Alex Bershadsky: Banu Choshech Legaresh
Hanukkah has begun, and we’re celebrating with a great video from Alex Bershadsky. This time he created a solo bass arrangement of the famous Hanukkah song “Banu Choshech Legaresh,” which translates to “We Came to Drive Away the Darkness.” The bassist utilizes his incredible finger-style technique to play the melody and chords at once, then taking a solo over the...
Amon Amarth Celebrates 25 Years with Documentary and Live Album
The metal warriors in Amon Amarth have been crossing the globe for two and a half decades. To celebrate the milestone, they’ve released a new documentary and live album called The Pursuit Of Vikings: 25 Years In The Eye Of The Storm. “This film tells the Swedish quintet’s history, through both their own eyes and those of the fans that...
Singular Sound Releases the Cabli Cable Winder
Singular Sound, creators of the BeatBuddy drum machine, have unveiled a new product called the Cabli. The device aims to solve cable management by easily wrapping them into storage in seconds. “Cables stored using the Cabli take up less space when stored in your gig bag or on your cable rack (using our included clip),” the company explains. “When you...
Electro-Harmonix Introduces the Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff Pi and the Nano Battalion Bass Preamp Pedals
Electro-Harmonix announced a handful of new pedals this week including two of note for bassists: the Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff Pi and the Nano Battalion. The first is a combination of their classic fuzz circuits while the latter is a miniature version of their bass preamp and overdrive. The Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff Pi houses the Civil War and Green...
Evan Salvacion Levine Releases “Mestizo”
Bassist Evan Salvacion Levine has released his sophomore effort as a leader, entitled Mestizo. The trio project, which also features guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Andrew Green, brings together seven original compositions that encompass his life in the past two years. That includes the Chicago-based musician’s cultural heritage that gives the album its title. “Growing up with a Filipino mother...
Laney Amplification Announces the Mini-Bass-NX Battery-Powered Bass Amp
Laney Amplification has introduced a new battery-powered bass amp called the Mini-Bass-NX. The highly portable rig is styled after their Nexus line of amps and even includes the company’s Tilt control, which gives overall sculpting. It adds to your mid to high frequencies and cuts lows when turned clockwise while doing the opposite when turned counterclockwise. More general EQing can...
Snarky Puppy Announces 2019 U.S. Tour Dates
Michael League and the Grammy-winning ensemble Snarky Puppy have announced their first tour dates of 2019 with an extensive U.S. leg in May and June. The announcement was made on Facebook, which also alluded to a new album that will be released in March. “We can’t wait to get these new tunes into your ears,” the band wrote. League and...
Wampler Pedals Introduces the Fuzztration Pedal
The new Wampler Pedals Fuzztration combines a fuzz pedal with an octaver and three-band EQ. Although there are plenty of controls for dialing in your sound, Wampler says the effect is not for the faint of heart. “The Fuzzstration isn’t a pedal designed to really play ‘nice,'” they write. “It’s brash, raspy, doomy, in-your-face fuzz from top to bottom. This...
Federico Malaman Releases New Solo Album
Italian bass guru Federico Malaman has released a new solo album, entitled Life. The recording, which marks 14 years since his first solo effort, is a snapshot of the bassist’s life. “The full album title should actually be ‘Life is not in 4/4’”, he states. “4/4 is the simplest, straightforward meter. Real life is not like that: there are ups...
Kleissonic Announces The Howl Phase-Shifting Pedal
Berlin’s Kleissonic Boutique Pedals has announced a new two-notch phase-shifting pedal called the Howl. The unit has volume, Gain, and Sweep controls, but no Rate control commonly found in phasers. “The Howl is not another common phaser, it has no built-in LFO and it is ideal for any instrument. It’s also extremely useful for audio engineers and DJ’s both for...
Peter Baltes Leaves Accept
Founding Accept bassist Peter Baltes revealed that he will be leaving the band’s ranks. The German heavy metal band has been rocking off and on ever since 1976 with Baltes along for every lineup. “To all Accept fans: I hereby like to announce my departure as Bassplayer from ACCEPT,” Baltes wrote on the Accept Facebook page. “I have been with...
Dream Theater Announces New Album, Tour Dates
Dream Theater fans rejoice! The progressive metal band has announced their 14th studio album, Distance Over Time, will be released on February 22nd, 2019. The new record, which is their first in three years, is described as “showcasing a newfound creativity… while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe.” The whole band, including six-string bass...