Former NIGHTWISH members Marko "Marco" Hietala and Tarja Turunen have collaborated on a new song called "Left On Mars", to be released on Wednesday, March 13.

Earlier today (Saturday, March 9),Hietala and Turunen, who are currently on the road together in South America as part of the "Living The Dream – The Hits Tour 2024", shared a video message in which they announced the "Left On Mars" single.

"After these long 20 years, we've actually recorded a totally new duet," Marko said. "This is a song that I wrote with my bandmates, and it's called 'Left On Mars'." Tarja added: "[It's a] very beautiful song. [I] can't wait for you to hear it." Hietala continued: "On 13th of March, it's gonna be out. Real soon." Turunen stated: "Very soon."

Earlier this month, Hietala was asked by El Planeta Del Rock if there is any chance of him and Turunen launching a new project together. He responded: "I won't close that option off. We haven't talked about it, putting up a group together or anything like that. But at the moment, it seems that we've got a different kind of connection than it was [in the] past. Because then the camps were really divided already when I stepped into [NIGHTWISH]. And it was hard to find the truth of things, because a lot of it was like a managerial turf war where we got told certain things by one side and told certain things by the other side and lots of confusion — blah, blah, blah — and in the end, yeah, what we already realized a few years back when we were all together there doing the Christmas shows in Finland that after all the hassle has died and the noise has died and everything, you still find out that you lost a friend. And that was the main [reason] why we are basically doing this together again."

In a recent interview with Thiago Rahal Mauro of Brazil's Metal Musikast, Tarja spoke about what it was like to team up with Marko to perform a cover of "The Phantom Of The Opera" during their special open-air concert in July 2023 at Z7 Summer Nights in Pratteln, Switzerland. Tarja and Marko both played individual sets at the event, with their rendition of the main theme from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical coming during Turunen's portion of the show.

"I got a call from a promoter to take part in one festival in Switzerland last year in a European summertime in July," Tarja said. "And then I got to know, when I had accepted to be the artist of the evening, then I saw that they had also invited Marko and Marko's band to perform in the same festival. So I thought, 'Hmm.' And I was actually sending a message that I wished to reach Marko, because I didn't have his contact any longer, to ask him to perform with me 'The Phantom Of The Opera' in my show. And he responded 'yes.' So, after 18 years [laughs], we were about to sing the song together. And it was super exciting. It was really beautiful. The people got very emotional about this.

"We had met already before — we had been singing on a few occasions in Finland a few years before — so we kind of cleaned the table on that occasion already," she explained. "So we were in good terms, so to say, but now singing 'The Phantom Of The Opera' together after all these years was amazing. So we did it twice, actually — we did it in Switzerland and then in Finland. And now we are going to do it — that and a lot more [laughs] — there in Brazil [during our upcoming joint tour]."

Tarja also elaborated on her friendship with Marko, saying: "It's a new relationship with him, because he's not the same person anymore than he was in the band. He has changed a lot, and many years have passed by. I've changed myself. Life has changed us. So it is a new relationship, let's say. And it had made me very happy to get to know him better after all these years."

Last November, Tarja admitted to Chaoszine that she was "nervous" before performing "The Phantom Of The Opera" with Marko at Z7 Summer Nights. "I believe that he was nervous as well to meet up with me, but we were both very excited to go back to the stage and to sing the song," she said. "We sang 'Phantom Of The Opera' in Switzerland for the first time. Then we went over to Finland to perform it again, did a show together there — he with his band and me with my own. Wow. It was pure emotion. I think it was really beautiful, but it made me kind of… I was, like, 'I'm in peace,' sort of. The feeling was great. I think it was even more for Marko, because I saw him standing there after my concert, when I finished my set, and he came like almost in tears, saying that this was important. We reconnected, and it's great. Now I'm really looking forward to have this tour [with Marko] in South America in March [2024], and I'm sure you will see something else happening also. Yeah, you'll hear."

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen later called the decision to part ways with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do." For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. "Maybe one day I'll forgive, but I will never forget," she said.

In 2019, Turunen dismissed Internet chatter about her possible return to NIGHTWISH after her December 2017 onstage reunion with the band's then-bassist/vocalist Hietala during a "Raskasta Joulua" concert in Hämeenlinna, Finland.

"I know a lot of fans would love to see something happen, but it's a very long distance away," she told Kerrang! magazine. "Personally, I don't see anything happening with me and them, to be perfectly honest. Marko came a little later into the band; he wasn't there since the beginning. He was always a guy I was close to. Me and Tuomas Holopainen, however, haven't seen each other in a long time… but we have been in touch. It's not bad. The past is what it is; we can't change that. We can only change the future."

NIGHTWISH's authorized biography, "Once Upon a Nightwish: The Official Biography 1996-2006", was published in Finnish in 2006 and in English three years later.

Turunen's husband, Marcelo Cabuli, and his business partners later sued the parties behind the book for defamation. Named in the lawsuit were the publishing house Like Kustannus Oy and the author of the book, Marko "Mape" Ollila. Cabuli and his Brazilian business partners argued that the book includes false accusations and insinuations that have caused them suffering and financial problems.

The book blamed Cabuli for the events leading up to Turunen's dramatic expulsion from the band in late 2005.

In 2011, the Helsinki District Court dismissed Cabuli's lawsuit, ruling that the book — which criticized Cabuli on only a few of its 380 pages — did not detrimentally affect his work or reputation in South America. In addition, the court determined that Ollila did not maliciously portray Cabuli in a negative light.

Nearly two years ago, Tarja was asked in an interview with Top Link Music manager and concert promoter Paulo Baron and music critic Regis Tadeu if she would consider doing a tour with NIGHTWISH if all of her former bandmates apologized to her about how their split happened and invited her to share the stage with them again. She responded: "It is very, very hypothetical that all what you said will happen, first of all — it's very, very hypothetical.

"I'm living in a world, like we are all living in a world, that things happen without us noticing," she continued. "I mean, I can't really close any doors in that sense; I'm not that kind of person any longer. I learned so many things in this life already. I take them as they are.

"So I don't know. It would be very hypothetically possible," she added. "It would be unlikely to happen."

Hietala announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January 2021, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now." He has since been replaced by session bassist Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN),who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences.

In an August 2022 interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Hietala revealed that he went through a dark period in his life, which included depression, insomnia, anxiety and an eventual attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. Speaking about how he eventually came to the realization that exiting NIGHTWISH was the right thing to do, Marko said: "It was a long process. Of course, the COVID year that was there, where I had a lot of time for soul searching, it obviously gave me the last incentive that I need something else, that if I just continue with this I'm just gonna get sicker and sicker. But, of course, it's a process.

"I've been chronic depressive since 2010 [or] 2011, so I've been on a permanent medication ever since," he revealed. "Sometimes you get used to the meds [and] you will need more. We did raise [the dosage] during the years also, but it just didn't work. And now that I started to do… I had psychotherapy for over four years now, and then I also talked to psychiatrists and some doctors and did that also in Spain. Then my psychiatrist here in Finland said that I should do these ADHD neuropsychological tests, which I then did in Spain. And, okay, I got it."

Hietala reiterated that he "had been thinking about" leaving NIGHTWISH "for a while" before making the final decision. "Because I had a lot of weight. And I tend to… With the attention disorder, it tells me that when there are lots of trouble, then the disorder makes it into a real chaos," he explained. "There's a shitload of stuff coming and going and no peace anywhere. And for a year or two, I was already waking up every night at three o'clock to bad dreams and anxiety. So I'd say that the whole process probably started already with my former divorce [in 2016]. That was a very sad time when you think about your kids and your broken homes and all that. And then, when I started to get clear from that, then there were, well, all kinds of things. I don't really wanna go any deeper to what kind of things I'd gone through, but I'd gone through enough."

Acknowledging that making NIGHTWISH's latest studio album, 2020's "Human. :II: Nature.", was a "difficult" experience for him, Marko denied that his mental state at the time resulted in a diminished role for him on the final LP. "I think the original idea was to have that… we'll do a couple of [solo vocal appearances], or one solo for me and Troy [Donockley], and the rest Floor [Jansen], and then the harmonies; that was the idea originally for that," he said. "So I don't know if it affected. I think it was sort of as planned. But at that time I already had serious trouble with concentrating and serious trouble with a constant black cloud over my head."

In July 2022, Hietala told Finland's Iltalehti that he had not kept in touch with NIGHTWISH since his departure or followed the activities of his former band.

In May 2021, Holopainen said that Hietala's decision to leave NIGHTWISH "came as a bit of a surprise." He told Finland's Kaaos TV: "Marko informed us in December [of 2020 that he was leaving the band]. And even though he has been very open about his state and problems during the past years, it still came as a bit of a surprise for us. So it was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there's no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [Vuorinen], the guitar player, and we were, like, 'You think this is it?' 'Yeah, I think this is it.' I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel's back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it's been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it."

Tuomas elaborated on NIGHTWISH's reasons for carrying on, saying: "I think we still have something to give, and that's the main point. The music is still there. We felt that there's still so much music that needs to come out from this band that, 'Okay, let's give it one more shot.' And then finding the new bass player was really easy."

He added: "It's not like we do this just because we need to do it and there's nothing else to do. On a personal level, I feel that there's still so many stories and melodies that I want to share with the world with one lineup or another, so that's why you want to continue and keep on going.

"I've said this a million times, that a lineup change is the ultimate energy vampire, and that's how it really felt and still feels."

In June 2021, Jansen spoke about Hietala's exit from the band in an episode of her "Storytime" YouTube video series. She said: "That was a very sudden surprise that, of course, was not fun at all. But we understand — I understand — it was a necessary thing for him to do. And from there, we had to think of how to continue without him, and that also, in preparations towards the virtual show, that was a huge challenge."

In December 2020, Hietala was crowned the winner of the fall 2020 season of "Masked Singer Suomi" — the Finnish edition of the popular masked singing contest. He was disguised as Tohtori — the Doctor.

In the summer of 2021, Holopainen said that NIGHTWISH would split up if the band's current singer Floor Jansen ever chose to leave. Holopainen, who formed NIGHTWISH in 1996 with guitarist Emppu Vuorinen and Turunen, made the comment while discussing the departure of Hietala.

Pressed by U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about his 2019 statement that NIGHTWISH would disband if another member opted to depart, Tuomas said: "That's how I felt back in 2019, and that's also how I felt when Marko left. I take my words back when it comes to that. But if it would be Floor leaving, that's it, it's the end of NIGHTWISH. Absolutely, 100%."

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Symphonic metal giants NIGHTWISH, who have worked with Nuclear Blast since the release of their highly lauded 2004 album "Once", have signed a new multi-album deal with the German record label.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen states: "20 years ago our journey together with Nuclear Blast started, and the time has now come to renew our vows. Superbly excited to see what kind of magic we can cook up together this time!"

Nuclear Blast managing director Marcus Hammer states: "It's an honor to renew this partnership to continue writing music history. We're more than proud to carry on the collaboration with this exceptionally gifted group of musicians and their management team. Thanks for your friendship and trust, Floor, Tuomas, Emppu, Troy, Kai and Jukkis. Looking forward to celebrate your upcoming album and everything beyond! Kiitos!"

NIGHTWISH recently completed mixing and mastering its tenth studio album for a tentative late 2024 release.

In January, NIGHTWISH drummer Kai Hahto spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." album in an interview with Laureline Tilkin of Tuonela Magazine. He said: "At least it's not gonna be the same as 'Human. :II: Nature.', so… Probably, let's say that we go back to more heavy, heavier things on the new album, but also there's a lot of, again, new winds to blow, so to speak. So, different new elements. But, of course, it's still NIGHTWISH, but, of course, we brought back the big symphony orchestra again to the new upcoming tenth album. Yeah, it's gonna be exciting. And quite challenging music to play as well."

Asked if he is "in a way happy" that he doesn't have to play the new NIGHTWISH songs live right now, in light of the fact that the band is taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future, Kai said: "No, no, no. Totally opposite. I would love to go and play it live. But hopefully the time will come when we go back, charging the batteries first. Of course, it's nice to be home with the kids and wife and dogs, but still, of course, I've always been a player, so I also like to play for the people. But I believe I'm not gonna be bored. So I have a lot of things in the back of my head. Even NIGHTWISH is now taking a break. So, I'm not gonna be bored."

Earlier in January, Hahto told Chaoszine that "it looks like" NIGHTWISH won't play any shows in the next two or three years.

In April 2023, NIGHTWISH surprised fans by announcing that the band was not going to be playing any live shows for the foreseeable future and would be not be touring in support of the group's next studio album.

NIGHTWISH's statement read as follows: "As the 'Human :ll: Nature - World Tour' is drawing to a close, we feel now is the time to tell you of our plans for the next phase in our journey.

"After the planned shows for June 2023 we will be 'hanging up our spurs' for an indeterminate time, as far as live concert performances go, and won't be touring the next album.

"The reasons for this decision are personal, but, we all agree, vital to the wellbeing and future of the band. Be assured that we still love working together, and this decision has nothing to do with Floor's pregnancy or our other individual projects.

"However, an album of 12 new songs will see bright daylight in 2024, as will 3 music videos! The band is positively hyped beyond words over this new upcoming musical adventure."

In December 2022, Holopainen said NIGHTWISH's upcoming follow-up to "Human. :II: Nature." will be the third part of a trilogy that began with 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album. He told Metal Hammer: "I immediately knew after getting that album ['Endless Forms Most Beautiful'] done that, 'Okay, we have to do more songs about this, because there's so much more to explore and tell the world. We're not done with this.' And the same thing happened after 'Human. :II: Nature.'; we're still not done. So let's do one more. At least one more.

"In a way, [the next album] is the third part of a trilogy, which started with 'Endless Forms…' and then 'Human. :II: Nature.' There are some major surprises there again, but it feels like a natural continuation to 'Human. :II: Nature.'"

According to Tuomas, NIGHTWISH's next LP will cover previously uncharted ground while continuing in the more cinematic style that has characterized some of the band's recent efforts.

In September 2022, Tuomas was asked if NIGHTWISH's upcoming LP will once again be an exploration of evolutionary science, as was the case with the previous two releases. Tuomas said: "Yes and no. It sails on the same waters, but there's some new surprises there as well."

In August 2022, Tuomas told Rock Sverige that he spent "about a year" working on the music and lyrics for the next NIGHTWISH album.

Asked if he got any kind of inspiration from the pandemic, Tuomas said: "Yeah, lyrically there's a couple of things that reflects the pandemic, but not in the way you would expect."

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

In August 2022, NIGHTWISH announced the addition of Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN) as an official member of the band. Koskinen, who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences, had spent the previous year touring with NIGHTWISH as a session musician.

In November 2022, singer Floor Jansen revealed that she was "cancer free" after recently undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed following a breast cancer diagnosis.

This past October, Floor and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lucy. Jansen and Van Dahl already have a six-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

Croatian singer Dino Jelusick (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) joined VULGAR DISPLAY OF COVER, the PANTERA tribute band led by guitarist Attila Vörös (NEVERMORE, SATYRICON, SANCTUARY, TÝR),at the Hungarian Ride For Dime event on January 5, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary to perform a set of PANTERA classics. Professionally filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below.

Featured songs:

00:00 - Intro (Suicide Note I - original track)
04:43 - 5 Minutes Alone
10:09 - Yesterday Don't Mean Shit
14:32 - Strength Beyond Strength
18:48 - Sandblasted Skin

Dino Jelusick set:

23:29 - Cowboys From Hell
27:43 - Psycho Holiday
33:15 - Medicine Man
38:45 - Primal Concrete Sledge
42:48 - Shattered
46:39 - I'm Broken
52:04 - Domination

Dino Jelusick - Vocals
Attila Vörös - Guitar
László Csóka - Bass
Béla Budai - Drums
Stephen Horvat - Vocals

On February 12, 2005, Balu Koncz, singer of the Hungarian band EVERWOOD, staged the first-ever "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott memorial show in Hungary right after the PANTERA guitarist's tragic loss. The following year, Vörös met with drummer László Makai in the local music school, Kőbányai Zenei Stúdió in Budapest. One day they were hanging out at the school buffet talking about their mutual favorite band PANTERA, resulting in them jamming "New Level" for the first time ever. Right at that moment it became clear they wanted more, so they recruited Zoltán Prepelicza on bass who was also a student there. After a few rehearsals they invited a singer Péter Mári, whom Attila met with not too long before and saw on a talent scout show with Péter's first band and was absolutely blown away by his singing and stage presence. After only six rehearsals, the band, which Attila had named REMEMBERING THE STEEL had its first show in Debrecen, Hungary. Soon after, Péter left the band and moved to Great Britain to follow his dreams with his own band.

In 2018, during this hiatus, the band was asked to play a one-off show with guest vocalists. It was then when they met with a young and promising singer and songwriter András "Apey" Áron. When Apey came down to their first rehearsal and sang "This Love", it was instantly clear that they needed and wanted to continue playing with each other. But then in 2009, Attila left the country to follow his own path, which later led to him joining the legendary Seattle-based band NEVERMORE.

Since Attila didn't move to the States and was able to fly in for shows and rehearsals, he managed to form his own band in Hungary, called LEANDER RISING. It was during that same time when Attila met drummer Béla Budai in a rehearsal place and studio called Tonitrus Studio, the same place in which Attila recorded his NEVERMORE playthrough videos which later served as the "audition tapes" for his gig with the Warrel Dane-fronted act. The studio was run by engineer László Szabó who introduced Attila to Béla when looking for a drummer to form another PANTERA tribute band, which turned out to be VULGAR DISPLAY OF COVER. Péter, who had moved back to Hungary in the meantime, had rejoined the band, which also recruited bassist Zalán Guoth, whom Attila had previously played with in the METALLICA tribute band SCARY GUYZ. In 2019 Péter and Zalán left VULGAR DISPLAY OF COVER and were replaced by József "Jozzy" Takács on bass and Steven "Pityesz" Horváth on vocals.

In 2020 Attila was invited to and attended "Dimebash" in Anaheim, California. It was after that show when Attila decided that he wanted to make videos and lessons of Dimebag's playing and PANTERA songs on YouTube. His channel started to gradually grow and it was through those videos that Attila got in contact with Jelusick. Attila invited Dino as a guest to sing with VULGAR DISPLAY OF COVER at their annual Dimebag memorial show, which Attila has been organizing since 2009.

Posted by Vulgar Display Of Cover on Sunday, December 17, 2023

Death metal veterans SIX FEET UNDER will release their new studio album, "Killing For Revenge", on May 10 via Metal Blade.

The first single from the LP will be made available on Wednesday, March 13.

The cover artwork for "Killing For Revenge", which was created by Vincent Locke, can be seen below.

Locke is a renowned artist whose graphic and often controversial artwork has become synonymous with the visual identity of death metal, notably through his long-standing collaboration with CANNIBAL CORPSE, which featured current SIX FEET UNDER frontman Chris Barnes from 1988 until 1995.

"Killing For Revenge" track listing:

01. Know-Nothing Ingrate
02. Accomplice To Evil Deeds
03. Ascension
04. When The Moon Goes Down In Blood
05. Hostility Against Mankind
06. Compulsive
07. Fit Of Carnage
08. Neanderthal (guest guitar solo Jason Suecof)
09. Judgement Day
10. Bestial Savagery
11. Mass Casualty Murdercide
12. Spoils Of War
13. Hair Of The Dog (NAZARETH cover; CD and digital only)

SIX FEET UNDER 2024 is:

Chris Barnes - vocals
Jack Owen - rhythm guitar
Marco Pitruzzella - drums
Jeff Hughell - bass
Ray Suhy - lead guitar

Barnes previously said SIX FEET UNDER's new album would contain "some of the most intense songs we've done… It's a Ripper!!! Some real killer songs on this album. It will definitely satisfy all our SFU Fans appetite. #pureDEATHMETAL'" He also said the LP was shaping up to be "incredibly fucking heavy."

SIX FEET UNDER's 17th full-length album, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed", was released in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

Comprised of 12 tracks, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed" was tracked at various studios, including Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, which over the years has played host to the likes of AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and AEROSMITH, among others. It was produced, engineered and mixed by Chris Carroll, while the album's mastering was handled by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The finished product came packaged in artwork by Luke Hunter.

Barnes exited CANNIBAL CORPSE in 1995, one year after the release of the band's "The Bleeding" album. Seven years ago, he told "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio program about his departure: "I just didn't like being around them, because I was being ridiculed, and I just didn't feel comfortable being in the same room with people that weren't very nice to me personally. And I was part of that too, so we had all of our own type of differences, personally, and I don't think it was gonna be able to be worked out. You know, mutual respect goes a far way when it comes to being in close quarters with people."

Owen left CANNIBAL CORPSE in 2004, explaining in a statement that his "heart just wasn't in it anymore, and it was reflected in my appearance on stage. Times change, and I just don't enjoy the music as much as I used to, and the only thing keeping me in the band was steady work, and the pay," he said. "These things makes it unfair to myself, my band members, and especially the fans."

After Barnes left CANNIBAL CORPSE to form SIX FEET UNDER, he was replaced in the former band by George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher.

Photo credit: Gustavo Abdiel Torres

Well since it was leaked today… which means, to us, that our Fans are super excited about our New Album, KILLING FOR...

Posted by ~ Six feet under ~ on Saturday, March 9, 2024

DISTURBED's David Draiman, who is of Jewish descent, recently spoke to Chris Cuomo of NewsNation about the war between Israel and Hamas which erupted four months ago after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hamas has been keeping the Palestinian people captive in Gaza, has been keeping them hostage in many ways for the greater part of two decades at this point. The Israeli people have been constantly terrorized, constantly living in a state of preparedness for rocket attacks that happen on a near-daily basis and have been happening since before October 7th."

Referencing the fact that Annie Lennox called for a "ceasefire" during her emotional performance at this year's Grammy Awards in early February, Draiman said: "I think that there's no one that actually wishes for a true ceasefire more than us, but we need a ceasefire that Hamas will actually agree to and adhere to. I couldn't agree with Annie Lennox more, when she said what she said at the Grammys. The only problem is she's pointing her finger in the wrong direction.

"We didn't ask for this war," David continued. "We didn't start it. It's not about what happened in 1948 or 1967 or '73 or any other time. It's about simply acknowledging that the state of Israel isn't going anywhere, that it is going to stay there, and we all need to figure out a way to coexist with each other. Now, as long as Hamas is in power, and as long as they continue to hold the Palestinians in Gaza hostage in the way that they have, as long as they continue to steal aid and pilfer every single humanitarian shipment that comes in… They want death. They want martyrdom. It's part of their charter. Part of their charter is the annihilation of not just Israel but every Jew in existence. That's how they were founded. That's what they're founded on. They are a cult of death and hatred. And they knew exactly what they were going to get. They knew that by having such a heinous attack, such a barbaric attack at the Nova music festival, at the kibbutzim that were around the Gaza border, taking as many hostages [as they did], [that this would be the response from Israel]."

Earlier in the month, Draiman spoke to the Embassy Of Israel To The United States about the increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. and the rest of the world rose in the four months after the Hamas attack on Israel. He said: "What gives me the strength is not having any other choice. When you back a wild animal against the wall, that's when they're most dangerous. I feel very much backed against the wall. I refuse to capitulate. I refuse to submit. I refuse to be intimidated and I refuse to cower. This is not another Jew with trembling knees. I will never, ever capitulate. I will never give in to terror. I won't give them the satisfaction.

"I see a downward spiral, unfortunately," he continued. "I see increased chaos. I see increased antisemitism on a level that is unprecedented in my lifetime. I see that Jews are not safe anywhere in this world at this point, let alone in Eretz Yisrael [Israel]."

In response to Palestinian militants in Gaza firing a deadly barrage of rockets and sending gunmen into Israeli territory, resulting in the killing of 1,200 Israelis and around 240 being taken hostage, Israel launched strikes on what it called Hamas targets in Gaza. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) says it has killed over 10,000 operatives in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.

"It's terrifying to see the reaction that I knew would come, that is continuing to amplify the closer we get to capturing the people, the people who are responsible directly for it, for annihilating Hamas and giving the Palestinian people a chance at a real future, I would think, giving all of us a chance at a real future," Draiman added. "We have to free Gaza from Hamas. We have to get our hostages back. We have to reverse decades of programming and indoctrination that UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency] has been complicit in and has been basically just the other hand of Hamas for the better part of two decades at this point. They are part of the problem, certainly not part of the solution. There has to be a better way. There has to be.

"The only way that there will ever be a chance for any real peace of any kind is if the next generation is no longer taught to hate from the day they were born," he continued. "I think that the closer we get to actual victory, hopefully sparing as many innocent lives as possible in the process because nobody wants that.

"Hamas wants innocent lives taken. That's the whole strategy behind this war in the first place," Draiman said. "That's the whole strategy behind the severity and the barbarity of the attack. They wanted to make sure that we came in full force so that they could sustain civilian casualties that they're using as human shields, so that they could be able to play the victim once again on the world stage when they perpetuated the greatest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

"There's no other way at this point."

In addition to the Hebrew-speaking Draiman, who once trained to be a cantor and contemplated becoming a rabbi, DISTURBED includes guitarist/keyboardist Dan Donegan, bassist John Moyer and drummer Mike Wengren.

Draiman's father and grandfather served in the Israel Defense Forces and both of the singer's maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. His grandfather was also a cantor in Israel.

In December 2021, Draiman said that he had lost thousands of social media followers since publicizing his trip to Israel in November of that year.

On November 30, 2021, Draiman lit a candle at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel at the Old City site of the terror attack that killed South African immigrant Eli Kay. He later claimed that he lost 4,000 followers after sharing photos of his "demonstration" at the Western Wall.

Draiman has spent much of his recent time on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, sharing pro-Israel content and has often used his fame to speak out against antisemitism.

DISTURBED's song "Never Again", from 2010's "Asylum" album, was written about the Holocaust and calls out people who deny it.

The United States Holocaust Museum has featured Draiman in its "Voices On Anti-Semitism" podcasts.

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Mortemorium is a death metal/deathcore band from Głogów and Rawicz (Poland) formed in 2020. "It's hard to clasify our music in one specific genre," says the band. 'We try to blend different styles, but keeping it dark and heavy. Every member of our band started doing music years ago in many different genres, so we blend our experience into unique style of Mortemorium."


Last year they released their debut album, Aanima Vilis in digital form. Now it's time to listen to it the way its meant to be listened: on a CD.


The album delves into the dark side of humanity and the struggles that we face. With songs that touch upon topics like nuclear disasters, suicide, and bullying, the album showcases the band's willingness to confront difficult issues head-on. Through their music, band send a message about the importance of facing our demons and finding a way to rise above them.




Music was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jarek Wysocki at Soundscope Studio (71TonMan, Lost Soul, Icon of Evil). Intro was done by Droom. Cover artwork by Kucol.


Order the CD here, listen via Bandcamp, and/or below.





Tracklisting:


"Attendite a falsis prophetis"
"Cataclysmos"
"Hannibal"
"Abaddon"
"Opressus"
"Mars voluntaria"
"Pompei"


Aanima Vilis by MORTEMORIUM

In a new interview with Iridium Rock And Metal Reviews, LYNYRD SKYNYRD guitarist Rickey Medlocke spoke about the possibility of new music from the iconic rockers. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Johnny [Van Zant, LYNYRD SKYNYRD singer] and I have discussed about doing some new SKYNYRD stuff. And it's not in the plans yet. There's a there's quite a few songs — I shouldn't say quite a few; there's quite a lot of songs that we had written, that we had part demos to, maybe started a verse and a chorus, that Gary [Rossington, late LYNYRD SKYNYRD guitarist] was involved in. And, man, we've got that stuff laying around.

"We've talked about it. Johnny and I, we've spoken about it," he continued. "We know we have — oh my god — we might have a dozen and a half, two dozen songs that are just kind of laying around there to maybe put out."

Medlocke went on to say that LYNYRD SKYNYRD may not go down the traditional route when releasing new music. "I do have I do have a thing about putting out whole albums now, because I think that people will go online or go to iTunes or go to Spotify or whatever, they'll see a whole album, but they're only gonna play one or two songs," he explained. "They might scan over the rest of them, but they'll pick out one or two of their favorite and then that's it. My thing is that's one of the reasons why I like putting out one song at a time, and you see how people would accept it, react to it, or maybe they don't react to it at all. Maybe they don't like it for whatever reason. But I find that you get a lot of mileage out of one song instead of a collective of 10 to 12 songs or more… You can release one every three months or whatever and then you get a collection of it and release the collection. So, all of a sudden, everybody's got a collection of five songs that they can go and grab after they've loved, like, maybe three or four of 'em. And then you've got the collection and you're all the better for it. But we have thought about that. And we've also thought about how long are we gonna take this?"

Elaborating on how long he thinks LYNYRD SKYNYRD can carry on, Rickey said: "I will put this out there. There's one more guy — he's such a hero to me. And I know you're gonna laugh about this, but Gary, Johnny and I figured, people used to ask us, 'How long are you guys gonna take this?' And I always said, 'Hey, look. If THE ROLLING STONES can do it, we can do it.' And I'm telling you — come on, Keith [Richards]. If you can do it, I know I can do it. Come on, Keith. Join us in LYNYRD SKYNYRD and play on stage with us, because there's another one I'd love to see climb up there with us."

If a new LYNYRD SKYNYRD album materializes, it will be the group's first since 2012's "Last Of A Dyin' Breed". The band released a single, "Last Of The Street Survivors", in 2020.

"Last Of The Street Survivors" — which shares its name with what was the time of the song's release supposed to be LYNYRD SKYNYRD's farewell tour — was penned by Rossington alongside Van Zant, Medlocke and songwriter Tom Hambridge, and found the Southern rockers reminiscing about their career and the bandmates they lost.

After four SKYNYRD members were killed in an October 1977 plane crash, Rossington recruited Johnny to fill his brother's shoes a decade later.

Medlocke, who played drums in SKYNYRD in 1970-71 before leaving to lead his own band BLACKFOOT and coming back to SKYNYRD in 1996, defended LYNYRD SKYNYRD's decision to carry on, telling Cleveland.com in May 2023: "People have beat us up over the years: 'Ah, you guys ain't nothin' but a freakin' tribute band' and blah, blah, blah.

"There's a lot of tribute bands out there to LYNYRD SKYNYRD, but none of them holds it as dear to their hearts as the guys who have been there as long as we have," he explained. "We have the history; I played on the first (recording) sessions. We just know that we have to portray the music with the integrity and the sound and the love as close as we can to when it was originally created."

Rossington was the last surviving founding member of LYNYRD SKYNYRD. On March 5, 2023, his bandmates announced the news of his death in a statement shared on their social media.

The guitarist had previously dealt with various heart problems throughout the years, including emergency heart surgery in 2021.

In a new interview with Ryan McCredden of the I-Rock 93.5 radio station, CREED frontman Scott Stapp spoke about the fact that younger generations of fans have discovered the group's music in the 12 years since he and his bandmates played their last concert. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, a hundred percent. And the analytics don't lie. We've started seeing, in late 2020, CREED beginning to go viral on TikTok, Instagram and then Facebook. And then it just seemed like every two or three months… The first couple months in 2021, we went viral again, and it just kept happening every two or three months. And then you look at the analytics, and you realize that when you look at the numbers, it's three generations. And now it's gotten down into high school kids. And so, what a gift and what a blessing. And I do not take that for granted. I understand how rare that that is. And I think I can speak for all of CREED, because we've had these conversations in private, that it's something we definitely understand is a gift, it's rare and we're not taking it for granted and we're just so grateful and appreciative that this has happened. And I think we're in the nurture phase of this whole thing and not taking a single bit of it for granted and just want to just share how grateful we are and fortunate we are that all these years later [so many people are discovering our music."

Stapp went on to discuss the overwhelmingly positive response to CREED's announcement that it will play its first shows together in 12 years as headliners of the "Summer Of '99" cruise, setting sail from April 18-22 (the band added a second cruise the following weekend). A full-fledged tour, also dubbed "Summer Of '99" tour, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on July 17 and will run through September 28.

"I learned this from Mark [Tremonti, CREED guitarist] the other day in a Guitar World interview that we did together," Scott said. "One thing about Mark, and I hope he doesn't get mad at me for sharing, but he's always in touch with our long-term agent from day one, Ken Fermaglich at UTA. He started with us when we were doing clubs and nobody was showing up, and he's still our agent today. And Mark checks in with him to get analytics and get numbers. And Ken shared with him that right now we are bigger in terms of sales and how things are moving than we were at our peak in 2001, 2002, which blows my mind. It still doesn't seem that way to me, but Mark made a comment. He goes, 'Oh, well, you'll see it when you step out and there's 25,000 people in front of you.' And I said, 'Don't scare me, man.' It's been a long time since I've stepped in front of an audience that big."

When McCredden suggested that "the social media world of TikTok and Instagram" played a huge part in generating interest in a CREED reunion tour, Stapp said: "I've learned in my journey in sobriety and in recovery that… I believe in God and I believe that God has a plan. And looking at this from a thousand-foot perspective, it just all just seems, to me, without a doubt that God's had a hand in it. And I'm just grateful that I'm included on the ride and I'm just not gonna take a moment for granted and [I'm gonna] try to deliver every night and give the fans what they're asking for."

Stapp, whose road to sobriety kicked off in 2014 after issues with drugs and drinking, along with thoughts of suicide, credited his recovery with providing him with the necessary tools to reach new heights with his CREED bandmates. "Absolutely," he said. "In my experience, that's the only way you really learn. And, really, you have no other option. You have to get back up, no matter what you do and deal with the consequences, of course, but learn from it and grow. And one thing I'm looking at when I reflect back on my career is it kind of happened in reverse. With CREED, it was instant. It was first single 'My Own Prison', within 11 months, we're in arenas. But then there's been this 15-year drought for me where I went all the way back as a solo artist playing in small clubs and just duking it out, sweating it out in clubs and bars for over a decade. I mean, man, since 2005 or [2006]. So, I mean, we're talking 17, 18 years. So, it's happened in reverse, and I think that's how it needed to happen, because I think it really gave me a different perspective on how I wish I could have approached this from day one back in the day. But it is what it is, and I'm just gonna enjoy it now and be grateful for it."

CREED's enormous success is largely due to the prolific writing team of Stapp and Tremonti, who founded the band together in 1993. Their winning combination of driving guitar riffs, rousing hooks and introspective lyrics earned them legions of loyal fans around the world. Following the release of their first two albums, the four-piece — which also included bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips — became the first band ever to have seven consecutive No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. CREED's third album, "Weathered" (2001),also debuted at No. 1, and produced several popular singles, including Top Ten hits "My Sacrifice" and "One Last Breath". Though CREED announced its breakup in 2004, the band briefly reunited in 2009 to release "Full Circle". Heavier than their previous albums, "Full Circle" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, proving the incredible staying power of the band.

CREED disbanded in 2004 but reunited five years later for the aforementioned "Full Circle" LP and an extensive tour. Stapp has since toured and recorded as a solo artist, although he suffered a drug-related mental breakdown in 2014 and spent several years recovering from that.

Photo credit: Sebastian Smith

LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton will release a memoir, "Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir", on June 25 via Hachette Books.

A gritty, revealing heavy metal memoir by LAMB OF GOD's lead guitarist and co-lyricist, "Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir" was co-written with Ben Opiari and explores both Mark's life in music and his tumultuous path through addiction and into recovery.

"Desolation" is the story of Morton's lifelong quest for clarity and self-acceptance, and shows how the pressures of career success and personal battles eventually came into conflict with Morton's dedication to the creative process. Intertwined with addiction, self-destruction, and the path to eventual surrender and recovery, Morton also reveals the greatest personal tragedy of his life: the death of his two-day old daughter, plunging Morton further into hopelessness. Surrounded by bandmates living their wildest dreams, Morton wanted nothing more than to disappear, ingesting potentially lethal cocktails of drugs and alcohol into his system on a daily basis.

And yet, amidst the harrowing heartbreak, there were moments of triumph, hope, and incredible personal connection. Morton developed close relationships with his bandmates and crew members, sharing experiences that have made for some strange and hilarious tales. He's also gained a greater sense of purpose through interactions with his fans, who remind him that his work reaches people on a deeply personal level. Through the highs and the lows, Morton learns how to find presence and gratitude where he once found fear and resentment, a process that he considers a gift of spiritual awakening.

"Desolation" is, at its core, about Morton's journey as a musician navigating self-doubt, anxiety and the progressive disease of addiction, and ultimately finding relative serenity. Perfect for fans, new and old, as well as anyone who has ever been tested and brought to their limits, "Desolation" is a highly-satisfying, full-throttle investigation of the human experience.

Morton commented: "Initially, I started writing this book just to see if I could do it. But as the writing process unfolded, it quickly took on much more meaning. Unpacking my story, I was able to observe events in my life with an objectivity that I hadn't experienced while I'd lived them in real time.
"Through a lens of hindsight and recovery, I made friends with my past and found value in my most difficult days," he continued. "I hope that by offering my experiences, I can create a point of connection and commonality. There are a lot of fun stories in here and a few really sad ones. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share them."

Morton co-founded LAMB OF GOD, which was initially called BURN THE PRIEST, in 1994.

In 2019, Morton released his debut solo album, "Anesthetic".

LAMB OF GOD's latest LP, "Omens", came out in 2022.

Morton and the rest of LAMB OF GOD will embark on the "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour with MASTODON this summer.

In a new interview with Australia's "Everblack" podcast, guitarist Bill Steer of British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS was asked if he and his bandmates were working on the follow-up to 2021's "Torn Arteries" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not at the moment. I mean, as far as the eye can see, we've just got tours, dates, festivals. That would pretty much take us up towards the end of the year. And then beyond that, yeah, this is something that would just have to be kind of, in some way, discussed between the various bandmembers, because we had a similar situation after we released [2013's] 'Surgical Steel'. We got deep into touring, and after a couple of years, I think one or two of us thought, 'Well, maybe now we should start gradually working on some new material,' but then you discover not everybody's on the same page. So you go back and do another year or two of touring, and then before you know it, half a decade's gone. So I'm kind of hoping we don't mimic that situation too closely, because five years is a hell of a lot of time [between albums]. But, yeah, we've got to be at a point where everyone wants to record. So, if and when that time comes around, great. But it doesn't feel like it's particularly close right now."

Asked if he is working on any other musical projects on the side, Bill said: "Yeah, I've been doing some demos on and off for, I guess, a few months, a year or so, with a couple of friends in Leeds. And we haven't decided what to call it, but we've done a whole bunch of tunes, maybe around 15 or so, with the idea that at some point we'll pick the best numbers and record them properly for an album. 'Cause I just had really wanted to do something of that nature for quite a while; I just didn't really have the confidence or any kind of vision of a way forward. But my friends were very sort of helpful in getting me started on that. And, yeah, it's just nice to have another outlet for your music, because CARCASS doesn't record very often, as we discussed. I actually enjoy being in the studio, so, yeah, it'd be really nice if I could make an album with someone else, really."

Regarding the musical direction of his new side project, Bill said: "I don't know. It's very hard to assess, but it's pretty much I just let out whatever was going to come out. I didn't really think in terms of genre. I'm imagining that my main influences are gonna come [out through the music] — [it's] somewhere between that kind of '70s bluesy hard rock stuff and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal; it's in that type of vibe. It's riff rock, but we've really tried to finesse the songs. We really worked relatively hard, by my standards, on the arrangements. So, I feel like we couldn't ever call it FIREBIRD [Bill's early 2000s project] because already this has quite a different vibe to it."

CARCASS played its first pandemic-era concert in November 2021 at the Damnation Festival in Leeds, U.K.

"Torn Arteries" was released in September 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. Drummer Dan Wilding did session work in Sweden at Studio Gröndahl with David Castillo while guitars were recorded at The Stationhouse with James Atkinson in Leeds, England. Eventually needing some form of residential location to finalize vocals, bass, and other guitarwork, the band headed back to Studio Gröndahl in Sweden to continue work in a very relaxed atmosphere with Castillo.

Last year, Wilding told Oxygène Radio's "Métal Zone" about the CARCASS songwriting process: "Normally, well, almost always, Bill starts with riffs or a collection of riffs and we kind of… It usually starts with me and Bill. We'll get into a rehearsal room and we just try and make a song, try and piece the puzzle together, try and add things. And then eventually we get to a point where Jeff [Walker, bass/vocals] comes in and he normally rips it apart [laughs] and changes it even more. He thinks about vocals, which we normally don't think about vocals. So that's one of the reasons why he does it, I think. But, yeah, it's quite organic, natural. That kind of in a room, figuring out in front of each other, with each other how we can move on to the next thing. It's very limited technology, which I think is quite a nice thing."

Added Steer: "Yeah, that's the one common thread throughout everything we've ever done. It's based on guys in a rehearsal room. There's no other way of doing it for us. 'Cause I think our music would sound so different if we started doing it electronically. I've just got no interest in that. I hate sending an e-mail or receiving an e-mail. Never mind the other stuff. So yeah, let's just carry on like this if we could."

Photo credit: Ester Segarra

Joe Satriani was joined by Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME) and Richie Kotzen (THE WINERY DOGS) for an incendiary jam on the Freddie King/Jeff Beck classic "Going Down" (originally written by Don Nix) during his performance aboard this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise. Video of their appearance can be seen below (courtesy of Masters Of Shred).

Back in January 2023, Satriani paid tribute to Jeff Beck following the British guitar legend's death. Joe took to his social media to write: "Jeff Beck was a genius, a stunning original. He was an astounding guitar player with more ways to make you go, 'WTF was that?' than anybody else. He was profoundly talented, and never stopped innovating on the instrument. He had an enormous impact on my guitar playing, my musicianship and my soul. When I was a beginner, I would spend hours trying to jam along with his solo albums. I found his approach to the instrument so inspiring. I was fascinated with his unusual arrangements and his aggressive guitar tones. He always stood out as a unique player: He was always, purely 'Jeff Beck'. His solo albums were all groundbreaking, 'ahead of their time', and paved the way for me and so many other guitarists around the world. And they were fun to listen to, over and over again.

"I had the pleasure of saying hello to Jeff a few times, once when CHICKENFOOT went to see him play at the Fox Theater in Oakland, and a second time when we were all playing at the BosPop Festival in The Netherlands. We all had a fun ja backstage that day. Unfortunately, I didn't ever get to really know him. I hope he knew how much I admired, revered and respected him.

"When I finish writing this I will go and listen to Jeff's 'Where Were You' a few times and thank him for giving us so much beautiful music.

"My deepest condolences to his family and close friends. R.I.P. Jeff".

For over three decades, Satriani has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star "G3" guitar extravaganza. Joe's studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. His side project CHICKENFOOT, featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debut at No. 9.

Funko have announced the new Soundgarden Funko Pop! Vinyl Figure 4-Pack, coming in April, and available to pre-order now.


Description: Rock n' roll with the members of American rock band, Soundgarden. This Soundgarden Funko Pop! Vinyl Figure 4-Pack includes 1x Chris Cornell, 1x Kim Thayil, 1x Ben Shepherd, 1x Matt Cameron Pop! vinyl figure. Each figure measures approximately 3 3/4-inches tall and comes packaged in a window display box. Rock out with these legendary artists and add this 4-pack to your Funko Pop! collection.


Pre-order here.

IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain performed reimagined versions of some of the band's classic songs with The Massed Bands of His Majesty's Royal Marines Friday night (March 8) at this year's 52nd Mountbatten Festival Of Music (MFM) at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Nicko played his kit, named Legacy Of Royals, for the piece "The Maiden Legacy" — a medley of the heavy metal band's most popular tracks: "The Trooper", "Wasted Years" and "Run To The Hills". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

On March 5, during McBrain's rehearsals with the Royal Marines Band Service at HMS Temeraire in Burnaby Road, Nicko told The News about how his involvement with the event came about:  "Well, let's see, 2020, the year that we don't talk about, it was the 50th anniversary of the Mountbatten Festival, and I was in attendance as a guest… And it just came about that … the people that I met there at the event, they said, 'Oh, it'd be nice to…' 'cause it was THE PRODIGY, who did the halftime after the interval. And I was absolutely amazed at it. I thought, 'There's these guys playing PRODIGY. It's brilliant.' So that was where the idea came about. And they said, 'Well, what would you like to do next year?' And I was very honored and humbled, and I immediately agreed."

Asked how the rehearsals had been going up until that point, Nicko said: "Rehearsals have been great. Sunday was a bit of a — how do I say it? Very nervous. Because of my circumstances, my right hand doesn't work very well, so I was very, super nervous about that. We got through the rehearsals really well, and then it was, of course, time to come in yesterday with the full orchestra. And my goodness, the north wind does blow right behind me. It blew me away. The power and the sound of these great musicians and a hundred-piece orchestra jamming MAIDEN was just a joy to behold. I wanted to actually stop and listen to 'em, but I can't do that. It's been wonderful."

Nicko played a special kit made just for these shows, created by The British Drum Company. Stu Warmington, international sales manager for BDC, said: "For this kit, we've put different designs of MAIDEN's mascot Eddie as marines through history on each of the drums, from 1664 right up to the present day, so we've got the Yomper, at the battle of Trafalgar and so on. After the shows it's going to be put up for auction for the Royal Marines Charity."

The Mountbatten Festival Of Music is a major source of fundraising for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines charities and the Young Lives vs Cancer charity and takes the audience on an exhilarating ride through the world of music, often premiering spectacular new arrangements and compositions, unique to this event. When combined with traditional military marches, music from the big screen, superb solo items, all accompanied by spectacular lighting effects, the Mountbatten Festival Of Music has packed out the Royal Albert Hall annually for over 50 years.

Nicko's drumkit will be sold at auction to raise money for the Royal Marines Charity and the Grand Order of Water Rats Charity.

McBrain suffered a ministroke in early 2023 and has been recovering ever since.

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

Four years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps. The musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

Nicko McBrain performs alongside Royal Marines Band (Rehearsals).

Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain performs alongside Royal Marines Band (Rehearsals at HMS Temeraire in Portsmouth).

Video by The News, Portsmouth.

Posted by Eddie The Head Fan Club on Saturday, March 9, 2024

In a new interview with Larry Mac of the 96.1 KLPX radio station, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked what fans can expect to see at the band's April 18 concert at the Pima County Fair in Tucson, Arizona. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, as per usual, they can expect an all-real show. There's no pre-recorded backing tracks. We're raw. Sometimes it's really raw and rough, but that's what we pride ourselves in being, is 100 percent real. Going back to our first album when it said no machines on there, that meant no fake drum machines. So that's the first thing people can expect. And I think by the time we get to Tucson, it's gonna be after the Las Vegas residency. We'll have worked up some different songs in our show. I think by that point we will have a brand new song ready to go. The one that we're working on is called 'All About Love', and it's a beautiful song that [TESLA singer] Jeff Keith and I wrote during the COVID thing and we're finally getting around to recording it. And by the time we get to Tucson, I would be willing to wager that we'll have that one ready for the show."

Elsewhere in the chat, Hannon said that the studio recording of "All About Love" will be released this coming summer.

As previously reported, TESLA will return to the House Of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino Las Vegas in 2024 with their "Tesla: The Las Vegas Takeover". Shows will be held on April 5, 6, 10, 12 and 13, 2024, and are scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.

In August 2022, TESLA released a standalone single, "Time To Rock!" A year earlier, the band issued another new track called "Cold Blue Steel".

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

Guesting on VRP Rocks, Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler shares his experiences touring with legendary acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Motörhead, and Mötley Crüe, providing exclusive insights into the behind-the-scenes world of rock and metal music in the 1980s.


Nigel recalls a surprising turn of events when Ozzy bailed on a tour, leaving his bandmates tranded. He also reflects on his cherished memories of touring with the seminal rock band, Motörhead, including the honor of being a part of one of Lemmy's final tours. Plus, Nigel vividly recounts the lively encounters during Saxon's tour with the sensational Mötley Crüe.


On touring with Mötley Crüe:




"They were great. Nice guys. I got on great with Nikki Sixx. You hardly ever saw Mick Mars; didn't see him apart from the gig a lot (of the time). Obviously they were doing a lot of partying, and sometimes we were seeing the Polaroids from the night before (laughs). Me an Nikki ended up having an arm punching competition - I think he started it actually - and I won. One morning in the hotel I went down and said 'Come on, man, where is it?' and he was 'No, no more! I can't take it!"





SiX By SiX, the progressive power trio comprising Ian Crichton (Saga), Nigel Glockler (Saxon) and Robert Berry (3.2), are pleased to announce the release of their sophomore album ‘Beyond Shadowland’ on InsideOutMusic on April 26, 2024. The band reconvened in Berry’s own Soundtek Studios in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2023 to bend, shape, hammer and caress their diverse musical talents into 11 impressive new tracks.  With this album, they continue to define and build upon their unique melodic space, welding guitar-driven rock, metal and prog into a unique and powerful sonic setting.


To coincide with the announcement of the new album, the band have released the first single “The Arms Of A Word”, a track which reflects on the division driven by a click-bait driven media.


Ian Crichton comments: “On the new record we kept our style but have written stylistically some quite different tunes. I gave Robert a lot of parts, sections, licks, middle 8's, etc. He added verses, bridges, etc... and vocals!  He's a brilliant arranger. Of course, Nigel is a powerhouse. As always, he played great on this record.”


Nigel Glockler adds: “Playing with Ian and Robert is always terrific. Making this album was a productive time. Ultimately, we narrowed things down to eleven tunes. Good ones too! I left the sessions feeling very pleased. I think everybody’s going to be impressed with the new album.”


Robert Berry continues: “I’ve always believed that music has the power to bring people together. This record is a testament to that notion. As always, working with Ian and Nigel on an actual second album was a moving experience for me.  Truly special.”


Beyond Shadowland will be available as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g Black 2LP (featuring 4 exclusive bonus tracks) & as a Digital Album. The artwork was once again created by Rob Fowler.


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Wren”
“The Arms Of A Word”
“Can’t Live Like This”
“Obiliex”
“Only You Can Decide”
“Titans”
“Outside Looking In”
“Spectre”
“Sympathise”
“One Step”
“The Mission”


Vinyl-only bonus tracks:


“Six By Six Orchestra Medley”
“The Arms Of A Word” (Instrumental)
“Honor Bridge”
“The Mission” (Instrumental) 


“The Arms Of A Word”

JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford has recorded an audio message for the listeners of BBC Radio 2's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" about the band's just-released new studio album, "Invincible Shield". Introducing the title track from the LP, Rob said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hello, Radio 2 'Rock Show'. This is Rob Halford, the Metal God from JUDAS PRIEST. Our brand new album, 'Invincible Shield', came out today. Yes, it's been unleashed.

"'Invincible Shield', the 19th studio album from JUDAS PRIEST. We started in 1974 with 'Rock Rolla', and here we are over 50 years later. What a glorious life this band has had. All thanks to you guys. You know you've kept the faith alive with us. You're our inspiration, this metal community that we cherish and that we love and that we treasure together with our treasure trail of metal.

"We made this album all over the place, 'Invincible Shield'. We did some tracking in, uh, the U.K. out here at home, we did some tracking in Nashville, and we did some tracking in the hell fires of Phoenix. I tell you when it's 48 Celsius outside, you definitely know the metal's burning inside. We do whatever we've gotta do to make the best British heavy metal that we can make, and we're proud of it — we're proud of everything that's related to this glorious life that JUDAS PRIEST has had.

"This album, like every album that we've made, has got its own identity, its own character, like all of them have acquired over the years. It seems as time goes by, these albums become more important, don't they? They're like a time machine. If you listen to 'British Steel', we take you back to the '80s, [if you listen to] 'Painkiller', we take you back [to the early '90s]. We're always forging ahead, we're always pushing those metal boundaries and seeing what we can do next. And Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist who is suffering from Parkinson's disease] was pushing the boundaries with us. Glenn was with us every step of the way, from the initial writing sessions here in the U.K., where we started to make these tracks, myself and Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist] and Glenn. What a hero this man is. And recently we had the opportunity to have a fantastic moment when he came out on stage with us at that already-legendary Power Trip festival in California. The metal maniacs went ballistic, and we hope that you guys here in the U.K. will get the same opportunity. He comes out when he can — whenever Glenn is in the in the right place to do what he loves to do with this band, he'll be on that stage. So let's hope we see him somewhere on this British tour.

"Let's wind it up, shall we? Thanks again, guys. I'm going to cut to the main cut, if you call it that, on 'Invincible Shield', the title track. I love the attitude, the aggression, the distinct British metal flavor of the title track from 'Invincible Shield', the album.

"This is 'Invincible Shield' on the BBC Radio 2 'Rock Show'. Turn it up."

"Invincible Shield" was released on Friday, March 8 via Sony Music.

The release date for PRIEST's follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" was announced last October during the band's performance at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

"Invincible Shield" marks PRIEST's first album since Faulkner experienced a life-threatening heart emergency, while Halford quietly battled prostate cancer.

JUDAS PRIEST will hit the road in support of "Invincible Shield" on a headlining spring U.S. tour with special guests SABATON. The trek kicks off April 18 in Wallingford, Connecticut.

"When I walk out onstage later this year, at age 73, dressed the way I do, that's real, man," Halford, who will turn 73 in August, told Revolver magazine.

"There's so much conviction within that whole experience that it has formed its own invincible shield. It's impossible to destroy. It's this permanent expression of what metal is about, who we are as a band, and who our fans are.

"Internally, we all have our own invincible shields. We all have this power that doesn't get released until a specific moment. Externally, we have the battle vests, the leather, the studs, the rings, the whips, the chains, the handcuffs, the bike — it's all the invincible shield of heavy metal."

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Original guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

KK'S PRIEST, which features former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),alongside guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),played the second show of its 2024 U.S. tour on March 8 at Mount Dora Music Hall in Mount Dora, Florida. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of How Hawks).

According to Setlist.fm, KK'S PRIEST's setlist was as follows:

01. Hellfire Thunderbolt
02. One More Shot At Glory
03. Reap The Whirlwind
04. Night Crawler (JUDAS PRIEST song)
05. Burn In Hell (JUDAS PRIEST song)
06. Beyond The Realms Of Death (JUDAS PRIEST song)
07. Hell Patrol (JUDAS PRIEST song)
08. Brothers Of The Road
09. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
10. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST song)
11. Victim Of Changes (JUDAS PRIEST song)
12. Raise Your Fists
13. Strike Of The Viper

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which features support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The tour will be the first of at least a two-leg USA run of shows, planned to continue later in 2024.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

KK'S PRIEST kicked off a five-date "Priests, Killers & Witches" U.K. tour on October 7, 2023 at O2 Institute in Birmingham.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Director Jeff Claire at Five O Backstage One has shared pro-shot video of Van Halen performing at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on June 21st, 2013.


It was part of Van Halen's A Different Kind Of Truth tour. The entire show can be viewed below.


Setlist:




"Unchained"
"Runnin' With the Devil"
"She's the Woman"
"Romeo Delight"
"Tattoo"
"Everybody Wants Some"
"Somebody Get Me a Doctor"
"China Town"
"Hear About It Later"
"Oh, Pretty Woman" (Roy Orbison)
- drum solo -
"You Really Got Me" (The Kinks)
"Dance the Night Away"
"I'll Wait"
"And The Cradle Will Rock"
"Hot for Teacher"
"Women In Love"
"Romeo Delight"
"Mean Street"
"Beautiful Girls"
"Ice Cream Man" (John Brim)
"Panama"
- guitar solo - 
"Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"


Encore:
"Jump"

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash spoke to Steve Migs of Audacy Check In about his upcoming solo album called "Orgy Of The Damned", a collection of 12 songs that shakes up and revitalizes blues classics with a stripped-down, instinctive approach. Due out May 17 via Gibson Records, the LP features such guest vocalists as AC/DC's Brian Johnson, Iggy Pop, THE BLACK CROWES' Chris Robinson, Gary Clark Jr., ZZ TOP's Billy F Gibbons, Dorothy, BAD COMPANY's Paul Rodgers, pop star Demi Lovato and country artist Chris Stapleton. The first track to be released is a rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor", with Johnson on vocals and AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler on harmonica.

Regarding why he chose to record a blues album at this point of his career, Slash told Audacy Check In: "When I was a kid, I got turned on to a lot of blues music coming up. But then, as a guitar player, I was turned on by [Jimi] Hendrix and Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck and [Eric] Clapton and all those sort of guys that came out of the U.K. And I quickly found out that their particular styles were all rooted in that music that I grew up listening to previously. So it was a full-circle thing for me. But those original musicians, when you listen to the original tracks, like Eric Clapton and Rory Gallagher and all these great guitar players and also singers that have come along that came out of the sort of English explosion there, British, whatever you call it… And they're so phenomenal, but when you listen to those original guys, man, it's some serious fucking shit. The feel and just the natural kind of cadence and just the delivery of those songs from those original artists is something that you really can't touch. Even some of the best blues guys around can only barely scratch the surface on how great some of that original stuff was."

As for how he got Johnson and Tyler to appear on "Killing Floor", Slash said: "That's a good question. I had the song and I was trying to think who would be great to do it. And Brian came to mind. And I've known Brian for a pretty long time now. And he just has that great kind of grit to his voice. And I called him up and it turns out that he's a huge fuckin Howlin' Wolf protégé. And so he had been in cover bands before AC/DC and even before GEORDIE. And also, he was telling me that he's doing something at present where he's putting together sort of a blues-orchestra thing. Don't quote me on that, but something to that [effect]. Anyway, and so he was excited to do that particular song anyway. And that's the key thing that you're looking for, is that when you call any of these great artists up and you have a cover song that you want to attack and if they would be willing to participate, that the song speaks to them, that it has meaning to them too, not just me. And that's how it was with Brian. He was, like, 'Oh, fucking great. Yeah, let's do this.' And then Steven Tyler came in. He came to my studio after Brian had already done the vocal. And I'm trying to remember exactly… I mean, he came in to do the harmonica or he just happened to have a harmonica with him. I can't remember, but I played him the track. It was, like, 'This is great.' So it was very spontaneous. It was very just sort of inspired in the moment, which is a great thing to be able to capture, especially nowadays because people just, by and large, don't make records like that now. Everything is very well thought out and cultivated and homogenized and produced, and this was just very, very off the cuff."

On the topic of Pop's contribution to "Orgy Of The Damned", Slash said: "The Iggy Pop thing, that recording was actually very special because it was something that — it was the only song on the record that was delivered to me as an idea from the singer. In other words, I already had the songs and I went to them, but in Iggy's case, I found out through the grapevine — actually from our bass player — that we'd read somewhere that Iggy would always wanna do a blues thing, but he's just never done it. So I called Iggy — I've worked with Iggy a lot over the years, and I called him up and I said, 'Well, if there was a track that you would wanna do, what would it be?' And it was Lightnin' Hopkins's 'Awful Dream', which is such a left-field, obscure track. And when you listen to it, I'm pretty sure it's an outtake that was done between takes or at the end of the session. You have to hear it. It's not really put together; it's just sort of like a loose jam. But Iggy is pretty profound, and there was a lyrical content in there that he really fuckin related to. Anyway, so when we did the song, we just sat in the lounge at my studio, which is really just one room — just a tiny little room — and he sat on a stool and I sat on a stool and Michael Jerome played drums right next to us and we just did it live right there. And it was something that meant a lot to Iggy, so the way that he sang it was very, very emotionally effective."

The video for "Killing Floor", which can be seen below, offers a first look at Slash and his blues band Johnny Griparic (bass),Teddy Andreadis (keyboards),Michael Jerome (drums),and Tash Neal (vocals/guitar),recording the song in the studio.

Slash previously said about the track: "'Killing Floor' is one of my favorite Howlin' Wolf songs, but also one of the iconic blues riffs that turned me on as a young guitar player. I've always wanted to cover it in some capacity and this record was the perfect vehicle. But playing it with this band, and with Brian Johnson singing, it was an achievement I would never have imagined back then. Let alone Steven Tyler providing the harp."

Johnson stated: "When Slash asked me to sing on 'Killing Floor', I said yes immediately. It was one of the first songs I learned in my very first band, and when he played me the backing track it was a no-brainer, and Steven's harmonica is so bloody hot. I had a ball with Slash in the studio, and I think we did this great old song justice. Rock on."

By celebrating both well-known and largely undiscovered songs, Slash offers a nostalgic nod to the past while reinvigorating the songs with his inimitable guitar playing and the spirit of collaboration. For "Orgy Of The Damned", the acclaimed guitarist reteamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted the album's diverse guest vocalists, in a similar way to his 2010 self-titled solo LP "Slash". To round out his band in the studio and on the road, Slash reunited with two of his bandmates from his BLUES BALL outfit in the '90s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Although he grew up in England, Slash's American grandmother turned him on to the blues early on and he was immediately taken with B.B. King. At the same time, his parents raised him on a healthy diet of '60s British rock 'n' roll, from THE WHO to THE KINKS. Once he moved to Laurel Canyon, Slash found himself surrounded by rock and folk singers like Joni Mitchell, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH and Neil Young — all of whom eventually inspired his playing and songwriting. It wasn't until he began playing guitar himself that Slash realized all of his favorite musicians had been influenced by the same B.B. King blues records he'd listened to as a young kid.

"Orgy Of The Damned" encompasses a broad range of styles within the blues genre, veering from an upbeat, rowdy take on Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" to a plaintive, twanging rendition of T. Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday". Some of the songs, like STEPPENWOLF's "The Pusher", Charlie Segar's "Key To The Highway" and Albert King's "Born Under A Bad Sign", had been performed by SLASH'S BLUES BALL while others, like Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City", were longtime favorites for Slash. "Hoochie Coochie Man", written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters in 1954, showcases the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy of "Orgy Of The Damned", with ZZ TOP's Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals. The group went into a rehearsal room in North Hollywood and began hashing out soulful, rollicking takes on the classic songs. Everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of dynamic, energized songs that are immediate, raw, and distinctly familiar.

Elsewhere on "Orgy Of The Damned", Demi Lovato lends her powerhouse voice to "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", a fervent, soulful version of the 1972 single by THE TEMPTATIONS that Slash admired as a kid. Although the song veers more towards R&B, the guitarist wanted to give it his own impassioned spin. The album concludes with a soaring original instrumental number, "Metal Chestnut", penned specifically for "Orgy Of The Damned" by Slash.

"Orgy Of The Damned" track listing:

01. The Pusher (feat. Chris Robinson)
02. Crossroads (feat. Gary Clark Jr.)
03. Hoochie Coochie Man (feat. Billy Gibbons)
04. Oh Well (feat. Chris Stapleton)
05. Key To The Highway (feat. Dorothy)
06. Awful Dream (feat. Iggy Pop)
07. Born Under A Bad Sign (feat. Paul Rodgers)
08. Papa Was A Rolling Stone (feat. Demi Lovato)
09. Killing Floor (feat. Brian Johnson)
10. Living For The City (feat. Tash Neal)
11. Stormy Day (feat. Beth Hart)
12. Metal Chestnut

Although Slash's upcoming LP will be his second under the "Slash" banner, he has released a handful of albums with his long-running band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, in which he is joined by ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy.

Last month, Slash resumed touring with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, Brent Fitz (drums),Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

THE WARNING, the alternative sister-trio from Monterrey, Mexico consisting of Daniela "Dany" (guitar, lead vocals, piano),Paulina "Pau" (drums, vocals, piano) and Alejandra "Ale" Villarreal (bass, piano, backing vocals),will release its new full-length album, "Keep Me Fed", on June 28, 2024 via Lava/Republic Records. Physical products will be available at RepublicRecords.com, including CDs, vinyl, t-shirts, and fan packs.

In talking about the story behind the decision to name the album "Keep Me Fed", Pau says: "Throughout the whole process, the work was consuming us. By impacting everything we did, the album kept us fed both creatively and personally. We're inviting other people to participate and consume it too."

Bulldozing the way for the record's arrival, they just unveiled two singles, namely "Hell You Call A Dream" and the Spanish-language "Qué Más Quieres". Each song is also accompanied by its own lyric video.

Illuminating the band's evolution, the tracks hint at the breadth of their stunning signature style. On "Hell You Call A Dream", co-written and produced by Anton Delost (HIGHLY SUSPECT, MAYDAY PARADE) and Dan Lancaster (MUSE, BRING ME THE HORIZON),an arresting keyboard melody wraps around the punchy bass line. A distorted guitar groove anchors a hard-hitting hook, "Give me something to believe, in this hell you call a dream." Dany notes, "'Hell You Call A Dream' tries to express a feeling most musicians find hard to express. When you're touring, you experience the positives, the negatives, and the whole spectrum of emotion all at once. It's about how something you love so much can be something that also weighs you down, but you continue to do it out of love. It's fulfilling, but it's tiring."

The three-piece further flaunt their fiery versatility on "Qué Más Quieres". It tempers a robust riff with an electronic flurry, giving way to a chantable chorus with the power to resonate worldwide. "The title translates to 'What else do you want?'," Pau reveals. "It's about taunting and manipulating. We were thinking of the TikTok phrase 'Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss' and turned it into a song." Dany goes on, "It means a lot to sing in our language and represent our country. Over the years, doors have finally opened for Mexican women in rock, and we're actively participating in opening these doors where we can."

"Keep Me Fed" also features "More", which the band performed at the 2023 MTV VMAs, and the recently released fan favorite "S!ck" that is climbing the Active Rock charts. Revolver raved, "Like the Mexican sister-trio's previous output, it's undeniably infectious," and Classic Rock hailed it as a "shot-in-the-arm of propulsive, fire-spitting hard rock." Rolling Stone pegged it as one of "All The Songs You Need To Know This Week."

Next up, THE WARNING will perform at Mexico's prestigious Pa'l Norte and Vive Latino festivals followed by a month-long full-scale European tour this spring. It kicks off in Madrid at Sala La Riviera on April 4, canvases the continent, and concludes in London at O2 Forum Kentish Town on April 27.

The tour marks the band's return to Europe after their own 2023 run of beyond-sold-out headline European dates in addition to their monumental run supporting MUSE and ROYAL BLOOD on their stadium tours. They also sold out shows across Mexico, South America including their largest show to date in Mexico City at the infamous Pepsi Center.

THE WARNING draw strength and power from a lifetime of sisterhood and music. The Mexico-born sister trio have logged thousands of miles on the road, generated hundreds of millions of streams, and left countless fans in awe. All of this tireless work and dedication has shaped and sharpened their sound with knifepoint precision, arming alternative anthems with universally catchy hooks and an uncompromising hard rock kick. The girls have devoted themselves to a shared dream since their childhood in Monterrey, Mexico. They initially made waves with a string of independent releases, paving the way for their acclaimed 2022 full-length offering "Error". Between performing alongside MUSE, FOO FIGHTERS, GUNS N' ROSES, ROYAL BLOOD, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and THREE DAYS GRACE, the band ignited MTV's Extended Play Stage at the 2023 MTV VMAs. Representative of their cultural impact, Pepsi even notably chose them as the face of Pepsi Black in Mexico. Moreover, they emerged as the rare force who could comfortably appear in features by Vanity Fair, People, Cosmopolitan and Glamour as well as on METALLICA's star-studded "Blacklist" compilation.

Sweden's Amaranthe recentlyreleased their new album, The Catalyst, via Nuclear Blast Records. They have checked in with the following update:


"We are absolutely blown away by the incredible support from all our amazing fans! Thanks to you, The Catalyst has climbed its way up the charts in many countries! We couldn't have done it without each and every one of you who streamed, shared, and rocked out to our music. Your love and dedication mean the world to us!


Let's keep this momentum going! Keep spreading the word and sharing the music with your friends and family. Together, we're unstoppable! See you on tour!"







The Catalyst is the most conceptually coherent piece of work in Amaranthe's storied history. Dedicated to notions of transformation and revelation, it delves deeper than any previous album, as Olof Mörck explains: "We’ve done these things before, but we’ve never been as theatrical as we have this time," Mörck grins. "In fact, we all questioned whether we went too far this time, but I also figured that this band was always this way. Literally, the first seconds of our first video was a big explosion! But yes, The Catalyst is more theatrical than ever. We’ve never really been symphonic or orchestral before, but this time we just thought why not? Because we can! The key to this album is that we let go of the boundaries and decided to do something even more adventurous."


The Catalyst represents the culmination of 15 years of hard work and the breathless pursuit of a wholly original musical vision. Change is inevitable. Victory is assured.


Order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"The Catalyst"
"Insatiable"
"Damnation Flame"
"Liberated"
"Re-Vision"
"Interference"
"Stay a Little While"
"Ecstasy"
"Breaking the Waves"
"Outer Dimensions"
"Resistance"
"Find Life"


"Re-Vision" video:





"Outer Dimensions" video:





"Insatiable" video:





"Damnation Flame" video:





Lineup:


Elize Ryd - vocals
Mikael Sehlin - growls
Nils Molin - vocals
Olof Mörck - guitars, keyboards
Johan Andreassen - bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums

A video for the track "Abramelin Carousel" from the new Toby Knapp solo album, Transmission To Purgatory, was released this week. It can be viewed below.


Knapp talks about the inspiration for the track:


"I like to make music that reflects what I'm a fan of at that point in time. The last several years have been a cycle where I'm on a Traditional Heavy Metal kick so I do an Onward, Where Evil Follows or Necrytis album. After I get the Traditional Metal out of my system I go on to Black Metal, the complete opposite, because that genre becomes interesting to me again and I'll do a Waxen album. After that I get back into the old school instrumental guitar driven metal that I've always loved. These are my three genres and I have three separate record deals with Moribund to cover everything. 




'Abramelin Carousel' is definitely me emulating my guitar heroes, so you've got the Yngwie influence and near the end of the track it's the Marty Friedman 'Dragon's Kiss' type of sound. I'm pretty strict about tunings and recording methods because I think a lot of new metal sounds the same especially the production aspect. I liked when albums sounded different because the recording circumstances were different. Shrapnel Records sounded like Prairie Sun Studios and early Black Metal sounded like a four track in a basement. Unisound Records in Greece, Morrisound studios in Florida. Now everyone has the Andy Sneap software or plug ins or whatever (not literally) and the albums sound huge, but the band is still just a thrash garage band live. 


I got this title from a book I studied seriously for a few years called The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. I was really into Aleister Crowley and Hermeticism and I practiced that stuff. It was so interesting and mysterious. I got foolish with the Abramelin book and skipped a bunch of steps in a magical process and got stuck in a bizarre magical vortex for awhile. It was very real. I had professional occultists step in and help me undo my mess. I recorded a Waxen album, Blasphemer In Celestial Courts, which was sort of a self exorcism and that was the end of my occult interests. This year I sold lots of my books off! 


Odin Thompson (Moribund Records) is very knowledgeable about the occult and even the Hermetic, really old magic. He and video maker extraordinaire Luiz combined the Abramelin imagery with footage of me playing along with the song. I didn't realize this video was going to be so immersed in the occult and the first time I watched I was like 'Oh no! Not the squares again!' Those little squares can get you trouble. I did love the result. It just seemed to come from the ether.


Instrumental heavy metal has been a difficult genre to really 'succeed' in because it's heyday ended decades ago. I do it because I love it, obviously. Shrapnel President Mike Varney recently said something to the effect of 'guitar work need not be faster than the fastest guys on Shrapnel Records' and I agree with that. The song always comes first. I think Jason Becker Perpetual Burn is the perfect album of the genre and it's not something we're going to see again. I heard that album when I was sixteen and was wise enough to know "I can't do that, I'll never be able to do that!" I understood Jason Becker is a musical genius, I'm just a guitar player. This understanding served me well because I concentrated on the things I did excel at musically. In doing this, I got my record deal with Shrapnel Records after all and I'm still here making music and selling albums 30 years later."

Former Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was with the band from 2015 - 2023, has shared a new video where he plays and breaks down one of his favourite Megadeth riffs, "Killing Time".





Previously, Loureiro shared a video where he plays his "most famous" guitar riff. Check it out below.




Loureiro: "Tabs for this riff,  a complete Guitar Riff Mastery course, and much more can be found on my Guitar Academy here."








Loureiro recently spoke with Guitar World about his departure from Megadeth. He commented on his replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari - whom he found to fill his shoes in Megadeth -  and revealed that he made another suggestion to management during the scouting process.


Loureiro: "Actually, I even mentioned to management and Dave (Mustaine) that I thought bringing Marty Friedman back would be amazing. I have no idea if they’re talking about it or talking to him, but I did say that. But again, I have no idea beyond that, and I don’t want to make anything more complicated."


"The fans never said anything bad about me or complained, which was amazing, but I’m a fan, and I always understood that Marty was a part of those iconic albums like Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction. I understood that Marty was the guy who helped create that sound and style, you know? From the moment I joined Megadeth, I knew the fans could show me love, but I would never win their hearts over Marty." 


Read more here.

Brazilian horror metal outfit, Alchemia, unleashes the live video of their song "Mind Prison" today. The electrifying performance was captured at the 2023 Horror Expo Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, a location steeped in special significance for the band.


"Horror Expo is where Alchemia played live for the first time in 2019, opening for Therion," explains vocalist and founder Victor Piiroja. "Returning to the festival was truly special, and we felt compelled to capture the energy as this event holds a special place in our hearts."







While captivating audiences worldwide with their live presence, Alchemia is currently recording their highly anticipated new album, Become Human, in Germany. Fans can expect to experience the band's sonic mastery firsthand at the upcoming Summer Breeze Open Air Brasil festival, taking place April 26-28 at Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo, Brazil.


Alchemia is a Brazilian horror metal band formed in São Paulo in 2018. The band’s debut album, Inception, was released in 2021 by Italian label WormholeDeath Records and helped Alchemia become one of the most promising horror metal bands in the world. The band’s music is dark and cinematic, with lyrics that explore themes such as reflection, consciousness, mental imprisonment, phobias, and psychological disorders.

During this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise, legendary DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes and THE DARKNESS frontman Justin Hawkins teamed up for a karaoke performance of "The Power Of Love", a song co-written and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter Jennifer Rush in 1984 and later covered by Celine Dion. Video of their rendition can be seen below.

On Wednesday (March 6),Hawkins took to his Instagram to share a photo of Hughes performing with his solo band on Monsters Of Rock, and he included the following message: "Ok there are many great things to see on the @monstersofrockcruise but as soon as this guy opens his mouth to sing, I'm transfixed and there's nowhere I'd rather be.

"If you haven't seen @glennhughesonline perform, rectify that immediately. He is not human. He is something else. An absolutely extraordinary vocalist, and his bass playing Is perfection.

"What a band?! One of the best things I've ever seen! What's more, he's so full of love and positivity that you have to smile. Every aspect of this individual is inspiring.

"GOAT.

"I'm blown away. Can you tell?"

"The Power Of Love" was released as the fifth single from Rush's debut album, "Jennifer Rush", and has since also been covered by AIR SUPPLY and Laura Branigan.

Dion recorded "The Power Of Love" for her 1993 album "The Colour of My Love". It established her as a power ballad singer, and some critics thought her strong-but-vulnerable performance made it better than the original.

Dion's version peaked at No. 1 in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and hit Top 10 in several more countries in 1994. The song has been translated into several languages, becoming a pop standard.

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A post shared by Nikki Blakk (@nikkiblakk666)



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A post shared by Justin Hawkins (@justinhawkinsta)

Melodic power thrashers Among These Ashes have released "Restless Gypsy," a cover of the W.A.S.P. classic on all major streaming platforms.


Guitarist/Backing Vocalist Richard Clark released the following statement on the decision to cover the song:


"W.A.S.P. embodies so much of what I love about metal, and at that band's core has always been masterful, memorable songwriting. Restless Gypsy has long resonated with me as a great song, and JP [Abboud] and I have been discussing covering this track since we started this band in 2020. We've slightly reconfigured a few of the riffs to put our stamp on the song while prioritizing staying true to the original recording. Matt Ries from Traveler gave us an awesome guest solo on it. Also, Matt Roach gave us an excellent mix and master that perfectly captures the atmospheric elements of the 1980s recording. We intentionally dropped this cover so that we could make a content release prior to the release of our second album. The new album is completely tracked, and we expect to drop it in summer 2024."







(Photo – Aaron Lumsden of Akuro Productions)