Lee Aaron, once the ‘metal queen’ restarted her career in 2016, following 12 plus years of no recording. In the 80s and early 90s she’d released 7 hard-rock albums, and had a number of hits, before venturing into other projects and musical styles. Aaron returned to rock full-time, first guesting on Sean Kelly’s ‘Metal On Ice‘ (a companion to his book of the same title) where she re-recorded “Metal Queen”, and then in 2016 with her first full album titled Fire And Gasoline, on Big Sister Records. Backed by Sean Kelley (guitar), John Cody (drums), and Dave Reimer (bass), Fire And Gasoline featured the singles “Tom Boy”, “Bad Boyfriend”, and the title track.
Aaron’s music was still rockin’, but comes across now with a more mature sound and production, with plenty of catchy tunes on subsequent albums. Whether you followed her or not in the ’80s, she has something new with an element of fun in her music these days; most welcome in such serious times.
Diamond Baby Blues followed in 2018, and featured 2 excellent singles in “Diamond Baby” and “American High”. That album also included covers of Deep Purple’s “Mistreated” and the Linda Ronstadt hit “You’re No Good” (originally written & recorded in the ’60s, and later covered by Van Halen).
2019 saw the release of Live In Germany on CD & DVD, that had been recorded on her band’s 2017 tour. And despite the pandemic, Lee Aaron has kept up recording & releasing new music at a pace that very few do these days. Radio On! came out in 2021, and featured the standout “C’mon”, as well as favorites “Vampin'”, “Radio On”, as well as the ballad “Twenty One”.
December of last year saw the release of Lee Aaron’s latest – Elevate. And there’s no shortage of good tracks, with her fourth studio album of rock songs since 2016 (not to forget her Christmas album in 2020). Lead by the first few singles “Trouble Maker” and “Rock Bottom Revolution”, Elevate includes a fine range of rock and pop-rockers with “The Devil U Know”, “Highway Romeo”, “Spitfire Woman”, and the title track closing this disc out. “Freak Show” is one song with a chorus I’m sure will sink in with many; that or the ballad “Red Dress” would make fine singles.
Lee Aaron’s return and rejuvenated recording career continues to turn out very good albums, that may be a bit distant from any ‘metal’ tag, but should still appeal to those who will dig her knack for coming up with good songs, and her vocals which remain as clear and strong as they were decades ago; kinda hard to tell that she’s aged at all. Great album cover! Available on vinyl & CD!
URIAH HEEP has a new single out from Chaos & Colour, which is to be released on the 27. The rocker “Hurricane” was written by (drummer) Russell Gilbrook, along with friend & guitarist Simon J. Pinto, who has played with Les Binks (Les Binks’ Priesthood), and also worked with Adam Wakeman, Brian May, and Sam Smith among others. “Hurricane” is an outstanding heavy rocker and sounds like it should make an excellent fit in to the band’s live show.
The anthemic and epic “Hurricane” carries an underlying historical and mythological theme. Co-writer and drummer Russell Gilbrook explains: “Simon (Pinto) and I wrote the song about how our ancestors looked at storms and how these can be interpreted as being messages from the Gods… Their power is awesome and a great inspiration for a rocking track!”
Founding member Mick Box comments: “Music and lyrics are of paramount importance to me… I used to hate those ‘80s MTV million dollar videos as they created such a visual image that all calls to imagination were lost because you didn’t have to think. I think the power of music and lyrics are that they do certain things to certain people.”
Chaos & Colour is an album which bristles with explosive classic rock guitars, supreme harmonies, and Heep’s famously generous keyboard foundation. “One Nation, One Sun” is a journey of soaring balladic contemplation, “Fly Like An Eagle” takes the listener on a journey of meditation, whilst “Closer To Your Dreams” is a battle cry for all rockers to get out there and do it, with Shaw imploring that “So many have tried but slipped away/Now it’s time for you to have your say.” During the entire album, Bernie Shaw’s timeless vocals sit expertly beside the band’s phenomenal artistry (Mick Box – guitar, Phil Lanzon – keyboard, Russell Gilbrook – drums, Dave Rimmer – bass), rounding out exceptional performances throughout.
British blues rockers Bad Luck Friday have a new single out – “Rebel With A Cause”. The single on Wilde Fire Records, from the band’s debut album can be streamed HERE and check out the video below. *For more check out the press info and links below!
“Rebel With A Cause is Bad Luck Friday’s unambiguous statement about Britain’s current political climate,” says the band’s guitarist Steve Brook. “Channelling Rage Against the Machine, the track’s opening riff serves as a rallying call to the disaffected, the downtrodden and jaded alike: get off your rear and get to the front! It’s big, bold and demands to be heard.”
Don’t be fooled by the harmonica. Bad Luck Friday is not your typical blues rock band. Will Wilde has a reputation in the blues world as a pioneer of the rock harp, but with Bad Luck Friday, he’s taken the music well beyond its traditional blues roots.
The band’s eponymous debut album is available on CD and limited edition coloured vinyl from www.badluckfriday.com.
American blues rocker Jared James Nichols has a brand new album out. It is self-titled, and it kicks ass! JJN sounds heavy and live! The guy plays guitar like he’s on stage, and has a distinctive enough and fitting vocal for such wild rockin’ tunes as “Saint Or Fool”, “Easy Come, Easy Go”, and the Sabbath heavy “Hallelujah”. Other excellent tracks in “Long Way To Go”, which reminds of John Corabi’s Dead Daisy stuff (on the vocal), as well check out the slower paced closing cut “Out Of Time”. Well worth checking out – today!
JJN:“I made a record to serve as the menu for the live show, ….There’s an element of excitement and danger. It’s my version of rock ‘n’ roll with a little more humanity. The album is a day in the life with the ups and downs, but it musically rings true to who I am as an artist. I’m not trying to be anybody but myself and play the music I love for today. I’m giving you loud ass guitars and no fucks given rock ‘n’ roll, and I’m loving it.”
*Check out more info from the press release below, as well as tour dates for the new album! To order the album: www.jaredjamesnichols.com/
OFFICIAL ALBUM RELEASE SHOWS SET FOR NASHVILLE, LOS ANGELES, FRESNO, CHICAGO & MILWAUKEE
EUROPEAN TOUR DATES CONFIRMED FOR FEBRUARY 9-22
With nothing more than a Gibson Les Paul slung over his shoulder, a warm amp turned all the way up, and a hot microphone on and ready, Jared James Nichols churns out the kind of rock that rips, roars, and rolls without filter or apology. Nichols, who stands at a staggering 6 foot 5 inches tall, delivers a one-two punch of gritty vocals straight from the gut and incendiary fret fireworks. Jared first emerged onto the scene in 2015 with his debut Old Glory & The Wild Revival and followed that up with Black Magic in 2018, which yielded the fan favorite “Honey Forgive Me.”
More recently, he issued the Shadow Dancer EP (2021) and collaborated earlier this year with both Maggie Rose and Joe Bonamassa for revised versions of his song “Threw Me To The Wolves.” Gibson also formally welcomed Nichols as an official ambassador, plotting the release of several signature Jared James Nichols guitars. Since his debut, Nichols has racked up millions of streams and critical acclaim and, in between show-stopping solo shows, has performed alongside icons such as Slash, Billy Gibbons, Zakk Wylde, and even the late Leslie West, to name a few.
Guitar World has attested, “If you’ve never witnessed Jared James Nichols onstage, let us say right now: you’re missing out, big time.” By keeping it simple, Jared remains primed to leave his imprint on rock ‘n’ roll forever.
JARED JAMES NICHOLS TOUR DATES U.S. Dates Tuesday, January 17 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East Thursday, January 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Peppermint Club Sunday, January 22 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s Thursday, January 26 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen Saturday, January 28 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Miramar Theatre
Jared James Nichols is from Wisconsin, a heavy blues/blues-rock player, with his own power-trio. I’ve seen him on a couple of occasions (opening for UFO), and he puts on a killer high energy performance. Definitely influenced by the likes of Cream and Mountain (seen him do a great cover of “Mississippi Queen” – search for a clip on youtube). So, if you get a chance to see this guy, do it! He’s got a brand new single & video out, check it out, along with the press release below.
Jared James Nichols just released his new single “Down The Drain” via Black Hill Records. On the hard-hitting track – produced, engineered, and mixed by Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan, Slash, Rival Sons) – vulnerable vocals snake around melodic guitar in ominous fashion.
Baring its fangs, “Down The Drain” snaps into a chantable chorus punctuated by a wailing lead. Click here to listen to the single, and click here to watch the official music video, directed by Tom Flynn and Mike Watts (Lamb of God, All That Remains).
“If I were to pick just one record to encapsulate my sound it would be ‘Down The Drain,’” shares Nichols. “From a whisper to a scream, this song has it all. Lyrically, it stems from a familiar place that can hit home for all of us, feelings of despair and pain, but constantly searching to find love each day. Musically, ‘Down The Drain’ cuts like a knife and moves like a freight train. This song hits hard and is brutally honest in all aspects. Turn it up and rock it out!”
Nichols, known for his electrifying live performance, teased the release of “Down The Drain” earlier this month in front of a live audience at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento and again this past Monday night in New York City, where he headlined the Mercury Lounge.
“Down The Drain” follows Nichols’s recent single “Hard Wired.” The hypnotic and hyper-charged song was born from a jam session with Tyler Bryant and Graham Whitford.
Click here to listen to “Hard Wired” and watch the official music video.
With nothing more than a Gibson Les Paul slung over his shoulder, a warm amp turned all the way up, and a hot microphone on and ready, Jared James Nichols churns out the kind of rock that rips, roars, and rolls without filter or apology. The Nashville-based multi-talent, who stands at a staggering 6 foot 5 inches tall, delivers a one-two punch of gritty vocals straight from the gut and incendiary fret fireworks.
Since emerging in 2015, Nichols has racked up millions of streams and acclaim from the likes of American Songwriter, Guitar World, Relix, and many more, and has performed alongside icons such as Slash, Billy Gibbons, Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, and even the late Leslie West, to name a few.
*More from Jared James Nichols coming soon!
Jared James Nicholls – Tour Dates
Thursday November 10 – Little Rock, AR @ Stickyz Rock’n’Roll Chicken Shack Saturday November 12 – Kyle, Texas @ Skunkfest
Another fine sounding heavy rockin’ band from Finland, Leaflet has a brand new single out from their forthcoming 2nd album. Check out the video to the excellent track “Gonna Do It”. For more info on the band and their upcoming album, check out the press release below.
Finnish rockers LEAFLET will be releasing their sophomore album Something Beyond this coming January 2023 via Rockshots Records. The album follows their debut album Outta Door released through VR Label Finland in 2017.
Today, the band is “Gonna Do It” and pull the trigger by giving fans the first single off their second full-length. The track is a hard riffing fist-pumping track to get you off your feet and rocking out!
“‘Gonna Do It’ is about the feeling of getting stuck in your life. You realize it is time for a change, and that it is your own duty to change the course of your life. Of course, there is a risk involved and it feels scary as hell, but you need to hear yourself saying: “Gonna do it”. ‘Gonna’ is the heaviest track we have written so far. We had several versions of it and ended up pretty much re-writing the whole song during the pre-production process. We are glad we did because the end result sounds absolutely stunning with its monster opening riff, crushing chorus, and epic guitar solo!” says the band about the track.
The band comments on Something Beyond:“With this album, we are definitely showing that rock music is alive and pumping! The album is full of catchy metal-influenced rock tunes that would fit perfectly in the heavy rotation of every rock radio station. The album has a lot of variety within the songs, and we got a diverse selection of singles as well. Three very different singles trying to represent the entire album as well as possible. As singles, we got one heavy and hard-hitting tune, one straightforward and super catchy tune, and one fast-paced in-your-face type of tune. You should check out them all to see what you think! “
Formed in 2013, LEAFLET is a four-piece hard rock band from Turku, Finland. Their music can be described as metal-infused American-style hard rock and while you might hear echoes of bands like Alter Bridge or Shinedown they have their own unique Nordic flavor. “Our musical cocktail is a blend of many things. Although we love the 80s, we are trying to keep our hard rock fresh and not follow the retro route”, the band says.
The band has performed on Finnish festivals such as Kuopiorock and Saaristo Open Air along with touring across their home country to support their debut album. They also spent time on the road in the Baltics with Willie & the Goodsouls in 2018 again playing clubs and festivals.
In 2019, LEAFLET released “Johnny Two-Face” as a single through VR Label Finland followed by an ambitious music video shot in both Turku, Finland, and Tokyo, Japan. After a couple of years of silence due to the pandemic, the band is now back with their second album Something Beyond to be released by Rockshots Records on January 20, 2023, sounding stronger than ever.
Track Listing: 1. Gonna Do It 2. Resonate 3. Alone Alive 4. Earth 5. Johnny Two-Face 6. Tattoos of Life 7. Shades of Black 8. Someone Somewhere 9. Something Beyond
Austin, Texas based doom-metal act SPIRIT ADRIFT release their 5th album – 20 Centuries Gone. The band started as a project by guitarist/songwriter Nathan Garrett over a decade ago. 20 Centuries Gone features 2 original tracks and 6 covers. The 2 new tracks lead off the disc, “Sorcerer’s Fate” is a good lead off rocker, with influences of Iron Maiden and Metallica, followed by “Mass Formation Psychosis”, which is a bit more dark, and a bit of more of a Sabbath or Black Label Society feel, but dig the guitar sound here. Of the others , I am not much of a fan of a few bands covered, but I do like the band’s take on Thin Lizzy’s “Waiting For An Alibi” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Poison Whiskey” – nicely done! The band’s own songs are the most interesting here, so interested in hearing more of the catalogue.
*for more info and see press release & tracklisting below…
Photo credit: Dave Creaney
SPIRIT ADRIFT expand their prolific catalogue with “20 Centuries Gone”, a collection of two new original songs and six cover songs that span the timeline of the band’s most foundational influences. Featuring artwork by Brian Mercer (Lamb of God, High on Fire, Mastodon), and mixed by Zeuss (Overkill, Crowbar, Municipal Waste), this release is a powerful journey through the past, present, and future of trad-metal’s most exciting new band.
Available on August 19th via Century Media, “20 Centuries Gone” sees SPIRIT ADRIFT put their trademark swagger on classics from Type O Negative, Pantera, Metallica, Thin Lizzy, ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd..
SPIRIT ADRIFT mastermind Nate Garrett comments: “I always thought it would be a cool experience to record some songs by bands that are foundational to the DNA of SPIRIT ADRIFT. These choices are obvious and on the nose to me, but maybe unexpected to the fans. That made the whole thing a lot of fun. A band like Lynyrd Skynyrd might not be the first thing you think of when considering SPIRIT ADRIFT’s influences, so the task for me became figuring out how to honor these great songs, but in the distinct SPIRIT ADRIFT style. To make the whole thing even more special, I channeled these influences and wrote a couple of new songs to kick things off.”
Regarding the band’s own track “Sorcerer’s Fate”, Garret continues, “When I wrote this one, I was obsessing over the film director William Friedkin. I’ve been a fan of his since I saw ‘The Exorcist’ as a kid, but when I discovered the documentary ‘Leap of Faith’, it sparked a much deeper interest in the man and his process. I started watching as many of his interviews as I could find, and I read his autobiography which was just amazing. Friedkin’s life and art are inseparable. His human experience, search for higher truth, and borderline-psychotic level of obsession/perfectionism all coalesce into his artwork. I relate to that on a profound level. This song is about our search for purpose, and humanity’s struggle to understand ‘the mysteries of faith and fate.’ Musically, I would say it’s one of our heaviest and most straightforward songs. Inspired equally by New Orleans sludge, flipped-cap crossover, and Scandinavian metal, but with the distinct SPIRIT ADRIFT sound and approach.”
Track listing: 1. Sorcerer’s Fate 2. Mass Formation Psychosis 3. Everything Dies (Type O Negative) 4. Hollow (Pantera) 5. Escape (Metallica) 6. Waiting for an Alibi (Thin Lizzy) 7. Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings (ZZ Top) 8. Poison Whiskey (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
The band is currently on tour, check out their website for dates.
Sweden’s LUGNET have recorded 3 albums; including their brand new album – Tales From The Great Beyond, which will be released on August 26. Over the past few years the band went through a few changes, and their new album will appeal to classic hard rock and metal fans, with heavy influences of Rainbow, Sabbath, and a few ’80s metal acts. (*Check out my review in a previous post) . In this new interview bandmembers – (Johan Fahlberg, Lennart “Z” Zethzon, Matti Norlin, Fredrik Jansson-Punkka, and Micke Linder) answer my questions pertaining to the band’s previous work, influences, and most importantly about their excellent new disc Tales From The Great Beyond.
*Check out more on the band at the links below….
How was reaction to the band’s previous 2 albums, and what did you want to do [perhaps] differently on the new album?
Lennart Zethzon: Overall the reaction has been very good for the first two albums. What we might have lacked a bit is in the production part. For the third album we decided to focus more on the recording and mixing. We also wanted to record with the whole band at the same time to get a live feeling. For the first two albums we only recorded Drums and Bass at the same time.
Where did the band’s name come from – what is the meaning behind it?
Jansson Punkka: There is a small area close to where we had our first rehearsal space called Lugnet. Our old guitarist Bonden suggested it and it stuck. It means calm in Swedish. Oh the irony…
Can you guys tell me about the band’s last few years since 2019’s Nightwalker album — what’s changed in the band? And was the new album conceived and written during the pandemic?
Jansson Punkka: When the pandemic hit we were lucky enough not to have that much booked so we spent a year writing and arranging songs instead. We also got a new guitar player called Micke Linder that joined us in 2019.
The title Tales From The Great Beyond might suggest some sort of concept of stories [storyline]. Why the album title? and is there any themes or concept to this new album?
Jansson Punkka: No not really, the title just came to me one day, thought it sounded nice and majestic and fitting for the music. Could be the title of an old novel.
There is definitely a ’70s hard rock feel / sound to this album. Was there any sorta deliberate approach to make it sound a bit old school?
Jansson Punkka: We have always sounded like this so it wasn’t like we planned it. In fact I would say that we might be leaning a bit towards the early 80’s on some of the songs. Lennart Zethzon: In the mixing and mastering we decided to not press it to hard and let it be more dynamic.
Can you give me a bit of story behind a few of the songs, like Pale Design, Black Sails, Another World, ..? [and any others]
Johan Fahlberg: I guess all of them are about the search for a better place, a better you. Trying to find the inner peace in your self. A life long struggle. I know, it’s a little bit dark but there’s sunshine too, hahaha…Pale Design is about a nightmare, but also a dream of a better world and a better life. Black Sails is a feeling of being not normal, being an outsider. A feeling of people looking at you with disgust. Only thing you want is to live your life and be who you are without judgment. Another World is a story of how hard you try to stand your ground and believing in the truth. The struggle to navigate through what’s real and what’s fake, and everyone that believes they have all the right answers.
There is lots of great heavy guitar playing on this album [riffs, solos, etc…] Can you guys talk a bit about guitar influences and sounds you wanted and how the guitar parts were worked out in the studio?
Mike: For me sound-wise for this band it’s very simple; just my early 70’s sounding Fender Strat’ into a 1971 Marshall Superlead on about 8; that combined with Matti’s a bit more saturated guitar tone I think creates a well balanced, quite heavy humbucker/single coil rhythm guitar sound on this album, with good clarity for the clean parts. Guitar players that I look up to and have listened to a lot over the years and probably been a bit influenced by: Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Morse, Billy Gibbons…
Matti: I wanted the guitar to sound like a mix of AC/DC and early Black Sabbath. Loud. We worked out the parts in our rehearsal studio.
Carl Westholm plays the keyboards on some of the album tracks [?] Was he just recording with the band as a ‘guest’ or might he be performing with the band live?
Lennart Zethzon: Carl was just recording as a guest but who knows, maybe he will guest with us live sometime as well.
Can someone explain the meaning of the final track “Tåsjö Kyrkmarsch”? It’s quite a piece, and a nice ending to the album. Where did the musical idea and idea to use it at the end come from?
Matti Norlin: Tåsjö is a village close to where I grew up, and the place where the church is located in that area. I came up with the tune around year 2000, and wrote it down for church organ in 2016 to be played at my father’s funeral in that church (where I also made the recording for our album).
What have been some of the bandmembers biggest and favorite shows in recent years? [certain festivals or opening slots for anyone in particular?] And what major shows have you got coming up that you guys are looking forward to?
It must be Sweden Rock Festival 2018. We played at the same time as Ozzy entered the main stage. One could think that it would give us a reduced audience, but we managed to get around 4000 people choosing Lugnet instead of Ozzy. We got a great review in Sweden Rock Magazine, 8/10 and Ozzy got a 7/10 :))
Can you tell me a bit about the album’s artwork – who created it and how much input and who’s went in to it?
Jansson Punkka: Vance Kelly did the artwork, he did our first album as well. Such an amazing artist. We sent him the songs and let him do his thing and it turned out great. It’s one of those covers that you could look at forever and still find new things. Make sure to buy the vinyl version if you want to see the whole artwork.
Hard Rock and metal seems to be alive and well in Sweden. Can you comment on the scene there and some of your favorite [or recommended] fellow Swedish acts ?
Jansson Punkka: There is a band called Stew that we had the pleasure of doing a couple of gigs this year. Really nice guys and a great band as well.
Can each of you guys give me a short list of a few favorite players, singers, etc… as well as a Top 10 of favorite albums from your youth?
Jansson Punkka: Favorite drummer of all times would be Bill Ward, if we’re talking about new drummers Eloy Casagrande is something out of this world. Favorite albums: The first 8 Sabbath-Albums, Born Again and “En ny tid är här with November.
Matti Norlin: In this style of music I list as follows: Guitarists: Angus Young, Ace Frehley Albums: Master of reality, Rising, Powerage, Who Do We think we are, Kiss Alive, Iron Maiden, Restless And Wild, Are You Experienced, Sweet FA and Melissa.
Johan Fahlberg Singers: Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, Ian Gillan, Ray Gillen Albums: Destroyer, Van Halen, A Dangerous Meeting, Let There Be Rock, Defenders Of The Faith, Restless And Wild, Masters Of Reality, Heaven And Hell, Desolation Boulevard, Never Mind The Bollocks.
Lennart Zethzon: In this style of music: Bass players: Jack Bruce, Geezer Butler, Roger Glover and Neil Murray Albums: Destroyer, Kiss Alive II, The Jimi Hendrix Concerts, Mob Rules, Mahogany Rush IV, Made in Japan, Rising, Live In the Heart of the City, Strung Up, Foghat Live.
Mike: A few of my favorite rock oriented electric guitar players of all time would be Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Gilbert, Eric Clapton, Mark Knophler, Eddie Van Halen…there’s so many… Favorite albums: Machine Head, In Rock, Burn, Voulez Vous, Dark Side Of The Moon, Led Zeppelin IV, Down To Earth, Tyr, Paper Money, Eliminator
LA hard rockers Classless Act have released their debut album Welcome To The Show, featuring 12 tracks, and including a couple of big name guests. If you are missing the high energy ’80s hard rock/metal of bands like Motley Crue, Guns ‘n Roses, Faster Pussycat, Slaughter…. Lots of good riffs, hooks, big vocal choruses, and songs geared for a live show. Best picks include “This Is For You” (featuring Justin Hawkins of The Darkness), “Haunting Love”, “Time To Bleed”, and the album’s lone acoustic number “Circles”. The band is currently on The Stadium Tour (w/ Def Leppard, Poison… ) and I’m betting are bringing the most energy to the day. The band does have a solo show booked in Toronto on August 9 at the Horseshoe Tavern. https://www.horseshoetavern.com/event/classless-act
[From press release: ] Today Classless Act, one of the most buzzed-about up-and-coming rock bands, are releasing their much-anticipated debut album, Welcome To The Show via Better Noise Music. Having already earned more than one million streams, the new album gained early traction with three previously released singles, including the self-titled “Classless Act” that features a guest appearance by Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil, the catchy “This Is For You” with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, and the bombastic “Time To Bleed.”
“Just like the song says, we gave you all our blood, our sweat, our tears, our hate, our sex, our deepest, darkest fears. This is for you!” said frontman Derek Day about the album.
Also premiering today is the new single and music video, “All That We Are,” the final installment in the four-part, interlocking video series that loosely follows the band as they set the soundtrack for the misadventures of Farley, an unlucky soul in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“All that we are – is it enough for us to survive?” asks Day. “This is a question, a concept we found ourselves asking after all we have been through over the past two years. Hell, the past seven or so years. We’ve been in a wee bit of a less-than-sunny time in our history. So what are we gonna do? Grow or go! Everyone needs to decide. We’ve got a show tonight, so I know what we’re doing!”
Classless Act is poised to find a whole new legion of fans, first with their single “Classless Act” appearing on the soundtrack for THE RETALIATORS film, out this fall, and as they continue in their opening spot on this summer’s 36-date North American Stadium Tour, performing alongside Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett. The tour kicked off June 16 in Atlanta and runs through September 9 in Las Vegas.
“They’re going to be right at home on this tour,” said Loudwire’s Toni Gonzalez. “They are straight up, fun rock ‘n’ roll, high energy, a little dirty and very reminiscent of when rock reigned supreme.”
Classless Act’s previous tour alongside Dorothy ushered in a slew of positive reviews, with Front Row Perspective writing, “Every now and again you run across a band which you can immediately categorize as ‘I saw them when’ for future conversations. Classless Act is one of those bands!” Or Official Indie who heralded, “Classless Act hit the stage at 100 miles per hour…Watching the high energy act on stage made me think of what it must have been like to have seen Guns N Roses when they first started.”
While the music tells it’s own story, so do the members of the band themselves, hailing from all over the globe, including Hawaii, Los Angeles, Argentina and Dallas. The band, featuring Derek Day (vocals), Dane Pieper (guitar), Griffin Tucker (guitar), Franco Gravante (bass), and Chuck McKissock (drums), first formed in 2018 when the five former strangers met via social media.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW TRACKLISTING: 1. Classless Act (feat. Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe) 2. This Is For You (feat. Justin Hawkins of The Darkness) 3. Time To Bleed 4. On My Phone 5. All That We Are 6. Made In Hell 7. Storm Before The Calm 8. Haunting Love 9. Walking Contradiction 10. Give It To Me 11. Circles 12. Thoughts From A Dying Man
Digital, CDs, cassettes and colored vinyl copies of the album can be ordered HERE.
ABOUT CLASSLESS ACT When they released their debut single “Give It To Me” in the summer of 2021, Classless Act were immediately praised for their ability to sound both fresh and timeless. Loudwire instantly added the song to their “Weekly Wire” Spotify playlist, identifying it as one of the top new releases of the summer. And other iconic outlets, like SPIN Magazine, were early to show support. It was a fitting public introduction to a band who embody what it means to be modern rock stars.
Formed in 2018 and consisting of five former strangers who met via social media, Classless Act — Derek Day/vocals, Dane Pieper/guitar, Griffin Tucker/guitar, Franco Gravante/bass, and Chuck McKissock/drums — quickly formed a brotherhood bonded through a series of double-taps, DM’s, and tagged comments. Their music echoes the hallmarks of previous generations – anthemic rhythms, shreddy guitars, and soaring vocals – but punches its way into the future with clever arrangements, sharp musicianship, and proficient songwriting; and, according to one writer, “…enough energy to power a city.” Already making noise in the industry, the band has worked with world-class producers like Bob Rock, Michael Beinhorn and Joe Chiccarrelli, who have helped craft hits for the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes. The band recently landed a deal with Better Noise Music, Mediabase and Billboard’s #1 rock label for 2021, and their debut album, Welcome to the Show, will be released June 24, 2022. Having been invited to join the line-up on The Stadium Tour, this summer’s 36-date, co-headline trek with Motley Crue and Def Leppard, Classless Act is well on its way to achieving its collective goal – being a next-generation defining act.
L-R – Jayme Black – Vocals/Bass, Nate Pole – Drums/Vocals, Benny Kemp – Guitars/Vocals
Another Canadian metal trio, Rebel Priest is from Vancouver, and will be heading out in British Columbia and Alberta with Toronto’s Deadwolf. Rebel Priest has a new 4 track EP coming out titled Lesson In Love, which has also been released as a video. “Lesson In Love” is good heavy rocker, that quickly reminds me of D’ianno era Iron Maiden. Check out the video below. Following that fast rockers like “Dive Bomber” and “Coatcheck Girl” feature cool riffs, with shades of Motorhead, early Maiden and Motley Crue. The last track is “Bonfire”, coming in under 2 minutes, and musically reminded me of 70s Sabbath and AC/DC. Plenty of energy here, nothing tame or smooth here, and dig the guitar sound. Matching Rebel Priest with Deadwolff sounds like a pretty cool bill, as both bands have a definite Motorhead influence, as well as a few others, and loads of rock energy on their new releases.
Press Release:
Vancouver’s Rebel Priest has been bringing its eclectic brand of rock n’ roll to fans for years in a true unadulterated, unapologetic fashion. A little bit greasy, a little bit sassy, but 100% committed, they have released four records, with a fifth on its way this year. “Lesson In Love” is the name of the upcoming EP as well as the first single, an untraditional ballad, like a love song sung by a Tommy gun. According to the band, it’s about going through the trials and tribulations of loving something – the ups, the downs, the spirals, but without the direct subject being a person. The band explains further:
“It’s open-ended in that it is what you love or love doing and how it’s a journey that can always find a way home. There’s always that one thing in your life that keeps you going, a person, a hobby, a theology. No matter what your vice is, it always comes at a price. You have to go through the blood, sweat, and tears to get what you need outta it and it doesn’t always come easy. This is your education, your lesson in love.”
When people put on the new record, Rebel Priest intends for them to forget about everything else, take a break from the grind, and get pumped! Whether you’re working out, going out, or down and out, put it on and play it loud! Get into it and go wild! Their music is fluid, they find a riff and then follow it where it wants to go. They say it’s just about finding the groove and cruising the wave.
Rebel Priest is headed out on tour with Toronto’s Deadwolff this summer, and spectators are in for a rock n roll treat – guitarist/vocalist Benny Kemp is the embodiment of a denim tornado; that guy will (and has) break his legs to party on stage! Drummer/vocalist Nate Pole is a groovin’ attitudn’ mean machine behind the drums that will sometimes make a wood chipper look like a pencil sharpener on those skins. As for vocalist/bassist Jayme Black, he’s a bit of a mouthpiece and likes his bass real gritty.
The trio just wants to bring rock n roll back to street level, when it was outlaw music for the underdog, so expect a greasy, sweaty, down and dirty rock show. They are recommended for fans of Motörhead, ZZ Top, and Rose Tattoo.
About:
Rebel Priest is a no-nonsense, real-deal rock n’ roll band composed of three seasoned musicians who have been making their way through the Western Canadian rock n roll scene for years. Vocalist/bassist Jayme Black (Lust Boys, The Toxiks); guitarist/vocalist Benny Kemp (Lust Boys, Road Rash); and drummer/vocalist Nate Pole (Kill Matilda, The Toxiks) bring nothing but unadulterated, high energy grease infused Trash N’ Roll! The band has had the pleasure of touring Japan, and performing alongside bands such as Udo (Accept), Lordi, Diamond Head, Crystal Pistol, Flotsam, and Jetsam along with playing many headlining gigs with the energy of Motorhead meets Motley Crue. Since forming in 2014, the band has released three studio albums “R’ley Heavy” (2019), Enabler (2017 ), Self-Titled (2015) along with one live record “Dead Alive @ SBC (2017). and an EP – Lost In Tokyo (2021)
The Rebel Wolff Tour w/ Rebel Priest and Dead Wolff June 24 – Vancouver, BC – Have A Good Laugh Festival. *Afternoon show – Deadwolff only June 24 – Vancouver, BC – Lana Lous June 27 – Maple Ridge, BC – The Wolf Bar June 28 – Kamloops, BC – Pogue Mahones June 29 – Kelowna, BC – Missions Tap House June 30 – Lethbridge, AB – TBA July 1 – Calgary, AB – The Palamino July 2 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Temple
