The sun hides earlier every damn day and Mariah Carey has escaped the casket she stays in all year long! That means Winter is coming, the holidays are nigh, and so is the end of the year! The Steev and Keefy Power Hour is back for one last tussle! Senior Editor Steve Tovey joins Chief Editor Keefy, to discuss the month in Rock and Metal releases. They recap the releases for November 2023, and preview the last gasp of 2023 with December’s new heavy sounds. We also announced the November and December Albums of the Month from Ghost Cult, as voted on by our staff. And we debated terrible Christmas songs, vinyl collecting and more!Continue reading
Atoll Drop “Berdella of Blood” Single and Video to Announce New Album
Extreme metal quintet, Atoll, have just announced their upcoming album Inhuman Implants will be released on February 23, via Unique Leader Records. In celebration of the announcement, the band have also unleashed their lead single and accompanying music video, “Berdella of Blood.” Check it out below and read more from the band.
Save Ferris Share New “Xmas Blue” Single
Southern California ska band, Save Ferris have just dropped “Xmas Blue,” their first new original song since 2017. They recently teamed up with the newly-launched music community platform, We Are Giant, to give fans a preview of the release. Find out more about the new track and more in the article below.
Stream “Xmas Blue” here.
Save Ferris leader Monique Powell said, “I wrote the song about someone I knew that went through a hard divorce, and even two years later was still so obsessed with his ex-wife that it was borderline stalking.”
Powell added, “I’m excited to give this present to fans as a warmup for what is to come in 2024 with all new music that I’ve been working on and is ready for release!”
“Social media is littered with so much other content that by partnering with We Are Giant, it allows me to directly connect with Save Ferris fans in a much more intimate way,” said Powell.
“Save Ferris’ die-hard fans are a testament to the important role the band has had in shaping ska music. Working with an artist like Save Ferris is a dream situation for us, as they’ve spent decades building and nurturing an incredible global fanbase. Our platform is built to help artists super-serve their top supporters in healthy and sustainable communities, and we’re excited to be working with a group that truly understands the importance of our mission,” said Andy Apple, Founder and CEO of We Are Giant.
Save Ferris has lined up two shows in early 2024, including an appearance at Cali Vibes Festival in Long Beach, CA on February 17.
Upcoming Shows:
Sat, FEB 3, 2024 Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
Sat, FEB 17, 2024 Cali Vibes 2024, Long Beach, CA
More from Save Ferris:
Formed in 1995, Save Ferris remains one of the seminal bands from the third wave of ska. The group’s Orange County home was fertile ground for a thriving music scene, with punk, rock, and ska emerging from the region. Save Ferris blended the best elements of these sounds to help bring the region’s sound to the world.
Major labels started noticing the buzz that was emanating from Orange County. In 1996, the band won a Grammy showcase award for best unsigned band, and with Epic Records’ David Massey as one of the judges. Epic re-released the Introducing Save Ferris EP and, in 1997, Save Ferris unleashed their debut album, It Means Everything. Save Ferris toured the world for the better part of the next six years, with 1999’s Modified released during that time.
In 2003, the band went on a hiatus. Powell switched gears to become a go-to studio musician. She appeared on albums for The Used, Goldfinger, Foxy Shazam, Mest, and Hilary Duff, among many others. Slowly, however, Powell started having health issues. In 2015, after years of painful back issues, she underwent a risky procedure to fix her broken neck. Ahead of the procedure, Powell made a promise to her father, who had been begging her to return to the stage: if the surgery was successful, she’d bring back Save Ferris.
That year, Powell, with a new cast of characters, reformed Save Ferris. After months of rehabilitation, Powell brought Save Ferris home to Orange County where it played a sold-out show at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa. Another giant show at the Santa Monica Pier, with over 20,000 people in attendance, was put out on vinyl.
Through a crowdfunded campaign in 2016, Powell and her bandmates went into the studio to record a new EP. Titled Checkered Past, the collection was released the following year, and produced by John Avila of Oingo Boingo. The EP featured an appearance by Neville Staple of The Specials, one of Powell’s favorite artists.
Following Checkered Past’s release, Save Ferris played the entire 2017 Warped Tour on the main stage, headlined shows, and played festivals across the world.
The future is as bright as it has been for Save Ferris in a long time. Powell is currently at work on the first new Save Ferris album in nearly two decades. Save Ferris are out to prove that they’re no nostalgia act, with their best days still ahead of them.
Follow Save Ferris:
www.facebook.com/saveferrisofficial
www.instagram.com/saveferrisofficialband
https://twitter.com/saveferris_1
Sabaton Successfully Wrap “History Rocks” Museum Project
Swedish metal giants, Sabaton, recently concluded their worldwide History Rocks museum charity project. The initiative revolved around the global premiere of the band’s animated film, The War To End All Wars – The Movie, and was said by participating museums to be a a resounding success. Read more about History Rocks from curators, managers, and the band in the article below.
ALBUM REVIEW: Temic – Terror Management Theory
With an expansive sound and members whose past jobs include Devin Townsend, Haken, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress and The Neal Morse Band amongst others is Temic. The idea for this project was first suggested back in 2017, but various touring commitments and a pesky pandemic meant it came to naught until now.
EP ALBUM REVIEW: Act Of Entropy- Oupiroullel
Despite the world known adage that you should “never judge a book by its cover”, sometimes cover art is an excellent snapshot that gives a good indication of what is to come. The artwork in the case of Oupiroullel (Centipede Abyss) manages to both indicate what is to come with its frenzied, warped and vivid artwork, whilst somehow doing absolutely nothing to give preparation.
Continue reading
Metallica’s Blackened Whiskey to Sponsor Annual 2024 Metal Hall of Fame Gala
Blackened®, the award winning whiskey from Metallica, will be a sponsor of the 2024 Annual Metal Hall of Fame Gala, January 24, 2024, at the Marriott Delta Garden Grove, Anaheim, CA. Blackened® will have a special branding experience and will include a free sampling event for all Metal Hall of Fame Gala attendees ages 21 and over. The Gala will be hosted by radio icon Eddie Trunk, and entertainment personality Cathy Rankin.Continue reading
The Dillinger Escape Plan Books a Reunion Show Celebrating 25 Years Of “Calculating Infinity”
UPDATE: The Dillinger Escape Plan will celebrate 25 years of their acclaimed 1999 debut album Calculating Infinity with a reunion show on June 21, 2024 in Brooklyn, NY at the legendary Brooklyn Paramount. The band will play the album in its entirety for the first time ever with co-founder and original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis. Backing Minakakis will be founding guitarist Ben Weinman, as well as bassist Liam Wilson and drummer Billy Rymer. Tickets are on sale Friday, December 15 at 10am ET and will be available at the link below. Car Bomb has shared a poster with them and Candy lsited as openers, but not confirmed by PR.
EP REVIEW: Save Us – Lucid
Metalcore is quite the saturated genre in 2023, with plenty of micro-genres of its own sprouting across. Melodic Metalcore has been one that has really had another bout in the past five years with the likes of Bad Omens, Holding Absence, Catch Your Breath, and countless others taking inspiration from the likes of Atreyu and more recently and notably, Bring Me The Horizon.
tAKiDA Share Video for “Third Strike” Single with New Album Incoming
Swedish rockers, tAKiDA, just dropped the official music video for their recent single, “Third strike.” It comes from the band’s upcoming Napalm Records debut The agony flame, due out February 09th. The video features Sweden’s snowy, freezing landscapes, with AI-created, impressionism-influenced faces, skeletons and creatures. Find the video and more about the band in the article below.