Driven Far Off

The latest on the indie, alternative, and rock music scene including news, music, contest, interviews, and more. Best described as your favorite place to find new bands.

Underoath Set To Record New Album

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Underoath are set to begin recording their new album on May 24th. For the new album, set for release in the late fall, the group will team with Matt Goldman (who co-produced the band’s Lost In The Sound of Separation and Define The Great Line albums) and Jeremy SH Griffith to produce.

The band has announced that drummer Daniel Davison (ex Norma Jean) will be joining on drums for writing and recording the new album and the forthcoming tour. The group will head out this summer for a three-week trek on the “Cool Tour” with As I Lay Dying, Between the Buried and Me, blessthefall, The Acacia Strain, Architects, Cancer Bats and War of Ages.

Cool Tour w/As I Lay Dying, Between the Buried and Me, Blessthefall, The Acacia Strain, Architects, Cancer Bats, and War of Ages

**Mon 7/12 Orlando, FL House of Blues
Tue 7/13 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
Wed 7/14 N. Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
Thu 7/15 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore Charlotte
Fri 7/16 Baltimore, MD Sonar
Sat 7/17 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
Sun 7/18 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
Tue 7/20 Boston, MA House of Blues
Wed 7/21 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Thu 7/22 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Fri 7/23 Columbus, OH The LC Pavilion
Sat 7/24 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Complex
Sun 7/25 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Mon 7/27 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
Wed 7/28 Dallas, TX The Palladium Ballroom
Fri 7/30 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre
Sat 7/31 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
Sun 8/1 San Francisco, CA The Warfield

Cool Tour Featuring As I Lay Dying, Underoath And More Announces Dates

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Cool Tour (an odd name for a tour even though it features cool bands) kicks off July 12th in Orlando, FL and will feature lineup of heavy hitters including As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Between The Buried and Me, Blessthefall, The Acacia Strain, Architects, Cancer Bats, and War of Ages.

Cool Tour is brought to you by Ibanez, Ding, Alternative Press, altpress.com, Invisible Children, Facedown Records, Mesa Boogie, Ampeg, Live Nation, The Agency Group and Good Fight Entertainment.

A ticket pre-sale is available beginning Tuesday, April 27th, and tickets go on sale to the public Friday, April 30th -Sunday, May 2nd.  Check your local listing for on sale dates near you.  Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster locations and online at www.ticketmaster.com, unless otherwise noted.

Also, starting April 27th, a VIP “Cooler Package” will be on sale to the public, along with general admission pre sale tickets.  Fans will be able to purchase an Atticus COOL TOUR T-shirt, a signed tour poster, and a souvenir tour laminate for only $20 plus the cost of a ticket.  Cooler Packages will be available through Ticketmaster while supplies last.

Many of COOL TOUR’s notable artists had a few words to say about this exciting new festival! “After taking last summer off to focus on writing new material, we’ll be back out this year in support of our latest album, THE POWERLESS RISE,” states AS I LAY DYING guitarist Phil Sgrosso. “We’ve got a killer line up of bands that share the same passion for heavy music and putting on a great show every night for the fans.  You don’t want to miss a tour as good as this.”

“We’re looking forward to get out on the COOL TOUR this summer,” states UNDEROATH guitarist Tim McTague. “2010 has been a transitional year for UNDEROATH, and we are looking forward to putting our new direction in motion.” McTague also adds, “COOL TOUR is the perfect place to come out and show everyone what UNDEROATH of the future will sound like.”

Tommy Giles Rogers, vocalist of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME is beyond thrilled. “Somehow, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, the un-coolest band on the planet, is part of a tour called COOL TOUR. Even though this will not make us become cool, we are stoked to be a part of the tour. Pumped to get back around the U.S. and melt your fucking faces off.”

Booking agent Tim Borror of The Agency Group had some final words to say about COOL TOUR. “To say I’m excited about COOL TOUR this summer would sound too plain and generic.  I’m more than excited; it’s my honor to work with the people putting this thing together behind the scenes and my honor to work with these bands.  I already have great relationships with a few of these bands and I’m at the beginning of starting great relationships with the rest of them.  Good times with good people making great music. Fuckin’ A, the COOL TOUR!”

The anticipation is building, so make sure to get your tickets soon for COOL TOUR 2010; sure to be a tour you don’t want to miss!

COOL TOUR DATES:

July 12 –  Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues (7 bands only; no Acacia Strain)
July 13 –  Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
July 14 –  N. Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues SC
July 15 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
July 16 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
July 17 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
July 18 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre**
July 20 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
July 21 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
July 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
July 23 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion
July 24 – Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Complex
July 25 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
July 27 – Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater
July 28 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Ballroom
July 30 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre**
July 31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
Aug 1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield

** Not Ticketmaster dates

Blessthefall – Witness

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btf_witness_cover400x400

Artist: Blessthefall
Album: Witness
Label: Fearless Records
Purchase: iTunes
Release Date: October 6th, 2009

Overall: 8.5
Music: 9
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 8

A band losing a member can often spell disaster, or a new beginning. In the case of Blessthefall they lost their lead vocals in the form of Craig Mabbit (now of Escape The Fate), but rather then call it a day as a band they were able to replace him with Beau Bokan on their sophomore release Witness. And the final product is a band reinvigorated, with more energy then ever the ability to rock out has been amplified to a new degree.

The album begins with the anthemic introduction “2.0” which explodes with intense screaming and heart pumping drums that explode with fury once the gang vocals begin. The song leads into the second track “What’s Left Of Me”, that is equally explosive with strong screams and shows off Beau Bokan as a strong and talented power for Blessthefall.

Witness is filled with powerful high points when the band can show off exactly what they do well, shredding guitars and powerful drums that shake your walls. Over top of this all are the Beau Bokan’s superb showing of vocals, whether it’s his ability to sing and hit just the right notes (“God Wears Gucci”), or growling along a super-charged guitar riff (“Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted”, a standout track), or screaming with all his might (“Last Ones Left”). The combination of instruments and vocals are at a higher level then ever before during this release.

The album is for the most part a very heavy affair. Sometimes there are slightly slow breakdowns, or the finals track “Stay Still” that retains a very slow tone but explodes around the chorus into the anthem it deserves to be. The album is fast, heavy, and intense in every sense of the word. Perhaps there is a lot of repetition of style on Witness but you can’t have to much of a good thing when it comes to music. Blessthefall are being put on the fast track of success with this latest album, discovering what there sound is will only make them the hard rock heroes they are deserving of being in the future.

Taste Of Chaos Photos

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Photos from this year’s Rockstar Taste Of Chaos can now be seen in Driven Far Off’s photos section. These photos were taken at the San Jose State Event Center in San Jose, CA. on April 12, 2008. Bands on the Taste Of Chaos tour include Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine, blessthefall, Atreyu, and many more. Click here to check out photos from this year’s Taste Of Chaos and other photos taken by Driven Far Off.

Avenged Sevenfold

Albums In Stores Tomorrow 4-10-07

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Here are some albums hitting stores tomorrow. Let us know what your picking up.

Army Of Me – Citizen
Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
Bleed The Dream – Killer Inside
Blessthefall – His Last Walk
Down For The Count – Broken Record Tactics
Exies – A Modern Way Of Living With The Truth
From Autumn To Ashes – Holding A Wolf By The Ears
The Graduate – Anhedonia
Limbeck – Limbeck
New Atlantic – The Streets, The Sounds, And The Love