NataliezWorld

Midsummer Scream one of many horror centered conventions, taking place during the summer time out in Los Angeles, California in Long Beach, CA. Not far from the oceanside and the historic Queen Mary out in the harbor. Midsummer Scream is set at Long Beach’s convention center, not quite as big as the Los Angeles convention center and not that small like the one in Pasadena. It’s one that is just right.

With that said, the convention takes place across three days, the weekend portion being the big crowd pleaser, as myself, attending that Saturday, it drew in the crowds. After arriving, parking being not so bad, walking to the convention center was a bit of a distance, and checking into get wristbands as displeasing, as a proper set up was not put into place and just wherever the organizers could place themselves, while walking about outside the venue itself.

But after getting checked in and heading into the venue, finding everything was simple by the map provided at the door. The hall of shadows being set up to have several mini haunted house mazes, with long lines was downstairs, with all else pretty much. The guests were also down below, with all of the vendors and food court as well. Vendor selection was extensive, lots to browse and check out, ranging from stickers, keychains, tshirts, posters, plush, toys, figures, etc. 

Food options had typical nachos, pizza, hot dogs, candies, soda, and food trucks outside in the patio as well. The rest of the convention center back upstairs had more vendors, and food options with an upper upstairs for the panels. Another room featured a theater showcasing numerous shows and another show room having a “Day of the Dead” arrangement which was nice. 

All in all Midsummer Scream for a first time experience was expected, nice, and a good horror vibe throughout. Lots of people decked out in their spooky costumes and proper attire, while all else there was scary good fun! Definitely worth checking out at least once.

Platinum-selling powerhouse Pierce The Veil — guitarist/vocalist Vic Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Preciado — have announced their Fall 2023 North American tour plans. The Jaws Of Life Tour kicks off on November 4 in Sacramento and runs through December 8 in San Diego. All dates are below. 

The band will hit the road on a headline run with L.S. Dunes, Dayseeker, and Destroy Boys in tow. It is truly a stacked lineup that shouldn't be missed!

TOUR DATES:

11/4 — Sacramento, CA — Hard Rock Live
11/5 — Fresno, CA — Fresno Convention Center
11/7 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre
11/8 — El Paso, TX — UTEP Don Haskins Center
11/10 — San Antonio, TX — The Espee
11/11 — Edinburg, TX — Bert Ogden Arena
11/12 — Houston, TX — 713 Music Hall
11/14 — Orlando, FL — House of Blues
11/15 — Orlando, FL — House of Blues
11/17 — Myrtle Beach, SC — House of Blues
11/18 — Corbin, KY — The Corbin Arena
11/19 — Macon, GA — Macon City Auditorium
11/21 — Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway
11/25 — Reading, PA — Santander Arena
11/26 — Columbus, OH — KEMBA Live!
11/28 — Chesterfield, MO — The Factory
11/30 — Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
12/2 — Des Moines, IA — Vibrant Music Hall
12/3 — Minneapolis, MN — The Armory
12/5 — Oklahoma City, OK — The Criterion
12/7 — Las Vegas, NV — Brooklyn Bowl
12/8 — San Diego, CA — Viejas Arena

After hitting the Spring 2023 festival circuit and a spate of headline dates in the U.S., UK juggernauts Bullet For My Valentine will return to North America for a proper and long-awaited headline tour this fall.

The tour kicks off on October 8 in Montreal and runs through November 10 in Orlando. Of Mice & Men and Vended will serve as support. 

It's the band's first full North American headline run since before the COVID-19 pandemic and is a welcome return to venues!

"After five long years, we're finally heading back to the USA and Canada for a proper headline tour," states frontman Matt Tuck. "We cannot wait to play and see you all again — it's been far too long."

TOUR DATES:

10/8 — Montreal, QC — Mtelus
10/10 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium
10/12 — New York, NY — Terminal 5
10/13 — Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore Silver Spring
10/15 — Philadelphia, PA — Franklin Music Hall
10/17 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE
10/18 — Cleveland, OH — The Agora
10/19 — Cincinnati, OH — The Andrew J. Brady Music Center
10/21 — Kansas City, MO — Uptown Theater
10/22 — Chicago, IL — Riviera Theatre
10/24 — Minneapolis, MN — The Fillmore Minneapolis
10/26 — Denver, CO — Mission Ballrom
10/28 — Flagstaff, AZ — Pepsi Amphitheater
10/29 — San Diego, CA — SOMA Mainstage
10/31 — Los Angles, CA — The Wiltern
11/1 — Phoenix, AZ — The Van Buren
11/2 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel Entertainment Center
11/4 — San Antonio, TX — Boeing Center At Tech Port
11/5 — Dallas, TX — House of Blues Dallas
11/7 — Houston, TX — House of Blues Houston
11/8 — New Orleans, LA — The Fillmore New Orleans
11/10 — Orlando, FL — Hard Rock Live Orlando

BOYS LIKE GIRLS is back with their latest single, "THE OUTSIDE," available today on all major digital streaming platforms.

"THE OUTSIDE," the third single from BOYS LIKE GIRLS this year, delves into the bittersweet nostalgia of growing up and the power of music to shape one's identity. Lead vocalist, Martin, shared a heartfelt reflection on the inspiration behind the song, recounting moments of youthful rebellion and the formation of lifelong friendships through music. The track is a triumphant outsider anthem that captures the essence of finding solace and connection through shared experiences. 

Check it HERE.

Check out the new single from thrash-metal legends EVILDEAD! The track is taken from their upcoming new studio album; a follow up to their album 'United States of Anarchy' that was released in 2020. The new single is entitled "Bathe In Fire" and has a lyrical theme that deals in depression and suicide.

“Unfortunately depression and trauma are common and widespread, but suicide is never a solution. You can make things better; there are people you may never know who care and love you.” - Phil Flores (EVILDEAD)

“In darkness there’s light; it might be faint, perhaps dimmed, but eventually it will shine.” - Juan Garcia (EVILDEAD / Body Count)

The song is available on all digital platforms HERE.

Russian Metal project War Of Shards released their new single «Paths of Shards» from the band's upcoming metal opera. The release was recorded by Roman Kosterin at his home studio, and mixed/mastered by Vadim Chernov
 

Check out the single linked below:

https://ageofrage.bandcamp.com/track/paths-of-shards
 
The Epic Metal opera War of the Shards is one of the most ambitious and global musical projects in Russia. An exciting story awaits you about the birth of new heroes and their dramatic fate, about immortal love and eternal war between irreconcilable enemies - the heroes of an alternative future; amazing music and fantasy illustrations that immerse you in another reality, where courage and rage, knowledge and mysticism converged between the stars.

Pump5, a long running rock group based out of Southern California, has been busy pushing their latest single “Make Me” and newest album Paradise Place, which was released on April 20th. As one of the hardest working independent rock groups in the region, the band has worked tirelessly with touring, recording and “pumping out” some of the best riffs, solos and vocal hooks in the genre. Paradise Place was produced by Dennis Hill (Face to Face, Fenix TX) and mixed by Mike Troolines (Ignite, Los Lobos). “Make Me” and the album are available to stream now on all DSPs. Check it over HERE.

MAL, an experimental rock band from Southern California, has announced their newest single “Madness As Lift” out now on all DSPs. The group is releasing the track on the heels of their recent 2023 singles “Hero’s Gold”, “Besides” and “Come To Light”. “Madness As Lift” will be included on their upcoming album, Come To Light, set for an August, 2023 release.  Check it HERE.

 Industrial metal band, Our Frankenstein has just unleashed their new video for the single, "Illuminate".

‘Illuminate’ is a song about finding the light that can exist in a barren and hopeless wasteland while building a better future for yourself. It's about forging forward and discovering the strength in yourself to move on past a difficult time in your life.

"Illuminate" is available on all major streaming platforms including Bandcamp. Check it HERE.

GRAMMY® Award-nominated Sevendust is releasing another piece of music from Truth Killer – the band’s 14th studio album and first via Napalm Records. “Superficial Drug” is an introspective rocker that showcases the band’s dynamic approach to melody – something that has always been the backbone of Sevendust’s signature sound. The band - Lajon Witherspoon, Clint Lowery, John Connolly, Vince Hornsby and Morgan Rose – reunited with director J.T. Ibanez (P.O.D., Loveless, Orianthi) for the third time to create visuals to support Truth Killer. The video features the band performing as cloaked figures representing “superficial drugs” try and overtake the band. The video can be seen here: https://youtu.be/X2o2hU72dcE.
 

FROM ASHES TO NEW continue to break their way into the top of the 21st century rock vanguard with their compelling new album BLACKOUT, out today (July 28), via BETTER NOISE MUSIC. Conceptually, BLACKOUT encapsulates the distress of the pre-apocalyptic world the Lancaster, PA band built with their groundbreaking 2016 debut DAY ONE, while mirroring the angst and unrest the world felt during the 2020 pandemic at which time it was written. Sonically, FROM ASHES TO NEW deliver a fresh spin on the sound that broke them onto the scene with their distinctive blend of hard rock, hip-hop, electronic and alternative music. BLACKOUT was produced by vocalist Matt Brandyberry, alongside longtime collaborators and producers Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak at Atrium Audio in PA. It features 12 tracks including their fifth-ever Top 10-charting rock radio single “Hate Me Too,” which peaked at #8 on Mediabase charts, and their latest anthemic single “Nightmare” which is now climbing the charts at Active Rock radio. Stream and/or download BLACKOUT or grab a physical copy on CD, vinyl or cassette at https://fatn.ffm.to/blackoutalbum.

“‘Blackout’ is our prequel to ‘Day One,’” says co-vocalist Matt Brandyberry. “‘Day One’ was a strong representation of the style that made FATN who we are today, and ‘Blackout’ is a step above. The world seems to be headed further and further towards chaos and destruction, so it only felt right to create a piece to paint the picture we are all becoming all too familiar with. Expect much more of this from us in the future!”

 “‘Blackout is the album we’ve always wanted to make,” relays co-vocalist Danny Case. “It’s intense, emotional, heavy, and most importantly, it’s us. This album truly represents who we are as a band and its massive sound will prove to be our best record yet. We are so incredibly proud of this album, and we are confident it will quickly become our fans’ favorite From Ashes To New record ever.”

To further celebrate BLACKOUT‘s release, FROM ASHES TO NEW have today shared a lyric video for their rap/metal hybrid track “Monster In Me” which can be seen streaming below or via YouTube HERE. 

KK’S PRIEST - the iconic heavy metal amalgamation of iconic Judas Priest alum and GRAMMY Award winning/nominated musicians K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (vocals), along with A.J. Mills (guitar), Tony Newton (bass) and Sean Elg (drums) - recently announced the upcoming release of their savage sophomore offering, The Sinner Rides Again, out September 29, 2023 via Napalm Records. On the heels of their highly-lauded 2021 debut album, Sermons Of The Sinner - which debuted within the Top 20 on charts in the United States, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland and more - KK’S PRIEST return to sin again!

Following up on the release of their blistering first single "One More Shot At Glory", today, KK’S PRIEST have unleashed another new track, this time entitled "Reap The Whirlwind", alongside another new music video! The electric opus is a classic heavy metal power thrust of soaring leads, hair-raising harmonics and earworm vocal hooks.

K.K. Downing says about "Reap The Whirlwind":

“'If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind’ - this is a common phrase that has been familiar with me from a very young age. Obviously it’s very meaningful - it’s a warning that if you mistreat people, or really whatever you do in life, you need to be very careful, because whatever sufferance you inflict on anyone, it could come back to haunt you, and your suffering could be even more severe. Everyone knowingly or unknowingly has made the mistake of thinking they can get away with small misdemeanors to suit their selfish pursuits, but if justice is to be served, you will reap exactly what you sow. That is the message of this song."

Watch the music video for "Reap The Whirlwind" HERE: https://youtu.be/v7Ir9BFZKqU.

Combining modern rock anthems with emo-drenched pop-punk melodies, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT caters to outcasts from all walks of life. Their over-the-top theatrics and loud, uncompromising music offer audiences a sense of community where the “weird kids” can let loose. The band have today (August 4) released the new single “Generation Psycho,” a sarcastic take on our current cultural climate. “Generation Psycho” will be featured on THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT’s debut album due later this year via Better Noise Music. The massive, no-holds-barred forthcoming release was co-produced by Johnny Andrews (Three Days Grace, Motionless In White, Halestorm) and Josh Landry, aka Lø Spirit (Motionless In White) while mixing and mastering was completed by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Arch Enemy). Check out the new track right HERE.

 “‘Generation Psycho’ is a statement piece from our band, a song about the out of control feeling so many people have about our culture, our society, and our government,” shares vocalist Lee Jennings. “The song captures the creeping fear of the future, of being outcasted and abandoned, and of falling through the cracks. We are hoping to connect with the disenfranchised and struggling with this song, the people who don’t know where to turn for help or guidance. We want to offer solace for people in this situation, so they know they are not alone in their fears, worries, and anxieties for themselves & their loved ones. So often it does feel like the whole world has gone crazy. We are no strangers to it and empathize with the experience.” 

THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT--Lee Jennings (vocals), Cody Weissinger (guitar), Caleb Freihaut (guitar/auxiliary), Robert Weston (bass) and Homer Umbanhower (drums)—have built an unwavering fanbase, The Coffin Crew, whom they devote their music to thus labeling their live performances as ‘devotion ceremonies.’ The ‘devotion ceremonies’ consists of full theatrics, stage décor, costumed actors and more. With previous tours alongside acts including Shinedown, Underoath, Skillet, Bad Wolves, From Ashes To New, Starset and Pvris under their belt and a main stage set at Inkcarceration Festival, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT will bring their devotion ceremonies to audiences across the U.S. this fall. The band will next be seen opening for horror rock mainstays Ice Nine Kill for their “Silver Scream Concert” on September 9 in Lynn, MA which takes place amidst Ice Nine Kills’ horror convention, Silver Scream Con. They will then make their way to Greenville, SC on September 13 to join the “Emo Dreams Tour” with Icon For Hire, Conquer Divide and Concrete Castles. The tour will make its way across the U.S. and a stop on September 22 in Toronto, ON before wrapping up on Halloween, October 31 in Memphis, TN. All upcoming dates can be found listed below.

TOUR DATES:

9/9 Lynn, MA – Lynn Memorial Auditorium (with Ice Nine Kills & Inspirit)

9/13 Greenville, SC - The Radio Room^

9/15 Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall^

9/16 Elmira, NY - The L (The Pit)^

9/17 Leesburg, VA - Tally Ho Theater^

9/18 Mechanicsburg, PA - Lovedraft's^

9/19 Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom^

9/20 Brooklyn, NY - Kingsland^

9/22 Toronto, ONT - Lee's Palace^

9/23 Erie, PA - Basement Transmissions^

9/24 Lakewood, OH - The Winchester^

9/25 Columbus, OH - A&R Music Bar^

9/26 Indianapolis, IN - Hoosier Dome^

9/27 Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache at The Intersection^

9/29 Joliet, IL - The Forge^

9/30 Des Moines, IA - Leftys^

10/1 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium^

10/3 Billings, MT - Pub Station^

10/4 Great Falls, MT - The Newberry^

10/6 Boise, ID - The Shredder^

10/7 Spokane, WA - Big Dipper^

10/8 Seattle, WA - El Corazon^

10/10 San Francisco, CA - Brick & Mortar^

10/12 Fresno, CA - Full Circle Brewing^

10/13 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues (Parish Room)^

10/14 Los Angeles, CA - The Mint^

10/15 San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick^

10/17 Las Vegas, NV - The Usual Place^

10/18 Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge^

10/19 El Paso, TX - Rockhouse^

10/20 Rosewell, NM - The Liberty^

10/21 Lubbock, TX - Jake's^

10/22 San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger (Small Room)^

10/24 Houston, TX - Scout Bar^

10/25 Corpus Christi, TX - House of Rock^

10/27 Destin, FL - Club LA^

10/30 Detroit, MI – Saint Andrews Hall (with Twiztid)

^ “Emo Dreams” Tour with Icon For Hire, Conquer Divide and Concrete Castles

Canadian melodic metal outfit LUTHARO riding across the East Coast of the US this Fall on a co-headlining run with thrashy power metal affront PALADIN. The tour kicks off on September 20th in Knoxville, TN and wraps on October 8th in Louisville, KY. Full dates and more information are available below.

LUTHARO commments: "IT'S TIME TO SHRED! We are super stoked to be joining our friends in Paladin for an epic tour this fall! Tickets are available next week and we hope to see you on the road! 🤘❤️‍🔥"

TOUR DATES:

9/20 Wed - Knoxville, TN - Brickyard Bar & Grill*
9/21 Thu - Columbus, OH - Spacebar*
9/22 Fri - Youngstown, OH - Westside Bowl (Downstairs)
9/23 Sat - Cleveland, OH - No Class
9/24 Sun - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
9/26 Tue - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR
9/27 Wed - Birmingham, AL - The Nick
9/28 Thu - Tallahassee, FL - The Bark
9/29 Fri - Gainesville, FL - Loosey's
9/30 Sat - Atlanta, GA - Boggs Social & Supply
10/1 Sun - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone
10/3 Tue - Washington, D.C. - Pie Shop
10/4 Wed - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
10/5 Thu - Brooklyn, NY - Kingsland
10/6 Fri - Providence, RI - Dusk
10/7 Sat - Erie, PA - TBD
10/8 Sun - Louisville, KY - Portal*

*Paladin only

Heavy metal rockers LORDS OF SALEM have been doing music creativity and releasing content for sometime now, releasing an EP, some single's, with even shows here and there. Bassist Marple does the talking about how this band came together, the music, and future ahead of them.

1. Where is the band from and what is the music scene like there, have any recommendations you think we should check out, as far as artists or other bands?

Hello the band is from Stuttgart, Germany. The scene here is probably like everywhere else, there are cool bands and certainly some that you don't like that much, it's something you like yourself.

2. How did and long has the band been together and get started?

The band was born in the two heads of Postel (singer) and Marple (bass) on the way home from "Wacken" in the "Metal Train" that was in 2017 and then LORDS OF SALEM started.

3. Where did the band's name come from is it based off of something or someone?

Yes, the name comes from the Rob Zombie film of the same name "The Lords of Salem" is a bit like Black Sabbath hehehehehe.

4. How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you before?

DEAD POP SEX ACTION is a mixture of everything we like and the MAD MAX movies!

5. What has been your latest release of music and can discuss it for us?

The current single "Summon Them From Their Graves" is the first of some until the forthcoming album.

6. How about musical influences, who do you look up too and why when creating the music that you do? 

Myself (Marple) am a very big KISS fan, but our songs come from everything, other music, films, books, I have no idea.

7. What is your writing and recording process like when making music? 

It's very different, I was recording with Holly (guitar) once and just said, let's record the moaning from a porn film and then a song came out of it somehow. There are many ways a song sees the light of day.

8. You have had one EP release "Hell Over Salem" released in 2019, and then a few single's since then, when can we expected another EP or perhaps LP release?

We're working on it right now, the first single "Summon Them From Their Graves" was the starting shot, now there's always something coming up until the album.

 9. How would you say you differ from other bands and artists on the scene?

I think our sound makes a big difference, but the whole package looks good here, check out the Hot Boys HAHAHAHAHA! 

10. What do you want to achieve as a band?

It would be cool if the band got big, that's the goal a cool rock n roll band for the fans. Of course we want to tour the world and stuff like a LORDS OF SALEM action movie, that's the smallest goal, isn't it? 

11. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Shows and tours are always being planned, it's just not that easy and it hasn't gotten any better since the C virus, people have to go to the concerts, even from the newer bands.

12. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can listen to LORDS OF SALEM on all streaming services, do as much as you can and watch the videos as often as you can, because that also helps for concerts etc. You can buy things through us or at the concerts, the widest what we shipped a t-shirt was to Tasmania/Australia.

13. What does next year hold for Lords of Salem?

I hope a lot of cool, cool festivals, cool shows, because we make cool music; we thank you for the interview and wish everyone the best and look forward to your feedback & support, see you soon Marple.

Alternative pop punk emo's KING OF CUPS recently released their debut track "Back To You" but previously have released other music before this as well. The band has plans to write and record even more music, having said music come in the forum of an EP or even album. The band chats about music, achievement, and much more below.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

We thought King of Cups looked and sounded cool. We wanted to be the king of people's emotions because that's what music is. We thought about King of Hearts, but there are a million bands called King of Hearts. We looked into another way of saying King of Hearts and King of Cups came up through what the playing card suits came from. So, King of Cups it is!

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We love Pop-Punk, Emo, and Alternative from the early 2000s era. This style of music is easy for us to write, so we go with it. We love it, so it works out. Also, I (Shaun) worked really hard to get my voice to work with this genre. Now that it does, we have to do it! Voice lessons paid off!

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yeah, we knew each other before King of Cups. Bryan was in a band with a friend from my high school. That's how I met Bryan. I joined that band after their bassist moved away, and it quickly fell apart. Then Bryan and I started Scarlet's Sonata. Then Bryan started a band called Astill, and I filled in the bass for that one. Then we were in Black It Out. After that, we were in If Looks Could Kill. Then after that, we were Black It Out again. We've known each other since 2005, so it's been a long time. We wanted to change our band name because Black It Out has a real Metalcore vibe. We're going more for a Pop-Punk, Emo, and Alternative thing.

4. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Bryan has been writing most of the music so, you'll have to ask him about that. I think it has to do with songs that inspire him. He takes that inspiration and writes something that works for him. He works on them until the music feels right for what he's going for.

For me, the lyrics have lately been about positive things. If they aren't positive, I put a positive spin on them. I do my best to make the lyrics more relatable than my past lyrics. Every line has to be good enough to be put on a T-shirt, tattooed on someone, or even scribbled on someone's binder.

5. What are your songs about, do they cover any specific topic?

As I said in the previous question, I try to make our songs as relatable as possible so anyone can project themselves into them. That's what music does, right? It takes you on a journey, so we make it easier by making the lyrics very general but with specific emotions.

"Back To You" is about when I met my wife. I met her twelve days before I was going to move to a different city. So, I had to turn the rizz to eleven. Somehow it worked. Anyhow, I constantly thought, why am I moving? Why am I moving from this lady? Well, lucky for me, I moved a mile from her mom's house. So, we ended up together, and our relationship started as long distance.

After a while, I came back to work in her area, and we've been together ever since. The song was released on our 10-year dating anniversary, so that's super special! In fact, she sang backup vocals in the song!

6. How about your latest release "Back To You", tell me about this track and it's accompanying music video?

Our latest track is getting a lot of love from the community. We made in New Noise Magazine, Vents Magazine, and Tuned Loud to name a few. We've been very lucky! "Back To You" has an interesting back story. Bryan wrote the music for it in 2011. We've often revisited it, but I couldn't put good enough vocals to it, so we tabled it. I was finally able to make it happen! I also worked super hard on making the lyrics and melody catchy and relatable.
 

During the bridge and last chorus, we had my wife, my voice teacher, and my mom sing backup vocals. Then, we hired a Nigerian choir to sing the backup in the bridge and last chorus too. The music video was all Bryan's vision. Bryan is great at that sort of thing. The story goes, I'm traveling to the show that we're going to play while I'm writing the song's lyrics in a notebook. So, a lot of it, I'm at a train station. I get to the venue, I knock on the door, Bryan lets me in, and we totally rock out on stage. It's awesome! Our music video is slated for release on August 2nd, 2023. Don't quote me on that. That's all Bryan's doing. So, it could be a week later, but I remember him saying August 2nd, 2023.

7. So this is the band's first ever release, why release such a track and does the band have anymore music in the pipe line?

Yes, this is our debut track as King of Cups, but we brought tracks we liked from when we were Black It Out. "Back To You" is a great track to start with. We do have a follow-up single coming out on September 13th, 2023. It's called "Missing You." I won't give any more away, I want people to be intrigued enough to want to listen to that too!

8. How would you say you differ from other bands and artists on the scene?

That's a tough one to answer without sounding pretentious. But, I feel like our music has great universal appeal where people who don't like Pop-Punk or Emo still enjoy our music. Think early 2000s TRL when Blink-182, Good Charlotte, Sum-41, and other bands like that were all over it. We also won't commit anything when we're recording unless it is absolutely going to get stuck in people's heads. Every riff and every line must be iconic and must be catchy!

9. What do you want to achieve as a band?

We've achieved a lot so far. As I said earlier, we got featured in New Noise Magazine. That was a huge dream of ours. It's amazing and surreal to know we've accomplished that. Now, we need a larger cult fan base who will love our music, share it and support us. We already have amazing fans. We'd love to have more, and we'd love to hear that King of Cups is someone's favorite band. That'd be a phenomenal feeling.
Maybe, even playing a sold-out show as King of Cups might be something we should strive for.

10. What does next year hold for King Of Cups?

As in 2024? We're probably going to write and record more music! Maybe, we'll even play that sold-out show. Who knows! I know we have an EP or album in store as soon as we're done recording all our singles. 2023 has treated us well. We know 2024 will be just as awesome! Maybe, we'll even answer more interviews and be on awesome publications like this one!

Thank you, Natalie!

Alternative rockers THE PHANTOM ROCKETS have been doing music for some time, releasing singles, then taking some time for themselves, to change things up. Only to return with an all new single coming soon, as well as an EP as well. The band talks of their content, playing shows and just doing what they do best with music making as each day goes bye.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

The band originally started as a power duo, just me (Stefano, guitars/vocals) and Mattia (Drums). We formed right before the whole pandemic thing started so we wrote the most of our songs during lockdown and the subsequent restriction period. 

After releasing a couple singles we realized our sound was taking a different direction. What we were writing was different and we felt we just couldn’t do it as duo. We then decided to add a bass player to the band and that’s how Albert (Bass guitar) joined the band. We now are a power trio, although we have another guitar player on live shows.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

I came up with the name even before the band started cause I’m a big fan of outer space, U.F.O.’s and all that weird stuff. The ghost rockets were sightings of rockets-missiles shaped unidentified flying objects in northern Europe (Scandinavia) during WWII. So, I just swapped ghost with phantom ‘cause it just sounds better to me.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We’re from northern Italy, actually we’re all located between Milan and Como Lake. Regarding the Italian music scene, well, that’s a difficult question.. I am pretty sure there are plenty of valid bands, the issue is that it is really complicated to show off here. Mostly after the pandemic. A lot of venues just shut down and the majority of the ones that made it through it just want tribute and cover bands to play because they guarantee a certain turnout, hence, a safe revenue. This really sucks ‘cause as I said, I’m sure Italy has a lot of good bands but they just don’t have a chance. The most of the bands that really want to commit try to get live shows abroad, I guess that’s the right path for an Italian band to have a little chance.

4. How would you describe your style?

We all come from different music backgrounds so our style is influenced by many genres.
Mattia is a huge fan of Frank Carter while I’m more into Rock/Americana like Ryan Adams rather than all that East Nashville songwriting scene so you can find all of that in our music.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We released 3 singles in the past two years, then, as I mentioned above we took a break to sort things out as our sound/style was changing. I actually never asked my self what people could expect from our music, it is more about what I expect from our work and in this case I hope people will understand where we’re coming from and mostly they can appreciate it.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Yes, we’re about to release the first single out of our upcoming EP “Come Undone”. The single will be the title track and will drop on August 2nd, 2023 on all streaming platforms along with the official music video on our YouTube channel @thephantomrockets. Besides that, we’re already working on new music, although, we don’t know yet if it will be for another EP or for an LP. We’ll figure it out..

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We played a few shows here in Italy lately while we were still working on the EP but we’re actually waiting for it to come out (might be around Sept. 2023) and then we’ll plan a set of shows to promote it.
As I said, playing your own music here is kinda difficult so that’s why we want the record to be out in order to plan shows abroad as well.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Nowadays it’s hard to plan a future for an emerging band. Music business is out of control so I guess you have to deal with it and take it step by step without creating high expectations. For sure, what we aim for is to play as many shows as we can (‘cause that’s the reason why we do this) and keep writing music.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can listen to our music on every streaming platform, watch videos on YouTube and follows us on Instagram (@thephantomrockets). As of now our merch is available at our shows but we’re working on a website with a shop section where you’ll be able to purchase our stuff.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

Well, I think listening to music is a very subjective matter. I go through a lot of different emotions when I listen to new music for the first time. Sometimes it’s “love at first listen”, sometimes it takes me a little longer to appreciate it and sometimes it’s just “ok, next”. Of course I wish people dug our music but mainly, I’d love people to feel something while listening to it. When you can speak to someone through your music, well, that’s when you have made it. Doesn’t matter if you’re Kings of Leon or the most unknown band down the street.. if you can speak to somebody through your music, that’s success.

Rock band MONKEY INTRUSION have several single's out currently, with them already hard at work upon the next release! The band discusses about their formation, music choices, releases, and more.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Monkey Intrusion are four very different characters.. Marco Bertoli on drums, Enrico Goti on voice and guitars as well as Vincenzo Reina and Marco Plesnicar on bass. The background of each member is musically pretty different and it came as a surprise that we could pull it together! Let's say that Marco on bass and Vincenzo started their first garage band back in school. All of us have had important experiences in different bands ranging different genres. Probably the most peculiar trait is that we have two main singers.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Well, that's interesting.. Vincenzo came back from a trip in Singapore where he read a warning in his hotel room saying that doors must stay shut due to monkey intrusion.. and we all had the same image of some musical monkeys intruding into the listeners' minds!

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We all come from Triest, an average town at the very border between Italy and Slovenia. The musical scene is mainly rooted in blues/rock blues.. which is good for several reasons but sometimes it feels too tight. On the genre I would recommend Jimmy Joe's Band and Jacopo Tommasini.. my favorite bands though are more rock/prog/psychedelic like Asterya and Power Powder.

4. How would you describe your style?

Most definitely we would like to avoid any definition! Of course that's impossible.. Let's say there are the influences of each member of the band varying from the prog rock of deep 70's to punk, grunge, metal and some Latin feel. We just hope the blend doesn't sound ordinary.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We've released three singles so far.. The Brighter Side, Fire Dancer and Life. The full album is yet to be released next autumn. The very idea is to surprise the listeners with unexpected changes of mood keeping the sound of the band recognizable.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Yeah sure! We are already working on the next album!

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

That's always the main issue.. fortunately living on a border and very close to another country like Austria things are moving in the right direction.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

The main goal would be touring around Europe.. trying to intrude into the more minds we can!

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

We are on the main digital platforms with our singles.. If you choose to buy instead of listening for free would be a really nice thing.. but we are just pleased if you give it a try!

https://youtube.com/@MonkeyIntrusion-oh8xv
https://spotify.link/7iyVkZmvxBb
https://music.apple.com/it/artist/monkey-intrusion/1692368979
https://www.facebook.com/monkeyintrusion
https://instagram.com/monkeyintrusion?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
https://www.twitter.com/monkintrusion

 10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

"Wow that's intriguing!"

Rockers CAPSIDE have been actively doing their own thing since the 90's. Over that span of time, the band has had not one but three full-length album's to date. A most recent being out and about currently, with the band always figuring out newer music as they go with the flow. The band talks about these released and their time together.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Capside were born in 1992 from the idea of five guys with a passion for alternative music. We only ever play our music, early on, a mix of medieval progressive, punk and hard rock. After a few changes, the band settles down in 1997 with the current line-up: Valentina Casu voice, Roberto Casada, drums, Manolo Ciuti, bass, Giovanni Casada, keyboards, Martino Faedda, Guitar. The style veers into symphonic progressive with jazz and sophisticated pop elements.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Capside (to be read in "Latin") would be the external envelope of a viral particle. A metaphor, in this case, instead of the virus there is the band that is not influenced by external factors. The concept was to do what we liked without falling into commercialism and the "Capside" shell was used to defend ourselves from the temptations of the conformist outside world. We were young and idealistic, huh. :)

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We live on the beautiful island of Sardinia, in the northern city of Sassari. Ours is a town that has always had a brilliant music scene, very diverse with local bands proudly playing their music. These days it is a little more difficult to be able to attend alternative music concerts, the locals prefer to play tribute bands or cover bands. But there is no shortage of adequate spaces and we try to occupy them. There are so many good bands: for example the very tough Reatzione, with their trash metal groove. Or Loose Sutures with their stoner doom hard rock. We also remember the fantastic blues guitarist Francesco Piu, also known nationally. And then the very young Daniela Pes, an alternative singer-songwriter who is already doing great things. We are forgetting many and there are many other good island artists in Cagliari, in the south of the island.

4. How would you describe your style?

Over the years we believe we have created a very personal synthesis of our rock. Undoubtedly progressive rock elements are mixed with jazzy and pop veins in the noblest sense of the term. We like to play with music, with all music, and we can't stay inside musical or genre cages. The binder is certainly Valentina's voice but also a certain way of arranging the various ideas that gradually emerge.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

Capside have released three official albums, Capsidea (2009), Tous les hèros (2018) and the latest, just released, Ladyesis. We are very attached to all our records, they are fundamental pieces of our musical story. Probably Ladyesis is our artistic zenith, music and words have merged together like never before. We call it a prog album for its freedom to explore, but symphonic tracks alternate with introspective ballads, funk fusion songs and jazzy pop and even almost doom metal. In short, variety of sounds, genres, but always declined in our way.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Well, with Ladyesis coming out we are focused on its promotion and diffusion. It is true that we never stop composing. An example can be the song Cieli di Piombo, which we composed during the mastering stages and didn't have time to include it on the new album. Cieli di Piombo  (Lead Skies) is a blues that talks about the disasters of war, therefore more current than ever. You can listen to a live version on YouTube.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We are organizing some dates especially for the autumn and we have the idea of making some videos to properly promote the album. There are many surprises in the pot.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

The plan is to have fun, enjoy our music, be together in harmony. We literally grew up together as a family and it is essential for us to come together to create new musical adventures.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

For Ladyesis we have printed physical copies in Vinyl and CD format. For the purchase you can contact us on our Facebook.com/CapsideSardinia/, while you can find all our records on bandcamp at the address capside1.bandcamp.com/music.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

Getting to people's hearts is our greatest desire. Let yourself be enraptured by our particular harmonies, by the voice of Valentina who tells us her feminine vision of the world around us. It will be a journey to unknown shores, sometimes fiery harmonies followed by more reflective and passionate music. Introspective and urban tales or descents into hell to discover the human mind.

Metal go getters ALLOCER have recently released their debut EP, with newer music planned as it were and expected soon. The band goes into discussion about this EP, themselves, and what the future holds.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members. 

The band started almost 10 years ago with our vocalist Joel who started the band with a friend at his work, when he found they had a shared love of death metal. Myself (Grant, guitar) joined the band 5 years ago when I answered an ad on Facebook for a death metal band that was looking for a guitarist. The band at the time was jamming in Joel’s living room, at that first jam I showed up struggling to play their intense tracks they had but then at the end of the jam I showed them a riff I had which was the intro riff to Crimson Countess and after that I was in. Our drummer at the time decided to move on and myself and Joel set to the task of finding new members. It took us many years of searching to find the current line up but it was worth the wait. We have a rock solid lineup now who are all exceptional at what they do and the band has never sounded better.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name? 

Allocer (pronounced ‘Allo Sir' by us if you weren’t sure how to say it) is a Great Duke demon who induces people to immorality and teaches arts and all mysteries of the sky. Our vocalist Joel came up with the name for the band when it very first started.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend? 

We are based out of a city called Perth, the capital of Western Australia and the most isolated capital city in the world. We have pretty healthy metal and hardcore scenes here and some killer venues for gigs. The almighty Make Them Suffer are from Perth and all of our members grew up watching them and sometimes sharing the stage with them in other bands, also Voyager who recently played Eurovision are from here too. We have friends in a local band called Sedative that are doing some pretty big things right now and worth checking out. Our vocalist Joel also does vocals for a band called Paradise in Exile that are looking to release some new music soon. We also have a show coming up with Vile Mutilation, Dripped and Iniquitous Monolith who are all great bands along with some other death metal greats like Xenobiotic and Grotesque that we have here too. Lastly and this is a massively biassed opinion but a band called I Am Eternal who sadly are no longer around released an amazing album called Conflictions that is a must listen.
 
4. How would you describe your style? 

We wear our Black Dahlia Murder influence on our sleeve and aren’t afraid to show it but we also draw a lot of inspiration from all types of metal. The main thing that we try to directly take from Dahlia is simply their sense of having fun listening to something that’s brutal and we think we have achieved that with The First Offering and hope we continue to have in all of our songs. Going forward we want to further blend in our other influences from bands like Cattle Decapitation, Archspire, Carnifex, Cannibal Corpse and Aborted, along with a myriad of grind and black metal bands to expand our songwriting and push ourselves musically.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works? 

We recently released our debut 5 track EP titled, The First Offering. We’d been sitting on these tunes for what felt like forever and then some so it’s been all smiles in the Allocer camp since the release. What can someone expect? Well there’s the usual 3 B’s, Blastbeats, Breee’s and Breakdowns but I think besides that listeners can expect to hear a story with each song and hopefully get transported to the dark little worlds we try to create each time they listen to them.

6. Do you have any new music in the works? 

We’re hoping to release a new single in the coming months. Then the next major release will be 6 tracks released as two 3 track EP’s, we can’t give out too many details just yet but we’re looking to push ourselves musically with both releases and broaden our sound to showcase some of our less obvious influences.
 
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out? 

We’ve actually been on a pretty steady run in our hometown with a show a month for most of the year. We launched our EP at a great local metal night called Hornography, opened a local festival called Stormrider, supported a great local band called Aviscerus who launched their album, played with hometown heavyweights Xenobiotic and over east band Nicholas Cage Fighter while on their Australian tour and in August we’ll be playing on the Liquified Torment tour.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band? 

We just wanna get as much of our music to as many people as possible and play as many gigs as we can anywhere that will have us. We’ve been sitting on a lot of music for a long time and now that we’ve got the Allocer train rolling there ain’t no stopping it.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff? 

The First Offering is on all main streaming platforms so you should be able to get it wherever you listen to music. We run our merch through our Bandcamp where we currently have 2 shirt designs and a limited run of CD’s available. All our shirts are printed on AS Colour shirts, which are super comfortable and great quality, and our CD comes in a quality Jewel case with a 6 page fold out lyric book. We have a long sleeve design that is absolutely killer due soon and will hopefully have some Allocer hats and beanies on there in the near future. We’re all death metal merch fiends in the band so we hold our merch to a high standard. Hit us up on the Facebook and Instagram pages too, we appreciate the like and or the follow but we’re also all big music nerds so if you have any questions for us about the songs or just want to have a chat about guitars, drums and death metal we’re always down for it.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?  

If there was one thing we wanted people to remember when they first hear the EP it would have to be……..

Sawney bean
And his inbred horde
Reside in a cave
With his wedded whore
Fucking and feasting
On human bodies
Pickling remains for a later day