different arrangement than the original, it is actually a combination of two of his songs, it’s ‘Killing Floor’ and then there’s a touch of a ‘Spoonful’ guitar riff in there as well, two of my most favorite riffs. In trying to figure out who to sing it, I wanted somebody who had a nice, gruff voice for it. And Brian Johnson from AC/DC was the first that came to mind, and he said, ‘Yeah, come on down and we’ll do it’. I went to Florida with my producer and Brian fucking ripped out a killer version of ‘Killing Floor’. Instead of doing it in his characteristic AC/DC voice, he did it an octave lower. Which is great because that’s really how the song is. If he’d sung it the other way it would have probably been better if AC/DC did it, so it worked out really great. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith came down to the studio in L.A. and I played it for him, and he wanted to be on it. So, he grabbed his harmonica and jumped into the studio and played on it. It was very spontaneous and great. He sort of has a vocal on there. He screams in between playing the harp, it’s really cool. It’s definitely capturing a moment and I walked away proud that I managed to get that.”

Above: Steven Tyler records harmonica for “Killing Floor” on SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.

10. ‘Living for the City’ featuring Tash Neal on vocals.
Written by Stevie Wonder
*With special guest background vocals: Jenna Bell and Jessie Payo

Above: Tash Neal performs “Living in the City” for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.

 
SLASH: “‘Living for the City’ is a Stevie Wonder song, and another song that I grew up with. There was a period in my childhood where Steve Wonder was definitely the background music, and he was all my Mom played. ‘Living for the City’ was one of my favorite songs, and it stuck with me. Lyrically, there’s some different things happening in that song, a story being told, and then towards the end of the song musically it breaks down and it goes into the sound of the city in New York and the main protagonist of the story gets arrested. It gave me this visual in my mind and it always stuck with me. The fun thing about doing this record, was that we could do whatever the fuck we wanted. Back in the 90s we did a version of Steve Wonder’s ‘Superstition,’ and I didn’t want to do that because that song has been covered to death. So, the idea of doing a Stevie Wonder song wasn’t like, ‘Oh, we have to do a Stevie Wonder song. I said, Well, let’s do another song that I liked.’ We truncated the arrangement a little bit, so it’s a little shorter than the original. We didn’t try and emulate the city sounds or make it sound like the original version. But Tash Neal, who sings and plays guitar on the whole record, and the forthcoming tour, did a fucking fantastic job singing this song. So yeah, I’m really happy with it. It’s definitely something, and if ‘Papa was a Rolling Stone’ was unexpected, this song will be even more so.”
 

11. ‘Stormy Monday’ featuring Beth Hart on vocals.
Written by T-Bone Walker

Above: Beth Hart performs “Stormy Monday” in the studio for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned.

 
SLASH: “This is one of the pretty famous blues standards, and I think most people are familiar with the Etta James version of it, which was from the 60s. There’s been many versions of this song, but I was always pretty taken by the Etta James version, so it was a song I knew I wanted to do. The Allman Brothers also did a great version as well and we played it back in the 90s with Blues Ball, and I just loved soloing on it and whatnot. I immediately thought of Beth Hart, who’s a fucking amazing American blues vocalist and she has been around for a little while. Everybody loves to play with Beth because she’s this ferociously emotional, female vocalist that just lays it all on the fucking table when she sings. I asked her to do it and she said, ‘Yeah, I would love to do it, but let’s do it in a minor as opposed to the original, which is major.’ So that just took the song in a whole different color, and it makes our version very original, but it’s also really, really effective. She came in and did this song in one take and collapsed on the floor when she was done. It was right when we were actually in the studio, doing the live tech in that first week. We’re in there and she comes in and I think the band had played the song one time by itself, and then Beth got there, and we went into it. And that was it and we knew we could not top that phenomenal first take with her.”
 

12. Metal Chestnut
Written by SLASH

Above: SLASH performs “Metal Chestnut” in the studio.

 
SLASH: “It’s not a cover and there’s no one singing. ‘Metal Chestnut’ is an instrumental and I wrote it specifically for Orgy of the Damned because Mike Clink our producer said, ‘Well hey, you don’t have anything that you’ve written for the record.’ I hadn’t even thought about it, so I went home, wrote something, and brought it back and started to jam the song with the band. It’s just a real simple tune that came together quickly and organically. It wasn’t forced, but I didn’t specifically have it in my mind to write something. I wrote this one quickly and then put the guitars on it at my studio. It’s a very honest and emotional little piece.”
 
Orgy of the Damned showcases a lesser-heard aspect of SLASH’s musical prowess. While he has always embraced a broad range of styles and genres, the new album offers a rare opportunity to explore a unique side of his playing and bring to the forefront a rollicking journey through his strong blues inspirations, that have long been in the background of his illustrious career.
 

ORGY OF THE DAMNED – OUT NOW
https://slashalbum.lnk.to/OOTD

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FeaturedNews
May 22, 2024
Megan Milner

TWENTY ONE PILOTS ANNOUNCE POP UP SHOPS

TWENTY ONE PILOTS ANNOUNCE POP UP SHOPS

CLANCY ARRIVES EVERYWHERE MAY 24TH

ALBUM PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW

Join us to celebrate the release of GRAMMY® Award winning duo Twenty One Pilots new album Clancy at exclusive pop up shop events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this weekend! For one day only, shop brand new and exclusive merchandise, music and more. Check out further details here.


POP-UP SHOPS

SYDNEY
Friday May 24 – 12pm – 6pm
60 Union Street, Pyrmont, New South Wales

MELBOURNE
Saturday May 25 – 10am – 5pm
Oshi Gallery, 386 Smith St, Collingwood, Victoria

BRISBANE
Sunday May 26 – 10am – 2pm
Fortitude Music Hall, 320 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, Queensland

Also this week, Twenty One Pilots have partnered with independent record stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and various venues around the world to host global listening parties for their highly anticipated forthcoming album Clancy. The events, which will take place May 18th – May 23rd, will see over 200 stores around the world hosting fans to listen to Clancy in its entirety. Fans in attendance at each listening event will receive a limited edition Twenty One Pilots tote bag (while stocks last).

For more information on Twenty One Pilots’ Clancy global listening events, please visit http://clancyalbumevent.twentyonepilots.com

AUSTRALIAN LISTENING PARTIES
THURSDAY MAY 23

CO-CO BANANAS
32 Chambers St, Footscray VIC 3011
5pm start

UTOPIA RECORDS
Lower Ground Floor/511 Kent Street, Bathurst St, Sydney NSW 2000
5pm start

Rocking Horse Records
Queen Street Mall, 245 Albert St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
5pm start

Twenty One Pilots also recently shared “Backslide,” the third new song to be released from Clancy, which arrived with an official music video directed by the band’s own Josh Dun – watch it HERE.

Twenty One Pilots will celebrate the release of Clancy with The Clancy World Tour, their biggest headline tour ever, kicking off with a two-night stand on August 15th and 16th at Denver, CO’s Ball Arena. Produced by Live Nation, the tour will traverse North America through the fall followed by dates in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom [see tour itinerary below]. Tickets for The Clancy World Tour are on sale now. For tickets and more information on Twenty One Pilots The Clancy World Tour visit www.twentyonepilots.com/tour.

Clancy is highlighted by the previously released album tracks “Next Semester”and “Overcompensate,” the latter of which has rocketed up the Alternative Radio chart hitting #1, marking their 11th #1 at the format as it welcomes listeners back to the band’s immersive world of ‘Trench.’

Having amassed over 33 billion streams worldwide and over 3 million tickets sold across global headline tours, the Columbus, OH based duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have established themselves as one of the most successful bands of the 21st century and redefined the sound of a generation. Co-produced by Joseph and Paul Meany, Clancy marks the final chapter in an ambitious multi-album narrative first introduced in the band’s 2015 multi-Platinum breakthrough, Blurryface.

Clancy arrives everywhere May 24th and is available for pre-order now.

Twenty One Pilots

The Clancy World Tour

Tickets & Information Available at twentyonepilots.com/tour

November 17, 2024 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena

November 19, 2024 – Melbourne, AU – Rod Laver Arena

November 21, 2024 – Brisbane, AU – Brisbane Entertainment Centre

November 24, 2024 – Sydney, AU – Qudos Bank Arena

Twenty One Pilots
ClancyPre-orders Available Here: http://top.lnk.to/Clancy

1. Overcompensate

2. Next Semester

3. Midwest Indigo

4. Routines In The Night

5. Backslide

6. Vignette

7. The Craving (Jenna’s Version)

8. Lavish

9. Navigating

10. Snap Back

11. Oldies Station

12. At the Risk Of Feeling Dumb

13. Paladin Strait

About Twenty One Pilots:

Grammy-Award winning band, Twenty One Pilots, have shifted music and culture as an incomparable creative force and with an ever-evolving vision. The Columbus, OH duo—Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun— have tallied over 33 billion global streams and counting, sold north of three million tickets worldwide, notched dozens of multi-Platinum certifications, and even claimed a spot in the Guinness® Book of World Records. In historic fashion, their quadruple-Platinum breakout LP, Blurryface, took flight as “the first album to notch a RIAA Gold or Platinum certification for every one of its songs,” while Vessel followed suit and achieved the same distinction. They elevated to rarified air as “one of only 18 artists to earn multiple RIAA Diamond certifications,” going Diamond with “Stressed Out” and “Heathens.” 2018’s Platinum-certified Trench extended the ambitious concept laid out in Blurryface and delivered the multi-Platinum and Platinum singles: “Chlorine,” “My Blood” and the GRAMMY® Award-nominated “Jumpsuit.” They followed Trench with their Gold-certified LP Scaled And Icy, achieving “the biggest opening week for a rock album in 2021” by capturing #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts and crashing the Top 3 of the Billboard 200. Beyond rapturous headline shows at arenas and festivals worldwide, Twenty One Pilots have notably architected an immersive world without comparison, originating a multi-album conceptual arc across Blurryface, Trench, and Scaled And Icy. Nine years on from the Blurryface album release, they complete this story on their seventh full-length offering, Clancy [Fueled By Ramen], out May 24, 2024. Led by the single “Overcompensate,” the LP signals the dawn of another era for Twenty One Pilots and alternative rock music at large.

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FeaturedNews
May 22, 2024
Megan Milner

Hot Water Music Release “After The Impossible” Feat. Dallas Green of City And Colour

PUNK VETERANS HOT WATER MUSIC RELEASE ’80S FANTASY FILM-INSPIRED VIDEO FOR “AFTER THE IMPOSSIBLE”
FEAT. GUEST VOCALS FROM DALLAS GREEN OF CITY AND COLOUR

New album VOWS is out today via Cooking Vinyl Australia

Hot Water Music are excited to present the music video for new single “After The Impossible”, the latest track to be lifted from the band’s 30th anniversary LP, VOWS, out now via Cooking Vinyl Australia. Stream / buy the album here.

Featuring Dallas Green of City and Colour on guest vocals, “After The Impossible” represents a massive stylistic departure for the veteran rock band, and is an ode to a loved one that is deeply missed, be it family, a friend or significant other. The accompanying 1980s fantasy film-inspired music video directed by James Poitier affectionately captures the song’s overall message of friendship, camaraderie and love.

The band had the following to share about the clip: When we started trying to figure out the concept for this video, the one thing we wanted to avoid was ‘man misses woman/woman misses man’. That’s been done enough, right? One of the earlier concepts was two friends trying to reconnect. That fairly simple concept went through a few, wild iterations: are the friends maybe vampires? Ghosts? Aliens? Thankfully, we ended up landing on what you see here, which was very obviously inspired by many movies from our youth. We couldn’t be happier with it or more thankful to everyone who worked so hard to make it a reality.

Sacrifice. Loyalty. Camaraderie. These aren’t just words, they are the qualities that have defined Hot Water Music’s songs, lyrics and ideology for the past three decades. However, instead of celebrating 30 years of existence with a nostalgia lap or formulaic album, the band decided to mark this milestone with their most ambitious collection of songs to date. Correspondingly, VOWS sees the band — guitarists/vocalists Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard and Chris Cresswell as well as bassist Jason Black and drummer George Rebelo — taking their pioneering punk sound to bold new heights via inventive arrangements, pop-friendly sensibilities and a new generation of musical guests that include Brendan Yates and Daniel Fang of Turnstile, Thrice, Dallas Green of City and Colour and Alexisonfire, The Interrupters, and Popeye Vogelsang of Calling Hours and melodic hardcore greats Farside.

In order to capture these songs, Hot Water Music chose to reunite with longtime collaborator Brian McTernan — who produced the band’s classic albums such as 2001’s A Flight and a Crash to 2002’s Caution as well 2022’s Feel The Void — which allowed the band to revisit the raw, guitar-driven power of its classic releases like 1997’s Fuel for the Hate Game and Forever and Counting while still capturing the current dynamics of the band. Not knowing what the endgame was, the band entered the process of writing these new songs with the simple intention of releasing music to celebrate this hard-earned milestone, be it a single, EP or full-length. What they were absolutely sure of, though, was that they didn’t want to make a new record just for the sake of it; this record had to be exciting, relentless and, above all else, necessary.

“For some reason — and maybe because this is such a huge milestone — subconsciously I was thinking, ‘Who knows what is after this?’” Ragan summarizes. “I would love to say we’re going to keep making music for as long as we’re all around, but the truth is we never know when that’s the last session we do and I feel like I thought of that more than I ever had in the past.”

All five members of the band put everything they had into VOWS, an album that is less of a throwback to the past or look to the future as it is a pause in the present moment to acknowledge how far they’ve come.

HOT WATER MUSIC – VOWS

Out Now via Cooking Vinyl Australia
BUY / STREAM

Tracklisting
Menace
Searching For Light
Burn Forever
After The Impossible feat. City and Colour
Remnants feat. Daniel Fang and Brendan Yates
Chewing On Broken Glass
Fences feat. Thrice
Side Of The Road
Wildfire feat. Popeye Vogelsang
Bury Us All
Touch The Sun
Much Love feat. The Interrupters

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May 21, 2024
Megan Milner

Wage War Share New Song/Visualizer ‘TOMBSTONE’. New Album ‘STIGMA’ Arrives Digitally On June 21 & Physically On September 6

WAGE WAR
SHARE NEW SONG/VISUALIZER TOMBSTONE

NEW ALBUM STIGMA
ARRIVES DIGITALLY ON JUNE 21 + PHYSICALLY ON SEPTEMBER 6

WAGE WAR — Briton Bond [lead vocals], Cody Quistad [rhythm guitar, clean vocals], Seth Blake [lead guitar], Chris Gaylord [bass], and Stephen Kluesener [drums] — have entered their world domination era. Last month, the Florida band has announced its fifth album STIGMA, which arrives digitally on June 21 via Fearless Records, while the physical version will land in stores on September 6.

Today, the band has shared TOMBSTONE. The band has also dropped the visualizer.

Metal riffs meet country western tropes in our new track TOMBSTONE, the band explains. A final showdown with an enemy. One fight. Two dogs unleashed.

From its ominous, tension-building opening seconds through the deadly breakdowns, Wage War go hard on TOMBSTONE. It’s got vocals that sound like screamer Briton Bond gargled with a razor blade cocktail, thick and groovy riffs that’’ll have you nodding your head, and battering ram percussion. TOMBSTONE finds Wage War unleashing a hellacious anthem that brings the heavy artillery from start to stomp to finish.

Wage War recently performed down under as part of Knotfest Australia alongside Pantera, Disturbed, Lamb of God, Halestorm and many more. The band also ticked off two sold out Melbourne and Brisbane Knotfest sideshows, co-headlining with Asking Alexandria, while they were in Australia to resounding acclaim.

STIGMA is available for pre-order HERE.

STIGMA TRACK LISTING:
01. THE SHOW’S ABOUT TO START
02. SELF SACRIFICE
03. MAGNETIC
04. NAIL5
05. BLUR
06. TOMBSTONE
07. HAPPY HUNTING
08. HELLBENT
09. IN MY BLOOD
10. IS THIS HOW IT ENDS?

ABOUT WAGE WAR:
Traveling a constant forward trajectory at lightspeed, Wage War not only push their own sound forward, but they also propel heavy music into new territory. The Florida quintet have always tempered a pummeling metallic onslaught with unshakable melodies. A near-decade grind naturally brought Wage War to this point. They have unleashed a string of fan favorite albums, including Blueprints (2015), Deadweight (2017), Pressure (2019), and Manic (2021).

Beyond looks from SPIN, Modern Drummer, American Songwriter, Revolver, Guitar World, and more, KERRANG! hailed the latter as “their greatest album yet,” and DORK raved, “It’s an embracing of being metalheads, popheads and just fans of good songs. On more than one occasion, there’s an earworm poking its head up through the dirt.” They also put up numbers, tallying hundreds of millions of streams boosted by the likes of Stitch, Low, Manic, and Circle The Drain.

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May 20, 2024
Megan Milner

Irish Leftfield Rock Instrumentalists Announce Forthcoming Album ‘Megafauna’

Stalwart Irish post-rock outfit And So I Watch You From Afar have announced their seventh full-length album, ‘Megafauna’, set for release on the 9th of August, 2024 via Berlin’s Pelagic Records.

A tribute to the two places the collective call home, their beloved Portrush on the Irish North Coast and the beating heart that is Belfast; ‘ Megafauna’ is headstrong exploration and heartfelt appreciation with all the intuition, intimacy and humour of four firm friends approaching their 20th year as a band and a nod to the Irish roots that simultaneously ground & propel them forward.Like so many other bands and creatives throughout the pandemic, ASIWYFA found themselves suddenly stationary, with any plans outside of their immediate vicinity put on indefinite hold. However, where this might have seen other acts falter, ASIWYFA took comfort in their communal bond and, as soon as they were able, began writing a record that quickly became a love letter to the communities they call home.

The intent behind ‘Megafauna’ is clear from the outset. Two guitars, bass and drums all recorded in a week erupt into effervescent life in an endorphin rush of collaboration and togetherness after the physical and psychological wilderness of isolation

The album’s lead single ‘Do Mór’ is a preposterously playful collision of light-hearted guitar hooks, effortless jazz syncopation and the triumphant return of ASIWYFA’s inimitable wall-of-sound distortion. Serves as an anthem for the whole album and for a band of friends reunited and reinvigorated too; proudly wearing their distinct juxtaposition of joyous euphoria and jarring musical confrontation on their sleeves. ‘Megafauna’ is the band’s first new music since 2022’s critically-acclaimed ‘Jettison’, an ambitious multi-media ensemble piece packed full of experimentation and collaboration. Jokingly referring to ‘Jettison’ as their mature record’, the band framed the writing of ‘Megafauna’ around the their long-running mantra of ‘DO THE SCARY THING’ which sees ASIWYFA constantly hurtling towards newness, towards progress, evolution and the unknown. Whilst the new record is ASIWYFA taking on a more familiar, traditional form; in this post-’Jettison’, post-pandemic world ‘Megafauna’ is a deafening and defiant statement of intent from the band’s propulsive core – a clarion call for the communities that shape them, a resplendent celebration of togetherness over separation.

And So I Watch You From Afar’s Rory Friers on ‘Megafauna’: “‘Megafauna’ is essentially a distilled moniker for our peers; all of the friends and characters that we’ve grown up with who’ve made us and our homes what they are today. Lockdown was an intensely introspective and reflective process, which put the comfort of community at the forefront of our minds throughout the writing process.”Pre-Order ‘Megafauna’ Now

https://orcd.co/asiwyfa For Fans Of : Mogwai, Maybeshewill, Russian Circles, Fugazi, Don Caballero, Battles, Tortoise, King Crimson

Facebook.com/aburialatseaUK

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May 19, 2024
Megan Milner

Mono – Drop Next Single & New Pelagic Signing

MONO
Share Epic New Single, ‘Run On’
Accompanying Full-Length Video Is Stunning Exploration Of Where Music And Visual Art Intersect

Coinciding with the band’s 25th anniversary, Japanese instrumental rock band MONO will release their 12th album ‘OATH’ on June 14, 2024, via Pelagic Records.
The second single ‘Run On’ is now released with an accompanying music video, created by Dalian-based artist, Jiang Kun. The video aims to explore the new meanings and emotional expressions that arise when music and visual art intersect. Jiang attempts to blend the spirit of MONO’s music with traditional Chinese fine arts and modern visual language to create a novel artistic experience, utilising close to 36,000 meticulously painted frames of his own, combining Eastern ink and Western oil painting techniques.

Guitarist and composer of the band, Taka, comments:

Humanity’s desire for evolution will never stop, even if the desire to make society more convenient and prosperous is good. The world is becoming worse and worse because it’s built on people who desperately want to make more money through business and concessions, and want to gain an upper hand. More humanly, simply put, there’s nothing truly more important than respecting, helping and loving each other.Instead of focusing on a competitive society where people compare themselves to others, I think it’s ok for everyone to stay true to themselves and live their own lives because everyone is born with a unique personality. One day, when our souls leave our bodies and go to heaven, what we will take with us is not money, cars, houses or possessions but rather, what we could give to others and pride in how we could live our lives.”Instead of focusing on a competitive society where people compare themselves to others, I think it’s ok for everyone to stay true to themselves and live their own lives because everyone is born with a unique personality. One day, when our souls leave our bodies and go to heaven, what we will take with us is not money, cars, houses or possessions but rather, what we could give to others and pride in how we could live our lives.

Just last week, we lost one of our dearest friends, Steve Albini, with whom we had the pleasure of making albums for 22 years. We don’t even know anything about tomorrow. We realised again how important it is to continue pursuing our dreams in our own way every day, without being distracted by those around us.”

Oath will be released on June 14
Pre orders available now
https://orcd.co/mono

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May 18, 2024
Megan Milner

Dear Seattle Release Heartfelt New Single ‘Sungazer’ & Touring Nationally This May, June & July

DEAR SEATTLE
RELEASE HEARTFELT NEW SINGLE
SUNGAZER

TOURING NATIONALLY THIS MAY, JUNE + JULY

An instant Dear Seattle classic, the brand new single Sungazer, out today via Domestic La La, blends driving melodics with heartfelt sincerity, bridging the old with an exciting new creative chapter for the Sydney quartet.

Between its sharp punk structure, percolating basslines and gooey harmonies, Sungazer shines as it swells around a driving chorus. Catchy yet sincere and once again primed to unite en-masse singalongs in a live setting, Sungazer is equally a reflective earworm as much as it is an organic evolution for Dear Seattle at its core.

“There’s no right way to go about your life,” shares vocalist and guitarist Brae Fisher, unpacking the meaning behind the new track. “It’s all just a series of small decisions that make up the whole, and ultimately you can only base those decisions on what brings you the most joy and contentment.”

“As a teen I couldn’t understand how people didn’t see life the way I did,” Fisher continues, “and if I didn’t share those values with someone, I figured we weren’t supposed to share our lives. I’ve lost close friends to that mindset, and it sucks, but it’s taught me to accept that everyone is trying, and that the most important thing is that we’re all on the same journey towards happiness. To those friends I’ve lost, go do your thing. Be who you need to be, and just know that I’ll be here regardless, waiting for you with open arms whenever it’s needed.”

“Sungazer has a little bit of everything you can expect to hear in new DS. It dips into some new territories and sonics, but still feels utterly true to us at its core, and that’s what I love about it. It’s a song I feel so personally connected to both lyrically and musically and I feel like we’ve hit something truly unique to us.”

With a distinctive Aussie tinge to their emotive and propulsive wares, Dear Seattle first emerged onto the scene back in 2013, releasing their debut EP Words Are Often Useless that same year. Following a second EP release, 2017’s self-titled Dear Seattle, the Northern Beaches-hailing group solidified their presence with their first ever full-length album Don’t Let Go in 2019, also securing the group a #10 spot on the ARIA Australian Album Charts.

Unleashing their powerful sophomore album Someday in 2022, Dear Seattle expanded their legacy to even greater heights, with Someday debuting at #4 on the ARIA Australian Album Charts, a Spotlight Album feature on triple j, and Rolling Stone declaring that “Dear Seattle is born again“.

Continuously honing their modern take on old school pop punk and indie rock over the years, Dear Seattle have previously performed alongside the likes of Hockey Dad, Trophy Eyes and Dune Rats, with multiple headline tours and appearances at Splendour In The Grass, UNIFY Gathering, Party In The Paddock and more in their wake.

In honour of their 2023 modern-day grunge hit idc, Dear Seattle have hit the road for a massive regional run around the country, marking the band’s most extensive tour to date. With 23 dates, six states and territories, and brand new music up their sleeves for the tour, Dear Seattle will also be bringing along some exceptional young acts, including Deadshowws, Jet City Sports Club, LATE 90s, Spici Water and The Tullamarines in support, who are set to have the crowd heaving from the first note. The band has also announced their Europe/UK in November with Brooklyn based group Superbloom.

Whether charming Missy Higgins herself with their 2019 triple j Like A Version cover of The Special Two, launching their own beer, burning up the charts and airwaves, or penning melodic, heartfelt delights that’ll have you equally singing along and banging your head, Dear Seattle are a band who build unforgettable moments around authenticity and charming execution – and2024 is set to vividly expand the Dear Seattle trajectory with gusto if the band’s latest sonic charmer Sungazer is any indication.

Dear Seattle are currently on the road around regional Australia as part of their idc Tour, with special guests Deadshowws, Jet City Sports Club, LATE 90S, Spici Water and The Tullamarines. The band are also set to depart on their first ever overseas tour this November, touring Europe and the UK co-headlining with Superbloom.

SUNGAZER – OUT NOW
https://dearseattle.lnk.to/Sungazer

Domestic La La & Select Music Presents

DEAR SEATTLE
IDC TOUR 2024
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
DEADSHOWWS, JET CITY SPORTS CLUB
LATE 90S, SPICI WATER & THE TULLAMARINES

FRI 10 MAY – VOLTA, BALLARAT
SAT 11 MAY – THE WOOL EXCHANGE, GEELONG
FRI 17 MAY – THE ESPY, ST KILDA
SAT 18 MAY – THE WESTERNPORT, SAN REMO
SUN 19 MAY – HABA, RYE
SAT 25 MAY – UNI BAR, WOLLONGONG
SUN 26 MAY – UC HUB, CANBERRA
FRI 31 MAY – THE RIVER, MARGARET RIVER
SAT 01 JUN – FROTH CRAFT BREWERY, BUNBURY
SUN 02 JUN – INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, SCARBOROUGH
FRI 07 JUN – MIRANDA HOTEL, MIRANDA
SAT 08 JUN – DEE WHY RSL, DEE WHY
SUN 09 JUN – KING STREET BANDROOM, NEWCASTLE
THU 13 JUN – LONG JETTY HOTEL, LONG JETTY
FRI 14 JUN – FINNIANS, PORT MACQUARIE
SAT 15 JUN – THE HOEY MOEY, COFFS HARBOUR
FRI 21 JUN – VINNIES DIVE, GOLD COAST
SAT 22 JUN – SOLBAR, MAROOCHYDORE
THU 27 JUN – SEABREEZE HOTEL, MACKAY
FRI 28 JUN – DALRYMPLE HOTEL, TOWNSVILLE
SAT 29 JUN – EDGE HILL TAVERN, CAIRNS
FRI 05 JUL – ROYAL OAK, LAUNCESTON
SAT 06 JUL – REPUBLIC BAR, HOBART

^Deadshowws appearing
* Jet City Sports Club appearing
– Late 90s appearing
+ Spici Water appearing
~ The Tullamarines appearing

Tickets from dearseattle.com.au

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May 17, 2024
Megan Milner

Powerwolf Deliver The Most Elaborate Video in the Band’s History. New Album, Wake Up The Wicked, out July 2

POWERWOLF
Tell the Story of the “Werewolf of Bedburg” in “1589”
Accompanied by the Most Elaborate Music Video in the Band’s History

The New Album, Wake Up The Wicked, to be Released on July 26

Today, POWERWOLF presents the long-awaited first single from their upcoming studio album, Wake Up The Wicked, out July 26, 2024 via Napalm Records. “1589” tells the story of Peter Stump, who lived near Cologne, Germany in the 16th century and is known today as the “Werewolf of Bedburg”. After being defamed as a werewolf, the farmer confessed to several murders under torture, and was cruelly executed on October 31, 1589. This morbid story has fascinated people all over the world ever since and has been picked up by National Geographic, among others.
For the video for “1589”, POWERWOLF traveled to England to stage Stump’s fate in the dark woods in a cinematic way. With carefully selected locations, countless actors and crew members and impressive special effects, it marks the most elaborate music video production in the band’s history to date – and thus offers a worthy first taste of what fans can expect with Wake Up The Wicked.

Experience the Cinematic Video for “1589”
Directed & produced by Adam Barker
https://youtu.be/5S0-oP9JsL0

POWERWOLF is undoubtedly one of the most successful current heavy metal bands worldwide. Headline and premium slots at premier rock and metal festivals like Wacken, Hellfest and Graspop, as well as massive sold-out arena shows have further solidified the Wolfpack’s standing at the very top of the scene. POWERWOLF’s high quality releases are steadily praised by critics and fans alike, building upon the successful reach of their songs and impressive official music videos, which have been streamed tens of millions of times across platforms to date.

Wake Up The Wicked – the highly anticipated successor to the extremely successful previous studio album, Call Of The Wild (2021) – will be released just in time for the award-winning band’s first ever full North American tour, starting in August 2024, followed by their biggest European headline tour to date, the Wolfsnächte 2024. Wake Up The Wicked is once again produced by the outstanding Joost van den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities and marks a new benchmark and undisputed career highlight for the band. The new album is hard, surprising and full of variety. While staying true to their established, loved sound, POWERWOLF go one step further and showcase a different facet of their deft musical and technical skills.

20 years after their formation in 2004, POWERWOLF are expanding their repertoire with the highest quality and adding many future live hits to their extraordinary discography. Wake Up The Wicked is yet another statement cementing the status of the band as a leading force in the world of heavy metal!

Wake Up The Wicked Tracklisting:
Bless ’em With the Blade
Sinners of the Seven Seas
Kyrie Klitorem
Heretic Hunters
1589
Viva Vulgata
Wake Up the Wicked
Joan of Arc
Thunderpriest
We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints
Vargamor

Pre-Order your version of the new album, Wake Up The Wicked
https://lnk.to/PW-WakeUpTheWicked

POWERWOLF are:
Attila Dorn – vocals
Falk Maria Schlegel – organ
Charles Greywolf – guitar
Matthew Greywolf – guitar
Roel van Helden – drums

POWERWOLF online:
HOMEPAGE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

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May 16, 2024
Megan Milner

Crossfaith Share ‘God Speed’ Feat. Wargasm Video & Announce New Album ‘AЯK’ Arrives June 26

CROSSFAITH
SHARE GOOD SPEED FEAT. WARGASM VIDEO

ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM AЯK ARRIVES JUNE 26

Japanese rockers Crossfaith have shared the video for their futuristic and post-apocalyptic new single God Speed (Feat. WARGASM). Both the audio and visual are frenetic so strap yourself in and sit sidecar for this metal x industrial musical thrill ride!

This song is based on the concept of simply living in obedience to one’s desires,” the band states. “It expresses the attitude we should not lose in this restricted and monitored society. This song features WARGASM, a duo with distinctive and iconic voices, and their contribution adds an erotic and dirty vibes to this track.

Indeed, the addition of WARGASM lends more vocal layers and a wild, almost frantic intensity. The song will leave your clutching your chest and breathless, trying to recover. But once the final note fades out, you will smash the replay button and do it all over again! It’s that exhilarating.

The song appears on Crossfaith‘s recently announced album AЯK, which arrives on June 26 via UNFD and Warner Music Japan, and marks the band’s first album in six years.

It is a welcome return for the band — after adjusting the global pandemic and a band hiatus, as well a membership change — and serves as quite a milestone. The album’s title AЯK is a message of saying goodbye to the past and hello to a new beginning, and their fresh sound and perspective is reflected in the new material.

Crossfaith previously shared the visualizer for the brand new single L.A.M.N (Feat. Bobby Wolfgang). Watch and listen to this certified banger here. Fans can also check out the video for ZERO here.

Additionally, the band recently announced Daiki Koide as its new guitarist.

The AЯK era kicks off now. There is more — plenty more — to come.

AЯK– OUT JUNE 26
https://anb.lnk.to/ARK

ABOUT CROSSFAITH:
“Playing heavy music is how I feel alive,” says singer Kenta Koie. “We want Crossfaith to be the band making music that no one has ever heard before.”

Crossfaith formed in 2006 and released their debut album The Artificial Theory for The Dramatic Beauty in 2009, followed by The Dream, The Space (2011), Apocalyze (2013), Xeno (2015), and Ex Machina (2018). Each one saw the band blend its love of punk rock, metal, and electronic music in daring new ways.

“Good art is how I express myself to other people. It’s hard to talk from the bottom of my heart, that’s why I write these songs,” Koie says. In keeping with their progressive musical journey, 2020’s SPECIES EP saw the band continue to push their own sonic soundscape to new grounds.The band dropped the pandemic-penned single Gimme Danger in 2022.

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