Michigan-based hard rock group Pop Evil released their album, Skeletons, today alongside a visual for the title track via MNRK Heavy. [Stream now]. The band also launched 601 deluxe digital box sets through VAULT with a three-tier option including the full album, setlists, lyric sheets, behind-the-scenes content, VIP packages, and more here.
“The decisions we make in our lifetime have an impact on the people around us,” Pop Evil said about the title track. “We have a choice to be kind or to be selfish on our journey. If you only think of yourself, you can end up alone. We owe it to each other to be kind. We are all human.”
The 11 tracks include the already released single, “Eye of the Storm,” which landed at the #5 Most Played Song in 2022 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, and recent singles, “Paranoid (Crash & Burn),” and, “Dead Reckoning (Ft. Fit For A King).” The album also includes guest performers such as Blake Allison from Devour the Day providing guest vocals on “Wrong Direction,” adding some metal, electronic, and hip-hop into Pop Evil’s mix.
In discussing the album, frontman Leigh Kakaty said, “This is about us as a band stripping everything down to the bones. It’s more uptempo, it’s got bigger riffs, and we’re trying to capture the energy of our live show.”
“But it’s also a positive message,” he adds. “I know it’s a morbid visual, but behind every skeleton, there’s a story and something worth talking about. Overall, it’s about looking at something in a positive way. And I’m excited for everyone to hear that.”
Prior to the official release of Skeletons, the band’s new music is already going over well with fans. Notes Kakaty: “It’s great seeing people respond at our shows— I think they see what we sing about with something like ‘Eye of the Storm’ is very relatable. We all have hardships and mood swings; this is our way to show that you’re not alone. A lot of Pop Evil, it’s about inspiring positivity and giving back.”
Pop Evil worked with producer WZRD BLD (Disturbed, Papa Roach, Motionless in White), a friend and collaborator on a few previous albums that generated # hits. “With ‘Versatile,’ we had a bunch of producers, but for this album, we just wanted to work with one person and get back to our roots,” says Kakaty. “There’s an energy he and I have, and he’s been great at helping us build these songs and work around some collective themes.”
In discussing the Vault digital box set, Pop Evil said, “We joined up with The Vault to be able to offer our fans a unique and exclusive experience. Inside our Vault, fans will find exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, photos, new music, merch, and more. We’re also offering VIP packages for the Skeletons tour. Our fans are so awesome that the ‘Super Fan’ tier, complete with a private acoustic performance, sold out instantly. We’re looking forward to continuing to offer our fans exclusive access and opportunities through The Vault!”
Skeletons Tracklist:
1. Arrival
2. Paranoid (Crash & Burn)
3. Circles
4. Eye of The Storm
5. Sound of Glory
6. Skeletons
7. Worth It
8. Who Will We Become
9. Wrong Direction (Feat Devour the Day)
10. Dead Reckoning (Feat Fit For A King)
11. Raging Bull (Feat Zillion)
Pop Evil will head out on their Skeletons Tour headlining U.S. dates starting, March 17 in Sault St. Marie at Kewadin Casino and concluding on April 23, in Milwaukee at The Rave. Special guests, The Word Alive and Avoid will join. Tickets are on sale now at www.popevil.com.
Skeletons U.S. Headlining Tour:
03/17 – Sault St. Marie, MI @ Kewadin Casino
03/18 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
03/19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s
03/21 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box *
03/23 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
03/24 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun – Wolf Den +
03/25 – Waterloo, NY @ Del Lago Casino *
03/26 – Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
03/28 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation27
03/30 – Tampa, FL @ Hard Rock Event Center
03/31 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
04/01 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground *
04/02 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East
04/04 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
04/05 – Dallas, TX @ Echo Lounge & Music Hall
04/07 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
04/08 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee Theater
04/10 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory OC
04/11 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
04/12 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
04/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
04/15 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theatre
04/16 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
04/18 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
04/19 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
04/21 – Pittsburg, KS @ Kansas Crossing Casino
04/22 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
04/23 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
* The Word Alive will not be performing
+ No Support
Rescheduled UK + EU 2023 Tour
05/04 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Warehouse
05/05 – Manchester, UK @ Rebellion
05/06 – Birmingham, UK @ Institute 2
05/07 – London, UK @ The Dome
05/09 – Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo
05/10 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor
05/12 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Halle
05/13 – Frankfurt, DE @ Nachtleben
05/14 – Hamburg, DE @ Logo
05/15 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
with Call Me Amour as support, plus Zillion
Pop Evil has massive anthems and built a new rock’n’roll institution on a foundation of showmanship, raw relatability, and hard rock hooks, both forward-thinking and timeless from frontman, Leigh Kakaty, lead guitarist Nick Fuelling, rhythm guitarist Dave Grahs, bassist Joey “Chicago” Walser and drummer Hayley Cramer. No matter the headline-grabbing declarations from legendary icons, lamenting the changing of the guard, the slow-burning success of Pop Evil demonstrates the hunger for hard-hitting honest music persisting worldwide.
Their 2011 album, War of Angels debuted at #8 on Billboard Top Rock Albums with three singles landing on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Top 10 including “Last Man Standing”, “Monster You Made” and “Boss’s Daughter.” The momentum continued with their 2013 album Onyx, landing them on the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 for the first time, plus it was #9 on the Billboard Independent Albums in America and #25 on the Billboard 200. The album included three #1 Billboard Mainstream Rock singles, “Trenches” “Deal with the Devil” and “Torn to Pieces.” In 2015, the band released their album, UP, which would make its way to #1 on Billboard Independent Albums, with four Top 5 Billboard singles such as “Ways to Get High,” “Take It All,” and “If Only for Now”. The hit single “Footsteps” is still one of the biggest songs to date and returned Pop Evil to Billboard’s #1 spot for four weeks. Their 2018 self-titled album landed three singles on Billboard Mainstream Rock, “Waking Lions” at #1 with “Be Legendary” peaking at #2, and “A Crime to Remember” peaking at #7.
Pop Evil’s last #1 single include “Survivor,” which also topped Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart in late 2021, joining previous Top 10 single “Work,” and #1 single “Breathe Again,” from their album VERSATILE. Over the course of their career, the band has achieved four gold singles with “Torn to Pieces,” and “Trenches” from Onyx, “Footsteps” from UP, and, “100 in a 55” from their debut studio album, Lipstick on the Mirror.
