Electro-Harmonix Hell Melter Distortion Pedal
With its take on the cult-classic, chainsaw distortion pedal, the EHX Hell Melter takes distortion to its extremes. The Hell Melter features expanded controls and tonal capabilities, allowing the already in-your-face sound of the pedal to broaden by switching to more open clipping options and boosting the internal voltage for increased headroom, less compression, and more attack.
Originally designed as the ultimate in high-gain tone, this world-famous distortion circuit is known for the death metal sounds of Sweden’s Entombed and the shoegaze wash of My Bloody Valentine. It’s even found a home in the rig of David Gilmour!
The EHX Hell Melter’s expanded control set includes Gain and Level controls, and a powerful active EQ featuring with parametric mids for improved versatility. The Dry level control allows for blending your input signal for improved low-end when used with a bass or even blending in other distorted tones.
Boost Footswitch engages an input gain boost and volume boost which is internally adjustable. The Normal/Burn switch toggles between the classic chainsaw sound and the more open clipping option.
With under three weeks remaining until the release of his sophomore album, Mammoth WVH – the brainchild of Wolfgang Van Halen is announcing a headline tour this Fall to support Mammoth II. These dates come on the heels of the band’s successful European tour last month that saw them opening for Metallica, Alter Bridge, and Def Leppard/Motley Crüe. The headline tour will kick off November 4th in Milwaukee, WI and run through December 9th when Mammoth returns home to Los Angeles. The headline run will make stops in Chicago, IL (November 9th), Sayreville, NJ (November 17th), Dallas TX (November 25th) and Seattle, WA (December 3rd) to name a few. The headline dates will feature Nita Strauss as direct support. These dates also come as Mammoth picks up their spot opening for Metallica in the US for their previously announced dates on November 3rd in St. Louis and November 10th in Detroit. All headline shows go on-sale to the general public on Friday, July 21st at 10AM local time. More information on all Mammoth shows can be found at www.mammothwvh.com.
Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Grammy-award nominee Wolfgang Van Halen set out to challenge himself to expand his sound beyond what people had already come to know him for. The 10-track collection Mammoth II is slated for release on August 4th via BMG. From the rocking opener “Right?” to Beatles-esque fade on closer “Better Than You” Mammoth II showcases the growth of Wolfgang as a songwriter, musician and especially vocalist. Songs like “Miles Above Me,” “I’m Alright” and “Waiting” are all sonically different from each other but unique to what Mammoth is.
Photo by Travis
The debut single from Mammoth II is the upbeat rocker “Another Celebration at the End of the World” is currently in the Top 10 at Active Rock radio. The music video for that song is an 8:25 introduction to the Mammoth live band that was directed by Gordy De St. Jeor.
The video can be seen here: https://youtu.be/yIQH0HcdQnE. A lyric video for the track and new live show favorite “Like A Pastime” can be seen here: https://youtu.be/I04dvZMsH3M and also the opus “Take A Bow” can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Uo3QeXqkQcU.
Recorded at the legendary 5150 studio, Mammoth II was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette and is available for pre-order in multiple configurations here: https://MammothWVH.lnk.to/MammothIIPR.
Tour Dates 2023
Mammoth II Headline Tour 2023
Nov 4 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave ^
Nov 5 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue ^
Nov 7 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone ^
Nov 9 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre ^
Nov 11 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation at the Intersection ^
Nov 13 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall ^
Nov 14 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Beanfield ^
Nov 15 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live ^
Nov 17 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom ^
Nov 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Keswick Theatre ^
Nov 19 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live ^
Nov 21 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater ^
Nov 22 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House Of Blues ^ Nov 24 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Ballroom ^
Nov 25 – Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum ^
Nov 26 – Austin, TX – Emo’s ^
Nov 28 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre ^
Nov 29 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot ^
Nov 30 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory ^
Dec 2 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory ^
Dec 3 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox ^
Dec 4 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater ^
Dec 7 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues ^
Dec 8 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues ^
Dec 9 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco ^
^ Headline Show
* Supporting Alter Bridge
# Supporting Metallica
Previously Announced Tour Dates 2023
Aug 1 – Buffalo, NY – Outer Harbor Event Complex *
Aug 2 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage *
Aug 4 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium #
Aug 5 – Grantville, PA – Hollywood Casino Outdoors *
Aug 7 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union LIVE! *
Aug 8 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion *
Aug 10 – Quebec City, QC – Agora Port de Québec *
Aug 11 – Montreal, CA – Olympic Stadium #
Aug 12 – Mashantucket, CT – The Premier Theater (at Foxwoods Resort Casino) *
Aug 13 – Johnstown, PA – 1st Summit Arena *
Aug 16 – Springfield, IL – Illinois State Fair 2023 *
Aug 18 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium #
Aug 19 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Amphitheater *
Aug 20 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port *
Aug 22 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre ^
Aug 25 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium #
Aug 26 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades ^
Aug 27 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory OC ^
Aug 30 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theater ^
Sep 1 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium #
Sep 3 – Pryor, Ok – Rocklahoma
Sep 5 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre ^
Sep 8 – Albuquerque, NM – New Mexico State Fair
Nov 3 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center #
Nov 10 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field #
^ Headline Show
* Supporting Alter Bridge
# Supporting Metallica
Connect with Mammoth WVH at:
Website: www.mammothwvh.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MammothWVH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mammothwvh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MammothWVH
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MammothWVH
The Pretenders are back with today’s premiere of the optimistically charged new single, “Let The Sun Come In,” available now via Rhino Records – the band’s return to Warner Music Group after more than two decades having first been signed to Sire Records in America by the legendary Seymour Stein.
Marked by the electrifying impulsiveness and attitude that has long defined founder Chrissie Hynde’s eternal spirit, “Let The Sun Come In” heralds the eagerly awaited arrival of The Pretenders’ new studio album, Relentless, arriving everywhere on Friday, September 1. Pre-orders – including digital download, baby pink vinyl, black vinyl, and CD – are available now.
“I enjoy seeing the various meanings and origins of a word,” says Chrissie Hynde of the album’s title. “And I liked the definition: ‘showing no abatement of intensity.’ So when it came to an album title, it seemed fitting. You know…to keep doing it. I think anyone in a band is constantly questioning if they should keep going. It starts as a youthful pursuit and eventually, it makes you wonder, why am I doing this? It’s the life of the artist. You never retire. You become relentless.”
Pretenders - Let The Sun Come In (Official Audio)
Official audio for Let The Sun Come In, taken from Pretenders' brand new album 'Relentless'.Pre-order the album 'Relentless' here: https://Pretenders.lnk.to/...Produced by multiple Grammy Award-nominee David Wrench (Courtney Barnett, David Byrne) at the famed Battery Studios in Willesden, North West London, Relentless marks the second consecutive full-length songwriting collaboration by Hynde and Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne following 2020’s acclaimed Hate For Sale. The two are joined on the album’s twelve tracks by what Hynde has dubbed “The Pretenders Collective,” including Kris Sonne (drums), Chris Hill (double bass), Dave Page (bass), and Carwyn Ellis (keyboards and guitars). In addition, Relentless features a landmark collaboration with Academy Award-nominated composer Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, The Smile), who provides the string arrangement and conducted the 12 Ensemble for the album’s stunning closing track, “I Think About You Daily.”
“I met Jonny a couple of times and we’re obviously big fans of him because he’s done some incredible music over the years,” Hynde says. “I saw him at the Phantom Thread premiere where the film was running on screen with a live orchestra playing. And we spoke afterward and he expressed an interest in doing something one day. I was thrilled and very surprised. So when we had the idea of getting strings on ‘I Think About You Daily,’ he was first choice. Legend!”
The Pretenders will introduce Relentless to fans around the world with an equally uncompromising international live schedule, including intimate headline dates, top-billed festival appearances, and a massive EU/UK stadium run supporting Guns N’ Roses. Dates begin tomorrow, May 12, with a much-anticipated headline performance at Brighton, England’s The Great Escape followed by a sold-out tour of clubs and small venues across the UK and Ireland. Further highlights include a very special festival appearance as direct support to Foo Fighters at the upcoming Ohana Festival, curated by Eddie Vedder and set for October 1 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. Additional dates will be announced. For updates, please visit thepretenders.com.
2020’s Hate For Sale proved yet another triumph for The Pretenders, with Q Magazine hailing the LP as “up there with the best of the early Pretenders albums.” “The New Wave greats haven't sounded this raw and real since the early Eighties,” agreed Rolling Stone, while The Guardian praised the album for “tight songs that prance insouciantly from genre to genre, scattering wisdom and swagger in their wake.”
Tracklist:
- Losing My Sense Of Taste
- A Love
- Domestic Silence
- The Copa
- Promise Of Love
- Merry Widow
- Let The Sun Come In
- Look Away
- Your House Is On Fire
- Just Let It Go
- Vainglorious
- I Think About You Daily
The Pretenders 2023 Tour Dates
MAY
12 – Brighton, UK – The Great Escape *
13 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
14 – Cambridge, UK – MASH (SOLD OUT)
16 – Frome, UK – Cheese & Grain (SOLD OUT)
17 – Stoke, UK – The Sugarmill (SOLD OUT)
19 – Limerick, Ireland – Dolans (SOLD OUT)
20 – Core, Ireland – Cypress Avenue (SOLD OUT)
21 – Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre
23 – Belfast, UK – Limelight (SOLD OUT)
25 – Stornoway, UK – Midnight Sun Weekender *
28 – Derbyshire, UK – Bearded Theory *
30- Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma
31- Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma
JUNE
9 – Madrid, Spain - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano †
11 – Oxfordshire, UK – KITE Festival *
12 – Vigo, Spain - Estadio Abanca Balaídos †
16 – Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain – Azkena Festival *
17 – Kent, UK – Black Deer Festival of Americana *
27 – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park †
30 – London, UK – BST Hyde Park †
JULY
3 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park †
5 – Bern, Switzerland – BERNEXPO †
8 – Rome, Italy – Circo Massimo †
11 – Weert, Netherlands - Evenemententerrein †
OCTOBER
1 – Dana Point, CA – OHANA Festival *
* Festival Appearance
† w/ Guns N’ Roses