Legendary rockers KISS returned to Sydney for their last-ever show in Australia on Saturday, October 7 at Accor Stadium.

The farewell show was the result of a national petition which saw passionate KISS fans beg for the band to return to Australia one more time before they bring their lengthy touring career to an end at New York City's Madison Square Garden in December.

"You have made your voices loud enough that it was impossible for us not to hear you!" KISS frontman Paul Stanley said when the show was first announced in May. "We are overwhelmed by your petitions and calls for one last KISS so we are now announcing that the 'End Of The Road' will detour one last time to Sydney for a final bombastic farewell. As unexpected as this is for us, we will make it unforgettable for all who share the night with us."

Fan-filmed video of last night's entire concert can be viewed below (courtesy of the Vic's Music YouTube channel).

The setlist was as follows:

01. Detroit Rock City
02. Shout It Out Loud
03. Deuce
04. War Machine
05. Heaven's On Fire
06. I Love It Loud
07. Say Yeah
08. Cold Gin
09. Guitar Solo (Tommy Thayer)
10. Lick It Up
11. Calling Dr. Love
12. Makin' Love
13. Psycho Circus (Partial)
14. Drum Solo
15. 100,000 Years (Partial)
16. Bass Solo
17. God Of Thunder
18. Love Gun
19. Black Diamond

Encore:

20. Beth
21. Shandi
22. I Was Made For Lovin' You
23. Rock And Roll All Nite

KISS's final runs of shows will wrap up in early December with a massive concert in the city where it all began for the legendary rock act. New York City has been a part of the band's ethos and storyline for more than four decades, so they felt it fitting to culminate an iconic Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-worthy career on stage at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

Last month, KISS frontman Paul Stanley told Australia's "The Project" about "End Of The Road": "Well, it's interesting because we can see the end now. When we started to plan this, it was probably about five years ago and the pandemic came into play and we lost a few years. We've done 250 shows on this 'End Of The Road' tour, because it's a long road, and they kept paving more road. But this is it for us. And intellectually, yeah, we go, we can't continue doing this. We're in our 70s; hard to believe. But for us, it's just reached a point where we realize we can't do this indefinitely. We're really at the top of our game still. And now's the time to do a victory lap and go out there with our heads held high and say thank you to everybody and do a show that really encapsulates and really pays tribute not only to us but to the fans."

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley (guitar, vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass, vocals),alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

In a separate interview with Gulf News, Stanley addressed the fact that he and his bandmates have never allowed their concert theatrics to overshadow the music.

"I always say this: a crappy band with a big show is a crappy band," he explained. "We didn't start as a band with everything. We started as a band making music we listened to. When I was young, I saw LED ZEPPELIN, I saw Jimi Hendrix twice and I saw all the greats. They inspired me. And it was never about being a part of a band with make-up and [fireworks] … Our music doesn't need intellectualizing or philosophizing."

Stanley added: "I know there are entertainers right now who can draw bigger crowds, but I don't know if they are going to in the next 50 years. We have done that. Our devoted fan base is almost like a tribe … We don't make art that is intellectual; we make art that's emotional … That's why people remember their first KISS concert, their first KISS song, and they remember when KISS first came on the radio. It's a powerful connection."

Two years ago, Stanley told Classic Rock magazine that "one of the best things about early KISS songs is that they really were uninhibited and very much from the gut: we had nothing to live up to, except doing what turned us on."

"Over time you can learn too much: you might become a better songwriter, but sometimes it's the freedom of naivety that makes for the best result," he concluded.

STONE SOUR drummer Roy Mayorga joined Corey Taylor on stage this past Thursday (October 5) at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, California to perform two of the band's songs, "Absolute Zero" and "30/30-150". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Last month, Corey told Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of Paste magazine about his decision to put STONE SOUR "on indefinite hiatus" and launch his solo career by releasing 2020's "CMFT" and 2023's "CMF2" albums: "When STONE SOUR first started, not only was I playing guitar constantly, but I was also the lead guitarist and main writer. Honestly, one of the reasons why I was very adamant about starting my solo thing is that there was a weird misconception around who was writing what for what band. Maybe this is where my ego comes into play, but I felt like I wasn't getting the credit for the things I was actually writing. With STONE SOUR, it was fairly obvious, but there were a lot of songs that I wrote that people thought [guitarists] Jim [Root] or Josh [Rand] wrote where that wasn't the case at all. And then, with SLIPKNOT, there was a lot of stuff that either wouldn't have been written without me, or that I wrote that other people gave [themselves] credit [for]. As someone who takes great pride in sitting down and creating something from nothing — just from my imagination — that stuck in my craw."

He continued: "I've never shied away from giving credit to the people who deserve it. I've never taken credit for anything that I didn't do, and I've always been the first to shine the spotlight on anybody else. I don't necessarily get that in return. So this, for me, is setting the record straight and changing the narrative. Showing people that, 'Oh yeah, he does write heavy shit. And country shit. And acoustic shit. And piano shit. And rock shit. Hardcore shit' — the gamut."

This past June, Taylor told Germany's Rock Antenne that it is easier for him to make solo records than it is to work with a band. But he clarified: "It's not that I don't miss some of the guys in STONE SOUR; I still talk to them. But at this stage, I refuse to compromise my vision and my art because of certain people's hindrances. And that's all I'll say."

In August 2022, Corey told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that "nothing" had changed with regard to STONE SOUR months after he said in a previous interview that the band was on hiatus. Pressed about whether STONE SOUR is something he still might revisit at some point in the future, Corey said: "I don't know. The solo thing's more where my heart is, to be honest."

Corey, who was actually in STONE SOUR before he joined SLIPKNOT, continued: "To me, I've done the time doing stuff in a — for lack of a better term — band situation. And the reason I stick with SLIPKNOT is because that, to me, is the one that kind of started everything. But STONE SOUR, there's still so much drama and issues [between the members]. To me, it's just not something I desire to do. And songs in STONE SOUR that I want to play are the ones that I wrote in the first place. So to me, I would rather go out with a group of dudes who I've known forever and have a great time playing these songs and have the audience enjoy it because they see a bunch of dudes up there enjoying it than try to force issues on an audience that nobody really wants to be a part of, let's put it that way."

Asked it has been difficult for him to shelf STONE SOUR considering the amount of work he put into the band, Corey said: "It's been a bitter pill to swallow, but I've also reached an age where I refuse to waste any time with people who I don't enjoy being with, let's put it that way. And that's saying more than I actually should be saying.

"When it comes to my bands, I know in the past I've been very open to talking about it," Taylor continued. "But I'm very reticent about talking about things that deal with people who I care about. And whether there are issues or not, I still care about them. So it's tough. I have to rein myself in 'cause I'm not gonna throw anybody under the bus because nine times out of 10 I could be the problem too.

"I just know that at this point in my life I have more reason to love the solo thing than I do to try and do something with STONE SOUR," Corey added. "Now, am I saying that it'll never happen? No, because you never know. Something might come up and we could get an opportunity, and we could get an opportunity to do something for charity, and we all get together and we do something really, really cool. But my immediate plans right now — there's no STONE SOUR in the future."

STONE SOUR has been off the road and out of sight since completing the touring cycle for its last studio album, 2017's "Hydrograd". Taylor has been working with SLIPKNOT since then, as well as making his debut solo album, "CMFT", and a follow-up effort, "CMF2", which arrived last month. A STONE SOUR live album, "Hello, You Bastards: Live In Reno", came out in December 2019.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson has released a new video message in which he offered a bit more information about his upcoming solo album, due in early 2024 on BMG. Titled "The Mandrake Project", it sees him reunited with long-time musical collaborator and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez.

"The Mandrake Project" will be Dickinson's seventh solo album and his first since "Tyranny Of Souls" in 2005.

Bruce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So, everybody, everybody on the planet who's been going, 'Oh my god. What's this solo thing gonna be all about when it finally happens?' Well, it's finally happening. It's called 'The Mandrake Project', and' of course, it's music. But, it's also much, much, more. More than that, I'm not gonna reveal for now, 'cause it will become self-explanatory and self-evident as we go through and reveal more layers of the onion for you all."

He continued: "But, yeah, 'The Mandrake Project'. We've been working on this since 2014, when it wasn't called 'The Mandrake Project'. And it's had time to grow and mature. And, oh my God, has it ever. I think you will be really, really excited. And, I hope you love everything that we've created for you."

When "The Mandrake Project" was first announced in September, Dickinson said in a statement: "This album has been a very personal journey for me and I am extremely proud of it. Roy Z and I have been planning, writing and recording it for years, and I am very excited for people to finally hear it. I'm even more excited at the prospect of getting out on the road with this amazing band that we have put together, to be able to bring it to life. We're planning to play as many shows as we can in as many places as possible, for as many people as we can! As for what 'The Mandrake Project' actually is… all will be revealed soon!”

The first live shows to be announced are in Mexico and Brazil in April and May 2024, with further touring plans to be revealed in due course.

"The Mandrake Project" tour dates:

April 18 - Diana Theater, Guadalajara, Mexico
April 20 - Pepsi Theatre, Mexico City, Mexico
April 24 - Live Curitiba, Curitiba, Brazil
April 25 - Pepsi On Stage, Porto Alegre, Brazil
April 27 - Opera Hall, Brasilia, Brazil
April 28 - Arena Hall, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
April 30 - Qualistage, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
May 02 - Quinta Linda, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
May 04 - Vibra, Sao Paulo, Brazil

In March 2022, Bruce told Consequence about his next solo album: "I've been working on it, on and off, since 'Tyranny Of Souls'. But between lockdowns and albums and MAIDEN tours and everything else, I'm looking for a clear space to actually nail and say, 'Okay, this is what it's gonna be,' and get Roy to put some backing tracks down. And then we can do it. So we're at the point now where we've already got — I don't know — anywhere between 50 and 70 percent of the material for the album, depend[ing] on what we pick, from things we've already got. And I think we'd like to tweak it a little bit."

Back in December 2017, Dickinson said that his next solo LP would likely include a reworked version of "If Eternity Should Fail", the opening track on IRON MAIDEN's 2015 disc "The Book Of Souls". At the time, he said that he had about "half" of his seventh record already written and he also confirmed that "If Eternity Should Fail" was originally penned as a Dickinson solo track.

He told Finland's Kaaos TV that the original plan was for his next solo record to be "a whole concept album, which was gonna be called 'If Eternity Should Fail'. And 'If Eternity Should Fail' was the title track to my new solo album," he said. "And a bit like [Dickinson's 1989 solo song] 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter' [laughs], it got commandeered for IRON MAIDEN. So if I did do another solo album, which I think I will, I might just stick to my original plan and have that as the title track. I mean, I did write it — it was the first track that I wrote for it. So, yeah, I'd probably still include that song. But it would be… the feel would be slightly different — not very much, though — from the MAIDEN version."

In 2015, Dickinson told France's Hard Force magazine that "If Eternity Should Fail" ended up being used by IRON MAIDEN after bassist Steve Harris heard the demos that Bruce was working on for what was supposed to be his next solo album. "And [Steve] went, 'That's a really cool song. Can we use that? That's gonna be the opening song on the album,'" he recalled. "And I went, 'Yeah, okay.' And he was already writing, I think… He was already thinking of 'The Book Of Souls' as being the title, so he told me about the Mayan thing. And I'm, like, 'Yeah, that's cool. Okay. Yeah, I see where you're going.' But in my case, that song was written as part of a story. So the spoken word at the end is the beginning of a story that goes through the whole album. And one of the characters is Dr. Necropolis; he's the bad guy. And the good guy is Professor Lazarus; he raises people from the dead. So that introduces Necropolis in the spoken-word thing. And I asked Steve… I said, 'Look. Okay. I get having the song…' 'Cause it opens up with, 'Here is the soul of a man.' 'Yup. Get that. But what about the end?' I said, 'Will people understand what this is about? Because this is nothing to do with the Mayans or anything. This is to do with… I'd come up with a concept album that doesn't happen.' [Laughs] And he [went], 'No, no, no. It's just talking about souls and everything, and it sounds great.' I went, 'Okay.' [Laughs]"

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

During a new appearance on Knotfest's Squared Circle Pit, FOZZY and STUCK MOJO guitarist Rich Ward reflected on FOZZY's September 2019 concert as the opening band for IRON MAIDEN at Banc Of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That was another one of those things. As a 13-year-old kid, IRON MAIDEN was my favorite band. And I'm opening for IRON MAIDEN — main support. I'm standing on the floor that's got all of the — you know how everything there is all branded and they've got stage props and everything's behind me. But then I'm trying not to get in the moment too much, because I don't wanna go, 'Selfie. Look where I'm at.' I don't wanna be that guy because I wanna keep it in check."

Elaborating on why he makes a conscious effort to stay grounded more than three decades into his career, Ward said: "Let's think about all of the crazy people in the music industry that let that get to them. I've had lots of bad interactions with famous musicians over the years that I was a fan of, and I tried to meet them because I'm a fan. At my core, I'm still that 13-year-old kid standing in front of a mirror playing guitar. I'm still a fanboy. And I've had some bad interactions. And those are always because somebody forgot that they didn't cure cancer. They forgot that this is a privileged life that entertainers, people in our business have. It could all go away, and it has. You look at bands like QUIET RIOT who were the biggest band in the world, and two years later they were playing clubs again. It doesn't last forever. None of this stuff is guaranteed. And those bad experiences with people have taught me, when somebody comes up to me, as much as I may be embarrassed by the moment of someone's really wants to meet me and I wanna tell them, 'It's okay. just play guitar.' But I wanna honor that moment by listening to them and stopping what I'm doing to give them that moment, because for them it is important, because I made a song or I was part of something that they enjoyed. And I don't ever wanna take that away from them. And probably, over the 25 or 30 years, 32 years that I've been doing this, I'm sure that I've had a bad interaction. But I make it a point, when people try to talk to me, that I never blow it off as insignificant or make it trivial."

Rich also recalled one rock-star interaction that left a very positive impression on him. He said: "I opened for [IRON MAIDEN's] Bruce Dickinson solo a couple of times with STUCK MOJO. One time is the Milwaukee Metal Fest in 1997, I think, and we shared a dressing room with Bruce Dickinson, because it was like a festival common-area thing, and he had come up on stage and jammed with STUCK MOJO, like, eight months earlier. We played the Roseland Ballroom [in New York City]. It was us and FEAR FACTORY and BIOHAZARD. It was at CMJ. And Bruce was in town to promote his new album 'Accident Of Birth' that was coming out. And we approached him and said, 'Hey, I know it's not your song per se, but we do a cover of [IRON MAIDEN's] 'Wrathchild', if you'd like to come out and sing it with us.' And he was, like, 'Well, I've got some things going on. Maybe. Maybe.' This was sold-out Roseland Ballroom, 3,500 people or whatever. We weren't the headliner, but we were midway in the pack, probably on at, like, eight or nine o'clock at night. And we went onstage. We were all so nervous. 'Is he gonna show up?' We kept looking. It's the singer for IRON MAIDEN. It's my hero. Okay? I've seen him so many times from the front row. And after the third song, I looked over, and there he was standing on the side of the stage. And then we introduced him, and he came up and he sang 'Wrathchild' with us on stage. And it was the greatest moment of my life up until that moment. I was literally trying to stand next to him as close as I could to him the whole time, as much as he would let me. I was a stalker, grade-A stalker at that point. But when I saw him at the Milwaukee Metal Fest eight months later, and I was backstage, he was, like, 'Hey, Rich. How's it going?' He knew my name. And that meant so much to me that I will never not make those efforts, 'cause there are a lot of young bands that grew up that love STUCK MOJO and FOZZY. Some of 'em are in way bigger bands, but in our world, it doesn't matter."

Back in 2016, Ward told the "Behind The Barricade" podcast that the first time he met ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, "he was a total dick to me. And the second time I met Scott Ian, he was a total dick to me. It was rough, 'cause I'm a big ANTHRAX and Scott Ian fan, so that was really tough," he said. "Because as a fanboy, even though I was making records and I already had success of my own, I was still a little kid in his presence, 'cause [ANTHRAX's classic album] 'Among The Living' was a big record for me."

He continued: "I just remember: don't be a dick to people, Rich. 'Cause you remember how it felt when he was to you. Now, I don't know what he was going through. Maybe he was having a rough day, or maybe he just hated my face — I don't know — but I'm just gonna try not to do that, 'cause I remember it just sucked the way it made me feel afterwards. And I walked away going, 'Damn, man. That was rough.'"

Ward added: "Do I think Scott Ian is a dick? I don't even know, and it's none of my business to say. I just know that, lesson learned: don't treat people shitty when they come up to you and say, 'Hey, I love [STUCK MOJO's] 'Pigwalk'. That was a cool record.' Make sure to shake their hand and say, 'Thank you.' Because if you're a dick to them, not only does that show little class and a lack of appreciation for a real fan, but, also, it just shows you have no class at all and it means you're just a shitty human. And so all of those kind of bad situations, I just turn them back around on myself as a lesson: don't do that. It looks shitty."

FOZZY singer Chris Jericho recently revealed that the band's new single, "Spotlight", which was originally scheduled to arrive on August 25, will now be made available "in the next month or so."

FOZZY's latest album, "Boombox", came out in May 2022 and featured the song "I Still Burn", which recently eclipsed two and a half million views on YouTube. It also included the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

This past spring, FOZZY spent time on the road with UGLY KID JOE as part of the latter band's first tour of the United States in 27 years.

In January 2022, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

FOZZY is Jericho, Ward, Brooks, Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

Tool performed at the Aftershock Festival Aftershock at Discovery Park in Sacramento, CA on October 6th. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Jambi"
"The Pot"
"Fear Inoculum"
"Pushit"
"Rosetta Stoned"
"Forty Six & 2"
"Pneuma"
"The Grudge"
"Invincible"
"Stinkfist"
"Swamp Song"
"Ænema"







Tool's North American tour schedule is as follows:


October
10 - Salt Lake City, UT - Delta Center
12 - Idaho Falls, ID - Mountain America Center
14 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center
15 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena
17 - Eugene, OR - Matthew Knight Center
19 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
20 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
22 - Kelowna, BC - Prospera Place Arena
23 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
25 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
27 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
29 - Winnipeg, MB - Canada Life Center
31 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center


November
1 - Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum
3 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boiling Arena
4 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Coliseum
6 - Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
7 - Allentown, PA - PPL Center
10 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
13 - Manchester, NH - SNHU Arena
15 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
16 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
19 - Montreal, QC - Bell Center
20 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
21 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena

After their latest, chart-topping album, Invincible (available here), that entered a phenomenal #1 in the Swiss album charts, Shakra return with a thundering encore. The Swiss hard rockers are hitting the gas pedal with their new single, "What You See (And What You Don't)", blasting through with an attitude reminiscent of Mötley Crüe's glory days.


"We all know that phrase, ‘What you see is what you get.’ However, that's only half the truth because what you get also comes with what you don't see." The band comments. In a world where appearances often deceive, Shakra's new single offers a piercing look into the duality of reality.







Lyrics like "Every 'good' has its 'bad,' Even a joke can make you sad," serve as a haunting reminder that everything comes at a cost. With the powerful voice of frontman Mark Fox and the band's crisp riffs, the song will take you on a soul-searching journey to question what is genuine and what is illusory. "What you see and what you don’t is what you get," sings Fox, reminding us that life often comes with unwelcome surprises, and it's up to us to navigate through its complexities. So take a closer look, and then another, because all that glitters isn't always gold.





"You are invincible — You can achieve anything, not if you believe in it, but if you know it...and that makes you invincible!" That's the core message of the band's latest album offering, Invincible, that was lauded by both rock fans and critics alike. Released in June 2023 via AFM Records, Shakra have proved why they are not only invincible but belong to one of the most enthralling, powerful acts the hard and heavy rock scene has to offer.

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared a cover of fellow Swedes Europe's "Rock The Night", taken from the band's 1986 album, The Final Countdown. Check it out below.





Johansson has released A Tribute To The Moore, dedicated to music and guitar legend Gary Moore, via Spotify and Deezer. It is a compilation of covers Johansson has shared via YouTube over the past two years.




 Go to this location for the streaming links.





Tracklist:


"Over the Hills and Far Away"
"Wild Frontier"
"Nuclear Attack"
"The Loner"
"Out in the Fields"
"Murder in the Skies"
"Thunder Rising"
"Running from the Storm"
"After the War"
"Empty Rooms"
"Emerald"

Triptykon, founded by Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost, Hellhammer), performed on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at  Bloodstock Open Air 2023. Organizers have shared pro-shot video of the band performing the Celtic Frost classic, "Circle Of The Tyrants". Check it out below.





Triptykon also performed a full set of Celtic Frost classics at Rock Hard Festival 2023 on May 26. You can now watch pro-shot video of the full set below.




The setlist was as follows:


"Into The Crypts Of Rays"
"Visions Of Mortality"
"Dethroned Emperor"
"Morbid Tales"
"Procreation (Of The Wicked)"
"Return To The Eve"
"Nocturnal Fear"
"Circle Of The Tyrants"
"Visual Aggression"
"Suicidal Winds"
"The Usurper"
"Jewel Throne"
"Dawn Of Megiddo"
"(Beyond The) North Winds"
"Necromantical Screams"

Recorded in early 2023 at the band’s biggest Dutch headline show to date, Live At The AFAS Live captures the electrifying stage energy of symphonic metal titans Epica with some of their biggest hits.





Released today on all digital platforms, this will be the final sign of life before the band returns to the studio to write their new album. Stream the full EP on all platforms now, here.




You can watch the live video for "Code Of Life" (Live At The AFAS Live) below.


Guitarist Isaac Delahaye comments: “It’s always a pleasure to play this fan-favorite track, and to take the crowd with us while we build up to the massive groove and have a headbang party together. Enjoy listening & watching 'Code Of Life' as performed earlier this year in Amsterdam!”





Watch "Beyond The Matrix" from the same show, below:





Epic have announced the vinyl reissue of 2012’s Requiem For The Indifferent on transparent red 2LP via Nuclear Blast on October 13. A 4K HD remastered video of “Storm The Sorrow” is available below. Head to epicamerch.com to pre-order.


Mark Jansen on the album—from over a decade ago: "This title refers to the end of an era. Mankind can no longer stick their head in the sand for the things that are happening around us. We are facing many challenges. There is an enormous tension between different religions and cultures, wars, natural disasters and a huge financial crisis, which is getting out of control. More than ever we will need each other to overcome these problems. As we are all connected; the universe, earth, nature, animals and human beings, this period in time will be the prelude to the end for those who still don't want to, or simply won't see it. A Requiem For The Indifferent but also a possibility for a new beginning with great new chances!"





Tracklisting:


Side A
“Karma – Prelude”
“Monopoly On Truth”
“Storm The Sorrow”
“Delirium”


Side B
“Internal Warfare”
“Requiem For The Indifferent”
“Anima – Interlude”
“Guilty Demeanor”


Side C
“Deep Water Horizon”
“Stay The Course”
“Deter The Tyrant Side”


Side D
“Avalanche”
“Serenade Of Self-Destruction”
“Nostalgia”
“Twin Flame (Regular Version)”


“Storm The Sorrow”:

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing's new band KK'S PRIEST kicked off its five-date U.K. headlining tour last night (Saturday, October 7) at O2 Institute in Birmingham. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows:

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

Encore:

15. Raise Your Fists
16. Strike Of The Viper (live debut)

The "Priests, Killers & Witches" tour will also visit London, Glasgow, Manchester and Nottingham. Special guest on all dates is former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno who is performing a full set of classics straight from the first two MAIDEN records, and opening up the bill is BURNING WITCHES.

KK'S PRIEST released its sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", in September via the Austrian rock and metal empire Napalm Records.

With "The Sinner Rides Again", the powerhouse heavy metal amalgamation of iconic JUDAS PRIEST alumni and Grammy Award-winning/nominated musicians Downing and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),double down on the ripping melodic force of their debut, which Metal Hammer U.K. dubbed "hugely enjoyable" and Metal Injection cited as boasting "catchy hooks and plenty of guitar wizardry". "The Sinner Rides Again" wields nine tracks of pure hellfire, produced and written by Downing and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen.

A haunting introduction of dual guitars carries the listener into the thundering "Sons Of The Sentinel", winding across a wasteland of burning riffs and a deftly dynamic guitar solo to kick off the record with relentless energy. The undeniably catchy anthem "Strike Of The Viper" proves itself as one of the album's most unforgettable tracks, before "Reap The Whirlwind" crashes in with a classic heavy metal power thrust of soaring leads, hair-raising harmonics and earworm vocal hooks. First single "One More Shot At Glory" raises its sword high, instantaneously calling for battle with its opening riff and beckoning verses. Heroic chants and unrelenting double bass set the stage for a galloping midsection as a spine-tingling guitar solo commands the song. Striding "Hymn 66" commands with sultry, slow and low metallic punches and a bluesy gait, while massive title track "The Sinner Rides Again" straddles balladic passages and sinister, head-bobbing choruses. Beginning with ominous bells, "Keeper Of The Graves" rounds the final bend of the album with roaring cascades and a dynamic performance from Owens, before charging "Pledge Your Souls" and rollercoaster closer epic "Wash Away Your Sins" rise as the final embers of a certified burner — proving itself as a must-hear metal album of the year by the greatest to ever perform the genre.

The immense and intricate art for "The Sinner Rides Again" was created by talented artist Andy Pilkington.

"Sermons Of The Sinner" was released in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

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

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

In a recent interview with Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk, Owens spoke about the sophomore album from KK'S PRIEST. He said: "It's really good too. I like it better [than the debut LP]. It's a little heavier, a little edgier on the vocals — and even music, I think."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two years ago, Downing said that he had no problems with fans making comparisons between PRIEST and KK'S PRIEST. "It's absolutely fine, because it's who I am and what I am and what I do and how I do it," he told Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda. "It's too late to change; I can't change. I can't go out and buy different guitars and different amplifiers and start to write differently and think differently. I have to do things the way that I like them to be done. And that's what I did in JUDAS PRIEST for all those years to the best of my ability. But even now that I don't have to consult with anyone else, really, then I feel a lot more freedom to be able to do this.

"I think I can do what I do better now than I did before, if that makes any sense," he continued. "Because I'm working and writing and putting things together for me — and, obviously, of course, the rest of the members in [KK'S PRIEST] as well. But I was on my own, for the most part, in the lockdown doing this. But there was a lot of things I wanted to say and get off my chest.

"The [KK'S PRIEST] album's full of emotions, sentiments and messages and also rejoicement. It's a lot of things, all in one package. And it was very important for me to be able to express myself through this album.

"I know that people will make comparisons, but that's fine. I either succeed or fail, like everyone else in life. But I'm a fan of this wonderful style of music, and if I like it, I'm hopefully sure that the fans will like it too. And I really hope they do. And I'm very much looking forward to the feedback from everybody all over the world.

"Towards the end for me in JUDAS PRIEST, it wasn't as energized as it was in former years, and I missed that. I remember the days when Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] used to come offstage and he used to empty his boots out, and the water — which was sweat — used to just pour out of the boots. And it was the same for all of us. It was like we ran a marathon or something. So, hopefully we deliver that up. So I'm looking forward to doing that. I'm definitely gonna do my best, put it that way."

In September 2021, Owens said that there was no competition between JUDAS PRIEST and KK'S PRIEST. "I don't think we look at it [like that]," he told The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn in an interview. "There's one JUDAS PRIEST. They're JUDAS PRIEST. If [K.K. and I] wanted to take that angle, we would have called [our new band] KK'S JUDAS PRIEST. But I think fans are happy 'cause they know they do have two things that are the same vein, and they have K.K. back. I went nowhere — I've been putting music out like crazy — but they have Ken and I back together again. So there's no competition. I mean, how awesome would it be if we do shows with them? I don't care. I really don't. I love the guys in PRIEST. Rob's [Halford, PRIEST singer] my idol. And Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist] and I are friends. But this isn't a competition. We're not trying to make it a competition or another JUDAS PRIEST. That's why we put an album out first; that was the difference. If we were trying to make it that, we would start touring right away, doing the back catalog."

Asked if KK'S PRIEST is really open to touring with JUDAS PRIEST, Tim said: "I'm open to anything. I've never burned bridges. From the sounds of it, it's never gonna happen. 'Cause it never happened with me. I tried to get BEYOND FEAR to support JUDAS PRIEST on tour. Wendy Dio was my manager, and they were, like, 'Absolutely not. You're not gonna support us.' But we're all friends. I mean, I'm speaking for me — I'm not speaking for Ken. But, yeah, listen, I always look at it as how much fans would love stuff. How cool would it be if that happened?"

JUDAS PRIEST was rejoined by guitarist Glenn Tipton on stage during the band's concert Saturday night (October 7) at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

As he has done a number of other times over the course of the last five and a half years, Tipton appeared with PRIEST for the encore, performing "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

After BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs" played as the intro to PRIEST's set, a graphic was displayed on the video screens announcing the band's upcoming album, "Invincible Shield", which is due in March 2024.

JUDAS PRIEST's setlist was as follows:

01. The Hellion / Electric Eye
02. Riding On The Wind
03. Heading Out To The Highway
04. Lightning Strike
05. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
06. The Sentinel
07. A Touch Of Evil
08. Turbo Lover
09. Firepower
10. Desert Plains
11. Rapid Fire
12. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
13. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
14. Painkiller

Encore:

15. Hell Bent For Leather
16. Metal Gods (with Glenn Tipton)
17. Breaking The Law (with Glenn Tipton)
18. Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton)

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's nine years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of JUDAS PRIEST's latest studio album, "Firepower". He was replaced by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

Last year, PRIEST singer Rob Halford told Metal Pilgrim that Glenn is "still actively involved with JUDAS PRIEST, a hundred percent. Andy is still standing in that spot for Glenn with Glenn's blessing… And my gratitude to Andy. It couldn't have happened in a better way, if you wanna try and make something good out of it. It was a really important day when Glenn said, 'I think it's probably best if I step to the side and maybe we should let Andy come in.' That was just a really beautiful act of selflessness. That's Glenn treasuring PRIEST and PRIEST's reputation, particularly in live concert more than anything else. So bless Glenn for that. And as a result, Andy stepped in and did amazing work on the 'Firepower' tour. And don't discount the fact that Glenncan show up. He plays the guitar differently, but there's no reason why Glenn can't show up and do some work. I mean, I've said to Glenn, 'Just walk out on stage and do that to everybody [flashes devil horns], and the people will just go fucking crazy, 'cause you are loved so much.'"

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 Richie Faulkner.

Photo courtesy of Eddie Trunk

Corey Taylor, lead singer and lyricist for SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR, recently paid a visit to Seton Hall's Pirate Radio, 89.5 FM WSOU. He is currently on the road supporting his latest album "CMF2", which was made available on September 15. On the air, Taylor talked to music director Patrick Ritter about his entire career, spanning multiple projects, albums, and groups. In between talking segments, WSOU played a selection of solo material, SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR and other music that has inspired Taylor. The full interview with music will be available on Spotify under "WSOU Interviews".

Taylor looked back on SLIPKNOT's "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses" album, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. Produced by Rick Rubin, "Vol. 3" features classic SLIPKNOT anthems like "Duality", "Pulse Of The Maggots", "Vermilion" and "Before I Forget", with the latter song winning the band a Grammy for "Best Metal Performance." Asked to name something SLIPKNOT did on that album that you wouldn't hear on a previous SLIPKNOT LP, Corey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man. Well, I mean, obviously the acoustic stuff that we did with songs like 'Circle' [and] 'Vermilion Pt. 2'. I mean, really diving… It was where we really started wearing our artistic side on our sleeve, because it was something that we knew that we could do and that we had done in the past, but we had never really been afforded the opportunity to do it. And we also knew that if we stayed just trying to out-heavy ourselves, we were going to turn into somebody who didn't sound honest, who didn't sound legit. Which is one of the reasons why we stopped and we said, 'We need to spread our boundaries out and we need to take this risk.' And people don't realize this, doing 'Vol. 3' was just as big a risk as making 'Iowa'. So, lyrically, sonically, creatively, we were able to kind of pull together, even though we were pulling apart at the seams at the time, and we created something that to this day is probably — other than some of my approaches at singing some of the songs, it's probably one of the best things I've ever done."

Taylor also addressed his previous comment that he was so disappointed in his vocal takes in the first few months of the recording process for "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses" that he thought about quitting. He said: "Well, it was largely because my alcoholism was really in full effect. I mean, yeah, it was brutal. It is hard for me to listen. And, of course, as an addict, you're blaming everybody but yourself. And once I got clean, I realized, I was, like, 'Man, I have to start from scratch.' And I did. And I slowly but surely started building my vocal takes and vocal passes back. But it was hard going, man. 'Cause people don't realize the damage that alcohol does to your voice. Plus, I was smoking, so it was a gnarly, gnarly time in my life."

Upon its release, "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" sold 243,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release to debut at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart. "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)" was the follow-up to "Iowa", which registered a first-week sales tally of more than 254,000 copies back in September 2001 to enter The Billboard 200 chart at No. 3.

Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings, "CMF2" was produced by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, AMON AMARTH),who also helmed STONE SOUR's 2017 LP "Hydrograd" as well as 2020's "CMFT".

Taylor began tracking the follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" LP in early January at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with Ruston. Joining Corey in the studio was the rest of his solo band — bassist Eliot Lorango, drummer Dustin Robert, along with guitarists Christian Martucci and Zach Throne.

In support of his new album, Taylor recently embarked on his 2023 tour featuring special guests WARGASM, OXYMORRONS and LUNA AURA on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 28-city tour kicked off on August 25 at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, making stops across the U.S in Detroit, Orlando, Dallas and more before the final headline show in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on October 5.

Atlanta, GA rock band, Blackberry Smoke, have debuted a new song, "Little Bit Crazy", in tandem with a UK & European tour announcement.


The new single was written by lead singer Charlie Starr and longtime collaborator Travis Meadows and the track comes with an official music video, which you can watch below.


Reflecting on the track, Starr shares: “It’s a rock and roll song about this fella and the girl who might be his undoing.”







"Little Bit Crazy" is the second song revealed from the band’s hotly anticipated new album, Be Right Here, which will is set for release on February 16 via 3 Legged Records/Thirty TigersPre-order/pre-save the album here.


The band have also announced the UK & EU leg of their international Be Right Here headline tour, set to hit these shores in September 2024. See below for full tour itinerary. Tickets for the new dates will be available on pre-sale starting Tuesday, October 10 at 10 AM, local time, with general on-sale following next Friday, October 13 at 10 AM, local time. Full details can be found at blackberrysmoke.com/tour.





UK/EU tour dates:


September
9 - Glasgow, U.K. - O2 Academy
10 - Edinburgh, U.K. - O2 Academy
12 - Manchester, U.K. - O2 Apollo
13 - Birmingham, U.K. - O2 Academy
14 - London, U.K. - Eventim Apollo
16 - Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
17 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13
18 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol
20 - Copenhagen, Denmark - VEGA
21 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
22 - Stockholm, Sweden - Annexet
24 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
25 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
26 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
28 - Paris, France - L’Olympia
29 - Cologne, Germany - E-Werk
30 - Zurich, Switzerland - Kauflauten


October
2 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz


Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), Be Right Here is a timely reminder to be present and live authentically. Across these ten tracks - a collection of their signature rock and roll anthems, Americana-leaning ballads and country rock jams - the band celebrates the simple joys of life, the fleeting moments and the little bits of luck found along the way.  


Reflecting on the project, Starr shares, “We always track live together, but this time we had all our amps and drums and everything in the same room. It’s just as natural and as real as possible. The last album was very raw too, but with this one I remember different times I would say, ‘I think we should redo that,’ and Dave was like, ‘No, leave it that way. That way it’s magical.'"


Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A and Cobb’s Georgia Mae in Savannah, the album features the band - Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals) and Brandon Still (keyboards) - alongside Preston Holcomb (drums) and Benji Shanks (guitar), as well as special guest vocals from The Black Bettys.


Throughout their prolific career, Blackberry Smoke has released seven studio albums including 2021’s You Hear Georgia, which celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band.


In addition to their studio albums, they have released several other projects such as their EPs Stoned, The Southern Ground Sessions and Live From Capricorn Studios as well as Homecoming: Live In Atlanta, a live album and concert film, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Album Sales chart.  


Since forming in 2001, Blackberry Smoke has continued to tour relentlessly, building a strong and loyal community of fans. In addition to their work as musicians, the band is deeply committed to charitable work and formed the Lana Turner Foundation, a non-profit supporting several national foundations committed to curing children’s cancer. With these efforts, the band has raised over $1,000,000 to date benefitting children’s cancer research.  





Be Right Here tracklisting;


"Dig A Hole"
"Hammer And The Nail"
"Like It Was Yesterday"
"Be So Lucky"
"Azalea"
"Don’t Mind If I Do"
"Whatcha Know Good"
"Other Side of the Light"
"Little Bit Crazy"
"Barefoot Angel"


"Dig A Hole" video:





Blackberry Smoke are:


Charlie Starr - Lead vocals/Guitar
Paul Jackson - Guitar/B.vox
Richard Turner - Bass/B.vox
Brandon Still - Keyboards
Brit Turner - Drums/Percussion
Benji Shanks - Guitar
Preston Holcomb - Percussion

FOO FIGHTERS were joined by Shania Twain for a performance of the song "Best Of You" during the band's set at Austin City Limits Saturday night (October 7).

Twain, who played earlier in the day at Austin City Limits, came up on stage during FOO FIGHTERS' headlining performance to duet with Dave Grohl on the track, which was originally released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, 2005's "In Your Honor".

Video of Shania's appearance can be seen below.

Last week, FOO FIGHTERS confirmed a massive run of summer 2024 U.S. stadium dates. The newly announced leg of the "Everything Or Nothing At All" tour will kick off with the band's return to New York's Citi Field for the first time since 2015 for a July 17 and 19 doubleheader and will see FOO FIGHTERS host 12 rock 'n' roll marathons at 10 stadiums, including a pair of shows August 9 and 11 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

FOO FIGHTERS' 2024 stadium dates will mark the band's biggest U.S. headline shows since the June 2 release of their universally acclaimed 11th album, "But Here We Are", which has landed on the mid-year best of lists of Alternative Press, Consequence, Entertainment Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Loudwire and Uproxx, among others, while generating some of the most positive critical notes in FOO FIGHTERS history.

Support on the various dates will come from PRETENDERS, THE HIVES, MAMMOTH WVH, AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS, ALEX G and L7.

FOO FIGHTERS' brand new album, "But Here We Are", unanimously hailed as one of the band's strongest to date, has become its tenth album to break the Top 10 of the US Album chart. "But Here We Are" also marks FOO FIGHTERS' sixth U.K. No. 1, ninth Australian No. 1, with additional No. 1 spots in Switzerland and New Zealand, and Top 5 debuts in nearly a dozen more territories.

Released June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records, "But Here We Are" landed at No. 8 in its first week on the Billboard 200, while entering at No. 1 on the Alternative and Hard Rock album sales charts. The new album's Top 10 debut continues a trend that began with the back to back Top 10 positions achieved by "The Colour And The Shape" (1997) and "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" (1999),and has since included the No. 1-charting "Wasting Light" (2011) and "Concrete And Gold" (2017),as well as the Top 3 placings of "One By One" (2002),"In Your Honor" (2005),"Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" (2007),"Sonic Highways" (2014) and "Medicine At Midnight" (2021).

FOO FIGHTERS played their first official concert with new touring drummer Josh Freese on May 24 at Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire.

Freese was most recently drumming for Danny Elfman but was recently replaced by Ilan Rubin. Freese was also touring with THE OFFSPRING up until last year, with former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES drummer Brandon Pertzborn stepping in to officially replace him.

Freese replaces longtime FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, who tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Freese previously played with the FOO FIGHTERS at the tribute concerts to Hawkins in 2022.

Freese is a veteran session drummer who has performed with GUNS N' ROSES, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUDDLE OF MUDD, NINE INCH NAILS, WEEZER, PARAMORE, THE REPLACEMENTS, Sting and THE VANDALS, among many others. He has also played more than 300 recordings ranging in genres from pop to rock to country.

After existing as a band for over 18 years, Carnifex continue to experiment with fresh song arrangements, and adding a unique sense of atmosphere to their inherently deathcore foundation. Nourished by nightmares and the throbbing pulse of pragmatic terror, Carnifex return with their ninth full-length studio album, Necromanteum, which is out today via Nuclear Blast Records. Accompanying the release, the band delivers the track video for the single, “Infinite Night Terror”.


Carnifex's Scott Ian Lewis comments, "This record is for the fans, I hope they enjoy it."







The recording process took place over the course of several weeks with producer Jason Suecof in Florida, and saw the return of live drums since COVID-19 restrictions made doing so on Graveside Confessions impossible. Mastered by Mark Lewis in Nashville, TN, the album was also co-produced by vocalist Scott Ian Lewis and drummer Shawn Cameron. The cover artwork glows with an emerald and lavender fog; a ghostly energy erupting from the depths of a cemetery. Designed by renowned comic book artist E.M. Gist, this gateway represents the questions we ask about what lies on the other side of reality.


Decades ago, wealthy intellectuals began installing psychomanteum in their homes; a secret room completely filled with mirrors, or a single mirror, and in complete darkness, in order to speak to the dead in other dimensions, and gain their knowledge. It was often used as a healing tool to help dissolve grief or considered a form of prophecy. Necromanteum presents the concept: what if you could use that kind of room to speak with death, itself? What secrets of the world could you uncover from a direct conversation with the grim reaper? Not a monster, but a fellow intellect.





Necromanteum is available digitally and in the following formats:


- CD Jewel
- Vinyl (Neon Green w/ Purple Splatter)


Order here.





Necromanteum tracklisting:


"Torn In Two"
"Death's Forgotten Children"
"Necromanteum"
"Crowned In Everblack"
"The Pathless Forest"
"How The Knife Gets Twisted"
"Architect Of Misanthropy"
"Infinite Night Terror"
"Bleed More"
"Heaven And Hell All At Once"


"Death's Forgotten Children" visualizer:





"Necromanteum" video:

AC/DC played its first show in seven years Saturday night (October 7) at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

The legendary hard rockers ran through a 24-song set to close out day two of the three-day event at Empire Polo Club.

AC/DC's performance marked the first time the band opened its set with "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)". The concert also included live debuts for two tracks from 2020's "Power Up" album, "Demon Fire" and "Shot In The Dark".

AC/DC's setlist was as follows:

01. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
02. Back In Black
03. Demon Fire (Live Debut)
04. Shot Down In Flames
05. Thunderstruck
06. Have A Drink On Me
07. Hells Bells
08. Shot In The Dark (Live Debut)
09. Stiff Upper Lip (First Time Since 2003)
10. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. Sin City
13. Givin The Dog A Bone
14. Rock 'N' Roll Train
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. Dog Eat Dog (first performance with Brian Johnson since 2009)
17. High Voltage
18 Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
19. Riff Raff (first performance with Brian Johnson since 1996)
20. Highway To Hell
21. Whole Lotta Rosie
22. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

23. T.N.T.
24. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC recruited drummer Matt Laug to perform with the band at Power Trip.

The 55-year-old Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.

In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

In its announcement, AC/DC offered no explanation for the absence of the band's longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

During an appearance on a November 2020 episode of Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, Rudd confirmed that the seed for his return to AC/DC was planted at the funeral of AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017. Rudd, singer Brian Johnson and bassist Cliff Williams all attended the ceremony. At the time, the three musicians were considered former members of AC/DC, with Johnson and Williams both having left in 2016 for health reasons, while Rudd was sidelined in 2015 with various legal issues.

"Angus and I had a good chat at Mal's funeral and caught up," Rudd recalled. "[After I played on the 'Rock Or Bust' record] there was crazy shit going on, but since then, I'd got my shit together and put a little band together, I went to Europe and was doing a bit of playing and stuff and did [a solo] album. The guys knew I was still playing, so when I caught up with Angus at the funeral, we were sort of chatting away and somehow, he just sort of [asked me] if I was up for [doing a new AC/DC] album. And he started writing the next day. He went in the studio and started writing straight away."

Angus told Rolling Stone that it was indeed Malcolm's funeral that helped heal old wounds.

"[Phil] was there and in good shape," the guitarist said. "He was keeping himself well together. He was getting therapy and sorting himself out. It was really good."

Johnson added that he and the rest of AC/DC welcomed Rudd with open arms. "I speak for all the boys with Phil," he said. "We defend Phil to the hilt. What happened up there, that's not the Phil we know. That was just something else. He's really looking brilliant now and doing everything great."

AC/DC postponed the last 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss." The band went on to complete the European and North American legs of its "Rock Or Bust" tour with GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist." At the time, Johnson had been AC/DC's singer for 36 years, ever since replacing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the classic "Back In Black" album.

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

Ambrose, who invented the wireless in-ear monitors that are widely used by touring artists today, claimed to have invented a new type of ear-bud that would allow Johnson to perform without causing further damage to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and "miniaturizing" the equipment, Johnson previously said the technology could allow him to tour again.

In a new interview with The Metal Voice, Steve "Lips" Kudlow of Canadian metallers ANVIL spoke about the band's touring plans in support of their recently completed 20th studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're not doing anything until the new album comes out. And that could be not till next summer. Yeah, and between November and, I guess, May or June, I'm gonna be getting a procedure done to my heart, which is… I've got this, um, I've got atrial fibrillation, which is not a good thing. They've gotta put a wire into a vein and then up into my heart and burn some nerve endings that are making my heart beat irregularly. And that's how they fix it. It's not open surgery or anything. It's like two hours out, you're out. But the thing is, it's a huge backlog in patients for it, because this is really, really common. And, of course, I'm a baby boomer and the hospital is packed with us. So, in any case, that's what I'm gonna be doing probably in November or December. And then, after that's done, I'm gonna probably begin writing for the next album, album 21. And by the time that we go out on tour for the newest album that I just finished, like the last time, I'll have another new album already written. It's a cycle."

Earlier in the chat, Lips touched upon his health while discussing the possibility of ANVIL recording more studio albums after the arrival of the band's upcoming 20th effort. He said: "I'm fucking 67. I've got heart problems. I don't know how much longer I've got. Life has a beginning, middle and end. That's the way it works for everybody. No one gets out alive."

According to Weill Cornell Medicine atrial fibrillation is caused by irregularities in the transmission of electrical impulses through the heart. As a result, the heart is not able to pump blood effectively, which can cause blood to pool and form clots. People with atrial fibrillation have an increased risk of stroke, congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy.

Atrial fibrillation (AF),the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affects approximately three to six million people in the United States.

ANVIL's upcoming LP was recorded with longtime producer Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer and Jörg Uken at Uken's Soundlodge studios in Germany. The same production team was responsible for ANVIL's last four albums, "Anvil Is Anvil" (2016),"Pounding The Pavement" (2018),"Legal At Last" (2019) and "Impact Is Imminent" (2022).

This past January, MVD Marquee Collection released the "Ultimate Edition" Blu-ray and "Standard Edition" DVD of ANVIL's acclaimed documentary, "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil". The new version of the film features remastered picture and sound, as well as a new exclusive epilogue interview with director Sacha Gervasi and ANVIL frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Reiner moderated by former MTV host Matt Pinfield.

The remastered "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil" received its premiere in conjunction with Beyond Fest in September 2022 in Los Angeles at the Saban Theater, where ANVIL also performed. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with Kudlow, Reiner, producer Rebecca Yeldham and Gervasi, moderated by Steve-O from "Jackass".

Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD have released the 80-minute documentary "Making Of: Omens" to a wide audience for the first time via YouTube. October 7 is the literal one-year mark for LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "Omens", and last year the documentary was released in a limited capacity on-demand during release month to fans who purchased viewing tickets and/or vinyl/CD bundles.

"Omens" was the follow-up to LAMB OF GOD's self-titled album, which arrived in June 2020. That effort marked LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with drummer Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.

In August 2022, LAMB OF GOD bassist John Campbell told Germany's EMP that "Omens" is "a fairly dynamic record. There's a few other little surprises and tweaks," he said. "But we recorded it differently this time. We went to Los Angeles and all of us in the same room and same time recording, which gave us some leeway to make changes as things happened and just kind of feel it out in a different way than we've done in the past, which would be everybody kind of going in their corner recording and it gets assembled later. So it was a real team effort on this one, in the recording — all the way through it's been a team effort — and in the recording especially, when we were all in the same room doing that stuff, it was great. I got to spend three and a half weeks working on a record instead of four or five days — working on the recording of the record."

Also in August of last year, Campbell was asked by Knotfest what led to the decision to record "Omens" live in the studio. John responded: "Well, we've been doing this so fucking long, we had to do something different. I believe that was [producer] Josh Wilbur's idea to do that. I know he had a great place worked out to do that in. And we had just kind of been doing it the same way over and over and over again, and we were looking to get a little more excitement into it and maybe see if that couldn't produce a different feel on the record."

February 23, 2024 will see German thrash metal force DUST BOLT release their much-awaited, fifth studio album, Sound & Fury, through AFM Records.

Following previously-released, first singles, "I Witness" and the thunderous album title track, the Bavarian four-piece has unleashed another new album banger! As vocalist & guitarist Lenny Bruce, who also produced and recorded the new album, promises: "New Flame is a high-energy thrasher anthem packing a punch with its straightforward yet deceptively intricate riff. Or as our bassist, Exx Tom, puts it: This is our thrash summer jam! So grab your skateboards, bikes, and surfboards, and let's hit the streets with New Flame, ready to kick some serious butt. This track embodies the spirit of embracing the new, staying open to fresh ideas, and embracing the positive side of change. All within the relentless realm of Thrash Metal. So, let's ignite that new flame and keep the fire burning eternally. We gotta move it on!“

Watch the new DUST BOLT lyric video for "New Flame" below.

Sound & Fury track listing:

01. Leave Nothing Behind

02. I Witness

03. I am the One

04. New Flame

05. Burning Pieces

06. Sound and Fury

07. Love & Reality

08. Bluedeep

09. Disco Nnection

10. You Make Me Feel (Nothing)

11. Feel the Storm

12. Little Stone

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST will release their new studio album, "Invincible Shield", on March 8, 2024 via Sony Music.

The release date for PRIEST's follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" was announced earlier today (Saturday, October 7) during the band's performance at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

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

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

To pre-order "Invincible Shield", visit shop.judaspriest.com.

This past June, PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the band's new album was "sounding great. I was in Phoenix with [producer and touring guitarist] Andy Sneap and Rob a few weeks ago, putting the vocals down," he said. "And it's always exciting to hear new PRIEST tracks, because they become PRIEST tracks when Rob sings them. It's, like, the world hasn't heard them yet, but there's new PRIEST tracks that we're hearing for the first time. It's really exciting, hearing that characteristic voice that we've heard for decades singing new stuff. It's an incredibly exciting thing, so I can't wait for the world to hear it all."

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Faulkner said: "There are definitely a few more twists and turns on this record. There are a few more musical parts. So, there might be a bit of... As I said, there are twists and turns. I've used the word 'progressive' before, and the Internet ripped me a new asshole. But it is progressive in the sense that it's not like verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-finish. It's musical part-verse-musical part. It might do a few twists and turns, musically. It veers from the path of it, a bit like 'Sinner' or 'Tyrant' or something like that. So, it's a bit more '70s PRIEST, which I welcome as a guitar player… It's '70s PRIEST, but it's not a retro album, by any means. It's the influence of '70s PRIEST in the progressive sense, but it sounds like PRIEST in 2023."

He added: "Every PRIEST album has kind of stood on its own, stylistically. It's had that DNA of JUDAS PRIEST, because the characters are so strong. But it's always been a little bit different — retaining that DNA but having its own character. So, this one's no different, really, in the sense that it's obviously JUDAS PRIEST, but it's its own animal; it stands on its own two legs."

Last November, Faulkner told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that some PRIEST fans misconstrued his previous comments about the musical direction of the band's upcoming LP. He said: "I think we've used the word 'progressive', and everyone thinks it's gonna become 'Nostradamus' [PRIEST's controversial 2008 symphonic heavy metal concept double album about Nostradamus], or RUSH, which is two different things. I've definitely used the word 'progressive' [to describe the new PRIEST material in previous interviews], purely because it's got a few musical turnarounds that 'Firepower' doesn't have. But that doesn't make it a RUSH record. It just makes it — instead of, like, a verse into a bridge into a chorus, there might be a couple of more musical passages in there to make it a bit more… interesting; might be the wrong word. I don't know. You've gotta be careful with the words you use these days. So it's not 'Firepower 2', but it's the same band a few years later, so there's obvious connections to the last record. But it's not 'Firepower 2' by any means."

Richie continued: "No PRIEST records have sounded the same, but it's got a common DNA. And you always try and make the next one sound a bit better — or whatever 'better' may be; 'better' is subjective. So, is it better written? Are the lyrics better? Does it sound better? And 'better' is always subjective. So it's hard to pinpoint, really. But it's a bit more of a musical adventure than the last one, I'd say. But then again someone might listen to it, when it does come out, and have a totally different interpretation of what it is. So it's always tough to sum up your own music without sounding up your own butt."

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 will 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."

Also in February 2022, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on."

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn 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:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Judas Priest (@judaspriest)

In a new interview with Los Angeles Times, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich addressed the fact that he and his bandmates never allow fan criticism to drive their decisions, especially when it comes to musical matters. "No, it's pretty much been like that since the beginning," he said. "When we started off, the kind of music we were doing didn't fit into what was going on on the Sunset Strip in 1982. Everyone disregarded us. When the intro of 'Fade To Black' played on the 'Ride The Lightning' album [in 1984] there was a whole shit storm about how dare we have an acoustic guitar on a so-called thrash metal album. It's been like that for 40-plus years.

"We've always charted our own course," he explained. "We all lived in this world that was not accepted by the mainstream. We were all just looking for something to belong to. Being an only child, I didn't have anything to hang on to. So being in a band, being with James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman], being part of a scene of like-minded outcasts and misfits gave me a sense of belonging and a sense of identity. My path will be forever tied to METALLICA's path. It's the only path that I've ever been on."

Ulrich also talked about his band's participation in the upcoming Power Trip festival, which will take place this weekend at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The historic three-day event set for October 6, 7 and 8 will bring together six iconic bands that define loud and powerful music: GUNS N' ROSES and IRON MAIDEN (Friday, October 6),AC/DC and JUDAS PRIEST (Saturday, October 7) and METALLICA and TOOL (Sunday, October 8).

"We love all five of the other bands," he said. "I saw AC/DC back in Copenhagen in 1977 for the first time; we did a whole tour with them in Europe in 1991. I fell in love with GUNS N' ROSES five seconds after I heard 'Mr. Brownstone' for the first time on KNAC before the [1987 debut] album came out. We played shows with IRON MAIDEN in the '80s. We played shows with JUDAS PRIEST. We played shows with TOOL all over the place. Obviously, AC/DC, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST were huge influences. Those three bands are a significant part of the reason that we wanted to be in a band. So to get everybody together in the same space is a bit awe-inspiring."

JUDAS PRIEST was added to the Power Trip lineup in July in the slot originally reserved for Ozzy Osbourne.

This past July, Ozzy canceled his appearance at Power Trip due to his ongoing health issues.

Power Trip will mark AC/DC's first concert since September 2016, when the band concluded a run of U.S. dates with GUNS N' ROSES' Axl Rose on vocals while frontman Brian Johnson recovered from hearing loss.

METALLICA previously performed at the Empire Polo Grounds in 2011 as part of the West Coast installment of the "Big Four" event, also featuring ANTHRAX, MEGADETH and SLAYER.

The similarly named Desert Trip festival was held in 2016 and featured performances by THE ROLLING STONES, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and THE WHO. That event was reportedly the single most lucrative music festival in American history, having grossed $160 million.

This unique night-time desert setting with unmatched concert production will amplify the experience beyond the traditional stadium or parking lot concert norm with three double-billed headlining performances. This is the most rocking lineup to ever perform in an unparalleled location for heavy music audiences looking for an unforgettable weekend escape.

Three-day General Admission tickets start at $599 plus fees, or turn the volume up with The Pit, Reserved Floor, Grandstand Seating options, and various VIP packages. More information is available on powertrip.live.

METALLICA completed the first North American swing of "M72" world tour September 9 in Glendale, Arizona. The band will play Power Trip before "M72" resumes with its next "No Repeat Weekend" taking place November 3 and 5 at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", sold 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked the band's 12th Top 10-charting album, of which eight have reached the top two.

"72 Seasons" had the biggest week for any rock or hard rock album since TOOL's "Fear Inoculum" arrived in September 2019 with 270,000 equivalent album units.

Photo credit: Tim Saccenti

In a new interview with Germany's Moshpit Passion, PRONG mainman Tommy Victor explained why he doesn't voice his political opinions publicly nowadays. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I try to keep my mouth shut these days for sure. So that's my rule… I just don't wanna be labeled anything. People have very quick and easy interpretations of everybody and are very fast to generalize everybody and categorize everybody, and I don't want anything to do with it, really.

When the interviewer pointed out that fan chatter in a PRONG Facebook group appeared to be more civil and less focused on non-musical topics than is the case with a lot of other bands' social media followers, Tommy said: "Well, that really makes me feel good, because a lot of our fans are older, from a time when these things were secondary and friendships were more important. It's just a mature attitude about things. Of course the '60s was different, where there was people getting sent [to war]… That was a crucial time. Now, all this stuff today, it's, like, what are you complaining about? Back in the '60s, kids in America, boys were sent to war and dying at 19… drafted unwillingly. So we don't have that anymore. Now people complain about everything. I mean, it's, like, what is there really to be that unhappy about? The only thing I'm really unhappy about is the cost of things. Especially when you have kids, which I have three, to make ends meet with the way prices got crazy in America, just out of control overnight. That's why I'm, like… There is a conspiracy behind that a little bit, because overnight everything just got insane."

Back in July 2017, when PureGrainAudio played a fun game of "Metal Or Not?" with Victor, he was asked if then-U.S. president Donald Trump was "metal or not". Victor said: "Donald Trump is definitely metal: anti-establishment, not very politically correct, [and he] pisses a lot of people off."

Tommy previously told YELL! Magazine usually doesn't get that heavily political in his lyrics. He said: "[PRONG's] '[X -] No Absolutes' [album] had little tinges of it. What I do, I take a box and I'll throw a little bit of politics with spirituality and punk rock mentality into this collage and that's what the lyrics seem to come out. That makes it PRONG, that makes it different, but, obviously, there's been a lot to pick and choose from. But it's all fake news anyhow."

He continued: "It's amazing. This is a Canadian show, or web site, so I don't know how slanted the news is up here, but it's unbelievable in America, where just a change of the channels you get a completely different perspective on everything. It's all paid off by somebody. Somebody is putting these knuckleheads on television to say what the advertisers want and the people with the money behind it who want to get their agendas across. It's an absolute joke. That's a stimulus for a lot of the lyrics right there. On '[X -] No Absolutes', [the song] 'Cut And Dry', it's about that. You're told something, then you believe it, then something happens that's contrary to your belief and then you're like, 'What happened?' I was like 'Well, you're an idiot. You listened to this nonsense to begin with.'"

PRONG's thirteenth studio album, "State Of Emergency", will arrive on October 6 via Steamhammer/SPV.

"State Of Emergency" is a furious tableau of East Coast aggression, enveloped in that classic PRONG sound that never goes out of 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.

The album closes with a cover of "Working Man", originally written and recorded by the legendary RUSH.

During an appearance on today's (Tuesday, October 3) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", EUROPE frontman Joey Tempest spoke about the band's recently released new single "Hold Your Head Up". "We went into the studio about a few months ago and recorded one new song," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And over the pandemic, there was some extra time. I managed to get some really good ideas down and everybody loved this idea. So we hooked up with GHOST producer Klas Åhlund. And we managed to record this in between shows, and it turned out really, really good. And, yeah, it's just come out and it feels kind of fresh. We like to stay fresh and try to be innovative and have fun with it."

Asked if he and his EUROPE bandmates plan to make a full record and whether "Hold Your Head Up" was primarily meant as a way to test a new producer, Joey said: "We wanted to check out Klas, obviously. Whether we're gonna work with him or not, we're discussing, but yes, we are throwing ideas around. We have some great ideas and yes, we will make a new album. But this was something we wanted to have out now, because we have a documentary coming out as well [chronicling our entire history] from [the early days in] the suburbs of Stockholm out to the world. We found some old VHS tapes from — I think some of it's from San Francisco as well when we recorded 'The Final Countdown', in the studio with [producer] Kevin [Elson], and the hotel rooms in Japan, when we were very young and backstage from '83, '84. And we managed to put this documentary together with — people from GHOST are in it, Benny Andersson from ABBA's in it, talking, and we're just honored that people wanted to take part in this documentary. It's coming out beginning of next year, so we wanted this song to be part of that documentary. That was also part of the plan. And this 40th-anniversary tour we're doing. We were lucky getting this song together because it seems like it has some legs, so we're happy… But we do have some really great songs cooking. Obviously, 'Hold Your Head Up' will be on there as well. So, yeah, we're right now in the middle of touring. And then beginning of next year, we'll be in the studio again and doing some new ones."

EUROPE performed "Hold Your Head Up" live for the first time this past Saturday (September 30) at Salle Métropole in Lausanne, Switzerland. The track, which is described by the band as "a punchy uptempo rocker with reminiscent elements of early EUROPE," was recorded in August at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with Åhlund and was mixed by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, DEF LEPPARD),who also mixed EUROPE's "Secret Society" album. The song, which was made available to stream and download on September 29 across all reputable digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, Pandora and YouTube Music, will serve as a precursor to EUROPE's twelfth studio album, to be recorded in 2024 and released in late 2024 or early 2025.

The "Hold Your Head Up" video offers a glimpse into the brand-new documentary that the band have been busy filming with producer/director Craig Hooper (DEEP PURPLE, SAXON) for Coolhead Productions simply titled "Europe - The Movie". The film will tell the story of the band, from formation until present day, telling of their rise to success in the mid-1980s, through hard times and heartache, to coming back in the millennium, and the current successes the band has achieved. This is set for release in early 2024.

EUROPE is currently undertaking a "Time Capsule" tour which includes 21 concerts across Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, The Netherlands, and the U.K., including two nights at the famous London Palladium. These anniversary shows will consist of a career retrospective "evening with" performance featuring all the hits together with deep cuts and fan favorites from all of their 11 studio albums.

EUROPE's latest album, "Walk The Earth", was released in October 2017 via Hell & Back Recordings (Silver Lining Music). It was recorded at famed Abbey Road Studios in London with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton).

"Hold Your Head Up" in Lausanne - september 30, 2023

"Hold Your Head Up"
Lausanne (Switzerland) - Salle Métropole - September 30, 2023

Video by Stefania Morese

#europetheband #europebandcorner #timecapsuletour #holdyourheadup

Posted by Europe Fan Media Corner on Sunday, October 1, 2023

In a new interview with Metal Mayhem ROC, Shawn Drover, who spent a decade as the drummer of MEGADETH, reflected on his experience playing in the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, yeah, what can I say? It was a great experience overall. I have nothing but good things to say about that whole experience. And I got to establish tons of great friendships with musicians in other bands over the years that I still have to this day. And you just learn a lot playing in a band that is that big. The whole experience, to me, was really positive and I learned quickly what to do and what not to do, what my job entails and all that kind of stuff."

He continued: "Dave takes that camp very seriously — I would say almost military style with his execution. It's always been like that. And I took that very seriously as well. So we were always on the same page in many ways. I just have so many career highlights, it would take an hour to go through them."

Two months ago, Drover addressed Mustaine's reputation as one of the most divisive personalities in metal. Asked by Canada's The Metal Voice why he thinks the MEGADETH leader is so frequently portrayed in such a negative light, Shawn said: "I think some of it may be from his political viewpoints at any given time. You know how that goes — politics and religion can definitely rub people the wrong way. That's certainly, I would say, maybe part of it. Which I never had any comment of any sort on any of that stuff."

Shawn, who is currently promoting the debut album from his WITHERING SCORN project, continued: "Who knows? There's always Monday-morning quarterbacks that talk shit about something. And a lot of it gets thrown out of context. Something I'll say on here I'm sure will be on a web site, saying, 'Shawn said this.' It's just to create a headline. It's clickbait, they call it. It's just music, man."

Shawn's latest comments are similar to those he made back in November 2017 during an interview with the "Talking Metal" podcast. At that time, he said: "I have nothing bad to say at all about [MEGADETH]. Dave Mustaine gave me a career, and I'll always be thankful to him for that. I was very good friends with him for 10 years, and at a certain point, I just wanted to move on and express my own musical vision and do the things I wanted to do before I got too old. I'm not a spring chicken, so I just started to think, If I want to do something, the clock's ticking here… But I have nothing but good things to say about that camp. Dave gave me a career, and I have nothing but good things to say about him and the entire organization. I wish them the best."

Drover quit MEGADETH in November 2014 "to pursue [his] own musical interests", according to a statement he released at the time. Later that same day, MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick announced his departure from the group, saying that he was exiting the band "due to artistic and musical differences." The duo later launched an act called ACT OF DEFIANCE with ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and bassist Matt Bachand (SHADOWS FALL).

In a September 2015 interview with Sticks For Stones, Shawn talked about his working relationship with Mustaine and whether personal differences played a part in his decision to quit MEGADETH. He said: "I never had an issue with [Dave] whatsoever. I always thought we got along very well, and I knew my role in the band. And that's a big part of joining a band like that. If you don't know your role and think that you can walk into a situation… to an established band and think that you can be an equal partner or something foolish like that, that would be just that: it would be quite foolish. I walked into the situation knowing what my role was, and I respected the legacy of the band and just tried to do the best that I could. So it actually was quite easy. I got along with him very well. I got along with everybody very well. But I was smart enough to know what the situation was, and never thinking, 'Oh, I'll get my songs on the next record.' It was never like that. I respected the legacy of the band and [tried] to uphold that to the best of my ability, no matter who… whatever lineup was in the band at the time, I just did my job. But at the end of the day, I left the band — I was not fired; I left. So it was just purely a musical… I wanted to write heavier music, and that's what I did [with ACT OF DEFIANCE]."

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

In addition to Shawn, WITHERING SCORN features his brother, and fellow ex-MEGADETH member, Glen Drover, along with former FATES WARNING bassist Joe DiBiase and German singer Henning Basse, who has previously played with FIREWIND, METALIUM and MAYAN.

WITHERING SCORN's debut album, "Prophets Of Demise", was released on July 7 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In a new interview with the FM99 WNOR radio station, SALIVA singer Bobby Amaru spoke about the band's decision to carry on following the March 2023 passing of SALIVA founding guitarist Wayne Swinny. Bobby said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Wayne] was one of those guys, if you knew him, his personality was just large. And there's no way that he would've wanted it any other way. That's just how he was. He would always — he would talk to me about things like that. Like, 'Hey, if something happens, man, you've gotta keep doing this. Don't stop because of me or something.'"

He added: "But we love the guy. We miss the guy very much. He was a huge part of this band and brand and always will be."

Last month, SALIVA released the official music video for the song "Come Back Stronger". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Revelation", which came out on September 8. It marks the band's first release since the passing of Swinny, who died while on tour with the group.

The "Come Back Stronger" video was notably filmed on March 16, 2023 — just five days before Swinny's death — and is dedicated to the fallen guitarist.

On March 22, SALIVA shared a statement on Facebook in which the band said that Swinny had been found that morning "in medical distress." Paramedics were called and the musician was transported to hospital "where he was diagnosed with a Spontaneous Hemorrhage in his brain."

SALIVA was on the road in the U.S. as part of the "Spring Mayhem" tour with THROUGH FIRE and ANY GIVEN SIN and had played in Warrendale, Pennsylvania on March 21.

When "Revelation" was first announced in July, Amaru said in a statement: "We started working on this record in 2020 during the pandemic shutdown. I felt like we had to get outside of the box with this one.

"I've been sober almost five years now and there are many songs on this record that are a reflection of it. I just wanted to connect with the listener and pull them into what I was dealing with but also shed some light on overcoming personal adversity.

"With the passing of Wayne in March, I felt lost. Where do I go? I knew we had this record we were all stoked about. Wayne's influence is all over these songs and, in my opinion, his playing on this album is next level. It's the only right thing to do to honor him and all our hard work and release it. I just want to share with the world what we have worked on the last three-plus years."

SALIVA has teamed up with DROWNING POOL, ADELITAS WAY and ANY GIVEN SIN for the "SNAFU Le Tour 2023" in September and October.

SALIVA launched its career in 2001 with the release of "Every Six Seconds", a double-platinum selling album with hits that include "Click, Click Boom" and "Your Disease".

The band has toured the U.S. with SEVENDUST, AEROSMITH and KISS.

SALIVA reunited with original singer Josey Scott for a one-off appearance at last year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA's last five releases: "In It To Win It" (2013),"Rise Up" (2014),"Love, Lies & Therapy" (2016),"10 Lives" (2018) and the aforementioned "Revelation".

SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, "Your Disease".

In May 2021, SALIVA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, "Every Six Seconds", with a special project called "Every Twenty Years", an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru.

In a new interview with "The Garza Podcast", hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza, OTEP frontwoman Otep Shamaya spoke about how she deals with online trolls. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't even read YouTube comments. Nope. Or Blabbermouth. Yeah, I don't read [any comments] there either. I just feel, like, 'Who are you people? 'Cause I'll have people tell me, like, this, this, this and this about a band. And I'm, like, 'What band are you in?' 'Oh, I don't have one.' 'Okay. Start a band in this climate, start a band and write 10 songs… You write 10 songs, show me how it's done. Go out, have a 20-year career, write nine albums worth of material… And then I'll listen to your point of view. But until then…' It's like you're telling me the sky's purple. It's not, so I don't care. It doesn't really bother me that much. Sometimes I'll go on… If I do go on to YouTube and people are being just rude or whatever, I'll just leave a little snide comment or something funny, just to fuck with them. And they lose their energy real quick after that."

She continued: "That's part of what you have to learn when you get into the music industry, is that you're gonna have critics, you're gonna have people who don't know anything about music, but have an opinion, and everybody has that. They used to call 'em armchair quarterbacks — people who never played football, but they wanna tell the coach how to coach the team or the quarterback who to throw to, and all that. You're always gonna have these people who think they know more than the people that actually do it. And like I said, it's like telling me that the sky's purple. It isn't. So, I'm not worried about it. Earth's not flat. I'm not worried about it, you know. It doesn't bother me. It used to, quite a bit. I used to think, like, 'What am I doing wrong?'"

OTEP released a new studio album, "The God Slayer", on September 15 via Cleopatra. The follow-up to 2018's "Kult 45" offers up a mix of inspired original tracks as well as transformative takes on chart-topping hits from a variety of influences, including pop, rap and grunge, by such artists as Eminem, Billie Eilish, SLIPKNOT, Lil Peep and Olivia Rodrigo.