New Music Friday Rock and Metal New Album Releases 7-21-23


Check out our preview of the new metal and rock releases coming out this week for New Music Friday 7-21-23!

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CONCERT REVIEW: Voivod – Imperial Triumphant – Vacuous Depths Live at Floridian Social Club


 

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.

 

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ALBUM REVIEW: VoidCeremony – Threads of Unknowing


 

If you like your death metal brutal, progressive, and quite possibly from another dimension then look no further than genre-bending quartet VoidCeremony. Formed in 2013, the Californian act’s second full-length studio album Threads of Unknowing (20 Buck Spin) delivers more of what was promised on their 2020 debut but with even more intensity and technical virtuosity.

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Voivod, alexisonfire, and Alvvays win for Metal and Rock at the 2023 Juno Awards


The 52nd annual Juno Awards and Juno Week 2023 are being hosted in Edmonton, Alberta from March 9 to March 13, culminating in the Juno Awards, which was recently rescheduled to Monday, March 13, at Rogers Place, broadcast live on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos. The Juno Awards are the Canadian version of the Grammy Awards and past winners include Devin Townsend, Striker, and many others. Voided won the “Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year” for Syncro Anarchy (Century Media), beating out Cancer Bats and Get The Shot, while reunited metalcore band alexisonfire won for Otherness. Voivod previously won for its 2018 album “The Wake.” Alvvays won in the best Alternative Rock category. Also of not, Sam Smith and Kim Petras won best music video for their “Unholy” video clip copying metal’s Satanic and evil tropes, causing a “satanic panic.” To be considered for a nomination at the 2023 Juno Awards, national music release dates had to fall between the eligibility period of September 1, 2021 and November 4, 2022. See the full list of winners.

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The Weekly Ritual Rock and Metal News Show 1-13-23


 

Check out our weekly news show! ? We cover the major stories of the week in heavy music, rock, and metal news, tour dates, and festivals, New Music Friday, and more!

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Dan “Chewy” Mongrain of Voivod on The “Ultraman” EP, Touring with Opeth, and Prog


 

We chatted late in 2022 with Dan “Chewy” Mongrain of Voivod! The band had a tremendous year in 2022, with a full-length release “Synchro Anarchy” and a new EP “Ultraman” as well. The band also toured with Opeth as well as their own headline dates. We discussed the “Ultraman” project, his love for the series, his first-ever lead vocal performance, his appreciation of Japanese fans, some music he has been digging in 2022 such as Child Bite, and Pat Metheny, and future plans for the band!

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Hellfest 2023 Books Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Def Leppard, Pantera, Porcupine Tree, Amon Amarth, Alter Bridge, and More


After their biggest year ever this year, Hellfest 2023 has booked headliners Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, and Slipknot! Set to take place June 15-18, 2023 In Clisson, France, the bill also includes Def Leppard, Pantera, Porcupine Tree, Amon Amarth, Alter Bridge And Within Temptation, and more! Headliners for the 2022 edition of Hellfest included Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Judas Priest, Deftones, Ghost, Scorpions, and Korn over two long weekends to make up for the missed pandemic year of 2020.

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Graspop Metal Meeting Books Pantera, Slipknot, Disturbed, Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Kreator, Meshuggah, Gojira, Parkway Drive, Testament, Voivod, and More


Pantera, Disturbed, Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Architects, Behemoth, Kreator, Meshuggah, Gojira, Parkway Drive, Testament, Voivod are among the 103 artists who have been added to the 26th edition of the Graspop Metal Meeting, set to take place June 15-18, 2023 in Dessel, Belgium. Tickets are on sale tomorrow at the links below. Continue reading


Opeth “By Request” 30th Anniverary Tour with Voivod Begins, South American Dates Booked for 2023


 

Opeth will kick off their long-awaited “Opeth By Request – Evolution XXX” in Europe this week. Special guests are Canadian metallers Voivod. Performing a setlist voted by the group’s fans that will feature songs from each of their records. Many dates have sold out while tickets for a few other dates are also running low. The band has also announced a tour of Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica as well as Mexico for February 2023. The band’s full itinerary can be found below, tickets are on sale now!

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EP REVIEW: Voivod – Ultraman


 

Anyone familiar with progressive thrashers Voivod will be fully aware of the Canadian quartet’s leanings towards the surreal and strange world of science fiction, so the Ultraman EP (Century Media Records), a short-form tribute to cult Japanese TV icon Ultraman, should really come as no surprise.

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