ICYMI – Week Ending 21st June
They say a week’s a long time in football, well in the world of music and in particular anything of the heavy variety it can be an eternity. New albums released or pledged, new songs for our aural pleasure, new music videos for a bit of eye candy, all important tour news and of course nothing is better than a bit of rumour or gossip and let’s not forget unfortunate accidents, overdoses and injury. Yes, the music industry may be fickle in parts but it can provide enthusiasts an endless bundle of entertainment. Hence, we at Wall of Sound have a new segment to the website, subtly entitled ICYMI – yep, we’re big fans of acronyms, so crack a frothy or whip up a cup-of-Joe and kick back and enjoy the week that was.
To kick things off, Machine Head, currently in NZ, have commenced their ‘Evening with’ tour, before travelling to the east coast of Australia early this week and concluding with one of the many sold out shows across the nation in Perth at the end of the month. By the sounds of things, it will be nothing short of epic. 2 and a ½ hours of pure Machine Head, no support bands, no bullshit. If you haven’t got your ticket, beg, borrow or steal as this will be one show you will regret not being a part of. Get yours here
Whilst on the touring agenda, Soundworks Touring this week announced the monster tour of tech-death yanks, Nile who will be accompanied by metalcore legends, Unearth. If that wasn’t enough to whet the appetite down the track, 3 piece thrashers, Toxic Holocaust are attempting an Australian tour for a 3rd time, following two failed attempts to get down under with a string of dates early October. Unfortunately no Perth date, as yet.
A raft of music videos were released this week and unfortunately we can’t name them all, but here’s a few to test your speakers;
Mastodon have released their 3rd music video from the epic album, Once More ‘Round the Sun. Check out, ‘Asleep in the Deep’
Metal titans, Slayer, offered up another track from their forthcoming album of the same name, here’s ‘Repentless’
The Anselmo-led Down dropped an official live music video from the EP, Down IV Part II with ‘Hogshead/Dogshead’, recorded live in New Orleans.
Post-punk, come alternative, meets hardcore mashed up Swedes, Refused released ‘Dawkins Christ’ from the album Freedom available June 29th
Industrial band, Fear Factory unleashed their first track, ‘Soul Hacker’ from the much anticipated album due for release August 7th, GENEXUS
Not to be outdone, American death metal merchants, Obituary delivered an animated music video to the track, ‘Violence’ from the album Inked in Blood
The rumour regarding Slipknot’s future was painted slightly greyer this week with frontman Corey Taylor revealing that the band may go into 2 year hiatus following their current touring schedule. Gasp! In other news, Dillinger Escape Plan and Killer be Killed’s one of three front men, Greg Puciato will delve into his electronic side, announcing this week a side project named The Black Queen. Puciato is set to explore a more electronica-heavy side. Look away now or creative genius? Only time will tell….
On the album front, massive news with heavy metal royalty, Iron Maiden, set to release a double album The Book of Souls, with one track clocking in at an impressive 18 minutes! That’s not a typo!
Finnish metallers Children of Bodom will release their ninth studio album, I Worship Chaos, worldwide on October 2 via Nuclear Blast. The digibook edition will contain three cover songs with the band bizarrely taking on the Top Gun classic, ‘Danger Zone’, originally recorded by Kenny Loggins.
Also announced this week were Welsh Reggae meets metal band, Skindred who will drop 6th album, Volume in late October.
Innocence & Decadence will be the title of Swedish psychedelic rockers, Graveyard’s 4th album out in September. As always, the Nuclear Blast folks will deliver a bevy of formats and pre-orders.
Following a successful Australian tour and on the back of the brilliant, Transgender Dysphoria Blues release of 2014, punks, Against Me are set to release their first live album on September 4th, with 23 Live Sex Acts. Yep, you guessed it, 23 tracks of Laura Jane Grace spitting venom into the mike….we can’t wait!
Finally, we all like free music and streaming is all the rage these days, so check out this bunch of tracks released for our amusement over the last week….
Pro Pain ‘Age of Disgust’
Symphony X ‘Without You’
The Devil Wears Prada ‘Supernova’
Miss May I ‘I.H.E’
Finally for a special treat for the Jello Biafra (former Dead Kennedy’s front man) fans with his ‘one of many ‘side’ projects or ‘one-off’ performances, Jello Biafra & The New Orleans Raunch and Soul All-Stars have made available the long-rumoured, sweat-soaked live album from the night Bill Davis (Dash Rip Rock) and Fred Le Blanc (Cowboy Mouth) dared Jello Biafra to join them during Jazzfest and sing all classic New Orleans soul, rhythm and blues, and (at Jello’s request) garage songs! Joining in were piano Wildman Pete “Wet Dawg” Gordon (Mojo Nixon), Pepper Keenan (Down, Corrosion of Conformity) and a wacky horn section from Egg Yolk Jubilee and Morning 40 Federation that even includes a sousaphone!
….’til next week
Plugga (@Plugga73)