Words by Ysabel Francisco
Sons of Apollo continue to ascend with the release of the music video for their new single, “Fall to Ascend.” Following the release of the “Goodbye Divinity,” the video directed by Christian Rios features former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force). Watch the electrifyingly dark music video below:
“Fall to Ascend” and “Goodbye Divinity” will be included in the band’s second studio album, MMXX (pronounced 20/20), produced by The Del Fuvio Brothers (Portnoy and Sherinian). MMXX will be fittingly released on the 17th of January in 2020.
“Stylistically, we have followed the same path as the debut,” says drummer Mike Portnoy, talking about the album. “But we feel that it has come out stronger, simply because we know one another better. Psychotic Symphony was the first time the five of us had worked together, so there was bound to be an air of experimentation happening. Now, we can draw on having the experience not only of recording that album, but also of touring together a lot. And now there is clearly a lot more obvious chemistry going on.”
Adding to that, keyboardist Derek Sherinian says that, “[Doing] 83 shows on the last tour felt so worthwhile, because we came out of it with a stronger bond, and that is certainly reflected in what we wrote.”
MMXX can be pre-ordered on digital services here.
Words by Nic Angeles
BABYMETAL continue to take us with them into their otherworldly odyssey with their brand new music video. The latest visual to come from the phenomenal Japanese pop-metal duo is for “DA DA DANCE” (featuring guitarist Tak Matsumoto) from their latest album, Metal Galaxy.
Watch the clip here:
The “DA DA DANCE” music video follows the previously released videos for Metal Galaxy tracks “Shanti Shanti Shanti,” “Elevator Girl,” “PA PA YA!!”, and more. Metal Galaxy is the third BABYMETAL album, released last October 2019 with a high-powered release show at a sold-out The Forum in Los Angeles.
BABYMETAL will be performing for the first time ever in the Philippines as part of the Iron Maiden-headlined PULP SUMMER SLAM XX: Judgement Day, with other support acts Death Angel, Dragonforce, and KING810.
BABYMETAL are also featured in our latest, PULP Magazine Issue No. 203 with Slipknot and Iron Maiden on back-to-back covers, where we explore the Metal Galaxy and marvel at how their phenomenon has gone from a global to a galactic scale. Out now.
Words by Yann Magcamit
It Comes In Waves are an act to watch out for in the metalcore scene. Their newest release titled “Wolf In Disguise” proves this, with smashing guitar riffs matching the powerful vocals of their top-notch featured artist in the track—Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens.
“We couldn’t be more satisfied with how ‘Wolf in Disguise’ turned out. Kellin knew EXACTLY what the song needed and nailed it,” the band shares upon the single’s release. With a music video for the song coming soon, “Wolf In Disguise” also serves as the title track for their forthcoming EP.
Check out “Wolf In Disguise” by It Comes In Waves with Kellin Quinn below:
[Photo from It Comes In Waves]
Words and Interview by Nic Angeles | Photo by Larry Wentworth
The excitement is beyond words as we’re one month away from Silverstein’s long-awaited Manila comeback. The band will be celebrating their 20th year in 2020 with a World Tour and will be returning to the Philippines to make their Filipino fans a part of the celebration, with a show happening on January 12, 2020 at the Skydome, SM City North EDSA powered by PULP Live World.
20 years since they formed in Ontario, Canada, the emo/post-hardcore mainstays have remained relevant in a scene that has exploded, evolved, and expanded in so many different ways. “Smile In Your Sleep,” “Call It Karma,” “My Heroine”—songs from the band’s breakthrough record Discovering The Waterfront, which the band is also set to play front to back in Manila—were songs that put Silverstein on the map.
And from that time, they have continued to be one of the most consistent bands around, not just with how they’ve released a record every two years or so without fail, but also with the way they’ve outdone themselves album after album. Their most recent albums, like 2015’s I am Alive in Everything I Touch and 2017’s Dead Reflection, reflect a steady and progressive growth that makes the upcoming 20-year celebration worth, well, celebrating.
“Unlike a lot of bands, we never broke up or took a hiatus or anything. We’ve been here doing this this the whole time,” vocalist Shane Told tells PULP Magazine. “We’re very proud of our longevity and wanted to say thank you to our fans for allowing us to still be here doing this.”
The upcoming Manila concert is also expected to be a very nostalgic one. As previously mentioned, Silverstein will be playing Discovering The Waterfront front to back—one of two sets they will be playing, the other one comprising of all other hits that they’ve put out throughout their two-decade run as a band.
“It was (and is) such an important album in so many ways. It put us on the map with popularity and also was a dramatic improvement in our songwriting. It’s our second album but in some ways, it’s our first real album because the first one was pretty much a collection of everything we had done as a band for the first three years. We had only a few months to write Discovering The Waterfront and it is a great snapshot of a new, hungry band that was firing on all cylinders,” says Shane of the iconic Silverstein album, which was released in 2005.
With all the milestones that are, without a doubt, worth all of the buzz, it can’t be helped that there’s nostalgia involved. Silverstein, however, have been a band that’s still pretty much alive and kicking, still making new music, and still releasing new albums. The band has, in fact, revealed that they’ve finished recording the follow-up to 2017’s Dead Reflection, giving fans a lot more to look forward to NOW and in the coming year.
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“We’ve been constantly putting out music with no long breaks and our fans have come to expect that,” shares Shane. “As much as we’ll be able to enjoy playing the old stuff, some fans will be bugging us to play new stuff and that’s a great sign! So we definitely make sure we take time out of the show to showcase what we’ve been up to the last little while and of course the brand new material.”
2020 sure is shaping up to be a great one, and we have Silverstein (with Bangkok’s Defying Decay as support) to kick off the year with PULP Live World’s first concert for the year. “We’re jsut so happy we can come back and make Manila part of the 20 year celebration,” Shane says towards the end of the interview with excitement. Indeed, their “passionate” Filipino fans have waited too long.
Check out the FULL interview inside our latest, PULP Magazine Issue No. 203, where Shane Told tells us more—he talks about the process of revisiting old songs for Redux, what the band has been busy with aside from the 20 Year festivities, and what they have to say about their fans in the Philippines.
Tickets to SILVERSTEIN 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN MANILA, happening on January 12, 2020 at the SkyDome, SM City North EDSA are available at all SM Tickets outlets nationwide and online. General Admission tickets still available!
By: Paolo Buted
The Maine have always been a crowd-favorite. Highly regarded for their upbeat melodies and their striking lyricism, it comes as no surprise that the Arizona natives have had their fair share of resonant anthems and an ever-growing community of fans and friends. With six successful albums under their belt, The Maine are now at their most daring with their latest release, You Are OK.
While John O’ Callaghan, Pat Kirch, Jared Monaco, Garrett Nickelsen, and Kennedy Brock have always done their best to change up each album’s sound, You Are OK has been the biggest deviance from their main style, injected with various elements that make it a unique masterpiece. Here are five reasons why this record is a game-changer:
5. Because they’re constantly changing.
While bands are generally expected to change up their tune once in a while, The Maine have always been taking things to the next level. While you can definitely still hear traces of the upbeat pop rhythms that the band became known for in earlier years, there are definitely a lot of big differences that truly differentiate You Are OK from their previous records, like the inclusion of orchestral string instruments. More than just this, the general sound dynamics of the band has completely upgraded, from the general mixing to the way the rhythm seems to change along with the emotional gravity of each of the songs.
4. Because they’ve cemented their legacy in the scene.
You don’t reach 12 years’ worth of touring and seven studio albums out of sheer luck alone. Though the band was formed at a time when the scene was birthing different artists left and right, The Maine were able to rise through those ranks through their talent, dedication, and daring attitudes. With each and every one of their albums being meticulously planned to perfection, it’s no surprise that the band is now a household name in the genre along with the likes of All Time Low or Mayday Parade. With the release of You Are OK, this becomes even more evident, as they are able to change their sound without erasing their core tonal identity—a feat that many have aspired for, but didn’t quite achieve.
3. Because the band has matured alongside you.
The Maine’s music came along during our formative teen years. Like a friend for life, 12 years later, The Maine still remain a heavy influence, as their arrangements have evolved alongside the members. More importantly, it evolved with their audience. While the change in musical dynamics is certainly worth noting, what truly highlights their growth is the thematic incorporated into their songs. From teenage romance songs like “I Must Be Dreaming” (Can’t Stop Won’t Stop) to melancholic rhythms like “24 Floors” (American Candy), The Maine have showed time and time again that just like their fan base, they, too, are growing up. This message becomes painfully clear, as You Are OK tackles a theme that many in our generation struggle with: mental health.
2. Because the album is simply inspiring.
As mentioned earlier, the entire album was written primarily with mental health as a focus. The album’s unofficial prelude was introduced by frontman John O’Callaghan’s similarly titled spoken word poem. While the poem generally talks about “you,” the audience, being a multitude of different things, he ends it with the lines “You are the greatest thing you’ll ever know. You are you, and you are OK.” From that alone, it’s not hard to tell what kind of effect the whole album is meant to have. From songs like “Forevermore” to “Flowers on the Grave,” You Are OK is able to touch the most vulnerable parts of its listeners, and reassure them against every one of their insecurities.
1.Because it was written for you.
The Maine are a band that’s well aware of their audience demographic and they know their fans in a very deep level. Tying up all the previous reasons, because The Maine have grown alongside all of us since they were formed, they know all too well just what kind of struggles we go through. They care, not just as a band but as people, about their fans genuinely and sincerely, and they treat everyone like family. The songs on You Are OKare for us; for our anxiety, for our struggles. The album is for those of us who feel lost, and most of all, for those of us who need to be reminded that we are okay. And if we aren’t right now, we will be soon.
More than just an auditory masterpiece, You Are OK is an emotional masterpiece as well—one that shows just how much The Maine legitimately care about their audience, their fans, and the community that have grown with and around them through all these years.
Don’t take it from me though; take it from them, by listening to the album on Spotify, or catching their “You Are Ok” tour on September 14, 2019, at the New Frontier Theater. Get your tickets here.
Words by Nic Angeles | Photo by Joel H. Garcia (All Time Low: The Young Renegades World Tour Manila 2017)
All Time Low’s headlining set at Slam Dunk Festival in the UK was one that a lot of people looked forward to, and seeing reactions from fans following the band’s performance, it seems they did not disappoint.
Not only did they celebrate ten years of Nothing Personal; they also had a surprise waiting for the ecstatic crowd gathered at the Monster Energy Stage—a stage they shared with Waterparks, Neck Deep, Simple Plan, New Found Glory, As It Is, Boston Manor, and WSTR.
“I need every single one of you to dance like this is your favorite fucking song,” said Alex Gaskarth before introducing a brand new song called “Getaway Green.” Here’s a fan-recorded clip to give you a glimpse:
They also sent fans on a hunt for the lyrics of the song:
Who has the last one!? https://t.co/2WuoNviYRv
— Alex Gaskarth (@AlexGaskarth) May 26, 2019
There haven’t been plenty of dates on All Time Low’s Tour Schedule for 2019 apart from Slam Dunk, and Alex has told Kerrang! earlier this year that the band’s taking “a bit of a break.” More recently, though, he has revealed that the band may be working on new material soon , our first taste of which having been “Getaway Green.” In a Rock Sound interview, the frontman has also described this year as “the end of the Last Young Renegade cycle.”
Last Young Renegade, All Time Low’s most recent album, was released in June 2017 via Fueled By Ramen. Featuring tracks like “Dirty Laundry,” “Good Times,” and “Nice2KnoU,” the album was promoted all over the world on The Young Renegades World Tour which made a stop in Manila in August 2017, powered by PULP Live World. A full-blown recap of this show is featured in PULP Magazine Issue No. 192!
While we wait to see what else is coming up for All Time Low following the new song, let’s have a look at some of the good times we had with Alex, Jack, Rian, and Zack:
Words by Nic Angeles | Photo by Tim Cayem
Knocked Loose have unleashed their brand new single, “…And Still I Wander South,” taken from their upcoming album, A Different Shade of Blue.
The single “is about wanting to move on, or better yourself for whatever reason, but you keep going back to the same old thing,” says vocalist Bryan Garris. “Whether that be depression or whatever you may be going through. You always wander back to the same mindset.”
The long-awaited follow up to 2016’s Laugh Tracks is set for release August 23rd through Pure Noise Records, and also features Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die (“A Serpent’s Touch”) and Emma Boster of Dying Wish (“Forget Your Name”). Like the band’s debut full-length release, the forthcoming record was produced by Will Putney.
A Different Shade of Blue Track Listing:
1. Belleville
2. Trapped In The Grasp Of A Memory
3. A Serpent’s Touch (Ft. Emma Boster)
4. By The Grave
5. In The Walls
6. Guided By The Moon
7. Mistakes Like Fractures
8. Forget Your Name (Ft. Keith Buckley)
9. Road 23
10. …And Still I Wander South
11. Denied By Fate
12. Misguided Son
Pre-order A Different Shade of Blue here.
Words by Nic Angeles | Photo courtesy of Secret Signals
Waterparks are ushering in a new “green” era. With the announcement of their signing to Hopeless Records, they join the likes of Emarosa, Neck Deep, New Found Glory, Sum 41 and many more on the current roster of the label, which just celebrated their 25th Anniversary in 2018.
The trio (Awsten Knight, Geoff Wigington, and Otto Wood) also put out their first single, “Turbulent,” along with the announcement of their new label. Listen below:
The single is the latest to come from Waterparks, following the success of last year’s Entertainment (Equal Vision Records), which featured hit singles “Blonde,” “Not Warriors,” “Lucky People,” and “We Need To Talk.”
Since they released their debut album Double Dare in 2016, the band has gone on to tour with the likes of ONE OK ROCK, Sleeping With Sirens, and Mayday Parade, among many others. They opened for All Time Low for their Young Renegades Tour in 2017, the kickoff of which—in London—was featured in PULP Issue No. 189.
Words by Nic Angeles
Lawrence “Larry” Carroll, an iconic illustrator known to many as the artist behind some of SLAYER’s most iconic album covers, passed away on May 21st as confirmed by his representatives at Galerie Karsten Greve. He was 65 years old.
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Lawrence Carroll, who suddenly passed away this morning, Tuesday…
Nai-post ni Galerie Karsten Greve noong Martes, Mayo 21, 2019
The artist leaves behind an immense body of work, which includes the album covers for SLAYER’s Reign In Blood (1986), South of Heaven (1988), Seasons in the Abyss (1990), and Christ Illusion (2006).
“Not many art directors were lining up to ask me to illustrate the next Aerosmith or Sting album… I think they were afraid of what they would get. I was always told my work was too dark for most folks. So Slayer was a good fit for me,” Caroll told Revolver in a 2010 interview.
Moments, Carroll’s final solo exhibition, opens at Galerie Karsten Greve on May 24th.
Rest in Peace.
Words by Nic Angeles
Slipknot have finally announced details on their upcoming album. We Are Not Your Kind, coming nearly five years since their last record (2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter), is out August 9th through Roadrunner.
Slipknot have also unveiled their new masks in the newly released music video for “Unsainted,” the first official single off the long-awaited album. Check out the video below, directed by M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan:
Jim Root says of the upcoming album, “This is most time we’ve had to write a record, and work stuff out together. One of my inspirations this time around was those artists that recorded full length albums — not just songs. While the industry is moving toward singles, Slipknot wanted to make an album experience, front to back.”
“These days the art we are making comes with the highest reward, because it’s taken the most time… Almost four years to create this emotion and temperature, and the reward now is nothing short of salvation,” adds Crahan.
“Unsainted” follows last year’s one-off single titled “All Out Life.”
We Are Not Your Kind Track Listing:
1. Insert Coin
2. Unsainted
3. Birth Of The Cruel
4. Death Because Of Death
5. Nero Forte
6. Critical Darling
7. Liar’s Funeral
8. Red Flag
9. What’s Next
10. Spiders
11. Orphan
12. My Pain
13. Not Long For This World
14. Solway Firth
Get “Unsainted” here.
Words by Nic Angeles
PULP Live World opened the month of May with the exciting announcement of three brand new shows, featuring top-trend girl group TWICE, Manila favorites The Maine, and long-awaited legends TVXQ!
Say “Yes!” to an invitation to this year’s spectacular party with one of South Korea’s hottest girl groups!PH Once, it…
Nai-post ni PULP Live World noong Linggo, Abril 28, 2019
TWICE WORLD TOUR 2019 ‘TWICELIGHTS’ IN MANILA happens on June 29, 2019 at the Mall of Asia Arena. The chart-topping JYP Entertainment girl group—composed of Jihyo, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Momo, Sana, Tzuyu, Jyeongyeon, Nayeon, and Mina—will be performing in the Philippines for the first time. PH Once (TWICE fans) are in for a heart-shaking concert as they witness surefire hits like “What Is Love?,” “Knock Knock,” “Signal,” “Likey,” the recently released “Fancy,” and more.
Manila, you are OK. And if you’re not OK right now, you will be soon. PULP Live World is proud to announce that our…
Nai-post ni PULP Live World noong Linggo, Abril 28, 2019
Over a decade of anticipation will finally wrap up into an in sync nostalgic trip and glorious fresh era of gleaming…
Nai-post ni PULP Live World noong Martes, Abril 30, 2019
And last but not the least, PULP Live World delivered the news of a show that had been over a decade in the making—TVXQ! CONCERT — CIRCLE — #with in Manila is set to happen on July 13, 2019 at the Mall of Asia Arena. A dream come true for every PH Cassiopeia (TVXQ! fan), this show will transform Manila into a glowing sea of pearl red—red as the fire that the multi-awarded S.M. Entertainment group ignited in the KPop industry during its early years. Members U KNOW Yunho and MAX Changmin will be welcomed by their Filipino fans whose love for their music never diminished through all these years. Indeed, this is another First from PULP.
With these back-to-back-to-back Show Announcements added to PULP Live World’s growing list of 2019 Concerts, fans of both Rock and KPop will definitely have a show or two (or three) to make priceless, irreplaceable memories of, with the kind of Live Music Experience that PULP has always provided an ever-diversifying community of music fans. With PULP Live World being the Philippines’ Rock and KPOP authority, you can expect nothing less from the rowdiest rock shows and the most vibrant KPOP concerts.
#TWICEinManila and #TVXQinManila tickets go on sale soon via SM Tickets outlets nationwide and online (www.smtickets.com), while #TheMaineInManila2019 tickets go on sale through Ticketnet outlets and www.ticketnet.com.ph. For more information, visit www.pulp.ph and follow PULP Live World on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Please wait for further announcements. Thank you!
