On December 15, 2019, Children of Bodom played their final show in the Helsinki Ice Hall. A fitting venue for the Finnish band who had been plying their trade of Melodic Death Metal with a distinct influence of Classic Hard Rock for over twenty years.
Hellfest, held every year just outside of Paris, in Clisson, France, continues to up the ante every year with forever growing and impressive lineups! Taking place from June 27 to June 30, 2024, Hellfest will once again be four days long and over 200 bands appearing on six stages. For 2024, the headliners for each night will be Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head, Metallica, and Foo Fighters. The full daily lineups, including one more major band tba, and the ticket link are coming soon!
This summer is gonna rule so hard with the upcoming Monsters on the Mountain Festival, brought to you once again from the creators of Monsters of Rock Cruise! Taking place this August 19th-21st, 2022 at The Gatlinburg Convention Center the fest is going to have a ton of killer bands from your favorite era of music such as Cinderella’s Tom Keifer, Night Ranger, Extreme, Queensrÿche, Quiet Riot, Stryper, Kix, and Firehouse, plus an array of interactive events and activities for fans! Get ready for photo opportunities with bands, access to the Rock N’ Roll Vendor Market, Rock N’ Roll Art Gallery, and the Outdoor Patio Experience, with more to be announced. The MOTM fest is once again hosted by Eddie Trunk (VH1, SiriusXM), comedians Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine (former hosts of VH1 Classic’s hit TV show, “That Metal Show”), and pioneer rock radio DJ Nikki Blakk. Plus, Eddie Trunk will be broadcasting his SiriusXM show live on Friday (8/19). Three-day packages and individual day tickets on sale now!
Mortuary Drape – Wisdom – Vibration – Repent (Peaceville)
When looking at Mortuary Drape’s latest EP, the thing that immediately draws one’s attention is the cover of Mercyful Fate’s ‘Nightmare Be Thy Name.’ In addition to being the only cover to show up on one of Drape’s proper studio releases, it’s a deep cut from one of Fate’s more overlooked efforts. Thankfully it’s ultimately a solid rendition; the obligatory King Diamond falsetto emulations make it an inherent outlier, but the added grit and ominous guitar acrobatics ensure it isn’t out of step with the EP’s original tracks.
Having successfully navigated their way around the many obstacles and challenges thrust into their path by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Christofer Johnsson and his Swedish symphonic act Therion return with their seventeenth studio album Leviathan (Nuclear Blast).
Ghost Cult scribe Lorraine Lysen caught up with the great Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon for a wide-ranging interview a few months ago. They chatted about The Electric Castle Live project, the visuals of Ayreon Universe live, working with John de Lancie, rock operas, concept albums, Vin Diesel, Star Trek TNG, upcoming new music, and much more.
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Ghost Cult scribe Lorraine Lysen caught up with the great Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon for a wide-ranging interview a few months ago. They chatted about The Electric Castle Live project, his entire career, upcoming new music, and much more. Continue reading
Ghost Cult caught up with singer/guitarist Casandra Carson of Missouri rockers Paralandra. The band has had a busy last year since they released their current EP Ascension via Legend Recordings. The groups’ profile has been rising over the years with constant hard work and appearances on festivals such as Rockfest, Dirtfest, Rocklahoma, and SXSW. The band recently toured with guitar great Yngwie Malmsteen, winning over audiences every night, on unfamiliar ground. Casandra shared stories with us about how the band was formed, their influences, paying their dues, and the new music the band is working on for a future release.Continue reading
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It’s weird hearing Yngwie Malmsteen not doing the Yngwie Malmsteen million mile per hour guitar run thing 100% of the time. Blue Lightning (Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group) is Yngwie’s bluesy take on classic Rock n’ Roll cover songs, hand-picked, played and sung by the guitar virtuoso. It’s a mindbender to hear. It’s like, Blue Lightning consists of classic tunes but Malmsteen and his eccentric guitar playing makes them seem space-age science fiction futuristic sounding.Continue reading
