Rockaholic has undergone an exciting transformation over the past few years. What originally started as a project to provide bands with a platform during the pandemic has now come to a successful conclusion. In a time when live performances were not possible, we supported bands in sharing their music and stories with the world – and we succeeded.

The pandemic is now behind us, concert halls are filled, and the music industry is thriving. Live performances are back, and the energy of those moments is alive again. But we, too, have had to evolve. Due to time constraints, we have shifted our focus to two key areas: live photography and Instagram.

We love capturing the special moments of concerts and sharing them with our community. These photos tell stories and capture the unique energy of each performance. Instagram has become our main channel to share these impressions directly with you and build a closer connection with our growing community.

But the journey of Rockaholic is far from over. Our mission to give bands a voice in difficult times has been successfully accomplished. Now, it’s time to rethink and reshape Rockaholic – always with the goal of experiencing and presenting the world of music and art in a fresh and innovative way. Stay tuned to see where this new path will take us!

Songs are written, studio is booked and nothing works. Corona paralyzed almost everything, including the plans of the Hamburg punk rockers Hafensaengers. And as if the pandemic wasn’t bad enough, an even more dramatic event followed. Singer and guitarist Thomas suffered kidney failure. Corona, emergency surgery and dialysis determined his everyday life for a long time.

Patrick, Rockaholic Magazine – Thomas, thank you for your time and your trust in us. This interview is not an easy one, so I’m pleased that you agreed to do it.

Thomas, Hafensaengers – Thank you very much for your invitation, I’m looking forward to your questions.

Patrick, RM – For you there was a shock news in 2020. Kidney failure. How did it first manifest itself?

Thomas, H – I have to say, I didn’t really notice it at first, I just felt increasingly weaker and weaker. First I just blamed it on the stress at work and the excessive practice of my sport (competitive bodybuilding). Just like the motto: “You’re just exhausted from the long diets, you just need a break, then you’ll be fine.”  I’m not the type to run to the doctor for every little thing… So I put it off for now. After some time the symptoms looked more and more like a flu. I went to the doctor and he did a blood count. A few days later he called me: “Ah good, you’re still alive!” I had a creatinine value of 22 – normal is between 0.6 and 1.4. So I had to go on dialysis as soon as possible. I was on dialysis for the first time when I was 23, and at 25 I got a kidney donated by my mother.

After the call, my health went abruptly down. So much that my fiancée lay next to me at night making sure I didn’t stop breathing. It all culminated in an ambulance ride to an emergency surgery where a dialysis line had to be placed in my chest. From then on, it was dialysis every two days for five hours each time.

Patrick, RM – When it became clear that you needed a donor kidney, what were your fears and anxieties?

Thomas, H – First of all, it has to be said that there are unfortunately only two options. One is a donor organ from a deceased person, for which you have to wait about ten years in Germany. The other option is to remain on dialysis until you die after a few years from the consequential damage there. The organ donation situation in Germany is a disaster. Disappointingly, nothing has improved in the 13 years since my first donation.

My fears were foremost financial. How do I pay the rent? How do I buy food when I can’t work? My fiancée and I had just opened our own tattoo studio five months earlier and are both self-employed. Now, of course, there was a lack of income for the time being. Insurance doesn’t come up as in this case with self-employed people. I was pre-sick and therefore too big risk. So after the first week of dialysis I went straight back to work. Normally, permanent patients take six months off work in such a case. Unfortunately, that was not possible in our case.
In addition, it was not at all clear at that time whether I would ever be able to play music again. That made me feel even worse.

Patrick, RM – Who or what gave you the strength to keep fighting?

Thomas, H – My fiancée Elise! Without her, I would probably not be here anymore.
She encouraged me to consider donating her kidney, which I didn’t want to do at first. I did not want to make two sick people out of one sick person. Today, however, I know that a life with only one kidney does not affect her at all and that we both feel much better physically and mentally after the transplant.
Music also played a big role. During dialysis, I listened to all the bands I love so much. That gave me an incredible amount of strength. And so it was on dialysis that I started writing the lyrics for our album. Dunkelfarben, for example, was written there.

Patrick, RM – With your single Dunkelfarben a profound number is released. What is the song about, what were your thoughts about it?

Thomas, H – The song describes the youthful feeling of wanting to reach for the stars and possibly making it. The feeling of being invincible, until you slowly realize more and more that you can’t reach the stars, no matter how hard you stretch.

Patrick, RM – You spoke lovingly of Max, your bandmate, in the press text. How did the studio sessions go?

Thomas, H – Max had already hammered all the drum tracks at home in elaborate detail work and made them ready for the studio. This saved us an incredible amount of time in the studio, because if there was one thing I didn’t have, it was time.

Patrick, RM – Do you want to continue as a duo in the future or do you plan to reinforce?

Thomas, H – We are now officially only a duo and it will probably stay that way for the time being.
But at the live shows there will always be someone from our old team on bass.

Patrick, RM – After plans were thwarted several times, are there still plans for the studio album?

Thomas, H – The album is already finished. But we don’t know yet how and when we will release it. First of all we will release some singles now.

Patrick, RM – Would you like to give your fans and our readers some motivating words?

Thomas, H – I know how it feels to be at the bottom and not see any sense anymore. But I think, if you hold out long enough, the sense will come. Because if you’re already at the bottom, the only direction you can go is back up.

Patrick, RM – Thanks a lot to you, good luck with the new single and hopefully see you soon on the live stage.

Thomas, H – I hope so too! Thank you for the interview!

Silverstein announce their return with new material and concerts in Germany.
The Canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein has released their new single “It’s Over” on 18.11.2021.

With over 20 years of band history, we are not only looking at an impressive history, but also at impressive moments. For the second time, the band was nominated at the Juno Awards. After being represented in the category “New Group of the Year” in 2006, this year it was fingers crossed in the category “Rock Album of the Year“. “A Beautiful Place to Drown” (release date: March 6, 2020) didn’t win the category, but did make it into the Billboard charts. The album climbed to #5 on the “US Top Hard Rock Albums.” In Germany, it reached #83 on the German album charts.

“It’s Over” is now another milestone in songwriting and producing. As such, the track conveys a balanced mix of melody and aggression, while not denying the band’s punk roots. “When I was writing it, I was thinking about all those angst-ridden hours when you can’t feel anything but the quiet, steady crescendo of panic that eventually gets so intense you can’t feel your fingertips,” guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau comments on the single. “It’s Over” thus ushers in another era in Silverstein‘s great band history, testifying once again why they are one of the most successful and influential bands in post-hardcore.

There will be a few opportunities to see Silverstein live in Germany in 2022. So far only a few dates are known, but there should be some additional dates possible. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the virus doesn’t put a spoke in the fan community’s wheel again.

Albums at a glance

When Broken Is Easily Fixed (2003), Discovering the Waterfront (2005), Arrivals & Departures (2007), A Shipwreck in the Sand (2009), Rescue (2011), Short Songs (2012), This Is How the Wind Shifts (2013), I Am Alive in Everything I Touch (2015), Dead Reflection (2017), A Beautiful Place to Drown (2020)

Today the presale for the long-awaited European tour of the Australian metalcore giants Parkway Drive starts. Support for the 18 stop tour will be provided by the band While She Sleeps from Sheffield (England). Additional support has been announced, but is not set at this time.

Australian metalcore goes charts

Parkway Drive released a total of six studio albums under Epitaph Records. With the 2018 released record Reverence they made it to the top of the album charts in their home country Australia for the second time. Reverence stayed at number one for a total of 8 weeks and doubled their top lead compared to the previous album Ire (2015), which held the top position for 4 weeks.

They were no less successful in Germany. Here, their current studio long-player placed at number 3 for a total of 11 weeks.

Albums at a glance

Killing with a Smile (2005), Horizons (2007), Deep Blue (2010), Atlas (2012), Ire (2015), Reverence (2018)

Tour dates

PARKWAY DRIVE – Europe 2022
Support: While She Sleeps

09.09.2022 – GER– Leipzig – Quarterback Immobilien Arena*
10.09.2022 – CZ – Prag – Forum Karlin
12.09.2022 – BE – Brüssel – Forest National*
13.09.2022 – LX – Esch-sur-Alzette – Rockhal*
14.09.2022 – GER – Franfurt – Festhalle*
16.09.2022 – CH – Zürich – Samsung Hall*
17.09.2022 – GER – München – Olympiahalle*
18.09.2022 – AT – Wien – Stadthalle*
20.09.2022 – GER –  Berlin – Velodrom*
21.09.2022 – GER – Hamburg – Barclays Arena*
23.09.2022 – NL –  Amsterdam – AFAS Live
24.09.2022 – GER– Dortmund – Westfalenhalle*
25.09.2022 – GER – Stuttgart – Schleyerhalle*
27.09.2022 – FR – Paris – Zenith
30.09.2022 – UK – London – Alexandra Palace
01.10.2022 – UK – Manchester – AO Arena
02.10.2022 – UK – Nottingham – Motorpoint Arena
03.10.2022 – UK – Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena

Parkway Drive & Support: While She Sleeps

The singer from Delaware/USA is known to many as the frontman of the post-hardcore band Boysetsfire. His third solo album Rebel Songs will be released on 17.12.2021 in stores as CD and vinyl, as well as on all known streaming platforms.

Personal feelings, solidarity & cohesion

The album Rebel Songs is like a cross-section through the entire career of the punk rock singer. Nathan was and is a political person, and as such he already gave expression to his political rage with Boysetsfire. But at some point it was time to fight for himself, to deal with his own demons, to face his heartbreak and to question his personal growth. Out of the self-reflective reappraisal and the current world situation, this record was born. “When the pandemic hit, it suddenly became very obvious that everything political is very personal,” Nathan says. Everyone had to deal with the global emergency in their own way, but the political imprint also often guided the personal thoughts of individuals. Thus, not only did personal and interpersonal views collide, but injustice against certain groups grew as well. “[…] the pandemic showed how incredibly underserved certain groups were – women, people of color, the lower and middle classes, the homeless, the LGBTQIA+ people. Every day we saw them being led into dangerously vulnerable situations, and it broke my heart to see the division among people.”

The 12-song album grapples with all of these impressions, views and realities. Support on Rebel Songs comes from rapper Eugenius, former Tagtraum frontman Matze Rossi and Rise Against head Tim McIlrath, who is not only a self-confessed vegan but also known for his tireless work for the animal rights organization PETA. Together with a variety of artists, the record results in an atmospheric experiment in collaboration and new approaches, with Nathan finding his way back to himself and his punk rock roots. “Community is more powerful than anything else. The drive to make that community better should be what politics is all about.”

The album was produced under the direction of Brian McTernan (Battery, Be Well) and is released on the label End Hits Records.

NATHAN GRAY & Support: SHORELINE

Concerts cancelled for now!

Reno Divorce from Denver, Colorado recently released an almost lost treasure. With “Outsider, Escape from Berlin” a great live album with Berlin roots was released. Johnny had the opportunity to talk to Brent about the making of the LP.

Johnny – Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, was the live album planned or something that came about from the Pandemic?

Brent, Reno Divorce – Thanks for having us, Johnny. We are really excited that the record is finally out there in the ether and available on vinyl. It’s the perfect introduction to any newcomer and it showcases our first and most important value: to be a live band. Our whole career we’ve strived to sound as good or better than our recordings, and I feel like we’ve done it with this one. What I really love about this album is that the decision to record it that night was an afterthought. We were nearing the end of our 2016 European tour and Uli from Wild at Heart (Church of Confidence) suggested it. He’s got a great studio in the basement that is made up of mostly analog equipment, which means no computer tricks or magic. What you play, is what you hear, so you’d better play it right. But as I mentioned, our minds were probably more focused on getting back home than making a live record. When we got back to America, so many other things were happening with the band and life in general. We were writing new songs and the momentum from the 2016 tour was still rolling. I got an endorsement from Gretsch guitars, we made a video for “She’s in Love With the Avenue” in California, we were invited to Rebellion. Every day something cool and exciting was happening. I have a young son who was around three years old at the time, too. It was definitely one of the most exhilarating times to be in Reno Divorce. I also bought a new home, and the CD with the tracks from the live record got lost during the move. And then, here comes 2020. Everything changes all over the world. During the shut down here in America, I had a lot of time on my hands. Time to dig through all those moving boxes, hahahaha! Because there was no live music happening anywhere, it was just the right time to do it.

Johnny – How much can you actually remember from the night? Were there moments that you thought weren’t taht good, but when listening back it surprised you?

Brent, RD – I still remember the whole tour vividly. For us, this was an all-or-nothing situation. In 2012, our booking agent had tried to forceon us a terrible record deal for our album “Lover’s Leap”. When we refused the deal, we parted ways. Some cool stuff started happening for us in America, but it was heavily implied that we weren’t going to have an easy time in Europe anymore. In 2015, I reached out to a friend of mine‘s new booking agency and we both decided to gamble on each other. It paid of tremendously. We approached the 2016 tour with a very serious and professional mindset, because we wanted to prove that we didn’t need the power of a label and that sooner or later the music industry would have to deal with us on our terms. We knew that our fans had been waiting to see us again for a very long time, and we definitely didn’t want to let them down. Playing as a three-piece meant we had to perform as flawlessly as possible. There’s nowhere to hide your mistakes in a trio. That night in Berlin, we didn’t adhere to any particular setlist. I remember forgetting we were recorded until about the fourth song. All three of us knew something cool and magical was happening. That concert was certainly the highlight of the tour. To be in such a beautiful city, to be on such an esteemed stage where so many of our heroes have played, and to be there with our friends… it was awesome.

Johnny – Wild at Heart in Berlin is one of my favourite venues to both play and visit. What do you think makes it so special?

Brent, RD – Man, it’s EVERYTHING! Uli, Leah, Banana, the whole crew. The Tiki Bar. The shop. The city. The stage. The sound. The Lemmy Burger. The neighborhood. For me, it’s like playing Madison Garden. All the bands that have played there. The green room. The studio. I’m blessed that Uli suggested us to record that night. Blessed that our fans showed up and that Sascha from Wolverine Records always believed in this band and trusted us as artist. Blessed that W@H put our poster on the ceiling. It’s like CBGB’s.

Johnny – The Vinyl release contains two studio tracks. Were they recorded during the lockdown or did you keep them for a while.

Brent, RD – The two bonus tracks were recorded especially for this album. Jason and Johnny, who played on the live part of the album, have since moved on to different projects. I decided it would be cool for the new lineup to be a part of this record as well. “Hopeless and Dopeless” was actually written a few years ago and played with my other project, “Brent Loveday and the Dirty Dollars”. The songs kind of move naturally between both bands, and at the time it felt like home with Reno Divorce. I wrote “Tired” about a year ago and it was always intended for Reno Divorce.

Johnny – Finally, can we expect to see you back on stage with us soon?

Brent, RD – Absolutely! Coming back to Europe and re-creating live is an absolute priority for us. I feel like we’ve never sounded better than we do now. Tye Battistella is back on rhythm guitar, Andy Brown on bass, and with the addition of Michael Lindau on bass, we’re firing on all cylinders. Expect a new record in 2022! Until then, head over to Wolverine Records to pick up the live disc or “Ship of Fools/ Fairweather Friends”!

Post-hardcore legends Hot Water Music from Gainesville, Florida announce their new studio album for 2022.

Feel the Void will be the first full length under End Hits Records (Europe) and Equal Vision Recordings (USA). The record was produced under the direction of Brian McTernan (Battery, Be Well). In songwriting, Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard were assisted by Canadian Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners, Scorpios).

Hot Water Music about the record:
“We are very excited to be signed to Equal Vision and End Hits for our upcoming record, “Feel the Void.” Recording this record was a very cool combination of old and new. Reuniting with Brian McTernan as a producer while watching Chris, Chuck, and Cresswell work together for the first time resulted in the recording and writing magic that we had all hoped we would be able to create. We truly cannot wait to get back on the road and share these new songs live, especially in Oct 22 with BSF and Samiam!
Thanks for all of your support over the years, we promise this record is the one you’ve been hoping for.”

Hot Water Music, Boysetsfire & Samiam

The band has also announced a European tour for October 2022. Together with the post-hardcore colleagues Boysetsfire and the emocore greatness Samiam, which was already founded in 1988, concerts in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany are fixed.

A sensational lineup not to be missed. Tickets at: https://www.eventim.de*