Ever since their inception in 2003, TesseracT have marked themselves out as being ahead of the curve in the progressive metal scene, actively adapting and evolving for each new chapter. With the band headlining Arctangent in 2022 and about to embark on another giant world tour, what could be next for the band?
Louder Than Life—known as America’s Biggest Rock Festival—returns to Louisville, Kentucky in just three weeks. And now fans can get ready for the nonstop four-day weekend with the announcement of music performance times and additional onsite entertainment. Taking place September 21, 22, 23 & 24, 2023 at the fest’s home at Highland Festival Grounds At Kentucky Exposition Center, this year’s event—produced by Danny Wimmer Presents—promises to be one of the top music events of the year. Check out the set times now!
Winemaker Maynard James Keenan (Tool, Puscife, a perfect circle) and the team behind Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards invite people to experience the Verde Valley as never before, with the Oct. 6. Opening of the Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria, and Caduceus Cellars Hilltop Facility and VSC Ventura Room.
There’s gotta be a start to every trajectory of a soul-crushing sonic chronicle. The Liverpool-based post-sludge metal overlords Mairu had just started embarking on their subliminal journey through their debut LP entitled Sol Cultus (Trepanation Recordings).
Homer’s The Odyssey is an ancient, epic Greek poem that follows hero Odysseus on his perilous ten-year journey home from the Trojan War (that’s enough Wiki cut and pasting – Ed). Now The Anchoret, new Canadian titans of progressive metal, deliver a musical odyssey of their own.
Canadian space thrashers Voivod are celebrating forty years of bringing metal to mortals in the manner you might expect from them… on the road. Given the rising costs of touring this band has become a labor of love. I have seen Voivod multiple times going back to the 80s and while I only listen to them a fraction of what I did growing up, they always hold a place in my heart that inspires me to catch them whenever they land in town. They have a knack for picking hungry young band which forces Voivod to dig into their reserves and bring the A game. When I first saw them on the Nothingface tour Soundgarden opened up for them, as they toured to support “Louder Than Love”. Soundgarden’s live energy was at its peak then, forcing Voivod to turn up their post-apocalyptic heaviness.
Sonic Temple Art And Music Festival returned to Columbus, Ohio for the first time after taking three gap years.
Let’s begin with a little context. The inaugural instance of Sonic Temple was in 2019. Leading up to the event, festival promoter Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) had discontinued an arrangement with AEG Presents to jointly produce Rock On The Range, the festival in Columbus, Ohio that Sonic Temple replaced. So, Sonic Temple needed to be different enough from Rock On The Range to dispel any raised eyebrows about the move. DWP also broke off ties at about the same time with AEG for their jointly created Carolina Rebellion festival and started a new one in its place called Epicenter. While those moves might have been sound business decisions, it still turned out to be a tough year for DWP festivals.
Tool return to the road this Fall, expanding on their recently announced festival appearances (Power Trip, Aftershock, and Louder Than Life) with an additional six weeks of performances, including the band’s first Canadian dates since 2019.
Thirty years ago today, Tool released their debut album Undertow (Zoo Entertainment/Volcano). Following the industry buzz of their EP Opiate a year earlier, the band catapulted to mainstream success on the back of singles and disturbing videos and MTV staples such as “Sober,” “Prison Sex” and “Intolerance.” Check out this playlist of undertow content and read our retrospective review from its 25-year anniversary. Continue reading
As someone who also tours, it is always a treat when a familiar band is playing in the city you are in when you happen to be on your day off. This time it was Cult of Luna, in Stuttgart, Germany. And to say that I was lucky on this, would be an understatement, as Cult of Luna delivered and learning of the existence of Svalbard UK was an extra treat.