Wed
04
Oct

BOULEVARD First Pressing Sold Out

 
A little good news – sales results for MelodicRock Records have been outstanding this year, I truly appreciate the support of every person that has purchased one of our titles. I’d also thank the artists for trusting in the label, the stores and distributors for keeping fans supplied with new music.
 
I’m excited to announce that the first pressing of BOULEVARD’s comeback masterpiece Luminescence has sold out and a second pressing has been ordered.
Both fan and critical response to this album has been amazing and I’m honoured to be part of the band’s triumphant return.
 
For those that haven’t yet caught on, I have still got 20 or so copies left at MRR HQ, order direct from: http://melodicrock.com/articles/melodicrock-records/2017/08/29/boulevard-boulevard-iv-luminescence-showcase
 
 
Wed
04
Oct

CYHRA Bursts Onto The Melodic Metal Scene

Artist: 
Friday, October 20, 2017
Categories: 
News Feed
 
When it comes to unearthing new heavy music that will stand the test of time, it always pays to observe what the experts are doing. A four-man testament to hard work and creative excellence, Cyhra showcases the pooling of a huge quantity of modern metal talent. Formed in 2016 by long-time friends ex-Amaranthe vocalist Jake E and former In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad, these vital veterans are about to light a fire under the contemporary metal scene that promises to blaze for decades to come. The band’s immaculate debut album, Letters To Myself, is the end result of an artistic partnership that was, as Jake E explains, plainly meant to be.
 
“At the beginning of 2016, Jesper and me sat down to have a cup of coffee, and we were discussing what we wanted to do with our respective careers. Jesper said that he was going to go and record a solo album and I was saying that I was actually walking the same path, although I didn’t know if I was going to leave Amaranthe or just do something completely different. Jesper asked me if I’d be interested in singing on his solo album and then I more or less asked him the same thing, would he play on my solo album? Then we discussed what kind of music we each wanted to do, and after ten minutes Jesper stood up and said ‘What the fuck? We want to do exactly the same thing! Let’s start a band instead!’ That’s how it all started. A couple of months later I decided to leave Amaranthe, and this became my main priority.”
 
Completing this insanely gifted quartet are former In Flames bassist Peter Iwers and Alex Landenburg, current drummer with power metal titans Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody and a former member of thrash legends Annihilator. As the explosive and exhilarating songs on Letters To Myself reveal, the chemistry between these four musicians has been instant and extraordinary. Sometimes all the pieces of the puzzle just fall into place…
 
“I always had Alex in my mind for the drum position,” says Jake. “We always bumped into each other when I was out touring. I said to Jesper, ‘I know this guy and you’re going to love him!’ I sent two or three songs to Alex and he loved them and became a member of the band almost right away! We were almost at the point of talking with labels when we thought that maybe Peter would like to be involved too. He was still in In Flames at that point, but he wanted to join. He decided to leave In Flames a couple of months later, but that had nothing to do with us asking him to join Cyhra. But suddenly we had a steady line-up! It was fun that Jesper and Peter ended up in the same band again, too… that’s pretty cool.”
 
 
Although by no means repeating past glories, Cyhra’s debut album undoubtedly features plenty of the magic that each member of the band has become known for over the years. From the blissfully melodic thrust of Jesper Strömblad’s riffs and hooks and the soaring, soulful splendour of Jake E’s unmistakable voice to the pummelling, groove-driven precision of Peter Iwers and Alex Landenburg’s rhythmic bedrock, every last moment crackles with the excitement of fresh territory, new challenges and a brand new identity for all involved to embrace.
An album of concise anthems, every one of them blessed with a huge chorus, Letters To Myself sets out this band’s stall in no uncertain terms: from the high energy riffing and skittering groove of opener Karma and the monstrous power and melodic finesse of Heartrage through to the overwhelming emotional thrust of grand ballad Closure and the pop-tinged melo-death attack of Holding Your Breath.
 
“When it comes to a style, I’d just say that this is really catchy metal!” laughs Jake. “You can hear where we’re coming from but we’re not cut’n’pasting anything from our old bands. We have our own ways of singing and playing so yeah, it’s recognisable. I don’t put labels on music. For me it’s either good music or bad music – they’re the only categories I have! I guess we aimed to get some kind of elements from our other bands. I’ve always been focused on choruses, but I also wanted to add some more modern touches, some of that alternative metal vibe. It’s hard to put a label on it, though, and that’s a great problem to have.”
 
Beyond the obvious thrill of starting a new band, Cyhra also represents something deeper and more profound for guitarist Jesper Strömblad. Having battled with addiction for many years, this latest creative step marks a wholesale comeback for one of modern metal’s most distinguished protagonists, and the songs on Letters To Myself delve deep into the emotional turmoil and quest for inner strength that Jesper has experienced in recent times. Newly invigorated and back to top form, his confident and artistically joyous return is a cause for celebration on every level.
 
“This album must be seen a little bit as Jesper’s comeback,” agrees Jake. “He’s never been silent about his problems with alcohol and other things. We talked a lot and I listened to what he had to say about his condition and his feelings and all his anxiety problems. I wrote the lyrics a lot from his perspective, but also from mine, writing about being in a bad situation, whether it’s a band or a relationship or a problem with alcohol. The album is pretty true to our life experiences and I think people will be able to relate to it. It’s a dark album but it still has that positive vibe, which is kinda weird!”
 
With such an impressive collective pedigree, the buzz around Cyhra has been growing at a rapid rate since the band unveiled their plans earlier this year. When Letters To Myself hits the streets, it seems likely that these revitalised metal diehards will make a swift and sudden impact. An exciting new chapter for all concerned, Cyhra are in this for long haul and ready to take their message of hope to the masses.
 
“We have our own headline show in Helsinki on the 27th of October and that’ll be our first ever live show,” Jake states. “We’re gonna be a band like any other and we’re gonna tour hard. I really don’t want people to think this is some kind of project. It’s a full-blown band and we’re gonna work our asses off!”
 
 
Wed
04
Oct

POWER QUEST - "Lords Of Tomorrow" (Music Video)

 
Power Quest, the renowned melodic power metal band based in the UK just released a music video for "Lords of Tomorrow", the second single from their long awaited 6th album "Sixth Dimension". The album will be released on October 13th via Inner Wound Recordings in Europe/USA and on October 11th in Japan via Marquee/Avalon.
Artist: 
 
Tue
03
Oct

R.I.P TOM PETTY

 
Let the music do the talking. RIP Tom. And peace to America and my friends in las Vegas :(
Tags: 
Artist: 
 
Tue
03
Oct

Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon - GENE SIMMONS, REVOLUTION SAINTS, GEORGE LYNCH

Artist: 
Categories: 
Podcasts & Radio
 
KISS, Journey & Lynch Mob (Dokken) 
 
Thirty-seven years after his first interview with Gene Simmons, Mitch gets his second crack at The Demon from KISS. Gene discusses his Vault Box Set, KISS’ 2018 plans and a possible one-off show... Just listen! 
 
Up next is former Journey drummer Deen Castronovo. He discusses the new Revolution Saints album, compares Journey singers, talks about letting down Neal Schon and more.
 
Finally, go on a walk with Lynch Mob guitarist George Lynch who discusses the band’s new album, his respect for Dokken, the cheese factor of... well, just listen! 
 

 

 
Mon
02
Oct

In 2018 ULI JON ROTH is celebrating a rare TRIPLE ANNIVERSARY

 
For UJR Fans all over the globe 2018 is going to be a very special year:
 
40-year anniversary of SCORPIONS - TOKYO TAPES !
40-year anniversary of the Birth of ELECTRIC SUN !!
50-year ANNIVERSARY of Uli’s first ever stage performance in 1968 !!!
 
To celebrate this special anniversary year, ULI JON ROTH is performing a whole series of concerts and tours worldwide with varying programs.
 
His two-month TRIPLE ANNIVERSARY NORTH AMERICAN TOUR - starting at the end of May 2018 - will be devoted to performing a complete set of Songs from Uli’s ground breaking ELECTRIC SUN period.
 
ELECTRIC SUN REBORN will consist of an intense 90-minute set by Uli and his band, complemented by multi-media projections. This is followed by an intermission and a shorter set of the highlights from TOKYO TAPES REVISITED to round off the 3-hour extravaganza.
 
Uli has not performed the bulk of this music for over 30 years. Although it never enjoyed the overwhelming commercial success of Scorpions, Electric Sun was far more than just a cult band and had a sizeable following on both sides of the Atlantic as well as in Japan. Largely thanks to Uli’s innovative and ground-breaking guitar playing and interesting compositions the band became artistically influential and presented a unique blend, which was sometimes likened to a strange mixture, located somewhere between Beethoven and Hendrix.
 
Following the worldwide success of his latest SCORPIONS REVISITED releases, Uli will now revisit the spellbinding music of his first solo venture after leaving Scorpions and re-connect with his songs from that prolific era of his long and colorful career. 
 
Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever, Uli pioneered a unique style of guitar playing which - for the first time - combined complete mastery of the instrument with an intensely melodic and emotional appeal. Uli’s Electric Sun guitar solos are both uplifting and often mesmerizing, displaying a very wide variety of textures, colors and novel ideas. They always take you on a journey. 
 
From his earliest days’ onwards, Uli has always been a bold and uncompromising musical innovator of the first order and his Electric Sun period bears ample witness to that fact. Being the first guitar player in rock to incorporate complex melodic arpeggio sequences, Uli Jon Roth - in the eyes of many of his peers - practically reinvented modern guitar-technique almost singlehandedly during his Scorpions tenure, but even more so during his Electric Sun days. 
 
Uli has now taken a fresh look at this material, drawn from the altogether three Electric Sun albums which he wrote some 40 years ago. The three albums - in chronological order - were EARTHQUAKE, FIRE WE WIND and BEYOND THE ASTRAL SKIES. Electric Sun and Uli fans alike will be delighted to finally hear these songs played live again by the master himself. 
 
As a real bonus for his die-hard fans and connoisseurs Uli has a special treat in store which will bring many a tear to the eyes of nostalgic older fans; due to popular request, Uli will finally bring his legendary white Fender Stratocaster guitar on tour again! The famous instrument - which he used during ALMOST ALL the Scorpions and Electric Sun recordings (!) - will make an onstage appearance for a couple of songs after having remained silent for so many years... The guitar has not been played in public since the Mid-Eighties when Uli switched over to SKY GUITARS for good and he is looking forward to putting this iconic guitar through its paces for old times’ sake. The “WHITE STRAT” can be seen on the covers of IN TRANCE as well as FIRE WIND. Uli played this guitar in EVERY SINGLE Scorpions concert since 1975 and on every single Electric Sun album!!!
 
To make the evening even more intense, another VERY SPECIAL TREAT is reserved for the purchasers of VIP PASSES and comes as a big surprise. (VIP passes are only available online at UliJonRoth.com). VIP PASS holders will be given a unique opportunity to hear Uli perform his METAMORPHOSIS OF VIVALDI’S FOUR SEASONS in its entirety during a private pre-show concert!!!
 
Uli has not performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in over 14 years and this is a very rare chance to hear this amazing piece of music played live by the “Master of the Sky Guitar” himself. Uli was the first and only guitarist ever to perform this most famous of all violin concertos on electric guitar note for note, stretching the instrument to the very limits of its capabilities, and beyond. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons concerto was written in 1723 and sounds as fresh and inspirational now as it did 300 years ago. Particularly so in Uli’s truly mind-blowing rendition, which is fiendishly difficult to play on guitar and can only be performed at concert pitch on one of his signature SKY GUITARS.
 
Uli will be accompanied for the VIP event by his two very talented young protégés NIKLAS TURMAN and DAVID KLOSINSKI on guitar as well as CORVIN BAHN on keyboards who will play the orchestral parts. As an additional treat, Uli is going to perform this piece on his legendary “MIGHTY WING” 7-string SKY GUITAR, which has not been seen in public for a long time, but which was his main guitar for a period of 20 years.
 
ULI JON ROTH FANS all over the world! Prepare yourselves for a monumental evening of sheer musical ecstasy!!!
 
Confirmed tour dates:
5/31 Dallas, TX Trees 
6/1 Houston, TX Arcadia
6/2 San Antonio, TX Rockbox 
6/5  Phoenix, AZ Club Red
6/6 Hollywood, CA Roxy Theater
6/7 San Jan Capistrano, CA Coach House
6/8 San Diego, CA Brick by Brick
6/9 Las Vegas, NV Vamp’d
6/10 Ventura, CA Ventura Theater
6/12 Santa Cruz, CA Catalyst 
6/13 Petaluma, CA Mystic Theater
6/14 Berkley, CA Cornerstone 
6/15 Sacramento, CA Holy Diver
6/16 Seattle, WA Studio 7
6/17 Portland, OR Bossanova Ballroom
6/18 Vancouver, BC Venue 
6/26 St. Paul, MN Amsterdam Music Hall
6/29 Joliet, IL The Forge 
6/30 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theater
7/1 Detroit, MI Token Lounge
7/2 Toronto, ON Rockpile
7/3 Montreal, QU TBA
7/4 Quebec, QU L’ Anti
7/5 Ottawa, ON Brass Monkey
7/6  Pawling, NY Daryl’s House
7/7  Derry, NH Tupelo Music Hall
7/8  Hartford, CT Infinity Music Hall
7/10 NYC, NY Gramercy Theater
7/11 Asbury Park, NJ Wonderbar
7/12 Sellersville, PA Sellersville Theater
7/15 Anderson, IN State Theatre
 
Additional dates will be added soon.
 
UJR official website:     http://ulijonroth.com/
UJR on Twitter:             https://twitter.com/UliJonRoth1

 

 

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