The Amity Affliction
Dude, where's my car?! Ahren Stringer of The Amity Affliction joined Brock for another episode of Discover New Music to discuss the band's eighth studio album "Not Without My Ghosts." It's Amity's first fully self-produced record and, according to Ahren, it's heavy. Plus they guys play an Australian version of Rapid Fire and we learn about a stolen Commodore.
ABOUT THE AMITY AFFLICTION:
Since emerging in 2008 with their debut Severed Ties, Australian powerhouse The Amity Affliction have consistently delivered. They’ve tallied over a billion streams worldwide, clocked four No. 1 records, have earned multiple Gold and Platinum certifications in their home country, and enjoyed a string of Top 30-charting albums on Billboard. They’ve also received critical accolades from Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, The Noise, and more. Throughout their career, The Amity Affliction have remained a featured attraction on some of the biggest festivals in the world — from Download UK, Reading and Leeds, Vans Warped Tour, Rock am Ring, Rock im park, Graspop, Sonic Temple, Welcome to Rockville, Hellfest, Slam Dunk, Jera on Air, and more! The band has sold out countless headline treks and have hit the road with everyone from A Day to Remember to Motionless in White to Silverstein to Sum 41 to Beartooth to PVRIS. New material is expected in 2023.
Tigercub
If you party to hard at the Pav Tav you make have to make a tactical chunder! On this week’s Discover New Music Brock catches up with Jamie Hall, lead singer of Tigercub, to discuss the band’s third studio album “The Perfume of Decay.” Jamie shares how more creative freedom on this record allowed the band to find the sound they truly is feel is the Tigercub sound. Plus, Brock tests Jamie and the fellas on there Sussex slang and play a quick round of Rapid Fire.
Jamie Hall was absentmindedly watching a movie when he first heard the phrase "the perfume of decay." It was nothing more than an isolated bit of dialogue, but the line resonated with the Tigercub frontman. It sounded dark, heavy, and gothic. It sounded like his band.
"There was a nighttime aesthetic to it, and something that reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe and the Victorian era," he remembers. "It seemed to sum up the bittersweet nature of growing up. Thematically and musically, that's where Tigercub was headed."
With The Perfume of Decay — Tigercub's third record of nocturnal, hard-hitting rock, as well as their first release for Loosegroove Records — Hall draws the curtains shut and embraces a moody, melancholic sound that's every bit as cinematic as Hollywood itself. It's an album about counterpoint and opposites, stacked with songs that contrast overdriven guitars with whispered vocals, tight grooves with shoegazing swells of noise, sonic experimentation with sharp songwriting. For a band that's always trafficked in drama and dynamics, The Perfume of Decay marks Tigercub's strongest release to date.
"The Perfume of Decay is set at night," Hall explains. "It was written at night, I recorded all the vocals at night, and it is at night when my thoughts race and uneasiness pours through me like running water. Under the glimmer of moonlight, my apprehension ebbs and flows like the tide and it doesn't stop until the morning. Perfume is a diary of my emotional journey from dusk to dawn, an anxiety-fueled voyage through the storm. Lyrically, at points, it is almost a stream of consciousness. I sat up late and wrote the words down as they flashed before my eyes."
"I use my songwriting as a form of catharsis — a tool to examine my anxiety and insecurity about growing older and how those emotions seem to lead me towards turmoil," he adds. "I pour those feelings into my lyrics and only then can I move on from them."
A seven-foot frontman, radio host, and music historian, Hall is literally larger than life. Tigercub's music has always sounded similarly colossal, from the band's 2016 debut, Abstract Figures in the Dark, to 2021's As Blue as Indigo. Those records represented two different sides of the Brighton-based band, hinting at diverse influences like Led Zeppelin, Slipknot, Chopin, and Sonic Youth. For Tigercub's third album, Jamie and his two bandmates — drummer James Allix and bassist Jimi Wheelwright — set out to occupy the space between those extremes.
"It's experimental but not indulgent," Hall says of the record, which he wrote and self-produced. "The songs are succinct, but they aren't anxious to please everyone. We don't mind setting the mood, being patient, and taking our time before the vocals come in."
That approach has earned support from an audience that stretches across both sides of the Atlantic, as well as acclaim from Tigercub's peers. Stone Gossard, guitarist for Pearl Jam and founder of the iconic label Loosegroove Records, has been a longtime champion of the band. "Jamie Hall is not only an incredible songwriter, singer, and fucking wicked guitarist," he says, "but he also has a deep understanding of art and music history. This guy dabbles in it all — visual arts, digital media, world history… Check out his radio show and experience his natural grace and cheeky humor. This band is generational, and Jamie's a natural star. Loosegroove couldn't be happier working with Tigercub."
The Perfume of Decay was recorded after an international tour that took Tigercub halfway around the world in promotion of As Blue Indigo. The record was met with commercial success and critical acclaim, peaking at Number 11 on the UK charts. Tigercub found similar success on the road. From sold-out shows across the UK to an American tour with Clutch and Eyehategod, the guys spent months on the road, their minds blown by the vastness of the American landscape.
"We were together in the van, watching the scenery change, driving from San Antonio to Tucson," remembers Hall. "We saw the scale of America and got a sense of how big the world is. It flipped our perspective. When we went into the studio, we played with the songs a little bit to reflect that space."
The loud-and-soft dynamics of Tigercub's catalog reach a fiery fever pitch with The Perfume of Decay. Hall recorded his vocals while sitting down, a move that lends a hushed urgency to the performances. "For any screamed parts on the record, I wasn't actually screaming in the studio," he adds. "I was just whispering close to the mic, and we'd distort it. It sounded far more intense than any psychotic scream I could conjure." Another inventive production technique found covering drummer James Allix in heavy-duty chains purchased from a hardware store, which gave a "subtle arrhythmical rustling" to the background of several tracks. He even peppered songs with footage from his personal collection of vintage tape machines. "What's cool about the old dictaphones I've bought at markets and car boot sales is the stuff you can find on them," Hall explains. "It's this weird playback of people's lives, their memories, and the memos they've made to themselves. It can be very creepy, and I wove some of those recordings into the tracks. People might not notice things like this until the fourth or fifth listen, but it's like the fingerprint of the record."
At the album's core, though, is a loud, booming bedrock of rock and metal. The album's title track kicks open its gates with guitar riffs inspired by Chopin's Études. "Show Me My Maker" roots itself in heavyset percussion inspired by John Bonham. "Shadowgraph” balances its gothic heaviness with dense, swirling soundscapes. Hall recorded the album's guitar parts with a Gibson Les Paul and a Marshall amplifier, the volume cranked to 11 on both. He half-seriously calls the approach "a Spinal Tap move," but The Perfume of Decay is no joking matter. It's the sound of Tigercub growing up, shedding its "cub" status, and confidently embracing all the contradictions, counterpoints, and catharsis of modern-day rock.
"It's all about opposites," he says. "Sweet-and-salty popcorn tends to taste better than regular popcorn, even though those are two opposing forces. I wanted to nail that concept with our heavy guitars, softer-sung vocals, Can-style grooves, and a bit of shoegaze. Counterpoints can come together and make a powerful connection. I've crossed the threshold from my 20s to my 30s, so I'm getting older, but I'm also entering my prime. This record is a reflection of that."
New Slipknot EP
JUNE 9, 2023 – SLIPKNOT have released two new music videos for unreleased music: “Memories (Adderall - Rough Demo)” can be found at www.slipknot1.com, while “Death March” can be found at www.youcantkillme.com. Both videos are directed by multidisciplinary artist and SLIPKNOT founding member, M. Shawn ‘clown’ Crahan. Alongside the videos, the band has released the Adderall EP, which collects alternate versions and reworkings of the band’s song “Adderall” (full track list below), along with non-LP tracks. The original studio version of “Adderall” is the lead-off track on SLIPKNOT’s latest album THE END, SO FAR.
Elaborating on the new EP and videos, clown remarked, “Deconstructing to continuously pave the way for evolution. At this point in the program nothing is safe.”
The Adderall EP follows “Bone Church,” a surprise standalone single released earlier this year with an accompanying M. Shawn ‘clown’ Crahan directed video piece titled “Yen – Director’s Cut (Bone Church),” The “Bone Church” video has gone on to amass over one million views and counting.
Having recently wrapped their enormously popular sold-out KNOTFEST Roadshow tour, SLIPKNOT are currently traversing the globe on a run of headlining festival dates which includes their own KNOTFEST Italy festival taking place June 25th. For tickets and more information on SLIPKNOT’s upcoming live dates, visit www.slipknot1.com.
[EP Track Listing Below]
ADDERALL EP
- Death March
- Adderall - No Intro
- Adderall - Rough Demo
- Red Or Redder
- Adderall - Instrumental
- Hard To Be Here
SLIPKNOT LIVE DATES 2023
JUN 10 - Greenfield Festival 2023 - INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND
JUN 11 - Download Festival 2023 - DERBY, UNITED KINGDOM
JUN 13 - Ziggo Dome - AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS*
JUN 14 - Rockhal - ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE, LUXEMBOURG*
JUN 16 - Copenhell Festival 2023 - COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
JUN 17 - Graspop Metal Meeting 2023 - DESSEL, BELGIUM
JUN 18 - Hellfest 2023 - CLISSON, FRANCE
JUN 20 - Barclays Arena - HAMBURG, GERMANY*
JUN 21 - Mercedes-Benz Arena - BERLIN, GERMANY*
JUN 24 – Königsplatz – MUNICH, GERMANY*
JUN 25 - KNOTFEST Italy 2023 - BOLOGNA, ITALY
JUN 27 - Arena of Nîmes - NÎMES, FRANCE*
JUN 29 - Evil Live Festival 2023 - LISBOA, PORTUGAL
JUN 30 - Resurrection Fest 2023 - VIVEIRO, SPAIN
JUL 14 - Rock Fest 2023 - CADOTT, WISCONSIN
JUL 16 – Inkcarceration Festival – MANSFIELD, OHIO
SEP 08 – Blue Ridge Rock Festival – ALTON, VRGINIA
*Headline Date
ABOUT SLIPKNOT:
There was never a band like SLIPKNOT, and there will never be another. Like a spore out of the Midwest,
they’ve quietly bloomed into the most uncompromising, undeniable, and unique presence on the planet whose influence transcends genres and generations. Since sowing the seeds for revolution in Iowa during 1999, these musical outliers have captured a GRAMMY Award alongside 10 nominations, scored 12 Platinum / 41 Gold album certifications around the world, and logged over 8.5 billion global streams and 3.5 billion video views to date - unprecedented for a rock act in this generation or any other. Rolling Stone cited the seminal platinum-selling 2001 album Iowa among “The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time,” while The Ringer attested, “They’re the most important heavy band of their era.” In addition to marking the group’s third consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200, their sixth full-length album, WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND, bowed at #1 in twelve countries worldwide in 2019. Selling out shows on multiple continents, they deliver an irreplicable multi-sensory experience on tour and through their own festival KNOTFEST. With their seventh album THE END, SO FAR, SLIPKNOT are back, and nothing will be the same again.
For more information on SLIPKNOT, visit:
OFFICIAL WEBSITE |KNOTFEST | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY | AMAZON MUSIC | DISCORD
Finger Eleven
They started as The Rainbow Butt Monkeys and are now putting out a Greatest Hits album. Scott Anderson, lead singer of Finger Eleven, stopped by to talk about the band’s latest compilation…their first ever Greatest Hits collection. Plus he fills us in on their first new music in seven years wit the single “Together Right” as well as teases more new Finger Eleven to come! And, as always, a fun filled Rapid Fired with ketchup chips, big foot, bear arms and more!
https://youtu.be/fPf7JfhPbfw
Speaking to the band’s first-ever retrospective, Anderson reflects, “After six albums and 20-plus years of being together, Finger Eleven is beyond excited to finally release a greatest hits album. As with all things F11, the band obsessed over the song choices, running order, and vinyl version to go along with the beautiful new art that James [Black] created.”
One of Canada’s best-selling bands, Juno Award-winning rockers Finger Eleven have built a long-lasting legacy with their genre-defying sound (spanning cathartic metal and alt-rock balladry to danceable funk, power pop, and beyond) that continues to keep fans on their toes. The band’s story begins in 1990, when Scott Anderson (vocals), Rick Jackett (guitar), James Black (vocals, guitar), Sean Anderson (bass), and drummer Rob Gommerman (later replaced by Rich Beddoe) began playing together in high school. In 1995, the Burlington, Ontario five-piece released their debut, Letters from Chutney, under the moniker “Rainbow Butt Monkeys,” before recording their first LP as Finger Eleven, Tip. The album, which was produced by Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan), caught the attention of Wind-up Records, who signed the band in 1997 and re-released Tip a year later.
Non-stop touring with bands like Creed and Fuel, as well as a spot on the Vans Warped Tour helped the band break into the US market with singles like “Above,” a Top 40 hit on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. The band continued the momentum with The Greyest of Blue Skies (2000). Featuring the singles “First Time” and “Drag You Down,” the album landed at No.17 on the Canadian chart, where it was certified Gold. It would be their self-titled follow-up, however, that would make Finger Eleven international stars.
Smashing Pumpkins
A new album that’s been almost 30 years in the making?! Bill Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins caught up with Brock to chat about the band’s 12th album “Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts” and how this latest work continues on an epic story that begin all the way back on “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.” Plus Billy plays a round of Rapid Fire and we find out his preferred Chicago team, wrestling moves & much more!
The Smashing Pumpkins are one of the most iconic, iconoclastic, and influential bands of all time, shaping alternative music and culture. Since forming in Chicago during 1988, the group have sold over 30 million albums worldwide and garnered two GRAMMY® Awards, two MTV VMAs, and an American Music Award. Their catalog includes seminal offerings such as the platinum Gish [1991], the quadruple-platinum Siamese Dream [1993], and diamond-certified Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [1995]. Rolling Stone cited both Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness among its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” It would also be impossible to envision alternative music and culture without signature iconography such as the idyllic album artwork for Siamese Dream, the black Zero shirt, the laissez faire bliss of the “1979” music video, the gothic metamorphosis of “Ava Adore,” or the multi-dimensional live shows that sell out worldwide to this day. 2018 saw The Smashing Pumpkins unveil the SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 / LP: NO PAST. NO FUTURE. NO SUN. and launch the Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour, which packed arenas. Maintaining this momentum, the band’s eleventh full-length and latest double album, Cyr, arrived in 2020 and represented yet another evolution. As prolific as ever, The Smashing Pumpkins will release more music in 2022 as they resume touring. They challenged music and, ultimately, changed it—that’s the one tradition The Smashing Pumpkins proudly uphold.
Smashing Pumpkins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smashingpumpkins/
Smashing Pumpkins Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmashingPumpkin
Smashing Pumpkins IG: https://www.instagram.com/smashingpumpkins/?hl=en
Smashing Pumpkins TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesmashingpumpkins
Through Fire
A major breakup created inspiration for a new album. Grant Kendrick of Through Fire caught up with Brock about the band’s new album “Devil’s Got You Dreamin’” and dives into how the ending of an 11 year relations helped him find his range as a singer and the band find their sound. Plus he shares a favorite track of his that stemmed from some harsh words and plays another round of Rapid Fire!
Pop Evil
The most fun Pop Evil has had while making an album? Singer Leigh Kakaty caught up with Brock about the band’s latest release, Skeletons, and opened up about how after 20+ years, seven albums, ups & downs and everything in between Pop Evil was able to find that ultimate joy, and sound, in the studio and are excited to bring it to the fans.
More Info: popevil.com
Story of The Year
Ryan from Story of the Year talks about how many new albums they have in the vault, getting an outside perspective on their music. And rapid fire talk of wet pants and Bigfoot, just to keep things grounded.
What’s the sound of Story Of The Year? Loud guitars, massive singalong choruses, and uplifting perseverance. Few records helped build the post-hardcore scene as swiftly as the band’s debut, Page Avenue, one of the first of its kind to sell a million copies. “Until the Day I Die”, with over 100 million streams on Spotify and 25 million views on YouTube endures as both an anthem and mission statement for the band. Tours with Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Deftones, and The Used have cemented Story Of The Year’s reputation as a truly stunning and engaging live act.
The connection between the band and audience transformed Story Of The Year from teenagers working in a St. Louis pizza chain franchise into hard rock headliners. Fans grew up together with Dan, Ryan, Josh, and Adam, from Page Avenue (2003), In the Wake of Determination (2005), The Black Swan (2008), The Constant (2010), Wolves (2017), to Tear Me To Pieces (2022). They specialize in intense, passionate, confessional compositions that inspire and empower. Songs like the new single, “War", "Real Life,” “Miracle,” “The Ghost of You and I,” “Anthem of Our Dying Day,” and “Take The Ride” will resonate with anyone determined to triumph over adversity. Until the day I die, indeed.
Story Of The Year are:
Dan Marsala – Vocals
Ryan Phillips – Guitar
Adam Russell – Bass/Vocals
Josh Wills – Drums
FB: https://www.facebook.com/storyoftheyear
IG: https://www.instagram.com/storyoftheyear
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoryoftheYear
Web: http://www.storyoftheyear.net
Avenged Sevenfold
Ever wondered what Johnny Christ's favorite orchestra instrument is? Brock talks to the Avenged Sevenfold bassist about the new album "Life Is But A Dream," what it was like to work with a 72-piece orchestra, and his podcast "Drinks With Johnny." And of course, another great round of Rapid Fire!
About Avenged Sevenfold
To date, Avenged Sevenfold have sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart (2010’s Nightmare and 2013’sHail To The King) to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio. The band (comprising M. Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance, Johnny Christ and Brooks Wackerman) are equally known for their spectacular live shows, selling out arenas and headlining the world’s most prestigious rock festivals as well as always being at the forefront of rapidly changing technology, cultural mile markers, and new ways for communities to engage.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD LIFE IS BUT A DREAM…NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
Tue Jul 18 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Wed Jul 19 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Fri Jul 21 – Québec City, QC – Videotron Centre
Sat Jul 22 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Mon Jul 24 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
Wed Jul 26 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Fri Jul 28 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sat Jul 29 – Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
Mon Jul 31 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
Wed Aug 02 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre
Fri Aug 04 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Sat Aug 05 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Mon Aug 07 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
FOLLOW AVENGED SEVENFOLD:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
OTTTO
Rockstar offspring royalty Tye Trujillo and Brock talk about how to juggle High School and home work oh...and making an album and touring! We hear about Stranger Things and Brock shows his age in Rapid Fire!
OTTTO, the Los Angeles-based trio featuring Triko Chavez (drums), Bryan Noah Ferretti (vocals/guitar) and Tye Trujillo (bass), released their debut full-length album, Life is a Game, on March 24
“The vibe of this record was getting out of our comfort zone and being free,” explains Bryan of the Tim Harkins (Korn, Jerry Cantrell) produced album. “We were opening our eyes to what could be done. There were some cool harmonies, and we focused on the overall structure. It had a constant flow.”
Tye adds: “In 2020, our self-titled album included lots of tunes we had sitting around for a few years. With this record, the experience was different. We really took the time to find a vibe for each track.”
OTTTO released their self-titled debut EP in 2020, followed by multiple live outings, including slots at Lollapalooza and Bottle Rock, opened for Suicidal Tendencies, and saw Tye contribute the guitar parts for cultural phenomenon, Eddie Munson in “Stranger Things.” Most recently, the band issued the Record Store Day exclusive EP, Locos Live In Venice, which was recorded at the venerable Juice Magazine headquarters, right off of the Venice Beach boardwalk.
The band returns to the road this Spring, with several festival outings including Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival.