New Van Halen Album Already Completed?
Melodicrock.com reports that there’s a rumour floating around that Van Halen have already completed a follow-up to this year’s excellent A Different Kind Of Truth, and that it will be released in early 2013, in time for the next leg of the band’s tour. As with all things Van Halen I’ll believe it when I’m holding the CD/download in my hand/iPhone, but melodicrock.com has a pretty exceptional record with this sort of stuff. In other Van Halen-ish news, David Lee Roth has just released a new solo song, One Piece Thermo-Molded Country Plastic Chair, a chilled-out acoustic ditty co-written with Scotty Emerick.
Voyager Releases The Meaning Of I Video
The mighty Voyager have just released the video for The Meaning Of I, the title track of their new album and the follow-up to the Seize The Day video released in September. Founding member and lead vocalist Danny Estrin says “Here comes a dark moment in Voyager’s history – but in an amazing way! The band is so excited that this clip is finally seeing the light of day. It’s undoubtedly our most intense and dark music video. All kudos to director Ben Berkhout and the crew for setting a new benchmark for indie clips…we hope you enjoy what we think is our best music video to date.” You can catch the band this Friday November 9 at The Workers Club.
Gig Alert: Dark Funeral
Swedish Black Metallers Dark Funeral return to Australia this month. Dark Funeral’s stage show is unlike any other. In addition to their intense musical ferocity, their performances are adorned with all the stagecraft the black metal genre can deliver; corpse paint, weapons, spikes and fire breathing. It’s a spectacle you can only comprehend live and in the rotten flesh. They’re at the Corner Hotel on Saturday November 24 with support from Draconis Infernum (Singapore), Denouncement Pyre, Okera, Belligerent Intent and Iciclan, and at Amplifier with support from Naetu and Wardaemonic on Sunday 25. Tickets on sale now for all shows, and limited meet and greet packages available from metropolistouring.com
Black Country Communion Bask In The Afterglow
Last week Black Country Communion released their new album Afterglow. It’s a pretty solid effort, maybe a bit more straightfoward rock than the first two, and with the songwriting primarily coming from Glenn Hughes since Joe Bonamassa was busy touring his arse off for much of the past year. Did you catch Bonamassa on tour recently? Amazing show. And props to Joe for throwing in a few riffs from Whitesnake’s Still Of The Night during the encore.
Nightwish Sells Out
Nightwish’s Melbourne show at The Palace on Monday January 14, 2013 is now sold out! Joining Nightwish Melbourne are Swedish rockers Sabaton as well as Eyefear and Black Majesty. If you’re up for a road trip you can always try getting tickets for the Nightwish shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide or Fremantle.
Smells Like The 90s 2
Gunn Music presents Smells Like The 90s 2 at the Gershwin Room at The Espy this Friday November 9, from 8pm, featuring tribute bands to various ’90s-shaping acts: Foovana, (Foo Fighters and Nirvana tribute), Cuckoo For Caca (Faith No More), Pantallica (Pantera and Metallica) and Scar Tissue (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Tickets are $20 at the door.
Gig Alert: High Side Driver
After launching their second single See You Next Tuesday to a packed out Evelyn Hotel in August, Melbourne rock act High Side Driver return to the same venue on Friday November 16 to officially launch the video to that single. The provocative video will be shown on the night, and the band have several other surprises in store. Joining HSD on the night will be female-fronted alternative act Written In Ruins, launching their single from their forthcoming debut EP. Perth groove/rock maestros Gombo, Pretty Dulcie and Pretty Villain round out this massive five-band bill.
Daddy Is Proud
The other day my six-year-old saw an ad in the property section of the paper which read “You’re not a home buyer. You’re a warlord in an ongoing battle for territory.” He pointed at the page and growled in his best Max Cavalera voice: “WAR FOR TERRITORY!” Aww, baby’s first Sepultura reference.
