During an interview with Metal Anthology, Soilwork vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid and guitarist Simon Johansson offered an update on the band’s new music plans. According to Johansson, the group “have a lot written already — more than one album.”
Strid said the following when asked if guitarist David Andersson’s passing impacted the writing process:
“Yeah, [David] was very much of a driving force. So I think it’s a bit more of a group effort now, like a collective thing. And it feels like we’re entering a bit of a new era. And I think next album will be slightly different from ‘Övergivenheten’, but it will have some of those elements — the atmosphere, but maybe more mixed with the sort of old, heavier stuff from the 2000s. But, yeah, it’s very much of a group effort and, obviously, Simon joining the fold as well has brought some fresh blood, both on a personal level and songwriting-wise and everything. So we’re looking forward to create this new album together.”
Johansson added:
“Yeah, it’s interesting. We’re learning to write together in a way, because we haven’t really done it. And [bassist] Rasmus [Ehrnborn] is also new, kind of, so it’s kind of like a new constellation having to create music. But it’s working well. I mean, [SOILWORK’s latest single], ‘Spirit [Of No Return]’ [which came out in October 2024] turned out well. And we have a lot of really promising songs for the new album. We have a lot written already — more than one album.”
He also ruled out a double album:
“No, that won’t happen. We’re gonna do a moderate, normal-length album. But it’s gonna be a cool one. But it’s always nice to have extra songs, for whatever purpose, to choose from, to start with. And then, of course, you can maybe release some singles [ahead of the full-length].”
Strid went on to say the new music will be heavier:
“No. More like heavier — the heaviness, I would say, that we had on maybe [2001’s] ‘A Predator’s Portrait’ and [2002’s] ‘Natural Born Chaos’, maybe a little bit of [2005’s] ‘Stabbing [The Drama]’ too, but I kind of wanted to bring back the heaviness a bit and sort of mix it up with a more recent atmosphere, the epicness. So, that’s sort of what I’m picturing, personally. I don’t know if [the other] guys picture the same thing, but we have been discussing it a little bit, so it seems like we’re on the same page.”
Johansson continued:
“And then you never know what happens during an album process. It could take some turn or whatever, but that’s also the beauty of it. Because, for me, many times it’s been, like, the least favorite song, [when you] start recording an album, it’s, like, ‘Oh, that one isn’t that good.’ And then you start to add things and all of a sudden that is the best song. It’s super interesting. It’s so fun to be in that process.”
Strid went on to say the album will be self-produced:
“We’ve had some producers, but this one we’re gonna gonna be pretty much self-produced. We’ll record at Simon’s studio. So all of us are kind of [involved]; it’s like a group effort.”
Johansson concluded:
“We also have this engineer, mixing guy that is working with us and has been working with us for a couple of albums. He also has ideas. He contributes whatever good things he can come up with. So we kind do it together, that part, I think.”
[via Blabbermouth]
Taking Back Sunday have announced a headlining U.S. tour. Bayside will open.
Tour Dates:
05/31 Dewey Beach, DE – Bottle & Cork
06/01 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
06/03 Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome at Virginia Beach
06/05 Jacksonville, FL – FIVE
06/06 Jupiter, FL – Abacoa Amphitheater
06/08 Knoxville, TN – The Mill & Mine
06/09 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
06/10 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Cleveland
06/12 North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues Myrtle Beach
06/14 Spartanburg, SC – Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium The Hall
06/16 Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
06/18 St. Louis, MO – Ballpark Village
06/19 Davenport, IA – Capitol Theatre
06/20 Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
06/21 Madison, WI – The Sylvee
Taking Back Sunday also have several other dates booked around this trek:
05/03 Tampa, FL – Busch Gardens
05/09 Monterrey, MX – Dia Libre Festival
05/23 Hatfield, UK – Slam Dunk South
05/24 Leeds, UK – Slam Dunk North
05/30 Waterloo, NY – del Lago Resort & Casino
08/08 Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest
A Killer’s Confession (ex-Mushroomhead) are among the openers on Kottonmouth Kings‘ 30th anniversary tour. Kung Fu Vampire will take part as well.
Tour Dates:
05/05 Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
05/06 Denver, CO – HQ
05/08 Chicago, IL – WC Social Club
05/09 Westland, MI – Token Lounge
05/10 Fort Wayne, IN – Pierres
05/11 Pittsburgh, PA – Crafthouse
05/13 Worcester, MA – The Palladium
05/15 Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
05/16 Lansing, MI – Grewal Hall
05/17 Cadillac, MI – The Venue
05/19 Philadelphia, PA – Nikki Lopez
05/20 Townson, MD – The Recher
05/23 Knoxville, TN – Open Chord
05/24 TBA – TBA
05/27 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
05/28 Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
05/29 Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
05/30 Dallas, TX – AM/FM
06/01 Roswell, NM – The Liberty
06/02 Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
During an appearance on the Legends N Leaders Podcast, Gene Simmons (KISS) doubled down on his comments regarding rap artists in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. According to him, “hip-hop does not belong” in the institution.
Simmons said the following:
“Well, there’s ‘popular’ and then there are words like ‘relevance’. Who determines relevance? Critics? What is that word? How do you [become] relevant? Who does that? Or is it the American ideal? Of the people, for the people, by the people. The first words are ‘we the people’. That’s relevance to me… The fact that, for instance, Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash is.
“Ice Cube and I had a back-and-forth, and he’s a bright guy and I respect what he’s done. It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language. And I said in print many times, hip-hop does not belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras. How come the New York Philharmonic doesn’t get [inducted into] the Rock And Roll [Hall Of Fame]?
‘Cause it’s called the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. But he shot back and said, No, it’s the spirit of rock and roll.’ Okay, fine. So Ice Cube and Grandmaster Flash and all these guys are in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I just wanna know when Led Zeppelin‘s gonna be in the Hip-Hop Hall Of Fame. ‘Oh, you can’t do that?’ Oh, really?”
He continued:
“Music has labels because it describes an approach. By and large, rap, hip-hop is a spoken-word art. You put beats in back of it and somebody comes up with a musical phrase, but it’s verbal. There are some melodies, but by and large it’s a verbal thing — it’s rhyming and all that. And I know Eminem can [rap really quickly]. I wish him more success. I really don’t give a fuck. It just doesn’t speak to me. With the genius of being able to put words and music and arrange it, it’s much more complex.
The hardest thing to do is to write a simple, memorable song. Much easier is to do EDM… And by the way, I’m a fan of it. I love anything that makes people happy. But in terms of talent? … There are no tribute bands to Skrillex. Nobody covers those songs. And by the way, when you go to an EDM concert, I love the passion and the fans taking crack and sticking it up their ass, whatever they do.
I’ve never been high. You’re 19. You’re trying to get laid. You can’t form a sentence. So you take some medicine and then all of a sudden you’re fluent and things happen. I understand the ritual. It’s tribal. There’s not a garage band, a new band that goes, ‘Fuck. The Swiss Mafia [presumably Simmons meant Swedish House Mafia] have got this thing that I love. Let’s try to do a version of it and play it in the club.’ Nobody does that.”
He also added the following about the current state of the music industry:
“I think it’s wonderful. I’ve seen some amazingly talented people, but the saddest thing of all is that the industry, the business… It’s always been called music ‘business’. The fools, the hippies, the socialists, the communists think it’s called music. No. Even in the Renaissance, the only way the classical musicians survived is that they had to be sponsored. Mozart piano concertos and all that, somebody had to pay for that.
The biggest problem is that the next Beatles, the next Elvis is not gonna have a chance because record companies don’t give out advances. There’s no business. Fans are downloading for zero, next to it, so if you’re a musician, you can’t get paid for your art.
I’ve seen so many talented musicians, artists, singers, all these people that get up on ‘The Voice‘ and ‘American Idol‘ — a lot of people have talent. They’ll be back at the Holiday Inn singing ‘Hang On Sloopy‘ or something.
1958 until 1988 — that’s 30 years. Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Hendrix, Stones, Pink Floyd — you can go on — music still resonates to the highest degree. Beatles just had another No. 1. By the way, that includes Bowie, Prince, Motown, the heavy bands. AC/DC, ourselves, if you like — we came out in the early ’70s. Aerosmith — your favorite, what’s called classic rock or pop or all that.
And then from 1988 until today — where are The Beatles? Where’s Hendrix? Where’s that pivotal artist that shakes the rafters? You have popular artists. Taylor [Swift] has been the most popular artist, perhaps of all time. That does not move the needle. New bands don’t form and say, ‘Let’s do 10 Taylor songs.’ No, that’s fame versus something deeper. So when you go to see a bar band, they’re gonna be playing the song. They’ll play ‘Freebird‘, they’ll play ‘Satisfaction‘, they’ll play the songs that have stood the test of time.
You know what the biggest song of all time was? ‘Gangnam Style‘. “Billions, billions of downloads. They were massive. Does that move the needle? No. It’s good fun. Like sugar. You get that [instant energy boost], and then it’s gone. Very few things stick to the bones.”
[via Blabbermouth]
Cattle Decapitation will be celebrating their 30th anniversary on a headlining North American tour. Brujeria, No Cure, and Knoll will open.
Tour Dates:
04/19 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues (no Knoll)
04/20 San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom (no Knoll)
04/21 Reno, NV – Cargo Concert Hall (no Knoll)
04/23 Tacoma, WA – Airport Tavern Music Hall (no Knoll)
04/24 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre (no Knoll)
04/26 Edmonton, AB – The Starlite Room
04/27 Calgary, AB – The Arrowhead
04/28 Saskatoon, SK – Coors Event Centre
05/01 Joliet, IL – The Forge
05/02 Kitchener, ON – Dallas Nightclub
05/03 Ottawa, ON – The Bronson
05/04 Quebec City, QC – Salle Montaigne
05/06 Reading, PA – Reverb
05/08 Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville
05/10 Destin, FL – Club LA
05/11 Birmingham, AL – WORKPLAY
05/12 Nashville, TN – The Basement East
05/14 Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple
05/15 Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
05/16 Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe @ Old National Centre
05/18 St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
05/19 Lawrence, KS – The Granada
05/21 Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
05/22 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
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