Month: July 2023

Asking Alexandria have shared details of their eighth studio album, ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ dropping August 25. The 11-track record will be the follow-up to the band’s 2021 album ‘See What’s On The Inside’.  In anticipation of the LP, the band have dropped the lyric video to their recent single ‘Bad Blood’; you can take a look here.

Lead guitarist Ben Bruce has said of the upcoming album: “‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ Is the culmination of our entire journey as a band. We worked really hard to incorporate every aspect of what our fans love about Asking Alexandria. We have taken elements from every single record we have ever written and pieced them all together to create one album. Our fans will find elements from ‘Stand Up and Scream,’ such as the synth-tinged breakdown on ‘Things Could Be Different,’ all the way through to ‘See What’s On The Inside’ on this album. Lyrically, the album explores themes of loss and struggle through to hope and finding your own inner strength. We are incredibly proud of this album, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

To pre-order/pre-save  ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’, head here.

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Ghost have released their cover of Shakespears Sister’s 1992 hit Stay, as part of the soundtrack of new horror film Insidious: The Red Door, featuring guest vocals from the star and director of the film, Patrick Wilson. Ghost’s version of Stay appears in the final scene and credits of the new film.

Wilson, a devout Ghost fan, contacted frontman Tobias Forge to discuss the film and see if there was a way they could do a collaborative project. Wilson said he was inspired by Forge’s collaborative single with Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott on the alternative version of Spillways from Ghost’s 2022 album Impera. Forge told Wilson he had been working on a cover of the Shakespears Sister classic, and invited Wilson to duet on the track.

Wilson, who is a classically trained Broadway singer, shares: “It was Joe Bishara, our Insidious composer and resident Lipstick Demon who first got me into Ghost about 10 years ago. Joe knew I liked metal…but he also knew I liked melody. What can I say? I’m a child of the ‘80s… when soaring voices and blazing guitars were played at every dance, every fast food parking lot, and every day in my house. Ghost had the right blend of metal, melody, and an unforgettable image. This coming from a guy who collected Kiss cards in the ’70s…so I know good rock branding and imagery when I see it! … Ghost, for me, is one of the most unique rock bands out there. Tobias’ sense of melody is only matched by his storytelling. The blistering imagery of him and the band is unlike any other. The balance of dark lyrics with soaring (and dare I say… angelic) melodies, make listening to them a different experience than any other band out there. At least that’s what it does for me. So clearly, when I wanted a band that embodied the spirit of Insidious lore, I knew where to look first. Stay is such a hauntingly beautiful tune to end my film with, because the dark lyrics juxtaposed against the sweeping melody (written by Dave Stewart) are a great bookend to my film.”

The actor/director added: “Singing on it, alongside Tobias, was an absolute thrill. I wanted the tune to feel like it was Josh Lambert (my character) singing…and then being tempted by the devil (the lipstick demon)…in this case, sung by the brilliant Tobias Forge. Tobias’ tone is a sharp contrast to mine, and his new arrangement of the song is faithful yet fresh. It was an honour to be featured on the tune, and I can’t thank Tobias and the Ghost crew, especially Tim Bickford and Kristen Mulderig, for making this happen … Ghost is the perfect blend of theatricality met with musical mastery. Tobias is at the top of his game and I’m thrilled to have him on the soundtrack, and honoured to sing alongside him.”

ITake a listen to Ghost’s version of Stay ft. Patrick Wilson – here.

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The Darkness will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album Permission to Land with a deluxe reissue dubbed ‘Permission to Land … Again,’ arriving on Oct. 6.

‘Permission to Land … Again’ will be available as a five-LP set, a four-CD/DVD set, a two-CD set and digitally. The four-CD/DVD set contains the original album, B-sides, previously unreleased demos and live albums from the Darkness’ 2003 show at London’s Astoria, their 2003 Knebworth performance in support of Robbie Williams and a 2004 set at Wembley Arena.  Frontman Justin Hawkins said in a statement: “When Permission to Land landed, 20 short years ago, we were bathed in shock and awe  As if by magic, rock wasn’t dead! Fun wasn’t banned! And Spandex was almost acceptable again. Well, guess what? Twenty years on, the same rules apply. So please to squeeze yourselves into those inappropriate leggings, back-comb your mullet, splash on a big handful of attitude and come celebrate with us! We promise everything and we deliver every time. Bring on the next 20! The Darkness. The best. For you. Forever.”

The Darkness will also be hitting the road on the ‘Permission to Land 20’ North American tour this fall, kicking off on Oct. 3 in San Francisco and concluding on Oct. 22 in Washington, D.C.

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The Eagles have announced their upcoming ‘The Long Goodbye’ tour will be the band’s last, after more than 50 years of touring and 150 million albums sold worldwide.

Thirteen shows have been initially announced, beginning September 7th in New York City with dates through November 17th. The Eagles, featuring Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey, will perform as many shows in each market as their audience demands. Steely Dan will be joining these historic shows and commemorating their own 50+ year career. The tour is expected to continue into 2025; the Eagles will announce scheduling information as more dates are set.

The Eagles said in a statement: “The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe, keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds. Credit and thanks go to our longtime management team, our dedicated road crew, and our exceptional backup musicians for providing skilled and steadfast support, throughout these many years. We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. But, everything has its time, and the time has come for us to close the circle … The official farewell tour is currently in the planning stages. We want to give all our fans a chance to see us on this final round. So, scheduling information will be released as dates are set. The difficulties of booking venues for multiple nights may require us to return to certain cities, depending on demand. But, we hope to see as many of you as we can, before we finish up. Most importantly, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for embracing this band and its music. At the end of the day, you are the reason we have been able to carry on for over five decades. This is our swan song, but the music goes on and on.”  The Eagles scored six No. 1 albums, and topped the singles charts five times. They earned six Grammy Awards, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2016. The band’s Greatest Hits 1971-1977 is the best-selling album in history, with the RIAA certifying the collection at 38-times Platinum. Hotel California is the third best-selling US album in history, certified 26-times Platinum.

Tickets go on sale July 14 at 10 a.m. local time, with pre-sales to begin July 12. Presale tickets and VIP packages will be available starting Wednesday, July 12th for all announced shows. The general on-sale will start Friday, July 14th at 10 am local time via Ticketmaster.

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Ozzy Osbourne will no longer perform at the inaugural Power Trip festival. The three-day heavy metal music festival – which is scheduled for Oct. 6-8 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. – was set to mark the 74-year-old Osbourne’s long-awaited return to the stage.

Osbourne posted on social media: “As painful as this is, I’ve had to make the decision to bow out of performing on Power Trip in October. My original plan was to return to the stage in the summer of 2024, and when the offer to do this show came in, I optimistically moved forward. Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I’m just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed. The band that will be replacing me on Power Trip will be announced shortly. They are personal friends of mine and I can promise that you will not be disappointed. Above all, I want to thank my fans, my band and my crew for their unconditional loyalty and continual support. I love you all and I will see you soon. God Bless, Ozzy.”

Osbourne has been plagued by various health issues in recent years and announced his retirement from touring earlier this year. The singer said he was “not physically capable of doing my upcoming European [and] U.K. tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the travel required,” but said his team was “coming up with ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country.”

The Power Trip lineup includes AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses and Tool. It will mark AC/DC’s first performance since 2016, as well as their first since the death of Malcolm Young and the return of Brian Johnson.

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