Seven Spires will release their new studio album, A Fortress Called Home, on June 21st via Frontiers Music. To celebrate the announcement, the band has shared a music video for the first single, "Almosttown", which can be seen below.


Bassist Peter de Reyna on A Fortress Called Home: “This album will build you up and tear you down in true Seven Spires fashion. I couldn’t be prouder of the life that’s been created in this, our fourth record. Revel in the anguish, bask in the glory, and we will see you on the other side.”  


About the single "Almosttown", frontwoman Adrienne Cowan comments: “It's a song about questioning yourself, your choices, the road behind and ahead, and the lonely bed you habitually make and lie in. It’s yearning for the impossible; the elusive, the intangible.”




Guitarist Jack Kosto follows up: “We knew pretty early on that this would be a perfect first single, as it’s a really fun and somewhat gentle introduction into the subject matter of this album. It’s got all of the fun stuff: riffs, hooks, musical chops, and a gorgeous castle we were lucky enough to film the music video in!”





A Fortress Called Home, Seven Spires' fourth studio album is the follow-up to Gods Of Debauchery (2021), and takes their signature blend of symphonic power and extreme metal to new heights, dragging the listener to the deepest abysses in the process.


Adrienne Cowan comments: “I visited the void twice while writing this album. I don’t know which begat the other. It’s ugly. I love it and I hate it, and I think it’s our best work yet.”


A Fortress Called Home was produced, mixed, and mastered by Jack Kosto who had this to say about it: “If our previous albums have intended to take you on an emotional journey of our design, this album forces you to confront the one of your own making. Good luck and enjoy!”





Tracklisting:


"A Fortress Called Home"
"Songs Upon Wine-Stained Tongues"
"Almosttown"
"Impossible Tower"
"Love’s Souvenir"
"Architect Of Creation"
"Portrait Of Us"
"Emerald Necklace"
"Where Sorrows Bear My Name"
"No Place For Us"
"House Of Lies"
"The Old Hurt Of Being Left Behind"


Pre-order A Fortress Called Home now at this location.


Seven Spires’ 2024 touring schedule includes a European tour with Skálmöld and Atavistia in March, four North American shows as direct support for Kamelot with Ad Infinitum in April, a headline set at Mile High Power Fest in Denver, CO, in August, and their first-ever headlining Japanese tour with Lords Of The Trident in December. Further details can be found here.





 

UK sludge trio, Iron Monkey, return with their new album, Spleen & Goad, available on April 5 through Relapse Records. Listen to the album track, "Off Switch", below.


On Spleen & Goad, the legendary band are as uncompromising as ever, churning out some of the grittiest sounding sludge doom in their twenty-five-plus year history. Dubbed a "doom sludge vanguard" by The Sludgelord, Iron Monkey lives up to their legacy, absolutely pummeling through each of the nine tracks on their new album.


From the two-ton, heavier-than-anything-else riff opening "Concrete Shock”, Iron Monkey shows no signs of easing up; fuzzed out guitars crash against pulse-pounding drums, set against vicious, misanthropic snarls and barks. Elsewhere, tracks like the aptly titled "Rat Flag" kicks the band into high gear with palpable fury and malaise.




Recorded in their native Nottingham, Spleen & Goad was mastered stateside by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. Pre-orders on LP / CD / Digital can be placed now via Relapse.com.





Tracklisting:


"Misanthropizer"
"Concrete Shock"
"C.S.P."
"Off Switch"
"Rat Flag"
"Lead Transfusion"
"Exlexed"
"The Gurges"
"O.D. Rose"


"Off Switch":





"Misanthropizer" video:





Iron Monkey was formed in the year 1994AD in the city of Nottingham, England. The original members were J.P. Morrow, J. Rushby, D. Dalziel, S. Watson, and J. Greaves. Iron Monkey released six tracks of raw sludge-core via the label Union Mill that were later re-released on Earache Records. During this period S. Watson was replaced by D. Berry.


1998 saw the release of the album Our Problem, widely regarded as a masterpiece of negative rock. This was succeeded by a split EP on Man's Ruin Records with Church Of Misery from Japan.


Iron Monkey destroyed itself sometime in 1999. Vocalist J. Morrow died from heart failure in June 2002. Rest In Noise...


The band reformed in the winter of 2016 with original members J. Rushby and S. Watson with the addition of the then Chaos UK drummer Brigga. As of 2023, Iron Monkey are back with a new lineup featuring founding member J. Rushby and D. Berry from the Our Problem sessions and ex-Widows drummer Z. Big.


For further details, visit Iron Monkey on Facebook.

Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson, recently released his new solo album, The Mandrake Project. In a new interview with Martin Popoff for Goldmine, Dickinson and co-writer/producer Roy Z discuss the new album in depth, and reveal that Bruce's catalog is getting a nice overhaul.


“I’m pretty proud of everything I’ve done with Z, like [1997's] Accident Of Birth,” reflects Bruce. “[The] Chemical [Wedding, 1998] is extraordinary, but Tyranny [Of Souls, 2005]  was unfortunately orphaned, with nowhere to go because there was no way to promote it, no way to do anything. But it’s still a beautiful record and there are some lovely songs on it. So yeah, I hope people can dig through the catalog as a result of listening to this one and go, 'Wow, I should reassess those albums.'


"I’m remixing Skunkworks [1996] . We’re remixing Balls To Picasso [1994] to make it the record it should have been. There’s guitars missing on Balls To Picasso that Roy did that never made it onto the record because the producer kind of wanted it to be middling, middle of the road. I’m determined that that record should sound like we really wanted it to sound. But Roy and I had only just met; I was just getting to know Z. But yeah, there’s lots of cool stuff we will be doing.”




Read the complete interview at Goldminemag.com.


The Mandrake Project is available worldwide on multiple formats. Across ten inventive, expansive and absorbing tracks, Dickinson and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy Z, have created one of 2024’s defining rock albums. Sonically heavy and rich in musical textures, The Mandrake Project sees Bruce bring to life a musical vision long-in-the-making, and features some of the finest vocal performances of his career.


Recorded largely at LA’s Doom Room with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist, the lineup for The Mandrake Project was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce’s last solo studio album, Tyranny Of Souls, in 2005.


Order The Mandrake Project here.





The Mandrake Project tracklisting:


"Afterglow Of Ragnarok"
"Many Doors To Hell"
"Rain On The Graves"
"Resurrection Men"
"Fingers In The Wounds"
"Eternity Has Failed"
"Mistress Of Mercy"
"Face In The Mirror"
"Shadow Of The Gods"
"Sonata (Immortal Beloved)"


"Rain On The Graves" video:





"Afterglow Of Ragnarok" video:

SCORPIONS frontman Klaus Meine has revealed that he is recovering from a "complex spinal surgery." As a result, the band's previously announced March 16 performance at the Vive Latino festival in Mexico City has been canceled.

Earlier today, the 75-year-old singer took to SCORPIONS' social media to write:

"Dear Mexican Fans, knowing that some of our most amazing diehard fans live in Mexico, it is with a heavy heart that I have to let you know, SCORPIONS will not be performing at the Vive Latino Festival on the 16th March 2024 in Mexico City. The reason we have had to cancel is because I recently underwent a complex spine surgery, and my doctors expected me to be better and back on my feet in time for the show.

"I am making good progress with my rehab, but unfortunately, I have not recovered as expected and after talking with my medical team, I am advised that a 12-hour flight time and performing at 2000 meters altitude is a tough one for anybody and I am not well enough to travel and to give you the show you all deserve.

"I hope we can come back to Mexico soon, to Rock you Like a Hurricane!!!!!

"I am so sorry for causing this inconvenience to all our loyal Mexican fans and to the excellent promoters, and hope, for your understanding.

"Love….Klaus".

SCORPIONS will return to the Las Vegas Strip next month a brand new exclusive headlining residency show in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their iconic album "Love At First Sting", performing the album plus all of their biggest hits. Promoted by Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment, "Scorpions - Love At First Sting Las Vegas" kicks off on Thursday, April 11 at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The new show follows the band's popular "Sin City Nights" residency which sold out all nine performances at the venue in 2022.

SCORPIONS' only continuous member has been guitarist Rudolf Schenker, although Meine has appeared on all of the band's studio albums, while guitarist Matthias Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016, respectively.

SCORPIONS' latest album, "Rock Believer", was released in February 2022. The album was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SCORPIONS (@scorpions)

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have released lyric videos for all 14 songs from the band's latest metal masterpiece, "Invincible Shield". You can check them out below.

"Invincible Shield" is being released today (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.

After BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs" played as the intro to PRIEST's set, a graphic was displayed on the video screens announcing "Invincible Shield".

The cover artwork for the CD and vinyl versions of "Invincible Shield" can be found below.

"Invincible Shield" track listing:

01. Panic Attack
02. The Serpent And The King
03. Invincible Shield
04. Devil In Disguise
05. Gates Of Hell
06. Crown Of Horns
07. As God Is My Witness
08. Trial By Fire
09. Escape From Reality
10. Sons Of Thunder
11. Giants In The Sky

Deluxe edition bonus tracks:

12. Fight Of Your Life
13. Vicious Circle
14. The Lodger

In a recent interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about "Invincible Shield". Asked about his previous comment that the follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" would be "a little bit more progressive", he clarified: "I think 'progressive' means different things to different people, so it's not super, super complex DREAM THEATER magic, but I think it's complex and progressive in the way that there's some twists and turns and it doesn't really follow any scripts if it doesn't have to. There's two solos in [the LP's first single, 'Panic Attack']. There's a part in it that's 7/8 time [signature]. There's two kind of bridges. So it just goes out of the box a little bit, without being unaccessible, that's what I mean. So I think compared with 'Firepower', it's a little bit more progressive, a few more twists and turns along the journey of the song."

Asked what the inspiration was to make the music a bit more progressive this time around, Richie said: "That was the stuff we were coming up with. When I come up with music, it's usually the riffs first. I sit down with the guitar and the guitar kind of pulls it out of me, really, wherever it comes from. And it just so happened that some of those parts were a bit more unorthodox, time-changey stuff or different time signatures. And the record takes on its own character by itself. As you write a record, you might have an idea of where you wanna go, but the record takes on its own flavor by itself, and you go with that — you recognize where it's going and go with that. So, that's what we were coming up with, and sort of went with that mindset, really."

Regarding his own personal contributions to the songwriting process on "Invincible Shield", Faulkner said: "Well, it's a fairly shared thing. I'm not a lyricist, and obviously Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] is, for example. Me and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] write a lot of the guitar parts and musical parts and Rob writes a lot of the vocals and vocal melodies. And Rob's got a great sense of phrasing as well. He might come in one day with an idea for a song and it's got some melody and it's got some timing and you can attach yourself to that timing and come out with a riff. So it's kind of — we get in a room, like me and you put a band together, and 'what have you got?' and 'what have I got?' and we put them together and come up with new songs. And it's fairly organic like that."

Richie also addressed the fact that the main "Invincible Shield" album contains 11 songs, with three additional tracks being made available on various versions of the album. He said: "We wanted to keep it around 10, 11 tracks on the main record. But the bonus tracks, we didn't wanna put them on the shelf never to see the light of day. We wanted to get them out. We wanted people to hear those as well without being part of the standard release. So we released everything we had in different formats."

Faulkner then elaborated on the musical direction of "Invincible Shield", saying: "It's a pretty intense record. There's no real moment where there's a ballad or something like that. It stays up there.

"When you release a record, it's exciting," he explained. "It's also scary at the same time, 'cause is it gonna be well received or not? You never quite know when you let it out in the world. So it's an exciting time, for sure."

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.

CD cover:

Vinyl cover:

Slash, the iconic, Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter, has announced his highly anticipated sixth solo album titled "Orgy Of The Damned", will be released on May 17 via Gibson Records.

A collection of 12 dynamic songs that shakes up and revitalizes blues classics with a stripped-down, instinctive approach, "Orgy Of The Damned" creates a singular expression that pays homage to the blues.

The first single "Killing Floor" — which features Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of AEROSMITH on harmonica — is an electrifying, raucous and gleefully unbridled take on Howlin' Wolf's 1964 Chicago blues standard.

The new 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 says: "'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 states: "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 which include Gary Clark Jr., Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson and Beth Hart, 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.

As Slash was considering vocalists, he approached his old friend and collaborator Iggy Pop, who had long wanted to record a blues song. Pop suggested Lightnin' Hopkins's 1962 track "Awful Dream", a sparse, drawling number originally laid down on acoustic guitar. The duo decided to recreate that stripped back vibe and recorded their own languid, emotionally-resonate version sitting on two stools in Slash's studio.

"Iggy's interpretation of that song is actually sublime," says Slash. "And it's something that nobody's really heard from him. At the end of the track, you can hear him just singing the harmonica parts."

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" showcases a lesser-heard aspect of Slash's musical prowess. While he has always embraced a broad range of styles and genres, the album offers a rare opportunity to explore a unique side of his playing and bring to the forefront a rollicking journey through his strong, blues inspirations, that have long been in the background of his illustrious career.

"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).

Photo credit: Gibson

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA has released the official music video for the brand new single "Ritual". The song, which was co-produced by Grammy-nominated Tyler Smyth (I PREVAIL, FALLING IN REVERSE) and mixed by Zakk Cervini (BRING ME THE HORIZON, BLINK-182),finds the band further experimenting with and pushing the boundaries of its signature sound.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA states: "With 'Ritual', we are kicking off the new era of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA with a bang. 'Color Decay' saw us diving into the emotional struggles so many of our generation are going through, so we wanted to write a song that amped up the energy level. Lyrically, 'Ritual' is about the mundane experiences of life, surrendering to the monotony rather than going against it."

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA continues to smash boundaries and expectations. They are truly operating in the height of their career, having moved over 75,000 tickets on the "Metalcore Dropouts" tour, during which they've been playing material almost exclusively new material from 2022's "Color Decay". Rather than focus on their deep (and much-loved) catalog, the band is leaving fans even hungrier for even more new songs.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will appear at two major upcoming festivals — So What?! in Texas in June and When We Were Young in Las Vegas in October.

"Color Decay" followed 2019's "The Act". As Revolver stated when selecting the record as one of the "50 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2022," "THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have proven time and time again that it's possible to never stop sonically experimenting — with screamo, with spoken word, with atmospheric electronica, with sludge — and never lose their own crushing identity. Anticipating their next successful risk is one of the things that makes being a TDWP fan so rewarding."

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have been consistently delivering since forming in 2005. Fans voted 2009's seminal "With Roots Above And Branches Below" one of the "5 Greatest Metalcore Albums" in a Revolver poll, with the magazine christening it "a true metalcore landmark." The group has notched six consecutive Top 5 debuts on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart, including "Dead Throne" (2011),"8:18" (2013),"Space" EP (2015),"Transit Blues" (2016),"The Act" (2019) and "ZII" EP (2021). The latter served as a sequel to one of their most beloved projects — 2010's "Zombie" EP. In the wake of the EP, the group exceeded a quarter of a billion cumulative streams and views. During 2021, the musicians decamped to remote hideaways together in Wisconsin and Desert Hot Springs, California. This time around, keyboardist/programmer Jonathan Gering took the reins as producer, collaborating closely to assemble a rich sonic architecture for what would become "Color Decay".

Photo credit: Imani Givertz

Former FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell has released his debut solo single, "Anti-Droid". Like his previous work, which continually explored themes of dystopian angst, identity, technology gone wrong, and resilience, the new track arrives with a potent message. "I severed the machine that no longer served me," he screams in the moody, synth-heavy, sci-fi metal missive. It's a defiant statement delivered with a confident bombast. Bell is back on the offensive.

"I'm starting my solo career," Burton says enthusiastically. "I'm working with different producers and co-songwriters, making music that I love, with full control of the music and creative direction."

Bell's discography includes multiple live and recorded collaborations with BLACK SABBATH icon Geezer Butler and JOURNEY's Deen Castronovo (as G/Z/R); industrial maverick Al Jourgensen and MINISTRY; and guest vocal appearances with PITCHSHIFTER, CONFLICT, SOIL, STATIC-X, SOULFLY and DELAIN, among others. He's the vocalist of ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS and CITY OF FIRE and, of course, the co-creator of FEAR FACTORY and the only musician to appear on every FEAR FACTORY release from 1992 through 2024.

"FEAR FACTORY ushered in an entirely new strand of metal when they emerged from the sweatboxes of L.A. in the early '90s," Metal Hammer wrote. "'Demanufacture' was so innovative that it sounds as fresh today as it did then; a blistering collision of metal and hardcore that easily rivals any of its peers. In short, a masterpiece," wrote Kerrang! in an anniversary retrospective. It's a Decibel magazine Hall Of Fame album, alongside classic records by SCORPIONS, JUDAS PRIEST, SLAYER, ANTHRAX and EMPEROR.

FEAR FACTORY created a sound that revolutionized extreme metal, defined in no small part by Bell's innovative scream/sing dichotomy and the influences he brought from post-punk and industrial. Songs like "Replica", "Linchpin", "Edgecrusher", "Fear Campaign", "Archetype", "Cyber Waste" and "Zero Signal" are modern metal anthems. "Demanufacture" (1995) and the RIAA gold-certified "Obsolete" (1998) are genre-redefining works heralded by fans and critics as essential albums. Orwell, Bradbury, "Blade Runner", and sophisticated sci-fi and fantasy works fed Bell's lyrics and concepts.

The band toured the world with METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, KORN, MEGADETH and OZZY OSBOURNE, taking bands like SYSTEM OF A DOWN and STATIC-X out as support acts in their early stages. After years of behind-the-scenes band member turmoil and legal issues, Bell left FEAR FACTORY in the fall of 2020.

In the chorus of "Anti-Droid", he declares: "I'd rather be dead than a slave to the factory."

Bell says "Anti-Droid" is "a statement about breaking free. Breaking the bonds of what I felt was a prison in many ways. Not just financially or contractually but creatively, as well. I felt constrained to this format we'd written ourselves into. The 'factory' doesn't have a capital F. It's the factory of the music industry, a certain form of business, and priorities. Being a slave to an established way of thinking is not really freedom. I am moving forward."

Like the faithful cover of RAMMSTEIN's "Du Hast" he released in 2023, or the cover of "Enter Sandman" recorded with DANZIG's John Christ and METALLICA's Robert Trujillo more than a decade before, Bell's solo work embodies the best of hard rock, metal, and industrial's past, present, and future. "Anti-Droid" is but the opening salvo in a brand-new campaign, which will see Burton C. Bell releasing increasingly innovative yet classic feeling, ever-engaging solo material. It also sets the stage for future live performances, certain to deliver the anthems that have defined his body of work, songs rarely played from CITY OF FIRE and G/Z/R, and diverse deep cuts from the FEAR FACTORY catalog.

The 55-year-old Bell had been largely inactive on the musical front since officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY in September 2020. At the time he said that he could not "align" himself with someone whom he did not trust or respect, an apparent reference to FEAR FACTORY founding guitarist Dino Cazares.

During an appearance on a May 2023 episode of the "Home Is Where The Dark Is" podcast, Bell reflected on his musical journey so far, saying: "I've had a lot of incredible ups in my career, a lot of incredible high points. I've had some devastatingly low points. But for me, this is all I wanna do.

"I consider myself an artist — multifaceted, but first and foremost I'm a musician; I'm a singer. So I wanna keep continuing that," he explained.

"I love performing on stage. I love being out in front of the crowd. I love the energy of the audience, and I miss it completely.

"I am making plans — I'm making steps to get back onstage."

At the end of the chat, when host Alex Crescioni thanked Bell for his "inspiring" musical output over the years, including that with FEAR FACTORY and ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS, Burton said: "People will hear those again. When I get back on the road, I'll be playing… I'm proud of 99 percent of the songs we did [with] FEAR FACTORY. Not every song is a winner, but I'm proud of all the work I did with FEAR FACTORY, THE WATCHERS, GZR, CITY OF FIRE, MINISTRY, HATEFACE. There's all these bands I've been part of. So when I go on the road, I will be playing music from all of these bands. Obviously, a lot from FEAR FACTORY, 'cause I got 30 years of that. But it's not gonna be all about FEAR FACTORY. It's gonna be FEAR FACTORY, WATCHERS, classic GZR, CITY OF FIRE — just do all of it. It's gonna be fun. And I'm jamming with some guys right now. We're working on it and making those steps to make that happen."

In March 2023, Bell was asked by Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast how it felt to see FEAR FACTORY going out on tour with someone else singing the parts he originally wrote and recorded with the band. He responded: "It doesn't affect me at all. To be honest, I haven't been this happy in a long time. More power to them, but I'm just moving forward in my own life, my own career, and I'm just trying to make a name for myself."

Asked if he has checked out any of the videos on YouTube of FEAR FACTORY performing with his replacement, the Italian-born singer Milo Silvestro, Bell said: "No, I don't. I don't care to."

Burton went on to say that he doesn't mind being asked about FEAR FACTORY despite the fact that he is no longer in the band. "FEAR FACTORY, it's what I'm known for," he explained. "And the 30 years I had with FEAR FACTORY were some of the proudest moments of my career. And everything I've ever done in FEAR FACTORY I'm very proud of. Even some of the questionable things I've done in FEAR FACTORY I'm still proud of. It was a great legacy."

During an April 2022 appearance on an episode of "The Ex-Man" podcast hosted by Doc Coyle (BAD WOLVES),Bell touched upon FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", which was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Bell and fellow original FF member Dino Cazares (guitar) alongside drummer Mike Heller.

"I was just happy that record finally came out," Burton said. "We finished that record in 2017. By the time it came out, I'd forgotten all about it. 'Oh, yeah, I remember that song. Oh yeah.'

"There's some good songs on that record. The song 'Collapse' is a good song. The title track 'Monolith' is a good song," he added, referencing the LP's original working title, before it was changed by Cazares.

When Coyle noted that the mix on "Aggression Continuum" is "great," Bell hesitated for a couple of seconds before reluctantly agreeing. "I guess," he said. "When I finished the record [in 2017], the record was done and agreed upon and then further work was done without my say."

Elsewhere in the chat, Burton said admitted that "it was difficult" for him to leave FEAR FACTORY. "Stepping away from FEAR FACTORY was not an easy decision by [any] means," he said. "But what I experienced for the 10 years before that, the lawsuits, the acrimony, that was the one that killed me. And I just had to step away to realize, you know, they can take all this stuff from me — they can take the money, they can take the royalties, they can take the trademark away from me — and I realized that didn't define me. They can take that, but I'm still Burton C. Bell, motherfucker, and whatever I have they can't take. So I'm just kind of moving forward and doing new things."

According to Bell, hardship is par for the course for most musicians, who often find themselves victims of bad contracts, unscrupulous management and, all too often, what appears to be a penchant for self-destruction.

"I knew a long time ago I wanted to be an artist — way before I was in FEAR FACTORY," he said. "When I was in high school, I was, like, 'I wanna be an artist.' To be an artist, you've gotta suffer. You've gotta understand that people wanna take from you the entire time — what you create they wanna make money off of and take it away from you and just give you a pittance. But being bitter is not my style — never has been.

"Whatever negativity has happened in the past with FEAR FACTORY doesn't even hold up to the amount of positivity that has happened," he continued. "If you think about the negative, it can weigh you down so much, but it's not really that much in comparison to what the band achieved, what we created, what we provided to the music world, and for that I'm proud and very happy.

"No one likes to talk to a bitter person at all," Burton added. "Me for one. It's, like, 'Man, just get over it and just move on.' 'Cause holding on to the past doesn't serve me anything, it doesn't serve anybody else anything. Move on and show 'em what you can do from that point forward."

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's latest LP.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

Last year, Bell unveiled "Paradise Found", his debut exhibition of photographic works, at the Vincent Castiglia Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The photographs Bell presented were representational of his industrial and science-fiction aesthetic.

"Paradise Found" consisted of 20 original full-color photographs of abandoned industrial buildings taken in darkness and fog from 2002 to 2003. Bell's images are printed on aluminum using the dye sublimation process — an approach Bell calls "celluloid impressionism."

Bell's ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS project released its second full-length album, "Apocrypha", in October 2020 via Dissonance Productions.

Photo credit: Erica Vincent

Swedish multi-instrumentalist Per Wiberg has unveiled "Blackguards Stand Silent," the final single from his new album The Serpent's Here, set for release on March 15 via Despotz Records.


Wiberg comments, "‘Blackguards Stand Silent’ is an eight-minute journey that twists and turns through sonic landscapes and nightmarish lyrics. It’s more like a short movie than a regular pop song in its structure. It's the centerpiece of the album representing a variety of moods from dissonant and avantgarde to melodic and psychedelic, via doom and gloom while finally ending up with a motorik beat in Krautrock heaven. There are so many musical influences in this song -- I could name anything from Sabbath, Can, and Tangerine Dream to Stereolab, Loop, and modern era Scott Walker. It rocks and it’s quite the ride, enjoy!"


As an unrivaled musical alchemist, Wiberg’s work has illuminated an array of now-classic albums over the years performing with the likes of Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, and Candlemass, as well as Clutch/The Bakerton Group, Switchblade, and Kamchatka, among others, for over thirty years. However, it’s Wiberg’s solo conjurings that serve as the zenith of his musical voyages.




In 2019, Wiberg released his debut solo offering, Head Without Eyes. A record of Nordic prog submerged in a gnawing stew of jolting guitar notes and emotive melodies, Wiberg’s debut laid bare an unexplored sonic landscape that surpassed the successes of his past and solidified his strong presence as a unique solo artist in his own right. Wiberg followed Head Without Eyes with his equally stunning 2021-released All Is Well In The Land Of The Living, But For The Rest Of Us… Lights Out EP, a compelling celebration of innovative rock at its finest. Expanding and further evolving his vision, Wiberg expertly composed the definitive and established paradigms of traditional progressive rock with spirited and electrifying twists of dark tone. The Metal Observer hailed, “a great EP that serves as a fitting soundtrack to these strange, dark times,” adding, “its thick, otherworldly atmospheres represent a gloriously dark and hallucinated take on Scandinavian prog that weaves together Wiberg’s many musical influences and takes them to the next level of dark melodic exploration.


The Serpent’s Here continues Wiberg’s innovative trajectory boasting six consuming tracks, plus a fantastically gloomy rendition of Warrior Soul’s “The Losers,” that are at once grim and surreal; airy yet ominous. Wiberg paints vivid sound tapestries with his clever sense of dynamics and thoughtful lyricism. Each song moves with alluring subtlety and suspense, not unlike the conventions of classic film noir. And while Wiberg strays far from the traditional musical constructs, there’s an inescapable melodicism and intrinsic catchiness to his output that makes even his most experimental outpourings seamlessly accessible.


“The music has a strong familiar identity I’d say,” notes Wiberg, “It’s heavy in its tone but this time a little braver, up-tempo, loose, and ‘rock’n’roll’ compared to the previous two albums. Overall, this is the most epic sounding of my stuff so far. Things are more defined. I worked hard with lyrics and vocal arrangements this time.”


On The Serpent’s Here, Wiberg is joined by drummer Tor Sjödén (Viagra Boys) who played drums on the previous EP, as well as bassist Mikael Tuominen (Kungens Män). Basic live tracks (drums, basses, grand piano) were recorded at Studio Gröndahl by David Castillo and, as with previous releases, the record was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren at Blacklounge Studios.


“All songs are built from rough song sketches that I showed Tor and Mikael,” elaborates Wiberg of The Serpent’s Here’s writing process. “The idea was that they could improvise. All basic tracks were recorded live in an afternoon to give it that extra spontaneous energy, and then I’d layer keys, guitars, and vocals on top of what we recorded. Overall, there are more guitars this time as well as two basses on the majority of the tracks.”


Find preorder bundles at the Despotz Records webshop.





Tracklisitng:


“Dead Sky Lullaby”
“The Serpent’s Here”
“Blackguards Stand Silent”
“This House Is Someone Else’s Now”
“He Just Disappeared”
“Follow The Unknown”
“The Losers” (Warrior Soul cover)


"Blackguards Stand Silent":





"Follow The Unknown":





"Dead Sky Lullaby":





“The Serpent’s Here”:





(Photo – Soile Siirtola)

Germany’s hottest modern metalcore unit, Setyøursails, tears up the scene once again. After extensive touring with Annisokay, Emil Bulls, Cypecore and Lord Of The Lost, and last year’s outstanding festival performances at Summer Breeze and Fullforce, the Cologne based outfit recently announced the new studio album and drops its brand-new second single, “Lately”, today.


Their second full-length via Napalm Records, entitled Bad Blood, will be released on April 12, 2024 and features ten hard-hitting tracks, shaking the listener to the core. Cut from Bad Blood, “Lately” drops with an official music video and showcases the versatile vocal expressions of frontwoman Jules, ranging from vicious screams over powerful singing to compressed whispering, while raging drums and heavy guitar support the catchy refrain.


To celebrate what’s to come, Setyøursails will hit the road on a German co-headline tour alongside Rising Insane, kicking off in April.




Vocalist Jules Mitch on “Lately”:


"‘Lately’ shows the intimate, vulnerable side of us that we have never revealed before. Coming to terms with your demons is never easy, but writing a ballad about it and publishing it is even harder. I hope that people find themselves in this song and understand that they are not alone."


Jules Mitch says about Bad Blood: “With our new album Bad Blood, we are ushering in a new era in our band's history. This album is louder, more aggressive and more honest than anything we've ever done before. It is another step towards self-discovery and healing. It covers various topics such as betrayal, mental health, but also sex and a lot of complex emotions. Topics we have never addressed before. We are ready for a change, for a new chapter. A new opportunity for further development.”


Bad Blood kicks off with the charged-up banger “Bad Blood”, followed by the former standalone single “Best Of Me”, which was released alongside an official music video. The track represents the new chapter of the unit, pushing the boundaries of different genres while vocalist Jules Mitch skillfully unites both beautifully melodic and fiercely heavy passages. Created to play on repeat, the highly-infectious song “Bad Company” is dominated by smashing electronic beats combined with brutally melodic guitar lines and highlighted by a ground shaking breakdown. With tracks like “Lately” and “Heart Attack”, Setyøursails lyrically shares their softer side by addressing personal conflicts and mental health concerns, and wraps the songs in a strikingly melodic atmosphere.


Prepare for a sonic onslaught as these German metalcore sensations gear up to unleash their second studio album, Bad Blood – promising a fierce and intense masterclass in modern metalcore.





Bad Blood will be available in the following formats:


- 1 LP Gatefold Pink/Black Marbled
- 1 CD Digisleeve
- Digital Album


Pre-order here





Bad Blood tracklisting:


"Bad Blood"
"Best Of Me"
"T.F.M.F."
"Halo"
"Lately"
"Dangerous"
"Bad Company"
"In My Head"
"Heart Attack"
"Eternally"


"Lately" video:





"Bad Blood" video:





Setyøursails live 2024 (with Rising Insane):


April
12 - Leipzig, Germany - Naumanns
13 - Oldenburg, Germany - Amadeus
14 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia
19 - Rostock, Germany - M.A.U. Club
20 - Münster, Germany - Sputnik Cafe
21 - Cologne, Germany - Gebäude 9


May
10 - Hamburg, Germany - Headcrash
11 - Hanover, Germany - Bei Chéz Heinz
12 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
17 - Munich, Germany - Feierwerk
18 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Die Stadtmitte
19 - Nuremberg, Germany - Z-Bau


Setyøursails are:


Jules Mitch – vocals, songwriting
André Alves – guitar, songwriting
Henrik Kellershohn – drums
Nicolai Hoch – bass


(Photo - Marius Milinski)

One of the early bastions of true U.S. metal, New Jersey’s Attacker is back to celebrate their 40th anniversary on The God Particle, a triumphant, eight-song classic metal offering. The new album will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats through Cruz Del Sur Music on April 12. Preorder on Bandcamp.


A lyric video for the first single, "The Mighty Have Fallen," is available below.


Attacker are celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2024. It’s a milestone marked by their influential 1985 Battle At Helm’s Deep debut and 1988 The Second Coming sophomore effort, as well as post-2001 reformation full-lengths like 2004’s Soul Taker and 2006’s The Unknown that served as reminders of Attacker’s staying power. While it hasn’t always been easy for Attacker, founding member and drummer Mike Sabatini attributes the band’s longevity to their love of heavy metal music. That red thread and never-ending appreciation for what Attacker means to them and so many across the globe helps define the band’s newest studio foray, The God Particle. 




The follow-up to 2016’s Sins Of The World LP and 2018’s Armor Of The Gods EP was recorded at Sabatini’s Bandmother Recording Studio in Jersey City, New Jersey, from November 2023 to January 2024. The album was subsequently mixed by Sabatini alongside C.J. Scioscia, with mastering handled by Joe Lambert. As it stands, The God Particle is a tried-and-true dose of pure, unbridled heavy metal with ample broadsides of aggression and melody—both permanent elements of Attacker’s sound. It’s also clear that the band—rounded out by vocalist Bobby Lucas, the guitar tandem of Mike Benetatos and Jon Hasselbrink and bassist Brian Smith—has gelled into a formidable writing unit, offering what is perhaps Attacker’s most varied batch of songs. 


The album’s gestation period was longer than normal (see: Covid), but the extended time writing afforded Attacker the opportunity to craft new songs that are primed and ready for European festival sing-along participation. Lucas is responsible not only for the album’s soaring choruses but also its concept, which is based on the Large Hadron Collider Particle Accelerator in Cern, Switzerland, that is used to create energetic collisions of particles like protons, breaking them into subatomic components that can be detected and studied. Adding to the intrigue: There was supposedly a satanic ritual performed at the Collider site to call in evil from another dimension. Whether that actually happened or not, it serves as the perfect tie-in to Marc Sasso’s cover art (Dio, Halford, Marvel Comics). 


But back to the 40th anniversary of Attacker. Sabatini has been on record that he was reluctant to reform the band during its 1990s dormancy. Only the passing of original guitarist Jim Mooney and vocalist John Leone (who performed on The Second Coming) reignited the Attacker fire. The band now exists to honor its storied legacy, but also to create new, compelling music to satisfy a worldwide fanbase who remains hungry for Attacker music. Consider the job complete on The God Particle.





Tracklisting:


“Knights Of Terror”
“Curse Of Creation”
“Stigmatized”
“River Of Souls”
“Kingdom Of Iron”
“World In Flames”
“The Mighty Have Fallen”
“The God Particle” 


“The Mighty Have Fallen” lyric video:

A new trailer for Hulu's "Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story", the first-ever docuseries on the band's history with full cooperation from all past and present members of BON JOVI, can be seen below. The docuseries is a ROS production, the banner of filmmaker Gotham Chopra, and celebrates the band's 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut album which was released on January 21, 1984 via Polygram/Mercury Records, less than a year after forming in their home state of New Jersey.

The four-part, all-access series chronicling four decades of the iconic rock band BON JOVI premieres Friday, April 26 on Hulu in the U.S. and coming soon to Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Following one of the world's most iconic bands and its frontman, Jon Bon Jovi, the documentary gives us a view behind the music and the man.

As thrilling as the story of a once-in-a-lifetime talent is, it is even more rare that a legend like Jon Bon Jovi lets the world into his most vulnerable moments while he's still living them. Forty years of personal videos, unreleased early demos, original lyrics and never-before-seen photos that chronicle the journey from Jersey Shore clubs to the biggest stages on the planet. The series relives the triumphs and setbacks, greatest hits, biggest disappointments and most public moments of friction.

"Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" is directed and executive produced by multiple Emmy Award winner Gotham Chopra ("Kobe Bryant's Muse", "Man In The Arena", "Tom vs. Time"). The film is also executive produced by Giselle Parets and Ameeth Sankaran for ROS, and it is produced and edited by Alex Trudeau Viriato, who played a critical, creative role in shaping the series.

Guitarist Richie Sambora left BON JOVI mid-tour in 2013 in order to spend more time with his family. His exit came after he missed 13 shows on the band's 2011 tour when he entered rehab.

Sambora joined his former bandmates onstage in 2018 when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Jon Bon Jovi was honored as the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year last month, two days before the 66th annual Grammy Awards.

Last November, Sambora told People that a BON JOVI reunion tour was not out of the question.

"There's a documentary that's being done about the band and stuff that I've participated in, and people want to come see us play, and it's going to make everybody happy," the guitarist said. "I mean, essentially, that's why you do it at this point."

He continued: "I think that we wrote a lot of songs that changed a lot of people's lives just by letting them have a good time. I know that's what music did to me … kept me company. And I hope that I can reflect that in what I do.

"So yeah, it definitely could happen," he added of a reunion. "It's just a question of when everybody's ready to go do it. It will be a big, massive kind of undertaking."
We've got a story to tell. Here's your first look at our new documentary, 'Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,' airing April 26th on @hulu and internationally on @disneyplus. #BonJoviDoc#BonJovi40pic.twitter.com/lNNlsEEhM2

— Bon Jovi (@BonJovi) February 9, 2024

U.S. metalcore act LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES will release its new album, "The Cycles Of Trying To Cope", on May 10 via UNFD.

Today, the band has shared the video for the explosive juggernaut of a new single "Kintsugi", which also shows off the melodic and contemplative side of the band. Watch it below.

Each single that the band has released is related to a coping "cycle" and associated word. "Kinstugi" is "Cycle Two: Fracture."

"Kintsugi" is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with a mixture including powdered gold — essentially repairing the cracks with gold.

"When things go wrong, I think we are left to pick up the pieces and forced to choose which piece to leave with," says singer Chris Roetter. "If it's not possible to leave with everything the way it was before it broke, how do you know what piece to hold onto?"

As for the album as a whole, Roetter shares: "The record encapsulates the many varying emotions we go through when trying to grow through life. The last few years, I really tried to harness some of those emotions as a catalyst to get through whatever I was going through at the time. I think we all have our own unique ways to cope and these are mine."

"The Cycles Of Trying To Cope" track listing:

01. Angels Weep
02. Paradigm Trigger
03. Over The Garden Wall
04. Gone Without A Trace
05. Dissociative Being
06. The Shepherd's Crown
07. To Know Is To Die
08. Kintsugi
09. Everything That Once Held It Together
10. The Depths I Roam
11. What Do We See When We Leave This Place?

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES is:

Chris Roetter - Vocals
Zach Pishney - Guitar
Roman Garcia - Drums
Cody Cavanaugh - Guitar

British heavy metal legends SAXON have released the official music video for the song "Madame Guillotine". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", which came out on January 19 via Silver Lining Music.

"Hell, Fire And Damnation" is an album which sees SAXON investigate all areas of history and mystery amid ten of the band most confident and thunderously powerful songs yet. In "Madame Guillotine", lead singer and founding member Biff Byford, chooses to give voice to the infamous torturing device, best known for its use in the French Revolution between 1789 and 1799.

"Both this and the title track songs are written by me and Brian [Tatler, guitar] actually, and this is very 'SAXON', so much as I don't think anybody else could pull that off," comments Byford. "I sung it as if the guillotine is a person, that the actual guillotine has a bit of a conscience. I love the groove; it's got a great groove!"

On "Hell, Fire And Damnation", Biff delivers his richest vocals in years, Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter on drums and bass, respectively, lay down the rhythmic law with bombastic power, and the guitars of Doug Scarratt and Brian Tatler are fresh and fiery, a perfect complement to each other, carrying an overall energy and fury which will have fans salivating. Musically, SAXON bring it all to the table. There's a furious tribute to actual heavy metal in the denim-and-leather-coated super-sprint "Fire And Steel", a wonderful nod to the NWOBHM's birth in the electric mid-pace "Pirates Of The Airwaves", but maybe the true treasure amidst the jewels is "There's Something In Roswell", with the sort of expansive groove and embrace which deserves arenas.

Produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) and Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering, "Hell, Fire And Damnation" strides the perfect line between confident, current power, and gloriously irreverent flexing of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal muscle which SAXON co-created.

"I think this album's one of the best he's done sound-wise, and he's done a lot of albums," Biff declared. "It has a really raw, vibrant sound... if you compress the total time making this album, it was four weeks tops… you can hear everything brilliantly, nothing's overcomplicated, nothing's over compressed. The guitar sounds are fucking immense, they're just great, raw guitar sounds. And we haven't done a lot of overdubbing on there, it's just playing. I really, really like it."

"Hell, Fire And Damnation" track listing:

01. The Prophecy
02. Hell, Fire And Damnation
03. Madame Guillotine
04. Fire And Steel
05. There's Something In Roswell
06. Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice
07. Pirates Of The Airwaves
08. 1066
09. Witches Of Salem
10. Super Charger

The cover art was created by Péter Sallai and can be seen below.

Early last year, SAXON guitarist Paul Quinn announced that he was stepping back from touring with the band. As a result of his decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise. Quinn has since been replaced on the road by DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler.

Brian has already joined fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, drummer Nigel Glockler, bassist Tim "Nibbs" Carter and Byford for several European shows but will continue to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

Faroe Islands-based Viking metal collective, Týr, today unleash their latest single and accompanying video for "Hammered". The track comes by way of the group's ninth full-length studio album, Battle Ballads, set for release on April 12 via Metal Blade Records!


When Týr teamed up with the Symphony Orchestra of the Faroe Islands on February 8th, 2020, to record the double-disc/DVD release A Night At The Nordic House, founding frontman Heri Joensen was thrilled to bring together two of the music forms he loves most - folk and classical - into his band's unorthodox form of music. But at the time, he couldn't have imagined what a profound impact the collaboration would have on his musical vision, and how much it would influence and inform the album he would write a few years later.


"There's a reason classical music is called classical," Joensen says. "It's the classical way of doing it. And it creates these epic sounds that fit in perfectly with the kind of metal we do in Týr. So, there's full orchestration on all of the new songs."




With Battle Ballads, Týr has crafted an album that resounds with their trademark Viking metal sound - a crushing, soaring, batch of classical embellished songs that conjure images of galloping steeds, clashing swords, and hard-fought victories. At the same time, the band has experimented with new writing styles and musical techniques and created songs that are structurally simpler, yet musically more variegated. For Joensen, it's a clear illustration of how he plans to continue exploring different approaches in the future while staying true to the spirit of thunderous Viking metal.


"We consciously decided to make this a more direct album with songs that are easier for listeners to get right away than some of the stuff on our last album, or maybe even on our 2006 album Ragnarok, which was very progressive," says Joensen. "With Battle Ballads, there are progressive elements here and there, but we tried to keep the songs based on one or two musical ideas each, and work on everything from there. So, in a way, it's more concise than our last album, but it's more epic because of the symphonic elements."


There's no escaping the masterful blend of melody and savagery on Battle Ballads straight from album opener and latest single, "Hammered," which funnels infectious riffs and searing licks through a variety of rhythm and tempo changes.


Joensen comments, "The song begins with the hammering of metal against metal, forging, then melodic riffing over a simple but classical chord progression that evolves throughout the song. Driving drums, heavy metal over a symphonic soundscape. An adventurous backdrop to the forging of weapons of war, blades of battle. This used to be in the past but now it's here with a fast-paced singalong chorus. Thoughts on the apparent inevitability of war and our reaction to it. Balancing our enthusiasm against our defeatism."


Watch the "Hammered" video below:





As much as Týr would have liked to write, rehearse, and record with a symphony, schedule conflicts made it impossible to have the band and classical musicians to be in the same place at the same time. So the band did the next best thing. With Joensen at the helm, they wrote ten thunderous songs for Battle Ballads, then the bandleader sent the compositions to a Danish colleague Lars Winther living in England, who added the orchestral samples, paying close attention to the tone and tempo of the songs so the violins, violas, cellos, woodwinds, and horns fit complimented the traditional rock instruments. When the samples were all in place the album sounded impressive, but the tones weren't perfectly blended. So, Týr sent the album to veteran producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, The Black Dahlia Murder, Amaranthe) in Denmark to put together the final mix.


Battle Ballads features the stunning artwork of by Gyula Havancsak and will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:


- Sea Blue Smoke (US)
- Maroon Marbled (EU - Ltd. 800)
- 180g Black (EU - Ltd. 500)
- Thunderous Sky Blue Marbled (EU - Ltd. 300)
- Teal Green Melt With Red Splatter (EU - Ltd. 200)
- Flame Splattered (EU - Ltd. 200)


Pre-order here.





Battle Ballads tracklisting:


"Hammered"
"Unwandered Ways"
"Dragons Never Die"
"Row"
"Torkils Døtur"
"Vælkomnir Føroyingar"
"Hangman"
"Axes"
"Battle Ballad"
"Causa Latronum Normannorum"


"Axes" video:





Týr will return to North American stages this spring. The Battle Ballads headlining tour begins March 28 in Baltimore, Maryland and makes its way through over two dozen cities, coming to a close on April 26 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Support will be provided by Trollfest, Æther Realm, and The Dread Crew Of Oddwood. The tour marks Týr's first North American run since 2019.





Tour dates:


March
28 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
29 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
30 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
31 - Quebec City, QC - La Source De La Martinière


April
1 - Montreal, QC - Studio TD
2 - Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey
3 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
4 - Detroit, MI - The Sanctuary
5 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
6 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater
7 - Winnipeg, MB - Park Theater
8 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
9 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
10 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
12 - Vancouver, BC - The Rickshaw
13 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
14 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom
15 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone
16 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
17 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
18 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
20 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
21 - Dallas, TX - The Granada
22 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
24 - Orlando, FL - Conduit
25 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell)
26 - Greensboro, NC - Hangar 1819


Týr are:


Heri Joensen - vocal, guitar
Hans Hammer - guitar
Gunnar Helmer "Gunz" Thomsen - bass
Tadeusz "Tad" Rieckmann - drums


(Photo - Gaui H.)

Full Of Hell burst forth with incredible force from the small, dagger-shaped city of Ocean City, Maryland, 15 years ago. Over five full-lengths, five collaborative full-lengths, and countless splits, EPs, singles, and noise compilations, they’ve evolved at extraordinary speed, their music becoming more complicated and technical without ever slowing down or losing its soul. Everything on a Full Of Hell album feels like a blur: smears of guitar, harsh noise shaken like gravel in a bag, singer Dylan Walker’s snarl and bite carrying him into outer space or into the core of the earth. They’re coiled, interlocking, impossible to penetrate, and they move with alarming speed.


They have now reached terminal velocity. Having created their own context, they’re now able to walk around within it, to survey its terrain, to visit far corners and see who’s nearby. Their forthcoming album, Coagulated Bliss, sounds like Full Of Hell, but it’s nothing like any Full Of Hell record that’s come before it. These songs are trimmer, less freighted with anxiety, more interested in opening up than speeding away. Its bile is sometimes funnelled into traditional song structures. It never shies away from the extreme harsh noise, unrelenting spirit, and pitch-black sadness of previous Full Of Hell records; if anything, the leanness of these songs makes them feel even heavier. Nevertheless, there are tracks here you might find yourself whistling hours after listening. It’s an extraordinary and unexpected evolution in sound for a band who made their name on rapid metamorphosis, and it’s the logical endpoint of everything Full Of Hell has covered so far. “I wanted to try to take every aspect of what we’ve done from previous releases and integrate it into this one,” guitarist Spencer Hazard says.


These songs feel huge, totemic, groundshaking. Take the album's first single, "Doors To Mental Agony" - which premieres today alongside a music video directed by Erich Richter - which sets up a circle pit, then blasts it apart with a grindcore chorus, and slides away on a slanted riff. Walker comments, "In this life there are many doors. Rural America exists in a vacuum with its own mundane horrors and dead ends. Every person you know will stumble through one of these doors at some point, falling into mistakes that can’t be undone. Look on reality and weep."




Watch the "Doors To Mental Agony" music video below.


Coagulated Bliss was written and recorded shortly after Full Of Hell completed When No Birds Sang, their collaborative album with Nothing. Working with the Philadelphia shoegazers gave Full Of Hell new insight into the emotional and artistic power of classic pop songwriting, and to the importance of following a song where it wants to go. “That was a good experience of learning how to find what actually services a song,” Hazard says. “Even with Roots of Earth Are Consuming My Home, even when we’ve had an extreme grindcore influence, I still wanted it to be catchy.” Walker also cites the band’s work with The Body for helping him to “recognize that there was value in pop music.” Accordingly, Coagulated Bliss features some of Full Of Hell’s strongest songwriting: Gone is the frenetic flailing of Garden of Burning Apparitions and Weeping Choir; in its stead is a richer, thicker sound, one that’s considerably less ornamented—and somehow heavier than ever.


While the focus on songwriting already makes Coagulated Bliss the most grounded album in Full Of Hell’s catalog, it’s also the first Full Of Hell record that tries in earnest to reflect the world around it—not in some broad, monotony-of-evil way, but the everyday horrors of life in small town America. Three of the four members of the band were raised in Ocean City. Hazard and Bland still live there, while Walker is located in central Pennsylvania and bassist Samuel DiGristine relocated to Philadelphia. “The American dream is small towns,” Hazard says. “But anyone that’s grown up in a small town realizes it’s just as fucked up in a small town as it is in a big city—if not more, because it’s more condensed.”


Walker’s lyrics have always framed their suffering with what he calls “fantastical, metaphorical shit,” but on Coagulated Bliss his writing is clear and direct. The album’s title is meant partly to reflect the idea of the over-pursuit of happiness leading to misery—whether in addiction, greed, or anything else. “Your happiness is just out of reach and you don’t know why,” he says. “Too much of this bliss, you think you’ve found your endpoint, but it’s really just this small, tiny, little thing that’s going to ruin your fucking life. And that could be anything." The album’s viciousness and Walker’s clear reading of the world around him might scan as misanthropy, but it comes from a place of disappointment that’s driven by a deep love for people and life and the world. “There’s not a lot of anger, to be honest,” he says. “I’ve never felt anger when we’re playing, ever. It feels like electricity that’s built up in my body that has to get out. But I feel more profoundly sorrowful than I ever do anger.”


The world may be in a constant state of bitter flux, but Full Of Hell have never sounded more at home in it.“We’ve shed any kind of ‘do we belong in this space, what do people expect of us,’” Walker says. “The joy is in the pursuit.” The loosening of their grip on the direction of their music has made it feel paradoxically closer to the bone. “People tend to burrow themselves so deeply into things they love,” Walker says. “It’s too much of a good thing, and it almost cheapens it.” By paring back their sound, Full Of Hell aren’t just finding a new way forward: They’re proving that a little bit less of a good thing can add up to so much more.


Coagulated Bliss was recorded at Developing Nations in Baltimore by Kevin Bernstein, mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studio in Van Nuys California and mastered by Nick Townsend of Infrasonic Sound in Los Angeles California.


Coagulated Bliss is out April 26 via Closed Casket Activities and is available for pre-order here. See Full Of Hell on the road in April + May with Dying Fetus (dates below) and look for more news soon.


Coagulated Bliss,cover art by Brian Montuori.





Coagulated Bliss tracklisting:


"Half Life Of Changelings"
"Doors To Mental Agony"
"Transmuting Chemical Burns"
"Fractures Bonds To Mecca"
"Coagulated Bliss"
"Bleeding Horizon"
"Vomiting Glass"
"Schizoid Rupture"
"Vacuous Dose"
"Gasping Dust"
"Gelding Of Men"
"Malformed Ligature"


"Doors To Mental Agony" video:





Full Of Hell is Spencer Hazard (guitar/electronics), David Bland (drums/vocals), Samuel DiGristine (bass/sax/vocals), and Dylan Walker (vocals/electronics/lyrics), with new guitarist Gabriel Solomon joining following the album’s completion.


Full Of Hell tour dates:


April
25 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore ^
26 - Sayerville, NJ - Starland Ballroom ^
27 - Syracuse, NY - The Song & Dance ^
28 - Albany, NY - Empire Live ^
30 - Quebec City, QV - Theatre Capitole ^


May
1 - Montreal, QC - Beanfield Theatre ^
2 - Ottawa, ON - The Brass Monkey ^
3 - London, ON - London Music Hall ^
4 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre ^
5 - Buffalo, NY - Electric City ^
7 - Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom ^
8 - Columbus, OH - The King of Clubs ^
9 - Joliet, IL - The Forge ^
10 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave ^
12 - Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre ^
13 - Saskatoon, SK - Louis ^
14 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room ^
15 - Calgary, AB - The Palace Theatre ^
17 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre ^
18 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon ^
19 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater ^


July
13 + 14 - Los Angeles, CA - Exposition Park (Sound & Fury)


^ with Dying Fetus


(Photo - Zachary Jones)

The 2024 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal festival sailed January 29 to February 2 from Miami, Florida to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and back, on board the luxury passenger vessel Freedom Of The Seas.


Organizers have released the Day 3 Recap video below, stating: "After 2 days of non-stop heavy metal concert action at sea, our ship (the Freedom of the Seas) cast its anchor at our beautiful Caribbean port of call, Puerto Plata early in the morning.


Sailors in Puerto Plata can spend their day exploring the island, with the option to participate in exclusive Artist Escorted Shore Excursions: Dolphin Encounter & Ocean World Adventure - with member(s) of Blind Guardian and Endseeker, Ocean World Sea Lion Encounter & Snorkeling With Sharks - with member(s) of The Halo Effect & Sodom, Cruise, Snorkel & Beach - with member(s) of Omnium Gatherum & I Am The Night, Damajagua's Fun Adrenaline Waterfall - with member(s) of Tygers Of Pan Tang / Epica, Monkeyland Adventures –  with member(s) of Sodom & Infected Rain or Ocean World Day Pass & Dominican Adventure - with member(s) of Leaves' Eyes.




Upon returning from an eventful day on shore, sailors get back on board to dive back into the heavy metal mayhem. Featured performances on Day 3 include: Grave Digger, Krzyztof Drabikowski's Batushka, and Blind Guardian."





Watch the Day 1 and Day 2 recap videos below:








Watch a Pre-Cruise Parties recap video:





With the recent completion of the 2024 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal festival, details of next year's cruise have emerged.


Sailors, brace yourselves for another epic voyage! The 2025 edition of 70000 Tons Of Metal, The Original, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, will take us back to an absolute fan-favorite port that hasn't been visited in a decade - Ocho Rios, Jamaica! Taking place January 30 – February 3, 2025.





60 Bands, 4 Days, 1 Cruise Ship, and only 3000 Tickets. This is 70000 Tons Of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise!


On 70000 Tons Of Metal you get unrestricted festival access to all 120 live shows on board, 70000 Tons Of Karaoke until sunrise, Jamming In International Waters – the Official 70000 Tons Of Metal All Star Jam which writes heavy metal history every year, clinics and work-shops with the musicians, our infamous belly flop contest, shore excursions with your favorite artists, and much more!


Everyone on board is a VIP, we don’t have assigned seating (this is a heavy metal cruise after all), and most importantly the bars on our ship never close – you heard us, bars that never close!


On this life changing adventure you will spend five days and four nights at sea mingling side-by-side with your favorite artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It’s like having an All-Access backstage pass!


Visit 70000Tons.com or the official 70000 Tons Of Metal Facebook page for further details.

Napalm Records is proud to welcome Katla, a new extreme doom metal force spawned from Scandinavia.





Formed in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018, the trio quickly gained a following in the underground scene and continued to expand with shows, touring and releases. With a penchant for all things metal, beer and partying, the band’s carefree vibe is evenly matched with their undeniably searing sonic chaos - boasting a gritty, filthy sound chock full of fierce drumming, hellish growls and stage-dominating riffs.




Katla has conquered the stages of notable festivals like Wacken, Copenhell and G! Festival on the Faroe Islands. Having also unleashed their crushing doom all over Denmark - as witnessed on their tour with Danish death metal heroes Baest - Katla is now ready to bring their mischief to more European cities. Fans of Conan, Dopelord, Mantar, Iron Monkey, Lord Mantis, Red Fang, Dopethrone, Monolord, Sleep, Electric Wizard and everything in between will be headbanging to Katla in no time.


Katla on the signing: “Napalm Records is a bunch of legends and a hella cool record label. Joining both the booking and record label sides of Napalm seems like an all-gas-no-brakes setup, which we are thrilled to put on one wheel and fire up. Prepare for some heavy tunes and killer shows! All hail Love and Satan.”


Check out the doom metal vibe of Katla below:





Katla are:


Rasmus Bang - drums and vocals
Marc Lennart Christensen - guitar
Theis Stenberg Thorgersen - bass and vocals

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),has shared a dark, visually eerie animated video for the menacing track "Keeper Of The Graves". The song is taken from KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", which came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

Downing says about "Keeper Of The Graves": "The Keeper Of The Graves is the defender, the sentinel, and the protector of all of the dead. This ageless being, throughout many centuries, has fought many battles with marauders that seek to prey on the souls of the buried and entombed. But alas, it would be inevitable that one day the kiss of Judas would land on his lips and the cold steel of the evil ones would thrust forward and penetrate the heart drawing the blood of death. As the moon turns red, no one will be saved. Who will avenge the Keeper Of The Graves?"

KK'S PRIEST will embark on its first-ever U.S. headlining tour later this week. The trek will kick off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will feature support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES. 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 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.

Photo credit: Sam Singer (courtesy of Napalm Records / Freeman Promotions)

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson played the eighth show of his inaugural "Bass Warrior Tour" Tuesday night (March 5) at Analog Music Hall in Budapest, Hungary. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen in the YouTube playlist below.

The "Bass Warrior Tour" sees Ellefson gracing select European cities with a captivating evening of cherished classics, deep cuts, and insightful storytelling from his illustrious career. This journey encompasses his role as a co-founding member of MEGADETH, his ELLEFSON solo material, and more.

When the "Bass Warrior Tour" was first announced, Ellefson said in a statement: "I've approached my career as that of a musical warrior, always accompanied by my bass guitar. I eagerly anticipate bringing these songs back to the stage, while sharing introspective and entertaining anecdotes about their creation. It's been a wild ride of low notes and high stakes!"

Accompanying Ellefson on this tour is Italian guitarist and musical director Andy Martongelli, a longtime friend and collaborator who has been by Ellefson's side during his solo ventures, "Basstory", ELLEFSON-SOTO and ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE tours across Europe. On drums is Roberto Pirami (Michael Angelo Batio, Rowan Robertson, Gus G.),on vocals Titta Tani (EHFAR, ex-drummer of Claudio Simonetti's GOBLIN),and on rhythm guitar Walter Cianciusi (Geoff Tate band).

Ellefson's setlist for the Budapest concert was as follows:

01. Skin O' My Teeth (MEGADETH song)
02. 99 Ways To Die (MEGADETH song)
03. Celebrity Trash (ELLEFSON-SOTO song)
04. Reckoning Day (MEGADETH song)
05. Bad Omen (MEGADETH song)
06. Go To Hell (MEGADETH song)
07. Like A Bullet (ELLEFSON-SOTO song)
08. Over Now (Post Malone cover)
09. Simple Truth
10. Countdown To Extinction (MEGADETH song)
11. Lucretia / Take No Prisoners / Five Magics (MEGADETH song)
12. Tornado Of Souls (MEGADETH song)
13. Love Me Like A Reptile (MOTÖRHEAD cover)

Encore:

14. Dawn Patrol / The Trooper / For Whom The Bell Tolls
15. Symphony Of Destruction (MEGADETH song)
16. Peace Sells (MEGADETH song)

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly three years ago, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

Shortly before Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders.

Dave Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — released a statement on May 24, 2021 announcing the bassist's departure from the band. In the statement, Dave said: "We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward."

Last June, Ellefson told Andrew McKaysmith of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast that he was prepared for his latest exit from MEGADETH.

"When my departure from MEGADETH happened, a lot of people were hitting me [up and saying], 'Oh my God. It's so terrible. It's so terrible,'" he recalled. "[And I said], 'Yeah, believe me, it's not.' [Laughs] It really isn't. I was ready for it. I didn't think it was gonna go down that way; I didn't see that coming. But the fact that it happened, I was not sad about it. I was okay with it. Because I knew there's another journey ahead, and that journey wasn't gonna start until I was out of the old one.

"When you're in a group, you're in a setting, you've gotta play company man and you kind of go along with the narrative that's been set forth.

"There was a lot of things, a lot of the narrative in that band that I never agreed with," Ellefson admitted. "A lot of that band was started on a grudge and a hardship of the firing [of MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine] from METALLICA. That was never my story. I was always a METALLICA fan and I became friends with those guys. I have nothing but gratitude for that group and those gentlemen for what they've done for all of us, and I think they deserve the biggest applause. So it was hard to be in a band that always had this saltiness around that whole narrative, because it was never my narrative. So I went along to get along, but now I don't have to do that. And now I can be on my own path. These are my words; it's my story now. And maybe the events that happened a couple of years ago, I needed to have my own story to tell. 'Cause when you quit a band, everyone's pissed at you; they hate you: 'Oh, fuck you. You quit. You quit my favorite band.' But when you get tossed out… And I'm not looking for the sympathy card. You don't have to feel sorry for me; you don't have to do any of that. But it's interesting that, I guess the way it happened… it went down in a way that it was certainly visible enough and on a level that… It was sort of, like, okay, well, what's gonna happen next? And I just tried to be faithful to just following my heart, following the path."

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

DAVID ELLEFSON BASS WARRIOR TOUR FEATURING ANDY MARTONGELLI FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024

"I've approached my career as that of a...

Posted by David Ellefson on Thursday, February 15, 2024

Former SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg has officially joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

Earlier today, the 33-year-old Nashville-based musician wrote on social media: "When I think of the culture and community of heavy music that I've loved and considered my creative home for 20 years, I think of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES: a foundational pillar and source of inspiration ever since I fell in love with punk, metal, and hardcore.

"Having toured and played shows together all over the world, I've been so fortunate to become friends with my musical heroes who have been a part of this band's incredible history.

"It's an absolute honor and privilege to play with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, and I can't wait to start this incredibly exciting new chapter in just one week! See you all in the pit!"

Weinberg will make his live debut with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES with a two-date Japanese run of shows (March 14 in Osaka and March 16 in Chiba). The band is also slated to perform at the No Values festival on June 8 in Pomona, California, with a series of European festival dates scheduled for June and July.

In addition to Weinberg and Muir, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' current lineup features lead guitarist Dean Pleasants, rhythm guitarist Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and bassist Tye Trujillo (son of METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo).

Weinberg's pairing with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES comes less than two months after he was announced as the new drummer of INFECTIOUS GROOVES, the long-running outfit formed more than three decades ago by Robert Trujillo alongside Robert's then-SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bandmate Muir.

INFECTIOUS GROOVES has scheduled two U.S. shows this month — March 23 and March 24 at the Garden Grove Amphitheater in Garden Grove, California — before embarking on a short tour of Australia in late March and early April.

Weinberg was recruited by INFECTIOUS GROOVES for the band's first live appearances since a one-off show in 2019 due to longtime drummer Brooks Wackerman's commitment to AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

In a recent interview with Australia's Metal-Roos, Muir stated about how Weinberg came to join INFECTIOUS GROOVES: "We wanted to get somebody that you know could carry that torch and was there. It's funny 'cause we were kind of saying… well, I told Robert, 'You put a list [of drummers] together, I'll put a list together and then we'll kind of see who's touring and who's available and try to do it.' And my middle son, who's 14, was asking, he goes, 'If Brooks can't do it, who are you gonna get to play drums?' And I'm, like, 'We're not sure. We're putting a list together.' He goes, 'You're gonna ask Jay?' So my son, his two favorite drummers are Lars [Ulrich] and Jay Weinberg and stuff. And I was, like, I hadn't even thought of Jay. And I knew that he had surgery. And I looked [on his social media] and I go, 'It's January 1st.' And he goes [in a social media post], 'I'm walking for the first time [since surgery], and I'm like, 'Ooh.' And my son said, 'You should get Jay. I saw him. He's playing the drums again. You should get him. Talk to him.' And I go, 'I don't have his number.' He goes, 'You could get it. Robert's probably got it.'"

Muir continued: "The first tour that that Jay did in SLIPKNOT, SUICIDAL opened. I, obviously, have been around a lot of drummers, a lot of musicians, and I'd heard the drummer they got is really good. As I always say, I don't judge, I observe. And I was watching him play at soundcheck, going, 'Oh, dude, this guy's actually really good. He mixes it up really well. And he's really versatile.' And it always stuck out to me because, I go, 'He obviously kills it in SLIPKNOT,' but I go, 'He's actually a really versatile drummer and really good.' And it stuck out to me and stuff. So I knew that he could definitely do it, obviously. It's a matter of would he want to do it and then physically could. So I got his number and I texted him. And he goes, 'I'm at my physical therapist's right now. I'm not even supposed to be starting to play until the middle of April.' But he goes, 'I think I'm way ahead of my schedule.' And he goes, 'Let me get back to you. I'm gonna be there on Monday.' And it was the weekend… But he goes, 'Yeah, I think it's gonna be all right,' and this and that. So anyhow, we talked a lot and then were, like, 'Let's fly out and get together.' And when we practiced, I was going, 'You cannot tell that he's just had two major surgeries.' It's funny because my kids went to the practice and they were, like, 'Dude, Robert was smiling ear to ear the whole practice. He looked like a little kid just having a ball.' And it was just so much fun in a good way. Jay on drums, he's driving that sports car, and he's got a really good edge and he's able to actually showcase a lot more on the INFECTIOUS songs, which he was really appreciating. I think people, they're gonna trip. Because everybody knows Robert's great bass player; they know the bass lines in INFECTIOUS. Whether you know the music or not, you hear it, you're, like, 'Oh, dude, that bass player is insane,' especially for the time. But I think, when Jay's up there, they're gonna go, 'Wow, that's really powerful.' So we're super excited, as you can tell."

In addition to Weinberg, Muir and Trujillo, INFECTIOUS GROOVES' 2024 lineup includes guitarists Dean Pleasants (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) and Dave Kushner (ex-VELVET REVOLVER).

INFECTIOUS GROOVES was formed soon after Trujillo joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES in 1989. Muir and Trujillo got together with some friends to write song that centered more around the bass, but with the intent of giving everyone else a whole lot of freedom.

On November 5, 2023, SLIPKNOT released a statement via social media in which it said it had "decided to make a creative decision and to part ways with Jay."

Six days later, Weinberg, who replaced Joey Jordison, SLIPKNOT's original drummer, in 2013, shared on Instagram that he "was heartbroken and blindsided to receive the phone call", "the news of which, most of you learned shortly after."

Jay played his final show with SLIPKNOT on November 3 at the Hell & Heaven festival in Toluca, Mexico.

When SLIPKNOT announced Weinberg's departure, the band thanked Jay "for his dedication and passion over the past ten years." The group added: "No one can ever replace Joey Jordison's original sound, style or energy, but Jay honored Joey's parts and contributed to the last three albums and we, the band, and the fans appreciate it. But as ever, SLIPKNOT is intent on evolving. We wish Jay all the best and are very excited for what the future holds."

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father, Max Weinberg, of Bruce Springsteen's E STREET BAND, and leader of the house band on Conan O'Brien's talk show. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter", the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

".5: The Gray Chapter" went on to score a trio of Grammy nominations, including two for "Best Metal Performance" and a nomination for "Best Rock Album".

Weinberg also played on 2019's "We Are Not Your Kind" and 2022's "The End, So Far", both of which topped Billboard's rock albums chart.

SLIPKNOT has yet to announce a replacement for Jay.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES (@suicidaltendencies)

THE BLACK CROWES have released the official music video for "Wanting And Waiting". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Happiness Bastards", which will arrive on March 15. The band's first full-length LP of new material in 15 years will be released via THE BLACK CROWES' own record label, Silver Arrow Records.

THE BLACK CROWES leaders Chris Robinson (lead vocals) and Rich Robinson (guitar) worked on the follow-up to 2009's "Before The Frost… Until The Freeze" with producer Jay Joyce.

In a statement, Chris said: "'Happiness Bastards' is our love letter to rock 'n' roll. Rich and I are always writing and creating music; that has never stopped for us, and it is always where we find harmony together. This record represents that."

Rich added: "This album is a continuation of our story as a band. Our years of experience writing and making music and touring the world are represented in this record, and we were brilliantly guided by one of the best producers in the business, Jay Joyce. I am incredibly proud of what we put together."

"Happiness Bastards" contains 10 tracks, including a guest appearance by Lainey Wilson, a Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter who rose to prominence after her music was featured on the television drama "Yellowstone". She was named the 2023 CMA Entertainer Of The Year.

"Happiness Bastards" track listing:

01. Bedside Manners
02. Rats And Clowns
03. Cross Your Fingers
04. Wanting And Waiting
05. Wilted Rose (featuring Lainey Wilson)
06. Dirty Cold Sun
07. Bleed It Dry
08. Flesh Wound
09. Follow The Moon
10. Kindred Friend

THE BLACK CROWES' 2024 headline tour is set to hit 35 cities in North America and Europe this spring in support of their forthcoming studio album.

The "Happiness Bastards" tour will kick off at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on April 2, making stops in major markets, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, and Boston, before ending the North American run in Philadelphia on May 7 at The Met Philadelphia.

The "Happiness Bastards" tour international run will begin May 14 in Manchester, U.K., at the O2 Apollo, making stops in London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Berlin and more before wrapping up the expansive tour on June 9 in Mérida at the Stone & Music festival.

THE BLACK CROWES released an acoustic collection called "Croweology" in 2010. An EP, "1972" — a collection of covers — arrived in May 2022.

Joining Chris and Rich in THE BLACK CROWES' most recent touring lineup were returning bassist Sven Pipien, who played with the band live from 1997 up until the band's hiatus in 2015, along with Brian Griffin on drums, Joel Robinow on keyboards and Isaiah Mitchell on guitar.

In celebration of the culmination of their 2021-22 reunion tour, THE BLACK CROWES released "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker Live", an ode to the band reuniting and following an epic two-year anniversary tour with over 100 dates worldwide.

A deluxe reissue of "The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion" arrived on December 1, 2023. The set included previously unreleased studio recordings, rare B-sides and a live performance from 1993 at Houston's Sam Houston Coliseum.

THE BLACK CROWES' debut album, 1990's "Shake Your Money Maker", was re-released in multi-formats sets in February 2021 through UMe/American Recordings. The album, fueled by singles "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "She Talks To Angels" and a cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", has sold over five million copies.

DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll says that he is "stoked" about how the band's new music is shaping up.

Earlier today (Wednesday, March 6),Will took to his personal Facebook page to write: "I'm listening to the latest DEATH ANGEL song that I tracked yesterday at our practice space and I am pretty damn stoked about how this new material is turning out. The creative juices are flowing and things are moving along at a very productive rate. One more song and we'll have reached our goal we set for ourselves before rehearsing the songs we're doing down in South/Central America in April. Once that tour is over and we're back home we get straight back to making these demos."

He added: "I can't wait for the DA fans around the world to hear this new material and hopefully we'll make some new ones along the way. Exciting times indeed."

A little over a month ago, Will said that he and his DEATH ANGEL bandmates were "hard at work getting" the band's next album "written and completely demo'd."

"It felt good to get back to work with [DEATH ANGEL guitarist] Rob Cavestany," Will wrote on January 26. "It's a real challenge to not rehash the same ideas and beats from previous albums but I think so far things are sounding fresh and inspired."

Last July, DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar told Vikram Chandrasekar about the band's songwriting process: "Well, when it comes down to writing, it's all Rob. It's all Rob. It starts with him. He comes up with a basic structure and him and Will get together and they hash it all out and they record it. And when they get it to a point where, 'Oh, yeah, this is great,' then they send it off to everyone else. And Damien [Sisson, bass] does his parts and Mark [Osegueda, vocals] will listen to it and try to write lyrics and melodies. And I'll listen to it and I'll touch base with Rob: 'What do you want me to do here? Do you want me to play something here? Or do you want me to do something different?' 'Cause Rob has a vision and you kind of wanna see his vision. And as soon as the song comes together to where we play it quite a few times, then we could throw in our ideas, like, 'Hey, maybe that part should be a little longer,' or, 'Maybe cut that out,' or Will will go, 'I wanna do something different here instead.' So, you know, Rob has a vision, we listen, we play along with it. Then if we feel like there needs to be changes, we express our concern, and Rob is really good at, 'Yeah, let's give it a try.' So we try everything. And it comes down to, 'All right, this is what works.' So it starts with Rob. And with regarding the lyrics, every now and then Rob will pick out a song: 'I wanna write lyrics for this song.' And Mark goes, 'Go ahead.' But Mark writes all the lyrics, and what he does is with the music, he'll listen to it over and over by himself. I don't know where he goes. He goes into the far corners of the earth by himself, with the headphones and music, and he'll come up with so many types of different melodies and stuff, and then come up with the ones he's happy with and lay it down on the demo form. Then when we get into the real studio, then things start to evolve 'cause we've played it so many times or we listened to it so many times that when we get in there, [we go], 'All right, let's try this.' It's always evolving to the point where it's handing it in to get mastered. Some songs stay kind of the same from what it was, but we just put more energy into it. Some songs have been rewritten quite a few times, so it differs. Rob's the songwriter, and on the last album I wrote one song. Yeah, it's how it is. And right now I'm writing some stuff, and how it goes is I'll write some stuff, I'll send it to Rob. I always tell him, 'If it's good, use it. If not, if you find parts are good, use it. If it's not good, it's okay, dude.' I'm just throwing some stuff out there, 'cause he knows what the DEATH ANGEL sound should be. And if he likes it, he'll use it. If he doesn't, my feelings are not broken."

DEATH ANGEL released a live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Carroll joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon.

Will can be heard on the last four DEATH ANGEL studio albums: "Relentless Retribution" (2010),"The Dream Calls for Blood" (2013),"The Evil Divide" (2016) and the aforementioned "Humanicide".

One of Finland's hottest new exports, high-profile modern metal band Crownshift, are happy to finally announce the release date and details of their eagerly awaited self-titled debut album, which is due out on May 10, 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records. The pre-order has launched today.


Earlier this year Crownshift released their first single and music video, “If You Dare”. Today marks the release of yet another infectious single accompanied by a stylish and energetic music video, “A World Beyond Reach”. 


“A World Beyond Reach” is a perfect example of what Crownshift's debut album offers - eight contemporary melodic death metal anthems with a progressive edge and captivating choruses for the ages. Crownshift's members are or have been involved in some of Finland's most renowned and universally beloved metal bands, including Nightwish, Children Of Bodom, Wintersun, and Mygrain, and it shows. On their first album, Crownshift have managed to combine their collective experiences and have crafted a modern metal masterpiece that sounds distinctively Finnish and offers stellar songwriting and excellent production. 




Catch Crownshift live this year at several big summer festivals across Europe or at their album release show in Helsinki on May 15. Not too many bands are getting booked by high-profile festivals having released only one single, which again speaks for the level of quality that Crownshift brings to the table.


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Stellar Halo”
“Rule The Show”
“A World Beyond Reach”
“If You Dare”
“My Prison”
“The Devil’s Drug”
“Mirage”
“To The Other Side”


“A World Beyond Reach” video:





“If You Dare”:





Crownshift live:


May
15 – Helsinki, Finland – Tavastia (Release Show)
17 – Eichstatt, Germany – Open Air Am Berg


June
19 – Nummijarvi, Finland – Nummirock
23 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop


July
6 – Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain – Rock Fest Barcelona


August
2 – Hungary – Fezen Festival
3 – Romania – Rockstadt Extreme Fest
9 – Helsinki, Finland – Hellsinki Metal Festival 


Crownshift is:


Tommy Tuovinen: Vocals
Daniel Freyberg: Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jukka Koskinen: Bass
Heikki Saari: Drums


(Photo - Pekka Keränen)

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers DARK TRANQUILLITY will release their thirteenth studio album "Endtime Signals", on August 16 via Century Media Records.

The visualizer for the LP's first single, "The Last Imagination", which offers a first glimpse into the profound journey through the existential depth that is "Endtime Signals", can be seen below.

Notably, "Endtime Signals" not only marks the thirteenth studio album of the band, but also their tenth album collaboration with Century Media Records. Building on the success of previous releases such as "Atoma" (2016),which climbed up to No. 2 in the Swedish album charts, and "Moment" (2020),which earned the band a Swedish Grammis award, the band is set to continue to redefine and deliver a top-tier musical experience with "Endtime Signals".

"Welcome to the world of DARK TRANQUILLITY once again," the band says. "It's been a while since 'Moment' and we've gone through quite a lot in order to end up where we find ourselves today. But as we can reveal the first single from the upcoming 'Endtime Signals', the feeling is that of pride, accomplishment, and a fair bit of relief. 'The Last Imagination' showcases one of many facets of what we feel is our most diverse album to date."

The band continues: "Going back to what we fundamentally feel is the core of DARK TRANQUILLITY, with a partly new lineup, has been a tremendous experience. It gave us the opportunity to re-evaluate and view what we have built from a new and exciting perspective. This resulted in a focused and intense writing period where we have discovered aspects of our music anew and taken certain elements of it further than before. Joakim Strandberg Nilson has delivered above and beyond in terms of drumming, with Christian Jansson following through in fierce and precise fashion. This has driven the writing and recording process to feel challenging, different and inspiring in the best way possible."

Discussing the album as a whole, the band offers: "Thematically. the album deals with where we are heading, what has truly and fundamentally changed in us and how we find ways to cope with it. It has been hard finding that spark of positivity lately and there is a sense of grief running through the course of the album. Not only in the sense of mourning what we have lost on a personal level, but also where our sacrifices have taken us. 'The Last Imagination' in particular takes this to its logical conclusion and talks of what we leave behind and how hard it is for us to grasp that our significance might not be what we imagined.

"The breadth of the album is something we have worked hard at and we believe that this first song gives an indication if not a full picture of what is in store. There is ferocious speed, grinding brutality and haunting melodies of devastating loss to come. This is us making good on our promise to ourselves and our continuing mission."

"The Last Imagination" stands as a beacon of DARK TRANQUILLITY's unparalleled artistry: The band delves into the depths of the human experience and reflects on the impermanence of life, with a profound lyrical narrative and captivating melodies. This single challenges listeners to confront the finality of their stories, unheard and untold.

Accompanying the release, Niklas Sundin, former guitarist and longstanding collaborator of the band, has crafted captivating visual elements, including the visualizer for "The Last Imagination".

The album release date, August 16, was strategically chosen: It is no coincidence that the album reveal collides with the infamous Summer Breeze in Dinkelsbühl, Germany and DARK TRANQUILLITY's performance at the festival. As a special celebration for the reveal of their new album, the band will give a burning live performance, playing and partying into the release of "Endtime Signals" live on stage.

Before returning to Europe for the festival summer, DARK TRANQUILLITY will play shows in Turkey, South America, and Tunisia in April and May.

DARK TRANQUILLITY is:

Mikael Stanne - Vocals
Johan Reinholdz - Guitar
Martin Brändström - Electronics
Christian Jansson - Bass
Joakim Strandberg Nilsson - Drums

Photo credit: Krichan Wihlborg