Clutch
With the release of their highly anticipated 12th studio album, the gloriously titled “Book of Bad Decisions”, it would be easy to suggest that legendary Maryland rockers Clutch have made their finest record to date. This may even be true. You see, the thing about Clutch is that ever since their 1993 debut Transnational Speedway League they’ve been in the business of writing stone cold classics, and even the most rabid fan would have trouble picking just one. “Book of Bad Decisions” won’t make that task any easier. Rest assured, it’s another classic.
Sevendust
In 1994, Sevendust first forged a familial tie amongst each other that translated into one of the most diehard audiences in the game. To this day, the connection between fans and the GRAMMY® Award-nominated gold-certified hard rock outfit only grows stronger. For their twelfth full-length and first release for Rise Records All I See Is War, the quintet—Lajon Witherspoon [lead vocals], Clint lowery [lead guitar, backing vocals], John Connolly [rhythm guitar, backing vocals], Vince Hornsby [bass], and Morgan Rose [drums]—did the best thing they could possibly do to combat all of the division in the streets and on social media; they went and made a Sevendust record—just bigger, ballsier, and bolder than before.
A trifecta of now-classic gold albums—Sevendust [1997], Home [1999], and Animosity [2001]— ignited their journey. Known as an equally intense and unforgettable live force, they’ve consistently packed houses around the world and decimated stages everywhere from Rock on the Range and Woodstock to OZZfest and Shiprocked! 2015’s Kill The Flaw represented a high watermark. Bowing at #13 on the Billboard Top 200, it scored their highest debut on the respective chart since 2010 and marked their fifth consecutive Top 10 on the Top Rock Albums Chart and third straight Top 3 on the Hard Rock Albums Chart. Most impressively, the lead single “Thank You” garnered a nomination in the category of “Best Metal Performance” at the 2016 GRAMMY® Awards, a career first. All I See Is War represents yet another new beginning.
Tyler Bryant
Tyler Bryant
After carving out a fervent fan base and drawing widespread critical applause with their heady, high-voltage brand of guitar-driven rock, shooting from both hip and heart, Nashville’s Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown find themselves at the epicenter of an advanced rock ‘n’ roll adventure that continues to take them around the world, appearing at some of the biggest venues along the way…
Starting with a guest spot on AC/DC’s ‘Rock or Bust’ World Tour in 2016, the quartet – Caleb Crosby on drums, Noah Denney on bass and backing vocals, Graham Whitford on guitar and Texas-born Tyler himself on vocals and guitar, a musician immersed in blues music from an early age – have continued to share events and stages with some of rock’s most legendary names, including Guns N’ Roses, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Aerosmith, Deep Purple and ZZ Top.
At the same time as projecting their music into stadiums, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown – The Shakedown to friends and fans – have continued to build their name and reputation as a headline act, and indeed it was backstage after a sold-out, bill-topping show in London (June 2017) that the band signed their new deal with Snakefarm Records – the most immediate and exciting result being an 11-track, self-titled studio album set to be the label’s inaugural release, with November 3rd locked in as the day of the launch…
As Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown spend 2017 lighting up stages with the likes of Guns N’ Roses (again), The Who & Alice Cooper – as well as making their first appearance at Rock In Rio – this new album sees them fully realize their vision with a sound that resounds above the bleachers, plus a collective desire to keep the entertainment flag fully unfurled…
“I want people to put this on and literally escape,” Tyler leaves off. “I hope they feel free. That’s what rock ‘n’ roll makes me feel. You don’t have to think about your bills or any of the other things that have the power to bring you down when you’ve got your fist up in the air, your eyes closed and you’re lost in the music. Angus Young told me, ‘You’ve got to make the audience think you’re taking them on a journey, and they’ll go with you. If you believe it, they will too’. I believe it with this record.”