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 will embark 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 shared a new video along with the following message:


"Are you ready for some hilarious and shocking stories? This listening party puts Attero Dominatus in the spotlight. Our second studio album comes with plenty of anecdotes. You’ll find out how long it took for us to record it, you’ll hear about Pär’s crazy injury before our very first tour, you’ll get to witness Chris’ epic DJ skills (haha) and so much more! Grab yourself a beverage and some snacks and come chill with us for an hour. You won’t regret it!"





Each month of 2024 will be dedicated to an album from Sabaton’s discography, beginning with Primo Victoria and ending with The War To End All Wars. Special activities and insights will be provided to grant fans a better understanding of each studio album.


Highlights include album stories, song facts, and album listening parties during which band members will reminisce on and discuss their favorite tracks, while sharing never-heard-before experiences with Sabaton fans.


Other exciting initiatives include fun games, contests, and giveaways that will grant fans the chance to win unique prizes, as well as a limited edition 25-year anniversary merch, including some very exclusive items.


Frontman, Joakim Brodén, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming celebration, saying: "This is a massive milestone for us. Our fans have been with us every step of the way and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate this monumental occasion with them. We're planning some great things that we've never done before, and we're confident that 2024 will be one to remember, especially as we are heading to the studio at the beginning of next year to begin working on new music!"


Meanwhile, bassist and band manager, Pär Sundström, stated: “It’s hard to believe that a quarter of a century of us playing music and doing what we love the most has passed already. It’s been one hell of a journey, that’s for sure. We sing about history, but looking back we also wrote some history! Stay tuned!”


The 25th-anniversary celebrations will also include throwback photos, videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into Sabaton's incredible journey, taking fans on a nostalgic trip through the band's history.


Follow the band’s social media channels and website to keep up to date with the latest news and celebrations. Keep your eyes peeled. 2024 is going to be an interesting year!


In the meantime, check out this video message from Pär and Tommy:

On Monday, February 5, Chris Jericho, FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar, joined PANTERA on stage for a performance of the song "Walk" during the Philip Anselmo-fronted act's show at Amalie Arena in Chris's hometown of Tampa, Florida. Fan-filmed video of Jericho's appearance can be viewed below.

The reformed PANTERA — featuring the band's surviving members Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of its own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

In October 2022, two months before the current lineup of PANTERA played its first show, Jericho discussed his views on the band's comeback in an interview with Oran O'Beirne of Ireland's Overdrive. He said: "I think it's great. I'm amazing. I was very good friends with Vinnie and I think that, in retrospect, both Vinnie and Dime would be very happy about this. I think that a world with PANTERA music in it, is better than a world with no PANTERA music in it. I think they got the right guys to help out, with Charlie and Zakk, and when it comes to a whole generation of kids that never got to see those songs being performed live, this is their chance, and it's gonna be amazing.

"At the end of the day, it's about music and sharing the experience of great music amongst people," Chris explained. "I don't believe that those songs should be locked away and not performed in a grand setting. It's time for everybody to experience some kind of connection with that music again, be it for the very first time or perhaps just one more time. Either way, it's gonna be amazing."

PANTERA played the first concert of 2024 on Saturday, February 3 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The band's 14-song set, which marked the opening show of PANTERA's February North American tour with LAMB OF GOD, included the first performance of the track "Floods" since May 2001.

"Floods" originally appeared on PANTERA's 1996 album "The Great Southern Trendkill". An early mix of the song was released on the 20th-anniversary edition of the LP.

Anselmo and Brown spoke about PANTERA's return to the stage during an appearance on the seventeenth episode of "The Metallica Report", the recently launched podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA. Philip said: "It's empowering. It is incredibly beautiful, and you feel so much love when you're up there. And if you take it in, it's a great feeling, man. These days, man, that's where me and Rex, you know, we get to dig the shows more."

He continued: "When we were younger, we were at war and when we were on stage; we were just angry and at war, man. Now it's — the songs are there. I can concentrate on singing the fricking songs, number one. Geez, that's a relief for me, man. I don't have to break my fricking body in part anymore."

Anselmo and Brown also talked about Charlie and Zakk being part of the PANTERA team. Philip said: "Them two dudes, so enthusiastic. And they got their damn thing and they got their own damn legacy, both of them, without us. It's an honor to play with them. They're the nicest frickin guys in the world, man. I'm just so... [Laughs] Zakk, he's a crack-up, man. He's a sweetheart. And fricking Charlie, we've known Charlie since '87, man. It's a long time."

Rex chimed in: "The way [Charlie] plays Vinnie's parts is uncanny. I don't think there's any drummer out there that could play the way that Vinnie did. I would close my eyes, because I was trying to get tight, and sometimes if I close my eyes, I can hear a little better; I think I can. And there'd be a tear of joy just coming down, because that was so close to what Vinnie and I used to play. So you have the foundation."

Philip concurred, saying: "The low end sounds so PANTERA, man. It's freaking me out."

When the interviewer suggested that PANTERA in 2023 had Vinnie Paul and Dimebag's "spirit inside it", Philip said: "Only thing I can say is, man, I know for a damn fact Vince and Dime would want us to do this, hands down. They would want the PANTERA brand or the legacy to go on. And I don't know what you believe in, but sometimes, you know, you would like to think that them old fellas are looking down on us, giving us the thumbs-up."

While he was alive, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed talks of a PANTERA reunion, telling Germany's EMP Rock Invasion in 2014: "People are selfish, man. They want what they want; they don't care what you want. And it's unfortunate that people go, 'Oh, wow, man, they can get Zakk Wylde to jump up there on stage and it's PANTERA again.' No, it's not, you know. It's not that simple. If Eddie Van Halen was to get shot in the head four times next week, would everybody be going, 'Hey, man, Zakk, go play for VAN HALEN. Just call it VAN HALEN.' You see what I'm saying? I mean, it's really selfish for people to think that, and it's stupid. It's not right at all."

He continued: "They call it a reunion for a reason. It's called bringing the original members back to what it was. So there's a lot of these things that they call reunions that aren't really reunions. They've got one dude from the band floating around in them, you know. That's not a true reunion. With PANTERA, it'll never be possible."

He repeated those same sentiments a few months later, telling PlanetMosh in a separate interview: "Without Dimebag Darrell, there is no [PANTERA] reunion. And that's all there is to it. We were a very influential band, and we touched millions and millions of people with that band, but it's over. People really have to come to grips with that, and that's all there is to it. If all of us were still here, then the possibility would truly be there, but since it's not, you know… It's selfish of the fans to want something that they can't have. And they don't ever understand that, and I get it. There's things I want in this world too. You know, people in fucking hell want ice water, but they're not gonna get it."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Haney told the producers of "Behind The Music Remastered: Pantera" that she forgave the singer after they found themselves unexpectedly face to face at a concert in California.

In a new interview with Tony Webster of The Metal Command, British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, spoke about some fans' initial reluctance to embrace his era of the band. When Webster noted that Blaze's solo work over the last two decades has gone a long way toward "changing the narrative" of his time with MAIDEN, Bayley said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think you're right, Tony. I'm hearing this a lot. People look back and they go… Some fans go, 'Of course I've got every IRON MAIDEN album, but the ones I haven't listened to are [Blaze-era albums] 'The X Factor' and 'Virtual XI'. And now that's all I can listen to that I haven't listened to a hundred times. I have to listen to those. And it's exactly what you say to me.

"'The X Factor''s got some incredible music on it, but the sound of it is so dark, and the way it was produced, it's not accessible like some of the other MAIDEN albums," Blaze explained. "You've gotta live with that for quite a few spins until you're tuned into what things are doing. Then you can get to the music. I think that was maybe a problem with it at the time. It's so dark and the sounds of things were quite different to what came before. People who did live with it, managed to find it. And it's different cultures as well, different countries. In Sweden and Spain, those albums, people loved them as much as every other [MAIDEN] album. But in other places, people didn't. It's a different thing.

"For me, I do now [shows celebrating] my 30th anniversary and that's an anniversary of joining MAIDEN. It's a great time for me. But what I take away most isn't I play big stadiums or all of that around the world. What I take away most is, working with the guys in [MAIDEN], writing songs with the guys and what I learned from their experience — they were so generous — and I found, working in the studio and writing, another part of my voice I didn't even know I had. So, now I'm able to express the lyric and the melody and get the emotion and the passion and the specific feelings from that lyric, from that song. I'm able to get my voice and use my voice in a way I could never do before. And that's because of everything I learned in IRON MAIDEN. And even though I've been in a wasteland, and I've been underground for a long, long time, I've kept singing and my voice has developed. And now I think my voice is the best it's ever been. I have more control over my voice. I'm able to do more things that help me tell my listener a story than I've ever done before. And that goes back to those five years. That's all it was out of my career of 40 years — five years with IRON MAIDEN, and I learned so much that I've gradually been able to build up. And now with [my upcoming album] 'Circle Of Stone', I'm so proud. The things I've done on this, I haven't been able to do before. And I'm so proud of it."

The 60-year-old Bayley fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999. The two MAIDEN albums he appeared on, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort, and a follow-up LP, 2022's "Genius".

Blaze's latest studio album, "War Within Me", came out in April 2021. The LP was recorded during 2020 with work split between Blaze's studio at home in the West Midlands and Christopher Appleton's studio in Greater Manchester.

Nearly a year ago, Blaze underwent a quadruple bypass surgery following a heart attack.

Bayley will release his new solo album, the aforementioned "Circle Of Stone", on February 23.

About Us, the hard rock sensation hailing from Nagaland, India, is proud to announce their sophomore album, Take A Piece, out on April 12 via Frontiers Music.


The band's latest single, "Fortitude", serves as a thrilling glimpse into the sonic journey that awaits fans on Take A Piece. The single is showcasing the band's commitment to delivering hard-hitting, melodic rock that resonates with fans around the globe. Watch a video for the song below, and pre-order the album here.


Following the success of their self-titled debut album in 2022, the six-piece rock powerhouse is set to captivate audiences once again with their infectious sound and undeniable musical prowess: "This album represents a fusion of the influences and experiences we encountered in our journey as both avid art enthusiasts and songwriters. Crafting our second album was not only a euphoric and enjoyable process, but it also involved pouring a significant amount of heart, soul, and love into every aspect. Our sincere aspiration is that this latest release brings immense joy and love to our listeners, particularly our devoted fans, just as it did for us during its creation."




India, known for its rich cuisine, diverse culture, and the vibrant Bollywood film industry, is now making waves in the hard rock scene. About Us stands at the forefront of this movement, alongside other notable bands such as Girish & The Chronicles, and Fifth Note (also from Nagaland). The band has already earned recognition, winning the Best Rock Band category at the MG Nagaland Music Awards (June 23, 2021) and the Music Awards of Nagaland (October 16, 2021).


Take A Piece features ten infectious rock songs that elevate the band's signature sound with more guitars and a heavier approach. The album seamlessly blends immediate and hummable melodies with an energetic and technical instrumental prowess, a testament to the band's collective experience of over 15 years in the local music scene.


Lead singer Sochan Kikon emerges as a standout vocalist with remarkable versatility and interpretative skills. His captivating voice has earned him recognition, including an invitation to appear on a Michael Bolton tribute by the prestigious Frontiers label last year.


About Us once again proves their musical mastery with Take A Piece, solidifying their status as one of the most outstanding new bands in the hard rock genre. The album is a must-have for fans of Steelheart, Winger, Journey, and Boston.





Take A Piece tracklisting:


"Come To You"
"Endure"
"Legion"
"Fire With Fire"
"Evh"
"Reels For Eternity"
"Far Away"
"Hope"
"Beautiful Misery"
"Fortitude"


"Fortitude" video:

Malevolent have released a third video from their new EP. After the two successful singles, "Gaze" and "Ways", which both had a more dark post-apocalyptic visualizer, Malevolent thought it is time to reveal the people behind the music.


This clip, "Creations", features Mark Jansen from Epica on grunt-duties. He also took the time to capture his parts on video so the band could use his vocals in the clip.


The Malevolent EP is produced by Joost van den Broek, known from his work with bands like PowerWolf, Epica and Blind Guardian. The band choose to create this video as a gesture to show the fans who they really are. You can see Celica, Nikolaas and Jan in their own (studio) environment.




The clip features guest apparencies by Kevin De Leener (drums, ex-Saille) and Florent Gleizes (bass).

The East--West Sounds (Memorial) YouTube Channel has shared fan-filmed video of Judas Priest's entire show at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, NJ on December 14th, 1990. Check it out below.


The footage is taken from an 8mm master tape filmed by Kirit Kapadia (R.I.P.).


Setlist:




"Hell Bent for Leather"
"Grinder"
"The Hellion / Electric Eye"
"All Guns Blazing"
"The Sentinel"
"Metal Gods"
"Night Crawler"
"The Ripper"
"Beyond The Realms Of Death"
"Riding On The Wind"
- drum solo - 
"A Touch of Evil"
"Victim Of Changes"
"Painkiller"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" (Fleetwood Mac)


Encore:
"Breaking The Law"
"Living After Midnight"
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'"





Judas Priest recently released "Crown Of Horns", the third single from their upcoming Invincible Shield album, due for release on March 8. Check out the official video for the song below.





Over the past 50 years Judas Priest have sold over 50 million albums worldwide and headlined the world’s biggest stages. With their evolving music and live performances also came a powerful unique identity, a look which has both defined the group and influenced future generations of metal bands the world over. With each year, the Judas Priest legend continues to grow; 2022 saw them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and complete a sold-out rescheduled world tour in support of their 50th Anniversary. As we roll into 2024, Judas Priest continue to retain their crown as one of the biggest and best British bands in the world.


Invincible Shield can be pre-ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Panic Attack"
"The Serpent And The King"
"Invincible Shield"
"Devil In Disguise"
"Crown Of Horns"
"As God Is My Witness"
"Trial By Fire"
"Escape From Reality"
"Sons Of Thunder"
"Giants In The Sky"


"Panic Attack" video:





"Trial By Fire" video:





Invincible Shield album trailer:





Judas Priest will also delight fans with a world tour this year, the UK leg kicks off in Glasgow on March 11 before taking on North America in April and May.  See below for full North American tour routing and head to judaspriestinvincibleshield.com for tickets.


Tour dates:


April
18 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale Theatre
9 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
21 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena
24 - Bangor, ME - Cross Insurance Center
25 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
27 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Center*
28 - Indianapolis, IN - Everwise Amphitheater at White River


May
1 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
2 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
4 - Kalamazoo, MI - Wings Event Center*
5 - Maryland Heights, MO - St Louis Music Park
7 - Huntsville, AL - VBC Propst Arena*
9 - Daytona, FL - Welcome to Rockville^
11 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
12 - Mobile, AL - Mobile Civic Center Arena*
14 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
16 - Columbus, OH - Historic Crew Stadium ^
17 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center*
19 - Washington, DC -The Theater at MGM National Harbor
21 - Albany, NY - MVP Arena
22 - Syracuse, NY - Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview


* Not a Live Nation Date
^ Festival Performance

They were born in blood, conceived in Hell, and reanimated by accident!


Bent on cannibalizing the entire human race, Toronto, Canada’s Blood Opera has already infected whole populations with their raunchy and often controversial live displays of violence, gore, and perverse sexual acts. Having feasted on human flesh with bands such as GWAR and being endorsed by the zombie Godfather himself, George A. Romero, these purveyors of so-called “dead metal” have quickly become Canada’s number one horror metal act.


They are riled up and ready to release their first full-length album Songs In The Key Of Death on February 24, and to prime listeners for the bloodbath, they have released two video singles “The Gates Of Hell” featuring guest keyboards by Maurizio Guarini (Goblin) and “Be My Victim” featuring a voice-over by actor Tony Todd (Candyman), which they share in further detail:




“'The Gates Of Hell' was inspired by the cult film of the same name. Another heavy track brings in more modern influences and progressions. It features guest keyboard work by Goblin’s Maurizio Guarini. 'Be My Victim' is a bonus track from 2022 and features actor Tony Todd and is based on the film Candyman. As it is an older song it features a couple of members no longer in the band but as it is an important song for us we wanted to include it. Fans of Ghost will dig this keyboard and chorus-driven rocker.”


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"








(Photo - Craig Leonard - Billy Bones)

Nocturna will release their new album, Of Sorcery And Darkness, on April 19 via Scarlet Records.


The sophomore record of the band founded by the formidable frontwomen Grace Darkling and Rehn Stillnight - featuring the Frozen Crown/Volturian/Be The Wolf mastermind Federico Mondelli as songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist - was recorded, mixed and mastered by Andrea Fusini at Fusix Studio; Rehn Stillnight took care of the delightfully grim artwork and illustrations.


After the success of the 2022 mesmerizing debut album, Daughters Of The Night (which mixed gothic-symphonic and power metal elements, alternating between fast & heavy neck breaking episodes and intense, piano-oriented ballads), Nocturna once again delves into the meaning of the term "duality" and all its more morbid connotations.




The romantic inspiration of the lyrics of Of Sorcery And Darkness combines harmoniously with the band's sophisticated sonic approach, and the celestial voices of Grace Darkling and Rehn Stillnight paint mysterious and sensual portraits of an ancestral time (yet so close to us). It's a solemn, sinister and never so lost paradise.


Of Sorcery And Darkness will be released in the following formats:


- digipack CD
- vinyl LP
- digital





Tracklisting:


"Burn The Witch"
"Sapphire"
"Noctis Avem"
"Creatures Of Darkness"
"Midnight Sun"
"First Disobedience"
"Seven Sins"
"Through The Maze"
"Strangers"
"Last Day On Earth"


Nocturna are:


Grace Darkling - vocals
Rehn Stillnight - vocals
Hedon - guitar
Antares - bass
Deimos - drums


(Photo - Luca Morselli)

For The Metal Voice, Jimmy Kay and Neil Turbin talked to artists at the 7th annual 2024 Metal Hall Of Fame, including Chris Impelliteri, Hammerfall, Wendy Dio, Regina Banali, Joel Hoekstra, Sean Peck (Cage) and Tim "Ripper" Owens and more.


Guitarist Chris Impelliteri was asked about his upcoming studio album and the musical direction, and revealed, "We are finishing the new record. It will be done in four months. (The album) It's heavy. Paul Bostaph from Slayer is playing drums on our record, so it is a little more aggressive. We worked with Mike Plotnikoff who produced and he has worked with everybody from AC/DC, In Flames so it's a little more aggressive but still a lot of the crazy shredding."

The official trailer for the documentary film "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza" will premiere on Saturday January 27 at 12 p.m. PST at the Ellefson Coffee Co. booth the NAMM show inside the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

The premiere will be hosted by David Ellefson and Nick Menza's sister Donia Menza Ontiveros, and will be open to any NAMM attendees and media at the show. A question-and-answer session will follow the premiere and will include OHM:/ KINGS OF THRASH guitarist Chris Poland and close friend Dr. Randall Kertz, who was Ellefson's bass tech from 1989 to 1990.

The Ellefson Coffee Co. booth number 5030 will be located inside Hall D and will feature the VIP Rock & Roll Lounge Experience.

In a new interview with Francisco Zamudio of KNAC.COM, Ellefson stated about his involvement in the film (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So I got asked to narrate this movie called 'This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza'. And it's his life story, from birth until he passed. And obviously, 10 years in there was with MEGADETH, which is certainly one of the more public parts of his life as a professional drummer. So getting asked to narrate it, and then, like I always do — look, I've lived with Nick on the road; I spent 10 years in the yellow submarine with him, so I know a lot of that. I know a lot of people, obviously, to connect it. So when we did the interviews, reached out to people… [Former MEGADETH guitarist] Jeff Young actually really stepped in, too; he helped us get the facility where we filmed a lot of the interview footage. We were able to get with our other fallen brother, Bob Nalbandian, to get him to comment before he passed from cancer last year. Some crew members, tour managers — really, I think, a nice spread. His family, his mom, his dad. Nick's dad, Don Menza, is a very, very well, highly esteemed woodwind player. I mean, first chair tenor sax for Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson. So when Nick was a kid, I think he was born in Munich, he was at these jazz festivals in Europe with his dad, and guys like Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson were handing him the drumsticks, going, 'Have at it, kid. Hit the kit.' So, Nick's story is super colorful and very cool."

Ellefson added that it was "a lot of work" putting the Menza movie together. "It's an independent film. We're all kind of pitching in to make it happen," he said. "We set a deadline to get the thing finished now and to get it out. We, of course, will go to some of the film festivals. Most of this stuff now ends up digitally on the Netflix, Tubi, these kind of platforms. So I thought this is a good time to sort of roll out another little clip of it and show everybody kind of the spirit of what the movie's going to look like and some of the people that are in it and do a little Q&A after for the fans and some of the media that are there."

He continued: "It's a really heartfelt story. Nick sister, Donia, who's kind of the ambassador for all things Nick as far as his career and professionally from back in the day… I mean, it's her brother, so she has a real passion for this film and keeping Nick's story alive. Like she said, it's her way to stay connected to Nick since he left the planet clearly too early."

When Zamudio noted that Menza's death, while performing with OHM: in May 2016, was a fitting way for the drummer to go out, Ellefson concurred. "I said that too. I inducted him into the Metal Hall Of Fame, which is always the Wednesday night before NAMM," David said. "And I was asked to induct Nick posthumously, of course. So his family was there. I had not seen his family in a great many years, so it was nice to reconnect with them. And I felt the same thing.

"Nick's whole purpose in life and passion of life was behind those drums, man. And as sad as it is that he's no longer with us, what a great way to just, 'I'm out.' You know what I mean?" Ellefson added. "So it's sad that he's no longer with us, but it's like… Look, none of us get out of here alive, so it's a day we all face. And so I think that with this film, it's a way to sort of celebrate the greatness that Nick was, and for all of us to be around him. And his life touched so many people."

When it was first announced that the trailer for "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza" would premiere at NAMM, Ellefson said in a statement: "After several years in the making, it's a real honor to be able to give a sneak preview of what this film will ultimately look like. Nick had a storied career and an even more incredible life. I'm proud to be part of this documentary and very honored that we can utilize our booth during the NAMM show as the initial theater for fans to see this beautiful story unfold.”

Donia added: "The Menza family is super excited to finally see this film come to fruition, and even more excited to have David narrating the exciting and unique life that Nick lived. I am honored to be a part of this film and to be able to share stories of my wonderful and loving brother."

Said director Holly Mollohan Grayson: "This special project is one that is very close to my heart. I'm a part of the generation that spent the entirety of their teenage years in the 1990s. The soundtrack of our lives played every day on MTV and 'Headbangers Ball'. That was the period of time when Nick was making his mark as a metal legend in MEGADETH, so, of course, I was very familiar with his work. I am honored to be able to explore who he was beyond his amazing talent for the drums."

"This Was My Life: The Story of Nick Menza" will be released later this year.

Menza's longtime personal manager Robert Bolger stated: "Going through all of Nick's personal and private VHS tape collection, photos and audio files was by far the best part of making this documentary. There's so much material I went through, listening to all the unreleased drum tracks, gathering all the footage from the live shows, backstage, on the tour bus, in the studio, fans and the interviews was an absolute amazing task piecing everything together. What amazing life Nick lived and a legacy he left behind."

Ellefson previously stated about his involvement with the film: "The making of the Nick Menza documentary has been such a joy for all of us, like a sort of MEGA family reunion where we shared stories, laughs and even a few tears around Nick and what he meant to so many of us. I think this film and soundtrack will touch the hearts of the fans and viewers in the same way, as we remember his larger-than-life character behind the drum kit, but also his lovable charm and warmth that made him the beloved one of a treasured musical legacy."

The Menza family previously stated: "We are excited for the fans to see the life Nick lived before, during, and after MEGADETH, it was quite the journey. Stay tuned for an epic documentary. As Nick would say, 'It's gonna be RAD."

"This Was My Life" will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic 'Rust In Peace' lineup."

"This Was My Life" will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with.

"This Was My Life" will include interviews with the Menza family and close friends, and former MEGADETH members Chris Poland, Jeff Young, former LAMB OF GOD/MEGADETH drummer Chris Adler, former MEGADETH tour manager Skip Rickert, Nick's drum tech Rob Corsie, legendary rock and roll photographer Gene Kirkland, film director, late metal historian, journalist and filmmaker Bob Nalbandian, James Rota and Emily Burton of FIREBALL MINISTRY, Terri Evans, Peter Flyn, John "Gumby" Goodwin, Bert Wolf, David Randi, Rob Schaefer, Juan "Nico" Alvarez, Robertino "Pag" Pagliari, Iki Levy of Soultone cymbals, and David Corral of L.A. CALLING.

Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed behind his drum kit after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Menza rightfully earned his place as heavy metal's fiercest drummer during MEGADETH's 10-year peak at the top. The highlight of his career, Nick said, was playing Rock In Rio before more than 100,000 people. The lowest point was being fired by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine while he was still in a hospital bed after surgery to remove what doctors feared was a cancerous growth.

LAMB OF GOD has released the "official aftermovie" for the first Headbangers Boat charter cruise, which was held October 31 - November 4, 2023. Headbangers Boat is a special charter voyage, offering a unique blend of heavy metal music with LAMB OF GOD as the headliner. The charter cruise was organized by Sixthman, which is in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Due to popular demand, LAMB OF GOD has announced a second voyage of, Headbangers Boat, highlighted by two unique headline performances from the groundbreaking five-time-Grammy Award-nominated band. Presented by Sixthman, the leader in festivals and music cruises for more than two decades, Lamb Of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2024 sails October 28-November 1, 2024 from Miami, Florida to the brand new port of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic aboard the Norwegian Gem.

First unveiled during LAMB OF GOD's second performance on Headbangers Boat's sold-out premiere sailing, Lamb Of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2024 will feature live music from dawn into dark, across several stages and settings throughout the Norwegian Gem. Along with two exclusive shows from LAMB OF GOD, the fully immersive event will further feature a truly stunning range of special guests, including such heavy metal masters as DETHKLOK, CHIMAIRA, POISON THE WELL, AT THE GATES, SOULFLY, EXODUS, NAPALM DEATH, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, AFTER THE BURIAL, CURRENTS, BLEEDING THROUGH, UNEARTH, EYEHATEGOD, FROZEN SOUL, UNITYTX and LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton (solo band),plus standup comedy from Shayne Smith and Mike Abrusci. In addition, members of LAMB OF GOD will host an array of guest activities, with all guests who book during the pre-sale securing a photo opportunity for their cabin with the band.

"The sense of connection and family that was shared on the Headbangers Boat has been overwhelming," said Morton. "We were all reminded of the power that music has to bring joy, inspiration, and healing. We are beyond grateful to have had the chance to bring so many people from the heavy metal community together to share and celebrate this music we all love. And it doesn't end here! We are thrilled to announce Headbangers Boat 2…"

Headbangers Boat 2024 will see special guests DETHKLOK's first performance at sea, and their first announced show following their first tour in over a decade, the successful "The Babyklok Tour" with co-headliners BABYMETAL. Other live metal performance rarities offered by Headbangers Boat 2024 will include additional support acts CHIMAIRA (who reunited last year for their first two shows in over five years) and POISON THE WELL (who, in January, are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album "You Come Before You" with a string of shows).

Beyond the onboard experience, headbangers will have the chance to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime day of adventure in Puerto Plata (officially known as San Felipe de Puerto Plata),the ninth largest city in the Dominican Republic and the capital of the province of Puerto Plata. Cruisers can enjoy spectacular city views atop the 2,600-foot-high Pico Isabel de Torres mountain, explore the 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe, or visit the Amber Museum, a museum filled with a unique collection of valuable Dominican amber capturing millions of years of fossils of plant and insect life. Please note: Shore excursions will not be available until 4-6 weeks prior to sailing. Cruisers will be able to book an excursion upon receipt of their official booking number.

The opulent Norwegian Gem will provide everything needed to make Headbangers Boat the most electrifying cruise vacation ever, with fully stocked bars at (almost) every corner, tasty dining options, the Pool Deck (with multiple hot tubs),Gem Club Casino, Mandara Spa, Body Waves Fitness Center, Sports Court, and much more.

Lineup:

LAMB OF GOD (two sets)
DETHKLOK
CHIMAIRA
POISON THE WELL
AT THE GATES
SOULFLY
EXODUS
NAPALM DEATH
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
AFTER THE BURIAL
CURRENTS
BLEEDING THROUGH
UNEARTH
EYEHATEGOD
FROZEN SOUL
UNITYTX
MARK MORTON (solo band)

Standup comedy from Shayne Smith and Mike Abrusci

Sixthman festivals tear down walls between artists and fans by creating community-inspired vacation experiences at resorts and at sea. Since 2001, Sixthman has set the stage for moments that make life rock, serving over 300,000 guests on over 150 unforgettable vacations on sand and at sea with their favorite artists, athletes, actors, comedians, and brands. These carefully curated, intimate events bring non-stop performances, artist collaborations, in-depth panels, Q&As, fan-artist activities, museums, and overall, truly immersive experiences that celebrate community and change expectations of what a vacation can be. Sixthman's domestic homeport of Miami brings escapes for guests to dream destinations in the Virgin Islands, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and The Bahamas. In 2019, Sixthman expanded its festivals at sea to Europe, sailing from Barcelona, Spain to exotic Mediterranean ports and then from Athens through the Greek Isles in 2022. In addition to festivals at sea, Sixthman has taken its innovative vacation concept to world-class, all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In 2020, Sixthman Services was launched to support other event holders with a suite of on-site and virtual event management services and enhanced experiences. 2023 is poised to be a record year in terms of the number of events and expansion into new verticals.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that he and his wife, Courtney, have been awarded legal fees in an ongoing case involving a woman who allegedly has been stalking them and their four-year-old daughter. The 64-year-old musician, who resides in Wyoming with his family, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: " People can’t do whatever they want when it comes to my family. It's important to hold these people accountable."

Sixx previously said that he and his family have had two stalkers during recent years. He said sentencing for the other stalker was delayed, but it is also coming.

"We are asking for three years in jail," he wrote. "We are using the legal system to hold bad people accountable. When your daughter and wife get threatened all bets are off."

When Sixx first revealed last November that he had been stalked and harassed by at least two people in recent years, he wrote: "Like many other public figures, myself and my family were harassed and threatened by a stalker. A deranged woman from Tennessee, who I have never met or seen before, targeted my wife and child with threats of death and bodily harm. This was not some Internet troll but someone who was convinced that she was somehow connected to me. Her harassment went on for a long time and got progressively more scary, forcing me to go to court several times and obtain restraining orders. She violated the restraining orders multiple times. As a result, the court found the conduct serious enough to hold her in contempt of court and order that she be arrested.

"I want to thank the judge, the court staff and my legal team for protecting my family.

"Now another stalker from a different part of the country started doing the same thing, going so far as to travel to my house and threaten our lives again," he continued.

"It's one thing to threaten my safety but when it comes to serious threats against my wife and children, it just becomes beyond alarming. They do not deserve this.

"Thank you to the FBI, law enforcement, the detectives and the legal and court system for treating these threats with the severity and urgency they require. I will go to any lengths to protect my family."

Thousands of celebrities across the world are occasionally confronted by fanatics who give them intimidating attention.

Last year, research published in the journal PLOS by Idaho State University identified factors that are associated with the tendency to engage in stalking, such as having frequent personal thoughts about a favorite celebrity and being prone to boredom.

Another study showed almost half of the threatening fan letters had writers that believed they already had some kind of personal relationship with the celebrity, perceiving themselves as a friend or acquaintance.

Sixx and his family moved to Wyoming in 2020, leaving Los Angeles, a city he had called home since MÖTLEY CRÜE's earliest days. He later said in an interview that the city was starting to feel overpopulated.

Photo courtesy of Jason Shaltz / SiriusXM
Today we were awarded legal fees from stalker number 2 and are now just awaiting sentencing. People can’t do whatever they want when it comes to my family. It’s important to hold these people accountable.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) February 1, 2024

Legendary German/American heavy metal titans ACCEPT will release their new album, "Humanoid", on April 26, 2024 via Napalm Records. The LP's first single and video will be made available on February 28. The upcoming masterpiece was once again produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by critically acclaimed heavy metal producer Andy Sneap.

Starting today, fans can immerse themselves in the upcoming album on a newly launched interactive web site, where they can reprogram the robot that is featured on the album cover, and discover different parts of the album in the process. Pre-save "Humanoid" now to gain access to the web site here.

Together with the album announcement, ACCEPT has also revealed a massive European headline tour with more than 20 shows across the continent for autumn 2024. This summer, ACCEPT will also return to some of the world’s most important rock and metal festivals, like Wacken Open Air, Hellfest and more, following their South American spring tour.

ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann comments: "I am extremely pleased with 'Humanoid'. The album has great energy throughout! Working with the best metal producer Andy Sneap was once again a lot of fun! We are a great team. We all love the new album and look forward to playing it live! Hope our fans will like it as much as we do.”

Fall 2024 European headline tour:

Oct. 17 - TR - Istanbul @ KCP
Oct. 28 - FR - Toulouse @ Le Bikini
Oct. 29 - FR - Lyon @ Transbordeur
Oct. 31 - BE - Antwerp @ Trix
Nov. 01 - FR - Paris @ Elysee Montmartre
Nov. 02 - CH - Lausanne @ Les Docks
Nov. 03 - CH - Zurich @ Komplex
Nov. 05 - DE - Saarbrücken @ Garage
Nov. 06 - DE - Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle
Nov. 07 - DE - Langen @ Stadthalle
Nov. 09 - AT - Vienna @ Simm City
Nov. 12 - DE - Munich @ Backstage
Nov. 13 - DE - Berlin @ Huxleys
Nov. 15 - DE - Neu-Ulm @ Ratiopharm Arena
Nov. 16 - DE - Geiselwind @ Eventcenter
Nov. 21 - DE - Bremen @ Aladin
Nov. 25 - NO - Oslo @ Rockefeller
Nov. 26 - SE - Gothenburg @ Trädgår’n
Nov. 29 - SE - Karlstad @ Nöjesfabriken
Nov. 30 - SE - Stockholm @ Fryshuset

ACCEPT is:

Wolf Hoffmann - guitar
Mark Tornillo - vocals
Uwe Lulis - guitar
Martin Motnik - bass
Christopher Williams - drums

This past January, it was announced that ACCEPT will perform at all European festivals in 2024 and the South American tour in May with Joel Hoekstra.

Hoekstra will be standing in for Phil Shouse, who will remain with the band as their permanent live guitarist for all other gigs.

New York-based Joel Hoekstra is best known to fans as a current member of the legendary band WHITESNAKE and is part of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. He has also played with Cher, NIGHT RANGER and FOREIGNER, to name just a few of his numerous collaborations.

Hoffmann commented: "It is a great honor for us to be on stage with Joel Hoekstra. Joel is an exceptional guitarist and I have huge respect for him. The whole band is really looking forward to playing with this string magician."

Hoekstra added: "I'm super honored and excited to riff out and rock out with Wolf and the guys! I'm really looking forward to meeting all the ACCEPT fans in South America and Europe! Let's rock!!"

Last June, Wolf said in an interview with Cassius Morris about the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to 2021's "Too Mean To Die" album: "Well, we have this place in Nashville that we have made the last five albums in. And we basically do drums at a place — it's not quite sure where we're gonna do it this time. And then guitars are usually happening here in Nashville and mixing happens in England. Nowadays, with technology, we don't really need to be together in the same place for four weeks at a time; we do it here and there and everywhere. But it's still important to know that we're doing it kind of together; we're not just sharing files over the Internet. 'Cause that has never worked for us. So, in other words, Andy has to be in the room, if possible, and then whoever gets to record their tracks, and then a bunch of others are usually around. So it's a group thing, for sure, but it's not [like] everybody's there the whole, all the time together."

In the fall of 2022, ACCEPT completed a North American tour with support from NARCOTIC WASTELAND. The band played a career-spanning set of new and classic tracks, including mega-hits "Balls To The Wall", "Princess Of The Dawn", "Fast As A Shark" and many more.

In February 2022, it was announced that ACCEPT had inked a worldwide deal with Napalm Records.

"Too Mean To Die" came out in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, the aforementioned Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville with Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH),who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

Mark Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and "Too Mean To Die".

Photo credit: Christoph Vohler

In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was asked if he has spoken to the band's original drummer Dave Lombardo, who has been out of SLAYER for more than a decade. He responded: "No. Lombardo is dead to me." Elaborating on why he feels that way, the 59-year-old musician said: "[Dave] went on that tirade when we were on a flight to Australia, and he knew we couldn't retort for 14 hours, and he threw me under the bus. I was the only one keeping him in the band. Tom [Araya, SLAYER frontman] wanted him out before that, and Jeff [Hannemann, SLAYER guitarist] had just gotten the spider bite [causing him to contract a flesh-eating bacteria, forcing him off the road], so he wasn't playing with us much. I said, 'We need [Dave]. The fans won't get it if we replace him right now.' And then the Australia thing came up. He threw me under the bus, and I'm, like, 'I'm the guy that kept you here.' So I thought, 'Fuck that guy.'"

Regarding what happened to cause the split with Lombardo, King said: "He's super impressionable. He was listening to this woman that was his attorney at the time, and she thought we had METALLICA money, which we've never had fucking METALLICA money. So she's just blowing shit in his ear, and he thinks he should be getting more than he should be getting. It's like, talk to somebody that actually knows the situation and isn't just blowing sunshine up your ass to make money in your commission."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.

Lombardo released a statement in February 2013 saying he "was denied access to detailed information and the necessary backup documents." He added: "I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a longform contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order."

Dave previously opened about his departure from SLAYER while taking questions from the audience in March 2014 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

"I did my best to try to keep it together, but I couldn't go on, man," Dave said. "I had to step out, because you can't be shackled like that; nobody can take advantage of another person like that anymore. I did it for too many years, and I held my breath. Red flags kept going on in my books. It's, like, 'Really? I'm supposed to make more money? Why am I on the same salary? I'm making the exact same thing I've been making the past two years. And this is back in 2004. So I knew something was up. And I tried my best to work it out with the guys. I brought Tom into the picture. I had Tom in a hotel room with me talking to my attorney, and my attorney was telling him everything their management company had been doing to them for the past 30 freakin' years. And we had an accountant, a forensic accountant, ready to go in there and look at the stuff."

He continued: "Tom got bought out. Management flipped him over a couple of hundred grand — who knows how much? — and Kerry as well, to keep quiet and go against Lombardo. So they turned their backs on me. And on the last day, when I'm at rehearsal with them — and I saved it all the way until the end — I said, 'Guys, we need a new business plan. You guys have been on the same business plan after 30 years. Now I'm an income participant. In other words, I 'm a percentage holder.' So if you're a percentage holder, you have the right, and you're contracted, as a percentage holder, you have the right to see where all the expenses are going. Because here you are getting paid off of net, and then out of 4.4 million dollars, the band gets 400 thousand dollars. Where's the four million? And that's just 2011. [The rest of the money went to] lawyers, accountant and the manager.

"For the past 30 years, they were doing that to the guys. And they took my information… I'll never forget the day…. I just said, 'Guys, look at this. This came from your accountant.' And it showed all the money. It wasn't showing where the money was going, it was just showing 'gross,' 'expenses,' 'net.' And out of that net, I made, on tour, in 2011, 67 thousand dollars. Kerry and Tom, that was about 114 thousand dollars they made on tour. So if you did about 60 shows, divide that up between 60 shows… Anybody have a calculator? No, not 60… Let's say about 90 shows per year: 30 in the spring, 30 in the summer and 30 shows in the winter, in the fall. So you break that up per show… Really? It's disgusting. I bust my ass up there playing drums. I mean, I am just sweating, I'm beat. And for the guy in the Hollywood Hills, for his facials, his manicures… No, I'm not gonna play for that. No."

In a November 2013 interview with Minneapolis City Pages, Araya stated about Lombardo: "Dave left the band originally in '91 or '92, After that, we brought in Jon Dette for two years and then we hooked up with Paul [Bostaph], who did four really great albums with us. Then he decided to move on. Our manager hooked us up with Dave again and when we were putting together [2006's] 'Christ Illusion', Dave offered to help out. We wanted to make things fair for him, so we offered him a contract with the band. Most recently, we were offered to tour Australia. When we were rehearsing, he seemed to do a 180 and said some things that kind of upset me and Kerry. Kerry just looked at him and said, 'If you feel that way, then why are we even rehearsing for this tour?' So we wrote him a letter and said, 'Listen, we need to know if you're going to do the shows in Australia. If you're not, we need to do something about that.' We didn't get a reply. We were put in a position where we had to do something, so we got Jon Dette to play with us again. After what happened with the Australia tour, we made the decision to move forward and make him aware that we no longer needed his services. He was really upset about that. He wrote a rant on Facebook. He said some things that he shouldn't have. It really upset us. And it upset me. I was fuming. I couldn't believe that he would throw that out in the court of public opinion. After that, Jeff [Hanneman, deceased SLAYER guitarist], me and Kerry all got on the phone and talked about it. And Paul's name came up. It was a sure thing with Paul. He'd been in the band for over 12 years. So we gave him a call to see if he was interested and he was more than happy to. It was a no-brainer. He's an amazing drummer."

A few years ago, King said that "when Dave was in [SLAYER] this last time, I figured I'd be on the stage with him until one of us fell off the stage, dead. Things change. He got some bad advice and listened to some bad advice, gave us an ultimatum ten days before we went to Australia [to do the Soundwave festival tour]. And I said, 'I can't have this over my head.' And I feel bad for Dave to this day; I really feel bad for him because he shot himself in the foot. Maybe he thought he had the upper hand, but you ain't gonna get me."

SLAYER played its last-ever show in November 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles.

In a new interview with Alan Ovington, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about the songwriting and recording process for the band's upcoming studio album, "Invincible Shield", which will arrive on March 8 via Sony Music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the process of making 'Invincible Shield' was pretty much the same as most of the albums that PRIEST has made through the decades. It's this unique combination of having two guitar players and a singer together in the room starting the day off with no metal and at the end of it, having something that's gonna be around a lot longer than you are. But yeah, I get in the room with Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] and with Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist] and the riffs start. It's a lot of jamming, it's a lot of riffing and just free creativity. It's just remarkable how this whole process, this chemistry between the three of us takes place and we love it. It's just very, very special to us."

As for how PRIEST utilizes modern technology during the recording process, Halford said: "The technology, of course, has changed dramatically. We go back all the way to three-inch reel tapes, and then to digital tapes, and now we're in the Pro Tools world. And you have to really be careful that technology doesn't take the lead in the whole of the writing and recording process, because it's very easy to get stuck into that AI world of making music — you know, cutting and pasting and all that kind of stuff. We've always kept it real in PRIEST, and we always will."

Asked if he found "any particular themes reoccurring" while he was writing the lyrics for the new album, Rob said: "Well, I'm the lyricist and I do my best to try and create messages and ideas that are new and fresh. Obviously, there are elements in PRIEST that we love to reinvestigate. Take 'The Serpent And The King', the classic good versus evil, which will always be part of humanity. The serpent's the devil and the king is God. So here's a new approach to that particular theme. 'Panic Attack' is quite cool, looking at the darker side of the implications of the worldwide web. 'Invincible Shield', the title track, man, that's just who we are and what we stand for. So, there we have it — a lot of PRIEST from different angles and different perspectives."

The official music videos for the LP's first three singles, "Panic Attack", "Trial By Fire" and "Crown Of Horns", can be seen below.

In February 2022, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's comment that the band's upcoming album would be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

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

CD cover:

Vinyl cover:

Originally released as an excluisve vinyl bonus track for their 2017 album, BCCIV, Black Country Communion have shared the song digitally for the first time. Pick it up here, check out the official visualizer below.


Black Country Communion is comprised of vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Dead Daisies), drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner), keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Whom Gods Destroy, Dream Theater, Billy Idol) and guitarist Joe Bonamassa. 







It was announced in June 2023 that the band had commenced work on their as yet untitled fifth studio album at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California. Hughes shared the news via Twitter:



In Hollywood recording the new BCC album🖤
Inspired & lifted …
⁦@JBONAMASSA⁩
⁦@Jason_Bonham⁩
⁦@DerekSherinian⁩
⁦@KevTheCave⁩
⁦@glenn_hughes⁩ pic.twitter.com/YTDe6MyWVm
— Glenn Hughes (@glenn_hughes) June 4, 2023






With the band of Brothers
⁦@JBONAMASSA⁩
⁦@Jason_Bonham⁩
⁦@DerekSherinian⁩
⁦@glenn_hughes⁩
in Hollywood, at our fave studio
BCCV is now being recorded
⁦@sunsetsound⁩
feels good to be home again 🖤
Here we go ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/WAIIJfiP7X
— Glenn Hughes (@glenn_hughes) June 3, 2023





Bonamassa also shared a photo on Twitter:



Song four pre production 😎👍 pic.twitter.com/7BKRXUcnee
— Joe Bonamassa (Official) (@JBONAMASSA) June 4, 2023





(Photo - Neil Zlozower)

Bottom Seeker, the debut album from Italian metalcore band, Inner Whiteout, is set to be released on March 22. It will be available for streaming and digital download on major web platforms.


To precede its release, the new single, "An Elegant Solution", has already surpassed 10,000 views on its video. Watch the clip below.


The album was recorded at Fiery Water Recording Studios, with mixing and mastering by Fabrizio Gesuato, drum engineering by Giovanni Rosellini, and artwork by Francesco D’Amario.




Since its inception in 2016, the band has crafted a unique musical journey, tirelessly dedicated to sonic innovation, creating compositions that skillfully blend aggressive vocals with captivating guitar-driven melodies.


The band's musical identity is a fusion of fast-paced rhythmic structures and bold explorations into unconventional time signatures, garnering a solid fanbase. This support has enabled them to share the stage with notable international bands such as Our Hollow Our Home, Thrown, and Hopes Die Last.





Tracklisting:


"Bottom Seeker"
"Ocean of Humanity"
"An Elegant Solution"
"Stray Home"
"In Silence"
"Love Responsibly"
"Another Look"
"Out In The Cold"
"Expire//Exist"
"My Absence"


"An Elegant Solution" video:





Bottom Seeker is a collection of 10 tracks where the band explores various influences and sounds from other genres, fused into a consolidated metalcore style. Similarly, the lyrics of each song tell the story of a different person facing their own difficulties and problems. All these characters have something in common: they are social outcasts struggling to find their place in society. From the homeless individuals regretting their life choices to a man battling his inner demons to keep on living.

Deus ex Machina, Liv Kristine's solo debut from 1998, will be released for the first time on March 1st as a vinyl version, and as a double CD with unreleased bonus tracks.


October, 27th, 1997 was a very special date in Liv Kristine's career. It was on this day that she met Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost). The chemistry between the two artists was right from the start, and so the jointly composed gothic ballad "3 a. m." became the first song for Deus ex Machina. Despite their respective metal backgrounds, the fusion of their voices created something very special.


Check out the new lyric video for the song below.







1995 was the year in which a new star shone in the gothic metal sky with Liv Kristine. To this day, the Norwegian singer with her angelic soprano voice is considered an inspiration for numerous subsequent bands and artists.


After globally acclaimed albums and sold-out tours with Theatre of Tragedy, Liv Kristine signed a contract with Massacre Records in 1997 to realize her first solo album, Deus ex Machina.


At this time, she was completing a Master's degree in English and German studies and commuted between the University of Stuttgart and the recordings in the Illinois studio. At the same time, she continued to tour very successfully with Theatre of Tragedy.


October 27, 1997 was to become a very special date in Liv Kristine's career. On this day, she met Nick Holmes (Host, Paradise Lost). The chemistry between the two exceptional artists was right from the start, and so the jointly composed, beautiful gothic ballad "3 a.m." was the first song for the solo album Deus ex Machina, released in 1998. Although both Nick and Liv have a metal background, the fusion of their two voices created something very special.


But the other songs on Deus ex Machina also unfold a great deal of subtlety, magic, and the power of Liv Kristine's personal charisma. With "Portrait: Ei tulle med øyne blå," based on a children's song from 1905, there is even a song in LIV's native Norwegian on the album. In June 2023, a new interpretation of the song was created together with Geir "Gerlioz" Bratland (Dimmu Borgir, God Seed, The Kovenant, Satyricon), which can now be found on this new re-release of Deus ex Machina as an LP bonus track.


At the age of six, Liv Kristine showed a special receptivity and understanding of music and the different ways of singing. The song "In the Heart of Juliet" describes how she consciously and unconsciously experienced her childhood, the feelings of happiness, her love of magical melodies, the wonders of nature with its seasons and, most especially, the freedom of being. To this day, she describes the special experience of singing as "my magical bubble."


Since she was 15 years old, Liv has been performing with Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves' Eyes, and under her own name on stages large and small in over 60 countries, enchanting audiences with her clear and multi-faceted angelic voice.


To date, this has resulted in 15 albums and numerous collaborations. She was even honored with a Grammy nomination for her balladic duet with Cradle of Filth in 2005.


For Liv Kristine, both as a person and as an artist, authenticity and heart always come first. With the release of Deus ex Machina, she has already proven what a great, independent artist she is and has been inspiring and enchanting people all over the world for over three decades now.





CD Tracklist: 


CD1
"Requiem"
"Deus Ex Machina"
"In The Heart Of Juliet"
"3 a.m."
"Waves Of Green"
"Take Good Care"
"Huldra Part I"
"Portrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå"
"Good Vibes Bad Vibes"
"Outro"


CD 2 
"In The Heart Of Juliet" (Forever Mix)
"Huldra Part II"
"Good Vibes Bad Vibes" (Dance on Mix)
"3 a.m." (Late Night Version)
"3 a.m." (Club Mix)
"3 a.m." (Radio Mix)
"3 a.m." (Single Edit)
"3 a.m." (No Loop Mix)
"Deus Ex Machina" (Alternative Remix)
"Deus Ex Machina" (Guitar Extended)
"Deus Ex Machina" (Remix)
"Sun In The Stream"
"Sun In The Stream" (Demo 1999)
"Inamorata" (Live)
"Inamorata" (Demo 1999)
"Huldra Part III"


Vinyl Tracklist:


Side A
"Requiem"
"Deus ex Machina"
"In the Heart of Juliet"
"3 a.m."


Side B
"Waves of Green"
"Take Good Care"
"Huldra Part I"
"Portrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå"
"Good Vibes Bad Vibes"
"Outro"

In a new interview with Rock Feed, ALL THAT REMAINS vocalist Phil Labonte has confirmed that he and his bandmates are putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to 2018's "Victim Of The New Disease" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm real determined to get music out — I want it to be out by April. I want it to be out at the end of quarter one. So if I can get it out in the last week of March, first week of April, to have our first single from the record come out… We're pretty sure we selected it.

"Right now I'm sitting in one of the dressing rooms at Henson [Recording Studios] in Los Angeles. It's a historiful place [being the former headquarters for A&M Records and the location of A&M Recording Studios]. I mean, Charlie Chaplin's lot is here. Studio A, they did 'We Are The World' in. They mixed [METALLICA's] Black Record here. They mixed [Dr. Dre's] 'The Chronic' here. So I'm in this awesome place with all this history.

"This is our second trip here doing drums," he continued. "We did four songs the first trip and that was in June [of 2023]. And now we're doing four more, and then we've got another session booked in March to finish up the drums. And that should be the last of actual tracking. Everything should be done. We might have some odds and ends, like maybe some solo stuff and noodley stuff. But we should be done tracking by the middle of March, and that would mean the release of the first song end of March, beginning of April would be no problem. Then we'll have the record probably out in June. We're looking at a tour in May into June, because we've got some festivals that we lined up, and we're putting some other stuff together. So we're gonna be busy this year. We're gonna do some touring. We're gonna have new music."

Regarding why it has taken six years for ALL THAT REMAINS to complete a new album, Phil said: "It has been a long time coming because — well, I mean a million reasons: because of COVID, because we had some legal actions with our label. We're no longer on a label. We're self-releasing it. So we're self-financing. We're gonna own it, which is a huge milestone. We had a great agreement with our label. We were supposed to have another record, but they let us go and they let us venture out on our own, which was awesome. I've got tons of love for Fearless and Concord Music Group and stuff, 'cause they let us do our thing. So that's awesome. And we're gonna get it out as soon as we can. We don't want to rush it."

Labonte added: "We started the sessions [for the new album] — really, the first time that I got together with Josh Wilbur, who's producing it. Josh Wilbur, you guys know him from TRIVIUM, from LAMB OF GOD, from a ton of [other bands]. He's worked with us [before]. He did [2015's] 'The Order Of Things', he produced that one, he mixed 'Victim Of The New Disease', so we've got a lot of history with him. But he's here [in Los Angeles], and we started with him — I think it was 2021, is actually when we started with him. He came out the first time and started working on some riffs and some ideas. And then we got our first like real song together in February of last year, where I got with Josh and wrote lyrics for a song. It was actually a song that Jason [Richardson, ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist] wrote the whole thing and kind of gave it to us. And so that's gonna be — that'll probably be the first one. I'm not gonna give out the name yet. But it's gonna be a great debut for Jason Richardson."

Speaking about the addition of Richardson, who replaced late ALL THAT REMAINS guitarist Oli Herbert more than five years ago, Phil said: "He's super creative, so it's a ton of fun. And this being his debut with us, we wanted it to be right. Not only is it the first record that we've put out without Oli Herbert, which took us a long time to kind of get used to the idea and figure out what that means and what it looks like and all kinds of things that had to happen since Oli passed away. But this being the first record that comes out with Jason, we want it to be right. There's not gonna be any half-assed [songs] on this at all. There's not any deep cuts — nothing at all. Right now we're eight songs in and there's zero deep cuts. Every single song that we've got, if someone else was, like, 'Oh, let's put this one out as the first single,' it'd be fine. That would work as a first single. And that's a big, big deal. Usually you'll hear three or four songs or five and you're, like, 'Yeah, we've got some killer songs on this record. We've got six great songs.' And there's 10 or 11 songs on the record and you're, like, 'Yeah, these other ones are cool, but we didn't have the time to do with them what we wanted. They didn't quite come out the way we want, and the record label wants to have this many songs on the record, so we don't have time to…' blah, blah, blah. 'We've got a deadline.' So you end up making compromises, and because we're doing it ourselves, putting it out ourselves and we've got a career and we're super fortunate that people still listen to our music and we've still got people out there that support us, so we can take the time to deliver the record that the fans deserve."

Last July, longtime ALL THAT REMAINS drummer Jason Costa announced his departure from the group, citing "deeply personal" reasons that "have nothing to do with any drama or anything within the band."

Jason was the featured drummer on the last six ALL THAT REMAINS albums: "Overcome" (2008),"For We Are Many" (2010),"A War You Cannot Win" (2012),"The Order Of Things" (2015),"Madness" (2017) and "Victim Of The New Disease" (2018). He is notable for being one of the few heavy metal drummers to play solely with the "traditional grip."

Back in March 2022, Costa left ALL THAT REMAINS' U.S. tour in order to "deal with some personal matters." He was temporarily replaced by Anthony Barone, who had previously played with BENEATH THE MASSACRE and SHADOW OF INTENT.

Earlier last year, ALL THAT REMAINS's breakthrough album "The Fall Of Ideals", was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.

In 2022, ALL THAT REMAINS embarked on "The Fall Of Ideals" 15th-anniversary tour.

"The Fall Of Ideals" was reissued in November 2021. The best-selling title features such fan favorites as "This Calling", "Six" and "The Air That I Breathe".

Oli was found dead on October 16, 2018 at the edge of the pond on his Stafford Springs, Connecticut property. He was reported missing by his wife about 3 p.m., and his body was found by police face down at the edge of the pond where the water was only a few inches deep. The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy showing that Oli had three prescription drugs in his system — the antipsychotic olanzapine, the antidepressant citalopram, and Ambien. It also said: "Mr. Herbert's past medical history is reportedly significant for marijuana use."

Warkings have revealed a new lyric video for their track, “The Rite”, from their top 10 charting latest album, Morgana (2022).


Having previously toured with the likes of PowerWolf and Feuerschwanz, as well as performing at many important rock and metal festivals like this year’s 70000 Tons of Metal cruise in the US, the warriors are currently gearing up for their very first European headline tour. The fast-selling For King and Crown Tour 2024 kicks off in Vienna next month, and label mates Hammer King, Victorius and Dragony, as well as Winterstorm, will provide support. This potent lineup will wage battle across Austria, Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands.  


Check out the lyric video for “The Rite” below and make sure to get your tickets for the upcoming tour before it’s too late – the first dates are already selling out.







Get your tickets for Warking's European tour here.





For King and Crown Tour 2024:


March
1 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
2 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
7 - Stuttgart, Germany - Im Wizemann
8 - Prague, Czech Republic - Storm
9 - Warsaw, Poland - Hydrozagadka
22 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
23 - Berlin, Germany - Lido


April
4 - Saarbrücken, Germany -  Garage
5 - Paris, France - Petit Bain
6 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos Saal
12 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
13 - Wörgl, Austria - Komma
14 - Nuremberg, Germany - Hirsch
18 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
19 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
26 - Essen, Germany - Turock
27 - Helmond, Netherlands - Cacaofabriek
28 - Harlem, Netherlands - Patronaat


Warkings are:


Tribune - War Chant
Crusader - Steelwing
Spartan - War Drums
Viking - Battle Axe
Morgana le Fay - Unholy Evocations


(Photo - Matthias Schwaighofer / Schwaighofer-Art)

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, have served up another Sunday Lunch performing Toyah's song, "Dance In The Hurricane". Check it out below. 





Fripp and Wilcox performed at the Isle Of Wight Festival 2023 on June 18th, 2023. Toyah has shared pro-shot video of their full band performance of the Lenny Kravitz hit, "Are You Gona Go My Way". Check it out below.

In a new interview with the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix spoke about the band's touring and recording plans for the rest of 2024. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now, early in the year, we've been working on a bunch of new music. And so we're essentially pulling the slingshot back. 2025 is gonna be a big year for PAPA ROACH. It's the 25th anniversary of our first album 'Infest'. We've got a book, we've got tours, we've got the whole nine. And we've got a whole new batch of music that we're going to drop. And so new music will be probably coming, like, later in the year — third or fourth quarter."

He added: "It's good to get a little calm before the storm, and so I'm taking this year and just creating tons of music, writing for PAPA ROACH, writing with other artists and really just being as creative as possible."

Last month, PAPA ROACH shared a brand new live version of their hit single "Scars" featuring a guest appearance by Chris Daughtry.

"Scars Featuring Chris Daughtry (Live)" is not only a fresh take on one of the band's biggest hits, but it also serves as the latest release on the band's latest EP, "Leave A Light (Talk Away The Dark)". The track saw its debut performed live preceded by an emotional PSA delivered by Shaddix, who pledged a donation to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention (AFSP) on behalf of each city's attendees, culminating in a $155,000 donation presented in Denver, Colorado. Three months later the song sat in the top 10 at Rock radio, becoming the band's 26th song to reach that plateau.

Last year, PAPA ROACH was so impacted by the emotive response each night of the "Revolutions Live" tour and the work done by the AFSP that they have since officially re-named the song "Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark)" after the organization's "Talk Away The Dark" campaign, and pledged a perpetual royalty from the song's use, to be donated directly to the AFSP to continue their mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide long after the "Revolutions Live" tour concluded.

"Scars Featuring Chris Daughtry (Live)" royalties will also be donated to the AFSP in support of their "Talk Away The Dark" campaign. This impactful initiative teaches you the warning signs for suicide, and how to have a conversation that could save a life — whether it's someone else's or your own. Help is available — talking is the first step to preventing suicide.

PAPA ROACH are two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling leaders in alternative hard rock music who in 2020 celebrated the 20th anniversary of their iconic album "Infest". PAPA ROACH are not unfamiliar with calling attention to mental health, and have been doing so since day 1 with the iconic release of "Last Resort". Since then, the band has gone on to create 10 studio albums, along their most recent "Ego Trip" on their own label New Noize Records. "Ego Trip" has garnered over 260 million global streams to date, and has produced three No. 1 singles, bringing the band's total to 26 career Top 10 hits and 11 career No. 1s. 23 years into their career, the band continues to have global success.

Former SLAYER guitar tech Warren Lee has shared the first photo of Kerry King's new solo band.

King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", will be released on May 17. All material for the LP was written by the guitarist, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

Earlier today, Lee took to his social media to share a couple of photos from the Henson sessions and he wrote in an accompanying message: "I can finally talk about this…..

"I retired from touring in 2019 went on to get settled into a life in one place, home. Last March, I got an unexpected call from the homie himself. He needed me in LA since his usual tech, Anders was busy doing another tour. A few weeks later I was on a flight out to Los Angeles and headed to the locker to dust off the gear and get it up to speed to use for the recording. We spent 2 weeks at Henson Studios and this shit came out amazing.

"Very proud to have been a part of this. Once again, thank you to @kerrykingmusic for always believing in me and letting me be a part of some really cool shit.

"Today you get to hear the first single 'Idle Hands'. Today is also my best friend and Kerry's old tech @buttscrump birthday. What a coincidence. Happy birthday homie. We miss you.

"Congrats and good luck to the homies. Go give this song a listen!!!"

King told Rolling Stone of the LP's first single: "'Idle Hands' are what I've been doing the last four years. That and 'From Hell I Rise' have been my frame of mind in the last four and a half years."

As for the decision to call the band KERRY KING, the guitarist explained: "It was going to be KING'S REIGN for a long time, which is really cool. But even with that one, I went to the guys, like, 'I'm not a vain dude. I don't want my name to be a part of it.' We talked about BLOOD REIGN for a while, but it didn't work. Every time I came up with anything remotely cool, it was taken by some obscure band in Eastern Europe. It became KERRY KING because I love that logo."

King said the album is about "various religious topics, some war entries, heavy stuff, punky stuff, doomy stuff, and spooky stuff, with Herculean speeds achieved," adding, "If you've ever liked any SLAYER throughout any part of our history, there's something on this record that you'll get into, be it classic punk, fast punk, thrash, or just plain heavy metal."

King added there's more to come, too. "Even with a record in the can, I've still got so many songs that need to be finished," he said. "This is what I know how to do…number one being music, number two being metal. It's been a part of my life for 40 years, and I'm nowhere near being done."

Photo credit: Andrew Stuart

I can finally talk about this…..
I retired from touring in 2019 went on to get settled into a life in one place, home. ...

Posted by Warren Lee on Monday, February 5, 2024

In a new interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ spoke about the making of the band's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…" Written and recorded over the span of four years, it was produced by Joe Barresi and AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. The album is a journey through an existential crisis; a very personal exploration into the meaning, purpose and value of human existence with the anxiety of death always looming.

"Yeah, I guess it was a little different this time," Johnny said about the "Life Is But A Dream…" writing and recording process. "Yeah, we got off the road in 2018. We had to cancel a tour that we had lined up with PROPHETS OF RAGE. Unfortunately, Matt [Sanders, a.k.a. AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows] had messed up his vocal cords from the long, grueling cycle that we did for [2016's] 'The Stage' [album]. And by the end of it, we were just exhausted. So we took a couple of months off — some recovery time — and then got to writing pretty much right away at the beginning of 2019. So we've been demoing and working on these songs since then, and it just got released last year. So it was four years in the making of that stuff before anyone got to hear what we had been doing."

He continued: "Yeah, we approached it very differently. We wanted to do some different sounds and challenge ourselves creatively to trim out the fat and still keep it exciting throughout. Yeah, going in and recording, obviously by the time it was time to do that, we had time set up in studios and everything like that, and the whole world shut down, as everybody knows. And that gave it some more challenges to complete the record in the time that we wanted to. And each time it got pushed back, actually, we looked at it with a silver lining to it, and it elongated the time for us to work on the music and to work on it sonically and make sure the album as a whole flowed and did what we wanted it to do. And then we put it out and it was up the listeners to decide if we did a good job or not."

Christ also elaborated on his previous comment that he and his AVENGED SEVENFOLD bandmates want "Life Is But A Dream…"" to be a full experience as an album". He said: "Yeah, well, I think that comes from this record, just like all of our records — it's not unique in this sense — but we definitely take the time to figure out what perspective we have on life and where our muse is based on where we are. We're all new-ish parents with families, all of us now. We're getting into our early 40s. It's not the same thing as when we were 18 years old to start this whole thing out. So you get a different perspective 20-plus years later. And it's fun to tap into that and use it as a muse. And when you do that and you find stuff that's real in life and can touch everyday people and every person out there, and because it is very human, the perspective and the topics that we have on this record, that you're gonna get people who are probably of the same age, possibly, with the same life goals, just trying to make it and grow their tribe and do the good things. And I think that's why we've gotten that feedback from guys like yourself, and some others and ladies and everybody. I feel like there's something to grab on to on this record that definitely is very human and very common for many of us living on this planet."

This past December, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Synyster Gates told Metal Hammer magazine about the fan response to "Life Is But A Dream…": "I think with an album like this, time is on its side. I've been using this analogy: both of my parents' favorite band is THE BEATLES. My mom hates everything post-'Sgt. Pepper's', my dad couldn't care less about the early stuff. They both still respect the fuck out of it, but it's not for them. So, for my mom, 'Sgt. Pepper's' was the death of THE BEATLES, and I think for a lot of people, this is the death of AVENGED SEVENFOLD. But for a lot of other people, it's a birth. The birth of a different band."

Asked whether he's read any of the more comments about the album online, Synyster said: "Funnily enough, I thought it could go either way. We've actually had really amazing support from the press, so I don't want to make people think that we feel like we aren't supported by the press at all. I actually feel it's good that it just hasn't been ignored. Even the bad reviews, people have talked about it. People are still interested in us, so that's all I could ask for, really. The negative comments, I feel they're the minority. I think people have been really thoughtful in considering this album."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows discussed the reactions to "Life Is But A Dream…" last June during an appearance on the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray.

"With our new record right now, all you see are 10-out-of-10 reviews and zero-out-of-10 reviews," M. Shadows said. "But it's the best way to be because the people that hate it absolutely hate it. It's one of those things where, in 2023, having a zero out of 10 is actually better than anything you could ask for, because people are talking, and it's a weird society we live in at this point."

"All artists can do is be a reflection of themselves at any point in time," he continued. "There's nothing worse than when people are trying to put you in a box and want you to write the same music you wrote when you were in high school or 20 years old. Those were reflections of who we were back then; we were aggressive, young kids that were just kind of all over the place making a certain type of music. And every record kind of changed. But this one in particular — much more musical in terms of not having to have one foot fully in metal. It's got so many different eclectic influences that we've had our whole life that we never really were able to kind of quantify. Like if you think about THE RESIDENTS or MR. BUNGLE, all these different things that we were growing up listening to. And I think is just where we're at right now. It's a different type of record. The philosophy, all of it, is different, and so it's not gonna appeal to people that want the same thing or more of the same or they're there in their life right now. It doesn't mean they're not gonna get here. Maybe they're just not here right now. Maybe it's our job to put our arm around them and say, 'Hey, we're up the street at this bar. And let's hang out here. This is what we're doing now.'

"There are so many psychological things that go into if people like records or not or if they don't or what they're listening to at the time. And it's not really our job to figure that out; it's just our job to put something out that we totally back and we appreciate. And we'll see where it goes. It's hard to really talk about it, 'cause there's really no right or wrong answer. It's okay to hate this record."

The 42-year-old Shadows went on to cite a few other examples where certain records represented a departure from the sound and direction that fans expected their favorite artists to go.

"There's a few records I think of, for my era and my age, when they came out. One is 'Pinkerton' by WEEZER," he said. "They blew up with the 'Blue' album, and then they put out 'Pinkerton', which is why one of my favorite records of all time — it's dirty, it's lyrically uncomfortable, it's all these things. That's one. And then 'Disco Volante' is one from MR. BUNGLE. MR. BUNGLE was already weird with the self-titled [album], but 'Disco Volante' was just, like… Mike Patton is not even singing; he's just making noises the whole time. It's like them messing around with keyboards. It blows my mind. 'Yeezus' is one for me with Kanye [West]. He put out pretty much a heavy metal record. Everyone in hip-hop hated it, and now it's one of his essential records. But there's always those things that kind of stand outside the box and outside the norm and they ruffle feathers and people have knee-jerk reactions. And I think this is definitely one of those. But you've gotta make sure that it's backed up with musicality. It's gotta be backed up with some depth. It can't just be weird for weird's sake. And I think that's a lot of people's go-to on this: 'I hate it because they're just trying to be weird.' It's, like, no, actually, we're not. 'They're trying to be prog.' It's, like, prog is the last thing on our minds. We don't care about that. All we care about it writing shit that feels cool.

"People overthink it and they try to even put these things in boxes," Shadows added. "And I think prog has even become its own box, which sucks, 'cause prog should be so many different directions. Why does prog have rules? The world is funny. People like to put things in a box so they can kind of discuss it better, I guess. But this record is kind of boxless, I guess."

M. Shadows previously discussed AVENGED SEVENFOLD's songwriting approach on "Life Is But A Dream…" earlier in June 2023 in an interview with Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio. At the time, he said: "We were just looking for really bold moments — in life, in art, in film. Things that we could sort of wrap our minds around an audio representation of how we were feeling about certain things.

"At this point, playing around with melody, playing around with tones, playing around with left turns, curveballs was really appealing to us.

"I think we've proven to everyone, whether they like the band or not, that we kind of know the rules of music, and this record, we were able to just go break all the rules," he continued.

"Mike Shinoda [of LINKIN PARK] put it to me really perfectly — I love his insight on a lot of things — and he said, 'This record is like you guys throwing paint at the wall, but if a fourth-grader was doing it, you'd say that's just paint on the wall. But because of everything you've done before, we all know you know how to make a beautiful painting, so this record is actually really special because it's not just paint on the wall. You guys have broken all the rules and done things in an abstract way. But we wanna listen and pay attention because we know what you guys have done before.' And I thought it was an interesting way of putting it, 'cause those [LINKIN PARK] guys — Dave ['Phoenix' Farrell] and Mike — have been big fans of this record. And I think that was a cool way of putting it."

M. Shadows added: "We kind of just really wanted to push the boundaries — the musical boundaries, the lyrical boundaries, the themes — and we didn't want anything on the record to sound generic or phoned in or not exciting. We wanted to redo everything we've ever done, where even the song lengths and the way we kind of put these little pieces of ear candy, but we get away from it quick. Or staying away from three choruses, or if there is three choruses, they're all vastly different. And really thinking about turning the traditional landscape of how you would normally put a song together on its head, but do it in an interesting way — not just to do it, but just to do it in a way that we think people will enjoy and give them sort of a reason to get to the end of songs or get to the next song on the record. And I think that was just a mindset this time, was just a little different — really looking at those things."

"Life Is But A Dream…" sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart. AVENGED SEVENFOLD's previous LP, "The Stage", debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2016. The surprise release of "The Stage" earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, less than half the tally of its previous two efforts.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19, 2023 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The band's setlist included three songs from "Life Is But A Dream…": "Game Over", "We Love You" and "Nobody".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lord Of The Lost have unveiled an official music video for their song, “The Future Of A Past Life”, featuring Marcus Bischoff from German metalcore legends Heaven Shall Burn. The video features Bischoff performing alongside Lord Of The Lost, and closes the highly successful and eventful Blood & Glitter era with a bang. The contrast between the Heaven Shall Burn singer's growls and Chris Harms' clean vocals runs through the song and is impressively staged in the high-quality performance video.


Last weekend, Lord Of The Lost performed on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise in the US, and this autumn, they will return to the US and Canada for their first tour there in over a decade. Until then, the band will keep busy with a packed summer of festivals and their fast-selling “15 Years of Lord Of The Lost” European tour, starting in Nuremberg next month.


Watch the video for “The Future Of A Past Life” (feat. Marcus Bischoff) below:







The re-release of Lord Of The Lost's cherished album, Swan Songs, is now available for pre-order here and will officially be released on February 16. This momentous edition marks the first time Swan Songs is presented on vinyl, offering fans a unique immersion into the band's acclaimed work.


Originally a standout in Lord Of The Lost's versatile discography, Swan Songs showcases a symphonic and orchestral interpretation of their iconic gothic, metal, and rock fusion. The 10th Anniversary Edition of Swan Songs is a testament to the band's musical versatility, featuring reimagined versions of their songs. These songs, now set against a backdrop of classical and symphonic arrangements, including strings and piano, offer a new emotive depth to their already powerful music. The limited 3LP edition is an essential collector's item, reflecting the band's dedication to their art and their fans.


Swan Songs 10th Anniversary Edition is available in two formats: a 2CD edition and a 3LP black vinyl edition. Both offer a rich auditory experience, with the vinyl edition being a unique and valuable addition to any fan's collection.


Since its inception in 2007 by Chris Harms in Hamburg, Germany, Lord Of The Lost has captivated audiences with their theatrical performances and profound, story-rich lyrics. This re-release is not just a nod to their past but a celebration of their evolutionary journey in music.





Vinyl tracklist:


Side A
"Six Feet Underground"
"Dry The Rain"
"Beyond Beautiful"


Side B
"See You Soon"
"Go To Hell"
"Antagony"


Side C
"Love In A Time Of War"
"October 29"
"Prison"


Side D
"Till Death Us Do Part"
"Afterlife"
"Sober"
"Credo"


Side E
"Porcelain"
"Lost In A Heartbeat"
"Annabel Lee"
"So Good It Hurts"


Side F
"This Life Divided"
"The Sands Of Time"
"If Johnny Cash Was Here"
"Somewhere"





Following the announcement of their first US shows in over 10 years, Lord Of The Lost now announce a full North American tour for fall 2024. The German dark rock unit are set to play a total of 11 shows across the US and Canada, starting in Baltimore, MD on September 13 and finishing in San Francisco, CA on September 28.


Lord Of The Lost will be warming up their North American fans next week, with a performance at 70000 Tons Of Metal, the world's biggest heavy metal cruise, in Miami, FL. Once back in Europe, the band will head out on their already partially sold-out “15 Years of Lord Of The Lost” tour in March, followed by a yet another busy festival summer at several big rock and metal festivals. Set your alarms now as tickets for Lord Of The Lost’s US and Canada tour dates go on sale this Friday, January 26.


Lord Of The Lost state: “After 10 long years of waiting, we are finally heading back to the United States! It has taken too long – not just for us, but for many, many fans. We are overjoyed that the long wait is finally over, and we are finally returning. A little taste of what’s to come is our participation in the 70000 Tons Of Metal, which starts in Miami. So, at least briefly, we will set foot on US soil. In the fall of 2024, we will finally return for headline shows then!”


Tickets are available here.





US / Canada dates:


September (Venues TBA):
13 - Baltimore, MD
14 - New York City / Irving Plaza
15 - Boston, MA
17 - Montreal, QC
18 - Toronto, ON
20 - Cleveland, OH
22 - Minneapolis, MN
24 - Denver, CO
26 - Phoenix, AZ
27 - Los Angeles, CA
28 - San Francisco, CA


(Photo - Lennart Schmitt)

International melodic death metal project Act Of Denial is back with a new mesmerizing tune, "Unbury The Hatchet". The song brings you back to early 2000 with some old school Gothenburg vibes, and features Eugene Ryabchenko of Fleshgod Apocalypse on drums.


"Unbury The Hatchet" is available only via Bandcamp and can be streamed via the player below.


Unbury The Hatchet by Act Of Denial




Luger: "Act Of Denial is not a band; it is a project, and to continue this project we will need your support. We are doing everything again from the scratch and there is thug world out there with all the expenses, not to mention lack of time. Supporting this project, we will provide best music we can doing what we love and that is melodic death metal from old days.


As far from our side we can do this forever. We will have some new and some old guests and new names on our new songs all top G's from metal and rock world.


We considered doing crowdfunding campaign, but living in our country (Croatia) we have restrictions using GoFundMe, Indiegogo or Kickstarter. If you have any idea how to pull this off, let us know or know some reliable platform lets make this happen. Don't hesitate to leave us a comment about anything we will listen all.


Stay tuned, stay healthy and beautiful."


"Unbury The Hatchet" line-up:


Voi Cox (Koziak, Victim) - lead guitar, programming
Luger (Koziak, Benighted-Cro) - rhythm guitar
Bjorn Speed Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra) - vocals, backing vocals
Steve Di Giorgio (Testament) - fretless bass
Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse) - drums
John Lönnmyr (The Night Flight Orchestra) - keyboards

Dutch metal sensation Beyond God recently signed a deal with Wormholedeath for their latest album, The Great Divide, which was released on December 8th, 2023. 


They have released an official live video for "Cronos", the first track on the The Great Divide. Check it out below.







Since the release of their debut album, A Moment Of Black, in 2016, they embarked on a triumphant international tour, amassing an ever-growing global fan base. Their evolution continued with the release of Dying To Feel Alive in 2017, featuring aggressive riffs and a dynamic rhythm section, all while retaining their signature dark orchestral atmosphere and melodic vocal lines. A special acoustic album in 2019 reflected on their musical journey thus far. Now, they stand on the precipice of their third full-length metal album, promising an even more profound symphonic metal experience.


The Great Divide is an odyssey through the human psyche, a musical voyage that delves into the intricacies of time, love, memory, and existence. Each track intertwines with the next, creating a tapestry of themes that range from the captivating tales of Greek mythology in "Cronos" to the heart-wrenching aftermath of lost love in "After Love Ends."


Musically, The Great Divide embraces the darker, weightier realms of metal with fierce guitar riffs, thundering drums, and ethereal orchestral arrangements. Yet, it's Meryl Foreman's entrancing vocals that breathe life into these songs, evoking profound emotions in every note.


From the thought-provoking "The Great Divide" and "Coronation" addressing contemporary sociopolitical issues, to the deeply personal "A Siren's Cry" and "Aphantasia", exploring the depths of love, loss, and the human psyche, this album is a symphonic masterpiece. Beyond God offers a fresh take on the genre, revealing their formidable musical prowess and their power to convey compelling narratives.





Tracklist:


"Cronos"
"Frostbite"
"Coronation"
"Heartbreaker"
"The Great Divide"
"A Siren's Cry"
"Pierced"
"The Elder Tree"
"Aphantasia"
"After Love Ends"


"Frostbite"





"Aphantasia"





"A Siren's Cry"





Beyond God is:


Meryl Foreman – Vocals
Ferry Guns – Drums & Orchestration
Dennis Winkel – Bass
Mariusz Krawitowski – Guitars

In a new interview with Australia's Metal Roos, Hansi Kürsch of German metallers BLIND GUARDIAN was asked if he thinks there will be "a shorter turnaround time" for the band's next studio album, considering that 2022's "The God Machine" was the first regular studio LP from BLIND GUARDIAN in seven years. The singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm pretty sure it's going to be…. I'm not sure how it will look like exactly. We did the re-recordings for 'Somewhere Far Beyond' for the anniversary album, and we did the live recordings in 2022, so this is something certainly to come up very soon. But we're talking about new material. That is still on hold then, because after that we do some acoustic playings, which we also worked on because we had to kill some time. And then, yeah, after Wacken [Open Air] and after these shows we're going to play within this year, we keep our focus on regular songwriting. And I don't know — I would be very surprised to find out that there's no new BLIND GUARDIAN album before '27, which is an accomplishment already, but I'm hoping for either late '25 or '26."

Asked how he and his BLIND GUARDIAN bandmates keep their songwriting fresh after all this time, Hansi said: "You gain a bit of expertise over the years. This is helpful. And then in addition, it's a passion on one hand, it's a profession on the other hand, which makes it a bit easier. And the excitement is still there. I believe maybe that's the central point in BLIND GUARDIAN. Everyone is feeling completely relieved because we have accomplished so much. But everyone is also focused because we build up a market in [a country like] Australia and we still see a development into the right direction. So that's encouragement, motivation, and we have plenty of that. What I have to say is I don't see the moment where we are running out of ideas."

BLIND GUARDIAN's "The God Machine" North American 2024 tour will commence on April 18 at The Fillmore in Silver Springs, Maryland and will make its way to Dallas, Seattle, and Toronto before the final performance at Milwaukee Metalfest on May 17. Joining the band as support is NIGHT DEMON.

"The God Machine" was released in September 2022 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD was designed by Peter Mohrbacher.

Prior to "The God Machine"'s arrival, BLIND GUARDIAN's latest release was the all-orchestral album "Twilight Orchestra: Legacy Of The Dark Lands", which came out in November 2019 via Nuclear Blast. To create the concept, lead guitarist André Olbrich and Kürsch worked alongside German bestselling author Markus Heitz, whose novel "Die Dunklen Lande" was released in March 2019. The book is set in 1629 and contains the prequel to "Legacy Of The Dark Lands".

BLIND GUARDIAN's previous "regular" studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", was issued in 2015. It was the band's first LP since 2010's "At The Edge Of Time", marking the longest gap between two studio albums in BLIND GUARDIAN's career. It was also the group's first album without bassist Oliver Holzwarth since 1995's "Imaginations From The Other Side".

BLIND GUARDIAN's core trio consists of Kürsch, lead guitarist André Olbrich and rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen. Drummer Frederik Ehmke has been with the group since 2005.

Drummer Thomen Stauch played on BLIND GUARDIAN's first seven albums before being replaced by Ehmke. Frederik made his recording debut with BLIND GUARDIAN on 2006's "A Twist In The Myth".

ART OF ANARCHY has released the official music video for a new song called "Die Hard". The band's most epic song to date, clocking in at over 7:30 minutes long, it features heavy guitar riffs, slaying double bass and soaring choruses. The clip takes you on a cinematic journey in a futuristic sci-fi fantasy world, where everyone has a Joker card in their hand to play.

The "Die Hard" video stars Charlie Gillespie (as "The Prince Of Anarchy"),Canadian actor and singer known for his role as Luke Patterson in the Netflix series "Julie And The Phantoms". For the clip, ART OF ANARCHY again teamed up with acclaimed director Dale "Rage" Resteghini (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, Corey Taylor, MUDVAYNE, TRIVIUM, PLUSH, FEAR FACTORY, ANTHRAX, CHILDREN OF BODOM),who previously worked with the band on the recently released "Vilified" video starring Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., along with "news narrations" by former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate. The video was filmed on a massive soundstage in New Jersey.

"Die Hard" and "Vilified" are both taken from ART OF ANARCHY's third studio album, "Let There Be Anarchy", which will be released on February 16 via Pavement Music.

Joining founding ART OF ANARCHY members Jon Votta (guitar),Vince Votta (drums) and guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES, SONS OF APOLLO) in the band's new lineup are vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY, SONS OF APOLLO) and bassist Tony Dickinson (SOTO, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

ART OF ANARCHY tour dates:

Mar. 22 - The Vault - Saginaw MI
Mar. 23 - Arcada Theater - St. Charles IL
Mar. 24 - Shank Hall - Milwaukee WI
Mar. 26 - The Music Factory - Battle Creek, MI
Mar. 27 - The Token Lounge - Westland MI
Mar. 29 - Lovedraft's - Mechanicsburg, PA
Mar. 30 - Debonair Music Hall - Teaneck NJ
Mar. 31 - Sellersville Theater - Sellersville PA

Gooding previously said: "'Vilified' is not a song, but a statement, a message, and a warning. It is a reflection of the many issues that are being brought to the forefront within our society. Mental illness, mass shootings, institutions, people being demonized without proper information or due process. 'Vilified' will no doubt be one of those culturally significant rock songs that will speak to generations to come. Because in the end, we must fight against the urge to vilify what we do not understand!"

"Let There Be Anarchy" track listing:

01. Die Hard
02. Echo Your Madness
03. Vilified
04. Bridge Of Tomorrow
05. Writing On The Wall
06. Rivals
07. Blind Man's Victory
08. Dying Days
09. The Good, The Bad, And The Insane
10. Disarray

Although STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman Scott Weiland sang on the first ART OF ANARCHY album, 2015's self-titled effort, he never performed live with the group and distanced himself from the project before his death from an overdose of drugs and alcohol in December 2015 while on the road.

In July 2015, Vice Inc., whose chief executive officer and principal executive officer are Jon and Vince Votta, sued Weiland, alleging that he refused to help promote ART OF ANARCHY's debut LP and take part in music videos after agreeing to write and perform the lyrics for 10 songs for the disc. According to The Blast, Vice said that it paid Weiland $230,000 upfront for his work.

In March 2017, ART OF ANARCHY issued its sophomore album, "The Madness", featuring Scott Stapp on vocals. Less than a year later, the founders of ART OF ANARCHY sued Stapp for allegedly refusing to tour with the band and participate in promotional photo and video shoots and publicity events. That $1.2-million lawsuit was filed in New York State Supreme Court by Vice, which claimed to have paid the CREED singer $200,000 for services to be rendered, which he allegedly asked to be treated as a loan, for tax purposes.

According to Jon and Vince Votta, Stapp only performed at 18 concerts with ART OF ANARCHY in 2017 and was unwilling to appear at a scheduled video shoot in October 2017 on the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the Hudson River in Manhattan.

Stapp's failure to live up to his contract led to the cancelation of the group's recording contract at the end of October 2017, the complaint alleged.