Swedish fuzz forerunners Truckfighters will return to the US next month for a tour that will find them joined by Brooklyn heavy noise rockers Kings Destroy. The shows, presented by Tone Deaf Touring and Fuzzorama Records, begin Jan. 18 in Somerville, MA, at the Once Ballroom and head into the Midwest and down into the South before looping back up the East Coast to finish at Goldsounds in Brooklyn, NYC.

For both bands, the January touring follows European runs. Truckfighters are currently wrapping an extensive stint supporting their latest full-length and Century Media debut, V (review here), for which they’ve basically been on the road since September. Even then, a US tour was in the works, as bassist/vocalist Oskar “Ozo” Cedermalm confirmed in an interview conducted at Høstsabbat in Oslo, Norway. It is hardly their first, and judging by the “LEG 1” that appears on the tour poster below, I’m guessing it won’t be their last before the cycle for V comes to a close, probably sometime late in 2017 or in 2018.

You might recall Truckfighters‘ first US tour was in 2011, half a decade ago, and it just so happens that Kings Destroy played the New York stop on it (review here) — a night at the Cake Shop on which a crowd who largely didn’t know what it was in for was handed its collective ass. Five years later, Kings Destroy are recently returned from a European tour of their own, conducted alongside The Skull in November, still heralding their 2015 self-titled third album (review here). They’ll take a break from writing the follow-up to do these shows, which is about as good an excuse as any I can come up with for leaving the rehearsal space. Whether or not they’ll have new material ready for the stage, I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like the least likely thing in the world. I seem to recall some of the songs for the self-titled being thoroughly road-tested.

I’ve been invited on this tour and am hoping to tag along starting either in Kansas City or Tulsa, depending largely on which I can fly into directly and for what cost. We’ll see how it goes. In the meantime, here are the dates, which I dutifully transcribed from the poster and turned blue:

Truckfighters with Kings Destroy:
01.18 Somerville MA Once Ballroom
01.19 Montreal QC Bar Leritz
01.21 Ottawa ON House of Targ
01.22 Toronto ON Hard Luck
01.23 Pittsburgh PA Cattivo
01.24 Chicago IL Reggies
01.25 Minneapolis MN 7th St. Entry
01.26 Kansas City MO Riot Room
01.27 Tulsa OK Downtown Lounge
01.28 Dallas TX Curtain Club
01.30 New Orleans LA Siberia
01.31 Atlanta GA Drunken Unicorn
02.01 Richmond VA Strange Matter
02.02 Philadelphia PA Kung Fu Necktie
02.03 Brooklyn NY Goldsounds

http://www.truckfighters.com
https://www.facebook.com/truckfighters
https://twitter.com/truckfighters
https://www.youtube.com/user/TruckfightersTV
http://www.centurymedia.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KingsDestroy/
http://www.kingsdestroy.com/
https://kingsdestroy.bandcamp.com/
http://warcrimerecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WarCrimeRecordings

Truckfighters, “Hackshaw” official video

Kings Destroy, “Smokey Robinson” official video

Kudos to Swedish heavy rock traditionalists Horisont on calling out the Comic Code Authority on the cover art for their forthcoming Century Media debut, About Time. It’s that kind of attention to detail — you’ll note they change it to “Cosmic Code Authority” — that’s emblematic of the nuance in their approach overall, last shown on 2015’s progressively engaging Odyssey (review here), and as the cover itself seems to be calling out classic sci-fi/horror à la Re-Animator and others, it couldn’t be more fitting. The band recently wrapped up their first US tour, which they undertook alongside Ohio troupe Electric Citizen, and this fall gave a first taste of what’s to come with About Time in the video for “Electrical,” which you can see at the bottom of this post.

The PR wire dutifully takes it from here:

HORISONT Release Details For New Album ‘About Time’

Swedish hard-rockers HORISONT will release their upcoming album About Time on February 3rd, 2017 via Century Media Records!

The band comments on the cover artwork, stating,

“The fabulous artwork for our fifth album ‘About Time’ is once again crafted by the wizard of art himself – Henrik Jacobson, who also did the ‘Odyssey’ artwork. Henrik has managed to capture the concept of the album and title in a brilliant Horisont way. We couldn’t be happier with the result and we hope you’ll enjoy it!”

About Time will be available as Special Edition Digipak (EU only), Jewel Case CD (US only), Gatefold LP and as digital album.

“About Time” track-listing:
01. The Hive 00:03:34
02. Electrical 00:03:30
03. Without Warning 00:03:24
04. Letare 00:03:41
05. Night Line 00:03:28
06. Point of Return 00:03:52
07. Boston Gold 00:03:02
08. Hungry Love 00:03:41
09. Dark Sides 00:02:51
10. About Time 00:06:26

The LP will be available in the following vinyl colors:
Black vinyl – unlimited
Lilac vinyl – limited to 200 copies/exclusively available at Bengans
Clear vinyl – limited to 100 copies/exclusively available at CMDistro
Silver vinyl – limited to 200 copies/exclusively available at Green Hell
Transparent Green vinyl – limited to 200 copies/exclusively available at Nuclear Blast
Yellow vinyl – limited to 300 copies / US only

HORISONT have recently released a video for their first single off of About Time, titled “Electrical”. You can check it out below.

http://www.horisontmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/horisontmusic
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.youtube.com/centurymedia
www.twitter.com/centurymediaeu
www.facebook.com/centurymedia

Horisont, “Electrical” official video

We’re still a ways off from Swedish classic heavy rockers Horisont making their debut on Century Media with their fifth album, About Time, in Feb. 2017, but the band are coming to the States next week to start their first US tour ever, so yeah, the timing on their video for the new song “Electrical” works pretty well. On the tour they’ll be joined by Ohio’s Electric Citizen, for whom jaunts across the country should be old hat at this point, and as they lay the groundwork for the follow-up to last year’s Odyssey (review here), “Electrical” shows them continuing to build on their blend of ’70s-stylized prog and melody-rich rock, intricate but immediately accessible just the same, and unafraid to tap into a grand hook when it suits their purposes, which clearly it does here.

And the video, put together by bassist Magnus Delborg, plays to the band’s analog worship. In black and white, in addition to the band with circuitry attached to their faces, we see grainy found footage, as well as still shots of bygone technology, be it audio equipment or corded telephones, and though it’s clearly making a statement there about the fleeting nature of technological advancement through the years — all of that was “the latest” at one point or another; you might say it’s About Time — there’s a sense of humor to it as well, as the monkey playing a fiddle during the guitar solo emphasizes. A well-balanced, smooth execution? That has basically become Horisont‘s calling card as a band, so once again, it fits. It would have to. They don’t work any other way.

One can only hope Century Media takes Cheap Trick‘s lead and does a limited pressing of About Time on 8-track. If “Electrical” is anything to go by, Horisont earn nothing less, and as others in the European retro sphere — Graveyard, Blues Pills, Kadavar, Witchcraft, etc. — fall by the wayside or modernize their style, Horisont‘s vintage loyalism may earn them a place at the forefront of a movement still very much in development, both in Europe and beyond its borders.

Tour dates follow the clip below. Enjoy:

Horisont, “Electrical” official video

Swedish hardrockers HORISONT have just posted the official video for their new single “Eletrical”, taken off their upcoming album About Time, which will be released on February 3rd, 2017!

The band comments: “We are very happy and excited to present to you all, our brand new single; Electrical! In many ways a classic Horisont track but with some twists and turns. The video is, as per usual, made by our very own bass player, Magnus Delborg! His best one yet!”

Catch Horisont live across the U.S. this Fall on tour dates with Electric Citizen. Dates below.

HORISONT live 2016
10/31/2016 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
11/1/2016 New York, NY @ Studio at Webster Hall
11/2/2016 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
11/3/2016 FT Wayne, IN @ Brass Rail
11/5/2016 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
11/6/2016 Rock Island, IL @ Rock Island Brewing Company
11/7/2016 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
11/10/2016 Oakland, CA @ Starline
11/11/2016 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
11/13/2016 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
11/14/2016 Mesa, AZ @ Club Red
11/16/2016 Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club
11/17/2016 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/18/2016 Austin, TX @ Beerland
11/20/2016 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/22/2016 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage

Horisont is:
Axel – Vocals
Charles – Guitar
Magnus – Bass
Pontus – Drums

Horisont website

Horisont on Thee Facebooks

Century Media website

Century Media on Thee Facebooks

That didn’t take long. After signing to Century Media this summer after the 2015 release of their fourth album, Odyssey (review here), on Rise Above, Swedish ’70s aficionados Horisont have newly announced their first-ever round of North American tour dates. On the run, they’ll join like-minded outfit Electric Citizen, for whom this is very much not their first-ever US tour, as the Cincinnati band continue to support their earlier-2016 sophomore full-length, Higher Time (review here), following their European stint with RidingEasy Records labelmates Salem’s Pot. That tour kicks off tomorrow and includes stops at Keep it Low, Desertfest Belgium, and so on.

Electric Citizen and Horisont kick off their shows on Halloween in Boston. Info and dates:

ELECTRIC CITIZEN & HORISONT – NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

America! Hide your beer and lock up your parents because for the first time in human history, Horisont (from Sweden) is crossing the Atlantic to tour!

10/31 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
11/1 – New York, NY – Studio at Webster Hall
11/2 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
11/5 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
11/6 – Rock Island, IL – Rock Island Brewing Company
11/7 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
11/10 – Oakland, CA – Starline Social Club
11/13 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
11/14 – Mesa, AZ – Club Red
11/16 – Dallas, TX – The Curtain Club Dallas
11/17 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
11/20 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
11/22 – Philadelphia, PA – Voltage Lounge
More dates will follow.

Awesome poster by Jon at Cryptogram

“We will leave you heartbroken and crying for more but rest assured, it will be worth it. With the help of the mighty Electric Citizen, we will make sure that a couple of very lucky cities will never again, be the same. See you fuckers in November! BAM!” comments Horisont on the upcoming tour.

Founded in 2006, HORISONT spent nearly a decade riffing their way to the front lines of the Scandinavian retro-rock revival movement. Infusing nostaligcally delicious retro with prog complexities and a touch of NWOBHM swagger; HORISONT stood out alongside peers such as Witchcraft and Graveyard. This quickly caught the attention of Century Media Records, who inked their brand new deal just as the band released their fourth full length album, Odyssey and corresponding 6 week tour across Europe with Kadavar and now label-mates, The Shrine. In addition to gearing up for their United States tour, HORISONT are already working on unleashing a brand new album! Stay tuned for more tour dates and recording details.

After bursting to the American heavy rock forefront with their 2014 debut album, Sateen, Cincinnati four-piece Electric Citizen are ready for a Higher Time. Their second album for RidingEasy, it is a breakout moment for the band as a whole and for vocalist Laura Dolan, who stands tall in the spotlight throughout “Evil”, “Misery Keepe”r and the rest of Higher Time, rising to the occasion of a fuller, bigger sound and meeting the memorable riffing of husband/guitarist Ross Dolan head on with already-stuck- in-your-head hooks and a fiery, passionate delivery.

www.electriccitizenband.com
www.facebook.com/electriccitizen
www.twitter.com/electriccitizen
www.instagram.com/electriccitizenband
www.horisontmusic.com
www.facebook.com/horisontmusic

Electric Citizen, Higher Time (2016)

Horisont, “Odyssey”

Cali heavy skate rockers The Shrine will head to South America later this month for a round of dates in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. It will be the band’s second trip abroad of the year in support of their latest album and Century Media debut, Rare Breed, behind a European run this Spring that found them taking part in Freak Valley as well as making other festival appearances and so on. They’ll be doing fests in South America as well, including the Abraxas Skate Jam, put on by Abraxas Events, which is also promoting the tour, on Aug. 3 in Rio de Janeiro.

No question dudes get their work in. Show poster, dates and links follow, courtesy of Abraxas:

THE WOLF GOES TO SOUTH AMERICA!

The Shrine will play 9 gigs in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, including the 22nd annual edition of Goiania Noise Fest, the oldest and one of the most important rock festivals in Brazil, performing in the main stage a few slots earlier than heavy metal legends Sepultura.

Abraxas will also promote the first edition of its new concept festival called Abraxas Skate Jam, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, with The Shrine and some local acts playing loud rock and roll while skateboarders show their skills! The jams will take place at Cavepool (São Paulo) and Praça do Ó (Rio de Janeiro) skateparks. Best trick contests will grant the winners some special Volcom prizes, as well as kegs of the finest local craft beers Sheep Killer and Hocus Pocus and a lot of band and Abraxas merch!

JULY:
28 – Belo Horizonte, Brasil @ A Autêntica (Festival Rock do Deserto)
Tickets: https://www.sympla.com.br/festival-rock-do-deserto-iii—the-shrine–lively-water–green-morton–saturndust–governator-i__72727

29 – Florianópolis, Brasil @ Célula Showcase
Tickets: https://www.sympla.com.br/the-shrine–florianopolis-sc–290716__69408

30 – São Paulo, Brasil @ Inferno Club
Tickets: https://www.sympla.com.br/the-shrine-eua—30-de-julho-no-inferno-club__70682

31 – São Paulo, Brasil @ Abraxas Skate Jam
Tickets: https://www.sympla.com.br/1-abraxas-skate-jam-em-sao-paulo—3107-com-the-shrine-na-cavepool__77129

AUGUST:
3 – Rio de Janeiro, Brasil @ Abraxas Skate Jam
– Free admission –

4 – Rio de Janeiro, Brasil @ Teatro Odisséia
Tickets: https://www.sympla.com.br/the-shrine-eua—4-de-agosto-no-teatro-odisseia__70680

5 – Goiânia, Brasil @ Goiânia Noise Festival
Tickets: https://meubilhete.com/22goianianoisefestival

7 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Noiseground Festival
Tickets: http://www.ticketek.com.ar/noiseground-festival/el-teatro

8 – Montevideo, Uruguay @ Bluzz Live

https://www.facebook.com/theshrinefuzz/
http://www.theshrineband.com/
http://www.centurymedia.com/artist.aspx?IdArtist=844

The Shrine, “Savage Skulls and Nomads” live at Fortarock 2016

Am I surprised that a larger, commercially-minded label like Century Media would pick up a band like Swedish classic heavy rockers Horisont? A little, but maybe I shouldn’t be. At this point, Horisont, who released their fourth album, Odyssey (review here), last year on Rise Above, are mark the third time the long-running imprint has delved into the heavy underground in the last year-plus, after pickups of The Shrine (from Tee Pee) and Hexvessel (from Svart). Both of those earlier deals seem to have worked out well for the bands as well as for the label, so why not continue the thread?

Horisont seem to hint that a new single this fall will precede the release of their next long-player in 2017. More on that as I hear it.

From the PR wire:

HORISONT sign worldwide deal with Century Media Records

On the eve of their 10 year anniversary, and after headlining a special show at the Göteborg Rockfest, Swedish hardrock band HORISONT are pleased to announce the next chapter within their illustrious career by putting pen to paper and confirming a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. Formed in 2006, HORISONT have spent the last decade establishing themselves within the Scandinavian retro-rock revival scene, along with peers such as Witchcraft, Graveyard etc, thus creating a sound that takes the foundations of the movement while injecting hearty doses of boogie blues, infusing prog complexities and finishing it all off with that good ole NWOBHM swagger!

After releasing their fourth full length album entitled Odyssey in late 2015, HORISONT completed a 6 week tour across Europe with Kadavar along with their new label mates The Shrine, which helped gain further attention from Century Media, and now before the ink has dried on their brand new deal, HORISONT are bust writing the follow up to Odyssey and plan to enter the studio this summer with the plan to unleash another album guaranteed to get heads banging in 2017!

The band comments: “We are super excited to be signing with the mighty and highly acclaimed Century Media and look very much forward to be working together. Right now we are in the most creative era of this bands existence and this will spill right over into the new album we are currently working on. The first taster off the new stuff will hit the streets by the fall and we’re pretty sure it will electrocute your soul. In the meantime – see you on the road!”

Jens Prueter, head Of A&R Century Media Europe, comments: “I first saw HORISONT at the Rock Hard Festival in 2013 where they turned the amphitheater into a sea of head banging and beer raising. Seeing them again last year, I was impressed how they took their retro influences and progressed into a league of their own. These guys are as tight as their trousers. Looking forward to join their journey! Thanks to all of the guys and the equally amazing Peter from Crusher Records who discovered them first and is still the captain of the ship!”

Stay tuned for more news about the recording of the new album, further live appearances as well as the release of a brand new single before the sun sets on 2016!

Horisont is:
Axel – Vocals
Charles – Guitar
Magnus – Bass
Pontus – Drums

Discography:
Två Sidor Av Horisonten (2009)
Second Assault (2012)
Time Warriors (2013)
Odyssey (2015)

HORISONT live:
06.02.2016 Beta, Copenhagen, Denmark
06.03.2016 1000 Fryd, Aalborg, Denmark

More dates to be announced soon!

www.horisontmusic.com
www.facebook.com/horisontmusic
http://www.centurymedia.com/
https://www.facebook.com/centurymedia

Horisont, “Odyssey”

Blind Guardian, Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)

I think Germany’s Blind Guardian are probably still a little too current to fall into the realm of “classic metal,” but if they were going to enter the discussion, I think 1998’s Nightfall in Middle-Earth would be grounds on its own for consideration. The album followed 1995’s Imaginations from the Other Side, which wasn’t exactly where they made the turn from thrash to power metal, but was just about where they perfected their approach to the latter. What makes Nightfall in Middle-Earth stand out from its predecessor is the complexity and execution of its theme, based around narratives culled from J.R.R. Tolkien‘s The Silmarillion.

If you’ve never read it — I’ll confess that I didn’t get the whole way through — The Silmarillion tells tales of the first age of Middle-Earth, before the coming of men and the decline of the immortal elves. It is essentially a Bible with many gods for the world in which the Lord of the Rings trilogy takes place, and as ever for Tolkien, it’s a world no less winding than it is complete. For Blind Guardian to tackle such a thing wasn’t necessarily new for them even then — as early as 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond they were referencing Tolkien‘s The Hobbit — but for them to do so with such a narrative thread while still writing songs so stellar as to be highlights of their discography now 16 years later like “Mirror Mirror,” “Nightfall” (“…quietly it crept in and changed us all,” goes the chorus), “Blood Tears” and “Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)” feels like twice the achievement. Imaginations from the Other Side is a damn good record, but when it comes to Blind Guardian and everything they’ve embodied as a band ever since, Nightfall in Middle-Earth is a genuine masterpiece.

And though those tracks and others will mark themselves out on any listen, first or 50th, it remains an album best heard front to back, its many interludes and narrative components — some just spoken word over foreboding ambience — feeding into the overall listening experience. This version has a couple bonus tracks tacked onto the end, but even in its bare form, Nightfall in Middle-Earth tops 65 minutes and is no meager undertaking. Like The Silmarillion itself, it is a world to enter and be changed by, and one no less magical. The lineup of the band at that point was vocalist Hansi Kürsch, who as far as I’m concerned deserves mention among the greatest voices in metal regardless of genre, guitarist André Olbrich, rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen, drummer Thomas Stauch, guest bassist Oliver Holzwarth, and a host of others including keyboardist, choir vocalists, flautist and pianist, and what they created was a sound larger than life that Blind Guardian — with Kürsch, Olbrich and Siepen still at the heart of the band — continues to refine to this day. It was announced today that in 2015, they’ll release a new album on Nuclear Blast called Beyond the Red Mirror, weaving an original fantasy tale set in the same universe as some of the tracks from Imaginations from the Other Side and employing no less than three full choirs and two 90-piece orchestras. They remain unafraid to go big.

Hope you enjoy.

—

Kind of a departure, right? That’s what I was hoping for. Something a little different, but it’s a record I’ve lived with and enjoyed since around the time it came out, so it seemed fair. If you feel like it’s not stoner rock enough, there’s always the radio stream. Plenty of that stuff in there, which I should know because (1:) I put it there and (2:) I listen to that friggin’ thing all the time because it’s badass.

Not my best week. I could elaborate. I’d rather not. Suffice it to say I’m still basically recovering from being on tour — though that ebola seems to have for the most part passed, and for that I’m thankful — and that my poor feeble brain hasn’t really managed to settle back down without feeling like it should be racing off somewhere else. I still have Bang and Pentagram and Radio Moscow and Kings Destroy songs stuck in my head, and it was a little disconcerting today when I scrolled down and realized all those posts were off the frontpage. Things go pretty quick around here, I guess.

Next week, I think I’ll have a stream of the new album by Rhode Island’s Balam at some point. I have a thing Monday — it’s like a job recruitment thing, I don’t really know — in the afternoon that will probably eat up a decent chunk of the day, but I’ll be reviewing the Ufomammut DVD sooner or later and the new Brant Bjork as well. Some vinyl to catch up on too, and a tape from The Heavy Company. I’m also still waiting to get that Lowrider interview back, but one of these days.

In the meantime, it’s down to Connecticut and subsequently New Jersey for family stuff and then back up on Sunday. We actually drove down to Connecticut tonight on I-95, the same route I had the van headed back from Rhode Island the other day. I kept thinking about how dazed I was on that trip, my head just completely somewhere else. It’s an adjustment being home, especially when — and I’ll just be honest here — I don’t have jack shit going on. Not like I went back to work, or went back to doing something with my day. Full speed to dead stop. Me and the dog on the couch, listening to records and reviewing them for nobody to read. Oh, and it’s nighttime at like 4PM now too. Awesome. Things are going really well. Definitely none of that broke-as-shit, 33-years-old-total-failure, what-the-fuck-am-I-doing-this-for stuff going on. Whatever.

Blech, as Woody might say.

I hope you have a great and safe weekend. Enjoy the Blind Guardian, have a good time, don’t break anything you don’t want broken and we’ll see you back here Monday for more of whatever you call this.

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