Category: news

Swedish melodic metal supergroup CYHRA (featuring AMARANTHE Co-Founder Jake E and current THE HALO EFFECT, KAMELOT, THE CROWN, and SUBURBAN TRIBE members) celebrates their 10th anniversary year with their fourth studio album Requiem For A Pipe Dream, released via Reigning Phoenix Music. Alongside the arrival of the full-length, CYHRA present a guitar playthrough video to the high-powered track “Venom In Me”. “‘Venom In Me’ isn’t just about […]

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On “Popcast,” M.I.A., who has been a lightning rod for controversy throughout her career, discusses valuing free speech and how it’s “not her desire” to incite this kind of reaction.

Melodic progressive rock fans have another reason to celebrate as the U.S.-based progressive rock project Quivira unveils its fourth and final pre-release single, “Kicking Rocks,” available now from the band’s forthcoming self-titled debut album due this September.

“Kicking Rocks” is a compelling instrumental composition that blends progressive rock sophistication with subtle shades of back-alley jazz. The track reflects on life’s frustrating moments when events seem to be moving in the wrong direction, only to reveal that things may actually be unfolding exactly as they should. The song features a standout guest appearance by acclaimed guitarist Evan Stanley, whose expressive guitar work adds another layer of depth and emotion to the composition.

About Evan Stanley

Evan Stanley is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known as the frontman of the rock band Amber Wild, as well as for his collaborations with Nick Simmons. For progressive and classic rock enthusiasts, Stanley has become one of the most exciting second-generation musicians emerging from a legendary rock family, establishing a distinctive musical identity and career entirely on his own merits.

The Road to the Debut Album

Throughout the year, Quivira has steadily released a series of digital singles, each revealing a new chapter in the band’s evolving musical narrative. This September, those pieces will come together with additional new material on the group’s highly anticipated self-titled debut album.

The album will also feature a special guest appearance by renowned violinist Joe Deninzon of the legendary progressive rock band Kansas, adding another exciting dimension to the project’s already impressive musical landscape.

About the Album Concept

Quivira’s debut album has been designed as both a collection of individual musical journeys and a unified listening experience. Each single released throughout the year serves as a chapter in a larger story, inviting listeners to explore the music one track at a time. When assembled together on CD alongside newly recorded compositions, the complete album forms an immersive progressive rock tapestry crafted for both casual discovery and dedicated album listening.

Musical Vision

Quivira exists at the crossroads of expansive instrumental progressive rock and melodic vocal-driven prog. The band’s sound combines intricate time signatures, cinematic keyboard arrangements, evocative guitar textures, and thoughtful lyrical storytelling. Electronics and organic instrumentation blend seamlessly, creating sonic landscapes that encourage listeners to embark on an imaginative musical expedition.

A Progressive Rock Powerhouse

Many progressive rock fans may view Quivira as a modern progressive rock supergroup, bringing together an extraordinary lineup of respected musicians from across the genre:

• Jake Livgren – vocals, multi-instrumentalist; known for his work with Emerald City Council and Proto-Kaw
• Lisa LaRue – composer, keyboards, and computer programming; known for Lisa LaRue 2KX and RematriNation
• John Baker – guitars, bass, and vocals; known for Forever Twelve, Mars Hollow, and Little Girls

With “Kicking Rocks” now available, Quivira closes the chapter on its pre-release singles campaign while building anticipation for what promises to be one of the year’s most intriguing progressive rock releases.

The self-titled debut album arrives this September.

For fans of modern progressive rock, melodic exploration, and musical storytelling, Quivira’s journey is only just beginning.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583312171993
Bandcamp: https://quivira.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RNjquBJt3jHUIQ7SMCmj8?si=8gy-utQDQqWdvzCjeBtpng
MRR Band Profile Page: https://mrrmusic.com/project/quivira/

Melodic Revolution Records Links
https://li.sten.to/mrrmusiccom

For press inquiries, interviews, or review copies, please contact the artist or label directly.

Quivira
Email: 785arts@gmail.com

Melodic Revolution Records
Email: melodicrevolutionrecords@gmail.com

Though a cathedral is seemingly the most scenic of metal venues, with its pointed arches, stained glass windows, pews, and ribbed vaulting, it doesn’t quite gel with the beer-battered persona of North American metal. Terrains of stone and sediment are more representative of the American metal spirit, and Grundy County, Tennessee holds one of the best venues in that regard. The Caverns features an underground cave that’s been reworked into a concert hall, can hold up to 1,200 people, and is situated “in the middle of nowhere,” as general manager Joe Lurgio puts it. Originating as a bluegrass institute nearly 20 years ago, it’s embraced hard rock and metal over the last few years. It’ll host Between the Buried and Me, Imperial Triumphant, and Fallujah on June 19th, an interesting intersection of progressive metal, black metal, and death metal. It’s to be the heaviest bill that’s entered the caves yet.

Lurgio says, “Our formula is to take great bands and combine them with this space that is awe-inspiring. And it creates this magical concert experience because the band and the fans are both experiencing this surreal environment that they’re in together.”

The result is an entirely different ordeal than a traditional black box or theater event, one that’s attracted the likes of Sunn O))), Clutch, Buckethead, GWAR, Acid Bath, and Blood Incantation. While Sunn O))) were the first heavy band to enter the cave in 2019, Clutch were among the earliest metal acts post-pandemic, and their 2024 performance was something of a link between The Caverns’ past and future. “Our background, ironically, is bluegrass music and roots music, which I’ve come to realize that there’s a lot of crossover and interest in roots music through metal,” says Lurgio. 

Though Clutch aren’t a southern rock band, their stoner elements are downstream from roots and bluegrass. Those genres are integral to The Caverns: the enterprise began by hosting monthly bluegrass shows at another cave they rented. They soon secured a broadcasting deal with PBS to air the concerts as “Bluegrass Underground” (now “The Cavern Sessions”). Outside interest increased, but the cave was too small for the larger acts, so The Caverns team went cave hunting around the TAG (Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia) region. “It has one of the highest concentrations of caves in the entire world,” Lurgio informs me. 

After acquiring the current cave in Grundy County, the team outfitted it to accommodate larger audiences and bridged out to electronic music. Some bass-heavy performers gave them confidence that they could host metal shows. As Lurgio puts it, “People started saying to us ‘This would be the most epic space to see a metal band.’ Like, the space just screamed metal, man. Just like hard surfaces. I don’t know how to describe it, but if you stand there and without a show going on, you think, ‘What kind of music would be good here?’ It’d be metal.”

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Visual aesthetics aside, one has to consider how metal would sound compared to a booming EDM show or an all-acoustic bluegrass act. After all, a metal performance is one bad mix away from being a noise set, albeit a worse smelling audience. Interestingly, Lurgio holds that metal sounds phenomenal at The Caverns. “The rocks actually create a complete dead zone because the sound doesn’t bounce back like it does off of manipulated or artificial surfaces. It’s pretty incredible because it’s like a blank slate for an audio person.”

Said audio person has been working with The Caverns for 18 years and already got around the hardest challenge–making music louder. Due to bluegrass being the predominant genre for so long, The Caverns’ audio technician cut their teeth by beefing up quieter acts who don’t use amplifiers. Additionally, most metal bands bring their own audio engineers who collaborate with The Caverns’ in-house team.

Another impetus for the relocation to Grundy County was the bigger above-ground space. The Caverns offers camping–both RV and tent–as well as yurt lodging and guided caving tours. The added space and amenities allows The Caverns to better accommodate those with mobility issues. “We will drive everybody up to the pavement who has issues, and if somebody has a real problem, we’ll drive them straight down into the cave,” says Lurgio. “It’s something that we couldn’t do when we were renting our old space. And it was a priority when we moved to this space to make sure that we were friendlier to ADA. It’s a cave, but we want to get as many folks who want to come in to experience it as possible.”

Moving forward, Lurgio hopes to collaborate with more metal bands and use The Caverns as a showcase for their musicality. He’s come to realize what anybody reading Invisible Oranges knows but what many outside of metal still believe. “There’s a lot of musicality to it that I think a lot of people who aren’t turned on to the genre don’t know about. They just think it’s noise. And, you know, noise is good. But I think there’s a lot of musicality that people don’t hear. And you got to really just give it a chance.”

As The Caverns expands, they look to bring in more metal acts who can push the cave to its limits, as Between the Buried and Me, Imperial Triumphant, and Fallujah undoubtedly will later this month.

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Tickets to upcoming shows at The Caverns are available here.

Swedish cult act MASTER MASSIVE will release a new studio album, called „White Shadows“, out on July 10th through Fireflash Records. The album is a pure and epic heavy metal gem, and unites traditional metal with progressive and doom elements. Today, MASTER MASSIVE release their new and third single, along with a music video for the song “Jonah And The Whale“ […]

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Brisbane’s premier heavy music and dark arts event, the Dead of Winter Festival, is officially rising from the ashes. Dubbed The Resurrection, the festival is locked in for Saturday, 27 June 2026, marking its first return since 2019. Originally launched in 2009, the iconic gathering was forced into a multi-year hiatus following the pandemic. For […]

The sophomore full-length from the English-Portuguese duo SLEEPING PULSE, “Dreams & Limitations“, arrives just as scheduled today, on June 5, 2026. Northern English melancholia meets Portuguese longing with a bittersweet drop of hope to much applause for each advance track by critics and fans alike. Shop link: https://spkr.store/collections/sleeping-pulse Tracklist1. Dreams & Limitations2. Rise3. Illuminate4. The Butterfly Collector5. Two Wreaths6. The Constraint7. Behind the Glass8. Extrasolar9. […]

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Running through February/March.

The post Sleeping With Sirens, Arm’s Length & Like Roses Booked For Early 2027 European/UK Tour appeared first on Theprp.com.

Brisbane’s premier heavy music and dark arts event, the Dead of Winter Festival, is officially rising from the ashes. Dubbed The Resurrection, the festival is locked in for Saturday, 27 June 2026, marking its first return since 2019. Originally launched in 2009, the iconic gathering was forced into a multi-year hiatus following the pandemic. For […]

Brisbane’s premier heavy music and dark arts event, the Dead of Winter Festival, is officially rising from the ashes. Dubbed The Resurrection, the festival is locked in for Saturday, 27 June 2026, marking its first return since 2019. Originally launched in 2009, the iconic gathering was forced into a multi-year hiatus following the pandemic. For […]