BLACK SABBATH DEBUTS AT #5
The mighty Black Sabbath have landed at #4 in the ARIA charts with 13, their first album with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978’s Never Say Die and their first Australian top-ten result since 1974’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. And it landed at #1 in the UK, and is on track to sell between 120,000 and 130,000 in the USA in its first week.
BABY ANIMALS AT THE HI-FI
The Baby Animals at The Hi-Fi this weekend, on Saturday June 22. They’re back with their new album, This Is Not The End, their first in over 20 years. Aside from Suze DeMarchi and guitarist Dave Leslie, the band now includes Dario Bortolin on bass and Mick Skelton on drums, and the album was produced by David Nicholas (INXS, Ash). Nick DiDia (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots) also lent his considerable skill on the record’s first single, Email.
LO! ANNOUNCE JULY ALBUM TOUR
Lo! have finally returned home from an epic 25-date European tour with Cult Of Luna and The Ocean in support of their latest slab of sludge post metal, Monstrorum Historia. In no mood to slow down, Lo! will tour Australia on the back of this stunning new release, bringing with them Melbourne’s High Tension. They’ll be at The Reverence on Saturday July 13 also with Jurassic Penguin.
MUNICIPAL WASTE HIT THE BENDIGO
North American thrash metal legends Municipal Waste are at The Bendigo on Johnston St in Collingwood tonight. Tickets are extremely limited to 300 only. This is in addition to their Sunday June 23 date at the Corner Hotel.
PAUL LAINE DOWNUNDER IN DECEMBER
Sure, it probably feels a little early to start talking about gigs that are half a year away, but what the hell, this is a good one: Canadian vocalist Paul Laine will be heading to Australia in December 2013 and will be playing a one-off Melbourne show backed by Oz rockers The Radio Sun. This will be Paul’s first ever live date in Australia and he will be playing a selection of songs from his solo work, Danger Danger (with whom he sang for ten years) and Shugaazer catalogue. Paul Laine & The Radio Sun will play in Melbourne on Tuesday December 3 at the Cherry Bar. Tickets are being sold at Realm Of Kaos in North Melbourne and Radical Records in Dandenong.
TRACER AT THE ESPY
Adelaide-bred three-piece outfit Tracer are hoping to earn their spot on the list of great Oz rock bands soon. Two EPs and years spent honing their live shows saw them picked up by the Mascot Label Group and introduced to the European rock scene. Their 2011 debut LP Spaces In Between gave yet more hints about the band’s potential and was quickly followed by three successful European tours and the Best New Band award at the 2012 Classic Rock Awards. With their new album El Pistolero due to be released here on July 5, the hard rocking outfit have well and truly started to fulfill their potential. Produced by the legendary Kevin Shirley (Silverchair, Cold Chisel, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden) El Pistolero is on track to make Tracer the rock band that everyone is talking about in 2013. And you can catch them in the Gershwin Room at The Espy on Saturday August 3.
NEW BLACK STAR RIDERS VIDEO
Black Star Riders – the new band featuring most of the latest incarnation of Thin Lizzy – has released a video for the track Hey Judas from their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose. This is a seriously great album that you should check out if you have any interest in rock whatsoever.