Nancy Wilson made a surprise appearance during Ann Wilson's concert last night (Tuesday, October 10) in Santa Rosa, California.

Nancy joined her sister and her backing band TRIPSITTER on stage at the Luther Burbank Center For The Arts in Nancy's hometown to perform the HEART classic "Barracuda".

Prior to launching into the final song of Ann's set, she told the crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have the answer to a question with us tonight. A very, very good friend — more than a friend… Let's bring her out. Come on."

This past June, Nancy revealed in an interview with Joe Rock of Long Island, New York's rock station 102.3 WBAB that she was working on fresh music with her sister and fellow HEART member Ann. The 69-year-old musician, who has spent sone of the recent months on tour with her new band NANCY WILSON'S HEART, broke the news of her latest collaboration with Ann while discussing some of her current recording projects, including "Tomboy", which involves covering songs written by her male friends.

"I think right now I've been working on 'Tomboy' the most because I love the title, for one thing; it's almost like 'boy genius' or something," she explained. "But I've got a bunch of new ideas for songs. But I've also been writing new music with Ann too. So it's a real creative time. I think being on the tour right now, when I get home, I'm gonna really dig into the other projects, including finishing some new material with Ann. So it's really a good time to be creative. And I've got a new studio in my house, and so I can't wait to sort of run tape on stuff."

Asked if there is anything that she feels is really exciting because she feels it's something that's so different from what she's done before, Nancy said: "Yeah. Some of the stuff I've been working on with Ann is like that. I've also worked a bit with Sue Ennis, who used to work a lot with me and Ann for HEART music. And so I have some lyrics mainly that I worked on with Sue and took to Ann. And there's a couple of things that I'm really excited about. Very cool. Like stuff that you wouldn't have heard us do in the '80s. [It's] closer to what you would have heard us originally do in the '70s, late '70s. So it's really fun. It's just exciting and inspiring."

Nancy went on to say that she is really pleased to be collaborating on new material with her sister. "It's been a really nice kind of rediscovery of our relationship, working on music together again," she said. "So, yeah, I'm really happy about that."

In July 2022, Ann told Grammy.com that she and her sister had plans for the band to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023. "Yes, we do," she said. "I'm not at liberty to say exactly what they are yet because it's such early days, but sure. It will be next year. And we're doing a thing. Definitely. We're still formulating it now."

Ann's comments came three months after she denied rumors of a rift with Nancy. In an interview in the 300th issue of Classic Rock, Ann said that she was "not" feuding with her younger sister. "It's a myth," she insisted. "Nancy and I are okay with each other. We just have different ideas for what HEART should be, and we haven’t figured out a compromise yet.

"Fifty years on, I still want it to break barriers and rules, and she's more satisfied to ride the L.A. imaging thing and just do legacy stuff," Ann explained. "So that's a real split between us. Things like this will happen, though, but then they'll get better, and we'll love each other more."

Relations between the two sisters were considered to be at an all-time low after a much-publicized incident when Ann's husband was arrested during a HEART tour in 2016. But in a recent interview with Rock Candy magazine to coincide with the release of her new solo album, "Fierce Bliss", Ann said: "Things happen in families. And that was a really good example of something that happened within a family, and we worked it out. But the part that made it hard was that it happened in the public eye. If it had happened privately, we'd have got the family in a room and sat down and worked it out between us. Instead, the police were called, and this myth was born that Nancy and I were feuding, and we were at each other's throats all the time. And it's really not like that at all."

A proposed HEART tour fell through last year after the two sisters failed to agree on which backing band to use. Ann wanted her guys, Nancy didn't. But Ann later said that another HEART album, which would be the band's first since 2016's "Beautiful Broken", was a definite possibility, especially considering the fact that 2023 marks HEART's 50th anniversary.

"It depends on the songs," she said in her Rock Candy interview. "The songs lead everything. And I'm writing songs again now. I don't know if they'll be for my solo thing or for HEART. But yes, I would like to make another HEART album."

Ann previously said that HEART would celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023 "because next year's the 50-year [anniversary] of when we actually got together and got going," she told Liz Barnes of Planet Rock's "My Planet Rocks". "Nancy didn't join until '75, but the band got going in '73. So, yeah, we have a bunch of stuff planned for next year. So I can definitely see HEART doing something."

In February 2022, Nancy spoke to Joe Rock about why HEART had been inactive for most of the previous three years.

"HEART had a big offer on the table [in 2021] for a bigger tour, but Ann wasn't interested in going out with my lineup of guys that we were out with before," she said. "She has a new lineup of guys that she wanted me to join up with. And I sort of [thought] I don't really know them and don't have loyalty yet for anybody like that."

HEART toured North America in the summer of 2019 after the aforementioned nasty split that kept the Wilson sisters estranged for three years.

Ann and Nancy had a falling out during HEART's 2016 tour, when Ann's husband Dean Welter was arrested for assaulting Nancy's then-16-year-old twin sons in a backstage altercation at a gig near their hometown of Seattle. He pleaded guilty to two lesser assault charges to avoid jail time.

After completing HEART's 2016 tour, Nancy formed a new band called ROADCASE ROYALE and released an album, "First Things First". ROADCASE ROYALE featured three members of HEART along with Liv Warfield from Prince's NEW POWER GENERATION band and her guitarist Ryan Wilson.

In Nancy's new band NANCY WILSON'S HEART, she is joined in the group by her longtime collaborators, guitarist Ryan Waters, drummer Ben Smith, bassist Andy Stoller and keyboardist Dan Walker, along with powerhouse singer Kimberly Nichole.

With Ann Wilson Photo by: Criss Cain

Posted by Nancy Wilson on Tuesday, October 10, 2023

TONIGHT! Don’t miss Ann Wilson, known the world over as a founder and the lead singer-songwriter of the barrier-breaking...

Posted by Luther Burbank Center for the Arts on Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Sharon Osbourne has weighed in on "Black Sabbath – The Ballet", calling it "so out there that it's wonderful."

The ballet soundtracked by the music of BLACK SABBATH had its official premiere on September 23 at the Hippodrome theatre in the heavy metal legends' original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Commissioned by Birmingham Royal Ballet's director Carlos Acosta and Ballet Now, the ballet includes eight specially reorchestrated BLACK SABBATH songs plus new music inspired by the legendary British heavy metal outfit.

In a newly released video from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ozzy Osbourne's wife and longtime manager says: "When I first heard that Birmingham Royal Ballet was putting on a ballet to BLACK SABBATH music, I just thought, this is so left field. It's so not expected. Who would have ever thought the combination? And I just thought, brilliant. This is just so out there that it's wonderful."

SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi, who had been present at some rehearsals, came up on stage at the end of the opening performance to play guitar on the band's classic song "Paranoid". Iommi also took a bow at the end of the night along with the cast and crew. Also in attendance at the event were Iommi's bandmate, SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler and Sharon Osbourne, along with LED ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant and ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA's Bev Bevan, who served as the touring drummer for BLACK SABBATH from 1983 to 1984 and played percussion on "The Eternal Idol" album in 1987.

On September 24, Iommi took to his social media to share a photo of his appearance at the previous night's show, and he included the following message: "Thanks to everyone who supported us at the Ballet, we had a great premiere last night. I'm honoured to be involved with these talented dancers." He added: "I'm afraid I won't be joining every performance."

This past April, Iommi was asked by Birmingham World if he could ever have imagined that half a century after he formed SABBATH that Birmingham's ballet company would be dancing to their music. Tony laughed and said: "I wouldn't have believed them, really, to be honest. At the time when I got involved with BLACK SABBATH, I thought it was great, because it was something so different, and hasn't been done before. And I found it, I think, a good challenge.

"I'm looking at our music differently now with this [the ballet], because it is being interpreted in a different way. It's still got the basic things, but then it did have in the different orchestral things coming in. And then I never thought for a minute we would have people dancing to BLACK SABBATH and 'War Pigs' and 'Iron Man'. But here we are, you know."

Regarding Birmingham Royal Ballet's interpretation of SABBATH's music, Tony said: "Birmingham Royal Ballet are very conscious of the work being what it is — the SABBATH music. We don't want to change it so you can’t recognize it. So they've held that part of it, but added another dimension to it. So I was very happy with that."

As for whether he thinks the Black Sabbath Ballet could inspire heavy metal fans to become ballet fans, and ballet fans to become heavy metal fans, Iommi said: "I certainly hope so. I mean, it is a strange combination, but you've got to push the boat out. And, you know, hopefully, we can get everybody together. But they're opposite but they're not at the same time — because it's still creative. They're creating what they're doing. We're creating what we've done, and we're bringing them together. And I think it'd be really interesting to see the SABBATH fans and then to see the ballet fans liking it, hopefully."

Artistic director Carlos Acosta revealed five months ago that 60 percent of tickets at that point had been bought by SABBATH fans. He said that "BLACK SABBATH is so different from the world of ballet, and I wanted to multiply our reach. I hate to be predictable; I hate for the company to be taken for granted. Everyone knows 'Swan Lake' and 'Cinderella' … [It's] a great opportunity for us to show people the world of dance."

Austin, who supervised the music for the project, said: "Unlike THE BEATLES where you can buy two enormous volumes of all their scores with all the instrumental parts, there's not so much for BLACK SABBATH.

"When I was asked to take part in this project I thought, where do you start? The BLACK SABBATH catalog is enormous, it's so rich and so varied. So the process initially was starting to narrow down the amount of material that we wanted to work with that would furnish us with variety, with richness, with different emotional tones, but also help us create this evening-length show."

Austin added: "What I love about BLACK SABBATH music is the glorious irregularity. All the aspects of music — the flexibility of tempo and feel. And the extraordinary early period Ozzy vocals which are stratospheric, it's exceeding Pavarotti in term of the high notes and ringing power."

The songs chosen are:

* "Paranoid" ("Paranoid" album, 1970);
* "Iron Man" ("Paranoid" album, 1970);
* "War Pigs" ("Paranoid" album, 1970);
* "Black Sabbath" ("Black Sabbath" album, 1970);
* "Solitude" (Master Of Reality" album, 1971);
* "Orchid" (Master Of Reality" album, 1971);
* "Laguna Sunrise" ("Vol 4" album, 1972) and
* "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" ("Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" album, 1973).

"Black Sabbath - The Ballet" ran through September 30.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's "Today" program, Acosta said he had been a fan of SABBATH for more than two decades, and said he felt the band's classic protest song "War Pigs" still has particular resonance.

"'War Pigs' is so relevant today, how sometimes politicians and governments hide behind words. And all the wars happening at the moment... it's timeless," he said.

PRONG celebrated the release of its thirteenth studio album, "State Of Emergency", last Friday (October 6) by playing a special set Record Stop in Patchogue, New York.

Earlier today (Tuesday, October 10),PRONG shared photos of the performance on Instagram and included the following message: "THANK YOU!

"Big shoutout to every that showed up at Record Stop last Friday and to every single one of you that has grabbed a copy of 'State of Emergency' or have listened via the different streaming platforms!

"'State of Emergency' reached #5 in Amazon Metal Best Sellers in the US and in Germany over the weekend!

"'State of Emergency' out now – Listen everywhere!"

"State Of Emergency" is available via Steamhammer/SPV.

PRONG frontman Tommy Victor outlined the stylistic direction of the eleven songs that make up "State Of Emergency": "It's a very PRONG record. I think it's totally genre-transcending and definitely ignores what's going on out there these days."

Commenting on his artistic approach, he said: "I like all kinds of music. This record totally reflects that because it covers lots of different angles. At the same time, 'State Of Emergency' is very guitar-oriented and a typical example of my style.'"

Produced by the skillful hands of legendary producer Steve Evetts (SEPULTURA, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN),"State Of Emergency" surprises on the post-punk track "Disconnected" and then grooves on the title track. Originally released as a standalone single in early 2023, "Breaking Point" takes no prisoners with honest lyrics and cutting attitude, while hard-hitting "The Descent" is a lightning quick, classic ripper.

"Back (NYC)" has Victor saying: "To me it's as if Jimmy Page wrote a song playing through Dimebag's amplifier, with Henry Rollins singing. Kind of a weird experiment, for sure!"

In a new interview with The Prog Report, Steven Wilson reflected on PORCUPINE TREE's return in late 2021 after more than a decade of inactivity and the release of a new album, "Closure / Continuation", which was followed by a worldwide tour. For the trek, PORCUPINE TREE recruited bassist Nate Navarro to replace classic member Colin Edwin, who didn't participate in the reunion.

"I really enjoyed it," Wilson stated about PORCUPINE TREE's comeback (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We really enjoyed it in a way that we probably never enjoyed it in the previous incarnation. I think there was a sense of it being, I wouldn't say without any sense of pressure, but there was a lot less pressure this time around. There was no pressure to try and make it into something it wasn't, because it was kind of a one-off thing."

He continued: "We had a great time touring together, and it was great to see so many people that probably never got the chance to see the band 15 years ago — a lot of young kids coming to the shows and whole families coming, dads bringing their sons and daughters to shows and stuff like that. And it was great to play that old music. It was great to play the newer music as well. It was great to be playing bigger venues than we ever played — certainly in Europe, we were playing arenas, which was amazing. It was great to give it — and this is, of course, assuming that it is a kind of ending, 'cause it may not be. I don't think we're ruling out another possible reunion somewhere in the future. But if this was the end, it felt like a much more pleasing way to end the story than I think had been left hanging in the air prior to that."

Last year, PORCUPINE TREE — Wilson, keyboardist Richard Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison — embarked on a wide-ranging world tour, the band's first since October 2010. The group was touring in support of its eleventh studio album, the aforementioned "Closure / Continuation", which came out in June 2022 via Music For Nations/Megaforce Records.

In June 2022, Wilson told Under The Radar that PORCUPINE TREE's most recent comeback is "not a reunion". He added: "I mean, firstly, we never broke up. And secondly, we've made a new record. For me, a reunion tour is when you get together having broken up and you basically go out and just play your greatest hits, for which is what THE POLICE did, for an audience that are basically nostalgic for what you used to be 30, 40 years before. We never broke up and we've been making this record for the last 10 years. In fact, pretty much since we were in the slipstream of the finishing of the previous tour. So is that a reunion? I don't think so. It's no different to TOOL coming back after 15 years with their next record. We've been quicker than that. [Laughs] We've been working on this record for a very long time in — this would be an understatement to say it — a fairly low-profile way, because nobody knew we were making the record at all. Everyone else assumed that the band didn't exist. I'd be the first to admit I added fuel to that because I would often tell people to forget PORCUPINE TREE and it's not coming back. Because I wanted people to focus on what I was doing at that given moment. But those were white lies because, actually, I knew we were working on this record and I knew eventually it would come out."

Asked if it's fair to say the "Closure / Continuation" album and tour is "probably a one-off", Wilson said: I suspect it will be the last time we'll tour. I think it's quite possible we might make another record. In fact, I was speaking with Richard about it. We were in Germany a couple of weeks ago doing promo in Berlin, and somebody asked me that question. I thought, Well, you know what? I think there's a way forward. A track like 'Walk The Plank' — which is one of the last tracks we did — which doesn't have any guitars on it at all, and kind of reflects the fact that I've moved more and more towards electronic music. I wondered about making a PORCUPINE TREE record where we just focused on keyboards, rather than guitars. It would have to be something different to justify doing it. But I suspect we probably wouldn't tour again. I think in my heart, I think this is probably the last round for sure."

One of the most forward-thinking, genre-defying rock bands of any era, PORCUPINE TREE was founded in 1987 by Wilson as an outlet for the experimental recordings he was making outside of his acclaimed post-rock duo NO-MAN. With the addition of Barbieri and Harrison, PORCUPINE TREE soon evolved into a proper band, releasing 10 studio albums between 1992 and 2009. Each new release saw PORCUPINE TREE exploring new musical ideas, their expansive music shifting from pastoral psychedelic rock and ambient electronic soundscapes to experimental pop and propulsive metal. Later releases like 2007's Grammy Award-nominated "Fear Of A Blank Planet" and 2009's "The Incident" — the band's biggest seller thus far, reaching the top 25 in both the U.S. and the U.K. — saw PORCUPINE TREE effortlessly melding distinctive genres to create a groundbreaking musical universe all their own.

As relentlessly creative on stage as they are in the studio, PORCUPINE TREE proved innovative live performers known for sonic innovation and inventive visual productions. In October 2010, the band entered a period of hiatus following a spectacular concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Diviner have released a video for their new single, "Mountains High", featured on their new album, Avaton, out November 10 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Find the video below.


Inspired songwriting and uncompromised heavy metal greatness with all the elements of a real classic. Powerful, melodic, epic, dark, spiritual, atmospheric, intense, aggressive, raw and diverse at the same time. Outstanding production, dynamic sound, exceptional lyrics, addictive riffs, wonderful melodies, catchy-anthemic choruses, jaw-dropping guitar work, stellar drumming and some of the greatest, majestic and passionate vocals.


Avaton is a timeless breath-taking journey from the cruel dystopic world, to our deepest dreams, our upper self, searching for the true secrets of life and beyond. Full of adventure, emotion and pure magic that will steal the heart of every lustful and devoted metal fan.




Avaton will be available as Jewel Case CD, Black vinyl housed in 3mm sleeve with printed innersleeve (LTD. 200), Silver vinyl housed in gatefold sleeve (LTD. 200), Transparent Orange Vinyl housed in gatefold sleeve (LTD. 200) copies worldwide and digital streaming/download format. Pre-order at roar.gr.


Cover by George Zacharoglou.





Tracklisting:


“Avaton”
“Mountains High”
“Dancing In The Fire”
“Cyberwar”
“Waste No Time”
“Nemesis”
“Hope Will Rise”
“Dominator”
“Hall Of The Brave”
“The Battle Of Marathon”
“Dead New World” (CD bonus track)


“Mountains High” video:





“Waste No Time” video:

Swedish AOR/melodic rockers, Care Of Night, have released a lyric video for the new single, "Tonight", featured on their third studio album, Reconnected, out on November 17 via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the clip below, and pre-order/pre-save Reconnected here.


Care Of Night aim to create classic ‘80s melodic rock, with their own modern touch. Strong hooks, big arrangements and a lot of feeling is the core of the band’s approach to their personal sound. They are known for having a slightly progressive feel in their songs, while never losing their melodic touch.


Formed in 2009, the band released an EP in 2013 consisting of four songs that made a great impact among AOR fans all over the world. Shortly afterwards, Care Of Night released their debut album, Connected, in 2015 via AOR Heaven. The record was greeted with awesome reviews and the band was compared to bands like Journey, FM, and Toto, and became a new appreciated star in the AOR sky. A triumphant performance at Rockingham 2015 cemented further their international popularity. Their second album, Love Equals War (2018), was also very well received by fans and critics, and got a warm welcome when it was released.




Care Of Night then went into some invigorating line-up changes and the band is now tighter and stronger than ever and the new album Reconnected is an absolute blast of melodies. A delightful listen from start to finish.





Tracklisting:


“Street Runner”
“Tonight”
“Caught Feelings”
“No One Saves The World Alone”
“Melanie”
“Half Of My Heart”
“Follow Through”
“Wrong”
“End Of A Chapter”
“Stay With Me”
“You’ve Been Right Here All Along”


“Tonight” lyric video:





“Street Runner” video:





Lineup:


Calle Schönberg - Vocals
Viktor Öström Berg - Guitar
Victor Berg - Keyboards
Niklas Svensson Nattfare - Bass Guitar
Linus Svensson - Drums

Last week, VAN HALEN released a new boxed set spotlighting the iconic band's second incarnation, with singer Sammy Hagar, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony. The set includes newly remastered versions of four multi-platinum studio albums, along with a selection of rarities recorded between 1989 and 2004.

"The Collection II" is now available on five LPs for $124.98 and five CDs for $49.98. All the music in the set was mastered directly from the original master tapes, a process overseen by the band's longtime engineer, Donn Landee.

An unboxing video for "The Collection II", featuring Hagar and Anthony, can be seen below.

The new set is the long-awaited sequel to "The Collection", a compilation released in 2015 that focused on the six studio albums recorded by the band's original lineup, which featured singer David Lee Roth. "The Collection II" picks up where its predecessor left off and covers the four consecutive No. 1 albums released during the Hagar era: "5150" (1986),"OU812" (1988),"For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" (1991) and "Balance" (1995).

The journey begins with "5150", VAN HALEN's seventh studio album and the band's first to claim the top spot on the Billboard 200. Certified platinum six times in the U.S., the record treated fans to hits like "Dreams", "Love Walks In" and "Why Can't This Be Love", which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group returned two years later with "OU812", a quadruple-platinum smash that delivered four Billboard Hot 100 hits, including "Finish What Ya Started" and "When It's Love".

The accolades continued with "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", which earned VAN HALEN its first Grammy Award for "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album". Debuting at No. 1 and staying there for three weeks, the album achieved triple-platinum certification. The record produced an incredible seven singles, including hits like "Poundcake", "Top Of The World" and "Right Now".

In 1993, the band released its first live album, "Live: Right Here, Right Now", before returning in 1995 with "Balance", its final studio album with Hagar. The album was another commercial triumph, debuting at No. 1, selling more than three million copies, and earning a Grammy nomination for "The Seventh Seal".

"The Collection II" concludes with "Studio Rarities 1989-2004", an exclusive compilation that assembles eight gems from the Hagar era for the first time. Among these rarities is "Crossing Over", the B-side to "Balance"'s "Can't Stop Lovin' You" and the band's only non-album B-side.

The compilation boasts other exceptional highlights, including the band's cover of LITTLE FEAT's "A Apolitical Blues" and the instrumental "Baluchitherium", which were originally left off the vinyl versions of "OU812" and "Balance", respectively. Additionally, the set features two songs the band contributed to the "Twister" soundtrack — "Humans Being" and the Grammy-nominated "Respect The Wind".

Rounding out the set are "It's About Time", "Up For Breakfast" and "Learning To See", which were recorded during the band's temporary reunion with Hagar in 2004. All three debuted that year on VAN HALEN's second greatest-hits collection, "The Best Of Both Worlds".

"The Collection II" 5-LP track listing

LP One: 5150

Side One

01. Good Enough
02. Why Can't This Be Love
03. Get Up
04. Dreams
05. Summer Nights

Side Two

01. Best Of Both Worlds
02. Love Walks In
03. 5150
04. Inside

LP Two: OU812

Side One

01. Mine All Mine
02. When It's Love
03. A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)
04. Cabo Wabo

Side Two

01. Source Of Infection
02. Feels So Good
03. Finish What Ya Started
04. Black And Blue
05. Sucker In A 3 Piece

LP Three: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

Side One

01. Poundcake
02. Judgement Day
03. Spanked
04. Runaround
05. Pleasure Dome

Side Two

01. In 'N' Out
02. Man On A Mission
03. The Dream Is Over
04. Right Now
05. 316
06. Top Of The World

LP Four: Balance

Side One

01. The Seventh Seal
02. Can't Stop Lovin' You
03. Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)
04. Amsterdam
05. Big Fat Money
06. Doin' Time

Side Two

01. Aftershock
02. Strung Out
03. Not Enough
04. Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)
05. Feelin'

LP Five: Studio Rarities 1989-2004

Side One

01. A Apolitical Blues
02. Crossing Over
03. Baluchitherium

Side Two

01. Humans Being
02. Respect The Wind
03. It's About Time
04. Up For Breakfast

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner has reflected on the life-saving surgery he underwent a little over two years ago.

On September 26, 2021, the now-43-year-old British-born musician suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival, just a short distance from Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health – Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. It took the hospital's cardiothoracic surgery team, led by Dr. Siddharth Pahwa and also including Drs. Brian Ganzel and Mark Slaughter, approximately 10 hours to complete the surgery, an aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement with hemiarch replacement.

In a new video released by UofL Health to coincide with the second anniversary of Faulkner's initial operation, Richie said about the Louder Than Life performance (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was halfway through the last song of the set, which fortunately was the last song of the set. I say luckily because if it was another 40 minutes to go, I would have carried on, because at the time, you know something is wrong [but] you don't know, obviously… there's no way I'm gonna know what that is. There was like an exploding in the chest area. And as the song went on, I started to feel a bit lightheaded. And I thought it was a heart attack. Anything around that kind of area, I'm thinking, 'Well, what else could it be?' And at the end of the song, I pick the guitar up with one hand, and I lift it up in the air. And this time I took the guitar off and I tried to lift it and I just couldn't. And they took me, obviously, to the hospital, which was fortunately three or four minutes away."

Faulkner didn't wait very long to return to the road with his PRIEST bandmates. "We went out, I think, five months, after it happened," he said. "I don't know if it was the right thing or the wrong thing to do in retrospect, but it was the right thing for my healing process. I wanted to get back on the guitar, get back out on the road."

Richie was also full of praise for his surgery team, saying: "They saved my life. They made it possible for me to come home and hold my daughter again and cut the lawn and play guitar and do all the normal things that I can do. So I'm forever grateful to them."

In September 2022, Faulkner revealed that he underwent a second heart surgery a month earlier. He later explained to "That Fuzzing Rock Show": "They found something just before the [2022] European leg [of JUDAS PRIEST's world tour]. And it was basically a hole in the repair and there was a leak — I'd basically sprung a leak in there — and it was causing a sack to form around my heart. So they found it just before the European leg. And the surgeon said it was okay for me to do Europe, [so] I was actually touring Europe, playing Europe with this sack and a leak inside there. What that meant was when I got back from Europe, two days later I was back in the hospital for another open-heart surgery… But yeah, it was a bit daunting, to be honest, to be touring Europe knowing that that was going on. But you've gotta put your trust in the doctors, and it worked out okay."

Two weeks after his first surgery, Faulkner told reporters that he experienced a sharp pain as he was stepping off the stage. "That's when it exploded," he said.

"The more I read about it, the more astonishing it is to me to think that I even made it to the hospital," he added. "The amount of time when I actually go the pain and when I turned up in the hospital and when we were actually operating, it was quite a lot of time. The more I read about it, the more unbelievable — that amount of time — I don't know how I'm still around today."

Pahwha told reporters that the chance of survival for anybody with Faulkner's ailment is about 10%.

"There are about 70% to 80% patients who have their aorta ruptured and never make it to the hospital," said Pahwa.

Aortic aneurysms are "balloon-like bulges in the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and torso," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Dissections happen when the "force of blood pumping can split the layers of the artery wall, allowing blood to leak in between them."

After Louder Than Life, JUDAS PRIEST postponed the remainder of the U.S. dates on its 50th-anniversary tour, dubbed "50 Heavy Metal Years". The shows were rescheduled for March and April 2022.

Faulkner joined PRIEST in 2011 as the replacement for original guitarist K.K. Downing.

Richie was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

The Haunted guitarist Ola Englund has checked in with the following annoumcement:


"The Chug Project: Volume 2 is coming!  New album will be released October 25th, 2023. Available in different bundles, t-shirts, vinyl, CDs etc."


The album is now available for pre-order here. Check out the tracks "Live In You" and "Bim Bam Boom" below.







Tracklist:


"Suck On My Face"
"Smocksaft"
"Montana Tana Salon"
"Anger Management"
"Deku Smash Hellmike" 
"Live in You"
"Danal Sex Jar"
"Cripper Nose Bleed"
"Headless Ape"
"Bim Bam Boom"


"Live In You"





"Bim Bam Boom"

In a new interview with the "Disturbing The Priest" podcast, legendary rock vocalist Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ALCATRAZZ, GRAHAM BONNET BAND) was asked if it's true that he was once approached by Tony Iommi about possibly joining BLACK SABBATH. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, he called me one day and I thought, 'I don't know about that.' I couldn't imagine me somehow in a band called BLACK SABBATH with the way I look. [Laughs] I don't look very BLACK SABBATH. I'd have to grow my hair really long and dye it dark black and grow a beard or something. I wasn't sure. And I wasn't sure about the music either, because I thought I wanted to do something that wasn't like BLACK SABBATH. I was so sort of anti-heavy in a way, because the way I write a song, the way my other friends who are guitar players, the way they wrote songs, it wasn't the typical so-called heavy metal, heavy rock, whatever you wanna call it, way."

Bonnet previously reflected on his discussions with the SABBATH camp in a 2018 interview with The Metal Voice. At the time, he said: " I can't remember the actual year — 1980-something. And I had a call from one of the guys from BLACK SABBATH — I can't remember whom — asking me if I'd be interested in joining because I'd just left RAINBOW. And it was something I wasn't really sure of. I thought, 'Well, maybe not.' I wasn't quite sure of the music. I wasn't sure if I would really fit with my short hair and all the rest of it. Because I wanted to do something different on my own than to be in another band as another — here comes the other singer, another one after; you know, the revolving-door thing. I wanted to start something on my own, which is my own band, so I turned it down."

Asked in a February 2023 interview with Classic Album Review why he turned down the SABBATH audition, Bonnet said: "I didn't think I was right. I mean, do I look like a BLACK SABBATH guy? … BLACK SABBATH had the hair and the mustaches. I didn't see that. And I didn't really like their music — I didn't. There was nothing that attracted me to that at all. Not that they're not good at what they do. All these bands are so great, but I just didn't like the music. My taste was elsewhere. And when Ronnie [James Dio] came along and joined them, it was fantastic for him. They did three albums, I think, which Ronnie was singing on it. And it turned that band around. He did great; he really did. And so I admire him for doing that."

Bonnet was born in Skegness in 1947 and had his first hit single with THE MARBLES in 1968, "Only One Woman", which reached No. 5 in the U.K. singles chart. A well-regarded solo album in 1977 saw him high in the Australian charts. This was the springboard for his rock career, with both THE SWEET and RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW keen to secure his services. Blackmore's offer was the more tempting, though following singer Ronnie James Dio in 1979 was a far from easy ride.

"'Mistreated' was my audition song, because I didn't know any RAINBOW songs," Bonnet later said.

RAINBOW suddenly found themselves with well-crafted AOR hits in the shape of "Since You Been Gone" and "All Night Long". The band peaked at the first Donington Monsters Of Rock festival in 1980, but friction between Bonnet and Blackmore saw the singer leave the following year. A star-studded solo album followed, as well as a Top Ten single ("Night Games"),but Bonnet was quickly snapped up by the ex-UFO guitarist for the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (MSG) until he had one of his momentary lapses of reason. "I realized I had screwed up big time," he later said. "They were so mad at me, they almost got Gary [Barden] to redo the whole vocal tracks. So they took me down in the mix as punishment for my stupid behavior."

Bonnet's most consistent rock project came in 1983 when he decided to put his own rock band together, and ALCATRAZZ became a huge draw on the rock circuit for the next four years, particularly in Japan. Now based in Los Angeles, the ever-adaptable Bonnet continues to record and tour on a regular basis, most recently with his GRAHAM BONNET BAND.

Australian death metal band, Deliquesce, have announced Cursed With Malevolence set for release November 17th via DAZE. Across the seven tracks, the band’s brutal and frenetic sound is met with deep technical prowess.


Today, Deliquesce shares lead single, “Sectarian Divide”, featuring guest vocals from Jim Beach of Pyrexia. Growled vocals bounce off pummelling drums and odd time signatures making for an intense listen.


You can stream “Sectarian Divide” here and below. Album pre-orders will launch November 1.




Originally formed in 2019, Deliquesce made their debut in April 2020 with the EP, Engineered Frailty. Setting out to make death metal with hardcore roots, the band looked towards bands like Suffocation and Disgorge for inspiration. On Cursed With Malevolence, the songs are dense with head-banging melodies parted by electrifying guitars. The lyrical content on the record focuses on how humanity has led to the destruction of the world through tension and division. The album was self-produced and mixed by guitarist Adrian Cappelletti at his studio in Melbourne, Australia.





Cursed With Malevolence tracklisting:


"Voiceless Slaughter"
"Hostile Contagion" ft. Nathan Cooper
"Sectarian Divide" ft. Jim Beach of Pyrexia
"Invasive Biopsy"
"Atrocities Of Life"
"Vile Spectres"
"Time Decays" ft. Cecilia Keane of Algor Mortis


"Sectarian Divide":





Deliquesce is


Adrian Cappelletti - Guitars
Armando Wall - Bass
James Cooper - Vocals
Ricki Merewether - Drums


(Photo - Susan Evans)

Power metal veterans, Masterplan, performed at the 2023 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival, and you can now watch professionally-filmed video footage of the band performing the songs "Kind Hearted Light", "Spirit Never Die", and "Heroes". Watch below, and find the full show here.





Masterplan will co-headlining the Masters Of Fire European tour with Firewind in 2024. Dates below.







February
29 -  Frankfurt, Germany - Das Bett


March
1 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
2 - Uden, Netherlands - De Pul
3 - Savigny Le Temple, France - L’Empreinte
5 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Wolf
6 - Madrid, Spain - Shoko
7 - Pamplona, Spain - Totem
11 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Halle
12 - Wien, Austria - Szene
13 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Randal Club
14 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock Cafe     
15 - Lublin, Poland - Studio im. Budki Suflera     
16 - Zabrze, Poland - CK Wiatrak
17 - Leipzig, Hellraiser

With less than a month to go before the November 3 release of their new album, Last Day Of Sun, New England death dealers, Fuming Mouth, have unveiled the record’s second single, "I’ll Find You".


Commenting, vocalist/guitarist Mark Whelan says: “This is our first love song. It's about overcoming all the obstacles between you and the person you love. No matter how tired you are. No matter how lost they get. Find them."


Stream the track here, and watch the music video below:







"I’ll Find You" follows a theme of deep personal matters on Last Day Of Sun, as Whelan draws from his own recent experience overcoming leukemia last year and the new found perspective he gained along the way. Now cancer free, the beloved frontman returns rejuvenated with renewed determination and inspiration on the band’s most crucial and ferocious record yet.


Whelan says of the new record: “What started as a fictional concept album became incredibly real. I was facing certain death, but as I kept writing the album it’s theme became clear. You could die tomorrow. Seize the day.”


Pre-order Last Day Of Sun here.





Last Day Of Sun tracklisting:


"Out Of Time"
"Respect And Blasphemy"
"The Silence Beyond Life"
"The Sign Of Pain"
"Leaving Euphoria"
"I’ll Find You"
"Disgusterlude"
"Kill The Disease"
"Last Day Of Sun"
"R.I.P. (Rest In Piss)"
"Burial Practices"
"Postfigurement"


"The Silence Beyond Life" video:





A fiery, resurrected rage barrels its way out of hell’s erupting chasms with blistering fury; Fuming Mouth has returned. Lead singer, guitarist, and founder Mark Whelan emerges triumphant after a life-threatening battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, rekindling the inferno of their music with Fuming Mouth's second full-length album, Last Day Of Sun.


What initially began as a full-on, fictional concept album underwent a profound transformation into a concept-reality hybrid, largely influenced by Whelan's harrowing conflict with his health and anear brush with death. Just three weeks away from recording the album, Whelan was struck with a devastating cancer diagnosis. While bravely fighting the illness, he rewrote melodies, drum sections, and lyrics, infusing the music with his personal journey of struggle and hope.


The recording sessions began in October 2022, with Grammy Award winning Kurt Ballou of Converge at his studio, God City, inSalem, Massachusetts. Ballou reached out to Whelan after his battle with cancer and encouraged him to get back to their previously scheduled recording session.Working closely with Ballou in both engineering and production, the band found a wonderful and collaborative experience, as Ballou invested himself wholeheartedly in shaping their sound and vision. Salem itself also helped shape the album, as the Halloween Season had begun. Droves of tourists and residents mixing with people in costume made the streets of Salem seem like Last Day Of Sun had come to life. The city where the Witch Trials took place presented the perfect setting for the album to be recorded.


At the genesis of this record, there was no other artist that could have captured the album's essence better than Mariusz Lewandowski, with whom the band had already established a creative relationship through his work on the cover art of The Grand Descent. Tragically, Mariusz passed away while working on the album artwork, presenting the band with an immense obstacle to overcome. In tribute to his spirit and legacy, they joined forces with the talented artist Stefan Todorovic who crafted an evocative album cover depicting a Faustian city crumbling amidst the gray and sandy storms of the apocalypse. A colossal monster blocks the sun and hovers above the city as it burns, smoky buildings topple to the ground; all a visual representation of the chaos and darkness that permeates the album.


Fuming Mouth stands resilient, a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Amidst the carnage and depression lies a flicker of hope - a beacon of light that emanates from within. But as the last rays of the sun cast their shadow, the question remains. Will the people in Last Day Of Sun survive? Will their worst inhibitions play out, will they rip each other to shreds, will they give up? Will everything they’ve built have been for not? Will they find a way to overcome, or will their panic lead to failure?


Fuming Mouth is:


Mark Whelan - Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Budwey - Guitar
Pat Merson - Bass
James Davis - Drums


(Photo - @blackcardfilms)

Hailing from Athens, Greece, extreme symphonic metal band, W.E.B., are back with a new digital EP, titled Into Hell Fire We Burn, which will be released worldwide on October 26 via Metal Blade Records.


Here's what the band has to say about the upcoming EP: "This EP was an idea that had been wandering our minds for a long time. W.E.B. have only released one EP in 2012, the one called 'My Storm Upon You' and the freedom of releasing experimental material, which would never be part of an official album, in addition to something new and a couple of re-enhanced versions of songs, is always intriguing. Here we are with a new song 'Into Hell Fire We Burn,' a re-recording of 'Necrology' (from Colosseum 2021) sang by Hel Pyre, a re-recording medley of two older songs 'For Bidens' and 'My Storm Upon You,' an industrial remix of 'Nightmares in Disguise' and 'Regina Est,' a full orchestral version of 'Clamor Luna' trilogy and a cover of Rotting Christ's 'Non Serviam.' There's a lot to process and listening to this EP seems like a roller coaster with very strange turns but this is what makes roller coasters fun, right? We invite you to an album-lasting ride through several musical layers of the netherworld, from burning into infernal fire to the victorious scream of 'Non Serviam.' Demons don't serve in Heaven - Demons rule in Hell STAY DARK"


The first single released off the EP is the song "Necrology Of Hel", which the band talks about below: "Necrology is one of the most special songs from the 2021 album Colosseum, while the song regarding the vocals is a duet of Sakis and Hel."




W.E.B. decided to re-record the song and have Hel Pyre sing it all by herself since in a way, Necrology is pretty much a personal piece for her.


Hel Pyre added: "This song always felt very special to me ever since I wrote the lyrics and vocal lines for it. Theme wise it's an ode to vampirism and, contrary to its title, to eternal life. To be given the chance to express it with my vocals was something I truly enjoyed and I'm grateful to my band for giving me this opportunity and showing such artistic freedom."


Watch the video below.





Into Hell Fire We Burn tracklisting:


"Into Hell Fire We Burn"
"Forbidden Storm"
"Necrology Of Hel"
"Lunar Nightmares"
"Clamor Luna Orchestram"
"Non Serviam" (Rotting Christ cover)


"Necrology Of Hel" video:





W.E.B. lineup:


Sakis Prekas - guitars, vocals
Hel Pyre - bass, vocals
Sextus A. Maximus - lead guitars
Nikitas Mandolas - drums

Since spring 2022, power/progressive metal band, Immortal Guardian, has been building awareness and anticipation toward a full album by releasing new songs digitally alongside some great music videos every few months. Fans of the band have enjoyed the development and creativity of the album’s content and evolvement into a concept and final work that will finally compile and complete the 10-song album. Unite And Conquer will hit stores in the US and Canada on October 27, as well as Asia via a licensing deal with Ward Records, followed weeks later by a new deal for European release through Massacre Records.


Today, the band offers another nugget in the shape of the “Rise Of The Phoenix” digital single/music video, further unraveling the depth of the album. Watch the music video below.


“This song is a tribute to my mother, conveying her challenging upbringing and the resilience she embodies. Both my grandparents passed away in a train accident when my mom was only 9 years old. She had to make it through life on her own and eventually move to the USA as a Mexican immigrant,” shares guitarist/keyboardist Gabriel Guardian. “The fact that she never gave up, never caved in, and raised me and all my siblings through so much turbulence, showed she could rise through it all. These lyrics paint a vivid picture of a childhood marked by hardship and sacrifice, with a sense of isolation and struggle. Despite the adversities she faced, this song carries a message of hope and transformation, likening her to a phoenix rising from the ashes.”







Album pre-orders are available now for the digipak CD or limited edition colored vinyl options, including insomnia red with black splatter (250 copies) or the exclusive band/label bone & black variant (100 copies). Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


“Ozona”
“Echoes”
“Roots Run Deep” feat. Ralph Scheepers
“Perfect Person”
“Divided We Fall”
“Lost In The Darkness” feat. Vicky Psarakis
“Southern Rain”
“Unite And Conquer”
“Un Dia A La Vez”
“Rise Of The Phoenix”


“Roots Run Deep”:





“Perfect Person”:





“Ozona”:





Immortal Guardian is:
Gabriel Guardian – guitars/keyboards
Carlos Zema – vocals
Justin Piedimonte – drums
Joshua Lopez – bass


(Photo - Carl Puentes)

During an interview that was recorded last month at the Guitar Summit guitar show in Mannheim, Germany, MASTODON guitarist Bill Kelliher was asked by Thomann if there is any piece of advice he would give to aspiring guitarists. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Play every day. Practice as much as you can. And just don't get sidetracked like trying to be somebody else. For me, for the longest time I wanted to be all the guitar heroes I looked up to. It's all attainable. When I was a kid, I was just so intimidated by these guys on stage. I was, like, 'Oh my God. These guys are rock stars and they're touring.' And I just thought everyone was born like that. Like you're born into royalty, like LED ZEPPELIN. And they want it to look that way. That's why they put you on the stage and they put you in the big tour bus and all that stuff. But, man, I'm just a nobody kid from Western New York, a little tiny town with a population of a couple thousand people."

He continued: "It's a lot of hard work. It's not a weekend type of gig. If you really wanna be a musician and an artist, just record everything that you write, even if you don't think it's that great. Just record everything because you might go back to it someday. That's one thing I wish I had done more. I didn't have cell phones when I was growing up, so just to be able to record all those ideas when they're fresh in your head… A lot of it's about spontaneity. I don't read music. I never took any guitar lessons. I play and play and play until something gives me goosebumps, and I feel like, 'Oh, this is really cool.' And then I record it and I stuff it away and I just keep playing until the next time I get that feeling. And then pretty soon I've got a song and I show it to the guys and then we've got a record."

Last month, Kelliher said that he was "constantly writing" new music. "Hopefully in the beginning of next year we can start sitting down and actually riffing out and writing a new record. Because it's already time to — it's past time to write a new record, even though [2021's] 'Hushed And Grim' was a double album, and I feel like there's a lot more juice for the squeeze of that record, but we just haven't — because of COVID, we didn't tour enough on it. We haven't done a proper European tour. There's a lot of places we've missed and it's, it's hard these days to get out and tour because everything has changed."

Elaborating on the difficulties facing MASTODON and other touring rock acts nowadays, Bill continued: "Without going into too much detail, the price of everything, the price of gas goes up. And that trickles down to us as a band. When we go out on tour, we have to come up with half a million dollars just to support the tour, like of our own money that's supposedly saved, which I don't have that much money — we don't have any money saved. Every time we do a tour, we spend all the money — we give, 'Hey, here's your paycheck.' 'Cause we were home for two years from COVID, and try not working for two years. It's difficult. Luckily, my wife works; she's got a very good job. So it's been very difficult. Our manager passed away a few years ago, and that kind of put us in this crazy tailspin, 'cause he was our everything. And COVID happens, and the way the world is going right now, it's not the easiest thing to get out there and just start touring and trying to make money."

Kelliher added: "Like I was saying, with 'Hushed And Grim', I just feel like that record — and I knew this was gonna happen, because if it comes out during the pandemic, it's not gonna get as much attention as, say, if there was no pandemic and you put a spotlight on it, 'Hey, you guys got this great 90-minute record.' There's a lot of songs on there to be... We only played a handful of them. I mean, I guess it's good to have all that ammunition in the bank, like, 'Oh, we can pull out all these songs,' but sometimes it's hard when you're out there on the road. People are, like, 'Why don't you play anything off 'The Hunter'?' 'Why don't you play anything off 'Once More 'Round The Sun'? 'Cause we only have an hour. And we have to play… I don't know. It's difficult. But those are good problems to have.

"The answer to your question is yeah, next year we are gonna write a new record, and I've already started writing and I'm very excited about it," Bill said. "It's a nice time. It's just — I guess what I'm getting at is, like, it's already time to write a new record and take time off when my wife's, like, 'You need to get out there and work. You guys haven't worked in the past three years.' You've only done a month a year.' It's not a lot of time out there. But I'm, like, yeah, well, the world is upside down and the gas prices are crazy. And everybody's on tour trying to make back their money from the lost wages. And it's a mess. But I'm not gonna let it stop me from writing the next right-turn record."

MASTODON's ninth studio album, "Hushed And Grim", was released in October 2021 via Reprise. The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand" was recorded at West End Sound, which is located inside of Ember City, the rehearsal facility that members of MASTODON manage in Atlanta. Helming the effort was Grammy-winning producer/mixer/engineer David Bottrill, who has previously worked with MUSE, DREAM THEATER and TOOL, among many others. The creative process for "Hushed And Grim" was largely influenced by the untimely death of MASTODON's longtime friend and manager Nick John.

John, who also managed GOJIRA, passed away in September 2018 from pancreatic cancer.

The "Hushed And Grim" artwork was created by longtime MASTODON collaborator Paul Romano, who also designed the sleeves for "Crack The Skye", "Blood Mountain", "Leviathan" and more.

Atmospheric black metal act, Shylmagoghnar, recently announced its third studio album, titled Convergence, out November 10 via Napalm Records.


What started out as a duo back in 2004 has turned into a one-man-band, yet, the upcoming new album sees Shylmagoghnar, run by multi-instrumentalist and founding band member Nimblkorg, returning heavier and stronger than before.


Convergence picks up right where both previous albums left off, and is intended as the end instalment of a trilogy-in-spirit. While its predecessors, the much acclaimed Emergence (2014) and Transience (2018), invited the listener on a journey through human existence, time and space, Convergence marks the inward journey of death that one has to go through before being able to pass on.




While the album's protagonist is dying and lyrics describe the emotional, philosophical and psychedelic journey he is undertaking, the new Shylmagoghnar offering is also an allegory for learning to let go of positive and negative themes of the past that hold us back from moving on, and eventually, hopefully reaching inner peace.


It's immediately evident, that Convergence marks the deepest and most personal Shylmagoghnar record to date, as it's dedicated to Nimblkorg's late mother.


Nimblkorg comments: "'The Sea' is the penultimate track of the third album, Convergence, which also marks the end of Shylmagoghnar's initial trilogy. It is the conclusion of a journey started so long ago. A place which welcomes all who have learned to let go. Weary traveller, your fight is over. Welcome back. This song and video is dedicated to José Bertrand-Janssen. Rest in peace Mom."





Both inside and outside of the music, Shylmagoghnar has always been a path with a will of its own for the Southern Netherlands-based Nimblkorg, who produces and records all of the music on his own. Shylmagoghnar is still a home produced project to this day and once again, almost half of the album is instrumental, as Nimblkorg agrees with a significant part of his fan base in that words can distract from the enjoyment of the music. The band mastermind also wishes to motivate other artists to not be afraid of home production.


Convergence is a stirring, emotional and deep journey - never afraid of genre borders and always balanced between the light and dark, the beauty and horror, life and death. Some bands need countless records and members to create a masterpiece, while Shylmagoghnar already unleashes it with album number three, and one that will ultimately establish this one-man-show as one of the most enthralling acts in extreme music





Convergence will be available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Jewelcase
- 2 LP Gatefold BLACK
- 2 LP Gatefold Crystal Clear Deluxe Edition
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Convergence tracklisting:


"I Hear The Mountain Weep"
"Follow The River"
"Threshold"
"Strata"
"Gardens Of The Erased"
"Egregore"
"Infinion"
"Convergence"
"The Sea"
"Becoming"


"Follow The River" video:





(Photo - K.H.M. Bertrand)

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Lars Ulrich was asked if feels the mainstream understand heavy music any better now than it did back in 1989 when METALLICA was up for its first Grammy in the metal category but lost to non-metal band JETHRO TULL. Lars responded: "We've probably had the biggest summer we've ever had just in terms of sheer number of tickets sold between our European and American dates. Obviously, that's a complete mindfuck given that it's 42 years into this ride. But at the same time, it feels that hard rock is more of a subculture and less mainstream than it's been.

"Looking back, at the '80s with MTV and AOR radio and magazines from Rolling Stone to Kerrang! … it feels like hard rock was much more a conversation in the mainstream than it is now," he continued. "So while these numbers are crazy — and I know so many other bands are doing crazy numbers, like GUNS N' ROSES, SLIPKNOT, GHOST, DISTURBED — it feels like hard rock is more part of a subculture and kind of outside of the mainstream again like when we started METALLICA.

"I don't know if I have as much knowledge of what's going on around me as I did 20, 30 years ago, and I don't know if I'm interested in being as much a part of that conversation as I was, but when asked, it definitely feels like what we're doing in hard rock in general is connecting with a lot of people," Lars added. "But in terms of the zeitgeist and overall mainstream culture, it doesn't feel like we're as much a part of the mainstream conversation as it has been in the past."

METALLICA was nominated for the very first "Hard Rock/Metal Performance" Grammy in 1989, but famously lost to JETHRO TULL, a band distinguished mainly by its heavy use of flute. Fans — and even some audience members — were rightly outraged, though TULL's record label tried to make light of the faux pas by placing a Billboard ad that read, "The flute is a heavy, metal instrument."

Four and a half years ago, on the 30th anniversary of that fateful day, Ulrich took to his Instagram to reflect on his band's first Grammy loss, writing: "Today 30 years ago, February 22 '89, we played the Grammys for the first time and that was quite a mindfuck!!

"First time we were in front of a mainstream TV audience. First time mainstream America was exposed to whatever the hell it is we do. First time they had a hard rock/metal category on the Grammys. First time we were Grammy losers, since JETHRO TULL, somewhat unexpectedly to most people, walked away with the win.

"But all was not lost. The expressions of disgust from most members of the audience (other than Iggy!) is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. And I was rocking some pretty crazy hair that was edging dangerously close to a mullet! Happy days indeed!!"

After METALLICA lost the 1989 "Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Recording" Grammy to JETHRO TULL, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS),parent company of the Grammys, separated the two genres in 1990 by creating categories for "Best Hard Rock Performance" and "Best Metal Performance". METALLICA won the "Best Metal Performance" award the next year, for "One", and has earned a dozen so far.

When METALLICA's "Black" album won another "Best Metal Performance" Grammy in 1992, Ulrich "thanked" JETHRO TULL for not releasing an album in that year.

METALLICA drew nearly 80,000 fans to Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium August 25 at the first of the band's two shows at the venue. It was the biggest crowd in the history of the SoCal stadium, which opened in September 2020. The San Francisco Bay Area-based metal legends drew a similarly sized capacity crowd on August 27.

Fans purchased more than 156,000 tickets for the two-concert stand, which was part of METALLICA's "M72" world tour.

The "M72" tour features a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, allowing promoters to sell more tickets than usual. And since METALLICA's stage is hollow in the center, there is even more space available to accommodate fans.

The "M72" tour launched in late April in Amsterdam.

End - guitarist Will Putney, vocalist Brendan Murphy, guitarist Gregory Thomas, bassist Jay Pepito, and drummer Matt Guglielmo - will release their second album The Sin Of Human Frailty on October 27 via Closed Casket Activities. Pre-order it here.


Today, the band has shared the video for "Thaw", featuring Heriot's Debbie Gough. Watch the video, full of frenetic visuals, below.
 
"'Thaw' is a thematically more bizarre exploration into electronics for End," the band shares. "It's a very boundary-less song and one of the more self-fulfilling moments found in the writing process.  As a musician, it's important to express the purest intent of your thoughts, and sometimes that requires reaching beyond the normal instrumentation one is accustomed to. The result is something new for us, but also a part of us. Thank you to Debbie Gough of Heriot for lending her voice to the track. And thank you for giving this new creative passage a listen."







End initially materialized during 2017. The group's From the Unforgiving Arms of God EP spawned the fan favorite "Necessary Death," and lead to a signing with label Closed Casket Activities.


Highlighted by "Covet Not" and "Absence," the band bulldozed the senses with their 2020 full-length debut, Splinters From An Ever-Changing Face.


In 2023, the members congregated once again to write and recorded what would become this sophomore release. "Part of the goal was to do things our way," states Putney. "We didn't want to lean on our influences too heavily, whether it's in terms of production, guitar tone, arrangement, or other elements. We were like, 'Let's just make a record that sounds like End.' I feel like there's more of an identity to the band than there has ever been on this record."


The final result is a unique blend of HM2 driven grind and metallic hardcore cross over with moments of Industrial chaos over ten tracks. Featuring guest vocal appearances by J.R. Hayes (Pig Destroyer), Debbie Gough (Heriot), and Dylan Walker (Full of Hell), this Graphic Nature Audio recording clocks in over 30 minutes of unhinged aggression and grind.


Produced and engineered by Will Putney and featuring the art of Alex Eckman-Lawn, this release pushes the complexity of End, both sonically and visually. Vinyl comes packaged in a ten panel die-cut jacket, pressed on deluxe colored vinyl and with a digital download code.





The Sin Of Human Frailty tracklisting:


"A Predator Yourself"
"Gaping Wounds Of Earth"
"The Sin Of Human Frailty"
"Thaw"
"Embodiment Of Grief"
"Twice Devoured Kill"
"Worthless Is The Lamb"
"Hollow Urn"
"Infest"
"Leper"


"Gaping Wounds Of Earth" video:

Blackened death metal band, Ravenoir, will release their new full-length album, Cultus Inferi, under the banner of Czech label Black Barn Music on October 31.


The cover artwork for Ravenoir's third studio album was created by Mexican artist Nestor Avalos, who is also known for his cooperation with such bands like Moonspell, Rotting Christ and Deicide.







Cultus Inferi tracklisting:


"Glorification Of Godlessness"
"Black Luna"
"Crow's Call"
"Confession To The Darkness"
"Requiem"
"Belial's Realm"
"Orgiastic Ceremony"
"Kingdom Of Amnesia"


Ravenoir lineup:


AD – guitar, vocals
Igor – bass
Háb – guitar
Zbyňa – drums


For more on the band, visit their Facebook page, here.

Eonian Records announces the upcoming release of Freakshow - So Shall It Be on October 27th. So Shall It Be features the incredible talents of Ronni Borchert, Carlos Cavazo, Greg Chaisson and Stet Howland. The first single and video from Freakshow, for the song “You Shine”, debuts now on BraveWords.com.





Ronnie Borchert, lead vocalist, and guitarist of Freakshow, “We are so excited about this new album. Having four true hard rockers get together that have never played together and create an album like this. Stet's success with W.A.S.P., Greg with Badlands, and Carlos with Quiet Riot and Ratt shows its face with this new band and album. The songs and musicianship are 100% represented. Freakshow gives you everything that hard rock is designed for.”




Ryan Northrop of Eonian Records, “We hope music fans will really enjoy this new Freakshow, release. I have known Ronnie for a long, long time. He is an extremely hard worker and a dedicated musician. To bring together musicians of this caliber is something special. During the first listen of their brand-new album So Shall It Be, you can hear Ronnie, Carlos, Greg, and Stet's chemistry. It’s undeniable. Eonian Records is proud to be part of such a great release.”





Tracklisting:


"Get It Ready"
"Wendi"
"You Shine"
"So Shall It Be"
"M.S.M."
"Tell Me You Love Me"
"Full-On Shred" (Instrumental)
"It Hurts Me"
"Ice Cold Hands"
"Lovin You, Lovin Me"


Pre-order your copy of So Shall It Be now at this location.


Freakshow’s debut album was a supergroup featuring Miss Crazy’s Ronnie Borchert, Cinderella’s Jeff LaBar, Quiet Riot’s Frankie Banali, and Tony Franklin, who had played in The Firm, Blue Murder, and Whitesnake.


Fast forward to 2023... different players, yet another output of amazing, hook-filled, blazing rock-n-roll. Ronnie Borchert brings together friends Carlos Cavazo on guitars (Quiet Riot, Ratt), Greg Chaisson on bass (Badlands, Atomic Kings), and Stet Howland on drums (W.A.S.P., Metal Church) to record the brand-new album, So Shall It Be.


For further details, visit Freakshow on Facebook.


 

Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg has shared a new drumcam video via his official YouTube channel. Check it out below.


Weinberg: "Performing 'The Negative One' at Rockfest in Hyvinkää, Finland on June 7, 2019: the very first show of the We Are Not Your Kind World Tour."







Following a meteorically successful inaugural year, Sick New World is set to return to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds April 27, 2024 with an enormous collection of the world’s biggest hard rock, alternative, and up and coming artists. With a closing performance from returning headliner System Of A Down, this colossal lineup features over 65 artists across five stages, including Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, A Perfect Circle, Alice In Chains, Danny Elfman, Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Knocked Loose, and many more.


Fans can sign up now for the festival SMS list at sicknewworldfest.com to receive an access code for the presale that will begin Friday, October 13 at 10AM PT. Any remaining tickets following the presale will go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 13 at 2PM PT. GA, GA+, VIP, and VIP Cabana Tickets will be available, with layaway payment plans starting at $19.99 down.





VIP packages include preferred viewing areas, charging stations, a dedicated entry lane at the festival entrance, air-conditioned restrooms, and more. VIP Cabanas are available with exclusive viewing areas, featuring VIP service including food vouchers and select complimentary beverages, expedited entry and more. Sick New World has partnered with Jampack to offer hotel and ticket packages with exclusive amenities, including discount rates on select Las Vegas hotels. For the full list of available tickets, packages, and the amenities included in each, please visit sicknewworldfest.com.


Sick New World is produced by Live Nation, Redrock Entertainment, and Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group.

California's glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER are doing their part to share the message that things aren't always what they seem online with their new music video for "On Your Instagram". The band felt it was important to issue this public service announcement that aligns with the lyrics from the fan-favorite track off STEEL PANTHER's latest album, "On The Prowl". The song talks about how the Instagram age of fake setups and heavily filtered photos has ruined society. It is only being exacerbated with recent AI (Artificial Intelligence) craze. The J.T. Arbogast-directed video follows the assistants of two social media influencers as they question the false realities they are perpetuating for their bosses. The influencer's worlds come down when the assistants quit after deciding to be the real version of themselves. The band — Michael Starr (lead vocals),Satchel (lead guitar),Spyder (bass) and Stix Zadinia (drums) — performs the poignant song in an arcade as Starr reflects: "Such a beautiful filter. Like God himself had built her. Where's the girl that I know on your Instagram?"

Last month, STEEL PANTHER announced a holiday tour in support of its latest album. The "On The Prowl Winter Holidaze" tour is set to kick off this December. STEEL PANTHER will be stuffing stockings for all the naughty housewives on the 12-city trek that will kick off on December 1 in Cleveland, Ohio and wrap up in St. Louis, Missouri on December 17. The tour will make stops in Flint, Michigan (December 5),Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (December 10) and Louisville, Kentucky (December 16),among others. Spreading holiday cheer with STEEL PANTHER are Seattle rockers MOON FEVER.

In August, STEEL PANTHER failed to make it through to the Top 10 of season 18 of "America's Got Talent" reality television and talent competition series.

STEEL PANTHER performed on the August 29 episode of the "America's Got Talent". They played their classic song "Death To All But Metal", from 2009's "Feel the Steel" album, although they admittedly had to tweak some of the provocative lyrics in order to appear on NBC during primetime.

STEEL PANTHER's sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", was released in February.

In September 2022, STEEL PANTHER announced the addition of Spyder as the band's new bassist.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fifteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

Photo credit: David Jackson

The filth and fury that is The Amenta disclose a third new track from the soon to be released EP, Plague Of Locus. This time around it is Killing Joke's "Asteroid" that undergoes a scrupulous and noxious treatment by the Australian extreme metal innovators. 


Composer and keyboard player Timothy Pope comments: "Killing Joke is a band that has inspired The Amenta, and most likely many other extreme metal bands, in innumerable ways. We could have picked any number of Killing Joke songs to cover as there are so many incredible songs and performances in their catalogue, but when Dave [Haley, drums] suggested 'Asteroid' it immediately felt correct. The original has a power and an undeniable groove, and we knew that it would lend itself well to our more violent stylings. Perhaps this is one of the covers that doesn't differ too much from the original, but with a groove like that it doesn't pay to f*ck with it. We made some changes, swapping out the original synth noise for some truly f*cked violin but the core of it is still that nihilistic momentum."







Plague Of Locus will be unleashed on October 19th via Debemur Morti Productions. Vinyl pre-orders can be placed now at this location. Pre-save your digital copy here.


The artwork for Plague Of Locus was created by Metastazis (Paradise Lost, Ulver), who also provided art for both of The Amenta's 2021 releases, Revelator and Solipschism.





Tracklisting:


"Intro"
"Sono l'Anticristo" (Diamanda Galas cover)
"Asteroid" (Killing Joke cover)
"Angry Chair" (Alice In Chains cover)
"Plague Of Locus"
"A Million Years" (Wolf Eyes cover)
"Crystal Lakes" (Lord Kaos cover)
"Rise" (Halo cover)
"Totem" (Nazxul cover)
"Black God" (My Dying Bride cover)


Mixed by the band's very own Erik Miehs, and mastered by Maor Applebaum (Faith No More, Abbath), the EP builds on the claustrophobic heft of Revelator, resulting in a phenomenal sound that is heavy and crushing, yet natural and organic.


To enter the atmosphere of the forthcoming EP, The Amenta unveils an eerie and obscure video clip for their self-composed title track. 





Behold The Amenta's cover of "Angry Chair" by Alice In Chains:





Plague Of Locus is filled with violent and hysterical extreme metal arrangements, intelligently combined with groovy elements, dramatic hooks, infectious vocals, and noisy soundscapes – the perfect soundtrack to all nightmares!


Composer and keyboard player Timothy Pope narrates about the new EP's genesis: "Listening to Plague Of Locus immediately triggers a nostalgic shiver. To me, it has some of the same cold bite as our material from the 2008 n0n album. Of course, it takes that initial familiarity and twists it beyond recognition with wailing theremin and an open, epic mid-section with an inspired vocal from Cain but the seeds of something nostalgic remained. To complement the song, we decided to surround it with covers of songs that have inspired us, particularly our 2021 album, Revelator. In fact, two of these tracks were recorded during the Revelator sessions."


Reveling in the moment The Amenta embark on a long overdue Australian headline tour, including a performance at Adelaide's biggest and best metal festival, Froth & Fury. The Plague Of Locus 2023 Tour will see The Amenta's first headline shows in over ten years. Known for uncompromising, suffocating and overpowering performances, this boundary-pushing horde are keen to bring their full assault to all shows. The Amenta is thrilled to be joined by blackened sludge miscreants LO! on select dates.


November
16 - Sydney, The Crowbar
17 - Melbourne, Stay Gold
18 - Adelaide, Froth & Fury Festival *


December
1 - Brisbane, Soapbox
2 - Perth, Amplifier *


* LO! not appearing





 

In a new interview with Guy "Favazz" Favazza of the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95, legendary FREE and BAD COMPANY frontman Paul Rodgers spoke about his recent health crisis that almost left him unable to sing. The 73-year-old singer suffered 11 minor strokes and two major strokes — one in 2016 and another in October 2019 — several years ago, leaving him unable to talk. Rodgers eventually underwent an endarterectomy, a procedure to remove plaque clogging a carotid artery, which posed a considerable risk to his vocal cords.

Asked if he is healthy now, Paul told KSHE 95: "Yeah, thank you. Thank God, really. But I do thank hyperbaric [oxygen therapy] as well, which is the treatment you can get. You just sit in there, oxygen under pressure. The only thing you feel is a little bit in your ears; it's like flying on a little puddle jumper airplane. But that's all. And then you just watch a movie for an hour and you're done. You breathe in and [the oxygen] recirculates through your brain and it's very good. It took a year and a half to get my voice back after all that stroke."

Asked if he was worried about his voice while recovering from his strokes, Paul said: "Definitely, yeah, because I had an operation — endarterectomy, I think it's called. Actually, they have to cut your throat. They have to incubate it to do that. And they get very close to the vocal cords. But I had a great surgeon, Dr. Lawlor. He's in Vancouver now. And he said, 'I knew that you were a vocalist and I was careful to keep the knife away from your vocal cords."

Rodgers first opened up about his latest health scare last month during an interview which aired on "CBS Mornings". Rodgers said that he "couldn't do anything" after he suffered his strokes. "I couldn't speak, "he said. "That was the very strange thing. You know, I'd prepare something in my mind and I'd say it, but that isn't what came out and I'd go, 'What the heck did I just say?'"

Regarding the endarterectomy he underwent, Rodgers said: "They cut the neck, and [the doctor] said that he was very careful because he knew I was a singer and that when you cut the neck, it's very close to the vocal cord. They told me, they were very clear, 'You may not come out of this alive.'"

It took Rodgers six months after the surgery to return to playing the guitar and singing and considerably longer than that to regain his full singing voice. "Each thing was a step forward," he explained. "Each thing that I did was an achievement … 'Oh, I can do this. I can sing,'"

Paul eventually returned to the studio in Vancouver and began recording his new album, "Midnight Rose", which came out on September 22. The effort marks his first solo LP of new music in nearly 25 years.

The British icon got his Canadian citizenship in 2011, four years after marrying British Columbia fitness expert Cynthia Kereluk, the 1984 Miss Canada title holder best known for the long-running series "Everyday Workout".

Rodgers ranked No. 55 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Rodgers fronted QUEEN between 2004 and 2009. With Rodgers at the mic, QUEEN embarked on two world tours and released an album, "The Cosmos Rocks", in 2008. They amicably parted ways a year later when Rodgers returned to BAD COMPANY.

As vocalist with FREE, BAD COMPANY and THE FIRM in the 1970s and 1980s, Rodgers reportedly sold more than 90 million records.