Funeral For A Friend, The Distillers added to Download Festival 2020

January 27, 2020 by Terrance Pryor in Music

The 2020 installment of Download Festival was already loaded with acts such as System of a Down, Killswitch Engage, and Babymetal. Today, the organizers shook things up by adding over 40 more acts.

One noticeable act is Funeral For A Friend, who reunited for benefit shows last summer. The band will be headlining the The Avalanche Stage, which also features newly announced band Bowling For Soup. The Main Stage will be rocked by newly added groups Alter Bridge, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, and Wage War. For the Second Stage, The Distillers, Mastodon, and The Darkness will make their presence felt. The Dogtooth Stage will be electrified by performances from Sepultura, Higher Power, and Haken.

You can check the updated festival lineup below. Download Festival takes place at England’s Donington Park from June 12 through June 14. Tickets are on sale right now.

The top 10 albums of 2019

January 06, 2020 by Terrance Pryor in Music, Reviews

As the closing year of the decade, 2019 delivered a wide range of new music for every kind of listener. From alternative rock to industrial, it was hard to not have a slew of favorite tunes to blare in the car or on the bus. These 10 albums, however, stood out above the rest during the last 12 months. You can also check out our playlist of the best songs from 2019 below.

10. Pop. 1280 - Way Station - Weyrd Son Records

New York City industrial group Pop. 1280 continue their Northeast dominance with Way Station. With the addition of new synth player Matthew Hord, the record brings a more chaotic ambiance from their previous material. The band can flawlessly move from dancefloor offerings ("Boom Operator") to maniacal symphonies ("Monument") in an instant.

9. Ritual Howls - Rendered Armor - Felte Records

With their fourth studio album Rendered Armor, Detroit industrial outfit Ritual Howls bring forth another assemblage of dance tunes for the nearest goth club. Paul Bancell's baritone voice is both haunting and captivating throughout the eight-track release.

8. Lite - Multiple - Topshelf Records

Lite continue their math rock crusade with their sixth studio album Multiple. With a vast discography behind them, the Japanese band can still bring forth a fresh take on the genre. On the standout track "Ring," the group team up with rapper Maco Marets and singer Utena Kobayashi for a buoyant number.

7. Maria Taylor - Maria Taylor - Flower Moon Records

Singer-songwriter Maria Taylor easily has the most family-oriented album of 2019. The Azure Ray member enlisted the help of her son, brother, father, and sister-in-law for a completely honest release. Much like her 2016 studio album In the Next Life, Taylor's self-titled release is filled with songs about the trials and tribulations of life with tracks such as "Beautiful Life," "Spinning Wheel," and "Miley's Song" (which was written and performed by her son Miles).

6. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rats' Nest - Flightless/ATO Records

Australian rockers King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard got in touch with their metal side on Infest the Rats' Nest. While metal influences were sprinkled in their previous albums, the group delivered a record that wouldn't feel out of place blaring at a Metallica concert. For 35 minutes, the group merge their metal swagger with a story of rebels doing the best they can while stuck on Venus.

5. Fever 333 - Strength in Numb333rs - Roadrunner Records/333 Wreckords Crew

Political rap metal supergroup Fever 333 unleash hell on their debut album Strength in Numb333rs. The 10-track album is exactly what the music landscape needed amidst all of the chaos on the streets. While the album is filled with raging tracks such as "Burn It" and "One of Us," the album slows it down for a moment with "Inglewood/3," which dives into vocalist Jason Aalon Butler's upbringing.

4. Devin Townsend - Empath - Hevy Devy

With Empath, Devin Townsend pushed himself to the limits in terms of production, and the end result is a 74-minute tidal wave of sound. With a slew of guest appearances on board (this is probably the only album you'll hear both Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and Beneath The Massacre's Elliot Desgagnés), Empath shines with tracks such as "Spirits Will Collide" and "Borderlands." The 22-minute finale "Singularity" is easily one of Townsend's most wondrous tracks ever put together.

3. Rammstein - Rammstein - Universal

A decade after their sixth studio album Liebe ist für alle da, beloved metal group Rammstein unveiled their self-titled studio album. Without longtime producer Jacob Hellner behind the boards, the band turned to their live sound engineer Olsen Involtini. The end result is an 11 song voyage through their entire musical landscape with titanic numbers such as “Tattoo” and “Puppe.”

2. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - End of Suffering - International Death Cult

If you don't know Frank Carter can write a good damn tune, let End of Suffering be your introduction to the English rocker. The 12-track release finds the singer baring his soul on personal issues such as suicide ("Angel Wings") and his family ("End of Suffering"). The release also features a guest appearance by Tom Morello on the Godzilla-inspired stomper "Tyrant Lizard King.”

1. Silver Snakes - Death and the Moon - Evil Ink Records

Los Angeles' Silver Snakes pushed their industrial rock vigor further with their fourth studio album Death and the Moon. The 11-track album can entice fans of both Stabbing Westward and Chevelle with cuts such as “Smokedance” and “Wool.” Unfortunately, the band’s breakup announcement at the start of 2020 means Death and the Moon is their final opus.

Our favorite songs of 2019

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes postpone North American tour following car accident

September 22, 2019 by Terrance Pryor in Music

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes were set to kick off the their North American headlining tour tomorrow in New York City. Unfortunately, a car accident involving the lead singer has postponed the tour. You can see a statement from Carter below.

On Thursday night at 7:20pm I was involved in a serious car accident in Devon, UK. I crawled out of the wreck with some cuts and scrapes, a kneecap in the wrong place, bruised ribs and a headache that won’t go away.
My friend Pete was less fortunate, he was cut from the wreckage by no less than eleven firefighters with a triple fractured pelvis, ruptured spleen, multiple broken ribs and the kind of cuts and bruises you get from being hit by a car.
We were all taken by ambulance to Derriford A&E where I stayed until 7:30am the next morning when I was finally released with a collection of minor injuries and a new appreciation of living.
I have unfortunately been told I am unable to fly while my body recovers. As it stands the first week of our American tour will not proceed as planned. We looked at all the ways I could come and play the shows but once the doctor had seen me it was clear flying to New York this weekend was not an option. We will do everything in our power to make it up to you and are reviewing all the options including rescheduling.
Due to the last minute nature of this situation we are not able to give news on when these dates might be rescheduled but please trust us in that we are working on it and will have an update soon. We are truly sorry to the fans who bought tickets and to the legends The Beaches who are driving to New York as I write this. Check the venue websites for more information on refunds or new dates.

The list of affected dates can be seen below.

September 23 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

September 24 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar

September 25 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts - Black Box

September 27 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Festival

September 28 - Detroit, MI - El Club

September 29 - Chicago, IL - Cobra Lounge

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes to headline 2019 Monster Energy Outbreak Tour

July 15, 2019 by Terrance Pryor in Music

Announced today, English punk band Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes will take part of this fall’s Monster Energy Outbreak Tour.

The trek kicks off on September 23 inside New York City’s Bowery Ballroom, and it will make its way to cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, and Vancouver.

Performing as support are Canadian alternative rock band The Beaches, who are plugging their new EP The Professional. The band’s 2017 debut album Late Show was produced by Metric’s Emily Haines and James Shaw.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Friday (July 19) at 10 a.m. local time, but Spotify pre-sales start tomorrow (July 16) at 10 a.m. local time. $1 for every ticket sold will go towards the Here For The Music Campaign, which aims to prevent sexual harassment and violence at shows.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are supporting their new studio album End of Suffering, which peaked at number four on the U.K. Albums Chart.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes tour dates

September 23 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *

September 24 -Baltimore, MD - Ottobar *

September 25 -Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts - Black Box *

September 27 -Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Festival

September 28 -Detroit, MI - El Club *

September 29 -Chicago, IL - Cobra Lounge *

October 8 -Vancouver, BC - Venue Nightclub

October 9 - Seattle, WA - Barboza

October 10 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne

October 13 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival