Disturbed Ends Four-Year Hiatus With New Album
Disturbed has returned after a four-year hiatus with the album, Immortalized. The metal band’s break was a deliberate one, and it never signaled a potential breakup. As guitarist Dan Donegan told Billboard, the band members said to themselves, “ ‘Let’s put the brakes on for a minute here. Let’s walk away from it and give everyone some room to breathe...
The Sword Releases Fifth Studio Album
Austin’s The Sword has changed up its sound profile yet again on its fifth studio album, High Country, which marks a departure from 2012’s Apocryphon. As a review in Blabbermouth puts it, “this album freaking swings as much as it strains speakers.” The review also singles out Bryan Richie’s bass work, particularly on what it deems the “Thin Lizzy-esque” “Empty...
Rivers of Nihil Releases Second Album
Death metal band Rivers of Nihil has released its sophomore effort, Monarchy. The album came together after extensive touring following the Pennsylvania-based band’s debut album and the addition of several new members. It also marked a different recording method for the band, which, instead of heading directly into the studio to record, worked on songs at guitarist and primary songwriter...
Twelfth Spock’s Beard Album Different, But In a Familiar Way
Progressive rockers Spock’s Beard are back with the band’s twelfth studio album, The Oblivion Particle. “I think the opening track ‘Tides of Time’ is classic Spock’s in terms of arrangement and style, but everything else is fairly different,” said bassist Dave Meros. “That said, the whole album is still within the parameters of what people expect to hear from us.”...
Lee Ritenour Teams With Two Bassists on Latest Album
Fourplay founding member Lee Ritenour’s guitar work is all over popular music — he’s played more than 3,000 sessions, with everyone from Pink Floyd to Dizzy Gillespie, earned a Grammy for his 1986 collaboration with Dave Grusin, and netted 17 more Grammy nominations besides. The jazz player’s latest album, A Twist of Rit, sees him join with an all-star band...
Gary Willis Releases “Gets Larger Than Life”
Famed bassist Gary Willis, well known for his work with the band Tribal Tech, has released his fifth solo record, Larger Than Life. The fusion-funk record pairs Willis with drummer Gergo Borlai, Tribal Tech band mate Scott Kinsey (keyboards), Steve Tavaglione (saxes and EWI), Claudia Bardagí (voice) and Llibert Fortuny (tenor sax and voice). Willis, Borlai and Kinsey form the...
Bullet For My Valentine Releases Fifth Album, Touring with New Bassist
Welsh metal band Bullet For My Valentine has released its fifth studio album, Venom. Frontman Matt Tuck handled bass on the record, which is the group’s first following the departure of longtime bassist Jason “Jay” James. The album deliberately shies away from any melodic or pop sounds, Tuck said. “We wanted to keep this as dark as possible. It was...
Soulfly Releases Final Album With Tony Campos
Soulfly has released its last album with bassist Tony Campos (former Static-X), who left the band to join Fear Factory. Archangel, the metal band’s 10th album, is the band’s most mystical one since its 2004 record, Prophecy, says Max Cavalera (ex-Sepultura), the band’s founder, guitarist and vocalist. He says the record reflects diverse influences, from Biblical themes to death metal....
Pennal Johnson Struts With New Album
Chicago bassist Pennal Johnson (PJ) combines jazz, funk, adult contemporary and rock and roll on his album, Cissy Strut. The bassist for The Chicago All-City Jazz Band from 1984-87, Johnson began playing bass at age 8. During his career, he has performed with artists like Andre and Sandra Crouch, Kurt Carr and Abraham Laboriel. Johnson is also working as part...
Vinyl Set Focuses on The Replacements’ Early Years
If you love the sound of the early days of The Replacements and feel like a vinyl record is the only way to hear the legendarily unruly rock group, a new four-album set has your name written on it: The Twin/Tone Years. The set includes the band’s first four records: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (1981), the...
Eclectic Bassist Bill Laswell Releases Two Distinct Digital Albums at Once
Experimental/avant-garde bassist, producer, and composer Bill Laswell has released back-to-back albums as part of his M.O.D. Technologies’ Incunabula Digital Series. One album, On Brion Gysin, features the spoken word work of the late poet, photographer and filmmaker Ira Cohen, incorporated into Laswell’s music, in tribute to the work of the late artist and writer Gysin, who pioneered the cut-up writing...
Posthumous Release Captures Charlie Haden Live
The late, great jazz bassist Charlie Haden and pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba have long been known for the work they did together. Although Haden died in July 2014, there’s still music to be hear from the pair via the album Tokyo Adagio, which captures the best of their 2005 performances at Blue Note Tokyo. The sound is classic. Just listen to...