Static-X has been going strong along the first leg of their North American Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary Tour, with the series of sold out dates wrapping up last week. Now, the band has just announced a second leg, as they take along the same lineup of co-headliners Devildriver, and support Dope, Wednesday 13, and Raven Black, for a North American run covering many of the cities they didn’t hit the first time around. They’ll cover plenty of U.S. ground for a month starting on November 8th, before wrapping up the run in mid-December with support from Wednesday 13 only – the band also has more dates yet to be announced.
Tony Campos of Static-X says, “We are so honored and grateful to all the fans who came out and supported the Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary tour! The response was absolutely overwhelming! There were a number of places that were left out of the first leg, so we are very excited for the opportunity to circle back and celebrate all the good times we had with Wayne. We look forward to giving those fans an opportunity to pay their respects with us and to experience Wisconsin Death Trip once again before 2019 comes to a close. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all!” While masked vocalist Xero adds, “The first leg of the tour was absolutely insane! Almost every single show was SOLD OUT! Thank you to everyone for being so supportive! We are very excited to be able to get out there and hit a bunch of cities that didn’t appear on the first leg”.
Devildriver’s Dez Fafara adds, “The last tour was so successful, with most dates sold out or close to it, that of course we are honored to be part of this package again”, while Edsel Dope of Dope states, “The first leg of the tour came and went so fast. Every night was a massive celebration of Wayne and of 20 years of Wisconsin Death Trip, and Felons and Revolutionaries. Hearing Dez singing “Loco” nightly has just been crazy! It’s like a fucking time warp and it’s just been so sick! The package is amazing! The fans are loving it…I’m so glad that we get to do it all again before 2019 comes to a close”.
Wednesday 13 says of the tour, “We are excited to announce that we are part of the second leg of the Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary tour with Static-X and Devildriver. This tour has been amazing so far, and we can’t wait to do it again. Look for an all new album and show from us the second time around”, while Raven Black namesake frontwoman adds, “It has been an honor and privilege to have shared the stage with so many legendary bands we each have grown up listening to as fans. We have been overwhelmed by the love we’ve received by their fans. It has been an amazing and life changing experience for us and we are so excited to be on part two of this tour this fall. We are forever grateful for the opportunity and support.”
Wednesday 13 has a new album on the way, one that the modern-day Shock Rocker calls “The most elaborate, horror themed album I’ve ever released under the name Wednesday 13”, Necrophaze. The 80’s horror and pop culture-influenced record features some special guests, including Alice Cooper, Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour), Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), Christina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), and Jeff Clayton (ANTiSEEN, GG Allin’s Murder Junkies). Here’s some of Wednesday’s words on the record: “To say we are excited about this release would be an understatement. We have re-built and Frakensteined an all new Wednesday 13. This is the next chapter, the next experience, the next phase into our world…Enter the NECROPHAZE…Channeling the atmosphere of early 80s horror films, tv shows, cartoons and movie soundtracks the Necrophaze was complete. To add a little more Blood to the party, we had the complete honor of having the Godfather of shock rock, the legendary Alice Cooper. Alice is a guest doing the introduction to the album and the title track Necrophaze. We wanted to give the listener the ultimate listening experience as if our band was the soundtrack to a horror film. The artwork for the CD and vinyl is a visual guide to the songs, and the live show will be the living breathing horror movie version. There will be a Wednesday 13 action figure, music videos, movie soundtrack trailers, commercials and more all on the way with the release of Necrophaze. The artwork and packaging is a tribute to the classic art and packaging from my favorite time of the 1980s. So welcome to Party…but bring your own blood.”
Necrophaze will be out on September 27th via Nuclear Blast Records, and this week, Wednesday 13 has unveiled a new video for the first single, “Decompose”, which you can check out right here. Head to: https://www.facebook.com/officialwednesday13 for more.
Kobra and The Lotus are on their way to the release of a brand-new studio album, as Evolution is set to be released on September 20th via Napalm Records. Here’s some of what the band has to say about the Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Linkin Park, Slash, Sevendust)-produced record: “The new body of work sets the tone for the music going forward. Sonically, it’s still heavy. It highlights the showmanship and maintains the edge. At the same time, it’s approachable. It pays tribute to our influences, but it takes the next step. So, it’s a reintroduction to us and a rebirth. A firm goal was to build a strong identity and update everything. We just want to be Kobra and the Lotus; that’s what we’re doing”.
This week, the band has unveiled the first taste of their “new body of work” in the form of “Burn!”, the single which you can check out in music video form right here. Kobra and the Lotus also has a tour lined up throughout the fall, starting at the end of August. https://www.facebook.com/KobraAndTheLotus has all the details.
Demon Hunter has just unleashed a brand-new music video, one for a track off their recent venture, the first of the two-album series formed by War and Peace. You can check out “The Negative” (off War) right here.
Here’s a look into the making of the clip from frontman Ryan Clark: “The video for ‘The Negative’ was directed and edited by Oleg Masnyy. Oleg and I shot a variety of vignettes—including myself singing the song—as well as a number of moving objects to create texture and diversity. We paired our shots with found footage, and edited the entire thing in a highly-crushed monochromatic style, utilizing only stark black, white, and red. Our goal was to create something that felt gritty and punk —like the song itself— influenced by ’90s DIY show posters and silkscreen shirt graphics. The images, scenes, and objects themselves tie into the theme of the song, which is—to put it simply—the consistency of humankind’s failure”.
The band is set for a run of special shows this summer, as An Evening With Demon Hunter will hit 10 North American cities in the months of August and September, before the Seattle Metallers land at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, KY on September 29th. Visit: https://www.facebook.com/demonhunter/ for all the info.
The Agonist are bringing the latest chapter in their Extreme Metal discography out of Canada this fall, with their sixth studio record, Orphans, set to be out via Rodeostar Records on September 20th – this week, you can get an early taste of the album with their new video for “Burn It All Down” right here.
The video was directed by The Agonist’s own bassist, Chris Evans, who says of the shoot, “When the band had first decided to make “Burn it all Down” a music video, naturally I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to make a high intensity video that portrayed Vicky’s anger in delivering the lyrics, all while a blazing inferno is happening behind the band. It wasn’t an easy task to make happen! I thought I had it all figured out with my video team but none of us had ever done a fire shoot before. Normally we take our time in setting up the lighting and over analyzing the shots to make sure what works best in the moment. There was absolutely no time for that. Once we lit the fire, it was a race right till the end to make sure we kept it blazing and high all while trying to get every one of our scheduled shots in. In the end everything worked out, we didn’t burn down a field, nobody got hurt, just singed, and we all hustled to make sure we got everything done that was needed”.
Of Mice & Men has just released a new music video for the title track off their upcoming earthandsky, in the form of “Earth & Sky”, which you can check out right here. Here’s what singer/bassist Aaron Pauley has to say about this track: “’Earth & Sky’ is a song about resilience. It’s about understanding that you can rise above whatever it is that keeps trying to drag you down, no matter what. For me, a lot of the time, I’m writing about battling with my own mind. For you, it may be a person, or an obstacle, or a circumstance. Regardless of whatever it is that’s trying relentlessly to drag you down, I hope this song empowers you to rise above it with authority, like it does me every time I sing it”.
Of Mice & Men will head out on the Earth Tour alongside For The Fallen Dreams, Thousand Below, Bloodbather, running September 23rd-October 19th. For the full listing of tour dates, head to: https://www.ofmiceandmenofficial.com/.
In the fall of 2018, Atreyu released the seventh album in their discography, In Our Wake – now, this week, the band has announced their decision to follow that record up with a Deluxe Edition, featuring seven new tracks, including B-sides from the sessions for In Our Wake and 2015’s Long Live, in addition to alternate versions of some of the tracks on the original album. Here’s what drummer/singer Brandon Saller has to say about the new album: “I’m excited for these songs to see the light of day. To us, these are songs that we loved, but didn’t find a space within the album as a unit. To further that, we’re excited to have some older material that only saw limited release be fully available for our fans. As for the re-imagined tracks from In Our Wake, this is something brand new to us and it was a really fun moment for us to re-think these songs. They turned into something special that we feel stand on its own”.
Bassist Porter McKnight adds, “When the topic for the deluxe edition was introduced, my brain instantly exploded with fun avenues and ideas for re-developed imagery. I wanted something that flirted with my original ideas for “IOW,” but took them down a new and darker path. I chose to invoke a classic punk/black metal feel with this one, and even ended up drawing the cover by hand. It’s always an honor and a pleasure to create something for this band”.
Dutch Alternative Rockers Nemesea are on the way to the release of their new studio full-length, White Flag, out in exactly one month, on August 23rd via Napalm Records. This week, the band has a new lyric video to share, in the form of the track “Fools Gold”, which you can check out right here. To learn more about the band and keep up on the latest as the record release approaches, check out: https://www.facebook.com/nemeseaofficial.
Fit For An Autopsy recently announced the completion of their upcoming fifth studio album, to be revealed to the world in the fall. This week, the band has officially revealed the title, The Sea of Tragic Beasts, and unleashed a music video for the haunting first single, “Mirrors”, which you can check out right here. Co-founding Guitarist/Producer Will Putney says of the track, “You carry things with you, for better or worse. ‘Mirrors’ illustrates the darker side of this idea. It’s also a testament to how the decisions you make can have a resonating effect on the ones around you. Clearly this song was born out of a personal struggle, but in end it’s a reflection on the greater human condition of love and dependency; not being able to release yourself from the darkness around you. Our new record dives head-on into some difficult topics, ‘Mirrors’ is the tip of the iceberg”.
The Sea of Tragic Beasts is set for an October 25th release via Nuclear Blast Records, and another announcement for this week is the release tour in support of the record, taking Fit For An Autopsy across the U.S. for 26 dates in October and November. For the full listing of tour dates, head to: https://www.facebook.com/FitForAnAutopsyOfficial/.
Hammerfall have just declared their World Dominion – a tour, that is, to follow the release of their latest album Dominion, set to be released on August 16th via Napalm Records. The tour will run January 30th-February 20th 2020 throughout Europe, but not before the band plays a few special U.S. headlining shows in September, followed by a North American run alongside Sabaton in October and November. During World Dominion, the band will be accompanied by special guests Battle Beast and support Serious Black. Frontman Joacim Cans says of the run, “’Good is not good enough, it has to be great’ also applies on the upcoming European tour. Not only are we bringing one of the most promising new metal bands, Battle Beast, as special guest, we also have support from Serious Black. We are also upgrading the venues in many cities, and will play arenas, where we will present the biggest and most badass tour production ever. Can’t wait to meet all the awesome HammerFall fans all over Europe. If you can attend only one show next year, this is the one to choose!”
For a taste of Hammerfall’s live show, check out their recently released live video for the track “One Against The World” right here. Keep up with the band via: https://www.hammerfall.net/.
Slayer suddenly released an unexpected and mysterious teaser trailer a few weeks ago, one which turned out to be a signal of the coming announcement of The Final Campaign, the wrap-up of their Final World Tour set for the fall. This week, the band has released another similarly mysterious trailer, simply entitled “Coming Fall 2019 – Part 2”, and featuring Jessica Pimentel, from Orange Is The New Black, and Danny Trejo, who was featured in the last trailer as well. No official announcement on the meaning of the teaser has been revealed yet, but you can check it out and speculate below:
(Left to right: Bjorn Englen, Scott Warren, “Dio” (hologram), Craig Goldy, Simon Wright during the Dio Returns show at The Paramount)
Dio Returns! But not quite in the way you might expect. If you’re in the loop with the metal world, the fact that Ronnie James Dio has been touring in hologram form is probably not news to you. In fact, the projection made its on stage debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2016 – but the touring officially took off in Europe in 2018, with 2019 marking the official U.S. debut of Eyellusion’s unique creation. There have been many reactions to the news since it took to the road – some negative, some positive – but no matter what, this concept has people talking worldwide.
To say I’m a fan of Dio would be an understatement, since the music of Ronnie James Dio, from Rainbow and Black Sabbath, to his namesake band, comprises and represents so much of the classic heavy metal world for me, in all of the spirit and energy infused into a quintessential sound and image. Even so, I never had the opportunity to see the late great icon while he still graced us all with his powerful presence in this world, making the chance to experience and take in some element of his legacy in real life all the more appealing. I was excited but with reservations at first – while I wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of the Dio hologram when I first heard of it, I did have a few hesitations and curiosities, just wondering what watching a simulated smoke-and-mirrors image of a musician I admire so highly would even feel like. The moment Craig Goldy (guitar), Bjorn Englen (bass), Simon Wright (drums), and Scott Warren (keys) took up their respective instruments, the stage lit up, and “Dio” appeared in his own place center stage at The Paramount in Huntington, NY on June 9th, 2019, my questions were answered.
Following a dynamic opening show from Love/Hate (who opened for Dio on an arena tour in their early years!), “King of Rock And Roll” opened the Dio Returns set, showcasing the hologram in its full glory right off the bat, with the accompanying talents of the live band that not only shares the same members as Dio Disciples, but consists mostly of musicians who personally shared the stage with the real Dio in his time. Although I’ve unfortunately never seen Dio in person, and all that I know of him has come from video/audio recordings and photographs, I could still recognize that his mannerisms and stage movements were pinpointed to a tee with this hologram, with an energy and vibrancy that could even be deceiving at certain moments, looking at it from just the right angle. The show’s setlist managed just the right balance between projected images and real-life performers, as Tim “Ripper” Owens and Oni Logan each joined the band, replacing “Dio” intermittently for a good portion of the songs in the set, and rounding out the full lineup of Dio Disciples in the process. “Dio” was mostly present to sing the biggest and most well-known hits from his discography, with go-to tracks like “Holy Diver”, “The Last In Line”, “Man On The Silver Mountain”, “Heaven and Hell”, and “Rainbow In The Dark”. Meanwhile, Tim and Oni sprinkled in other well-loved tracks by covering “Don’t Talk To Strangers”, “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”, “The Mob Rules”, “Children of the Sea”, and more, including a Rainbow medley in the form of “Catch The Rainbow” and “Stargazer”.
Tim “Ripper” Owens
I did appreciate that, while playing with methods of on-stage interactions with “Dio”, the band didn’t try to act entirely as though it wasn’t a hologram at all – at times, it felt like there was a degree of acknowledgement of its illusion (or should I say, Eyellusion?), not to mention the fact that “Dio”’s manner of entering and exiting the stage was not by walking on and off, but materializing out of thin air like an apparition – nonetheless, they had clever approaches to showing dimension and bringing the image to life. The use of platforms added to that sense of dimension and perspective, putting the band on the same visual plane and level on stage when “Dio” performed, yet providing the freedom of movement for Craig and Bjorn to step down off those platforms whenever Tim and/or Oni came out on stage, putting them on the same “real-life” plane with the singers, as opposed to up in the hologram space with “Dio”. A simple concept based solely on where the performers stand (literally), but perfectly effective.
Oni Logan
The lines of reality especially blurred during a strong performance of “We Rock”, then the encore of “Neon Knights”, when the entire band including both Tim and Oni, plus their special guest David Feinstein, all joined “Dio” on stage. David Feinstein may have a long ongoing run in The Rods, but he has his fair share of history playing in bands with his cousin – that would be Ronnie James Dio, of course. Amidst Feinstein’s early musical career is a bout with Ronnie Dio and the Prophets, a band which would later become Elf (a frequent opening act for Deep Purple in the mid-70’s), before this band eventually dissolved as it gradually transformed into the early makings of Rainbow, and David went on to form The Rods. Feinstein’s early music career is inherently tied in with that of Ronnie James Dio’s, not to mention the personal relation and all, making his appearance at this show all the more meaningful. In that moment, all of the live band members’ energy bounced off one another, and when combined with their interactions with “Dio”, he truly felt real and alive in that very moment, making for quite an emotional experience and close to the show.
David Feinstein joins the band as Tim “Ripper” Owens and Oni Logan sing with “Dio”
For those who knew him or saw him live, this stage portrayal of Dio will bring back memories – a sense of nostalgia for when the real man himself was alive and performing around the world. For others, like myself, it gives a taste of what it might have been like, and brings the music to life in a new way. Even if you’re among those with a distaste for the idea of a witnessing a hologram musician performing on stage, I would absolutely recommend giving this Dio Returns tour a chance – not only does it offer a memorable theatrical show to take in, but it brings back a touch of the magic of Dio to the world in a unique way. All the appeal of a live concert experience is still there, with the living breathing band members’ energy present for the audience to bounce off of, and to celebrate the life of Ronnie James Dio together with those who were close to him. With his music and image still shining brightly like a Rainbow In The Dark, Dio Returns shows that in one form or another, Ronnie James Dio’s incomparable voice still “sails on”, to “sing a song and carry on”, and keep his legacy alive.
Sons of Apollo, the supergroup-esque project featuring a lineup of Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Billy Sheehan, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and Jeff Scott Soto, are on their way to a follow-up to the debut full-length Psychotic Symphony, with their sophomore studio record planned for early 2020. In the meantime, the band plans to hold over their fans with a live release this summer, a recording of a one-off live symphonic performance in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, featuring the band alongside a full orchestra and choir in Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony. Here’s what Mike Portnoy has to say about the record: “I’ve released several dozen live albums through the years with about a dozen different bands, but I have to say that this live release from Sons of Apollo may indeed be the most special one of them all!! Everything was aligned that evening: an absolutely beautiful Roman amphitheatre and a perfectly gorgeous summer evening, one set of SOA material and one set of specially chosen cover songs, and to top it all off being joined by a symphony orchestra and choir…it was a magical evening for everybody in attendance and now we can share it with the rest of the world immortalized in this incredible live package”. The new record will be out on August 30th – https://www.sonsofapollo.com/ has all the details.
Death Angel just wrapped up a North American tour alongside Overkill, and are now headed to Europe for a summer-long run, but falling right in between is their brand-new record release this past weekend, Humanicide on Nuclear Blast Records. In celebration of the release, the band has also unveiled a music video for the track “I Came For Blood”, which you can check out right here. For more of the latest on Death Angel, head to: https://www.facebook.com/deathangel/.
Destruction is getting ready to unleash the 17th chapter in their lengthy German Thrash discography this summer, with Born To Perish set to be out on August 9th via Nuclear Blast Records. The first single off the record has just been revealed this week in visualizer video form – check out “Born To Perish” via the Nuclear Blast official YouTube Channel right here. Frontman Schmier says of the track, and of the band’s latest additions to their lineup: “The title track was the first song we wrote for the new record and it definitely shows the strength that DESTRUCTION has in 2019. It immediately set the bar high for the rest of the album. It features everything that we stand for: speed, picking, variety and punch. Randy came up with some very cool drum patterns and Damir offered up a really crunchy solo part, so both new members are heavily involved here!” Schmier, of course, refers to drummer Randy Black and guitarist Damir Eskic, the most recent additions to the long-running band.
