Serenity redefine sound on upcoming album The Last Knight (Europe dates inside)

I remember that I first saw Serenity live the time they opened up for Morgana Lefay in 2007. They played a sort of progressive metal with lots of heartfelt melodies and lyrics that spoke from my heart.

After the show I had the chance of speaking to Georg Neuhauser and get some autographs of nearly the whole band. That experience lead me to follow Serenity through more symphonic times and now they are about to send a new album out to the world called "The Last Knight".

The album talks about the life of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I..

The first appetizer sounds like a much heavier form of the band's sound yet some of the above mentioned heartfeltness is still to be found in there. All in all it's more based on riffs and the refrain hangs on my mind. The newfound power in the music is a kicker and teases me a lot towards the new material. "The Last Knight" will be out on January 31, 2020. Pre-Order is available here.

Also make sure to show up to the coming tour.         

SERENITY on Tour:
w/ Rage
05.02.20 DE - Mannheim / MS Connexion Complex
06.02.20 DE - Hamburg / TBA
07.02.20 DE - Siegburg / Kubana
14.02.20 IT - Milan / Legend's Club
15.02.20 DE - Memmingen / Kaminwerk
16.02.20 DE - Nuremberg / Hirsch
18.02.20 CH - Pratteln / Konzertfabrik Z7
19.02.20 AT - Vienna / Szene
20.02.20 SK - Kosice / Collosseum
21.02.20 SK - Zvolen / Dom Kultury Zsr
22.02.20 CZ - Prague / Nova Chmelnice
23.02.20 DE - Bochum / Zeche

w/ Ad Infinitum, Dynazty, Victorius
01.04.20 DE - Munich /Backstage
02.04.20 DE - Berlin / Nuke CLub
03.04.20 DE - Weinheim / Cafe Central
04.04.20 DE - Essen / Turock
05.04.20 NL - Haarlem    / Patronaat
07.04.20 NL - Enschede / Metropool
08.04.20 BE - Aarschot / De Klinker
09.04.20 DE - Rüsselheim am Main / Das Rind
10.04.20 CH - Luzern / Schüür
11.04.20 AT - Wörgl / Komma

Check the band's Facebook for updates on these shows.

Tulip add more groove to symphonic metal / US Tour Aug. 2019

Some bands add few but important elements to a existing sound. This time symphonic metallers Tulip got me. They add a fresh dose of dry and well thought-out groove to the well known and popular symphonic metal world.

This working style gives a more calming element into the sound. That's something I think postive of. It makes the music more actionable. Try it out for yourselves with the music video of "Total".

It's great to see that the band that isn't around for too long has secured a opening slot on a package with Evergrey and Shattered Sun starting end of August 2019 in the United States.

8/23/2019 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite

8/24/2019 San Jose, CA The Ritz

8/25/2019 Sacramento, CA Holy Diver

8/27/2019 Portland, OR Bossanova Ballroom - TBA

8/28/2019 Seattle, WA Club Sur

8/30/2019 Salt Lake City, UT Metro Music Hall

8/31/2019 Denver, CO Marquis Theater

9/2/2019 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill

9/3/2019 Austin, TX Come and Take It Live

9/8/2019 Toronto, ON Velvet Underground

Pick the flyer for a reminder to the shows and visit Tulip's Facebook page for updates and more info.

Tulip will open up for swedish melodic metal band Evergrey.

September Mourning talk about the fragmented soul

A band that appears in the real world as well as in comic books - a great idea in my ideas. The comic characters are kept in a darker style aiming at adult readers. The music fits to the stories told.

A short look inside the video of "Glass Animals" by September Mourning, (c) by September Mourning, used with kind permission

These days a new issue of the comic stories called "The complete collection" is about to see the light of day. You can spot some parts of the story in the fresh video September Mourning uploaded to YouTube. Musically the band continues with more dark toned notes while the vocals reach higher regions this time. There's also a deeper meaning hidden both in the book and in the lyrics of the song:

”'Glass Animals' is about the fragmented soul. It's about the realization that we are all broken. Something or someone has broken us and within that broken state we ultimately find the strength to survive. Musically, it's a little bit of a tribute to one of our favorite bands: The Deftones. The song ties into the comic book as well…. Hannah is a broken soul who, through the help of September and Claire, finds the strength to face her personal demons and live again." - Emily Lazar (Founder)


The full package is rounded out with a tour in the US to promote the music and the comic book release. The graphic novel will be sold in comic stores, books stores (Barnes & Noble) nationwide and on Amazon.

Smile Empty Soul will also perform at these shows. I had the pleasure to hear a B-Side compilation some time ago and can confirm that they are well worth the entry price. It's heavy grunge with much groove and hooklines to remember. Be sure to show up early so you'll not miss one of the bands out.

Tour Dates:
03/01 @ Dirty Days Car Show - Atkins, AR
03/02 @ Rockhouse Live - Memphis, TN
03/05 @ Voltage Lounge - Philadelphia, PA
03/06 @ Stage West - Scranton, PA
03/07 @ Dingbatz - Clifton, NJ
03/08 @ Webster Underground - Hartford, CT
03/09 @ Wally’s - Hampton Beach, NH
03/10 @ Providence Tattoo and Music Festival - Providence, RI
03/12 @ House of Music - Portland, ME
03/13 @ The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
03/14 @ Revolution - Amityville, NY
03/15 @ Fish Head Cantina - Baltimore, MD
03/16 @ HMAC - Harrisburg, PA
03/19 @ Frankie’s - Toledo, OH
03/20 @ Cheers - South Bend, IN
03/20 @ South Bend, IN - Cheers
03/21 @ Token Lounge - Westland, MI
03/22 @ Muddy Creek Saloon - Heath, OH
03/23 @ Music Factory - Battle Creek, MI
03/24 @ Route 20 - Racine, WI
03/27 @ Gabe’s - Iowa City, IA
03/28 @ Rose Music Hall - Columbia, MO
03/29 @ Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
03/30 @ OKC Limits - Oklahoma City, OK

For updates and latest information on these gigs see September Mournings Facebook page.

Interview with Liar Thief Bandit (2017)

Swedish rockers Liar Thief Bandit are currently on the rampage touring through Europe. Today the german leg starts in Rostock. Further stations will see the band also perform in Lingen on 21.12.2017 at the Bul Bar & Lounge as part of the Lingen Volume concert series. Through the show announcement for Lingen I got to know about them.

My first introduction to their music was the official video for "Lease On Life" and that made me so curious that I asked for a interview to find out more about the band. We had the pleasure to speak with vocalist Mike Jacobson how the band started, how the outstanding vocals changed over time and which unexpected meetings you can have while being on the road...

A bandshot of Liar Thief Bandit, Photo Credit:
Dan Leo Lindeberg
https://photobydan.se

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Do you remember the first time the band did rehearse back in the day? What happened?

Mike Jacobson: I remember the first time we rehearsed. It was a little special because our drummer William and I had started to work on one of my earliest ideas for the song “Moving On” that ended up on our debut album later on. We had gotten to know each other through our former bass player since we both played in his solo project and when he later joined us for our second or third rehearsal the magic started happen and the band formed for real. Those first steps were very important and I am happy that we took them!

Are many of your songs inspired by your own real life experiences or what else inspires you to write songs?

I write all the lyrics and they are inspired by both my own experiences and my own thoughts about things happening in my surroundings but also in the world at large.

The songs doesn’t always represent me but they always represent something I can relate to and I think that is important!



Do you have any anecdote of strange things that happened recently playing a show or traveling around?

We got a last minute show on our first European tour in April this year. This was in Slavonice, Czech Republic on a Sunday and we didn’t expect much. The show was outside a small town on the countryside, the place was like a barn. The show was pretty early in the evening and it was packed with people! Very unexpected, especially when a guy who was introduced to us as "an old punk rocker” came there by horse from his home 20 km away - he smoked some pot and asked if I wanted to trade my Orange guitar amplifier for his horse. I did not, but I loved that we got to meet this unique human being!

The vocals stand out of the sound of Liar Thief Bandit. Do you think your voice evolved and changed over the years?

My vocals have definitely evolved since we started. I have gotten way better at singing and I think it’s mainly because we have played so many shows, it really helps you to find the core of the voice when it’s exposed to so many different situations.

Your website is great - fast and easy to navigate. Was it your intention to go a different way than the usual overloaded websites you can find nowadays?

Thank you! Yes, this was intentional. I think that today people don’t really visit websites as much as before but when they do, it’s important that they find what they are looking for as fast as possible. I think we got that one right.

Futher tourdates and information on Liar Thief Bandit can be found on the band's Facebook page as well as the mentioned homepage.

Everybody Panic! prove that success is possible these days

How is it to be at a gig of a band called Everybody Panic? It looks like it is quite a cool and enjoyable experience for both fans and band alike. The combo has uploaded their self-made live video which was filmed while being on tour with Mushroomhead.

Musically this song reminds me of a classic rock 'n' metal song but pushed up to fit to modern standards. This one goes on more straight forward and that's something that I like. There's also this going over from refrain to the next part without timing change, it just glides directly over to it. This keeps the tension up for me which gives the whole track a pushing tonality. A good way to lift your mood up when you feel down.

The history of Everybody Panic! is a good example that there is hope out there in these hard time.  They are a rock band hailing from Oklahoma City, OK by way of Seattle, WA. A four piece, consisting of Ty (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt) on vocals, Provo (Skinlab/Rikets) on guitars, Tony on bass, and Levi (Anti-mortem) on drums, formed in 2012 and released its first self-produced EP independently in February of 2013. The band supported the release with high profile dates with the likes of Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack, Deftones, and many others. That release would go on to sell over 3,000 copies through digital retailers.

The logo of the band Everybody Panic, (c) by Everybody Panic, used with kind permission

Through hard work and dedication the band caught the attention of CaviGold Records and entered the famed and haunted Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, WA in March of 2015, to record their follow up, "Attack", which features the highly charged single “No One Gets Out Alive”, mixed by Ulrich Wild (Static-X, Dethklok).

The band is currently at CaviGold Studios in Orange, CA working on new music, videos and more. Tours will be announced soon for spring/summer 2017 so I guess a look upon the band's website from time to time or connecting with them through Reverbnation or Facebook could be a good idea.

Malice support fight against human trafficking on upcoming US tour

I love to see band's that say something against the bad things that are happening in our world. They use their power to bring topics to the table that many people surely would like to be kept in silence or ignored.

One of them are american true metal heads Malice who have announced to play a charity show in Las Vegas to raise money and awareness in the fight against human trafficking on their next touring cycle. Read the announcement to find out more about this and what you can expect of the upcoming Malice shows from bassist RayMan James directly:

"In a couple of weeks, Malice will bring the fight for heavy metal to the southwestern US on their "Slaying the Dragon" tour.

The tourposter for the "Slaying the Dragon Tour" from Malice, (c) by Malice, used with kind permission

We will be playing brand new songs off the band's upcoming 2nd album such as "Slaying the Dragon", "SwordMetal" and "Wheels of Steel", as well as songs that Malice fans have grown accustom to hearing at the live shows from our 2014 debut album "Triumph And Glory".

Along the way, Malice will be playing a charity show in Las Vegas to raise money and awareness in the fight against human trafficking, a cause that the members of Malice have been very passionate and outspoken about.

In addition, we will also be filming the new Malice music video while on tour. Malice is pleased to announce that power metal kings CAGE will be joining them for two shows on the tour, in their hometown of San Diego and the charity fund raiser against human trafficking in Las Vegas where they will showcase songs from their latest 7th album "Ancient Evil". This is a call to arms for all soldiers of steel to join Malice in the fight for pure heavy metal! Let the Battle begin."

"Slaying The Dragon" Southwest US tour dates

1/20/17 - House of Metal (Malone's) - Santa Ana, CA (with GRAHAM BONNET)
1/21/17 - Frogees - Apple Valley, CA (with KANTATION)
1/22/17 - The Lexington - Downtown Los Angeles, CA
1/23/17 - Brick by Brick - San Diego, CA (with CAGE)
1/25/17 - The Dive Bar - Las Vegas, NV (with CAGE)
1/27/17 - Club X - Salt Lake City, UT
2/13/17 - The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN (with LORDI)

For updates make sure to see the homepage or Facebook site of the band.

Here's a video of the band in case you don't know them and / or to shorten the waiting time 'till the tour starts.

Night Legion offer download as little sneak into upcoming album

One of the cool things that comes along with running a blog is that you can discover so many new bands often in their early stages. This time we have been notified of a band that is giving a very early insight into their album production process and we have been picked to share it with all of you as a file free to download!

The new band on the radar is called Night Legion and they perform Power Metal with powerful female vocals. The people behind the sound aren't new to people following this blog. This band features members of Death Dealer and Knightmare as well as of Empires of Eden and Aussie metal royalty Dungeon.

A overlook on the band members of Night Legion, (c) by Night Legion, used with kind permission

How does this band sound like? One of the bands trademarks is the voice of Shannon Tipene. With an uncompromising and aggressive style that echoes Doro’s greatest triumphs, or Ann Wilson’s trademark microphone abuse, Tipene’s voice leaves something behind. You'll remember the high peaks of her voice as well as the anthemic refrain. It's like in the classic days of metal and you'll quickly feel home if you've always enjoyed music of this style. Just check out some excerpts in the clip below or even better head over to this place to pick up a free full song of Night Legion im mp3 Format.


Night Legion has recently begun work on recording their debut, slated for a 2017 release, and is in the early stages of exploring which label will offer the most suitable home for the album. This unconquerable touring animal also has its sights on Japan, Europe and possibly Australia in early to mid-2017.

For the latest band news, visit the official Night Legion website and Facebook page.

A.D.D. speak about regret and release fresh US tourdates for 2016

Some words from the editor: speaking of my own life it's the chances that I didn't took that I regret the most. It's strange as it is but with most of the things I have done I feel somehow comfortable. It's mostly those moments when I didn't took an opportunity that I think about again later with regret. In the end know one know's what could have been...

Regret is also a topic that the band Analog Digital Disorder is speaking about in their current single "I regret" which is taken of the album "CORE". The album was mixed by Tadpole (Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Staind) and mastered by Grammy Award winner Trevor Sadler.

Besides the direct heavy rocking attitude that goes straight on forward with crushing guitars and kicking drums I like the performance of vocalist Matilda Moon who rips up the topic right on the point. The variations in her voice bring in a lot of emotions and are placed at the fitting parts of the track.


The band is going to hit the road very soon in the US, here is the flyer with the show dates. In addition to those two more dates have been scheduled:

Update 2016-04-11: More dates have been confirmed so I've added to them below to the list:

Fri. Apr. 29th - Ribco - Rock Island, IL
Fri. June 10th - w/ Bret Michaels - Q&Z Expo - Ringle, WI
Fri. June 17th - w/ E&E - BAMfest - McHenry Extreme Sports Park - McHenry, IL
Tue. Oct. 4th - w/DOPE, AHC - Concord Music Hall - Chicago, IL

If you want to get in touch with the band don't hesitate to see their website or check in to their Facebook page.

Odd Crew releases new album and video "Mark These Words"

Maybe you guys remember that I've written about the crowdfunding campaign of Odd Crew here on my blog some time ago. The campaign was a half-success on the financial side but the band refused to give up.

Problems with Visa's for America also made the original plans impossible but the band managed to work around this as well and re-deceided to record the album in Sweden with the help of Daniel Bergstrand as a producer, mixing was done by Jason Suecof and Alan Douches took care about the mastering of the new material.

The new album entitled "Mark These Words" will see the day of light in two days and you can still pre-order your copy through the band's website for 7,50 Euro plus shipping and handling. The band also opened up a presence of Bandcamp where you can get the songs digitally. Currently two tracks of the new record are available (Mark These Words and Lay On Me).


In the meantime check out the video for the title-track of the record. The refrain is a killer. I like the direct and brutal riffing along with the vocals. Those are kept heavy and hard but it's also great when they go over to the clean part. It's cool to see a vocalist changing without any ado from one style to another. Besides that the groove and push of the drums give a lot of positive energy to the listener. Enjoy. :-)


The band is also going to do some shows in support of the album, here are the exact dates with links to the venues on Facebook.

16.10 - Plovidv - Театъра / The Theater
17.10 - Burgas - Bar Bez Ime / БАР БЕЗ ИМЕ Бургас
22.10 - Bucharest - Question Mark
23.10 - Ruse - Karaoke Star / Караоке Стар
24.10 - Stara Zagora - Club Jam
29.10 - Veliko Turnovo - BAR ROCKA ROLLA
30.10 - Varna - VARNA LIVE CLUB
12.11 - Blagoevgrad - Club UNDERGROUND
21.11 - Sofia - HRISTO BOTEV HALL

For more updates check out the band's Facebook page or go to their official website.

Interview with From Ashes To New

From Ashes To New is a Rap-rock / Alternative Metal band from Central Pennsylvania. I first came along the band when I was introduced to the lyric video of "Downfall". At that moment I wasn't in a good mood due to some things happening in my life that weren't positive and I was looking for something to cheer me up a bit. 

(c) by From Ashes To New, used with kind permission

The positive uplifting lyrics along with the power that the words "So don't let go" were thundered inside the refrain gave me a lot of strength so I was curious to get to know more about the band. I ended up on the website where the next video was waiting for me. This time "Stay this way" found another like with it's more rough power in it. 

So I wanted to know more about the band and happily had the chance to do so. Matt Brandyberry, who is responsible for Vocals/Guitar/Keys/Programming kindly gave me some information about the way the band works when writing songs, the message of the lyrics as well as about the upcoming album "Day One" and the bands relation to their fanbase.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: In the biography I've read that Matt Brandyberry's first takes in music were related to the Hip Hop scene and writing rhymes but later changed to Rock music. What was the trigger that changed you to focus more on the heavier side of music?

Matt Brandyberry: There are a few different things that lead me to metal. The first thing was not a good thing and actually gives me ground for my lyrical purpose and helping others be themselves. I rapped when I was a young teen. Everyone told me to quit, not because I wasn’t good, but because I was a white teen from a small town. So what did I do? I listened. At the time of me quitting rap the “Numetal” was starting to take off. I gave up rap all together and switched to guitar. Bands like Sevendust, Linkin Park, Drowning Pool, and Disturbed were at the top of my playlist. 

The lyrics in many metal bands are talking about the dark or gloomy side of life. You often use a more positive way of looking at things. Is it maybe a sort of message or giving the listener a piece of hope you want to do with doing different lyrics?

As I answered in the previous question, it’s all about going after what you love. Never take no for answer in this life. We honestly only live one time and we need to be ourselves during that process. Don’t waste your life being something that you’re not, while listening to what others want you to be. Go get yours. 

(c) by From Ashes To New, used with kind permission

Are most of inspirations for the vocals taken from your everyday personal life or where do you draw them from?

That’s where it’s all derived from, yes. 

With the approach of having two vocalist in the band: do you have a sort of scheme for each vocalist or do you try with every song who can do the proper vocal lines better?

We just write whatever feels right. If it’s rap, if it’s rap. If it’s singing, it’s singing. We write from the heart not from a schematic. 

How do you attempt each song in the writing process? Is it mostly Matt that comes around with the ideas or do you put all the ideas you have on a pile and work on them in rehearsal to see what fits best?

It starts with me (Matt). I have a small studio in my house, so it helps make the writing process easier. Chris and Branden are usually in the beginning stages as well. We all like to put our 2 cents into a song before it’s finished, so more lately it’s becoming a full band thing. We like it better as it evolves. 

The Downfall EP shows a wide variation of styles as well as on emotions. Will you focus on these mixture or even go on a heavier way on the upcoming record? (You can preorder "Day One" at the Pledgemusic page of the band.)

We don’t have a set way to do things. If it feels right we do it. We go from soft with pianos and strings to heavy, straight up screaming on the record. You’ll have to wait and see! 

Having seen that you've hit the road recently with Hollwood Undead: have you guys given up all your jobs lately and are focussing on the band alone or do you still work besides playing tours and recording new stuff?

We are all full time musicians now. We believe in this thing with everything we have, so we’re all in. 

Your fans seem to be very inspired by the music. Many of them have just contributed in the lyric video for "Downfall". Have you gotten feedback from them how your music influences their lives? I know of a good bunch of songs for myselves that have kept me going in my life through various hard times in my life.

We get great feedback all the time. That’s what are music is here for, to inspire and encourage everyone to chase their dreams and be themselves. It feels good to know that your own personal trials and tribulations are helping someone else conquer there’s. We’re here for others because it’s becoming harder and harder to find someone else who is. We as people need each other. A constant battle will only cripple our species. 

Since you have been on road recently: is there any funny story that happened that you would like to share with our readers?

I mean we’re always doing funny shit! We end up at Walmart 9 times out of 10. I guess the best way to see the stuff we do is follow our social media and add us on Snapchat FATNofficial. 

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions!

You can connect with the band on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube,
The band is going to hit the road in a few days alongside Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach and In This Moment.