Tag Archives: New Rock Music

New Zealand Heavy Rock Titans DEVILSKIN Unleash Riveting Cover of HEART’s Classic Hit “Barracuda”


AHEAD OF NEW SIX-TRACK EP, SURFACING, DUE OUT 3rd MAY, the Multi-platinum NZ rockers wear their hearts on their sleeve and offer up a devilishly masterful performance of one of classic rocks most beloved tunes!

Prepare to be swept away by a tidal wave of raw power and adrenaline as multi-Platinum-selling New Zealand rock icons DEVILSKIN unleash their latest musical masterpiece: a heart-pounding cover of HEART’s timeless classic, “Barracuda.” With their unmistakable blend of ferocious energy and unparalleled musicianship, DEVILSKIN pays homage to the legendary rock anthem while injecting it with their own signature intensity and passion.

Originally released by HEART in 1977, on their third studio album Little Queen, “Barracuda” has long been hailed as one of the most iconic tracks in rock history. Known for its infectious guitar riff, soaring vocals, and unforgettable chorus, “Barracuda” continues to resonate with audiences of all ages. DEVILSKIN’s cover of “Barracuda” pays homage to the original while infusing it with their own unique style and energy, resulting in a rendition that is both timeless and fresh.

Lead vocalist JENNIE SKULANDER’s powerhouse vocals ascend over the epochal chugging riff, harmonics, and shimmering, layered guitars courtesy of NAIL VINCENT, and thunderous fusion of father and son rhythm section PAUL (bass) and NIC MARTIN (drums), capturing the essence of the original while adding a modern edge that is distinctly DEVILSKIN. From the opening notes to the explosive climax, DEVILSKIN’s cover of “Barracuda” is a masterclass in rock reinvention, showcasing the band’s unparalleled talent and passion for their craft.

“This is one of those songs that so many people have tucked away in their favourites and for good reason too – the song is a masterpiece! We hadn’t played it live for a few years, but we all still felt a sweet connection with it. So we thought we’d have some fun, and record it as a bonus for our faithful, and of course, to honour our musical heroes. Releasing ‘Barracuda’ for us, is like a gift back to our audience and the really amazing people we’ve had the good fortune to meet over the years. It’s a thank you, from the heart.” – PAUL MARTIN

Buy / Stream “Barracuda” Online

Devilskin formed in June 2010 in Hamilton New Zealand and features the spectacular Jennie Skulander on lead vocals. Her powerful and compelling voice and alluring stage presence sets her apart from any vocalist New Zealand has put up so far. With an unerring gift for melody, Jennie’s incredible voice sweeps from whisper to roar, rips with power, drips with melody and captivates with sincerity.

Jennie previously fronted Rotorua band Slipping Tongue garnering a swathe of fans with their videos, EPs and album. Slipping Tongue also impressed many when they opened for Coheed & Cambria in 2008.

On lead guitar is Nail from the popular Waikato band Chuganaut who won the NZ Battle of the Bands and the World Battle Of The Bands in 2004. Played BDO in 2005 and opened for Iron Maiden at Mt Smart stadium in 2009. Chuganaut has played numerous national tours and released several singles, EP’s, videos and an album. Nail’s searing guitar work and high energy performance bring real intensity to the live show.

Paul Martin is the founder of the popular radio show, the Axe Attack. Lead guitarist and vocalist for World War Four, Paul’s previous bands include Knightshade and Blackjack. He has opened for Black Label Society (2006), Heaven & Hell (2007) and Motorhead twice (2008), and played BDO (2009). Paul’s powerful and aggressive bass style is a propulsive force in the Devilskin sound.

Nic Martin joined Devilskin as drummer in August 2011 at the age of 15. Paul’s son, Nic is the youngest artist to ever play the BDO when he performed with World War Four in 2009 at the age of 13. Nic adds to the show with a real display of power and passion on the drums. With a fierce style all his own and the inexhaustible energy of youth, Nic’s truculent style and showmanship are fast becoming a talking point on the NZ live music scene. Not to mention making Devilskin one of the few bands featuring a father and son in their line-up.

Together, Devilskin have the ability to write songs that have depth and passion. They create a compelling and irresistible sound and perform a stunning, explosive, live show. The art of song-writing is back.

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SCAREFIELD Unveils Haunting New Music Video, “Child of the Corn”!


Debut Album, A Quiet Country, An ode to 80’s Horror in Thrash / Power Metal Form!

SCAREFIELD, the electrifying, horror-infused force in the world of thrash metal, SIMONE MANULI and MARKUS KRISTOFFERSSON, invites you to enter the scarefields with their debut album, A QUIET COUNTRY. This album, in vinyl, cd, and streaming formats, contains 11 songs of pure melodic, speedy, thrash madness that is sure to leave listeners awestruck. The dreaded fields await!

A QUIET COUNTRY brings to mind vast fields of corn, cabins in old forests and unlit dirt roads leading away from the light of civilization. We chose this title for its dual meaning. While it initially suggests calmness and tranquillity, it can hint at an underlying tension or mystery: beneath the peaceful exterior of a countryside setting, there could be hidden secrets or a darker side waiting to be revealed. This duality characterizes the music and the lyrics. It is like a collection of tales in a storybook where the apparent peace of the countryside masks something sinister beneath the surface, prompting exploration and uncovering mysteries within this ostensibly tranquil setting.

This, our debut album, is the result of a long process of hard work, and we are pleased to finally be able to share it with the world” – SCAREFIELD

Told through the energetic, heavy, and melodic songs throughout the album, A QUIET COUNTRY contains a wide variety of musical styles from thrash to speed/power metal. It will remind you of many metal bands: Blind Guardian, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Pantera.

Accompanying the album release is a story driven music video for the single “CHILD OF THE CORN,” a song full of rage and regret made to touch our deepest emotions. Here, the intimate character of the opening melody is suddenly broken by the fury of guitars and raging vocals that evoke the lacerating memories of a past that cannot be healed.

All songs are written and recorded by Manuli / Kristoffersson, produced and mixed by Simone Manuli and mastered by Ronnie Björnström.

“This our debut album is the result of a long process of hard work, and we are pleased to finally be able to share it with the world.”

ANCIENT EVIL is a song based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft adapted from the short story ‘The Call of Cthulhu’. The song functions simultaneously as an ode to the works by the late father of cosmic horror as well as an expression of the love we share for classic horror that permeates our music.

DEAD CENTER is heavy and trashy, simply massive. The topic explored in the song is one of ambiguity, the feeling of standing on a thin line between two choices that can never be made and the chaos within that manifests as a result. What at an outside glance may appear as madness may in fact just be an attempt at release from the mundane and perpetuality of the everyday.

ALTAR OF FEAR is a melodic song inspired by a real-life event in childhood. One summer during St Lawrence night we went to watch the shooting stars when we happened upon an abandoned house in the open countryside. Within this house we saw a group of cultists worshipping the Devil. At the time we were so afraid, we didn’t speak of it in a month after! The sentences in the chorus are borrowed from John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness.

SPECTRE expands the already massive input of genres contained within the album. Groovy, low beat, and rhythm driven, this song tells the story of a person who has just died only to wake up a ghost doomed to haunt the house of a loved one. Love keeps him imprisoned in this world. And the loved one doesn’t know about his death yet, she is scary and feels something wrong.

CHILD OF THE CORN is a song of calm, regret, chaos, and the call of the fields around the rural areas. This song is the epitome of our project: the melody follows the regrets of the past and ends up colliding with the lacerating memories evoked by the furious speed of the music and the scratchy voice.

GOD OF TERROR is an analogous story based on Greek mythology and the story of Zeus and Cronos. A fast and epic song that contains much of the harsh vocals only sparsely used throughout the album.

PRIMITIVE SHADOWS is a fast, breathtaking song. It is inspired by the dramatic sequence of the founding of the Statue of Liberty from Planet of the Apes movie. To be candid, the current events are not particularly promising in the world, we imagined how it would be easy to lose civilisation, wealth, knowledge and falling in a new dark age where mankind is just like wild primitive human beings praying their idols and living in caves. The chorus is ironic and evokes the allegory of the cave by Pluto.

DREAM, the title really says it all! This song is describing a dream sequence with both lyrics and instruments designed to make the listeners imagine the scenery described. It is carefully composed to capture the strangeness and awesomeness that can only be found in our dreams.

SHIVER is a groovy song, there’s a bit of ‘Pantera’ and a bit of ‘Metallica in it. The lyrics fit perfectly the classic horror movies from the 80’s, a Nightmare on Elm Street in particular. This was also one of the first songs we worked on together, we didn’t even have the band name at that time. It was a good way to become familiar with our songwriting.

ALWAYS is a rock ballad. The acoustic guitars and the vocal lines bring the listener to an intimate atmosphere outlined by regretful tones where the present gets confused with the memories until the culmination moment and the explosion of the electric guitars. The words in the chorus play with regret in the brain of the main character who betrayed the oath of love.

GOODBYE is a fitting song to finish of the album. In this song we attempt to capture the feeling of being on the brink of death. The song is inspired by panic attacks which for some people can feel like they’re experiencing a heart attack or a stroke. Placing it at the end of the album was fitting as the last words spoken on the album rings out saying GOODBYE…

A Quiet Country Track List
1. Ancient Evil
2. Dead Center
3. Altar of Fear
4. Spectre
5. Child of the Corn
6. God of Terror
7. Primitive Shadows
8. Dream
9. Shiver
10. Always
11. Goodbye

Purchase / Stream A Quiet Country Online

SCAREFIELD is a speed/thrash metal band inspired by the horror genre, in particular by the colourful and bombastic 80’s horror movies. The music consists of many familiar themes of both speed and thrash metal with additional influences from more modern forms of metal music, such as melodic death metal, as well as classic heavy metal.

SIMONE MANULI, the founder of SCAREFIELD reached out from the plains of northern Italy to the frigid north of the arctic circle in northern Sweden where he would come in to contact with vocalist MARKUS KRISTOFFERSSON. The music, produced by Simone, was co-written and co-composed by the two members, melding their unique styles and influences into an interesting new take on the classic metal styles incorporated.

Self-produced and -written, the music contains massive atmosphere, fast riffs, melodic strings and heavy drums. The vocals are a mix of clean melody and power as well as the harsher death metal style vocals of the modern day. The lyrics contain topics such as personal stories, interesting concepts and of course the aforementioned horror theme!

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BULLETS AND OCTANE UNLEASHES EXPLOSIVE NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO, “SPACE LORD SYMPHONY”


Renowned rock sensation BULLETS AND OCTANE has once again set the stage ablaze with their latest release, “Space Lord Symphony.” This electrifying single is accompanied by a visually stunning music video that promises to captivate audiences worldwide.

“Space Lord Symphony” is a sonic journey that combines the band’s signature high-energy sound with a cosmic twist. Known for their powerful riffs, anthemic choruses, and relentless energy on stage, Bullets and Octane takes their music to new heights with this intergalactic-inspired anthem.

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SEVER RED Reveals Visualizer for Intense New Single, “Gone”


Debut EP, ‘Sick & Tormented,’ Out 1/26/2024!

SEVER RED, the emerging powerhouse rock band fast becoming known for their electrifying performances and soul-stirring compositions, is thrilled to announce the release of a stunning visualizer for their latest single, “Gone.”

Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Billboard #1 producer JOSH SCHROEDER in Midland, MI (LORNA SHORETHE COLOR MORALEVARIALSIN HEARTS WAKEKING 810THE PLOT IN YOU, and DAYSEEKER), “Gone” is driven by thunderous percussion, searing guitar riffs, and a vocal performance that cuts to the bone, and is a sonic journey that takes listeners through a landscape of emotions. With lyrics that paint a vivid picture of heartbreak and introspection, SEVER RED invites fans to connect with the universal experiences woven into the fabric of their music.

Continue reading SEVER RED Reveals Visualizer for Intense New Single, “Gone”

BOURBON HOUSE Ignites the Music Scene with Release of Blazing New Single, “Runnin’ Hot” on FRETBAR RECORDS


New wave of classic rock sensation BOURBON HOUSE is set to set the music world ablaze with the revelation of their new single, “Runnin’ Hot,” out NOW via FRETBAR RECORDS. Known for their electrifying performances and genre-blending sound, BOURBON HOUSE is ready to captivate audiences with this latest offering.

“Runnin’ Hot” is a high-octane anthem that seamlessly blends gritty rock with soulful blues influences, creating a sonic journey that is as intense as it is infectious. The song showcases BOURBON HOUSE’S signature raw energy, tight musicianship, and soulful vocals, setting it apart as a must-listen for fans of rock, blues, and everything in between.

Continue reading BOURBON HOUSE Ignites the Music Scene with Release of Blazing New Single, “Runnin’ Hot” on FRETBAR RECORDS

BLACKLITE DISTRICT Teases Upcoming ‘You’re Welcome – XL’ Album with New Single, “Just So You Know XL”!


2023 Fall Tour Dates TBA!

South Dakota-based alternative rock artist KYLE PFEIFFER, better known as BLACKLITE DISTRICT, has unveiled his newest single, a re-imagining of his highly popular “Just So You Know,” “Just So You Know XL.” Produced by BRETT HESTLA, “Just So You Know XL” is the debut single off of the upcoming album, You’re Welcome – XL. Listening to “Just So You Know XL” is an electrifying sonic journey that transcends boundaries and will excite and entrance both new and long time fans. An expanded and enriched version of the 2017 single, an original and critically loved MINECRAFT song with a viral video created by renown animator, gamer, and creator Rainimator, “Just So You Know XL” stands as a testament to the multi-talented artist’s ongoing evolution. From the very first note to the last lingering echo, “Just So You Know XL” captivates with its powerful vocals, intricate instrumentals, and profound lyrics.

“This was the song that basically started this whole ‘XL’ project. I had to find a way to play this song acoustic, because the original version is a very beat/trap driven track, and here we are. One of the most popular songs in the BLACKLITE DISTRICT catalog, I am beyond excited to share with brand new version of “Just So You Know”, the You’re Welcome – XL album this fall, as well as some tour dates! The boys and I are also hard at work on new music and have a lot more in store for the rest of the year!” – KYLE PFEIFFER

Purchase / Stream “Just So You Know XL” Online

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