In a new interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz, SAINT ASONIA frontman Adam Gontier addressed the fact that he is the sole remaining musician in the band's current touring lineup who was present when SAINT ASONIA made its live debut at the 2015 edition of the Rock On The Range festival. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The original lineup was myself and Corey Lowery [bass] and Rich Beddoe [drums] and Mike Mushok [guitar]. And Mike Mushok is still in the band. So it's me and Mike. But Corey Lowery left to play guitar for SEETHER. I think at the time we were basically on a break and SEETHER was going out and they needed somebody. And we're all kind of friends; we're this little group of friends. So, yeah, it was a good opportunity for me to invite Cale [Gontier], my cousin, into the band to play bass. Same with [drummer] Cody [Watkins]. Rich had some other stuff to do, so we got Cody on board, and here we are. This lineup is the lineup. But, yeah, because Mike's busy, he's pretty busy with STAIND and stuff, too, so we sort of have to balance that out. So he's doing stuff with STAIND, so we have Tavis Stanley, another friend of ours and great guitar player, filling in for Mike."

Gontier went on to say that it wasn't much of a surprise when Mushok stepped back from his touring activities with SAINT ASONIA in order to focus on STAIND.

"When Mike and I started the band, we talked about that, the chances of STAIND reuniting and doing stuff," Adam explained. "So it was always kind of expected. And we just figured we'd cross the bridge when we got it, and, yeah, we got to it. It's good, though. This lineup's great. The live show is killer. So, yeah, no complaints."

SAINT ASONIA released its second EP of 2022, "Extrovert", in November 2022 via Spinefarm.

"Extrovert" followed the "Introvert" EP, which dropped in the summer of 2022 and featured seven new tracks, including a Weeknd cover.

Both EPs were released physically as "Introvert/Extrovert" with bonus tracks in December 2022.

In 2022, Adam Gontier told Sonic Perspectives about "Introvert": "The title was fitting with the way the songs were written. We wrote and recorded individually. It's a weird situation to make a record and not be in the same room as your band. I felt like an introvert when I was working on these songs."

The EP was recorded outside of Toronto with producer Anton DeLost. Meanwhile, Mushok recorded remotely from his home studio in Connecticut.

"We had a blast with Anton," Adam told Sonic Perspectives. "He played a big part in the sonic changes. It's a little different for us, but it's still pretty heavy. He understood what we were hoping to accomplish. It's SAINT ASONIA."

Chris Daughtry of Grammy-nominated rockers DAUGHTRY joined DISTURBED on stage last night (Saturday, February 17) at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee to perform the DISTURBED song "Stricken". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

"Stricken" was the second single from DISTURBED's third studio album, "2005's "Ten Thousand Fists". In August 2008, the track was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies.

DISTURBED kicked off the 2024 leg of its "Take Back Your Life" tour on January 19 at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois. The band's 21-song setlist included the live debut of the "Divisive" album track "Don't Tell Me" featuring a guest appearance by Moriah Formica of the opening band PLUSH.

Released in November 2022, DISTURBED's latest LP, "Divisive", was recorded earlier that year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

"Divisive" topped Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts, for their sixth and fifth No. 1s on those respective tallies.

"Bad Man", a single from "Divisive", was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 66th annual Grammy Awards, which took place on February 4 in Los Angeles. DISTURBED had been nominated twice before, in 2009 and 2017, but did not win either time. "Bad Man" was the second single released from the LP and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart while two previously released singles, "Hey You" and "Unstoppable", reached No. 1.

DISTURBED will perform at this year's Knotfest in Australia in March and is scheduled to make festival appearances at Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival in May.



Chris Daughtry on stage with Disturbed

Posted by Pamela Easton on Saturday, February 17, 2024

Wow Nashville! What a show. Thank you for rocking with us!

And a huge thank you to @chrisdaughtry for joining us...

Posted by Disturbed on Sunday, February 18, 2024

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Draiman (@davidmdraiman)

Vocalist Ken Tamplin, founder of the Ken Tamplin vocal academy, has shared a new performance video along with the following message:


"Today, I wanted to share with you all my version of the Mötley Crüe tune, 'Dr. Feelgood'. Written by Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars, the song was released back in 1989 as the lead single off of the album with the same name and became the band's first Top 10 hit. The album Dr. Feelgood, which was their fifth album and the first one they recorded sober, ended up topping the Billboard 200.  


The band was said to be difficult to work with according to producer Bob Rock. He described them as 'four L.A. bad asses who used to drink a bottle of wine and wanted to kill each other.' As a result, Rock had each member record their parts separately to minimize conflict and allow production to proceed smoothly.




The song itself ended up peaking at  #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains their highest ranked single to this day. The single went on to be certified Gold and was ranked by VH1 as the 15th Greatest Hard Rock Song of all time. 


I hope you all enjoy my take on this tune."


 


In the clip below, courtesy of the Ken Tamplin Music Academy, vocalist Gabbi Gun teams up with  Ken Tamplin for a vocal cover of the Iron Maiden classic  "Two Minutes To Midnight".


Ken Tamplin: "Taking on Iron Maiden is no small task, and especially songs like 'Two Minutes To Midnight'. But Gabbi and I did not stop there: we decided to raise the key higher to make it even more challenging!


I have heard Bruce Dickinson say many times that one of his greatest vocal influences was Ronnie James Dio, and I found that to be especially true on 'Two Minutes To Midnight', so I tried to play into the spirit of that, as much as seemed appropriate and as best as possible.


Gabriela also did an incredible job of singing in the spirit of Bruce while still sounding like herself!"





Previously, Gabbi Gun teamed up with powerhouse musicians Rudy Sarzo, Alex Skolnick, Ken Mary, and Gary Schutt for a cover of the Whitesnake classic, "Still Of The Night".


Ken Tamplin: "Many Whitesnake fans would argue that 'Still Of The Night' was a major zenith and pinnacle of Whitesnake's hits and the crème de la crème of David Coverdale's powerful anthemic rock singing.


Interestingly, this song has been very intimidating for many male rock singers, and even more so for female rock vocalists. For this reason, we thought it would be a perfect fit for Gabriela to go head to head with David in his prime and see how we stacked up against one of the greatest rock vocalists in the world!


Also as a fun side note,  we have Ken Mary on drums, Rudy Sarzo, one of the best bass players from Whitesnake, Alex Skolnick from Testament on guitar, and Gary Schutt on keyboards."

The Quill has revealed their new video, "Wheel Of Illusion". The track is the first to be revealed from the band's 11th album, Wheel Of Illusion, set for international release on March 29th via Metalville Records.


"This song is a real testament of what the new album is all about. You want heavy? You want groove? You want strong melodies? The Quill got you covered!" 










The Swedish hard rock band unveils their musical prowess on their 11th album, Wheel Of Illusion. With a storied history dating back to the early '90s, The Quill has consistently pushed boundaries, blending powerful riffs and soulful melodies.


States bassist Roger Nilsson, "Making new music is always hard work - but by now, we all know what we need to make a great album. The writing process is really where we gel as a band. We've always loved banging out ideas together in rehearsals - it's always been a team effort with everyone pitching in trying to make every song the best possible."


Wheel Of Illusion promises to be a sonic journey, showcasing the band's evolution while staying true to their hard rock roots. From the thunderous drumbeats to the searing guitar solos, each track is a testament to The Quill's enduring commitment to delivering a raw and authentic sound.


Says guitarist Christian Carlsson, "Even though we have a well-defined sound by now, firmly rooted in the classic rock of the '70s, we always try to find new ways of adding sounds and influences to our music. This time, we found hints of early British NWOBHM creeping in. We also used some old vintage keyboards, which added a bit of a different flavor to keep things fresh."


The album explores themes of introspection, resilience, and the enigmatic nature of reality. With lyrics that resonate and music that captivates, Wheel Of Illusion is poised to become a defining chapter in The Quill's musical legacy.


Adds drummer Jolle Atlagic, "We were extremely well rehearsed before entering the studio - which is not always the case. For Earthrise, we started with sketches in the studio. This time, it was the opposite - we worked really hard arranging the songs in rehearsals, so once we entered the studio, the process was quick and to the point."


As the band continues to carve their niche in the international rock scene, this album reaffirms their status as pioneers of the Swedish hard rock movement. Wheel of Illusion is not just an album; it's a testament to The Quill's unwavering passion for creating music that transcends time and resonates with fans worldwide.


Concludes vocalist Magnus Ekwall, "Wheel Of Illusion is by far the most consistent and well-conceived album we've ever made. Every note on the album is there for a reason, and there’s no excess luggage at all. I'm really proud of what we've achieved - it's classic The Quill even though you'll find surprises along the way!" Cover and tracklisting are as follows:





"Wheel Of Illusion"
"We Burn"
"Rainmaker"
"Elephant Head"
"Hawks & Hounds"
"Liber"
"Sweet Mass Confusion"
"The Last Thing"
"Wild Mustang"


The Quill lineup:


Magnus Ekwall - vocals (Ayreon, Mountain Of Power)
Christian Carlsson - guitar (Cirkus Prütz)
Roger Nilsson - bass (Spiritual Beggars, Arch Enemy, Firebird)
Jolle Atlagic - drums (Hanoi Rocks, Electric Boys, Firebird)


For further details, visit The Quill on Facebook.


(Photo by Goran Markov)


 

Blacktop Mojo has released the official music video for "Like Wild Horses", the second single from their fifth studio album Pollen, due out April 5, 2024. The song is available to stream / download now at this location.





According to Blacktop Mojo, "Our media guy Josh Lankford took the photo that we used as the single art for 'Like Wild Horses'." Here's his story behind it:




"I took this photo in the midst of the pandemic. Tired of being cooped up, I drove three hours to the Onaqui Mountains hoping to see the last wild mustangs of the West. What I witnessed was truly unbelievable. Hundreds of wild horses in a herd, grazing the high desert. But off all alone roamed this old white mustang, scarred from years of battle. Known by many as 'Old Man', he's one of the oldest mustangs and a true spirit of the American West."





The cover art for Pollen can be seen below. Pre-orders can be placed here.





The official music video for "Red Enough", the first single from Pollen, can be enjoyed below.





In live news, Clutch have announced their upcoming New World Samurai Tour 2024, with support from Blacktop Mojo and The Native Howl. The trek kicks off on April 26 in Richmond, VA, and concludes on May 19 in Columbus, OH.


Dates and a video trailer can be found below.





April
26 - Richmond, VA - The National
27 - Wilmington, DE - The Queen
29 - Bloomington, IL - The Castle Theatre


May
1 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep
2 - Estes Park, CO - Stanley Hotel
3 - Estes Park, CO - Stanley Hotel
4 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
5 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater
7 - Lubbock, TX - The Garden
9 - Pelham, TN - The Caverns
10 - Columbia, SC - The Senate
11 - Daytona, FL - Welcome To Rockville
12 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall
14 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note
15 - Fayetteville, AR - JJ's Live
17 - Sioux City, IA - Anthem at Hard Rock
18 - Belvidere - IL - The Apollo Theatre
19 - Columbus, OH - Sonic Temple





 

The latest release from Nashville-based rock band Riverghost is finally upon us! “Rollin’ In” is action-packed right out of the gate. It’s a song of nefarious and wicked love. It promises to set your heart and the streets on fire, leaving you melted and weak in the knees.


“Rollin’ In” kicks things up for Riverghost with its immediate drum punch straight into a killer groove and a soulful blues vocal. Written, produced, and recorded by Riverghost, the first single off their new EP is a fiery intro of what’s to come.


It’s four minutes of drivin’ fast and taking chances. Enjoy! Stream / download “Rollin’ In” here.







For further details, visit Riverghost on Facebook.


 

The Glory And The Fallen is Celtic metal singer-songwriter Leah's most epic and groundbreaking project yet - a monumental soundscape inspired by fantasy, history and personal journey.





This much-anticipated, new release features a who’s who of renowned musicians with appearances from Mark Jansen (Epica, MaYaN), Timo Somers (Arjen Lucassen, ex-Delain), Sander Zoer (Delain), and was produced by Oliver Philipps (Everon, Phantasma). The amazing artwork was created by Giannis Nakos (Kamelot, Evergrey, Amaranthe).




Leah comments: "This is one of my biggest projects to date. Not only because there were more people involved, but also because of the scope of the music itself and the way I challenged myself in the songwriting process, and vocally. I think you’ll hear a continuation of my evolution as a songwriter and vocalist. This collection of songs is very much the classic LEAH sound but also explores some new territory that I think you’ll really enjoy." 


Leah will also be treating fans to an instrumental album and folk versions of several songs from the album, providing a full experience for a wide range of musical tastes.





Order Leah's sixth album, The Glory And The Fallen now. Check out Leah’s past work on Bandcamp.

Steve Vai has commented on his involvement with "Some Assembly Required", a collaboration project conceptualized by ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss and her fiancé, manager and drummer Josh Villalta, combining some of the top guitarists in the world to do something incredibly special in tribute to this once-in-a-lifetime musician — Jason Becker.

Utilizing an unreleased demo of Becker's, Strauss, along with Vai, Zakk Wylde, Chris Broderick, Phil Demmel, Jennifer Batten and many more, came together, lending their hearts and souls into what's become an unforgettable, unmissable display of guitar mastery.

"Some Assembly Required" has quickly turned into a powerful display that is equal parts a six-string love-story and a call for action for us all to take a closer look at what can be done to help others suffering from the same degenerative disease that took hold of Becker.

In a social media post on Friday (February 16),Vai wrote about "Some Assembly Required": "Jason Becker was at the forefront of the original shred movement back in the late 80's. His playing style was visceral and commanding and he was a focused figure in ushering in the rock virtuoso guitar movement. As many of you know, while reaching for (and embracing) the stars, Jason was diagnosed with ALS in 1989, right at the time he was replacing me in the David Lee Roth Band. He was able to finish his excellent guitar work on Roth's 'A Little Ain't Enough' album before the ALS debilitated him. Even after this affliction started to rob him of his ability to play, to walk, and eventually to speak, he and his uncompromisingly supportive father developed a system of communication using Jason's eye movements. In spite of all this, Jason continued composing with the use of a music-composing computer program that reads movements of his head and eyes. Since then, Jason has gone on releasing records such as Perspective, Raspberry Jams, Blackberry Jams, Warmth in the Wilderness I, and Warmth in the Wilderness II.

"Jason Becker is perhaps our most shining example in the entire musical sphere of the human spirit against unthinkable challenges. He continues to innovate and inspire in meaningful ways.

"Some time ago I was approached by Nita Strauss to contribute some playing to this wonderful track with so many others, to support Jason's 'Jason Becker Special Needs Trust'.

"Please consider following this link and making a much needed donation to this trust to help Jason and his family at their time of need."

When "Some Assembly Required" was first released, Strauss said in a statement: "The original idea Josh put forward was to work together on a song for my own album. We poured through lots of Jason's demos until we landed on this track, which was originally recorded with Gregg and Matt Bissonette. However, as the idea materialized, we realized this could be a much bigger project and more importantly, have a bigger impact to help Jason raise awareness and funds. From there, it took on a life of its own. The incredible Billy Sheehan came down to the studio and played bass, and we reached out to tons of Jason's friends and peers, from all genres and eras, and amassed an army of friends to trade solos on this track. We left Jason's original demo solo where it was, where it shines to this day alongside so many of the players that love and look up to him. We were able to send this video to Jason on Christmas Day and bring some holiday cheer to him and his family! He loved it and christened it with the name we have today — 'Some Assembly Required'."

Jason said: "So, I wrote this song in early 1990, hoping that David Lee Roth would want to use it. I went to Matt and Gregg Bissonette's place and recorded it with them. It was a lot of fun. Dave passed on it. Cool, because now all these fantastic players get to jam on it.

"A few years ago, Nita and Josh came over to go through some of my unreleased music to see if they wanted to do some kind of collaboration. This Christmas they surprised me with this beautiful video. Man, what a gift! Not only from them, but from everyone involved. I am such a big fan of you all! Thank you all so very much."

For an insider's look on how Becker's guitar family came together for this harrowing tribute, allow Strauss to explain in the exclusive short below.

For those who may not know of Jason Becker's legacy, we'd have to travel back to 1985 when 16-year-old guitarist Becker partnered up with Marty Friedman as the duo CACOPHONY. His success at such an early age was no coincidence, his metal mastery becoming a talking point amongst his peers, going on to support some of the biggest names in rock including David Lee Roth and create some huge guitar moments as a solo artist.

As Becker's career began to blossom, Jason was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) in 1989 — at just 20 years old. As the disease progressed, Jason no longer could hold on to the instrument, but the urge to continue pushed on as he, amazingly, engineered his own way of writing music, a technique using "eye geometry" and chin movements, described further in the documentary on Becker's journey.

A trailer for the film "Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet", a compilation of interviews, live footage, and more on the unbreakable spirit and the ingenious songwriting ability of the guitarist that influenced so many can be seen below.

The guitar community has spoken and is asking for all of us to stand up and be an ally to Jason Becker and his family as he continues fighting this battle. There is an ongoing struggle to find a full-time caregiver, making proper help seem a hugely daunting challenge. Already saddled with the daily task of staying alive against all odds, there comes additional stress and worry for Jason and his family for all of the many out-of-pocket medical fees.

Keeping positive and consistently creating is essential for Becker, so we invite you to keep up with his latest creations through his web site, www.JasonBecker.com, where you can also donate to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust.

A full list of guitarists and friends included in the creation of "Some Assembly Required":

Chris Broderick
Joe Bonamassa
Gus G
Paul Gilbert
Angel Vivaldi
Steve Vai
Steve Stevens
Rob Scallon
Jennifer Batten
Nili Brosh
Richie Kotzen
Marc Rizzo
Lari Basilio
Zakk Wylde
Alex Skolnick
Phil Demmel
Nita Strauss
Jason Becker
Marty Friedman
Herman Li
Steve Lukather
Jared Dines

Drums were recorded by Josh Villalta; bass by Billy Sheehan. Mixed and mastered by Nick Sampson.



Jason Becker was at the forefront of the original shred movement back in the late 80’s. His playing style was visceral and commanding and he was a focused figure in ushering in the rock virtuoso guitar movement. As many of you know, while reaching for (and embracing) the stars, Jason was diagnosed with ALS in 1989, right at the time he was replacing me in the David Lee Roth Band. He was able to finish his excellent guitar work on Roth’s “A Little Ain’t Enough” album before the ALS debilitated him.
Even after this affliction started to rob him of his ability to play, to walk, and eventually to speak, he and his uncompromisingly supportive father developed a system of communication using Jason’s eye movements. In spite of all this, Jason continued composing with the use of a music-composing computer program that reads movements of his head and eyes. Since then, Jason has gone on releasing records such as Perspective, Raspberry Jams, Blackberry Jams, Warmth in the Wilderness I, and Warmth in the Wilderness II.

Jason Becker is perhaps our most shining example in the entire musical sphere of the human spirit against unthinkable challenges. He continues to innovate and inspire in meaningful ways.

Some time ago I was approached by Nita Strauss to contribute some playing to this wonderful track with so many others, to support Jason’s “Jason Becker Special Needs Trust”.
Please consider following this link and making a much needed donation to this trust to help Jason and his family at their time of need.

https://jasonbecker.com

Posted by Steve Vai on Friday, February 16, 2024

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝐍 𝐈 𝐓 𝐀 𝐒 𝐓 𝐑 𝐀 𝐔 𝐒 𝐒 (@hurricanenita)

During a February 15 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Bret Michaels, who is continuing to promote his "Parti-Gras" solo tour, was asked if he foresees possibly taking POISON out again on the road with another two or three or four other big acts, like he did as part of the 2022 "The Stadium Tour". "One million percent," he responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I was grateful to be out there again. With MÖTLEY [CRÜE] and [DEF] LEPPARD and to be out there with Joan [Jett], I one thousand percent see that [kind of thing happening again]."

The 60-year-old musician continued: "I wouldn't be doing any of this without being out there with [my POISON bandmates] C.C. [DeVille, guitar] and Bobby [Dall, bass] and Rikki [Rockett, drums], but with the Bret Michaels [solo] band and that feeling I get having Pete Evick out there with me and Dean [Cramer] The Machine and Norman [Voss] and Meri [Schaefer] and Rob [Jozwiak] and all of us, we all carry that same feeling."

Circling back to the possibility of POISON touring again in the not-too-distant future, Bret said: "I think in 2025, 2026, one million percent. We're gonna bring all the POISON greatest-hits reunion and make it part of what 'Parti-Gras' is. We'll make it the POISON reunion 'Parti-Gras' and bring a lot of great bands and just, without a doubt, unleash all those POISON greatest hits."

POISON's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

In 2018, POISON completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.

Back in 2018, Dall said that POISON "should" be making a new studio album but claimed that he didn't know if it would happen. "I'm not going to bullshit you and say there's any [new music] in the process [of being made]," he told All That Shreds. "Would I like there to be? Yes. But, it's a matter of everyone having the time. Everybody in the band has other commitments. Some members have younger children than others. So between those two issues, it's difficult, and, you know, [there are] health issues as we get older. Should we be making a new record? Yes, definitely. But will it happen? I don't know."

In a 2017 interview, Rikki acknowledged that part of the reason the band hasn't been motivated to work on new music has been the fact that fans rarely show interest in hearing fresh material performed live when classic rock groups go on tour. "We could write the second coming of 'Talk Dirty To Me', and I don't know if people wanna hear it or not, and that's a frustrating thing; it really is," he said. "AEROSMITH was able to do it, but not everybody is. I mean, even THE ROLLING STONES have had problems with that in the last few years. So… I don't know. But I do think it's important to stay viable. For the 'über fans,' it's always a really, really good thing. And that's what you do it for — you do it for you, you do it for the real fans, the real true fans."

More recently, Rockett admitted that he and other members of POISON harbored some resentment toward Michaels, whose frequent tours as a solo artist caused the band to take a five-year break from the road.

"I think we need to get away from each other and do other things, but at the same time, I think he spent a little too much time away," Rockett said. "There's definitely some resentment, but not resentment like I want him to fail. I want him to do good. I just want POISON to be important too, and I would like [him] to put a little more energy into POISON."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Eddie Trunk (@eddietrunk)

WITHERING SCORN, the new band featuring former MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover and his brother, and fellow ex-MEGADETH member, Glen Drover, along with former FATES WARNING bassist Joe DiBiase and German singer Henning Basse, who has previously played with FIREWIND, METALIUM and MAYAN, has commenced work on its second album. The effort will be the follow-up to WITHERING SCORN's debut, "Prophets Of Demise", which came out in July 2023 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Earlier today (Saturday, February 17),Shawn released a video update about the upcoming LP, in which he said: "At this point, this is where we're at. I've got three songs done for drums completed, and we started working on song four today; Glen and I started working on this intro piece to song four, where it's got this whole intro thing and stuff. And so we worked that out. And that's where we're at in terms of music as well. We just started song four. Glen still has a couple songs to do for keeper guitars and so does Joe for bass. We haven't even approached the lyric process or the singing yet. Once we get far enough ahead, that's when we'll start to tackle that. Once I hear keeper guitars, then I start to assemble lyrics. I need to kind of hear the finished product of certainly the drums and guitars, if not bass as well, so I get inspired to write lyrics. That's kind of how I work with that."

He continued: "Things are really sounding great. What we've got down on tape right now I'm really happy with it. It sounds super solid. If you like the first record at all, you'll definitely like this one. It hasn't strayed much. It's complete metal, just like the first record — even more so, I would say. But, yeah, I'm really happy with how things are turning out."

WITHERING SCORN was formed in 2020 by Glen and Shawn, who previously played together in MEGADETH, as well as in EIDOLON. The pair have teamed up once again for their latest musical offering and are joined by DiBiase, who played with FATES WARNING for 14 years on multiple records and world tours, and Basse.

Shawn previously said about "Prophets Of Demise": "The four of us have been musicians most of our lives. At this point, we are pretty honed in as to what we want to do musically, and that is to create a 100% uncompromising heavy metal record, which is exactly what we have done. No punches pulled, no holds barred... just flat-out HEAVY METAL!!!"

In a January 2021 interview with the "Nothing Shocking" podcast, Shawn stated about the new project: "We've been talking about doing something. Glen owns his own studio up in Canada, so why not utilize the fact that we don't have to go and pay huge studio costs and et cetera, et cetera, and get some friends together that we admire and that we respect and work on a record. And that's exactly what we're doing.

"We have Glen and myself, of course, and we have a bass player named Joe DiBiase, who was in a band called FATES WARNING out of Connecticut for years and years and years," he continued. "A great player; a friend of ours. So he's gonna play bass on it. And we have a singer from Germany who was in a band called METALIUM for a number of years, and his name is Henning Basse, who is a fantastic melodic singer.

"It's a slow process, because life gets in the way," Shawn added. "We all have things that we deal with, so we do that. But when we have the time, we work on it, and so far it's turning out to be really exciting. We're pretty happy with the material we've done so far."

Asked how the new band is different and similar to his previous collaborations with Glen, Shawn said: "It's been really similar to the first band that Glen and I did years ago, which was a band called EIDOLON. We released, actually, five records on Metal Blade in the early 2000s, right before we both got into MEGADETH. And the dynamic of that was that I write most of the material. Although Glen does contribute to some of it, I usually have the main germ of ideas, and, of course, he records all that stuff. So he's kind of a studio guy. He's the guitar player, but he handles all of the studio recording affairs, and I just kind of take on the job of creating most of the music. And we finetune it — he tweaks it and kind of makes it his own in a way. But that's kind of the working relationship we have with that. Because if Glen wrote all the music, I'd basically be doing nothing, and he would have to tackle all the work on his own. So we made a decision years ago — that was back in the mid-'90s, actually, when we put out our first bit of music, before we got signed to Metal Blade — that's always been the working dynamic, is I create most of the material, and he handles all the recording affairs with that. And it's worked out quite well. So that's what we're doing this time as well."

Shawn also talked about the status of ACT OF DEFIANCE, which he formed in late 2014 with ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick, former SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass).

"It's certainly in limbo," Drover said. "Chris joined IN FLAMES a couple of years back, which is a great gig for him. They're great guys, a great band, and he fits with those guys like a glove. So he's quite happy and content to be doing that. With that said, he was so busy — he basically was gone for pretty much a year touring in support of their latest record they put out — and now with what happened in March of [2020]," referring to the coronavirus pandemic, "everything came to a screeching halt.

"Honestly, I don't know what the [other] guys are doing," he continued. "I talk to Henry and Matt a little bit here and there, but it's more just, like, 'How are you? I hope you're doing well.' We really don't talk about music a whole lot; none of us do. But we're all still friendly. Actually, Henry has released a couple of things — different kinds of music — on his own, which makes him happy, so more power to him. For me, I wanted to do something with my brother again and create some new music. And, like I said before, with the situation we are in, why not utilize that and create some music. So that's what we're doing."

Shawn joined MEGADETH in 2004 as the replacement for Nick Menza, who had only just rejoined the group. Drover performed on four MEGADETH studio records: 2007's "United Abominations", 2009's "Endgame", 2011's "TH1RT3EN" and 2013's "Super Collider".

Glen Drover left MEGADETH at the end of 2007 and was replaced by Broderick, who previously played with NEVERMORE and JAG PANZER.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Withering Scorn (@withering_scorn)

The IFM RAW YouTube channel has uploaded video of FEAR FACTORY's entire February 15 concert at the House Of Blues in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Check out the clips below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Shock
02. Edgecrusher
03. Powershifter
04. Disruptor
05. Fuel Injected Suicide Machine
06. Linchpin
07. Slave Labor
08. Demanufacture
09. Replica

FEAR FACTORY has once again recruited SCATTERED STORM's Javier Arriaga to play bass on the veteran Los Angeles-based act's North American shows with MACHINE HEAD.

Arriaga, who plays drums for SCATTERED STORM and has previously served as FEAR FACTORY's guitar and drum tech, is filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime bassist Tony Campos, who is currently on the road with STATIC-X.

In a recent interview with Brutal Planet Magazine, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares spoke about the band's plans to make a new studio album in 2024. The effort will mark FEAR FACTORY's recording debut with the group's latest addition, Italian-born vocalist Milo Silvestro, whose addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in February 2023.

"We've been working on stuff in between tours and stuff like that," Dino said. "We wanna try to get something out as soon as possible, but it may be it may be a little bit of a while because we have a lot of touring coming up — a lot. If you go to fearfactory.com and go to tour dates, you'll see it's getting filled up and filled up most of this year. I'm trying to stop at the end of June so we can go straight into the studio and start recording. But we're pretty much booked from now to the end of June, and it's gonna be a good six months."

Asked if he and his FEAR FACTORY bandmates are writing songs right now or if they are also working on music while on tour, Dino said: "A little bit of both. On this [upcoming] MACHINE HEAD tour, we're gonna set up a little studio in the back of the lounge [where] we're gonna be able to write and record and get some ideas down. Sometimes it's kind of hard, especially for Milo, 'cause he's gonna be singing every night. So, he would only really be able to do stuff on the days off, or something like that, because you've gotta rest your voice. When we're touring as much as we do every day, playing every day, it's wear and tear on the vocals. That's the most sensitive thing. So we try to take it easy. But still, it's enough to get some ideas down and stuff like that."

Regarding whether Milo is a "good lyricist", Dino said: "Oh, yeah. He's got some other little projects that he works on and the lyrics are really good. So we're not gonna have any issues with that. That was one of the main things that a lot of people have been complaining — not complaining, but the Internet type of bitching. It was, like, 'Okay. Yeah, he could sing great live. He could do all the songs great live. But what's it gonna be like when he does the record? How's his lyrics gonna be? How's this gonna be?' Relax. It's all gonna be good. Don't worry."

Cazares went on to say that FEAR FACTORY fans can definitely expect to hear new music in 2024. "We've gotta at least put a single out before the end of the year," he said.

Last fall, Dino told Nyva Zarbano that Milo "brings obviously a freshness that FEAR FACTORY needed. The last singer that we had [Burton C. Bell], obviously he had a lot of vocal issues and he really couldn't sing or do any of this kind of heavy touring," he explained. "It just was a big setback for us. So bringing Milo into the band, obviously he's got a great voice, he's very talented, he's a multi-instrumentalist. He could play more than one instrument. The kid's very talented. Of course, the story is I found him on the Internet. He was releasing videos of him doing FEAR FACTORY covers and he was posting them on all the FEAR FACTORY fan sites. And I saw him there, and I was, like, 'Okay, that's really got my attention.' But we had many people audition, but he was the one that really stood out. And he's a huge fan of FEAR FACTORY. And he pretty much learned from listening to our older vocalist. So he learned a lot of his stuff. And so, I mean, if you close your eyes, you think it's the original singer."

In a separate interview with Australia's "Everblack" podcast, Cazares was asked if Silvestro was "getting more comfortable" with his position as the frontman of the long-running California metal act. Dino responded: "Oh, yeah. I mean, from the first day, we talked about a lot of stuff. Before the tour started, we rehearsed, and we were, like, 'Okay, these are the kind of things that we've done before. And I think you need to do this, this, this.' And he goes, 'Okay.' So then the first day [of the tour] comes, he just goes wild. And I'm, like, 'Oh, shit.' I was, like, 'Calm down.' I go, 'You don't need to go insane everywhere. Just focus on singing, focus on getting everything, giving the crowd all equal attention,' blah, blah. There's certain things you just gotta teach him a little bit, right? And so he pretty much nailed it the first day."

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Earlier last year, FEAR FACTORY completed the "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X marked the Cazares-led outfit's first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.

Webber has been filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who is unable to play with the band due to "scheduling conflicts."

Last fall, FEAR FACTORY completed a European tour. The 44-date trek marked the band's first European shows since 2016. Joining them on this run were BUTCHER BABIES from the USA and IGNEA from Ukraine.

FEAR FACTORY and MACHINE HEAD kicked off the "Slaughter The Martour North America 2024" tour on January 19 in San Francisco, California. Additional support on the trek is coming from Sweden's ORBIT CULTURE and Louisville, Kentucky's GATES TO HELL.

In an interview with Ace Annese of Reality Check TV at the seventh annual Metal Hall Of Fame gala, which took place on January 24 at the Marriott Delta hotel in Garden Grove, California, BIOHAZARD guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei spoke about the status of the reunited classic lineup of the band — Graziadei, guitarist Bobby Hambel, drummer Danny Schuler and bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We're back stronger than ever. I think any band who gets back together as a reunion says that, but this is for real.

"When we first came up with the idea, our manager Scott Koenig and lifelong friend, who passed away, the last conversation I had with Scott, he said to me, 'Put that bullshit aside. Put the band back together,'" he recalled. "I have a band with Sen Dog from CYPRESS HILL and Christian [Olde Wolbers] from FEAR FACTORY; it's called POWERFLO; I do solo [music]. And I was, like, 'You know what? Nah, man.' And Scott passed the next day. I saw Evan at the Rainbow [in West Hollywood] for Scott's memorial, and I went up to him and said 'hi'. I gave him a hug. And I said, 'I wish it was under better circumstances.' And that was the beginning. So I think a lot of this is Scott — Scott was the catalyst to make this happen. I know he's looking over this being proud as fuck."

Billy continued: "So, at first, we were, like, 'Yeah, it'll be fun. It'll be a great thing to play the old songs again.' And then it worked. The first show was Milwaukee Metal Fest, which is a great thing done by Jamey Jasta from HATEBREED. That show rocked. Then we played New York two nights, and those shows were on fire. And we were, like, 'Wow, this is fucking amazing.' So we kept doing it. We went on tour, and we were, like, 'Okay, something will probably happen. Some argument about something in the past will come up and it'll be over after six months.' It never happened. Then we started talking about new music, sharing ideas and now we're working on a new record. And we're back."

Asked if BIOHAZARD already has any new music recorded, Billy said: "Of course. I have a [recording studio]… [But it's] not ready [to be released]. It's not done yet."

Pressed about whether BIOHAZARD fans can expect to hear some new material from the band this year, Billy said: "A hundred percent. I haven't talked about this yet, so you're the first to hear this."

Earlier in the month, Schuler told That Fuzzing Rock Show about the possibility of new music from BIOHAZARD: "I don't know what the band sounds like now. I know what we sound like live, and I think we sound really good live. We've definitely gone back to not giving a fuck about anything except having fun, which is really healthy for us. We're not sweating the small stuff, I guess you would say. And we just we just wanna have fun. So, when we're having fun is when we do our best shit. So, we just go and do our thing and it sounds like us. And for me, that's a great thing, 'cause I love the way the band sounds.

"As far as what our new music is gonna sound like, I have no idea," he continued. "I don't know, once the band comes together and we start jamming on all the stuff that we have, how it's gonna evolve, but I know where my head is at and I know what I wanna do, but I can't speak for the other three guys. I'm hoping we do a real old-school, real-deal BIOHAZARD record.

"There's so many great new bands out there who have taken elements of things that us and a lot of other bands from back then kind of did, there's a lot of bands now who have taken a lot of those elements and do it really, really well — way better than we could ever do it," he explained. "So I don't wanna try to compete, try to outdo all these new bands, because they do a different kind of heavy. I think a lot of it's created in the studio with technology. Some of them sound great live, but I don't wanna compete with those kind of bands, because they're so fucking heavy and over the top.

"I know what we can do and I know what we can pull off live at a show for real. And I think we're gonna make a fucking awesome record that's gonna be great," Danny added. "But until that actually happens, I don't fucking know. Anything could happen. Definitely the vibe in the band is definitely like it was in the beginning. That's for sure."

Danny also talked about the upcoming BIOHAZARD documentary, saying: "Well, it's not finished. The documentary is not finished. Our old friend Drew Stone, who's really been there since almost the beginning with us and has always been filming shit, is producing and directing and editing a documentary film about BIOHAZARD — about our history and about coming back together And I don't think anybody's really being tight-lipped about it, but it's not finished, so there's nothing to really talk about until it gets there. But, yeah, up in Albany, at the Extreme Music Awards, he played a little trailer that he came up with, and when I saw him last week when we played down in Baltimore, he actually played me a 75- or 100-minute cut of the film. So I just saw it for the first time myself and it's in a very raw kind of form. But there's a lot of great old shit in there — a lot of great old stuff. A lot of great new stuff — a lot of funny, cool, insightful, interesting interviews and good stuff. It's gonna be a cool thing.

"I don't know how to really feel about a movie being made about us," he continued. "To me, I kind of feel like who's gonna give a shit about that? But seeing it, sitting down and watching it, I was, like, 'Fuck man.' There's like 35 years of history here. There's a lot. How do you even make a movie about all those years?

"I watched the AGNOSTIC FRONT movie, 'The Godfathers Of Hardcore', which was so well done and so awesome. But even with them, you're talking about 40 years, 40-something years of guys playing. How do you make a little hour-and-a-half movie? They did an amazing job on that.

"But the BIOHAZARD thing, it's gonna be a look back at the history of the band and kind of telling the story of how things went wrong and some of the fucked up shit, and then kind of how it came back together and how we are now. I mean, for a fan, I think it's gonna be cool."

Last August, BIOHAZARD confirmed that it was working on new music.

"The inspiration's coming from these shows," Bobby told Le Coin Metal in an interview. "Being back together, celebrating and doing all these shows, it's great. We're having a good time, but now we're getting the vibe from the crowd and we're feeling it, and it's getting in our bones. We're getting that hunger and the ideas are starting to come out off of these shows."

Added Billy: "For me, it's kind of cool because the other reason I did [my solo project] BILLYBIO is because there was no BIOHAZARD, and the songs that I would've been showing these guys just [ended up] BILLYBIO songs. So being back with these guys is, like… It's cool to have another outlet for my music."

The first reunion gig from Graziadei, Hambel, Schuler and Seinfeld took place on May 26, 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In January 2023, Schuler told Dan Shinder of Drum Talk TV, Schuler about how BIOHAZARD came back together: "We haven't toured in about seven years, almost eight years. In about 2015, [that] was the last year of touring. We wrapped it up after that. We went in the studio to go do a record and things just kind of imploded; everybody's a bunch of crazy personalities. In the ensuing years, we didn't do anything as BIOHAZARD. And then about a year and a half ago, my brother, who lives in Torrance, California, was flying back home to New York to come see everybody. And he gets to the airport here, and he says to me, 'You won't believe who I saw at the airport.' And I said, 'Who was that?' And he goes, 'I saw Evan,' the bass player from BIOHAZARD, Evan Seinfeld, who I hadn't spoken to in 10 years. And they had a good conversation, and it was cordial. And he basically sent a message through my brother, 'Tell Danny I said hi.' So a week later, I'm going on vacation. I'm feeling good. I'm going down to the beach house here in [New] Jersey with my wife and my kids, and I said to my wife, 'Maybe I should call him' — you know, just bury the hatchet. Who cares anymore? Like everybody, COVID and all these people dying and all this stuff, it's, like, who the hell cares about all that old stuff that made you mad. So my wife was, like, 'Yeah, why don't you give him a call? Don't be an asshole. Call him.'

"Anyway, long story short, I did call him and we spoke," he continued. "And we just kind of buried the hatchet. And the other guys in the band, Bobby and Billy, had been speaking, and we've been speaking, and everybody just kind of started talking a little bit. And unfortunately, our former manager, Scott Koenig, who was out in Los Angeles, he passed away. And that was a real moment where it was, like, 'Wow.' Scott was with us from the beginning, and he was like a fifth member of the band. … That was in October of '21. … I got that call. And the same week, Ir friend of ours from a band called DOG EAT DOG, our friend Sean Kilkenny passed away the same day as Scott. So it was two phone calls, two brothers, two great, close friends, like family, both passed at the same time. And for me, that was kind of one of those things where it's just, like, who cares about all the negative bullshit in the past? Who cares? We're still here. We did great stuff together. We created something cool. We should all be friends. And that was my thinking. And everyone kind of felt the same way. And that kind of was the beginning of how it started, getting the band together."

In 2022, Graziadei said in an interview that there had been "talk" about putting BIOHAZARD back together.

The group, which is acknowledged as one of the earliest outfits to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop, had been out of the public eye since Scott Roberts left the band eight years ago.

Roberts, who played guitar on BIOHAZARD's 2005 album "Means To An End", rejoined the group in June 2011 as the replacement for Seinfeld. Scott fronted BIOHAZARD for nearly five years before exiting the band in February 2016.

In an August 2020 interview with the "Aftershocks" podcast, Roberts said that he left BIOHAZARD because he "wasn't happy" anymore. "There was one guy that I wasn't getting along with very well, and it made touring not fun anymore for me," he said. "My reason to stick around was to make a new record that was great and I'd be proud of and all that stuff, and then it became kind of clear that wasn't gonna happen, so I was, like, 'What am I doing it for?' So I quit."

Seinfeld made his last recorded appearance with BIOHAZARD on 2012's "Reborn In Defiance" album, which marked the first LP featuring the band's original lineup in 18 years.

Graziadei is currently a member of the aforementioned POWERFLO, which also features Olde Wolbers, Sen Dog and Rogelio Lozano from DOWNSET.

Billy's solo project, BILLYBIO, released a new album, "Leaders And Liars", in March 2022 via AFM Records.

In a new interview with Joe Rock of the WBAB radio station, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars confirmed that he has already started work on the follow-up to his debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars", which will be released on February 23. The effort will be made available via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

"Honestly, I don't really get music out of my head," Mick said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "I spend a lot of time down here [in my studio]. Already for a follow-up album, I have four really solid, different ideas from 'The Other Side Of Mars' — again, for the diversity kind of a thing. But I'll tell you, the songs that I've got so far are massively thick… It hits hard, is a better word for it. I mean, it comes in and … your face turns into butter."

He continued: "I had [KORN drummer] Ray Luzier [who guested on 'The Other Side Of Mars'] over here [at my home studio in Nashville] the other day, and I played it for him. He lives very close to me — he lives just down the street — and he's, like, devastated. He's going, 'Wow.' So I'm going. like, 'Ah, good.' So there's that that I have going on. And they're in the rough stages — you know how it works. And that's it. Yeah, I'm working on a follow-up. Absolutely."

Mars went on to say that he wants to take the music on his second solo album in a slightly different direction from what he did on "The Other Side Of Mars". "Another level. It has to be that way," he explained. "I'm not a youngster. And I'm not a depressed dark guy or nothing like that. But when you start getting older, you start going, like, 'I don't wanna do that again. Let's try this or move up or go a different level,' instead of putting the same repetitious kind of thing, which is [what you sometimes do when you are stuck in an] album-tour,-album tour [cycle]. And a lot of times, when that does happen, you find yourself kind of repeating yourself, and it gets to be pretty much samey after a while. So I'm fortunate enough to be old — I made it to here — but to be able to change my music, my next step. I don't wanna stay on this level. I have to take it up a notch every time. And if I get to do a third [album], it'll be a notch again, of course."

Regarding which guest musicians he would like to possibly approach about appearing on his second solo album, Mick said: "I think of different things, I guess. I was, at one point, just kind of like fantasizing about it. I don't even know if it would work. But I was thinking, like, Slash [GUNS N' ROSES] is a bud, and calling Slash in and going, 'Hey, come on in there and goof around.' And Doug Pinnick [KING'S X], just to play bass — not to sing, but for his bass playing. And I think that the fans would kind of dig that, but I don't know what would come out of it. But I'm willing to take the chance, of course.

"As far as other things go, let's take it back a bit and go, a lot of people were expecting more of a blues album [from me this time around]," he continued. "Maybe I could throw a blues song on there, but the 'cry in your beer' kind of blues, but the kind that you just wanna get up and fight. After having a couple beers, I'm gonna beat up this [guy]. But, yeah, I can do that kind of stuff. I'm so open, and I have so much freedom to take my project anywhere, of course, and any direction. It's all open. It's a great feeling, really a great feeling just to express myself any way I want. I could go out and get, let's say, an unknown female singer and just totally have something that's so different than what you would expect from me. I don't know if people do know what they expect, 'cause I don't what I'm doing next. I do know what I'm doing next, but I don't know."

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Bunton had previously worked with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

Italian power metallers Frozen Crown have shared the following message with their fans:


"Life is incredible. Just two years ago we were struggling hard to play live. Pandemic consequences were still going on, and people supposed to work on our booking weren't believing in us, despite the fact that Winterbane (although recorded and promoted during quarantine, just after half the old line-up members had abandoned the ship) had sold more than both our first two albums combined and our online presence being stronger then ever.


And now we are just announcing a new European tour supporting Kamelot while being on tour, as we are landing in Finland, for our first show ever in this country after an amazingly intense Norway and Sweden tour supporting the legendary Udo Dirkschneider and his band.




All this while having a ton of projects for the future, while having a ton of exciting new material we're currently working on in our hard drives, and while being signed with the best metal label in the world (Napalm Records).


It feels like a dream running with a V8 engine, and it's just the beginning. Ironically enough, the youngest member of the band has just lived all this without even being 18, and already proved to be an essential part of the band, both off and on stage, with a sense of sacrifice and hard work ethic it's just unbelievable for her age (talking about the red haired girl on the left).


Life is incredible, but living in the name of Heavy Metal is even better."





One of the most prestigious and legendary bands in the modern symphonic metal genre, unstoppable icons Kamelot, will bring their glorious Awaken the World Tour 2024 to Europe this October, starting in Utrecht (NL). The multinational icons founded and led by mastermind and guitarist Thomas Youngblood just announced new dates in 17 cities across 11 countries! 


Kamelot are ready to enchant and stun fans once again with their internationally top-charting melodic metal pinnacles, accompanied by powerful and unique special guests like rising modern symphonic metallers Ad Infinitum and power metal heroes Frozen Crown — both Napalm Records labelmates. As bonus support, enchanting symphonic metal rose Blackbriar will also grace the stage.


This massive, enchanting symphonic metal tour promises legendary moments to remember, chock full of musical diversity and hard-hitting melodies. The tour will begin on October 12, 2024 in Utrecht (NL) and will cross all over Europe and the UK, coming to an end on November 3, 2024 in Manchester (UK).


Tickets are available at kamelot.com/tour.


Thomas Youngblood on the upcoming tour:


“KamNation get ready for our return to Europe and first taste for the UK of the Awaken The World Tour!! We are incredibly excited about this package, all of the support bands have been on my wish list for a while now. I am sure we will have amazing memories for the fans and all the band members after this landmark tour in Europe and the UK!”


Melissa Bonny of Ad Infinitum adds: 


“We are excited to join Kamelot on this exciting European tour and even more so with the participation of our friends and tour mates from Blackbriar. Completed by Frozen Crown, this package promesses an epic experience for all the fans of symphonic and melodic metal who will join the party!”


Frozen Crown state: 


“We are delighted to announce we're joining Kamelot on their European tour 2024. This is a super exciting news for us, not only because of the privilege to open for one of the bands that influenced our music and lyrics. But also cause we get to share the stage with Ad Infinitum and Blackbriar as well, making this our first "full Napalm" tour after joining our new label. We can't wait to be part of this! See you guys on the road in October!”


René of Blackbriar comments: 


“We've got exciting news to share with you! We'll join Kamelot's 'Awaken The World' tour this year as a special guest alongside Ad Infinitum and Frozen Crown! This tour will take us to many new and familiar countries, and to say that we're looking forward to this feels like an understatement. Kamelot is a band we've been looking up to for so long, and we feel honored to join them on their tour. We've never had the pleasure of meeting them before, just as we never met Frozen Crown, and we can't wait to do so! We did have the pleasure of being tour buddies with Ad Infinitum last year, and we're looking forward to continuing these unforgettable times! We can't wait for these new adventures, see you on the road!”





Dates:


October
12 – Utrecht, Netherlands
13 – Munich, Germany
15 – Berlin, Germany
17 – Bratislava, Slovakia
18 – Zlin, Czech Republic 
19 – Ljubljana, Slovenia
20 – Milan, Italy
22 – Bilbao, Spain
23 – Madrid, Spain
25 – Lyon, France
26 – Pratteln, Switzerland 
27 – Oberhausen, Germany
29 – Hamburg, Germany
30 – Antwerpen, Belgium


November
1 – Wolverhampton, UK 

DISTURBED's David Draiman, who is of Jewish descent, recently spoke to the Embassy Of Israel To The United States about the increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. and the rest of the world rose in the four months after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What gives me the strength is not having any other choice. When you back a wild animal against the wall, that's when they're most dangerous. I feel very much backed against the wall. I refuse to capitulate. I refuse to submit. I refuse to be intimidated and I refuse to cower. This is not another Jew with trembling knees. I will never, ever capitulate. I will never give in to terror. I won't give them the satisfaction.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The United States Holocaust Museum has featured Draiman in its "Voices On Anti-Semitism" podcasts.
We had the honor of speaking with lead singer of @Disturbed, @davidmdraiman and giving him dog tags from the hostage family forum.

He has been an unwavering supporter through these dark times, we are grateful for his voice.#BringThemHomeNow#disturbedpic.twitter.com/f8WFTkOm74

— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) February 16, 2024

Today, blues-infused Southern rock band Parker Barrow, led by Megan Kane (vocals) and Dylan Turner (drums), supported by the formidable Alex Bender (guitar) and Michael Beckhart (bassist) — unveil the official music video for “Back To Birmingham” — which can be seen below. The track is from their debut album, Jukebox Gypsies, which was released in August 2023. 


“From the moment we penned it, we sensed that this song deserved more,” Turner explains. “It was the initial song we crafted together after a few weeks on the road back in 2019. We approached it from Megan’s perspective, drawing from my own experiences of being away from home during that period. During the recording, I unexpectedly lost my grandmother. Then, just a week before shooting the music video, while performing at a dive bar in Missouri, we received the news that Megan’s grandmother had lost her battle to breast cancer. Suddenly, a song written four years ago came to life, a bit too literally, in just a matter of months.”


“Fast forward 4 years, it’s crazy how one song, even after sitting on the shelf for a while, can come back around and mean so much more now than it even did back then,” Kane and Turner reflect. “So, the vision for the music video honestly wrote itself, as a dedication and a memorial to those we had lost while out on the road trying to make our dreams come true. It was truly a way for us to heal, which isn’t that what music is all about anyway?”







Forged from an immediate connection, the band finds inspiration in the infamous duo of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Kane and Turner aim to infuse their music with the iconic energy of a dynamic duo, portraying a narrative where, instead of evading the law, they are a dynamic pair in pursuit of their rock ‘n’ roll dreams.


Drawing significant inspiration from The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Whiskey Myers, Parker Barrow seamlessly incorporates blues into each arrangement. The band’s true brilliance emerges in their live performances, marked by lively flights and a showcase of their grounded charisma. Turner and Kane, bound by a shared vision, genuine passion, and a love for life on the road, hold their relationship in high esteem through music and faith. As kindred spirits, they eagerly anticipate continuing to create and perform together in this next chapter of life. Whether in intimate acoustic sets or impactful full-band shows, it’s clear that the couple is precisely where they should be.





Tracklisting:


“Peace, Love, Rock N’ Rollin’”
“Count Your Dollars”
“Back To Birmingham”
“Throwin’ Stones”
“Partners In Crime”
“Good Times Gone Away”
“Long Black Train”
“Desire”
“Sunshine Of Your Love” (Cream cover)
“Where The Bluebird Goes”





Catch Parker Barrow live at the following shows:


February
29 - Tiger Town Tavern - Clemson, SC


March
1 - Reckless Shepherd Brewing Co. - Columbia, MD
7 - Tiger Town Tavern - Clemson, SC
23 - Hot Fish Club - Murrells Inlet, SC


May 
4 - Plaza Azteca - Waynesboro, VA
24 - Tiki Bar - Solomons, MD


For further details, visit Parker Barrow on Facebook.


(Photo credit: Lexi Jane)


 

GODSMACK kicked off its "Vibez Tour" this past Thursday (February 15) at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The trek sees frontman Sully Erna and his bandmates deliver a series of intimate evenings featuring acoustic/electric performances and untold stories in theatres across North America. The second leg of the tour will kick off April 9 in Valley Center, California.

According to Setlist.fm, GODSMACK's setlist for the Tulsa show was as follows:

01. Time (PINK FLOYD cover)
02. Love-Hate-Sex-Pain
03. Serenity
04. Spiral
05. One Rainy Day
06. Eyes Of A Child (Sully Erna song)
07. No Quarter (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
08. Nothing Else Matters (METALLICA cover)
09. Voodoo
10. Truth
11. Growing Old
12. Lighting Up The Sky
13. Under Your Scars
14. Bulletproof
15. Come Together (THE BEATLES cover)

In a recent interview with Houston Life, Sully stated about the "Vibez Tour": "We actually haven't done this kind of a show since 2004. When we were touring with METALLICA, as that tour ended, we went out and we did an acoustic tour, just kind of stripped it down. And it went over really well and people really enjoyed it.

"It's a nice kind of event to even take your family to — your moms, your dads," he continued. "If you're a kid or a teenager or in your 20s or 30s, and you happen to like GODSMACK for the big, powerful rock shows that we usually do, then this is kind of the other side of that. This is the actual, the more intimate, sexy side, we can say, of the band versus the big angry 'grrr' [side]. This is something you can come to, take your parents or whoever you want, a date or your wife or whatever, have a nice glass of wine and watch a really cool musical performance, hear some cool stories, and just kind of take the journey with us. That's what we wanna do on this tour, is really create a way to take the audience on a journey, a musical journey."

Erna previously talked about the "Vibez Tour" this past December during an appearance on "The Mistress Carrie Podcast". Asked what the trek is all about, Sully said: "Well, the 'Vibez Tour', it's almost kind of like a break from the big-show touring. We went out all last year and we worked a lot and it was the big show — it was the show that we did in the arenas and the amphitheaters. And when we go out with the big show, as people know, we have this big double-drum battle we do, there's moving lighting and pyro and it's just a big arena show like we grew up on when we were kids. It's the kind of show I always wanted to put out there for the people. But as we get older, the body needs to heal. But we didn't wanna take a break from when we wrapped up at the end of October until summer hits again, when they open up amphitheaters and we start doing these big festival shows or whatever again. There's just too much of a gap there. We wanna be loyal to our crew, so we wanna keep them working. And we also wanna kind of stay tuned up, but to try to do those kind of shows in the winter, it just doesn't make sense. So we wanted to come back to what we did back in — it was like '03, '04, right around the time we were doing the METALLICA thing. And we did an acoustic tour in theaters."

He continued: "People have asked us about when we would ever do that again for so long now — almost 20 years it's been since we did that. So we decided, like, why not do a couple of quick runs, keep us tuned up, play some of the other stuff that we don't get to play on the big show? 'Cause the big show fires up and you wanna hit people and make it the big rock songs, but there's so many cool songs that we also enjoy playing from our catalog that we don't ever get to do 'cause we don't have time. So that this 'Vibez Tour' is gonna be exactly that — we're gonna set a vibe in the theater. Incense candles. We're gonna bring in some of the old memorabilia from other tours, like the gargoyles that we had on the 'Awake' tour and the brass sun that we used on the 'Faceless' tour. And we're gonna try to decorate the stage with all these elements and hopefully take people through the history of the band, so it becomes really cool vibey songs with some storytelling behind it that helps educate the new generation that's been turned on to the band, and just give people a different experience of what else, the other side of what we do as a band."

Erna added: "So it won't be fully acoustic — there's gonna be electric performances as well — but it's gonna be a blend of all that: piano songs, acoustic songs, electric songs. We're gonna mix in some really cool vibey covers. I don't wanna give those away because we haven't done 'em yet, for one, practiced them, so we wanna make sure that we can pull the ones we wanna do off. But I can tell you that it will fit in that same vibe of what we're doing with the 'Voodoo's and the 'Serenity's and the 'Spiral's, and even some of the stuff on the new record, like 'Growing Old' and 'Truth' and 'Under Your Scars' and all that stuff. So we wanna just create like a really cool night of music and storytelling."

When GODSMACK last embarked on "An Evening With" tour 20 years ago, the stripped down acoustic-based performance was aimed at showing the group in a different light and offering it the opportunity to play its music with different arrangements. The show featured the GODSMACK members performing while seated on stools, a la "MTV Unplugged", and included some creative staging and lighting, dim candles and a few spooky props, Times Leader reported at the time.

GODSMACK's eighth studio album, "Lighting Up The Sky" was released in February 2023 via BMG. The LP was co-produced by Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER).

The first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", "Surrender", which arrived in September 2022, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.



HARD ROCK LIVE TULSA GODSMACKED! 💥⚡️

Godsmack unleashed their special brand ‘HARD ROCK’ last night at the Hard Rock...

Posted by HRC WORLDWIDE Community on Friday, February 16, 2024

BAD ASS CONCERT AT THE HARD ROCK IN TULSA….@GODSMACK ALWAYS BRINGS IT

Posted by Grant Moore on Thursday, February 15, 2024

Godsmack was in Tulsa last night, so today I am resting my liver thanks to Daniel Donk Hughes, I am too dang old to keep doing this…

Posted by Shawn Rice on Friday, February 16, 2024

Godsmack day 1 of their tour. An intimate setting g for there acoustic tour. Starting their tour in Tulsa at the Hard...

Posted by Howard Pollack on Friday, February 16, 2024



IN JUST A FEW WEEKS WE KICK OFF OUR VIBEZ TOUR! 🕯️Join us for an intimate evening of acoustic/electric performances and untold stories with special guest Bastian da Cruz!

🎫 GET YOUR TICKETS + On The List Presents VIP PACKAGES ON SALE NOW AT: godsmack.com/tour

✨VIBEZ VIP PACKAGES✨

SERENITY FRONT ROW VIP PACKAGE:
• One Front Row reserved ticket *
• One lyric sheet, autographed by Godsmack
• One specially designed Godsmack gift item, exclusive to package holders
• Godsmack photo booth to commemorate your evening
• One commemorative Godsmack VIP laminate
• One commemorative Godsmack VIP ticket
• Pre-show early tour merchandise shopping opportunity
• VIP check in with early entry
• VIP staff
*Locations vary. See map for exact location. All VIP activities occur preshow. Package details & timing subject to change.

VOODOO VIP PACKAGE:
• One premium reserved ticket *
• One lyric sheet, autographed by Godsmack
• One specially designed Godsmack gift item, exclusive to package holders
• Godsmack photo booth to commemorate your evening
• One commemorative Godsmack VIP laminate
• One commemorative Godsmack VIP ticket
• Pre-show early tour merchandise shopping opportunity
• VIP check in with early entry
• VIP staff
*Locations vary. See map for exact location. All VIP activities occur preshow. Package details & timing subject to change.

UNDER YOUR SCARS TICKET PACKAGE:
• One premium reserved ticket *
• One specially designed Godsmack gift item, exclusive to package holders
• One Godsmack lyric sheet
• Godsmack photo booth to commemorate your evening
• One commemorative Godsmack VIP ticket
• Pre-show early tour merchandise shopping opportunity
• VIP check in with early entry
*Locations vary, see date for exact location. All VIP activities occur pre-show. Package details and timing subject to change.

On The List Presents Customer Service:
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter/Instagram: @OTLPresents

Posted by Godsmack on Monday, January 22, 2024

INFINITY'S ASHES, the new project featuring QUEENSRŸCHE/ex-KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo, guitar virtuoso Angel Vivaldi and singer Roman Grey, has released the official music video for its second single, "To Live In What Exists". The track comes seven months after the arrival of INFINITY'S ASHES' debut single, "The Perfect Flaw".

Grey states: "For those that feel undeserved of love's warmth, that have been betrayed by their own heart, and have had their trust violated by those closest to them — this song is for you. At our absolute lowest, in the darkest crevices of our souls, fear and anger consume us. Choose to overcome or 'To Live In What Exists'."

INFINITY'S ASHES' current lineup is rounded out by bassist Matt Ezra.

Angel and Casey began collaborating on music in 2013 but didn't release the first INFINITY'S ASHES song until a decade later.

When INFINITY'S ASHES was first announced last July, Angel said in a statement: "Like most projects, this band has been in the oven for quite a number of years. To finally let the world see and hear this incredible collaboration feels magical. I'm proud of the work each of us put into these songs. Excited to see what's on the horizon for us."

Casey stated: "I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this project that Angel and I embarked on several years ago. Countless hours of dedication and meticulous planning have been poured into it, and I'm eagerly anticipating the fans' reactions to our creation. Get ready to enjoy what we've accomplished!"

Grillo added: "This will not change my involvement with QUEENSRŸCHE. I simply wanted to explore a different aspect of my drumming."

For nearly seven years, Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

Almost a year after playing his first show with QUEENSRŸCHE, Casey announced his exit from his previous band KAMELOT in order to pursue "other musical endeavors" as well as tend to his "rapidly growing" drumhead company DrumStatic.

Ahead of the March 1 release of his new solo album, "The Mandrake Project", via BMG and the start of a four-month tour, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson has revealed the addition of two new guitarists to his touring band.

Swedish-born guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who incidentally played on Dickinson's current single, "Rain On The Graves") will accompany previously announced members Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass). Bruce's long-term co-writer and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez (second from left in photo above) will not be part of the touring lineup.

Dickinson said: "Sadly, and with regret, guitarist and producer Roy Z will no longer join the band on tour due to some personal commitments. He will remain in L.A. to work on some remixing and remastering of the catalogue. We all know the show must go on though, and this project is too important to everyone to not be the very best it can be. I'm gutted about Roy because he assembled most of the album and touring band, introducing Mistheria and Dave Moreno to the project and mentoring guitarist Chris Declerq. I'm so excited about what both Philip and Chris will bring on stage together and now my only ambition is to grab a little piece of the audiences' hearts every night."

The first chance to see the six-piece live will now be at The Observatory in Orange County, California on April 15, with tickets going on sale to the general public at Ticketmaster.com on Tuesday, February 20 at 10 a.m. PST.

"We're not afraid of doing some growing up in public," explains Dickinson, "so this show will be a close to a rehearsal as you can get. It's exciting to think what these musicians can do, and will do, when there are over one thousand fans in the room!"

Bruce and Roy recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's last solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

"The Mandrake Project" is not just an album. The comic book of the same name is a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius. Created by Bruce, it is a collectable series of graphic novels scripted by Tony Lee ("Dr. Who"),stunningly illustrated by Staz Johnson ("2000AD") and with covers by industry heavyweight Bill Sienkiewicz for Z2 Comics, which will be released as 12 quarterly issues that will be collated into three annual graphic novels with the first coming at the end of 2024. The first individual episode was released in comic shops on January 17 and the special collectors' edition sold out within 48 hours of release.

In a recent interview with Brazil's A Rádio Rock, Bruce spoke about the inspiration for "The Mandrake Project". He said: "[In] 2014, I was gonna do a solo album, follow-up to 'Tyranny Of Souls'. And it was gonna be called 'If Eternity Should Fail'. And the title track I wrote, we did a demo of it, which is actually on the ['Afterglow Of Ragnarok'] single. I actually put the demo of 'If Eternity Should Fail' on the single, on the flip side of the single, so people could see, with the main track, how it evolved from the demo, from the beginning to the MAIDEN version. And because it ended up on [MAIDEN's 2015 album] 'The Book Of Souls', I went, 'Hmm, oh, well. Maybe I won't use it as the title track,' something else. But in any case, I had some other tracks we were working on, with Roy. So then, at the end of 2015, I got diagnosed with throat cancer. So that was a year before I could do anything. And the first thing I had to do was go and go tour with IRON MAIDEN to make up for the time we had lost. So that was 2017. And then I went, 'You know what? Let's go back to America. And, oh, COVID.' And that was three years of not being allowed to go into America. So it was five years —more than five years. I lost seven years of my life [laughs] during that. So in the meantime, the idea of the graphic novel… It was originally just gonna be one comic to do with the album, but the story had grown and changed, and so it became this 12-episode monster. And I was running ideas past a guy called Kurt Sutter, who wrote 'Sons Of Anarchy' and 'The Shield' and stuff. He's an amazing Hollywood writer…. 'Sons Of Anarchy' was the inspiration for the four bikers of the apocalypse in the video [for IRON MAIDEN's] 'The Writing On The Wall'. I wrote the script for that and was very involved in the production, and whilst I was doing it, I was Zooming with Kurt and I ran the idea of 'The Mandrake Project' past him. It wasn't called 'The Mandrake Project' then. We were doing this album and I had no idea what it was gonna be called. And I had this story, and I didn't know what to call the story. And I actually have no idea how I came up with 'The Mandrake Project'. Somewhere I have a piece of paper, and it's got some absolutely ridiculous ideas for the album title. I'm writing them down, 'What about calling it this? What about calling it this?', and just look at them all and go, 'Which one feels right?' And none of them felt right. And then… 'Mandrake' is such a great word. And, actually, has anybody done something [using the word] 'Mandrake'? The answer is no. I was amazed. There was a DEEP PURPLE song, 'Mandrake Root'. There's a French comic called Mandrake The Magician. And there was something called The Mandrake Project, but it was like a one-off drum-and-bass thing. And I thought, 'Well, that's not gonna be an issue.' So, 'The Mandrake Project'. I thought, 'That sounds really cool.' So I thought, 'Well, I could call the album and the comic 'The Mandrake Project'.' Because I had the story, but now calling it 'The Mandrake Project' — brilliant, now I can put that in there. So that's how it evolved — piece by piece by piece."

Dickinson went on to say that "The Mandrake Project" ended up being "like a continuation of what we had in 2014. Some of the songs were really quite fully formed," he explained. "I mean, 'Shadow Of The Gods' was basically finished almost. 'Sonata (Immortal Beloved)', the last track on the record, that is over 20 years old. And I'd even forgotten we'd done it. And it was just a demo. And one evening, Roy was playing me like a jam he'd done. He'd seen the movie 'Immortal Beloved', with Gary Oldman, about Beethoven, and he goes, 'You know what? I'm going to get a little tape loop of [Beethoven's] 'Moonlight' sonata and just play around with it and put some keyboards and put some guitars and make a little kind of ambient vibe.' And he played it to me and said, 'What do you think about this?' And I went, 'Oh, it sounds really trippy. I don't know what I'd sing over that. Let me have a go.' So I went in. I had no words, I had no melody, I had no idea what I was gonna sing. And I sang 80 percent of that song — made it up on the spot. Lyrics, spoken word — everything. I was just free associating. And we went, 'Oh, that's cool.' And I forgot about it. And then Z gave me some stuff. He said, 'I've got a load of demos here. I found a few more.' And that was on there. So Leana, my wife, heard it. She went, 'What's that?' I went, 'Well, it's just a demo we did.' She goes, 'It's amazing!' I went, 'Really?' I said, 'Don't you think it's a little bit trippy on there?' She goes, 'No! It's fantastic! You've gotta have that on the record.' So, I went, 'Okay. All right.' So we had to do a little bit of repair — there was no second verse. Because I sang the first verse and I was so, like, 'Wow, that sounds great. Oh, there's a chorus! I sang the chorus. God, that sounds brilliant.' And then the second verse continued. I was, like, 'Oh no. What do I say now? Oh, there's a chorus coming up. Hey.' And then I was back in the groove. So we had to create the second verse, and we had to do a couple of little fix-ups. But by and large, 80% of that take is the first take and the only take, with nothing written down at all. In fact, I had to listen to the song to write what the lyrics were. I didn't have them written down anywhere. It was just there."

In December, Bruce told Brazil's Omelete about the lyrical concept for "The Mandrake Project": "So 'The Mandrake Project' is, one, is an album. It's the name of the album. The comic is a 12-episode graphic novel, kind of adult. There's lots of stuff in it — there's lots of sex and drugs and violence and all kinds of stuff. But it's basically a story about a guy who is looking for his identity, Dr. Necropolis. He's an orphan, he's a genius, and he hates it, and he hates life, but he's involved in The Mandrake Project. And The Mandrake Project aims to take the human soul at the point of death, capture it, store it and put it back in something else. And the guy that's running the project, Professor Lazarus, he has one vision of what's gonna happen with this technology, and Necropolis has other ideas. And on we go with the story."

Asked how he came up with the idea to mash together music and comics, Bruce said: "Well, I think they do kind of go together. They really do. Music and games, music and comics, comics and games, they're all related."

He continued: "Years ago, IRON MAIDEN, we were doing some cover art, and I said, 'Why don't we do a comic?', like the comics that I used to read when I was a kid… When I suggested doing some covers, comic covers, we did some single artwork for IRON MAIDEN, and I thought, 'You know what? This is kind of cool.' Then later, MAIDEN had a video game called 'Legacy Of The Beast'; we still do. But what came with a video game, somebody produced a series of comics. And I thought they looked fantastic, but they lacked a story. And that got me thinking, what if you had an album that had a story that could be turned into a comic and the two things would work together? As it happened, they've actually grown apart. So, the [original] album, in 2014, was gonna be one comic with the album — that's it. Then, COVID happened, other things happened, seven years went by, and I had a 12-episode graphic novel. And I went, 'I don't wanna restrict the album to being like a script for this.' These two things exist separately, but they inform each other. So you can look at the album and go, 'Oh, yeah, that's kind of related to the comic.' And you look at the comic and go, 'Oh, I see that might be a little bit related to the album,' but they're not dependent on each other. So you can buy the comic or you can buy the album — or both."

"The Mandrake Project" track listing:

01. Afterglow Of Ragnarok (05:45)
02. Many Doors To Hell (04:48)
03. Rain On The Graves (05:05)
04. Resurrection Men (06:24)
05. Fingers In The Wounds (03:39)
06. Eternity Has Failed (06:59)
07. Mistress Of Mercy (05:08)
08. Face In The Mirror (04:08)
09. Shadow Of The Gods (07:02)
10. Sonata (Immortal Beloved) (09:51)

Bruce has previously described lead single "Afterglow Of Ragnarok" as "a heavy song and there's a great big riff driving it… but there's also a real melody in the chorus that displays the light and shade that the rest of the album brings."

Directed by award-winning director Ryan Mackfall, written by Dickinson and acclaimed British writer Tony Lee (whose lengthy credits include "2000AD", DC and Marvel ranging from "Dr. Who" and "Star Trek" to "Spider Man" and "X-Men"),the film unveils Dr. Necropolis, the main protagonist at the heart of "The Mandrake Project". It also sets the scene for the story to come, reflecting the dark narrative contained in the eight-page comic book prequel which features in the seven-inch gatefold vinyl release of the single.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith. Since then, Dickinson has only released one more solo album (the aforementioned "Tyranny Of Souls") but has previously said that his solo career is not over.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie

This year marks 20 years of Bloodbound. Twenty years in which the Swedish power metal export has left a lasting impression on fans and the worldwide metal scene. The band can call ten studio albums their own, as well as numerous frenetically-acclaimed festival appearances and tours. Last year alone, the band played a major gig at Masters of Rock Festival, which is featured on their upcoming anniversary live album and Blu-Ray, entitled The Tales of Nosferatu - Two Decades of Blood (2004 - 2024). Due out on April 19 via AFM Records, the pre-sale is now available at this location.
 
With songs like "Nosferatu", "The Warlock's Trail", "Battle in the Sky", or new songs of the band's discography like "Drink with the Gods", BLOODBOUND – who were formed in 2004 by keyboard player Fredrik Bergh and guitarist Tomas Olsson – have quickly established their sound in the world of heavy music. Not only because of their immense talent, but also because of their own affiliation to the metal scene, a dedication that comes with it and the skills to write incredibly good power metal songs. 
 
"What a ride it has been! 10 studio albums, shows in over 25 countries and chart entries from all over the world. When I look back at the last 20 years, I can only say how proud I am of what we have created!” Fredrik Bergh comments. "We're super excited to celebrate 20 years of Bloodbound with this release - together with YOU - our fans! Without you we're nothing!"
 
Bloodbound are now premiering a single taken off The Tales of Nosferatu - Two Decades of Blood. The anniversary live version of the band's classic "The Warlock's Trail", out now on all digital services, is streaming below.





Their first studio album, Nosferatu, was released in 2005, followed by nine more offerings such as Creatures of the Dark Realm, Rise of the Dragon Empire or Tales from the North. Since two decades, the Bloodbound bandwagon is unstoppable! To celebrate their special birthday in 2024, and while Bloodbound have also made a name for themselves as a great, highly entertaining live act, "The Tales of Nosferatu - Two Decades of Blood" will be the perfect prove to that. This live album and Blu-Ray perfectly reflect the highlights of their career and high-voltage stage energy. In addition to the entire Masters of Rock show, the Blu-Ray also includes excerpts from a past Japan performance and all of Bloodbound's music videos released to date.
 
As a special and unique gift to their dedicated fanbase, the upcoming Bloodbound release will also include a comic, which was created by long-time companion and designer Péter Sallai. It tells the story of how the band's mascot Nossen came to be; tastefully illustrated and with a story tailored to the band and their songs, this work is an absolute must-have piece of art! 
 
Celebrate 20 years of Bloodbound, and pre-order your copy of the band's anniversary album here.







Live Album Tracklist:


"Bloodtale" 
"Tales from the North" 
"Slayer of Kings"
"In the Name of Metal" 
"When Fate is Calling" 
"A New Era Begins"
"Battle in the Sky" 
"Drink with the Gods" 
"The Warlock's Trail" 
"Moria" 
"Creatures of the Dark Realm" 
"Rise of the Dragon Empire" 
"Nosferatu" 
 
Blu-Ray Tracklist:


"Bloodtale" 
"Tales from the North" 
"Slayer of Kings"
"In the Name of Metal" 
"When Fate is Calling" 
"A New Era Begins"
"Battle in the Sky" 
"Drink with the Gods" 
"The Warlock's Trail" 
"Moria" 
"Creatures of the Dark Realm" 
"Rise of the Dragon Empire" 
"Nosferatu" 
"Made of Steel"
"Bloodtale" 
"Battle in the Sky"
"Dragons are Forever" 
"Rise of the Dragon Empire"
"Tales from the North"
"Drink with the Gods" 
"Creatures Of The Dark Realm"
"Rise Of The Dragon Empire" 
"Battle In The Sky" 
"Stormborn" 
"In The Name Of Metal"

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.


Fan-filmed video of Fleshgod Apocalyspe's entire pool deck set, courtesy of The Silverdude, can be viewed below.


Setlist:




"Fury"
"Sugar"
"Minotaur (The Wrath of Poseidon)"
"No"
"Monnalisa"
"The Fool"
"Epilogue"
"The Violation"





Canuck hyper-blasters Kataklysm released their fifteenth full-length studio album, Goliath, on August 11th, 2023. After conquering the stages of international festivals this summer with their outstanding and captivating live show, Kataklysm are now pleased to announce their return to Europe next year with more extensive touring, bringing their latest masterpiece Goliath to the masses. Today, the band have announced the dates of their Europe vs Goliath tour that will see the four-piece hitting the road in spring 2024.


The lineup will be completed by Italian symphonic death metal virtuosos Fleshgod Apocalyspe, and German slam death metal group, Stillbirth.


Tour dates are as follows:


February:
15 - Ljubljna, Slovenia – Kino Siska
16 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
17 - Geiselwind, Germany - MusicHall
18 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock Cafe
19 - Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra
21 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
22  - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
23 - Hamburg, Germany - Kronensaal
24 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Patronaat
25 - Antwerp, Belgium - Zappa
27 - Berlin, Germany - Orwo Haus
28 - Stuttgart, Germany - Im Wizemann
29 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum


March
1 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
2 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z 7

Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time taking on the Billy Joel classic, "The Downeaster Alexa".


The song is taken from Billy Joel's 1989 album, Storm Front.







Swedish metal masters Sabaton recently checked in with the following announcement:


"After seven amazing years in the band, our guitarist, Tommy, has decided to leave Sabaton to pursue his own path. We wish him nothing but the best on his journey. We have been a close family and we will continue to support him in the adventures that await him in the future.


Tommy joined the band in 2016 but he has been a close friend of Sabaton ever since our first meeting at the end of a concert in 2005. As a valued member of the band, he has contributed to countless immortal memories. Tommy’s departure from Sabaton will not be effective immediately. He will stay on to ensure that all goes smoothly with the handover to our next guitarist.


While a small part of his large heart will always remain within Sabaton, we all know that he must follow his dreams.


Even though we will not wake up daily in the tour bus next to him, we are sure that our paths will cross again many times in the future, both on and off the stage.


Fly on your wings and strings brother!"


Pär, Chris, Hannes and Joakim


Johansson issued the following statement:


"My dear friends! After seven glorious years of heavy metal, I have decided to step down as the guitarist of Sabaton. This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.


As many of you may know, I do a lot of things outside of Sabaton. I play with another band, perform with various artists, and have a career as a singer that I’ve put aside for years to focus on Sabaton. After doing this for seven years, I feel it’s time to start following my heart. This means I will no longer tour with my brothers in Sabaton and will not meet all you lovely Sabaton supporters on the upcoming tours with the band.


I will never quit playing music. I’ll still be touring with Majestica and other projects, but not on the same level as Sabaton, of course. I am sure I will meet you lovely fans on the road again in the future.


My brothers in Sabaton and the best crew in the world will forever be my second family, and I will miss spending time with all these wonderful people. We had so much fun together every day. I’ve come to learn so much about life, about music and about touring that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.


A massive thank you to all you lovely Sabaton fans for accepting me as the new guitarist in 2016. I am certain you will accept the person who takes over after me.


All the best to you all and I’ll see you again soon!"

Einar Solberg – frontman of Norwegian rock mavericks Leprous – released his debut solo album ‘16’ last summer. But back at the beginning of 2022, he took on an entirely different solo endeavour. For a special live streamed performance, he reinterpreted the Leprous album The Congregation in full, just piano and voice. Now that performance sees an official audio release as The Congregation Acoustic, out today.


To celebrate, a video for the track “Red” has been launched.







Einar comments on the release of The Congregation Acoustic: “I'm both super excited but also kind of terrified for me to release this live version of The Congregation. It's raw and unedited and exactly how I did it on my livestream. Usually all musicians these days (myself included) are used to fixIng stuff in post-production, but on this one we've done nothing! I think it's cool sometimes to dare to show a more fragile and less "perfect" side of yourself. The Congregation is probably the least suitable album we've ever done to make an acoustic version of, but I think it turned out surprisingly OK!"


The Congregation Acoustic is available as a limited CD Digipak, Limited Gatefold 180g Black 2LP, and as Digital Album. The cover artwork was shot by Elena Sihida. Order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Price" (Live)
"Third Law" (Live)
"Rewind" (Live)
"The Flood" (Live)
"Triumphant" (Live)
"Within My Fence" (Live)
"Red" (Live)
"Slave" (Live)
"Moon" (Live)
"Down" (Live)
"Lower" (Live)


"The Flood" video:

Internationally acclaimed heavy metallers, Sabaton, are gearing up for an epic celebration as they approach their 25-year milestone in the music industry.


Founded in Falun, Sweden, in 1999, Sabaton's journey has been nothing short of legendary. Their music industry adventures have been fuelled by powerful anthems, 10 studio albums, passionate historical storytelling, and explosive international shows and tours, not to mention out-of-the-box initiatives and projects, all of which wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of their dedicated fan base across the globe.


To mark this momentous milestone, Sabaton have embarked on a year-long celebration. Fans around the world can look forward to a series of celebratory events and an abundance of surprises.




The band has checekd in with the following message:


"We’ve been busy working on our new lyric videos for every single song on our second studio album, Attero Dominatus. We’re happy to share we’ve finished them just in time for the album’s celebratory month, so we’ve made a playlist for you featuring all of them. 


We advise you to crank up the volume and sing the lyrics to each song as loud as you possibly can!


Enjoy!"

Polish guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED),who joined MACHINE HEAD's lineup prior to the launch of the band's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019, has confirmed that he has played his final show with the Robb Flynn-fronted act.

Earlier today (Saturday, February 17),Vogg shared the following message via his social media: "Hey there! I've been getting a lot of questions lately about my role as the @machine_head guitarist. So, I wanted to give you all a quick update on what's been going on. The South American tour [in October 2023] was my last with MH. Hope that clears things up for you!

"It was bound to happen sooner or later as both @decapitatedband and @machine_head are active bands these days. So, it's no surprise that some tours overlap.

"DECAPITATED is my absolute No. 1 band, and we have some incredible plans coming up. We are all set to hit the US again and embark on a European tour this year. That's not all; we also have some exciting shows and a studio session lined up that I just can't wait for!

"I just wanted to thank @robbflynn , Joseph, @jaredmaceachern , @matt.alston , and all the amazing Crew members I had the pleasure of working with during my time at MH. I can't thank you enough for the incredible opportunities and experiences that I had there. I'll always cherish the crazy moments we shared together. I hope that MH continues to thrive in the future.

"As for me, I'm focusing on the new DECAP stuff but I'm also still ready to help out in case of any tour emergencies for other bands".

Flynn wrote in the comments below Vogg's post: "Much respect Vogg. We were / are very fortunate to have had you for the time that we did. Absolute best with the future with the mighty DECAPITATED, and all the best to Gosia and the girls".

Added current MACHINE HEAD drummer Matt Alston: "Love ya brother! It's been a blast working with you over the last few years! All the love!"

Last summer, Vogg spoke to Oran O'Beirne of Bloodstock TV about how he managed to split his time between DECAPITATED and MACHINE HEAD. He said: "Well, we inform each other about the plans. If there is something on the way with DECAPITATED, I just tell it to Robb. And if they have any plans, Robb or Joseph [Huston], the manager of MACHINE HEAD, he's sending me plans, and I'm, like, 'Yeah, let's do it.' So we're trying to deal with the situation all the time. And, of course, if there is the situation that, for example, DECAP announced a tour and then there's some kind of single festival with MACHINE HEAD, then Robb is really cool with the situation that he understands I have DECAPITATED, and if I need to have a replacement for one or two shows, then there's no problem. We deal with that this way; that's the solution for us in this situation."

Vogg added: "The MACHINE HEAD guys and Robb and all [of the] team of MACHINE HEAD, they're treating me so well in this case. They understand about that DECAPITATED is my band, it's my child, so there's no problem if I can't [do] one or two shows. There was a few shows that Reece [Alan Scruggs] from HAVOK replaced me. It's really cool. I love the way he's playing the songs. He's a great guitar player. He's a great replacement."

As for how he went about deciding which musical ideas to use in DECAPITATED and which to give away to MACHINE HEAD, Vogg said at the time: "I have to say that Robb is the main composer in MACHINE HEAD. He's making 95 percent or 98 percent of the riffs. For the last record ['Of Kingdom And Crown', which came out in August 2022 via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings], I delivered ideas for two songs, and I recorded my solo parts for, like, six songs. So, yeah, it was like that. If I have some kind of idea for the riffs that I don't know actually how to use it for DECAPITATED and for me it sounds more familiar for MACHINE HEAD style, then I just send it to Robb [and I say], 'Hey, Robb, I have this riff. I have this idea. Tell me what you think. If you like it, use it. Do something with that. If you don't, then… you know, whatever.'"

Back in November 2019, Flynn said that Vogg's audition for MACHINE HEAD "just fucking blew" his "mind — it was so fucking tight and fucking accurate," Robb said. "He sent over [a recording of] 'Imperium' as his first song just as a test. We always had all the dudes do a sound test, just to make sure the levels are good and stuff. I was, like, 'Oh my God! This dude is playing 'Imperium' better than I can right now.' [Laughs] It was crazy. And we ended up talking. Super-nice guy."

In May 2021, Vogg told Finland's Kaaos TV that his addition to MACHINE HEAD's touring lineup was "a big surprise" for him, because he "didn't plan" to play with the band. "It kind of accidentally happened," he said.

"In 2019, when we started the summer festivals with DECAPITATED, I sent an e-mail to Robb Flynn about congratulations, because I heard about the upcoming 'Burn My Eyes' tour," he explained. "Because I'm still a huge fan of the first album, I just wanted to share my happiness about that with Robb. So I sent a message to him. And he replied, saying, 'Thanks, man.' And, 'Maybe you can play with us one song as a guest in Warsaw,' because they planned a Warsaw show. So we started to talk. And then it became a serious talking about the guitar player they were looking for, and I was sending my proposition that maybe I can help with that. So I did an audition. They sent me song requests for the audition, so I did it. And in a few days, I became a new guitar player of MACHINE HEAD. It was really fast. Because I didn't hear about that they were looking for a guitar player. I heard about Phil Demmel, the issues with Phil and the rest of the guys; they quit the band before. But I thought that the 'Burn My Eyes' anniversary tour was only the 'Burn My Eyes' lineup, and then I found out that it's also a second lineup to play [the other] songs. So, it was cool. It was [such] a positive shock for me."

Vogg went on to say that he was "so happy" to have been part of the "Burn My Eyes" anniversary tour "because I'm a huge fan of MACHINE HEAD since I was a kid. And to have the opportunity to go with them as a guitar player on tour which celebrates my favorite [MACHINE HEAD] album, which is probably one of my [favorite] ten albums ever, it was unbelievable," he said. "And it was such a great experience for me seeing a really big band on tour and seeing the pre-production process and traveling with all this huge crew and a few buses and trucks and all this equipment. It was really something new for me. Even [though] I'm an experienced musician, I had a big lesson from those guys and from the crew. It was such a great experience. It was such a great feeling being on stage in front of thousands of people every night. And then, after I finished my set, which includes the best songs from MACHINE HEAD — it takes two hours — then I go to change my clothes and come back to the side of the stage to see 'Burn My Eyes', the whole album, played by the original lineup. It was amazing. I have to say it was one of the best life experiences I had."

Scruggs is currently playing guitar for MACHINE HEAD on the "Slaughter The Martour North America 2024" tour, which kicked off on January 19 in San Francisco, California. Support on the trek is coming from FEAR FACTORY, ORBIT CULTURE and GATES TO HELL.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Waclaw Vogg Kieltyka (@sirvogg)

Toronto, Canada's horror fiends Blood Opera will be unleashing their first full-length album Songs In The Key Of Death on February 24. Paying tribute to the genre films they love and mixing metal with the macabre, these purveyors of “Dead Metal” are sharing their next cut off the forthcoming record with the cover of the theme song for the 1988 American horror classic "Killer Klowns From Outer Space".


"This is a cover of The Dickies song from the film of the same name. It features guest keyboard work by the composer of the OST John Massari," adds the band.


On Songs In The Key Of Death, Blood Opera wants to pay tribute to the genre films they love and mix metal with the macabre. The band was originally to be the live musicians for a proposed Return of the Living Dead musical that unfortunately did not come to fruition. With powerful operatic vocals, sleazy guitar riffs, and blasphemous lyrics inspired by some of the scariest movies ever made, one thing is for sure- if the gates of Hell are left open, it could mean the end of all humanity!




Due out on February 24, the fiendish feeding frenzy of Songs In The Key Of Death is recommended for fans of GWAR, Dokken, and W.A.S.P., and is available for album pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Just Keep Digging"
"Feeding Frenzy" ft. guest vocals Morgan Lander (Kittie) and voice-over by Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead)
"Don’t Go Out Tonight"
"Fight To Survive" ft. voice-over by Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, X-Files, Star-Trek)
"A Waste Of Good Suffering"
"The Gates Of Hell" ft. guest keyboards Maurizio Guarini (Goblin)
"Breaking News"
"Killer Klowns From Outer Space" (Cover)
"The Ballad Of Father Malone" ft. voice-over by Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog, Escape From New York)
"Brundlefly"
"Damien"
"Be My Victim" ft. voice-over by Tony Todd (Candyman) (Bonus Track)
"The Band Of The Living Dead"
"The Key Of Death"


"Killer Klowns From Outer Space":





"The Gates Of Hell":





"Be My Victim":





(Photo - Craig Leonard - Billy Bones)

Swedish high energy rock 'n' roll legends The Hellacopters have released a documentary called 'Let's Talk Grande Rock Revisited' in which they share interesting background information on the double album Grande Rock Revisited that's out today via Nuclear Blast Records. 


The insightful clip directed by Emil Klinta shows original members Nicke, Robert, Boba, and Dregen talk about the idea behind the revisited version of their classic record Grande Rock from 1999, and why they decided to release this new version as a double album.







Hailed by many Hellacopters fans as one of the band's best albums, Grande Rock hasn't been available to purchase on vinyl for over 20 years. This new edition of Grande Rock is available as 2LP, 2CD, and digital edition, all of which contain both the remastered original album as well as a revisited and remixed version with additional guitars by Dregen, plus additional percussion and piano and new backing vocal tracks. Just like the original release back in 1999, the vinyl edition exclusively features the Venom cover “Angel Dust” as a bonus track.


Order here.





Tracklisting:


Grande Rock (remastered) (LP1/CD1) (Blue Cover)


"Action De Grâce"
"Alright Already Now"
"Move Right Out Of Here"
"Welcome To Hell"
"The Electric Index Eel"
"Paul Stanley"
"Angel Dust" *
"The Devil Stole The Beat From The Lord"
"Dogday Mornings"
"Venus In Force"
"5 vs. 7"
"Lonely"
"Renvoyer"


* vinyl only bonus track


Grande Rock Revisited (LP2 /CD2) (Orange Cover)
 
"Action De Grâce"
"Alright Already Now"
"Move Right Out Of Here"
"Welcome To Hell"
"The Electric Index Eel"
"Paul Stanley"
"The Devil Stole The Beat From The Lord"
"Dogday Mornings"
"Venus In Force"
"5 vs. 7"
"Lonely"
"Renvoyer"

Scanner’s second album Terminal Earth will be reissued on vinyl on April 26, 2024.


ROAR! Rock of Angels Records in collaboration with Pottmortem Records has announced the reissue of Scanner’s second full-length album Terminal Earth on limited to 400 copies blue transparent vinyl. A long overdue reissue of this timeless classic, a vinyl version that coincides with the album’s 35th anniversary of its original release back in 1989. 


With the last reissue on vinyl having been released back in 2016, this long out-of-print masterpiece finally available on vinyl again. Preorder at roar.gr.







Tracklisting:


Side A
“The Law”
“Not Alone”
“Wonder”
“Buy Or Die”
“Telemania”
“Touch The Light”


Side B
“Terminal Earth”
“From The Dust Of Ages”
“The Challenge”
“L.A.D.Y.”

Transatlantic - the Prog Supergroup of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas – have announced the release of Live At Morsefest 2022: The Absolute Whirlwind for April 26, 2024. This mammoth Limited 5CD + 2 Blu-ray Artbook set features both sets from Morsefest in their entirety, with nearly 4 and a half hours of music in total.


To coincide with the announcement, the band have launched a live clip of the track “Can You Feel It”, taken from night 2.


Preorder the album as a Limited 5CD + Blu-ray artbook, featuring an extensive 36-page booklet including photos and liner notes at this location.




Mike Portnoy comments:


“Not to be confused by last years live release of our last show in Paris, THIS release of TA at Morsefest 2022 represents the most epic and mammoth of all TA Live releases!


“2 Nights, 2 completely different sets, 2 TA concept albums done in their entirety…accompanied with Strings, Horns, Percussion, Female Vocals, etc…Transatlantic has always been about ‘More Never Is Enough’, but no live TA release has ever been more EPIC than this one…It’s the ULTIMATE Live TA experience!”


Neal Morse adds:


“At long last, a musical dream come true in true epic fashion! To play The Absolute Universe, The Whirlwind, and other great pieces of music with Transatlantic, along with an amazing string section, background singers, etc. What more could any musician ask for? This is the very best of the very best in my view. I hope you all enjoy experiencing this as much as we enjoyed performing it!”


Roine Stolt comments:


“Playing Morsefest was quite a task, learning all the different material for the 2 different shows. 


We even got a chance to play that Procol Harum tune, that is dear to me & takes me back to my teenage years, just getting to know what prog is/was. The addition of the strings and choir at Morsefest, plus Philip adding percussion lent a different and perhaps more of an orchestral side. That worked really well and made these 2 nights very special.”


Pete Trewavas comments:


“To play Morsefest 2022 was an absolute pleasure for me and gave us a natural break at the end of the North American leg of The Absolute Universe tour, where we regrouped at Neal’s to rehearse for the two shows, back where we had rehearsed for the tour some four or five weeks earlier.


“We had 3 days I think it was to refresh The Whirlwind full version and learn ‘In Held T’was In I’. The festival was an absolute blast. We were all super relaxed and enjoying ourselves probably due to the little break from touring back to rehearsing.


“Neal had been wanting to get Transatlantic at MorseFest since we released Whirlwind and it never panned out for various reasons, so it felt fitting that we got it all together for The Absolute Universe tour.”


Morsefest, the festival put on by Neal Morse annually in Nashville, Tennessee has been in existence since 2014. Typically, the weekend-long event celebrated music from Neal’s solo work and other bands from his career.  But with each passing Morsefest, there had been one question lingering among the faithful audience that returned every year…when will Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas perform at Morsefest?  In 2022, at the 9th Morsefest, it finally happened and in epic Transatlantic fashion. 


In 2021, Transatlantic released The Absolute Universe, the band’s 5th album since forming in 2000. However, as the band’s motto is “More Is Never Enough,” The Absolute Universe was released as two different versions – The Breath of Life (Abridged version), and Forevermore (Extended version).  In addition, the band combined those two versions for an Ultimate Edition of the album. With touring restrictions due to the pandemic finally lifted, the band finally started their tour in April 2022 ending up at Morsefest on the weekend of April 29 and 30.


The weekend at Morsefest provided 2 nights of shows.  For night one, the band performed their classic album The Whirlwind in its entirety, the first time they had done so in 10 years.  The evening also added “Into The Blue” and “Shine” from the band’s 4th album Kaleidoscope as well as the classic ballad “We All Need Some Light.” As a surprise, the band played a song they’ve never performed live before - their cover of the Procol Harum classic “In Held ‘Twas In I” from the first Transatlantic album SMPTe.


Night 2 saw the full performance of The Absolute Universe – The Ultimate Edition, combining all of the tracks from the two versions of the album.  The night closed with a medley of tracks from the band’s first two albums including “All Of The Above,” “My New World,” and “Stranger In Your Soul.”


For the first time, the band performed alongside a choir and string section, making these shows truly special for those who were in attendance.





Tracklisting:


Night 1
“Into The Blue”
“In Held (‘Twas) In I”
“Shine”
“We All Need Some Light”
“Overture/Whirlwind”
“The Wind Blew Them All Away”
“On The Prowl”
“A Man Can Feel”
“Out Of The Night”
“Rose Colored Glasses”
“Evermore”
“Set Us Free”
“Lay Down Your Life”
“Pieces Of Heaven”
“Is It Really Happening?”
“Dancing With Eternal Glory/Whirlwind (Reprise)”


Night 2
“Overture”
“Reaching For The Sky”
“Higher Than The Morning”
“The Darkness In The Light
“Take Now My Soul”
“Bully”
“Rainbow Sky”
“Looking For The Light”
“The World We Used To Know”
“The Sun Comes Up Today”
“Love Made A Way (Prelude)”
“Owl Howl”
“Solitude”
“Belong”
“Lonesome Rebel”
“Can You Feel It”
“Looking For The Light (Reprise)”
“The Greatest Story Never Ends”
“Love Made A Way”
“Bridge Across Forever”
“The Final Medley” 


“Can You Feel It”:

Just in time for the release of their upcoming live album, Passage – Live, industrial black metal icons Samael strike with a live version of their dynamic anthem, “Rain”, together with an energetic lyric video. Passage - Live drops today, February 16, 2024, via Napalm Records.


With “Rain”, Samael brings their aggressive and brutally blackened soundscapes to a higher level. Underlined by remarkable keyboards and sweeping rawness, the lyric video captures the contagious energy that the band demonstrates throughout the roaring track.


Recorded during a sold-out concert in Krakow on the last day of the European leg of their Passage 25th Anniversary Tour, 'Passage - Live' shines as a fully live take on the band’s highly influential and iconic 1996 album. The album gets a makeover and adds a further new touch and elements to the album and sound.




Vorph on “Rain”:


“The image of the tree is omnipresent in the lyrics of ‘Rain’, used as a metaphor for the changes that make us grow bigger, deeper, higher and stronger as individuals.”





Passage - Live is a testament to an album that left its mark on a generation of metal fans, as Samael moved towards a more industrial sound, distancing themselves from their roots in black metal, and simultaneously breaking the band into a wider international audience. Passage has stood the test of time, remaining as fresh today as it was nearly three decades ago, and with Passage - Live, Samael adds new depth to one of the most important albums in the band’s history.


Vorph says about Passage - Live: "The blend of metal, industrial and electronica that has been our trademark for almost three decades began with Passage. It's almost ground zero for us, and we're delighted to offer these songs a fresh approach and bring this album to life for our long-standing audience as well as those who have discovered the band recently.”





Passage - Live will be available in the following formats:


- 1LP Gatefold Marbled Red/White & 20 Page Booklet (Napalm mail order only, limited to 300)
- 1LP Gatefold Black & 20 Page Booklet
- 6 Page Digipack & 56 Page Booklet in a Slipacase
- Digital Album


Samael Band Store:


- 1LP Gatefold Red & 20 Page Booklet
- 6 Page Digipack & 56 Page Booklet in a Slipacase


Pre-order here.





Passage - Live tracklisting:


"Passage"
"Rain"
"Shining Kingdom"
"Angel's Decay"
"My Saviour"
"Jupiterian Vibe"
"The Ones Who Came Before"
"Liquid Soul Dimension"
"Moonskin"
"Born Under Saturn"
"Chosen Race"
"A Man In Your Head"
 
"Moonskin":





"Jupiterian Vibe" video:





Samael are:


Vorph – Guitars, Vocals
Xy – Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Samples, Drum programming
Drop – Guitars
Ales – Bass


(Photo - Cyril Perregaux)