A Plea For Purging Re-signs With Facedown
A Plea For Purging came to Facedown Records in 2007 with a reputation for fire-breathing and amazing technical ability. The band has since released three albums, the most recent being 2010’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, a terrifyingly honest look at the age old wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing theme and an auditory thrill. Now the band is looking toward releasing the follow up to The Marriage with Facedown Records in late 2011.
Label head Jason Dunn says “It’s been a privilege to work alongside of the Plea guys, both as a band and as individuals for the past 4 years and I am honored to be able to extend that working relationship. Plea have grown with every album so I am very excited to see where this next album takes them.” A Plea for Purging will be heading into Random Awesome studio in August to record with Josh Schroeder. Andy Atkins, front man for Plea had this to say about the band’s decision to re-sign: “Though we are still a very small band, 4 years ago when we were absolutely nothing, Facedown and the Dunn family believed in us enough to invest their time and money into us. We were some n00bs from Tennessee that thought we knew everything but really knew nothing. With Facedown’s backing, we have been able to travel the world and meet tons of great people through our music. They have always supported us and given us complete artistic freedom. With that being said, it only seems right to continue on with the supportive team we have behind us. We are proud to continue working from within the Facedown Family.”
For more information on A Plea For Purging, visit:
facebook.com/apleaforpurgingofficial
Emery News
Emery’s video for “The Cheval Glass” is premiering now on VEVO! The song is off their latest album “We Do What We Want,” which is available in stores and online now! You can download the album online at iTunes or Amazon MP3.
August Burns Red Post Another New Track
AUGUST BURNS RED are just two weeks away from dropping one of the most anxiously awaited hard rock albums of 2011 – the eagerly anticipated Leveler – available in stores and online June 21st via Solid State Records. Today the band continues to tease Leveler’s full sonic assault with a third track, entitled “Divisions.” “‘Divisions’ is a chaotic dirty track,” explains guitarist JB Brubaker. “It’s dark lyrically and Jake (Luhrs, vocalist) absolutely shreds his vocal chords on this song – I think it is one of the most diverse and strongest vocal performances he has ever given. This song also has the weirdest timed breakdowns on the entire album. We dare you to figure it out!” Recently, the band unleashed “Internal Cannon” on the world – a standout track that showcases the adventurousness of Leveler as well as AUGUST BURNS RED’s penchant for pushing the envelope of the genre. As a result, the track drew high praise from fans for its ability to think outside of the box and add new and exciting elements to the band’s signature sound. “Putting out a fourth record is a little scary because we obviously have our sound figured out at this point, but we don’t want to put out a record that just sounds like a redux of our previous albums,” explains guitarist JB Brubaker. “Our tastes are always evolving as musicians and we’ve been motivated to progress as a band and push ABR in different directions, while maintaining the characteristics that made us the band we are in the first place.” A number of pre-order bundles are available now for Leveler in a variety of packages including the special edition and vinyl packages. Fans can choose bundles which include extras from a pre-order exclusive t-shirt to AUGUST BURNS RED baseball cards.
Onward To Olympas Release New Video
Onward to Olympas have just released a video for the song “Structures” off of their March release The War Within Us. You can see it here. OTO will be heading out this June with Before There Was Rosalyn, Creations, and Strike First’s The Burial on the Dropping The Hammer Tour.
Tour Dates:
6/24 – San Antonio, TX
6/25 – Dallas, TX
6/26 – Tulsa, OK
6/27 – Springfield, MO
6/28 – Bushnell, IL
6/29 – Bushnell, IL
6/30 – Bushnell, IL
7/1 – Bushnell, IL
7/2 – Bushnell, IL
7/3 – Bushnell, IL
7/4 – Indianapolis, IN
7/5 – Steger, IL
7/7 – Whitesburg, KY
7/8 – Cookeville, TN
7/10 – Cape Girardeau, MO
7/12 – Grand Rapids, MN
7/14 – Willmar, MN
7/17 – Sioux City, IA
7/20 – Salt Lake City, UT
7/21 – Roseville, CA
7/23 – Yucaipa, CA
7/24 – Canoga Park, CA
Red Premieres “Feed The Machine” Video
Twice GRAMMY-nominated hard rock outfit RED is currently premiering its new video for “Feed The Machine” on ARTISTdirect.com. The song comes off the band’s latest album, Until We Have Faces, which is in stores now. View the video here. The video is more of a short film than your typical music video. When asked by Rick Florino, Editor-In-Chief of ARTISTdirect.com what the inspiration for the video was, RED guitarist Anthony Armstong said the following: “We’re movie fanatics! ‘Feed the Machine’ is an intense song, and we wanted the video to be equally, if not more intense, than the actual song itself. The band actually came up with the idea. It wasn’t anything that we got a treatment for from a director. The idea belonged to us. We teamed up with the Irwin Brothers and gave them the vision of what we wanted to do. It’s a pretty intense video.” RED is out on tour the entire summer. Catch the band live when they are in your city!
Tour Dates:
6/16 – Wilmore, KY
6/17 – Jacksonville, NC
6/18 – Fayetteville, NC
6/19 – Nashville, TN
6/21 – Birmingham, AL
6/22 – Jackson, MS
6/24 – Flint, MI
6/25 – Ionia, MI
6/26 – Pittsburgh, PA
6/29 – Baltimore, MD
6/30 – Shirleysburg, PA
7/6 – Osh Kosh, WI
7/7 – Mason, OH
7/8 – Virginia Beach, VA
7/9 – Ripley, WV
7/21 – Enumclaw, WA
7/23 – Spokane, WA
7/24 – Boise, ID
7/26 – Salt Lake City, UT
7/27 – Colorado Springs, CO
7/29 – Dodge City, KS
7/30 – Longmont, CO
7/31 – Zion, IL
8/3 – Darien Center, NY
8/4 – Gilford, NH
8/6 – Austell, GA
8/12 – Lebanon, PA
8/13 – Anaheim, CA
Switchfoot Bro-Am Lineup Revealed
The Howls, The Romany Rye, The Silent Comedy and Jon Foreman & Friends will perform at the seventh annual Switchfoot Bro-Am Presented By Hurley. Ultimate Ears, the official music partner of the event, will be premiering clips from SWITCHFOOT’s upcoming album, Vice Verses, at onsite listening stations at the surf contest/beach concert, which will take place on Saturday, June 18th, at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, CA. The weekend’s activities were conceived by GRAMMY® winning rock band SWITCHFOOT to give back to their local community and benefit the San Diego and Oceanside chapters of StandUp For Kids (www.standupforkids.org), a national nonprofit volunteer outreach organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless and street kids. While admission to the beach event is free, funds will be raised from sponsorships, beach vendors, an Auction Night Soiree (set for June 16th at a private La Jolla Farms residence) and a post-concert after-party held June 18th at the Belly Up Tavern in nearby Solana Beach. Johnny Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Fiction Family and Little Hurricane will play the after-party, which will be hosted by SWITCHFOOT. For the first time, Bro-Am is working with Square, a San Francisco-based company revolutionizing everyday transactions. At the Auction Night Soiree and at Moonlight Beach, volunteers will be wearing T-shirts that say, “Square Up for StandUp For Kids— Ask Us How To Donate,” and they’ll have iPhones enabled with card readers on hand, allowing attendees to donate directly to StandUp For Kids right then and there. Tickets for the Auction Night Soiree and the Belly Up after-party are on sale now here. Through an alliance with SWITCHFOOT’s e-commerce provider, Bandfarm, fans purchasing tickets to Auction Night Soiree will be invited by Dympol’s Charitable Checkout application to add a donation for StandUp For Kids to the shopping cart. In return, fans who decide to give will get an exclusive Fiction Family download and digital gift cards from Hurley equal to the value of their donations. When fans activate their Hurley gift cards they also have the opportunity to get the band to publicly thank them on their Facebook pages. Since its inception in 2005, the Bro-Am has raised more than $400,000 for San Diego-based children’s charities. Last year’s event was the most successful to date, drawing over 7,500 attendees and raising more than $135,000 for the local chapters of StandUp For Kids.
HM Freelance Writer Publishes Book
It’s been a few years, but Adam P. Newton has written several album reviews and articles for HM Magazine. Here is his latest venture: “Dear friends, acquaintances, contacts, and other sundry excellent people whom I’ve come to know throughout the years – First of all, let me apologize for the massive, seemingly impersonal nature of this e-mail. Many of you already know about this news I’m sharing with you, while some of you have yet to be informed (much to my dismay). It’s just that all of the information hasn’t been supplied in just the right frame of reference at the correct juncture in time. It’s this simple – during the course of 2010, I happened to write a collection of 50 short stories (micro-fiction, to be technical about the genre), all of which are tied together into one coherent theme. Late in 2010, a small boutique publisher happened upon this story cycle of mine, as I was posting it on Tumblr. Lo and behold, these fine people were actually interested in publishing my stories in actual paperback form! I was suitably excited, though I didn’t quickly share this news with everyone for fear of jinxing the process. Thus, during the early part of 2011, I buckled down and went through a series of edits, both of my own behest and with the help of my wife and the publisher’s editor. In late April, the book was sent off to the publisher, and in late May, my book became available for publish. Yes, yours truly, is a published author with an actual book under his belt. The story cycle bears the title “If This Parking Lot Could Speak” – and those of you who have ever worked retail, customer service, or in the restaurant industry will find that they greatly relate to and connect with the characters in the story. The point of my long, rambling e-mail is this: I would really love it if you went to my publisher’s website and purchased a copy of my book. I know that this comes across as rather selfish and self-serving, but I’m really excited about the book, and I’d love for you to read it. Here is the necessary link – and you will make the purchase through PayPal. For my Houston, TX area friends, I do hope to procure a decent amount of these sometime in the future for a release party (so that you can buy them in person), but until then, the link will have to suffice. Ultimately, thanks to all of you for being part of my life in some shape, size, form, or fashion. Many of you have been MORE than instrumental in my development, and many of you have just been awesome people in general. Thanks for all of your support and friendship throughout the years!
Thanks in advance for buying If This Parking Lot Could Speak!
Adam P. Newton
Freelance Writer
Roxx Records To Re-release Crossforce Recordings
Roxx Records is very proud to announce that they have unearthed another RARE Christian Metal Gem for the world to enjoy! We have signed an exclusive deal to be able to bring to you in a strictly Limited Edition format the long lost ‘Cassette’ only demo from one of San Francisco’s premiere Christian Metal bands… Crossforce! Crossforce were a vastly underrated Metal Band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Melodic but heavy with simply GREAT songs and GREAT melodies! The band was led by a very young, energetic and very charismatic front man named Tony Krider who also played rhythm guitar and piano for the band and was a very versatile and talented musician. Unfortunately Tony would leave this world way to early in 2002, leaving us with his music to help fill the void. Crossforce was also led musically by the fierce guitar playing of a young guitar virtuoso named Phil Castillo who would go on to play in many instrumental Christian Metal bands like Mercy and Krush! Tony would also become a part of Mercy alongside of Phil briefly after Crossforce had run it’s course, they would put out one more cassette only demo tape out under this name. The band was rounded out by Jeff Scott on bass, Mark Wrapley on keyboards and Mark Cassettari on drums and together they were Crossforce. The band would play a couple of very seminal Christian Metal festivals in Southern California. They would play the first annual ‘His Festival’ and they would also be invited to play the very first Sanctuary sponsored Christian Metal Festival called ‘Metal Mardi Gras’. They would go on to print and sell 500 copies of their original demo tape in 1986, 25 years ago this year! Unfortunately despite a lot of buzz and interest in the band from several labels the band would never quite break out of the local scene and would never officially record or put out any other releases. The bands demo tape would become a much sought after collectible reaching easily in to the $100 mark for an original copy on sites like eBay. The tape itself would never be reproduced or see the light of day again until now, despite the fact that the demo would be widely traded amongst collectors all over the world for years to come. We are very excited to finally make this classic title available to the general public for the very first time EVER on CD. But not only are we releasing the very first six track demo but after working with Phil Castillo from Crossforce as well as some close friends of the band from the bay area like former White Throne magazine cohorts Dave Johnson and Keven Crothers, we have unearthed an extremely rare demo tape that the band recorded live and in the studio to send exclusively to Frontline Records main man Jimmy Kempner. This audition tape has never been released and has never been heard outside of the close circle of friends and the band. This collection is a true piece of Christian Metal history and you will get the chance to hear this demo for the very first time completely remastered and uncut with haunting intros and discussions from front man Tony Krider and the rest of the band as they sought their first record deal. But if that still is not enough for you then you will want to get in early on the pre-order where the first 100 copies will come with an exclusive bonus disc featuring tracks from an unreleased Crossforce show and the original Mercy demo tape which has also never been released on CD!
For more information on A Roxx Records, visit:
roxxproductions.com
Sheridan Breaking Out Of Colorado
Reigning from the Mile High City is Denver, Colorado’s post-hardcore band, SHERIDAN; the band just self-released their new 5-track EP, Of Which We Fall, in March. Sheridan have been a popular mainstay in the Colorado music scene for over 4 years and continue to pack out venues like The Black Sheep, The Marquis Theatre, The Atlas, and others all over Colorado. While being one of Colorado’s most established acts, they’ve been booked to open locals shows for touring acts such as: The Classic Crime, Such Gold, Oceana. Fueled with the DIY spirit and passion for music, Sheridan have also self-booked tours in the Midwest and West Coast of the United States, steadily garnering praise from audiences. This summer, they have plans to hit the touring trek again in efforts to expand their audience. Sheridan is for fans of Underoath, Haste The Day, For Today; its heavy music with a faith-based message.
Kissing Cousins Post New Video
Kissing Cousins’ “Unfortunate End” is available right now as a CD/double 7? or get the download directly from Velvet Blue Music. Their brand new video can be found here. It’s pretty cheeky ‘tough girl, but in a fun kind of way’.
Tour Dates:
6/16 – Irvine, CA
6/17 – San Diego, CA
6/19 – Long Beach, CA
6/20 – Los Angeles, CA
Ulterium Post New Theocracy Interview
Ulterium Records has posted a brand new interview with THEOCRACY vocalist Matt Smith over at the bands official forum. Matt shares what’s going on in the Theocracy camp at the moment, future plans for the band and also what’s been going on in the band during the last years. Check out the interview here.
Greg Southard Releases The Last Train
Gregor Southard has just announced the release of The Last Train, a faith-based, short film, which is now exclusively available on DVD here. “I’m excited about the release of The Last Train, because I believe it can impact our world with a relevant, life-changing message,” said writer Gregor Southard. “I think many of us can relate to the main characters and the decisions they face.” He said that the purpose of the film is for Christians to understand how important it is to share their faith with others and for non-believers to begin to comprehend why their Christian friends and family think its so vital that they accept Christ.
Written, directed and produced by Southard, a Topeka, Kansas native, The Last Train was shot entirely on location at Belmont Mansion in Nashville, TN. The 20-minute film stars Bob Stambaugh and Joe Combs. Dustin Marcellino serves as the editor, Gregory Tipton of BigPixture Productions did the sound design and credits, and Patrick Sittnick acts as gaffer. As a profound and creative writer in today’s culture, the story Southard tells evolves around a man who is writing a eulogy for his best friend when his friend shows up. The impending conversation will determine whether they will ever see each other again after tonight. When Tom’s best friend, Cord, returns from the dead, he is confronted with a brutal reality that this really might be the last time he will ever see him. Viewers can expect to be challenged as Cord and Tom exchange thought-provoking dialogue throughout the film. “If you’re right, we’ll never see each other after tonight,” declares Cord. Music for the project features Angie Broberg, Brian Gavron and John Dowell. The Last Train DVD may be purchased exclusively at http://www.gregorsouthard.net for $10 (plus shipping and handling.) Additionally, Southard is the author of five books. He has also released an audio book and a progressive rock CD. A few of his previous titles include: The Immortal Present, Art Before Artist and Soul Narratives, among others. Southard earned a BA in Theater from the University of Kansas and a BA of English Literature from Western Kentucky University. When it comes to writing, a few of his primary influences include GK Chesterton and C.S. Lewis. In his spare time, he enjoys diverse styles of music, basketball, bowling, bicycling and spending time at the beach.
©2011 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved
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