Snarky Puppy Explores the Forest Musically with European Orchestra
Snarky Puppy’s latest album, Sylva, is unlike anything it has produced before — this time out, the groundbreaking band has created music with The Netherlands’ Metropole Orkest, which the band and orchestra then recorded live. “The last thing I wanted to do with this opportunity was turn it into a Snarky Puppy With Strings situation,” said Snarky Puppy leader/bassist Michael...
Faith No More is Back with “Sol Invictus” After an Almost 20-year Recording Break
Faith No More’s first studio album since 1997’s Album of the Year was recorded with the band’s bassist, Bill Gould, at the helm. Gould, one of the founders of the group known for hits like “Epic” and “We Care A Lot,” produced the new record, Sol Invictus. “We’ve always shared a chemistry between ourselves that’s unique to this band, but...
John Patitucci Goes to Brooklyn on Latest Album
John Patitucci isn’t just a famed jazz double bassist and jazz bass teacher. He’s also an electric bassist, and his latest album, Brooklyn, features him playing electric exclusively. Credited to the John Patitucci Electric Guitar Quartet, the album also features Brian Blade (drums) and electric guitarists Adam Rogers and Steve Cardenas. By the way, a documentary about Patitucci, called, fittingly...
Sammy Hagar & Michael Anthony are At Your Service
Not many bands can release a live greatest hits record as its debut. But not many bands have a personnel roster like Sammy Hagar and The Circle. At Your Service features Hagar’s onetime Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony on bass, and late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s son Jason on drums, as well as Vic Johnson, Hagar’s longtime guitarist. The...
Stuart Hamm Releases “The Book of Lies”
Stuart Hamm, a bassist known for his bass instruction, as well as his work with virtuoso guitarists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, has released an instrumental record, The Book of Lies. The album features not only a seven-piece suite for solo bass, but also four songs featuring a full band. Other players on the record include John Mader, Chester...
Coal Chamber’s “Rivals” Lineup Features Nadja Peulen
Coal Chamber’s first album since 2002 has arrived. Rivals is the first album to feature the band’s onetime touring bassist Nadja Peulen. She said for the record, she and several other band members started putting tracks together by working together by jamming on and fine-tuning riffs before heading into pre-production. This is what the ultimately ended up with an album...
Veil of Maya Offers Up “Matriarch”
Deathcore band Veil of Maya has released its fourth studio effort, Matriarch. The band, featuring bassist Danny Hauser, has a new vocalist for the album, Lukas Magyar (Arms of Empire) has replaced Brandon Butler, the band’s singer of seven years. Single “Mikasa” provides a good example the band’s current sound: Matriarch is available on and as a digital download (...
Jazz Sideman Michael Oien Steps Out With Debut Album
Post-bop jazzman Michael Oien has released his debut album, And Now. “This is my most important artistic statement so far, writing my own music and recording it with my own band,” says Oien, a double bassist who has made a name for himself in the New York City jazz scene. The band is a quintet that also includes alto saxophonist...
New Paperback Edition of Mike Visceglia’s “A View From the Side” Released
Top session bassist Mike Visceglia committed the experience of being a pro bassist to print with his book A View From the Side, which is now available in a new paperback edition. Visceglia, well-known for his work with John Cale and Suzanne Vega, has also played/performed with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Phoebe Snow and Bette Midler. The...
“Queen Forever” Compilation Gets Vinyl Treatment
Vinyl-loving Queen fans can now get their hands on a 4-LP version of last year’s Queen Forever compilation, which included a “lost” ballad version of late singer Freddie Mercury’s “Love Kills.” Queen Forever focuses on the band’s love songs and includes work from its now-retired bassist John Deacon. Deacon’s work is not only present throughout the album, but it also...
Incubus Returns With First of Two Planned EPs for 2015
Incubus has released the first of two EPs slated for release this year. The rockers’ first EP of the year, Trust Fall (Side A) features four songs, including the title track “Trust Fall,” which bassist Ben Kenney calls “our seven-minute FM-radio opus… It’s our ‘Stairway.’” The last bit of that comment is a little tongue-in-cheek (see the first video, below)....
Six Feet Under Releases 11th Album
Death metal band Six Feet Under, originally formed as a side project from Cannibal Corpse by frontman Chris Barnes, has released its 11th album, Crypt of the Devil. The record was recorded bassist/guitarist Phil Hall’s studio in Virginia, which is where Hall tracked its bass and guitar parts. The sound achieved is just what you’d expect. Check out “Open Coffin...