BABYMETAL have announced an Australian tour with Bloodywood. Here’s the dates:
03/12 Perth, AUS – HPC
03/14 Adelaide, AUS – ABC Theatre
03/17 Melbourne, AUS – John Cain Arena
03/20 Sydney, AUS – Hordern Pavilion
03/22 Brisbane, AUS – Riverstage

Jay Buchanan (Rival Sons) has announced that he will be releasing a new solo album, titled “Weapons Of Beauty,” on February 6. A video for the effort’s first single, “Caroline,” can be found below. Pre-orders can be found HERE.

“Weapons Of Beauty” Track Listing:
01. “Caroline”
02. “High And Lonesome”
03. “True Black”
04. “Tumbleweeds”
05. “Shower Of Roses”
06. “Deep Swimming”
07. “Sway”
08. “The Great Divide”
09. “Dance Me To The End Of Love”
10. “Weapons Of Beauty”
Buchanan worked on the album in an underground, windowless bunker in the Mojave Desert. He said the following about that experience:
“The silence was both terrifying and liberating. A caterpillar knows when it’s time to get into the cocoon.”
He added:
“As music continues to be choked out by technology, I wanted to draw pictures in the dirt. This approach is right with me, and I’ve just come to a point where there is no longer a choice. ‘Weapons Of Beauty’ is the sound of these plates shifting within me, too loud to ignore. Surprisingly, I’ve never known a vulnerability to feel so empowering.”
He also discussed “Caroline,” which serves as an “aching letter to a lost home or lover”:
“I suppose that writing about unquenchable grief allows you a kind of permission to pay respect to those deep chasms in your life without wallowing in them. Putting it in a song lets you buy the ticket and take the ride — and then move on.”
He also commented on filming the video in gold mines:
“I can see a parallel here, spending twelve hours deep in the earth, trying to mine our own treasure, knowing full well so many have perished in those same caves chasing a future cut dangerously short. That’s a hell of a way to spend a Sunday!”
Buchanan also revealed that he recruited director Scott Cooper to sequence the album after appearing in his Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere”:
“More than anything, it was just a really good hang. I played a band leader, so no acting there. Being on stage together playing music was about bringing Jeremy [Allen White] into my world, and being on camera in a film was about him bringing me into his. It was amazing. Jeremy and Scott [Cooper] made me feel like I belonged there — and that was just what I needed.
On the flight home after the film wrapped, Scott and I had a conversation that stayed with me as I went directly to the desert. I don’t want to get too personal, but we were kind of living on opposite sides of the same coin that day, and he was the last person I spoke to before my desert exile. Months later, the night the record was finished, when I listened to the playback for the first time, I immediately thought of him sequencing it. The whole undertaking had left me so raw that the pan was just too hot for me to pick up. I knew I could trust him — if he’d help me.”
Buchanan also discussed the album cover, which was painted by artist Jeremy Lipking:
“Jeremy Lipking is an old friend and family on my wife’s side. We’ve been wanting to work together forever. He was the only person to hear some of my demos direct from the desert. I told him I was writing a Jeremy Lipking painting. It was important to me that the music have a scenic quality — the America I’ve seen over decades of touring: lonesome sunsets, big-clouded skies, silhouetted by our dreams and failures.”
Halestorm have released a new two-track bundle. The EP includes a live version of “How Will You Remember Me?” and a live version of “Like A Woman Can” featuring Apocalyptica. The original versions of those tracks appear on the band’s latest album “Everest.” Halestorm commented:
“We’re so excited to announce that we just dropped two tracks live from the ‘nEVEREST’ tour!!! Go enjoy ‘How Will You Remember Me?’ live and a special live version of ‘Like A Woman Can’ featuring our good friends from our North American tour Apocalyptica. This is only a preview of what you will experience on the ‘nEVEREST’ tour! So go grab your tickets today to catch us is Europe and the UK!”
Mothica has signed a new deal with SharpTone Records. With this news, the singer has also released a new song titled “Evergreen Misery.” You can find a video for that track below:
Mothica commented:
“Writing ‘Evergreen Misery’ was a journey full of every twist and turn you could imagine. I was a few months out of rehab and I needed to release this simmering anger and deep melancholy that I was numbing for so long.
Getting swept up into the underbelly of the music industry took a huge toll on my mental health. When I checked into a 30-day treatment program, I was ready to leave music entirely. The behind the scenes stirs up a lot of animosity, envy and sorts of ugly emotions. I took a step back to focus on my recovery, and finally felt ready to reconnect with the pure feeling of writing music again.
The lyrics are a reflection of some energy vampires I’ve had in my life. People I let into my life who tried to borrow elements of my story as their own, knowing they didn’t experience the pain my art stems from. There’s a dark humor in that for me, this idea of ‘take what you want from me, my misery is bottomless’ — which is a bit dramatic, but that’s how it felt.
I knew I wanted to step into a heavier era with this next release, which my fans have deemed ‘Rockica’ with my releases like ‘Nocturnal,’ my Polyphia collab, or my Bring Me The Horizon remix. I grew up going to metalcore shows and it finally felt like the right time to pull from that side of myself. I love Nine Inch Nails, Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Wage War, Bring Me the Horizon, Evanescence, and so many other artists in the scene that combine cinematic synths, gritty guitars and big emotional hooks. Working with my producer Elliot Polokoff helped me carve out what this era sounds like, and what flavor of rock felt undeniably true for Mothica.
While writing this new era of music, I knew I was taking a step in a different sonic direction. The entire team at SharpTone Records really saw my vision with both the music and the visuals I create. I’m so excited to announce this partnership with SharpTone Records to elevate the next evolution of Mothica.”
Candlebox have announced a headlining U.S. tour. Nick Brown will open on select dates.

Tour Dates:
02/25 Portland, ME – Aura (with Nick Brown)
02/26 Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall (with Nick Brown)
02/27 Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods
02/28 Charles Town, WV – Hollywood Casino
03/03 Flint, MI – The Machine Shop (with Nick Brown)
03/05 Harrisburg, PA – Capitol City Music Hall (with Nick Brown)
03/06 Bensalem, PA – Xcite Center At Parx Casino
03/07 Danville, VA – The Pantheon At Caesars VA
03/08 Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall (with Nick Brown)
03/10 Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall (with Nick Brown)
03/11 Evansville, IN – Victory Theatre (with Nick Brown)
03/13 Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Live
03/14 Bossier City, LA – Paradise Theater At Margaritaville
03/15 Little Rock, AR – The Hall (with Nick Brown)
03/17 Nashville, TN – Brown County Event Center (with Nick Brown)
03/18 Springfield, IL – Boondocks (with Nick Brown)
03/20 Sioux City, IA – Anthem At Hard Rock Hotel
03/21 Kansas City, MO – Star Pavilion At Ameristar
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