News
Columbus, Ohio metalcore act Contentions have premiered a new music video for their song, "Colorblind." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
The band says, "This song serves two purposes—giving you all the first listen into our full length record and spreading the message that no matter who, or what you are, no matter who or what you love, WE ARE ALL EQUAL."
For more on Contentions, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Symphonic metal act Kamelot will release their new album, 'Haven,' on May 4 via Napalm Records. In anticipation, the bad has teamed up with Revolver to premiere their new song and lyric video for "Veil of Elysium." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
To get 'Haven,' visit the band's website. For more on Kamelot, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
KAMELOT North American Tour With Special Guest: Dragonforce:
4/27: Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
4/28: Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theater
4/29: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/1: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
5/2: Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
5/3: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theater
5/5: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
5/6: Joliet, IL @ Mojoes
5/7: Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights
5/9: Winnipeg, MB @ Garrick Centre
5/10: Saskatoon, SK @ Louis Pub
5/11: Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
5/12: Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall
5/14: San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center
5/15: Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove
5/16: Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
5/18: Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
5/20: Austin, TX @ Emo's
5/21: New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Civic Theater
5/22: Birmingham, AL @ Iron City Live
5/23: Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
Metal comedian Steve Terreberry, or Stevie T, will be releasing his new album, 'Album of Epicness,' on April 28 via Artery Recordings. Here, he's teamed up with Revolver to premiere his Motionless in White parody video, "Emotionless and White." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
To get 'Album of Epicness,' visit Artery's webstore. For more on Stevie T, visit his Facebook and YouTube.
Teenage rocker Diamante will release her new EP, 'Dirty Blonde,' on April 7. In anticipation, she has teamed up with Revolver to premiere her new song, "There's a Party in My Pants (And You're All Invited)." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
Diamante says, "'There's a Party in My Pants and You're All Invited' is about bringing all different kinds of people together despite their race, age, sexuality, etc. and genuinely having fun. The people I have met living in Hollywood these past few months and the real-life experiences I've had inspired the rebellious spirit in this song. I wanted to write something that was in-your-face, upbeat, and more than anything, something that defied societal norms and really spoke to everyone."
To get 'Dirty Blonde,' visit iTunes. For more on Diamante, visit her website, Facebook and Twitter.
MORE DIAMANTE: Check out our latest Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock issue.
Alesana recently kicked off their headlining tour with Capture the Crown, The Browning, Conquer Divide, and The Funeral Portrait. As the band continues to tour in support of their latest album, 'Confessions,' which will be released via Revival Recordings on April 21, they will be blogging about their experiences for Revolver. Watch their lyric video for "Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen" at the bottom of the post.
Entry by Shawn Milke.
Today Is: Sunday March 29, 2015
Where I Am: Raleigh, North Carolina, five days until The Confessions Tour begins.
Where I Am, Literally: Breakfast nook with my wife while our boys nap upstairs
Time of Day: 2:05 p.m.
What I Am Listening To: a record called 'Romance' by Tubelord
Welcome, one and all, to the first installment of a six-week blog series that I will be doing, very proudly, here at RevolverMag.com. I feel inclined to mention that Revolver has been a mainstay of support for Alesana during our career and we are extremely grateful for the care, consideration, and attention. It is a blessing to have had such an accredited media outlet behind us during our career. Okay, enough gushing. People are going to start staring.
For those of you who have read my blogs in the past, welcome back! To the newcomers, a bit about my approach. I do not write traditional tour blog entries. While I find no specific fault with the whole "Hey, here is what I ate today. Man, the show was so rad! I'm tired, I miss home" approach, it's just not my style. Let's just go ahead and assume that I will eat food, play shows, and miss home. If something of particular note happens within those dynamics, maybe I'll mention it. Maybe I won't. Who knows. I like for my blog entries to make you think. They will not be grand expositions on the meaning of life, or heated debates about politics or religion. Nothing like that. I just want to give you a little glimpse into the way my mind works and, hopefully, it gets your gears turning. My entries will be devoid of negativity, violence, or foul language. Again, not my style. Lastly, I always like to include something fun at the end and this time around I will be doing "The Mount Rushmore of ________". You can then feel free to tell me what an idiot I am and leave your refuting Mount Rushmore in the comments.
My topic this week is the idea of longevity. A pair of things happened in the couple of weeks leading up to this entry that sort of triggered a desire in me to rant. I say rant loosely because I'm not necessarily emotional or worked up over it. I'm just…stimulated. My case is divided into two parts.
Part One: 11 Years and Counting
This week Alesana released "Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen," the first single from our fifth studio full length 'Confessions,' available April 21 via Revival Recordings. Shameless plugs aside, that is one hell of an accomplishment. Eleven years ago Patrick and I were just two dudes living in a warehouse in Baltimore, Maryland dreaming of what it would be like to make records people like and play shows all over the world. Beyond even my wildest dreams we are still doing that today, only now I am releasing the music on my own record label. In a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately industry that at most times is incredibly fickle, this is not something to ignore. Bands come and go with the seasons and, due entirely to our incredible core fan base, Alesana has stood the test of time and transcended generations.
At a show last fall a generous fan bought me a beer. We chatted for a couple of minutes and I came to learn that he saw Alesana play for the first time when he was 13. What was once a 13-year-old kid at his first rock and roll show was now a grown man spending time with me in a bar. At this very same show I had the pleasure of meeting a young fan at our VIP Meet & Greet. She was 13. Somehow, some way, Alesana has managed to maintain the loyalty of our oldest and dearest fans while still finding ways to reach out and attract entirely new generations of fans. My mind was blown.
I guess I had never really considered that possibility until that night. This experience, this dedicated following that just keeps growing and growing, is not happening by accident. There is not some four-leaf clover that we wished upon one day long ago. It is happening because we work hard, we believe in our art, and we treat our fans with positivity and respect. They are not but a mere part of our journey; they are our journey. It is a dance we have choreographed over time. Our approach has always been simple; Write what we love, play with our hearts, engage the fans who believe in us. Basically, if you don't like what you hear, take a hike. To quote the greatest movie of all time, 'Almost Famous': "We play for the fans, not the critics." The world of art is one with infinite possibilities, why pigeonhole yourself and conform to the desires of the disloyal? Not on my watch. Any and all recognition or accolades we have received, we have earned.
Part Two: Crying Piccolo Girl
Right around the time we were finishing up the mastering process for 'Confessions,' yet another Internet phenomenon began: Crying Piccolo Girl. For those of you who do not know who she is allow me to catch you up as quickly as I can because I refuse to give more than a few sentences to introducing this nonsense. The NCAA March Madness basketball tournament is currently taking place. I am from Philadelphia and therefore root for any Philadelphia colleges that happen to make the big dance. I am a Temple University fan, first and foremost, but with them not participating this year I put my rooting interests behind another Philadelphia school, Villanova University. By the second round they were ousted, ironically enough, by NC State, the university here in Raleigh. Disappointed? Sure. Upset? Nah. There was, however, one girl who seemed rather distraught and she has since become known simply as "Crying Piccolo Girl." Moments after the stunning defeat the cameras closed in on a girl in the Villanova University band and, spoiler alert, she plays the piccolo. Her school had just lost in very disappointing fashion and she, like many other students, was visibly upset. As she breathed her talented lungs into that piccolo the cameras caught several tears streaming down her face. Did I chuckle? Sure, maybe a little. Did I immediately take seven screenshots and post it from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, MySpace, AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Friendster, and Playstation Network? GOOD GOD, NO. I mostly just sympathize with the girl. Losing is not fun, especially when you are emotionally invested.
Things that were once good for a fleeting gasp, or even one good, solid belly laugh, have now become fodder for hours and days worth of "entertainment." I say hours and days because that is exactly how long Crying Piccolo Girl lasted. She, like every Chocolate Rain and Black&Gold dress before her, is not offering anything that even resembles substance so she of course disappears into the abyss of "how did I ever find that funny?" I'm not trying to pooh-pooh the thing as a whole. When something is funny, we laugh. Laughing is fun. Maybe you tap the arm of your friend sitting next to you and say something to the affect of, "Hey, did you see that? That girl playing that flute, or whatever, is crying." Your friend then returns with, "Yeah, haha. Pretty funny." I would even be willing to bet that neither of you would actually be laughing during the exchange, like really laughing. Actual laughter. There is a difference between something being funny to the point of laughter and something being "haha." In fact, if you know someone who saw Crying Piccolo Girl and legitimately laughed please put me in touch. I have to know what they are seeing that I am missing. I would also be willing to bet that both of you posted something about it online and included some variation of a laughing emoji while claiming that you and your friend can't stop laughing. That makes us liars, or at the very least, exaggerators. And for what purpose? What end are we trying to accomplish with those means?
Its as if, as a society, we now have to like everything that everyone else likes for fear of being late to the party. Well, what if the joke was never funny to begin with? Do you know that Crying Piccolo Girl made an appearance on Jimmy Fallon? Read that again. Crying Piccolo Girl made an appearance on Jimmy Fallon. For what? For being upset that her school lost? For playing the piccolo? I am legitimately confused. Meanwhile, accomplishments worthy of our attention go unnoticed every single day. Breathtaking art gets shoved under the carpet because it doesn't matter to enough people, or won't draw in enough advertising to justify exposure. Yet, Crying Piccolo Girl somehow does. Congratulations, society, it is our fault.
We desperately need to shift our focus to noteworthy accomplishments, not only in art, but in all walks of life. Why do we lend more credence to, spend so much time with, a story like CPG and only give a passing glance to something as cool as, say, a band surviving the ups and downs of a capricious industry who's model is designed to recycle talent as earnestly and often as possible? I understand there is a difference between the depth and levity of the opposing stories, and sure it is fun to sometimes laugh at nothing at all. All I am asking is that we spend more energy balancing the two, find a place where each get to have the same platform.
Was Crying Piccolo Girl funny? Maybe. Did the video of Crying Piccolo Girl do anything to warrant a week in the spotlight? Absolutely not. Maybe we should stop spending so much of our time trying to "break the Internet" and more time paying attention to accomplishments that have earned our attention.
It is great to be back and I look forward to writing again next week. Until then, I give you my Mount Rushmore of Current Television Shows. Again, please share yours in the comments!
MOUNT RUSHMORE OF CURRENT TELEVISION SHOWS
'Game of Thrones'
'The Walking Dead'
'Better Call Saul'
'Mad Men'
Check out this dude, Banjo Guy Ollie, totally killing Metallica's "Enter Sandman" on banjo and mandolin! Let us know what you think in the comments.
Winner of 8 awards at the 2014 Icelandic Film Awards, 'Metalhead,' is a film directed by Ragnar Bragason that follows a young Icelandic girl whose love for metal stems from witnessing the gruesome death of her metalhead brother. Her passion for metal only deepens as she gets older, despite facing alienation from her community and family who remain in shambles following their son's death.
'Metalhead' will be released on VOD by Cinelicious Pics on April 3 and on iTunes.
Below, Bragason picks his Top Five Songs that appear in the movie.
1. Judas Priest, "Victim of Changes"
"From 'Sad Wings of Destiny.' A key moment in the history of metal and a key song in the film. That piercing scream by Halford still resonates after 40 years. A film titled 'Metalhead' can't be without a Judas Priest track."
2. Savatage's "Strange Wings"
"From 'The Hall of the Mountain King.' A great song but often overlooked because of the number of exceptional songs on that album. When writing the script, I was looking for a song that reflected the main character, her alienation and uniqueness—both in feel and lyrics. Opening line is, 'She is a native of the stormy skies.' A great opening riff by the late Criss Oliva."
3. Lizzy Borden's "Me Against the World"
"An '80s classic for sure. Originally I intended to use 'I Wanna Be Somebody' by W.A.S.P, but got a refusal from Blackie Lawless on the grounds that the story of the film, or the events depicted, didn't adhere to his current religious believes—which I thought was quite funny. So I went with my other choice and it fits perfectly to the story."
4. Riot's "Run for Your Life"
"From 'Restless Breed,' which is one of my all-time favorite metal albums. Riot were the U.S. equivalent to the NWOBHM, a kick ass band that doesn't fully get the respect they deserve. The scene where Hera frees the hoard of sheep in the slaughterhouse needed a fast galloping song, and the choice was between this one and 'Run To The Hills' by Iron Maiden."
5. Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction"
"From 'Countdown to Extinction.' I wanted a song that represented the year the film ends on, 1992 to be exact. I also wanted a song by one of the original thrash bands and that specific song was perfect for the final scene of the film. It has a great riff and hook that plays perfectly to the emotional release I was going for."
This week sees new shit from Hollywood Undead, Nightwish, We Are Harlot, and more hitting stores. Check out the list of releases below and let us know which ones you're snagging a copy of and which record should be the Album of the Week. Pick your favorite and feel free to vote as many times as you want. Voting ends on Monday, April 6, at noon, when the results will be announced.
UPDATE: The poll has closed. To view the results, click here.
The following article is from Revolver's April/May 2015 issue. It is available for purchase in our webstore.
"We're a well-oiled machine right now, for sure," says singer and keyboardist Tommy Rogers speaking to Revolver from Basement Recording in North Carolina, where Between the Buried and Me are currently putting the finishing touches on 'Coma Ecliptic,' their upcoming seventh studio album of original material. And while the progressive metal act seemed to reach the heights of sheer progginess on their last two releases, the conceptually linked 'The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues' EP and the full length 'The Parallax II: Future Sequence,' Rogers reports that creating the new record has been, in comparison, "way more work. Way more."
As for why the writing and recording process has been so intense this time, Rogers says it is partly due to the fact that "the material is very different for us, and we're pushing ourselves. I wouldn't say it's a new sound, but it's not as heavy and it's weirder at times. More grown-up. I think it's the biggest stylistic change for us since the period from [2005's] 'Alaska' to [2007's] 'Colors.'"
Musically, Rogers reports that the new material focuses "a lot more on melody." And vocally, he found inspiration in an unlikely source: the fantastical soundtrack work of Danny Elfman, best known for scoring Tim Burton movies like 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' "A few years ago I saw Danny play with a full orchestra, and he was singing all his material from the Tim Burton movies," Rogers says. "There was this certain intensity he had that I'd never seen before from someone who wasn't screaming. That stuck with me and motivated me to try different things vocally—to be intense and aggressive without always going for the big growler scream."
Much like on the 'Parallax' EP and full length, the songs on 'Coma Ecliptic' are linked by a conceptual story. Explains Rogers, "The short version is it's about a man who goes into a self-induced coma and then travels through all his past lives to see if he can find a better life. But he finds out that none of those lives were ideal, either. It's a 'grass is always greener' type of thing. The whole story has a really dark and uneasy vibe that was inspired by the old 'Twilight Zone' series and David Lynch movies."
Though Rogers says that due to the band's busy recording schedule he "still hasn't had time to sit back and listen to the whole album straight through," he's excited for what looks to be a new step in Between the Buried and Me's evolution. "One of the most fun things about being in this band is that we're constantly pushing and growing with each other. I always think we're gonna run out of things to say, but we never do. We just get stronger and stronger with each record." RICHARD BIENSTOCK
In last week's album of the week poll, you, the fans, voted One-Eyed Doll to the top spot, for their album 'Witches.' Check out the top five vote-getters below:
1. One-Eyed Doll - Witches
2. Von Hertzen Brothers - New Day Rising
3. Thursday - Waiting: The 15-Year Anniversary Edition
4. A.D.D. - Core
5. Vamps - Bloodsuckers
Stay tuned for this week's poll, which will be live tomorrow on RevolverMag.com. Until then, you can check out One-Eyed Doll's 'Witches' below: