ANTHRAX’S

MUCH-ANTICIPATED ALBUM

‘CURSUM PERFICIO’

AND NEW VIDEO FOR

THE ALBUM’S TITLE TRACK

ARRIVES TODAY

WATCH THE RIVETING VIDEO AND

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE

CURSUM PERFICIO album cover

()

ANTHRAX have released their long-awaited 12^th full-length studio album CURSUM PERFICIO via Megaforce Records along with a riveting video for the album’s title track. To celebrate the album’s release, the multi-GRAMMY® Award-nominated New York hard rock titans—Scott Ian (guitar), Charlie Benante (drums), Frank Bello (bass), Joey Belladonna (vocals), and Jonathan Donais (guitar)—joined fans at a late night in-store signing at Louisville’s Guestroom Records following their September 17 performance at the city’s annual Louder than Life festival.

For the album’s title track “Cursum Perficio,” the band have debuted a new black and white video that captures the song’s tone and message. Director Don Argott (Taylor Swift docu-series) utilized his vérité-style footage with narrative elements for the clip that stars actor London May (American musician and actor who’s also known as the drummer and bassist for Glenn Danzig’s post–Misfits / pre–Danzig band Samhain). Watch the video HERE.

“‘Cursum Perficio’ brought out the beast in me,” says London May. “I broke my finger the very first day and had to beg them to keep shooting. That was real chain [the chain he is shackled with in the video was real metal…heavy and real…not a prop chain] and real pain. I went through hell and back for Anthrax and Don Argott—and I’d happily do it all again!”

“The video for ‘Cursum Perficio’ captures all of the themes I’m exploring in the lyric,” Scott Ian notes. “They’re epic in scope…how do you quantify your life? How do you measure oceans of time and what did you do with it? And were all the struggles worth it in the end?”  “What I love about this video is that it matches the tone of the song so well,” Charlie Benante says. “This song has always been the dark horse of the record, this video may be as well.”

 

ANTHRAX have previously released three singles and videos from CURSUM PERFICIO: 

• “It’s For The Kids”is a classic ANTHRAX ripper locked and loaded with buzzsaw-sharp riffs, explosive drumming, and a howling and head-banging hook. It undoubtedly has all the makings of a future live staple. Listen HERE and watch the official music video HERE.
• It was followed by “The Edge Of Perfection,” highlighted by clean guitar echoes and cymbals that gently shake until a blastbeat blows open the doors. Guitars buzz like a motorboat on the River Styx, making waves through the darkness. In their wake, a crushing rhythm trails the melody of lead singer Joey Belladonna’slament, “My heart breaks…I’m on the edge…I’m on the edge of perfection.” Listen to “The Edge Of Perfection” HERE and watch the official music video HERE. 
• And last month’s “Everybody’s Got a Plan” featured a live performance video cut with behind-the-scenes backstage fun with cutaways to classic B&W boxing footage that underline the song’s central lyrics: “Everybody’s got a plan/That’s until they get punched in the face…” Watch the videoand listen to the incendiary song, with its massive riffs and ferocious vocals, HERE.

CURSUM PERFICIO marks the band’s first record in ten years since 2016’s For All Kings, which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The phrase Cursum Perficio is Latin for “My journey has come to an end,”“My journey is over,” or “I complete my journey.” It proves apropos for such a complete body of work. It will be available as a standard CD; Target exclusive CD with a fabric patch of the album cover; standard black double LP with pop-up gatefold; Target exclusive double LP, red zoetrope with pop up gatefold; Amazon exclusive double LP, purple zoetrope LP with pop-up gatefold; merch exclusive lilac vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Metal Injection exclusive white vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Talk Shop Live exclusive signed with red ripple vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Indie exclusive – red, orange yellow vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold. To pre-order/pre-save, click HERE.

L-R: Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna, Jonathan Donais, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

()

The band dove into recording CURSUM PERFICIO in earnest during 2022, working out of Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles. They carefully pieced together what would be this magnum opus, mining their history with reverence, delivering on fan expectations tenfold, and broadening the scope of their signature sound. Produced by Jay Ruston and ANTHRAX, the result is an album that’s as angry, aggressive, and alive as their most celebrated fare. 

The CURSUM PERFICIO track listing is as follows:

Persistence of Memory

The Long Goodbye

It’s For the Kids

Everybody’s Got A Plan

The Edge Of Perfection

Infectious

NYC93

Cursum Perficio

T.O.M.B

Watch It Go

My Victory

Their journey has brought them to CURSUM PERFICIO—a powerful, pummeling, and poetic milestone in ANTHRAX’s 45-year career.

ANTHRAX’s North American tour dates, are as follows: 

DATE	LOCATION	VENUE
Friday, September 25	Los Angeles, CA	BMO Stadium
Sunday, September 27	Los Angeles, CA	BMO Stadium
Tuesday, September 29	San Antonio, TX	Alamodome
Friday, October 2	Mexico City, Mexico	Estadio GNP Seguros

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |

X | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY

ANTHRAX’S Much-Anticipated Album ‘Cursum Perficio’ and New Video for the Album’s Title Track Arrives Today first appeared on Game On Media.

Louder Than Life Set Times; My Chemical Romance, Iron Maiden, TOOL, Limp Bizkit Sept. 17-20 in Louisville, KY with 7 Stages & 200+ Bands first appeared on Game On Media.

ANTHRAX

RELEASE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO FOR

“EVERYBODY’S GOT A PLAN”

FROM THE GROUP’S MUCH-ANTICIPATED ALBUM

‘CURSUM PERFICIO’

OUT SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

ON MEGAFORCE RECORDS

WATCH THE CLIP AND

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE

PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE HERE

CURSUM PERFICIO album cover

ANTHRAX have released the latest single and video, “Everybody’s Got A Plan,” from their long-awaited 12^th full-length studio album CURSUM PERFICIO out September 18 via Megaforce Records.

The new video was mostly filmed on July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal when the multi-GRAMMY® Award-nominated New York hard rock titans—Scott Ian (guitar), Charlie Benante (drums), Frank Bello (bass), Joey Belladonna (vocals), and Jonathan Donais (guitar)—toured with Iron Maiden in Europe. It features live performance footage and behind the scenes backstage fun with cutaways to classic B&W boxing footage that underline the song’s central lyrics: “Everybody’s got a plan/That’s until they get punched in the face…” Watch the video and listen to the incendiary song, with its massive riffs and ferocious vocals, HERE.

“‘Everybody’s Got a Plan’ has always been one of my favorite songs on Cursum Perficio,” Benante says. “The video basically shows the band on and off stage in a montage of video clips that kinda matches the velocity of the song.  ‘Everybody’s got a plan/That’s until they get punched in the face’ is such a great line, and so true!”

“Most of this video was shot opening for [Iron] Maiden in Lisbon, Portugal at Estádio da Lu on July 7, 2026,” Ian notes. “We wanted to capture us having fun on tour and what better way to do that? That was a plan that didn’t end up with a punch in the face! Have fun watching my friends!”

Bello adds, “This video is a great representation of a day in the life of Anthrax on tour.”

ANTHRAX have previously released two singles and videos from CURSUM PERFICIO: “It’s For The Kids” a classic ANTHRAX ripper locked and loaded with buzzsaw-sharp riffs, explosive drumming, and a howling and head-banging hook. It undoubtedly has all the makings of a future live staple. Listen HERE and watch the official music video HERE. It was followed by “The Edge Of Perfection,” highlighted by clean guitar echoes and cymbals that gently shake until a blastbeat blows open the doors. Guitars buzz like a motorboat on the River Styx, making waves through the darkness. In their wake, a crushing rhythm trails the melody of lead singer Joey Belladonna’slament, “My heart breaks…I’m on the edge…I’m on the edge of perfection.” Listen to “The Edge Of Perfection” HERE and watch the official music video HERE.

Meanwhile, the group recently announced they were rolling out uniquely animated short clips based on the album cover, with the first clip shared July 28. The worked with artist Mark Stritzel for the striking cover and the animation was done by Emmanuel Cappellini. Mark initially worked with the band’s Charlie Benante on the characters featured on the album cover. Watch the first clip HERE and listen to the story HERE. Every Tuesday, the group will unveil the individual stories of each character featured on the album. Beyond the Magician’s story, subsequent weeks will reveal more about the Woman In White, Dog, Winged Skeleton, and concluding September 1 with Hands.

CURSUM PERFICIO marks the band’s first record in ten years since 2016’s For All Kings, which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The phrase Cursum Perficio is Latin for “My journey has come to an end,”“My journey is over,” or “I complete my journey.” It proves apropos for such a complete body of work. It will be available as a standard CD; Target exclusive CD with a fabric patch of the album cover; standard black double LP with pop-up gatefold; Target exclusive double LP, red zoetrope with pop up gatefold; Amazon exclusive double LP, purple zoetrope LP with pop-up gatefold; merch exclusive lilac vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Metal Injection exclusive white vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Talk Shop Live exclusive signed with red ripple vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Indie exclusive – red, orange yellow vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold. To pre-order/pre-save, click HERE.

L-R: Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna, Jonathan Donais, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

The band dove into recording CURSUM PERFICIO in earnest during 2022, working out of Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles. They carefully pieced together what would be this magnum opus, mining their history with reverence, delivering on fan expectations tenfold, and broadening the scope of their signature sound. Produced by Jay Ruston and ANTHRAX, the result is an album that’s as angry, aggressive, and alive as their most celebrated fare. 

The CURSUM PERFICIO track listing is as follows:

Persistence of Memory

The Long Goodbye

It’s For the Kids

Everybody’s Got A Plan

The Edge Of Perfection

Infectious

NYC93

Cursum Perficio

T.O.M.B

Watch It Go

My Victory

Their journey has brought them to CURSUM PERFICIO—a powerful, pummeling, and poetic milestone in ANTHRAX’s 45-year career.

ANTHRAX’s North American tour dates are as follows: 

DATE

LOCATION

VENUE

Thursday, September 3

Montréal, QC

Parc Jean-Drapeau

Saturday, September 5

Harrison, NJ

Sports Illustrated Stadium

Sunday, September 6

Harrison, NJ

Sports Illustrated Stadium

Thursday, September 17

Louisville, KY

Louder Than Life 2026

Friday, September 25

Los Angeles, CA

BMO Stadium

Sunday, September 27

Los Angeles, CA

BMO Stadium

Tuesday, September 29

San Antonio, TX

Alamodome

Friday, October 2

Mexico City, Mexico

Estadio GNP Seguros

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |

X | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY

ANTHRAX Today Release New Single And Video For “Everybody’s Got A Plan” From ‘Cursum Perficio’ Album Out September 18 first appeared on Game On Media.

Aftershock

Daily Music Set Times Announced & Mobile App Launched

For West Coast’s Largest Rock Festival

October 10-13 At Discovery Park In Sacramento, CA

Featuring Performances From

Slayer & Pantera (Thursday);

Slipknot & Five Finger Death Punch (Friday);

Iron Maiden & Judas Priest (Saturday);

Mötley Crüe & Disturbed (Sunday)

Plus Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, Till Lindemann, Falling In Reverse & More

For Biggest Lineup Yet With

130+ Bands On 5 Stages

Limited Passes Still Available At

www.aftershockfestival.com

Aftershock returns to Discovery Park in Sacramento, CA October 10-13 for its 12^th year with its biggest lineup yet. The 4-day destination festival will feature 130+ bands and has added a 5^th stage for 2024.

Festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents has just announced the set times and mobile app for the West Coast’s largest rock festival. Fans can plan their daily Aftershock experience with the performance schedule available online (https://aftershockfestival.com/schedules) and through the just-released 2024 Aftershock mobile app (https://aftershockfestival.com/mobileapp), now available for download in app stores. The app lets fans personalize their schedules, set reminders, learn more about the bands, view festival maps, and more.

The ultimate destination for hard rock and heavy metal enthusiasts will include headlining performances from Slayer and Pantera (Thursday); Slipknot and Five Finger Death Punch (Friday); Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (Saturday); and Mötley Crüe and Disturbed (Sunday). In addition, Aftershock will feature four full days and nights of performances from top artists including: Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, Till Lindemann, Falling In Reverse, Rise Against, Staind, Halestorm, Seether, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, Mastodon, Anthrax, Architects, Tom Morello, Cypress Hill, Ministry, Daron Malakian and Scars On Broadway, Skillet,  Sevendust, Tech N9ne, Insane Clown Posse,  Static X, Clutch, Body Count, Lorna Shore, Highly Suspect, Poppy, Grandson, and many others.

Aftershock 2024 is packed with highlights that make it a can’t-miss event, including:

• The mighty return of thrash gods Slayer in one of just three reunion performances
• One of Till Lindemann’s (Rammstein) first solo shows in the U.S.
• Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine playing Rage‘s biggest hits in addition to his solo material
• Insane Clown Posse: Rare performance and only remaining announced show for 2024
• Mastodon celebrating the 20th anniversary of their classic album Leviathan by playing it in full
• Marky Ramone delivering all the classic hits of The Ramones
• Daron Malakian and Scars On Broadway: one of only two performances this year—and first show since 2019—from the System Of A Down guitarist / vocalist
• Lorna Shore, the biggest name in deathcore, has long been sought-after and requested by fans. This marks one of their first DWP festival appearances in several years.
• Shadows Fall: First West Coast performance since 2013
• Biohazard: original lineup with new music in the works

In addition to the highly anticipated music performances, fans can look forward to new onsite activations. BeatBox is bringing their biggest Aftershock experience yet, with party punch at their BeatBus plus their new REAL tattoo parlor. Coors Light will be hosting a bar and new photo booth, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka will be offering fresh cocktails, custom swag, photo booth, and airbrush tattoos. More about Aftershock festival experiences can be found at  https://aftershockfestival.com/experiences.

Aftershock is proud to host 21 Seeds, Animal Place, Astral Tequila, BeatBox Beverages, Coors Light, Dimebag Hardware, Dixxon Flannel, Don Julio, Eargasm, Fxck Cancer, Golden State Cider, Hop Valley Brewing, Jack Daniel’s, Monaco Cocktails, Mortus Viventi, Nowhere Fast, Parlor Root Beer, Red Bull, Take Me Home Animal Charity, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, To Write Love On Her Arms, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, and U.S. Army.

Single day General Admission, Weekend General Admission and limited VIP passes are on sale now at https://aftershockfestival.com/passes/. However, weekend VIP passes and all single day VIP passes except Sunday are now sold out.

The daily music schedule for Aftershock is as follows (subject to change) and can be found in the app and online at https://aftershockfestival.com/schedules:

Festival gates open at 11:00 AM daily.

The JamPack hotel package allows patrons to save by bundling festival passes, hotel and more. Find all details at https://aftershockfestival.com/passes/. Weekend and daily Park & Ride passes to and from Cal Expo are also available for purchase as an add-on option for a convenient way to get to the festival grounds, as there is no on-site parking at Aftershock.

Aftershock attendees can enjoy some of the best food and drinks that the Sacramento area has to offer, curated by Southern Hospitality Concessions LLC, DWP’s affiliate concessionaire, as well as various sponsor activations and experiences.

Discovery Park is conveniently located near downtown Sacramento at 1600 Garden Highway, where the American and Sacramento Rivers meet.

Best of Aftershock Festival

149 photos

For more information on Aftershock please visit:

Website: www.aftershockfestival.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/aftershockfestival

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aftershocksac

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aftershockfestival

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aftershockfestival

Hashtag: #aftershock #aftershockfestival

“One Of The Country’s Most Anticipated Hard Rock Events” (Sacramento Bee)

Aftershock Festival 2024 Set Times for Slayer, Pantera, Slipknot, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and More first appeared on Game On Media.

Aftershock 2024 Roars Back With Slayer, Pantera, Slipknot, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe first appeared on Game On Media.

INTRODUCING THUNDERFLIX — THE FIRST ALL-METAL APP DELIVERING HD, EXPLOSIVELY HEAVY CONTENT IN ALL FORMS

CHECK OUT THE THUNDERFLIX SITE HERE!

Born out of the inability to find high-quality, heavy metal to entertain himself as a lifelong music fan, Samuel Douek has created and released the world’s very first on-demand library of content that metalheads everywhere will bang their heads to. Enter THUNDERFLIX, Douek’s answer to quench a thirst for metal entertainment. A complete library, filled to the brim with documentaries, films, interviews, live concerts, behind-the-scenes features of some of heavy metal’s best and brightest, accessible on any device, at any time.

With a fully-subscription based model, THUNDERFLIX will be available worldwide at the very apropos price of $6.66 per month and $66.60 per year. This enables the app to ditch the bootleg and welcome in the crisp visuals of the blood and sweat that go into the creation of any and all things heavy.

Explore and download the app today through the official THUNDERFLIX website, here.

We’re not talking about just any ol’ bands, by the way. THUNDERFLIX will be granting subscribers with “Making Ofs” with Iron Maiden, directorial debuts of short films featuring Watain, and legendary documentaries on the shock-rock king himself Alice Cooper. This is just a small dip into the massive library of this powerhouse app. Out now, it’s time for fans of all music to dive into this first-of-its-kind app. More familiar faces you’ll be running into on THUNDERFLIX? Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, and Velvet Revolver just to name a few…

Innovator and acquisition rights specialist Douek puts it simply: “Imagine a Netflix, but all metal.” Examining the fan experience, he goes on to explain, “YouTube had stuff plagued with ads. Some are really low resolution… and just not enjoyable.” His plan is for “THUNDERFLIX to be the main library of official concerts and films that have come out in the last 30+ years. Concerts that only existed on VHS or DVD, even those DVDs we got on the Limited Edition digipaks with bonus concerts or making ofs.” In a world that can be muddled by big business, metalheads can bang their head in approval, as Douek provides everything “from Death Metal to Speed to Black to Thrash and Power and Folk… all metal. It’s important people know, THUNDERFLIX is made by metalheads for metalheads. We’re not a big corporation, we’re metalheads that want to enjoy our concerts and documentaries! We want to pay artists and labels their fair amount. And we want everyone to enjoy it!”

In the name of metal, THUNDERFLIX salutes you!

Introducing Thunderflix — The First All-Metal App Delivering Content in All Forms first appeared on Game On Media.

GHOST
PHANTOMIME
FIVE-SONG COVERS EP OUT MAY 18
“JESUS HE KNOWS ME” TRACK & VIDEO OUT NOW

New Webisode Chapter 17: Nap Time Live Now

Fresh off winning Best Rock Album of the Year at the iHeart Radio Music Awards, Ghost announces the coming of PHANTOMIME, a five-song covers EP intended from the start to follow last year’s international chart-topping opus IMPERA. A diverse and spellbinding sampling of the GRAMMY Award-winning band’s musical DNA, PHANTOMIME is comprised of covers of classics and deep cuts by Television, Genesis, The Stranglers, Iron Maiden and Tina Turner. PHANTOMIME pays tribute in equal measure to every one of these unlikely bedfellow, influences while stamping them all with Ghost’s undeniable sonic signature.

The announcement of PHANTOMIME’s impending release also solves the mystery of Ghost’s recent “Jesus Is Coming” campaign, as referenced in the Good Friday premiere of the newest installment of the band’s long-running webisode series, Chapter 17: Nap Time. PHANTOMIME’s May 18 release via Loma Vista Recordings is heralded by Ghost’s interpretation of Genesis’ 1992 satirical stab at televangelists “Jesus He Knows Me,” available now to stream and download, and as an instant grat track with pre-orders of the EP.

This second coming of “Jesus He Knows Me” is accompanied by an Alex Ross Perry-directed video that will surely make the case that one person’s beauty is another’s blasphemy. Culminating in a climactic ritual that must be seen to be believed, Ghost’s visual interpretation of “Jesus He Knows Me” rises to the occasion in unholy fashion — and then some. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Easter Sunday release of the “Jesus He Knows Me” track and video continues two established Ghost traditions: 1) Following up the release of a full length studio album with uniquely Ghost-ified cover versions, past efforts having included reinterpretations of favorites by Abba, The Beatles, Depeche Mode, Roky Erickson, Eurythmics, Metallica, Pet Shop Boys and many more; and 2) Challenging, confronting and upending societal conventions and authority figures, often taking on specific antagonists — in this case, Father Jim DeFroque, host of the evangelical radio show Jesus Talk with Father Jim DeFroque on KLAQ in El Paso TX — and also star of the “Jesus He Knows Me” video.

The complete track listing for PHANTOMIME is as follows:

“See No Evil” (Television)
“Jesus He Knows Me” (Genesis)
“Hanging Around” (The Stranglers)
“Phantom of the Opera” (Iron Maiden)
“We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” (Tina Turner)

PHANTOMIME’s release will coincide with Ghost’s first live dates of 2023, beginning with a May/June European run of festival and headline dates including appearances at Primavera Sound 2023 where the band will share a bill with Blur, Depeche Mode, Halsey and Kendrick Lamar, among others, and Sweden Rock Festival 2023, where Ghost will be one of four headliners alongside Def Leppard, Iron Maiden and Motley Crue. Ghost will then make its triumphant return to North America, for its RE-IMPERATOUR U.S.A. 2023 summer tour with special guest Amon Amarth.

RE-IMPERATOUR U.S.A. 2023  kicks off August 2nd in Concord, CA, with stops in more than two dozen cities before its two-night finale the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on September 11th and — recently added by popular demand — September 12th.

BRRF22 Ghost

38 photos

Ghost ‘Phantomime’ Covers EP Coming In May first appeared on Game On Media.

GOLDENVOICE PRESENTS

OCTOBER 6, 7 AND 8, 2023

AT THE EMPIRE POLO CLUB IN INDIO, CA,

THE WORLD’S GREATEST LIVE MUSIC DESTINATION

AND HOME OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

A THREE-NIGHT EVENT SET IN BACKDROP OF THE AUTUMN DESERT

FEATURING SIX LOUD AND POWERFUL HEADLINERS

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW AT POWERTRIP.LIVE

Power Trip Festival 2023 With Metallica, Iron Maiden, AC-DC, Ozzy, Tool and Guns N’ Roses first appeared on Game On Media.

Announces The Revolution’s Live Tour

with Special Guests The Pretty Reckless and DIAMANTE

General On Sale Available December 17 On Shinedown.com

ATTENTION ATTENTION Album

Officially Certified Gold in the U.S.

ATTENTION ATTENTION Feature Film – Out Now

Fantasy Festival 2020 Shinedown

16 photos

Shinedown Announces The Revolution’s Live 2022 Tour first appeared on Game On Media.

The 10th annual Monsters Of Rock Cruise (AKA MORC X) set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on February 8, 2020. The Royal Caribbean ship Independence of the Seas was the home to 50 rock and roll bands, and thousands of their fans, over 5 nights at sea. The cruise stopped in Belize and Cozumel, Mexico when it was not rocking through the high seas.

British Lion is the side hustle by a well known bass player by the name of Steve Harris. You may have heard of his other band, Iron Maiden.

British lion features Mr. Harris on bass and keyboards, along with singer Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie, and drummer Simon Dawson. Check them out at https://britishlionuk.com/

MORC X British Lion

17 photos

British Lion on Monsters Of Rock Cruise X 2020 first appeared on Game On Media.

KRISTYN CLARKE (KC): Your new single “Nowhere To Run” is absolutely fantastic, as it has such an anthem feel to it. What led to your decision to go with that as the lead single for new music?

CHRIS JERICHO (CJ): We had so much momentum from the “Judas” album with the “Judas” song and the other two top ten singles that we had from that album and we had a great tour, then we kind of picked up and signed with Sony and they wanted us to keep the momentum going and they wanted us to get something out rather than just wait for album, tour, album tour which is the modern way to do things. When you have the influence of a major machine like Sony behind you, which this is our first experience with that, so we thought if they want a single let’s give them one.

We went through some of our material for the next record and that one stood out the most, so we put some time into it and then submitted it to them and they loved it so that’s basically it. It’s taking the style and the momentum of what we did on the “Judas” and continuing that, like you said, very melodic and anthemic with a lot of hooks. It’s very catchy with that kind of sports and stadium type of vibe. It’s great to hear that people feel the same way about it as we do.

KC: How far along in the recording process are you for new music?

CJ: We focused on getting “Nowhere To Run” done and the video for that which has debuted and getting it out to radio, so we have probably around another ten to twelve songs that we’re working on, but “Nowhere To Run” was the one that was like, finish up and get it done now and then continue with the songwriting as we get that finished. It’s something we never had before, usually the way we did things was like most bands, you do the ten or twelve songs and  you record them all at once and you get your record ready then you choose which single you might want, so with the recording company it’s a whole different vibe. The album is still a long ways away from being done, but the song is now out to keep that momentum going for the next three or four months then by the time “Nowhere To Run” is finished we’ll be ready for the record to come out or at least have another song which could be the game plan for Sony. Whatever they want to do I’m up for it and we’re excited about it because that’s a whole new world for us now.

KC: I love that you guys are taking your time with it! Some bands really rush to just throw out the next thing too quickly.

CJ: Exactly, and for us, we are in a really enviable position because as you know it’s hard to really get some momentum or real steam in rock n’ roll and we have that. Once “Judas” became the proverbial hit single it opened up a lot of doors for us and everything we do right now has to be great and has to be just as good as “Judas” was if not better so, you can’t rush that. Having said that, however, you don’t want to take eight years like Metallica or fourteen years like Guns n’ Roses, we don’t have that kind of name value where we can do that, so you want to keep the momentum rolling … you just don’t want it to go too long, but also like you said, you can’t rush it and put out the first thing that comes to mind because that might end your momentum before it even gets started.

KC: What do your touring plans look like for the rest of the year? I know you have an upcoming date opening up for Iron Maiden.

CJ: That is so exciting. We just did a couple shows with Nickelback last week and here we are getting ready to do a show with Iron Maiden this week, so we decided to put a tour together around that and also to support “Nowhere To Run”, as well, and keep those things all tied together. We are going out for twenty-two shows, about three and half to four weeks going through Southern California with L.A. being the main gig and then continue to end up in Atlanta on September 28^th; it’s the “Nowhere To Run” tour if you want to call it that. It’s a short one, but when you put a song out you have to pound the pavement, so this will give us a chance to hit all the radio stations in the towns that we’re in and get those spins for the song. More spins equals a better show and a better show equals more spins.

KC: You’re right. I feel like everyone’s attention span is a lot shorter now and Fozzy puts on one of the most amazing live shows. You guys are so full of energy on stage. Can you talk about that?

CJ: Sure, that is something that we have built our reputation on as being a great live band. You can have a lot of fun when you come to a Fozzy show and that’s the way we want it. We’re Van Halen in 1979 where there’s no giant spiders or explosions … we are the show and as a result I think we have a really great fan base.  I mean, how did we get two random shows with Nickelback? How did we get a random stadium show with Iron Maiden? I think the word is getting around about who Fozzy is and what it is that we do and people want to be a part of that and they want to experience the show. There has been an scene change over the last decade with your Joyous Wolf and Greta Van Fleets and Rival Sons where you have the old rock n’ roll elements coming back in where the idea is to have a great time and what a concept! Have a great time at a rock n’ roll show and I think because we were one of the pioneers of, not to saying bringing it back because it’s always been there, but kind of wearing that on our sleeves saying we want you to have fun, we want you to drink beer and chant Fozzy and show your boobs whether you are a girl or a guy, we don’t care, just come and have a good time. We encourage that and if you’ve seen Fozzy before you know what you’re going to get and if you haven’t seen us before you leave going ‘Holy sh*t! That was a lot of fun. I want to see those guys again … I want to check out their music, I want to buy a t-shirt!’ That’s what it’s all about and that’s how you build the name of your band and that’s how we’ve been doing it for the last ten to fifteen years and we continue to grow with every record and song we put out.  That’s the mindset and that’s what we have been doing!

KC: How has Fozzy adapted to the ever-changing musical landscape?

CJ: I don’t think we’ve really adapted to anything. We just do what we do, I mean, if anything I think we the last several records we started working with our producer Johnny Andrews, we really started understanding how to write a radio song and that’s not a bad thing to sometimes second guess yourselves. There was a time a few records ago, on the “Sin And Bones” record we had those thirteen and fourteen minute epic tunes, which we’ve always loved that style of rock n’ roll such as Iron Maiden and Rush, but we got that out of our system. You will never see another thirteen or fourteen minute from a Fozzy record again because we did that and I think once you get that out of your system and you start realizing that rock radio is so relevant to this day … people say rock radio is dead, but it’s not …it really makes a difference, at least it did for us. When we started getting played on rock radio, that’s when the focus on us started rising and I think there is a way that you can write your music to be appealing to radio and to a wider audience.

If you are writing songs about D-Day and the second World War and the end of the world like Revelations, that’s great stuff, but if you are writing songs about relationships and emotions, betraying yourself and all that sort of stuff I think a lot of people can really relate to it and they feel it and they can become more connected to you through that, so I think that’s the biggest way our music has changed over the years.

KC: Absolutely! I remember being thrilled when they started spinning Fozzy at 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia.

CJ: WMMR was huge for us and that is when started to know that we were “making” it! WMMR doesn’t just play anything. To get on that station, they are what’s called a difference-maker, if WMMR is playing it fifteen other stations will play it specifically because Philly’s doing that, so they’ve been great to us. We’ve done the MMR BBQ this year which was a lot of fun and you start realizing there is a great relationship between radio and Fozzy. For you to be in Philly and hear us on that station, suddenly now if you’re a fan you’re like, ‘Wow, it kind of legitimizes us’ and if you are not a fan you are curious about this new band you are hearing. All of that leads to getting more prominence and more eyes and ears on your music.

KC: I am sure you are very busy man with AEW and all that is going on in that world, how are you keeping it all together?

CJ: The thing with me is that Fozzy has always been the priority and with wrestling, it’s not a full time gig, but it’s a lot of fun and something I put a lot of focus into, but still not forgetting all the hard work we put in with the band in the last five years as well so, it’s a little bit of a juggling act, but not as bad as it has been in the past and we will do as much as we can with Fozzy and I can’t help thinking that getting to open up for the acts we have and the gig with Iron Maiden is an audition for more, so when we get those full tours we’ll take them and work everything else around it like we have always done in the past.

KC: Nice. Do you think you will continue to use “Judas” as your ring anthem?

CJ: Yeah, I just like it! It really fits. It’s a good vibe and it fits kind of my attitude and what I’m going for when I go to the rings. I think it’s a really cool ring song and people really enjoy it as well!

FOZZY – UNLEASHED IN THE WEST 2019 U.S. TOUR

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE HERE

Rock powerhouse FOZZY announced Unleashed In The West 2019 headline tour. The U.S. tour, which includes special guest Jared Nichols James, starts on September 5th in Denver and wraps on September 28th in Atlanta. The band will be taking a break from the studio to tour for the first time in 2019 as they prepare for the release of their new record. Tickets are available for purchase HERE.

“When we got the call to join Iron Maiden on their Banc Of California Stadium show in Los Angeles, we knew 2 things were imminent. One, this might be the biggest show Fozzy has ever played. Two, one show isn’t enough,” states Chris Jericho about the tour announcement. “So we decided to head out all across the western US to spread the Fozzpel and celebrate this great time in our lives! Plus, it gets us out of the studio for a breath of fresh air…it gets a little stuffy in there sometimes when you’re recording a new record! So come ROCK with us and be a part of the most energetic, electric and FUN rock n roll show in the world today. Don’t miss Fozzy Unleashed In the West!!!

Rich Ward adds, “It’s been almost 6 months since we wrapped up our amazing 200 city tour in support of the Judas album. Since then we’ve been sequestered to a top secret bunker where we are writing what will become our next record. As much as we love the creative environment of the studio, there is no substitute for loud amps and the unique exchange of energy that only occurs on the big stage. In September we return to that stage, in what will be one of our biggest and boldest tours to date. Grab your helmets and dancing shoes, Fozzy is coming to town!”

The band’s seventh LP, Judas, spurred the hits like “Painless”, “Burn Me Out” and, title track, “Judas”, which spent five weeks at #1 on the ‘‘Big Uns Countdown’ on Sirius/XM’s Octane channel and peaked at #5 on the Active Rock Mediabase Chart. The song has over 29 million U.S. streams to date and the music video has over 28 million views to date. Watch the music video HERE. Fozzy has previously shared the stage with the likes of Metallica, Kiss, Avenged Sevenfold, Slash, Saxon, Theory of a Dead Man, Drowning Pool, Steel Panther and Buckcherry. See below for a list of the band’s upcoming tour dates.

Since the beginning, Fozzy has been about hard work, dedication and delivering great rock ‘n’ roll to their devoted fans worldwide; reminding them that music is all about invoking dirty, sweaty jubilation and doing it loudly! The band formed in 2000 to release their self-titled debut album. Throughout the years, Fozzy released six progressively popular records, including 2012’s Sin & Bones, featuring the hit single “Sandpaper”, which found the band reaching a level of legitimacy that drew a mass audience to drink in their trademark heavy melodic groove. More recently, the hard rockers released their seventh studio album, Judas, which includes their explosive title track. “Judas” catapulted up the Active Rock Radio Chart. Fozzy’s follow-up singles “Painless”, which peaked at #7 on the Active Rock Mediabase Chart, and “Burn Me Out”, which peaked at #12 on the Active Rock Mediabase Chart, solidified the band as Rock superstars.

Fozzy is Chris Jericho (vocals), Rich Ward (guitars, vocals), Frank Fontsere (drums), Billy Grey (guitars) and Randy Drake (bass).

FOZZY – UNLEASHED IN THE WEST 2019 TOUR

September 5 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre

September 6 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Theater

September 7 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater

September 8 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Royal

September 11 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Casino/Crown Room

September 12 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s

September 13 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades

September 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Banc Of California Stadium**

September 15 – Las Vegas, NV – Count’s Vamp’d

September 18 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick

September 19 – Tempe, AZ – Club Red

September 20 – Tucson, AZ – Encore

September 21 – El Paso, TX – Speaking Rock ^

September 25 – Dallas, TX – Canton Hall^

September 26 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live^

September 27 – Hattiesburg, MS – Brewsky’s

September 28 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade

**supporting Iron Maiden

^special guests Sons Of Texas

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Chris Jericho Talks About New Fozzy Single and Fall Tour first appeared on Game On Media.