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The fantastic Buck & Evans have released the following update regarding the band’s debut album:

We’re incredibly proud to announce that our debut album, ‘Write A Better Day‘ will be released on Departure Records through Cargo Records on November 15th! Pre-orders are now live at the link below. It comes with a bit of a story (see below…) but this is a huge moment for us and we honestly can’t wait to finally get the record into your hands!

▪️Pre-Orders: https://smarturl.it/WriteABetterDay

So, why the long wait?! Without dwelling on it too much, some of you may be aware that we launched the record campaign a little while ago through PledgeMusic. The response was nothing short of incredible and we eagerly hit the studio to start laying the foundations of our first record. But, alas…

We’ll spare you the maths but at some point, PledgeMusic decided that our money (and hundreds of other bands’) looked better in their pockets and that was that; no real explanation offered and as of yet, no criminal charges have been brought against those who defrauded us of a substantial amount of our money – the company went bust and our entire record release budget had gone up in smoke. Unfortunately, it meant that the countless people that had Pledged received their copy at our own expense, only adding adding further insult to injury.

Still, not ones to dwell, we delayed the release and set off on tour (in THAT van!) to recuperate as much of the money that we’d lost as possible and suffice to say, you guys didn’t disappoint – if you’ve bought a ticket, CD, vinyl, poster, bag or t-shirt off us in the last year or so, YOU’RE the reason this record is finally seeing the light of day. We’d be lying if we said we were out of the woods yet but preorders will go a long way to getting us back to where we should have been had it not been for what happened to us.

As ever, thank you for your enduring support and patience. It’s almost a cliché at this point but bands are nothing without their fans and we’re so lucky that you guys stick by us through thick and thin. Thank you, and we’ll see you on the road ❤️

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UK hard rock band, KING VOODOO is proud to announce the release of their debut EP ‘4‘, which will be out on November 8th, 2019.

The EP was recorded by Ian Johnson, mixed by Pete Newdeck (Midnite City, Jesse Damon, Grim Reaper) and mastered at HBomb (Tygers Of Pan Tang, Billy Talent, Danko Jones).

Track listing:

1. Fever
2. Creep
3. Hold On
4. Plain To Me
5. TVC

Line up:

Ian Johnson – Guitar / Backing Vocals
Jamie Suffield – Guitar / Lead Vocals
Lee Jones – Bass Guitar
Dave Hall – Drums

Guest: Guitar Solo at TVC by Daemion Davis

The roots of KING VOODOO came from their various influences in the rock and grunge scenes, a Liverpool based band brought together by their lead guitarist Ian Johnson. In March 2019 KING VOODOO started writing music with a view to stand out and create music that will make you feel the groove and sing along to. Jamie Suffield brings the deep soulful vocals powered by unbreakable harmonies, with seamless song writing adeptness that reaches into the dark truth of life. The rhythm section starts with Lee Jones on the bass adding depth and fulfilling runs that lock in with the time keeper Dave Hall on Drums.

KING VOODOO have made a lot of noise in such a short period of time, with their first gig in front of 500 Hells Angels and were quickly booked up for other motorcycle club events. They have recently landed gigs with bands like Collateral, Piston, Revival Black and Midnite City. This follows on from past experiences with their last bands 12 Gauge, They’re coming to get you Barbara, BDV and Rain May Fall. During this period they supported acts like Fozzy, Tyketto, Chris Slade (AC/DC), Ritchie Kortzen, Electric Six, Coldspell and Stone Broken to name a few.

So see for yourself what spell KING VOODOO are casting, and be more voodoo.

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Fahran have been teasing a little something for October 18th for the last week or so now, and are proud to announce that this FRIDAY they will be releasing their brand new and previously unheard track ‘Suffer The Sorrow’ across all major platforms – along with a brand new music video!

Here’s a few words from their singer Matt Black on the track:

“This brand new song is totally unheard outside of the Fahran camp. We’d been working on the last album for so long; focusing on a direction that we felt passionate about – something that would represent the broad mixture of tastes between all band members. ‘Suffer The Sorrow’ is based on overcoming the pain we, as humans put each other through. The emotional trauma caused by the sheer evil actions of others can shape a person. We wanted to cover that subject in a song with a raw approach to our style“.

‘Suffer The Sorrow’ will be performed live starting with Fahran‘s appearances on their October Tour dates in the UK playing alongside The Fallen State and The Cruel Knives.

Tour Dates
19.10.19  229 The Venue, London
20.10.19  The Underground, Plymouth
21.10.19  The Exchange, Bristol
22.10.19  O2 Academy 3, Birmingham
24.10.19  The Rebellion, Manchester
25.10.19  Think Tank, Newcastle
27.10.19  Alberts, Nottingham

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After lending his distinctive voice to bands like Candlemass, Therion, Krux, Yngwie Malmsteen and At Vance for decades, Swedish heavy metal icon Mats Leven will release his first solo-album ever! Under the name of Skyblood, the self-titled debut album will be seeing the light of day on November 22nd via Napalm Records.

Skyblood just recently debuted a first single and lyric video for ‘The Voice‘, and today, Leven is sharing another epic track from Skyblood‘s debut, ‘The Not Forgotten‘ which he calls, “A very personal song that required a personal video to go with it.”

Skyblood takes us on an exotic trip through emotional soundspheres, filled with dark and hypnotic anthems, that triumph in musical finesse and timeless elegance. This debut is an unchained and exciting affair feeding off epic and classic metal to melodic hard rock – an unpredictable mixture soaring to glorious height!

Mats has been working on his solo-project for several years. Aside from additional guest musicians, most instruments were recorded by Mats himself at his own studio, the Uzi G Studio in Stockholm. According to Mats, Skyblood is, “who I am. This is Skyblood. Skyblood equals pride, empathy and rage.”

Tracklist:
1. Skyblood Manifesto
2. The Voice
3. The Not Forgotten
4. Wake Up to the Truth
5. Once Invisible
6. One Eye For An Eye
7. Out of the Hollow
8. For or Against
9. Le Venimeux

Skyblood will be coming on Vinyl, CD and in Digital formats November 22nd via Napalm Records, a definite MUST-HAVE that will belong in every well- sorted Classic, Heavy and Doom Metal record collection.

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Jan Akkerman will be releasing ‘Close Beauty’, his first studio album in 8 years and his first on Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group on 25th October 2019.

Ahead of this he has revealed the video for his brand new song ‘Don Giovanni‘. Talking about the song Jan says; “My aim is to create beauty in my music which is generally a flexible concept anyway. I like diversity and freedom and try to avoid 2nd hand blueslicks, otherwise there’s too much of the same thing. With Don Giovanni, it triggered the idea that: he could make a statue cry”.

At 72 years old, the supremely gifted guitarist is equalled by very few and his legendary ability makes him impossible to pigeon hole. His position as Dutch royalty has been cemented, he received the Golden Harp Award in early 2005, Holland’s most prestigious music prize and in 2012 he was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, a royal honour that acknowledged his contribution to Dutch music and his influence on musicians around the world.

Akkerman was a founding member of Focus from 1969 to 1976 where he recorded a number of breakout albums including, ‘Focus II/Moving Waves’ (1971). The album spawned the mega-hit ‘Hocus Pocus’ which reached #9 on the US Billboard Chart, #12 in The Netherlands and #20 in the UK singles chart and the song has gone on to appear on numerous TV shows such as; Top Gear, Skins, Supernatural, Vinyl, My Name is Earl and Shameless as well we the 2007 film Hot Fuzz, 2014 remake of Robocop and 2017s Baby Driver. The song has been covered by a number of other artists including Iron Maiden, Marillion, Helloween, Gary Hoey, The Vandals and Vanessa-Mae. ‘Focus 3’ (1972) featured another hit single in ‘Sylvia’ which reached #4 in the UK singles chart and led to an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops.. That year Melody Maker declared him the ‘Best guitarist of the world’, above Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

‘Close Beauty’ is the return of the distinctive ‘Akkerman-sound’, which runs like a thread through twelve compositions; acoustic, electric, solo performing and accompanied by his own band, Marijn van den Berg (drums), David de Marez Oyens (bass) and Coen Molenaar (keyboards). Molenaar also produced the album, which was recorded at Marten Haak’s Studio.

He has collaborated with a number of musicians including Alan Price (The Animals), Jack Bruce and Ice T and counts fans in Brian May who said Akkerman was “totally a hero of mine, there are some people in life that no matter how old you are, you feel nervous if you meet someone, he’s one of those, he’s a real role model”. B.B. King has also talked highly of him saying, “How can you forget a guy like Jan, usually with people that are as great as he is, you know of them, but you don’t always get to know them or their music, but you know their reputation. The nights that we played together was great, I wish I could play the things that he did.” Whilst Yes guitarist Peter Banks has also lauded him calling him “an almost perfectly formed musician, his classical playing was tremendous and his improvising was second to none.”

Track listing:

  1. Spiritual Privacy (Sunset Tango)
  2. Beyond The Horizon
  3. Reunion
  4. Close Beauty
  5. Retrospection (Emotional Debris-The Power Behind The Throne-Hear The Trees  Whistle Doe The Dog-Euridice)
  6. Passagaglia
  7. Tommy’s Anniversary
  8.  Don Giovanni
  9. Meanwhile In St. Tropez
  10. French Pride
  11. Fromage
  12. Good Body Early Evening

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Wisconsin-bred guitarist Jared James Nichols embarks on his first major UK tour in February 2020. The 8-date tour starts on Tuesday February 25th at the Robin 2 in Bilston and ends at The Exchange in Bristol on Sunday March 29th. Tickets are available from SeeTickets.com.

“I’m looking forward to playing the UK again,” says Jared. “The last time we toured the UK, we supported Living Colour and Wayward Sons. This time we will be headlining our own shows so it’s going to be a special tour for us. We’ve been gradually building up a lot of momentum over the years, so the time feels right for a headline tour now.”

The tour follows Jared’s recent single ‘Nails in the Coffin‘ that was a popular A-listed radio hit on Planet Rock Radio. Recorded in Los Angeles, the single was produced and co-written by Mark Jackson and Ian Scott; best known for being the team behind the artist Dorothy and the hit single ‘The River‘ by Bishop Briggs. “Nails in the Coffin has many different meanings,” says Jared. “It’s about overcoming the odds, always pushing forward. Never backing down or giving up to anything or anyone.”

2019  was a ground-breaking year for Jared as Gibson/Epiphone released his Signature Model Les Paul Custom Guitar along with the release of the Blackstar Amps JJN-20R MKII. Read an interview with Jared about his Signature Epiphone at https://bit.ly/2XFNN6h. Both models received rave reviews.

Hailed as one of the most exciting new blues rock guitarists around, Jared is no stranger to UK audiences. In 2015 he embarked on a European tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, followed by an extensive UK tour supporting the legendary Glenn Hughes, where he won over critics with across-the-board rave reviews. He also toured with Stone Broken and opened the Planet Rock Main Stage at Ramblin’ Man Fair 2017.

 Jared James Nichols – February/March 2020 UK Dates

Tickets: www.seetickets.com/tour/jared-james-nichols

The Robin 2, Bilston Tuesday 25 February
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham Wednesday 26 February
Yardbirds Rock, Grimsby Thursday 27 February
Think Tank?, Newcastle Friday 28 February
The Garage 2, Glasgow Saturday 29 February
Soup Kitchen, Manchester Friday 27 March
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London Saturday 28 March
Exchange, Bristol Sunday 29 March

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Scottish rock band Anchor Lane unveil their eagerly awaited debut album, ‘Casino‘.  Packed with immense sounding up-tempo tracks it showcases the band as exceptional rock musicians and skilled songwriters.

‘Fame Shame’is a raucous up-tempo rock track that condemns society’s fascination with technology and social media. The song was written by singer Conor Gaffney, guitarist Lawrence O’ Brien, bass player Matthew Quigley and drummer Scott Hanlon and produced by renowned rock musician, writer and producer Toby Jepson (Wayward Sons, Gun, Little Angels).

 The album was written by singer Conor Gaffney, guitarist Lawrence O’ Brien, bassist Matthew Quigley and drummer Scott Hanlon in Glasgow and recorded at Vale Studios in the Midlands with renowned rock musician, writer and producer Toby Jepson (Wayward Sons, Gun, Little Angels).

‘Casino‘ is a sonically exhilarating album from the band who take influences from Royal Blood, Nirvana, Soundgarden and The Foo Fighters.

On working with producer Toby Jepson, Conor said, “We learned so much from Toby. His ability to take a song and flip it on its head was so inspiring to us.”

Toby said, “Before I commit to working with a band, I need to get a sense of whether they have a genuine vision and something to say. When I heard the demos I knew there was some intuitive and intelligent writing going on.”

Rock legend Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, The Almighty) co-wrote two tracks on the album. Hook-driven opener Blood & Irony which features intoxicating howling vocals that showcase Gaffney’s prowess as a frontman and the incredibly catchy stadium-rock ‘Dead Run‘ which also features Warwick on backing vocals.

On writing with Ricky Warwick, Lawrence said, “Ricky’s direct approach to song writing was fascinating. He taught us to accept the simplicities and imperfections in the songs and it made them stronger.”

Ricky said, “Anchor Lane are everything a rock band should be. They have attitude, ability, swagger and most importantly songs… their passport to a very bright future is assured.”

Despite being in their early twenties, there’s a maturity to Anchor Lane’s song writing. They don’t shy away from tackling difficult subjects as Casino’s themes include toxic relationships, addiction and the death of a close friend.

First single ‘Fame Shame‘ condemns modern society’s fascination with social media and reality television. Scott said, “It’s about waking up to the fact that while you’re watching someone else’s life on the internet your own life is passing you by.”

The album’s title is a metaphor for the ever-changing music industry explained Matthew, “We called the album Casino because in this industry you either go all in or you leave the table. We gladly left our jobs to concentrate on writing the album. It’s a high-risk high-reward gamble but we’re here for the right reasons.” Toby Jepson adds, “When I met the guys, they said ‘We want to change the world, we want to write something that makes a difference.’ They’re ambitious with strength of character and real vision. This is their first album and judging by the material they’ve come up with so far, they have a very big future.”

Anchor Lane came to the public’s attention in 2017 with the release of their 4-track EP ‘New Beginning‘. Since then, they have toured incessantly scoring notable guest spots with Cheap Trick, Eagles of Death Metal and Tremonti. The band have garnered an impressive reputation as a thrilling and dynamic live act and have notched up significant appearances at renowned rock festivals including Download, Isle of Wight, Stone Free, Belladrum and Hard Rock Hell.

‘Casino’ will be released 31st January 2020 by R7 Records on CD, digital and Limited Edition 12” inch vinyl picture disc.

 Track Listing

  1. Blood & Irony
  2. Fame Shame
  3. Voodoo
  4. Casino
  5. Clocks
  6. Stone Cold Hearted
  7. Shell Of Me
  8. Flatline
  9. Dead Run (featuring Ricky Warwick)
  10. Honey

The official Anchor Lane App is available to download from the app store on iOS / Android or via https://anchorlane.fan.direct

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Black Stone Cherry are back with the official music video for their version of Otis Rush‘s ‘All Your Love‘. The song comes from the bands second riotous, rip-roaring tribute to their blues heroes on ‘Black To Blues Volume 2,’ which will be released on November 1st via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.

Speaking about the track, the band explain: “John Fred had the absolute honor to meet Mr. Rush when The Kentucky Headhunters played with him at the Blues Aid Festival in Helena Arkansas. His kindness and larger than life his personality was encouraging and stuck. When we did the BTB2 album, we had the idea to cover ‘All Your Love‘. The arrangement is true to the original but with our special BSC touch. I think he would be proud to know his music is still inspiring younger generations. Hope ya’ll enjoy!”

The first instalment of the series, ‘Black To Blues’, was released in October 2017 and crashed straight into #1 in the Billboard Blues Chart and reached the top 30 UK album charts. Following the reaction to the release Chris Robertson said; “We could have never dreamed of the reaction we got from “Black to Blues”. It was amazing to have such a positive reaction to our take on some of our biggest influences in music. Now we are back for round two and we have added our great friend Yates Mckendree on organ/keys and he also makes an appearance on guitar! We kept a couple artists in the line-up from last time and introduced a few others into the mix as well! We can’t wait for everyone to hear and feel how much fun we had recording this project!!”

Since the last blues EP the band released their latest studio album ‘Family Tree’ (2018), which reached the Top 10 UK Album Chart (their 3rd in a row) and Billboard Top 10 Hard Rock Albums. The band spent the time following that touring Europe extensively; including a 2018 UK Arena Tour with Monster Truck, a main stage sub-headline performance at Download Festival – under Guns ‘n Roses – plus performances at Graspop, Rock am Ring and stand out sets this summer at Wacken Open Air, a sold out Caerphilly Castle (Wales) and an explosive headline slot at Ramblin’ Man Fair. They have also criss-crossed their way around the US including shows with Gov’t Mule, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, Three Doors Down and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In amongst all of this, they still found time to record a hip-shaking new record and once again produced by the band themselves, they recorded it at Monocle Studios in Sulphur Well, KY. The EP kicks off with Robertson introducing McKendree on the organ as they launch into Freddie King’s ‘Big Legged Woman.’ It’s wild, raucous and has their own unmistakable groove woven through the song as has their unrelenting take on Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Down In The Bottom’ – both legends covered on the previous record.

Talking about King and Wolf, guitarist Ben Wells says; “Those are some of our absolute favourites. We always identify with those guys ‘cause they had grooves and riffs like we would put in our tunes. So we are naturally drawn to that.”

This is where the link between the blues and Black Stone Cherry weaves in so perfectly; the groove and heart of those early songs embody the essence and beginnings of Kentucky’s favorite rockers. “Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Howlin’ Wolf, and the like,” Wells explains. “We used to listen to that constantly growing up, and still do.  It’s what we grew up playing and learning together. It’s the DNA of what our band is. It’s not just us covering songs. It’s about doing our own version of each song.”

Track listing:

1. Big Legged Woman
2. Me & The Devil Blues
3. All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
4. Down In The Bottom
5. Early One Morning
6. Death Letter Blues

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Belgian guitarist Dushan Petrossi is not only the driving force behind IRON MASK, he is also the mastermind of the symphonic speed metallers MAGIC KINGDOM, which have released five albums and achieved international success, especially in Europe, Asia and South America.

Just one year after the band was founded, they released their 1999 debut ‘The Arrival‘, followed five years later by ‘Metallic Tragedy‘, which also received rave reviews. In particular, this album and the ensuing ‘Symphony Of War‘ make MAGIC KINGDOM complete and have them become a major player in their genre.
While IRON MASK is more along the lines of classical Hard Rock and neo-classical inspired Metal, this four-piece is much harder and faster –though no less fascinating and catchy.

New album ‘MetAlmighty‘ delivers 100% of what the fans are expecting, Dushan’s splendid guitar work combined with the strong vocal performance of Michael Vescera puts flesh on the songs: “Michael’s vocals are very expressive and passionate,” notes Petrossi. “He always gives 100% and holds nothing back. We needed someone like him and are very glad that he is part of the band now.”

Even though the name MAGIC KINGDOM conjurs up a certain innocence, you should not be fooled by it. The band’s sound has some serious balls, is deeply rooted in melodic metal and has definitively a mind of its own. The furious playing of Petrossi especially adds the neo-classical touch, no wonder that the excellent guitarist is compared to greats like Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Romeo. And so the new album ‘MetAlmighty‘ will kick off right where ‘Savage Requiem‘ ended. Enthusiasts of symphonic power metal will LOVE ‘MetAlmighty‘!.

Dushan Petrossi: Guitar, orchestral arrangements, lyrics
Michael Vescera: Vocals
Vassili Moltchanov: Bass
Michael Brush: Drums

Producer: Dushan Petrossi
Cover Artwork: Stan W. Decker
Studio: Iron Kingdom 11 Studio
Photographer: Bianca Ryckewaert

CD / DVD Tracklisting:

01 – Unleash The Dragon

02 – Wizards And Witches

03 – In The Den Of The Mountain Trolls

04 – Fear My Fury

05 – Rise From The Ashes, Demon

06 – Metalmighty

07 – So Fragile

08 – Temple Of No Gods

09 – Just A Good Man

10 – Dark Night, Dark Thoughts

11 – King Without A Crown

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Jack J Hutchinson has released an Official video for ‘Kiss Your Ass Goodbye‘, taken from his latest album ‘Who Feeds The Wolf?‘

You can read the review of ‘Who Feeds The Wolf?‘ Here

Order limited edition vinyl and digipack CD: http://www.jackjhutchinson.bandcamp.com

Line up:

Jack J Hutchinson – Vocals and Guitars
Felipe Amorim – Drums and Percussion
Lazarus Michaelides – Bass

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