Panic! At The Disco Release New Single ‘Viva Las Vengance’
Panic! At The Disco Release New Single ‘Viva Las Vengeance’ Panic! At The Disco started teasing their comeback a while back, with a new song, as well as a string of additional announcements happening on the 1st of June. Well, the 1st of June has come and Panic! At The Disco are back with their brand new single Viva Las Vengeance!
In addition, Panic! At The Disco have revealed they will be releasing their new album ‘Viva Las Vengeance’ on the 19th of August! Check the pre-order bundles on the website.
Check out the music video for Viva Las Vengeance below and stream the brand new single right below.
INTERVIEW: New Records, Podcasts & More With Silverstein
We had the pleasure of talking to Shane Told from Silverstein after their performance at Dutch festival Jera On Air. Besides their new album, we talked about the pandemic, their veteran status in the scene and much more. Check it out!
How are you today? I’m wonderful, to be back here on Jera On Air, a festival we’ve done for so long and it’s grown to one of the best festivals in Europe. We missed this so much and to be back here with so many friends, it’s just an amazing day.
Congratulations on the release of the new album! Obviously, this one was a little bit different due to the pandemic. Can you elaborate on that?For sure, everything was different! We weren’t able to get together very much. We got together for a few live streams but a lot of writing we did separately and remotely. But when we got together in the studio it was full-on. We actually lived together in the studio for the entire recording process, which we hadn’t done since 2007. So for us to be there so close every day, spending every waking moment together, it really helped us to become this cohesive unit. Spending 24 hours with each other and with the record, we were always on it, discussing it and thinking about it, it really helped the album, Not to mention that we legitimately missed each other because we hadn’t toured, so when we were together again, it felt really uplifting. The material that we wrote about wasn’t uplifting, but the process of recording it was!
Did you have more time in the studio because you had no touring planned? I wouldn’t say it was because of that, but every record we book and need more and more time. Making records does not get easier, life gets more complicated, and everyone has more responsibilities. We’ve done 9 albums, that’s 9 albums of material. I’ve written a lot of words and it doesn’t get easier to come up with more of them. So we know we have to put in the time and the effort and the love to make it happen. So it is very important to book more time than we think we need.
Our personal favourite on the album is The Altar/Mary. Can you tell us a little bit more about the creation of that song? The two songs were written completely different from each other, there was no thought of them ever being combined in the initial writing process. There was some discussion about The Altar, which we were working on first and it was short, under two minutes. We didn’t want to make it any longer or repeat any parts but were afraid that people weren’t going to take it seriously. So we tried to make it longer but it didn’t work out. At the same time, we had this other song called Mary, which was kind of exactly the same affliction. We didn’t know how to extend it. Not all the lyrics were written for both the songs and when we had the initial discussion about what the songs were about, we realized that there was a real similarity in their idealogy and their themes. So they would make a really cool marriage. In our opinion, it was a really cool way to do it, because of the fact that they were so different in the way they sounded. Like part one and two of an amazing story. Almost like a concept within an album. We didn’t know what people were going to think about it, but we knew it was going to be something special. It was amazing to hear how people’s minds were blown, that song was all we heard about on release day.We never intended to play this song live, but the people have spoken and we are going to have to figure that out. It’s a banger.
How do you go about creating a setlist with so many albums? It’s so hard. We look back at the first couple of records and we played all those songs live because then it were the only songs we had. But now, when we make a new record, it’s almost a little bit sad because we know there is no way that we are going to be able to play all of them live. We cycle some of them in and out and try to do it, but at the end of the day we only have so long on stage and we must have about 120 songs, maybe more. So it is a really difficult decision, we try to do it a little bit different every tour and sometimes bring back songs that we haven’t played in a while. We have also been doing a few medleys where we play a piece of 10 songs in 7 minutes, which has been pretty fun. To give people a taste. I saw Eminem in Detroit and he almost only did parts of his songs, because in hip-hop, songs are often 5 or 6 minutes long and you can’t do a show for 5 hours. So when I saw that, I thought maybe there’s some way we can do that. I don’t know if it’s the perfect solution, but at least it is a solution.
Now that touring has started again and you still have your podcast, do you even sleep? The Silverstein podcast was my thing, my idea, I really wanted us to bring some of the conversations that we had into the public because some of them are very interesting and I think it was a great way to promote the new album and let people know the ins and outs of it. I have produced and recorded it myself. Once we started it, it was really cool how much stuff and information came out and we really pulled back the curtain. We didn’t edit anything out, we didn’t hold any information back. But to answer your question about sleeping, it has been a lot of work, recording it, producing it, editing it and mixing and mastering it. It’s been a lot. But I think it has been something that’s been really compelling and fans are going to enjoy it for years to come to. Because we spent 11 hours about this one album, when do you hear a band do that.
What are some of the key elements that you have seen change in the scene over the course of the years? That’s a good question, we have seen it all. We have seen the trends come and go and we have seen bands come and go. The bands that hang around, they are the ones that are really honest about their music. From a really early time in our band, it was very important for us to treat everybody with kindness and respect and not burn any bridges. At the same time, not try to latch on to these lame trends that have popped up over the years. There were always a few bands that fell victim to that. Things have changed, bands are better than they have ever been. All these things are incredible. The music coming out now is the best ever, music is peaking right now and the sky is the limit. With everybody spending all their time writing the past two years, it has led to some incredible art and now we are hearing them, we are hearing the fruit of the labor, it is all coming out now.
Are there some things that you still have on your bucket list? There have been a few things that have happened over the past years that we are really proud of. We got nominated in Canada for a Juno for Rock Album Of The Year. That’s our version of the Grammys. We have been getting a bunch of radio play for Ultraviolet. It is in the top 30 right now on US Rock charts. There are also tons of countries that we want to explore. We enjoy every step of the way and we pride ourselves on being real and we are enjoying the ride. It’s taken us places that we never imagined and it’s still going.
We spoke to Crossfaith at Dutch festival Jera On Air for a small catch-up. The band was ecstatic to return to Europe after uncertain times and even though they have not yet announced new music, it’s been years since we chatted with the band. So, we figured it was time to reconnect!
How are you guys doing today? Kenta: Very good. This is our very first show in The Netherlands since COVID. So we were super excited to be back. In Japan, we still have strict rules about concerts and live shows. No moshing and crowd surfing, they can’t even sing along, which sucks. Hiroki: Yeah, no sing-alongs and they have to wear masks. Kenta: So here we really unleashed. It’s a nice break.Hiroki: It’s very special to play here in front of you guys again.
You haven’t been sitting still, is there a record coming as well? Kenta: We are working towards making and writing songs, but we don’t have a plan yet for an album. We just need more time to build it. Hiroki: It’s been a while, we know, haha.
Let’s talk about the most recent single, Gimme Danger with Ralph, the cover is wild. Can you tell us more about that, what inspired it? Kenta: We talked about it and spent a long time deciding covers and designers and the theme as well. We finally found an amazing guy. Hiroki: He mainly does air spray and he made this for us in real. Kenta: He didn’t make it on the PC or anything like that.
Let’s go back to the beginning, you are one of a kind, you have such a unique sound. How did you create it? Hiroki: There were no bands that mixed metal and electric sounds in Japan and we were really into The Prodigy. Kenta: And The Chemical Brothers. Hiroki: At the same time we really liked the metalcore sounds like Parkway Drive and we just made it. Firstly, we decided to cover Omen by The Prodigy and the process of covering that song gave us lots of inspiration. Kenta: So it was very natural. Where we’re from, there is no scene like this. There is just us. So we couldn’t get any inspiration from the neighbours. We are very individual.
Do you guys have any pre-show rituals? Kenta: Beer. Hiroki: Watching the live shows from my idol bands. Kenta: And right before the set we all get together and do a chant
Is there anything that you love to eat here that is not common in Japan?Kenta: I like Bratwurst, the one from Germany!Hiroki: Food in Europe, in general, is amazing, we love the catering here. Since we spoke to them, Crossfaith have announced two tours, one in Europe and one in North America, so be sure to get your tickets!
CONCERT REVIEW: Dream Theater Take Amsterdam To The Top Of The World
The prog-metal pioneers Dream Theater are back in Amsterdam as part of their A View From The Top of the World tour, 30 years after the band first set foot in the capital city of The Netherlands for their first Dutch show, as James LaBrie shared with the audience while on stage.
Dream Theater came out swinging in the midst of the pandemic with their highly acclaimed new album A View From The Top of the World, which got them their first Grammy win with the single The Alien.
In order to properly support the 2021 album A View From The Top Of The World, Dream Theater brought along an impressive stage setup, which included huge pillars and screens on which Dream Theater truly outdid themselves. The displays on the screens complimented the live music extraordinarily well, showing many fantasy displays as well as several spots in aerial view from all over the world, as if we were collectively standing on top of the world.
Kicking off their set with the Grammy winning single The Alien from the new album, the musicians had a few minutes to keep the spotlight for themselves before the vocalist entered the stage. Dream Theater‘s music is celebrated for its complexity. Having this complexity on the studio albums is one thing, but to translate this well into a live setting is a different ball game. Unsurprisingly, with more than 30 years under their belt, Dream Theater were as great as ever.
Portraying a high level of sophistication and energy, Dream Theater showcased why they’re thought of as the bearers of progressive metal of this time and age in front of an ecstatic Amsterdam crowd of approximately 5.000 fans. In between songs, James LaBrie often chatted with the audience. Discussing the pandemic and the re-discovering of the intense fun that’s to be had playing shows in front of fans all across the globe.
I don’t envy Dream Theater when it comes to creating the setlist for a tour, given the band has been around for over 3 decades, with most of their songs being very lengthy. Tonight’s setlist consisted of a total of 9 songs + encore, which supplied us with two hours of live music, from which 4 songs were from the new record: A View From the Top of the World, Awaken the Master, Invisible Monster and The Alien. The rest of the setlist was compiled by 1 track per album throughout the band’s extensive career. The set was concluded by the track The Count of Tuscany from the 2009 album Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
We feel privileged to have seen the prog-metal pioneers live in Amsterdam this fine evening. Interested to see what the show looked like? Check more images in the gallery below, courtesy of Eva van den Bosch, and let us know if you are going to any of the remaining Dream Theater shows.
PHOTO REVIEW: OneRepublic Play Greatest Hits At Sold-Out Amsterdam Show
OneRepublic stopped off in Amsterdam on their current trek through Europe to play an all-star set in front of 6.000 fans. You do not realise how many hits OneRepublic has had during their extensive career until you hear all of their most popular songs in a row and realise you have heard them all on the radio at one point or another.
OneRepublic put on one hell of a show, and very visually pleasing. Check out what the show looked like in the gallery right below. All photos by Eva van den Bosch.
CONCERT REVIEW: Ghost Bring The Impera Arena Tour To Rotterdam
Ghost finally returned after a few years of (forced) absence, and what a triumphant return it was. On Easter no less, Ghost came to deliver a healthy dose of satanic music, with themes throughout their discography that include the dark ages, the antichrist, the apocalypse and more.
With their highly acclaimed new record IMPERA under their belt, Ghost delivered a show which truly had it all: costume changes to display the many different forms that ‘Papa Emeritus‘ has adopted throughout the years, an absolutely epic backdrop & fantastic looking costumes on the Nameless Ghouls. Pair this with the usage of smoke, fireworks and pyro and of course the many, many catchy hits that made Ghost the huge band it is today.
This liveshow was the embodiment of everything we love about metal and liveshows and I can honestly say, one of the best shows we have witnessed in the 7+ years we’ve been going to shows now. The ensemble built around frontman Papa Emeritus are on a high, with IMPERA ranking high on the charts worldwide. Due to the band having so many fan favourite songs throughout their career though, the setlist only consisted for 20% out of songs from the new album: Spillways, Hunter’s Moon, album and set opener Kaisarion and single Call Me Little Sunshine. The rest of the setlist heavily drew from the popular albums Meliora and Prequelle, with singles being played from the EPs Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic and Popestar. In addition, Ghost also celebrated the almighty Metallica with their cover of Enter Sandman, which was part of the The Metallica Blacklist that came out last year.
Bottomline, there was something for everyone on the setlist tonight, and even if the setlist didn’t include any of your favourite songs, the theatrics and visual display would keep you entertained for days. There’s just something special about this band that really comes to fruition, especially in a beautiful venue as the newly opened RTM Stage.
While sad the show was coming to an end, Ghost truly saved best (and with that we mean most popular) for last, with the singles Dance Macabre, the perfect mix between metal and catchy pop, and the single from the Popestar EP: Square Hammer which were both greeted by a jubilent and loudly singing-along and dancing audience. Below you’ll find an elaborate gallery of the visuals of the show, courtesy of Eva van den Bosch.
