98KUPD PRESENTS UFEST 2023

Godsmack has more Top 10 Rock Songs than Foo Fighters or their hometown heroes, Aerosmith. Stretching back to their four-times platinum self-titled debut, initially recorded in 1996 for $2500, the veteran band’s catalog of hits is enough to fill a marathon set without running out. Songs like “I Stand Alone,” “Awake,” and “Voodoo” are certified anthems deeply encoded into hard rock’s DNA.

Like the antiheroes of a heist movie planning one last score, the Lawrence, Massachusetts-bred quartet takes a victory lap with Lighting Up the Sky, dropping one more classic album as they ascend into the celebratory portion of their career. Sully Erna, Robbie Merrill, Tony Rombola, and Shannon Larkin climbed the creative mountain over and over. They are consummate rock fans themselves, so they refuse to finish as one of those bands where fans hit the beer line during “the new stuff”.

Lighting Up the Sky is undoubtedly a stunning swan song, should it truly prove to be the final studio album of new music from Godsmack. “Surrender,” the first new song in four years, earned well over a half million streams on Spotify alone in its first two weeks of release. Songs like “What About Me” and “Soul On Fire” stand up to anything in the band’s rich multi-platinum catalog. “Lighting Up the Sky is packed with melodies”, assures the frontman. The band’s body of work includes eight albums, four Grammy nominations, two iHeartRadio Music Awards noms, and a Billboard Music Award. (more at Godsmack.com)

Platinum-certified and twice GRAMMY-nominated Michigan rock powerhouse I PREVAIL — Brian Burkheiser (vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (vocals), Steve Menoian (guitars/bass), Dylan Bowman (guitars), and Gabe Helguera (drums) — are back with TRUE POWER, their third full-length offering on Fearless Records. The much-anticipated album arrives on August 19.

Employing a powerful blend of twisty progressive rock, explosive heavy metal, and soaring, radio-ready alt-rock, hard-hitting, forward-thinking San Antonio-based quartet Nothing More invokes names like System Of A Down, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Incubus, The Mars Volta, and Killswitch Engage. Formed around the talents of longtime friends Jonny Hawkins, Daniel Oliver, Mark Vollelunga, and Ben Anderson, the band spent years honing their sound and skills, and sharpening their worldview on the road, adopting a strict D.I.Y. ethic and issuing their music independently. In 2013 they inked a deal with the Eleven Seven Label Group, the home of acts like Five Finger Death Punch, Sixx:A.M.., Papa Roach, and HELLYEAH, and released their eponymous debut for the label, along with the fiery first single “This Is the Time (Ballast),” the following year. It proved to be a breakout release for the veteran band, charting well and introducing them to a much wider audience. Led by the single “Go to War,” Nothing More returned with their follow-up, The Stories We Tell Ourselves, in September 2017.

Since the beginning, Fozzy has been about hard work, dedication and delivering great rock n roll to their devoted fans worldwide; reminding them that music is all about invoking dirty, sweaty, jubilation and doing it LOUDLY! However, calling them just “entertainers” would be abridging their talent, as Ward is one of the most versatile riffers in rock n roll and Jericho’s vocal range and passion for music makes him a worthy partner for The Duke. Throw in the powerhouse rock solid drumming of Frank Fontsere, the blazing leads of Billy Grey and youthful virtuosity of Randy Drake and it’s no surprise that Fozzy has skyrocketed into becoming one of the hottest rock acts in years.

But as much success the band had enjoyed, nothing compared to the juggernaut known as “JUDAS”. Released in May 2017, the song spent 6 WEEKS at NUMBER ONE on the highly influential ‘Big Uns Countdown’ on Sirius/XM’s Octane channel, amassed over 40 MILLION views for it’s video on YouTube and cracked the TOP 5 on the US Rock Radio Charts. With that giant hit in their arsenal, Fozzy continued their winning partnership with songwriter & producer Johnny Andrews by entering the TOP 10 twice more with “Painless” & “Nowhere To Run”, as well as gaining another TOP 20 with “Burn Me Out.” The band then embarked on their wildly successful Judas Rising Tour.

The Warning infuse rock music with a much-needed shot of adrenaline. The Monterrey, Mexico trio of sisters—Daniela “Dany” [guitar, lead vocals], Paulina “Pau” [drums, vocals, piano], and Alejandra “Ale” Villarreal [bass, piano, backing vocals]—charge forward with head-spinning riffs, unpredictable rhythms, stadium-size beats, and skyscraping vocals. They stand out as the rare presence equally at home on network television and on stage at Heaven & Hell Festival. After exploding online with one viral moment after another, The Warning parlayed this momentum into a series of independent releases, including Escape the Mind EP [2015], XXI Century Blood [2017], and Queen of the Murder Scene [2019]. They graced a stacked bill at Mother of All Rock Festival as the only Mexican band and opened up two sold out Monterrey shows for The Killers and for Def Leppard in Mexico City and Guadalajara. After quietly amassing over 120 million YouTube views and 30 million+ streams, they’ve already surged to the forefront of hard rock on their LAVA Records debut album ERROR with millions of streams! Catch them LIVE on their Fall Tour 2022 with Halestorm in the US and with Three Days Grace in Canada in November!

Chester Bennington possessed one of the most inimitable, infectious, and instantly identifiable voices in the history of rock music. The moment he screamed, it felt like the heavens themselves burst apart into a torrent of often violent, undeniably vibrant, and always vital emotions. It’s why fans worldwide hung on to every single word he uttered—and ultimately sang along with him forever. His voice lives on in Grey Daze. What started as a pledge to Chester by friends and family has crystallized into an essential extension of his storied legacy. Grey Daze introduced him to the world during a crucial run from 1993 to 1998. It’s where he honed the vocals that ultimately defined Linkin Park. Prior to his passing, he personally broke the news of the band’s return and intention to re-record, re-invent, and re-ignite music they’d started twenty years prior.

In late 2020, Sean Dowdell and Co. turned their attention to the remaining tracks and what would become The Phoenix. They handpicked tracks from 1994 and 1997 and entered the studio with Amends producer Esjay Jones. This time around, she exclusively produced the entire project. They immediately locked into a groove and rallied around Chester’s spirit.

“The Phoenix embodies what Chester was,” he continues. “His soul is rising through our world past his death. It’s his rebirth.”

Born in the Arizona desert and reared on stages across North America, The Black Moods deliver a modern update of a timeless sound, breathing fresh life into a familiar mix of electric guitars, anthemic hooks, and percussive stomp. The Black Moods’ three members — frontman/guitarist Josh Kennedy, drummer Chico Diaz and bassist Jordan Hoffman — aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they’re piling into a vehicle that’s existed for decades, souping up the engine to suit their contemporary needs, and steering those wheels toward their own rock & roll horizon.

The band formed in Tempe, Arizona. Inspired by local heroes like the Gin Blossoms and Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers — both of whom have become champions of the Black Moods, often tapping the group as a high-profile opening act — The Black Moods began building their audience the old-school way: by hitting the road. They toured heavily, promoting albums like their 2012 self-titled debut and 2016’s Medicine with gigs across the country. By the time “Bella Donna” hit the radio airwaves during the summer of 2018, The Black Moods’ fanbase had grown exponentially. The song became a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, paving the way for the band’s biggest shows to date.

Modern-day torchbearers of ageless rock & roll, The Black Moods aren’t shy about nodding to their influences. “Bella Donna” was inspired by the Doors’ slinky strut, while the chorus of “Bad News” points to rockers like the Foo Fighters.