For the past few days, KATSEYE have been teasing a new song called “Pinky Up” (along with an excessively detailed rollout plan), which had a bumpy start after fans complained about the seemingly AI-generated visuals. Then a 15-second teaser failed to include the member Manon, and fans also noticed that she took the girl group’s name out of her Instagram bio. Now, the singer shared a statement.
The post Manon Removes KATSEYE From Instagram Bio, Releases Statement appeared first on Stereogum.
Extreme metal pioneers The Amenta are returning to the stage this month as they tour Australia and NZ.
Making their shows even more special, the band will be performing 2004’s masterwork Occasus in full. Yesterday the band also announced a change in line-up, with the return of vocalist Mark “Cessium 137” Bevan after 22 years and Werewolves/Abrameling guitarist Matt Wilcock replacing Dale Harrison.
The Australian leg of the tour starts on May 7 in Adelaide.
Carmine Appice resurrected his 1970s blues rock band Cactus and released the first album of new work in 34 years in 2006. The band was comprised of original members Appice (drums), Tim Bogert (bass guitar), Jim McCarty (lead guitar), and new member and ex-Savoy Brown lead singer Jimmy Kunes. By 2021, Carmine was the only original surviving member of Cactus. Temple of the Blues II is the follow-up to Cactus’ 2024 release Temple of the Blues and features a score of guest musicians on the eleven cuts, including a bonus track on the CD. Artists range from Eric Gales and Pat Travers to Dee Snider and Tracii Guns, with Carmine Appice leading the band on drums on all eleven tracks.
Cut #1 is Willie Dixon’s “Back Door Man 1 & 2,” which was originally recorded by Howlin’ Wolf in 1960 and later recorded by The Doors on their eponymous debut album The Doors in 1967. Nearly sixty years later, Appice and company updated it with their version, which was influenced by the original Howlin’ Wolf recording. Jeff Beck gave the album to Appice, which included that and other Howlin’ Wolf songs. The updated version features Eric Gales opening with a heavy guitar riff, followed by his raspy vocals growling out the lyrics, accompanied by his screaming guitar solos and Billy Sheehan’s lead bass runs in both slow and fast tempos.
“Hey, all you people that tryin’ to sleep
I’m out to make it with my midnight creep, yeah”
“300 Pounds of Joy” is a Howlin’ Wolf autobiographical composition. The track opens with Appice’s explosive drumming driving the song forward until King’s X lead guitarist Ty Tabor jumps in with flavorful slide guitar licks. Appice’s drumming continues to push the song ahead, with Ed Terry on vocals and the band harmonizing, while Artie Dillon provides bass. “Moanin’” features 1970s hard blues rocker Pat Travers on slide lead guitar, shredding his way through the song. Ed Terry’s soaring vocals kick things off on another Howlin’ Wolf-era tune with a primal beat. “Down to the Bottom” features King’s X bassist Dug Pinnick on vocals, with Phil Soussan on bass and Richard Fortus delivering multifaceted guitar work. Carmine’s explosive drumming once again drives the Howlin’ Wolf tune.
“Well, now meet me in the bottom,
Bring me my runnin’ shoes.”
Cut #5 features Ron Thal, better known as Bumblefoot, on fretless and lead guitar for “Token Chokin’.” The song is from Cactus’ third album Restrictions from 1971, but this version is a harder-rocking take, with stratospheric guitar peals replacing the dominant harmonizing of the original. Ed Terry provides vocals, joined by heavy metal bassist Johnny Rod from W.A.S.P. and Artie Dillon on driving rhythm guitar. “Bad Stuff” is a high-energy track that appeared on Cactus’ fourth and final album from their 1970s run. This version features an explosive performance with ex-Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse and vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, along with keyboardist Derek Sherinian and fretless bassist Tony Franklin.
“He hands out paper kisses
Blind man’s way to talk”
“Tail Dragger” is another Willie Dixon composition first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf. It features Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick delivering stellar licks, along with bassist Rudy Sarzo of Whitesnake and Ozzy Osbourne, while vocalist Ed Terry’s voice interplays with Rocking Jake on harmonica. “The Little Red Rooster” is another Willie Dixon song first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf, with Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider on vocals and Tracii Guns on lead guitar. Jazz bassist Jimmy Haslip provides the low end, while Appice’s relentless drumming supplies the backbeat.
“I have a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow ‘fore day”
“Purple Haze” is a stripped-down power trio plus one, with Melanie’s posthumously featured voice delivering the vocals on Jimi Hendrix’s composition. Coincidentally, Hendrix, Melanie, and Cactus all performed at the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970, less than three weeks before Hendrix’s death. Artie Dillon’s stellar guitar work complements Melanie’s vocals. “Spoonful” is another Willie Dixon tune that Howlin’ Wolf recorded and was later re-recorded by Cream and many others. It remains a classic, with Ed Terry on vocals and Ted Nugent providing lead guitar. Appice’s powerful drumming, coupled with Australian veteran bassist Bob Daisley, drives the song with a throbbing beat.
“But a little spoon of your precious love
Good enough for me”
Cut #11, “Feel So Good,” is a bonus track available only on the CD. It features Vixen guitarist Britt Lightning and former KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer, with vocals by Rob Caudill. The song was co-written by Appice, Bogert, Day, and McCarty and originally appeared on Cactus’ debut album Cactus released in 1970.
Trying to choose the best songs on Temple of the Blues II is no easy task, with eleven unique cuts featuring different band combinations on each track. Every configuration is anchored by Carmine Appice, whose relentless drumming drives each performance. A wide range of guitarists deliver standout solos, paired with soulful, emotion-driven vocals from multiple singers. The end result is a blues rock album that should satisfy fans who appreciate powerful drumming and high-level guitar work.
The Review: 9/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Back Door Man
– Moanin’
– Little Red Rooster
– Purple Haze
– Spoonful
The Big Hit
– Little Red Rooster
The post Cactus: Temple of Blues II Review appeared first on Blues Rock Review.
Surfing through blurred memories
Away from reality
In this void I’m drifting
Our wave crashed at hyperspeed
After two years off the grid, Covstline returns with a new single, Hyperspeed, diving headfirst into the gleam of old synth-pop machinery, dragging something panicked and personal along with it. The duo out of Portland, producer Evan Kinzer and vocalist Saul Tajonar, lock into a fevered groove here that carries the snap of New Order, the chrome kiss of Depeche Mode, a bit of Billy Idol’s teased-up danger, and the nightclub menace of TR/ST and Ultra Sunn, but they never come off like tourists rummaging through a thrift-store decade.
The beat has that clean, clipped crack that makes your shoulders start moving before your mind can mount a defense, while the synths smear across the background like headlights on wet pavement. You can feel the tension between motion and paralysis. Kinzer stacks these tones so they feel sleek, and when the track opens up into that larger, heavier descent, it lands with force. There is some EDM in its bloodstream, but it gets folded into the song’s bruised mood instead of treated like a gimmick dropped in to goose the crowd.
Tajonar’s emotive voice has a ragged urgency that keeps the song from becoming a stylish little exercise in retro mood. He sings like a man trying to outrun his own thoughts and discovering they’ve already beaten him to the next town. Hyperspeed is a song about being trapped in the wreckage of old desires, staring at your life like it’s a stalled engine, wondering whether you’re mourning a lost love, a lost self, or simply your nerve. The words circle those questions with a desperate repetition…precisely how dread works when it has you cornered.
Underneath all the gleam, all the club-floor velocity, there’s a minor existential problem chewing through the wires: risk, regret, and the terror of realizing reverse gear is gone. That’s a rich subject for a band newly relocated, newly recommitted, and apparently ready to kick in the door of Portland’s goth scene. Hyperspeed is a dance track with bite in its teeth and bruises on its ribs.
Listen to Hyperspeed below and order the single here.
Follow Covstline:
The post “In This Void I’m Drifting” — Los Angeles Synthpop Duo Covstline Return With “Hyperspeed” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
This Saturday, Jack Black will host SNL and Jack White will serve as the musical guest. The promos are here, and their names are obviously a source for some of the jokes.
The post Jack Black And Jack White Deliver Jack Jokes In Their <em>SNL</em> Promos appeared first on Stereogum.
“This beautiful thing we built together was the greatest honor of my life…”
The post Colin Young Pays Tribute To His Late HardLore Co-Host Bo Lueders: “I Will Love, Mourn, And Celebrate You Forever” appeared first on Theprp.com.
Over 20 years ago, THE AMENTA released their debut album, Occasus. An unrelenting hybrid of the darkest death metal, black metal grandeur, and sickly electronic interjections, Occasus was marshalled by the unhinged bestial roar of Mark “Cesium 137” Bevan. The synthesis of future shock dissonance and industrial sheen with such a scorched-earth voice was a […]
