Seminal New Wave of American Heavy Metal act God Forbid have announced a vinyl reissue of their 2005 groundbreaking conceptual album IV: Constitution of Treason on October 20. 


Anticipated and requested by fans, M-Theory Audio will issue proper vinyl release of this landmark and critically praised album. Housed in a gatefold jacket this 2LP set is further expanded with a 4-panel insert with liner notes from singer Byron Davis and personal pics, flyers, etc. reworked by original designer and A+R man Tom Bejgrowicz (Misfits, Beastie Boys, Bad Brains), plus the bonus track, “We Are No More.”


While the album is available from retailers worldwide October 20, preorders are available now here.







IV: Constitution Of Treason comes available as the retail 700 copy run on Ashes of Liberty splatter, or the mail-order/band direct variant format in a limited 300 copies on Dead, White and Blue colored vinyl.


"We are very proud to announce the release of God Forbid's IV: Constitution Of Treason on vinyl. Although there was a small picture disc pressing released almost 20 years ago, the fan's demand for vinyl is so much more passionate now,” states guitarist Doc Coyle. “Many consider Constitution the best God Forbid album, and I couldn't be happier to give everyone a chance to re-experience this classic album in the best way possible."


The concept behind the IV: Constitution of Treason album told the story of a futuristic society that destroys itself, reforms many years later, and eventually destroys itself again in the same way as originally. Produced by Jason Suecof (Trivium, All That Remains, Death Angel), Eric Rachel (Black Dahlia Murder, Municipal Waste, Symphony X), and guitarists Doc and Dallas Coyle the album was a significant undertaking. 


The statement was further visualized by the wraparound artwork of Travis Smith (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Overkill, Nevermore). God Forbid’s fourth full-length was the first to chart on the Billboard 200, and the band toured relentlessly in Europe and the US in support of this album with bands such as The Haunted, God Dethroned, Meshuggah, Mnemic, Full Blown Chaos, and more.


While God Forbid disbanded in 2013, a recent slate of reissues in recent years of Determination and Gone Forever prompted renewed interest in the band, as well as guitarist Doc Coyle’s success in Bad Wolves, leading to an invitation to reform for the Blue Ridge Festival, in addition to some headliners in the northeast. Next month God Forbid will go on a special run of shows in support of former labelmates Lacuna Coil, as well as their participation on the Headbangers Boat alongside names like Lamb of God, Mastodon, Testament, Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, GWAR and more.


Dates:


October
26 – Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live
28 – Destin, FL – Club LA
29 – St. Petersburg, FL – Janus Live
31-Nov 4 – Headbangers Boat

GOODNIGHT, TEXAS has released the official music video for its new single, "Runaways". The animated clip, which can be seen below, was produced by Sound and Vision Co. and features direction and animation by Aaron Caleb Eisenberg.

Instead of the thought-provoking, earthy blend of folk rock they're known for, the two singer-songwriters, Patrick Dyer Wolf and Avi Vinocur, have instead created a beast of a hard-rock song. Indelible riffs, thundering rhythms and a positively scorching lead guitar, from none other than metal giant and METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, prove that this band is not afraid to push their own musical boundaries.

"This is the hardest we've ever rocked on a recording," Patrick explains of the new single. "That's thanks in no small part to an actual and absolute vintage Kirk Hammett wah solo on his legendary Greeny guitar, about which I am self-pinching daily. The main riff of the song had been lurking in my drafts like a caged animal since our last album, and at some point in the past year we decided it was time to set it free."

He adds: "We're not abandoning our banjos and mandolins, and in fact, there's banjo in there; if you squint you can hear it. For now though, we're slinging double electrics, Scott traded brushes for drumsticks, Chris is grinding the low strings, and we have a metal legend coming in at the 2:25 mark."

"Runaways" is available on all digital and streaming platforms via 2 Cent Bank Check Records.

Recording credits:

Patrick Dyer Wolf - Lead vocal, guitar, electric piano, banjo
Avi Vinocur - Vocal, guitars
Chris Sugiura - Bass
Scott Padden - Drums
Kirk Hammett - Lead guitar

GOODNIGHT, TEXAS is a tough-to-define storytelling folk rock band whose strength lies in unexpected sweet spots. Drawing their name from Pat and Avi's onetime geographic midpoint (the real town of Goodnight in the State of Texas, a tiny hamlet east of Amarillo directly betwixt San Francisco, California and Chapel Hill, North Carolina),the five-piece band also exists at the center of its songwriters' contrasting styles — via a 1913 Gibson A mandolin and a 2015 Danelectro Baritone Guitar, at the crossroads of folk and blues and rock 'n' roll, in a place where dry wit and dark truths meet hope and utmost sincerity.

GOODNIGHT, TEXAS's fourth album, "How Long Will It Take Them To Die", was released in 2022.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

In the new video below, Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) performs his song "Breath Of Fresh Smoke", from his new CMF2 album, during an exclusive live acoustic session at Guitar World Studios in New York City.





Watch Taylor's performance of "Silverfish" from the same session:







CMF2, out now, is Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings. the album was produced by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, Amon Amarth), who also produced Stone Sour’s 2017 Hydrograd as well as Taylor’s solo debut release, CMFT.


The 13-track opus packs the energy, experimentation, and forthrightness that’s defined a career which has seen him sell more than 12 million albums with his Grammy Award-winning band Slipknot and several million with chart-toppers Stone Sour. Throughout CMF2, Taylor sings and plays lead and rhythm guitar, piano, and mandolin.


Order/save/add CMF2 here.





CMF2 tracklisting:


"The Box"
"Post Traumatic Blues"
"Talk Sick"
"Breath Of Fresh Smoke"
"Beyond"
"We Are The Rest"
"Midnight"
"Starmate"
"Sorry Me"
"Punchline"
"Someday I’ll Change Your Mind"
"All I Want Is Hate"
"Dead Flies"


"Sorry Me" video:





"Talk Sick" video:





"Post Traumatic Blues" lyric video:





"Beyond" video:





"We Are The Rest" video





In support of his new album, Taylor is out on his 2023 tour featuring special guests Wargasm and Luna Aura on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 28-city tour is making stops across the US before the final headline show in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on October 5.





Tour dates:


September
27 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel **
28 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre **
29 - Henderson, NV - The Dollar Loan Center ***


October
1 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues **
3 - Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Auditorium **
5 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern **
7 - Sacramento, CA - Discovery Park (Aftershock Festival) ***


** w/ Wargasm & Luna Aura
*** Festival / Radio show

With just five months until Christmas Day and the holiday season fast approaching, Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, author as well as founding member of hard rock bands ALTER BRIDGE, CREED and TREMONTI, Mark Tremonti has released the first song from his upcoming holiday album, "Christmas Classics New & Old". "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" is now available via all streaming partners and a holiday-themed visualizer can be seen below.

"Christmas Classics New & Old" is Mark's interpretation of nine holiday classics and one original penned song from the acclaimed songwriter himself. After the success of his interpretation of songs Frank Sinatra made famous on his album "Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra", Mark decided to partner up with the orchestra from that album to work on the holiday album. The album is scheduled for release worldwide on October 27 and is now available for pre-order at www.tremontichristmas.com.

From the opening horns of "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" to the slow fade of the Donny Hathaway classic "This Christmas", Tremonti showcases the music that was the bedrock of his childhood holidays. Mark's interpretations of songs like "Jingle Bells", "The First Noel" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" find their place among the many great versions that preceded them. "O Holy Night" is one of Mark's personal favorites and finds new life in the inspired arrangement by producer Carey Deadman. Mark also took the time to create his own holiday composition called "Christmas Morning". Piano twinkles as a marching band drum roll picks up the momentum. As if changing from black-and-white to technicolor, horns herald a wonderfully warm picture on the track's finale, "My lady and me will make sure our children believe in the glory of Christmas morning."

"Christmas Classics New & Old" will sit alongside the most cherished holiday albums and continues to showcase the musical diversity inside Tremonti. Music from the album will be released in the coming months and a teaser video for the holiday album can be seen below.

"Christmas Classics New & Old" track listing:

01. The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
02. Jingle Bells
03. The Christmas Song
04. Christmas Morning
05. The First Noel
06. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
07. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
08. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
09. O Holy Night
10. This Christmas

As a Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum musician, Tremonti's dynamic musical career spans influential bands from ALTER BRIDGE and CREED to his own TREMONTI, leaving an indelible imprint on hard rock with over 40 million albums sold, chart-topping debuts, countless television appearances and magazine covers, sold out arenas everywhere, and dozens of other accolades. To say he broadened his horizons with 2022's "Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra" might just be the understatement of the century though. He paid homage to 14 Sinatra classics backed by surviving members of Ol Blue Eyes' band in addition to a cadre of A-list session players. Right out of the gate, it incited widespread audience and tastemaker applause. Beyond features from Billboard, CBS New York, Washington Post and many more, Carson Daly spotlighted the project on "Today" and raved, "Bar none the best Frank Sinatra cover I've ever heard." Donating 100% of the album's proceeds to the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) as part of his Take A Chance For Charity organization, NDSS notably honored Mark and his family at its annual gala and auction in 2023. Moreover, the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart, and he would go on to play a handful of sold-out shows in support of the album. However, he has yet to musically contribute to the happiest season of all — until now. Just in time for the holidays, he delivers "Christmas Classics New & Old" with nine renditions of holiday anthems and one original tailor made to "put a smile on your face, make you feel good, and get you into the Christmas spirit," according to Mark.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

Grammy-nominated band SUM 41 has released a new single, "Landmines", via Rise Records alongside a new music video (set to premiere at 9:00 a.m. PDT / 12:00 p.m. noon EDT).

SUM 41 vocalist Deryck Whibley states: "When I wrote 'Landmines', I had no intention of writing an old-school 'pop punk' song. It just came out really quickly and I knew right away that this song felt special to me."

SUM 41 will perform on October 21 and October 22 at the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band will also play a set at a sold-out When We Were Young Sideshow on October 20 at Brooklyn Bowl alongside BOWLING FOR SOUP, PLAIN WHITE T'S, YOUR BROKEN HERO, and more.

In May, SUM 41 announced plans to split up following the completion of a worldwide tour in support of its upcoming album, "Heaven :x: Hell".

SUM 41's storied 24-plus-year career includes over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard-charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, two Juno Awards (seven nominations),a Kerrang! Award in 2002, as well as multiple Alternative Press Music Awards.

Earlie this month, Whibley was discharged from a hospital after being treated for pneumonia.

Back in 2014, Deryck collapsed in his kitchen and was rushed to the hospital, before doctors revealed his liver and kidneys had failed. He was placed in a coma for a week to help his body detox from alcohol and went on to get sober and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Ohio-based metal masters, War Curse, today unveil their new single and accompanying video for "The Convoy". The track comes by way of the band's Confession full-length, set for release on October 20 via Metal Blade Records/Blacklight Media.


Having built a devout fan base for their thrash-oriented metallic attack starting with 2015's Final Days and cemented with 2019's Eradication, War Curse returns in 2023 a more refined animal. In fact, it could be argued that the ten tracks of Confession stand as War Curse's Black Album, having the courage to move beyond what they're known for and to focus on songwriting, groove, dynamics, and melody, without compromising on muscle one iota.


Elaborates guitarist Justin Roth of the theme behind the band's fiery new single, "A number of prominent tyrants surfaced during the pandemic. Power hungry, seething scumbags who allowed their true colors to show. Very few private citizens had the will or the means to stand up to them. 'The Convoy' is a modern day battle hymn written for the people who risked their livelihood and reputations for our individual liberties. May every power drunk dictator one day find themselves at the end of a short rope."







With extensive touring plans in 2020 falling apart due to the pandemic, War Curse spent several months in purgatory before deciding to dust off their instruments and start writing a new album. With the uncertainty of not knowing if they would ever get a chance to play music again, it was speculated that this could be the band's swan song. With the world in a strange place, motivation came and went, reflecting the tumultuous day to day change in information. This led to the writing process taking a year however it was time well spent.


"We demo recorded every song two or three times, picked them apart, edited them, and then rehearsed them in a room together. We allowed the process of collaboration and experimentation to take us wherever the wave carried us. Compared to previous releases, we were a lot more critical of ourselves during the writing and recording of this album. We set out to make an album in the truest sense of the word, not just a collection of songs."


This is very much apparent when listening to Confession, from the agitated, muscular title track with its widescreen chorus, to the driving "Power Of The Powerless," or the equal parts triumphant and steamrolling "Sowing Division," every track stands on its own while taking its place in the overall picture.


The vocal contributions of Blaine Gordon, who emanates confidence in ways he has not previously, are particularly striking on the band's latest output. "On Eradication, Blaine replaced our previous vocalist in the studio, on very short notice, and mimicked what was already written. This was the first time he got to add his creative input. He pushed us in a more melodic direction, and [guitarist Joshua] Murphy and I backed him up with guitar parts that felt harmonious with his vision. Likewise, when a part called for heavy or dirty vocals, Blaine returned the favor tenfold."



All songs on Confession were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Neil Tuuri at Amish Electric Chair Studios. The album art, layout, design, and photography were handled by Justin Roth. As an added bonus, the record includes a cover of Grip Inc.'s "Rusty Nail".





Confession will be released on CD, LP, and digitally. Find pre-orders here.





Confession tracklisting:


"The Nothing (That is Me)"
"Fortress Of Agony"
"Confession"
"Miracle Broker"
"Power Of The Powerless"
"The Convoy"
"Return To Dust"
"Sowing Division"
"Rusty Nail" (Grip Inc. cover)
"Illusion Of Choice"


"Miracle Broker" video:





War Curse lineup:


Blaine Gordon - vocals
Justin Roth - guitar
Joshua Murphy - guitar
James Goetz - drums
Johnnie Wallace - bass


(Photo - Brian Vogel)

Finnish chart-topping nu-metal stars, Blind Channel, have announced their new album, Exit Emotions, which will be released next year via Century Media. The band’s fifth full-length studio effort is the follow-up to 2022’s Lifestyles Of The Sick & Dangerous.


Earlier this summer, Blind Channel released their new single "DEADZONE". Watch the epic music video for the track below:







With news of the new album, Blind Channel is also announcing some massive tour plans for the remainder of 2023 and next year - none more urgent than the band’s own Exit Emotions European headlining tour for spring 2024. The 30-city trek will kick off in Oberhausen, Germany on March 21, and conclude five weeks later in Tampere, Finland on April 27.


Joining the band on this run as direct support is Ghøstkid. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 29. For all dates and ticket links, head here.





In addition to their upcoming headlining run in Europe, Blind Channel will spend much of what remains of 2023 in North America, starting with a two-week trek supporting Mongolian folk metal stars The Hu on their Warrior Souls tour.





Blind Channel are:


Joel Hokka - Vocals
Niko Vilhelm Moilanen - Vocals
Joonas Porko - Guitar
Olli Matela - Bass
Tommi Lalli - Drums
Aleksi Kaunisvesi - DJ, Percussion

In a new interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One, Corey Taylor was asked what has kept SLIPKNOT going for more than two and a half decades. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's a couple of different things. I think it's the fact that we all still have that fire in our belly to make music, to get on stage and push it as far as we can. Even though, obviously with age and injury, it's slowed us a little bit, but there's still that urge to do it. It's also the fact that we're all fans of each other's writing, playing, performing. We love the music that we create together and there's still so much that we haven't done. There's still so many things musically that we could still kind of lean into."

He continued: "I think we know that we're not done yet, let's put it that way. I think the consensus is that we know we're not done yet. And maybe when the time comes that we all look at each other and go, 'You know what? I think we've done it. We've achieved what we need to achieve,' that'll be the time where we kind of put our tools down and back out of the garage. But till then, man, I mean, we're still very lucky to be able to do this. We're still very lucky to have the size of the audience that we do. We captured something in the zeitgeist that is very rare. And it's very rare for a band of our age and our genre to stay modern and current. So, I don't know if I really even have the answer for that. All I know is that we are trying to take advantage of it as much as possible because there's really no roadmap for it — other than maybe a handful of other bands; METALLICA, obviously. Other than that, there's really no roadmap for us to follow. We're just kind of cutting the road as we go."

Last year, SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root told Australian Guitar magazine that there was no room for egos in his band. "We're getting to that point in our career where we're all in this together," he explained. "We all want to do the best we can for the role we play in this band, and when that becomes the priority, that's when you put ego aside, put all that bullshit aside, and work together to make something great."

Guitarist Mick Thomson added: "We'd be stupid to keep doing this if we didn't love it. There's too much bullshit. I think the biggest problem that breaks up bands is when everyone comes in with fucking egos. When egos and bullshit start to make a person nutty, that's when problems happen and musicians start to hate each other. Fortunately, in the first few years after we blew up, nobody's ego got too far out of check. And that can happen real fucking' easy. There's no I; there's us."

This past June, SLIPKNOT announced the addition of a new keyboardist, two weeks after Taylor and his bandmates revealed the departure of longtime member Craig Jones.

SLIPKNOT played its first show with its new mystery member on June 7 at the Nova Rock festival in Austria. The concert took place hours after the band announced in a social media post that it had parted ways with Jones.

A short time after SLIPKNOT revealed Jones's exit from the group, the band's original post announcing his departure was deleted and a photo was shared of SLIPKNOT's apparent new member. The same unidentified person appeared onstage behind the keyboards at the Nova Rock show and all subsequent SLIPKNOT tour dates.

No reason was given for Jones's departure from SLIPKNOT.

Jones joined SLIPKNOT in early 1996, shortly after the band had finished the recording of its demo album "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." He was initially brought in to replace Donnie Steele, one of the two original guitarists, though he quickly moved on to the role of sampling and keyboards. Following the departure of drummer Joey Jordison in 2013, Jones was the second-longest-serving member in the band.

SLIPKNOT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "The End, So Far", which was released in September 2022 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

Thanks to a wave of reinvigorated interest, in celebration of their 35th Anniversary, The Almighty will re-release the albums Blood, Fire & Love and Soul Destruction via Silver Lining Music on November 24.


"Thank you to all our fans for helping make our intentions become a reality, to celebrate this we are reissuing Blood Fire & Love and Soul Destruction on limited edition vinyl." - The Almighty


Originally released in 1989, Blood, Fire & Love - the youthful, scruffy, raw biker rock classic - will be issued on red vinyl at a previously unavailable 180 gms. The second re-released album from Glasgow, Scotland’s The Almighty sees their sophomore release from 1991, Soul Destruction, issued on green 180gm vinyl.




With the albums having never been re-released before, old fans and new discoverers will have a chance to engage with the early, passionate drive of singer/guitarist Ricky Warwick, drummer Stumpy Monroe, bassist Floyd London and lead guitarist Andy “Tantrum” McCafferty.


Furthermore, for those who want to have The Almighty’s early fire in one mega-serving, Silver Lining Music will be releasing both Blood, Fire & Love and Soul Destruction in a limited edition 35th Anniversary gatefold vinyl with brand new artwork by The Almighty long-time Art guru, Koot. Each title will be on 180 gms splattered ‘galaxy’ vinyl. This will be a D2C product limited to 500 units, with the first 200 copies signed by the original band.


Pre-order here.





“We are very, very much looking forward to our shows at the end of this year, London and Glasgow have sold out… there’s still a few tickets left for Manchester but they are going fast and we fully expect it to sell out very soon so get your ticket for Manchester the Academy December 1st. These are the only three shows the band are going to be doing, it’s going to be unbelievably amazing and we can’t wait to see you all!” - Ricky Warwick


Due to unprecedented interest in recent times, the original lineup of The Almighty are back in force for the first time in 32 years to play three UK shows.  The band will play a career retrospective concert in the following cities and venues:


November
30 - Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowland Ballroom (Sold Out)


December
1 - Manchester, England - Academy
2 - London, England - O2 Forum (Sold Out)





With buildings chosen from tours of old for the great experience had by all who attended, the band give you the chance to relive those days for one last time. Once these shows are over that will be it: the band will go back to being the Legends of Brit Rock in everyone’s memory from those glorious times of the late 80’s and early 90’s.


To help the celebration along, Balaam And The Angel will be special guests on all shows.


The London and Glasgow dates are now sold out; tickets for Manchester can be purchased at myticket.co.uk.


(Photo - Kevin Nixon)

In 2018, Austin, Texas based melodic death metal unit, Hinayana, ensnared the masses with their self-released debut, Order Divine, and later defied the pandemic with their subsequent 2020 release, the Death Of The Cosmic EP. Now, the band returns with their sophomore full-length, Shatter And Fall, out November 10 via Napalm Records - and it proves well worth the wait.


Produced by frontman Casey Hurd and Kevin Butler with mastering by Dan Swanö at Unisound, Shatter And Fall features guest contributions from melodic death metal purveyors and labelmates Tuomas Saukkonen of Wolfheart and Vincent Jackson Jones of Aether Realm. Setting them apart from genre greats like Insomnium, Amorphis and Swallow the Sun, Shatter And Fall incorporates modern, accessible elements, emerging as a fresh entry in this year’s most unmissable metal offerings. The album serves as a darker, more solemn work in comparison to their debut, yet superior without question in songwriting, technicality and cohesiveness.


The band kicked things off with groove-laden first single, "Reverse The Code". Check out a new guitar playthrough video for the song below:







Backed by an impressive official music video, "Reverse The Code" boasts catchy chorus progressions, engaging verses and technical aptitude, blending progressive touches with punishing extremity.


Frontman Casey Hurd says about the track: “Regrets and mistakes. 'Reverse The Code' is about our hopeless and futile desire to be able to go back in time and change things in our past. The single serves as a perfect introduction to the fierce evolution of our sound that is Shatter And Fall."


Watch the music video for "Reverse The Code" below.


Shatter And Fall not only proves itself as an impressive sophomore entry for Hinayana, but a benchmark in the annals of American melodic death metal history.


Frontman Casey Hurd adds about the album: "Shatter And Fall is about Karma, one’s own fate, consequences, grief about our own actions, depression, loss of faith, yin and yang, light and dark, and our own unchanging nature as humans. It's darker, heavier, and more diverse than our previous releases. We're evolving and expanding on our sound to include more catchy and anthemic elements in addition to the darker, heavier material. This new album is a significant milestone for Hinayana.”


Introductory track “Slowly Light Collides” opens the heavy gates of Shatter And Fall without hesitation, setting the stage for its impending intensity with a potent mixture of headbang-inducing heaviness and hair-raising melodies and harmonies. Second track “Mind Is A Shadow”, featuring guest vocals from Vincent Jackson Jones of fellow American melodic death metal frontrunners Aether Realm, hits equally hard with a gripping, chunky verse riff and searing chorus. Frontman Casey Hurd’s deep growls juxtapose effortlessly with Jones’s skyscraper screams before a seizing solo from Erik Shtaygrud marks the track’s apex. Anthems like “How Many Dreams”, “The Answer” and enthralling groove machine “Reverse The Code” - the latter boasting one of the album’s most flourishing closer passages - march further into the icy depths, proving Shatter And Fall as a multifaceted melodeath record.


Powerful “Spirit And Matter” and somber yet essential, spine-tingling “Triptych Visions” feature some of the album’s most melancholic and introspective moments, traversing expansive peaks and valleys of deep metallic intensity and some of the album’s most delicate, acoustic-driven moments. The implementation of diverse styles, showcased by the varied instrumentation and intensity of songs like touching interlude “From Our Darkest Moments”, versus massive, crushing sonic saga “Lost To Flame”, poise the band for undeniable recognition. All-consuming single “A Tide Unturning”, featuring guest vocal contributions from Tuomas Saukkonen of Finnish melodic death icons Wolfheart, shines as the most desolate summit of Shatter And Fall, serving as one of the most brutalizing yet pensive ballads of 2023. The album ends on the grimmest note of all with blackened closer “Taken”, a re-recorded, renewed look back at a track originally released on the band’s 2014 demo Endless - marking an apt finish to an contemplative, emotional album tangling with themes of fate, grief and inevitable consequence.


Shatter And Fall will be available in the following formats:


- 1CD Digisleeve      
- 1LP Gatefold BLACK       
- Digital Album  


Pre-order here.





Shatter And Fall tracklisting:


"Slowly Light Collides"
"Mind Is A Shadow" (feat. Vincent Jackson Jones)
"How Many Dreams"
"Spirit And Matter"
"From Our Darkest Moments"
"Reverse The Code"
"Lost To Flame"
"The Answer"
"Triptych Visions"
"A Tide Unturning" (feat. Tuomas Saukkonen)
"Taken"


"Reverse The Code" video:





Hinayana will join headliners Wolfheart and fellow support act Before The Dawn on a tour of Europe and the UK this fall. The tour will take place all throughout November and will visit London, Paris, Budapest, Berlin and many more major cities! Don't miss this exciting lineup - see below for all dates.


November
3 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
4 - Louvain La Neuve, Belgium - Mass Deathtruction Festival
5 - London, UK - The Dome
6 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg
7 - Paris, France - Backstage By The Mill
8 - Siegburg, Germany - Kubana
9 - Trier, Germany - Mergener Hof
10 - Helmond, Netherlands - Cacaofabriek
11 - Essen, Germany - Turock
12 - Innsbruck, Austria - Pmk
13 - Liubliana, Slovenia - Orto Bar
14 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Halle
15 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
16 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
17 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
18 - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany - Metal Hammer Paradise
19 - Berlin, Germany - Orwo Haus
20 - Prague, Czech Republic - Futurum
21 - Warsaw, Poland - Hydrozagadka
22 - Krakow, Poland - Kamienna12
23 - Dresden, Germany - Chemiefabrik
24 - Mannheim, Germany - Ms Connexion Complex
25 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
26 - Maastricht, Netherlands - Muziekgieterij


Hinayana is:


Casey Hurd - Guitar/Vocals
Daniel Vieira - Drums
Erik Shtaygrud - Guitar
Michael Anstice - Keyboard
Matt Bius - Bass


(Photo - Jackie Schutza)

Autopsy will release their new album, Ashes, Organs, Blood & Crypts, via Peaceville Records on October 27. Pre-order the album here, and watch an animated lyric video for the track, "Throatsaw", below.


One of the longest running death metal acts active today, and an inspiration for whole generations of depraved metal maniacs the world over, Autopsy formed in 1987 in San Francisco (with drummer/vocalist Chris Reifert originally being a part of the genre-defining Floridan act, Death), and released four albums on Peaceville Records - beginning with the classic debut Severed Survival in 1989 - before disbanding in 1995, with members going on to form the equally disturbed Abscess.


Autopsy officially returned after a fifteen year hiatus with the 2010 EP, The Tomb Within, followed closely by fifth studio album, Macabre Eternal in 2011, which set them on a new bloodthirsty trail, with the reinvigorated intent of creating more of the sickest and most twisted and uncompromising music ever to grace a turntable, and the band has remained prolific ever since.




Hot on the heels of 2022’s universally lauded opus, Morbidity Triumphant, which was also the first release to feature new bassist Greg Wilkinson (also currently joined by Chris in death doom duo Static Abyss), the US death metal greats now return for a new sermon of sickness, with Ashes, Organs, Blood & Crypts; brutal bouts of riffery marked by the feral attack of the undisputed master poet of everything macabre, Chris Reifert.


Eleven tracks of pure audial attack, punctuated by frenzied soloing courtesy of guitar maestros Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles amid classic all-out death metal fury going straight for the jugular, interspersed with brooding doom-styled descents into delirium.


Ashes, Organs, Blood & Crypts was recorded at Sharkbite Studios by Scott Evans and Greg Wilkinson, with additional tracking and mixing carried out at Earhammer studios by Greg Wilkinson. Mastering work was once more carried out at Ken Lee mastering.


Carrying on with recent tradition, the cover artwork was created by the suitably morbid mind of Wes Benscoter (Bloodbath/Slayer).





Tracklisting:


"Rabid Funeral"
"Throatsaw"
"No Mortal Left Alive"
"Well Of Entrails"
"Ashes, Organs, Blood And Crypts"
"Bones To The Wolves"
"Marrow Fiend"
"Toxic Death Fuk"
"Lobotomizing Gods"
"Death Is The Answer"
"Coagulation"


"Throatsaw" lyric video:





Trailer:

In a new interview with The Rockman Power Hour, CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist Alex Webster spoke about the physical challenges that go along with playing high-intensity death metal, especially for musicians who are now in their fifties. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Death metal and the other kinds of extreme metal are really physical kinds of music. First of all, just in the execution of it, and then also if you're doing a stage performance where you wanna really be headbanging and moving around, that's all stuff that's, it's physical. I mean, everything — playing folk music is physical, but for sure what we're doing is probably gonna get the sweat going a little more."

He continued: "It's hard to think of the best analogy. The whole show is kind of a marathon, I guess, because we're playing, like, 75 to 90 minutes, but each song is a sprint. So it's almost like HIIT [high-intensity interval training] training… So that's kind of what the show is like. And for sure, I've been doing this, all of us have been doing it for three decades-plus at this point, and just like an athlete in his twenties in football or whatever is different from an athlete in his fifties. The same is true here. So we do have to kind of look out for our bodies and everything. The stuff you do in your twenties — drinking and whatever, not getting enough sleep, eating garbage food — you just can't do that, at least I can't in my fifties. I really keep track of my health, and it's kind of a hobby too. And I could go on and on about that, but I love to run. And that's one of the things that keeps me kind of focused and just having fun on tour — finding new places to run when I get to a different city or whatever. But yeah, it's important."

Webster added: "It's physical music. We'll see how long we can keep doing it. Right now we feel great and we don't see any end in sight, but, to be realistic, this is not gonna get easier, so we'll see where it goes. I feel that there are many years ahead of us, as long as long as we keep track of the things, keep track of our physical health, really. That's very important."

CANNIBAL CORPSE's sixteenth studio album, "Chaos Horrific", was released last Friday (September 22) via Metal Blade Records.

CANNIBAL CORPSE has just embarked on a month-long North American co-headlining tour with MAYHEM. The journey began on September 22 in Nashville, Tennessee and will run through October 21 in Louisville, Kentucky. Support is provided by special guests GORGUTS and BLOOD INCANTATION.

Up-and-coming power metal band, Dominum, have unleashed their new single, “Danger Danger”, creeping directly in their listener’s heads. This massive power metal track convinces with its skillful instrumentation and storyline through bombastic vocals. Like their praised first single, this track also comes along with an outstanding music video by 360 Grad Design (Rammstein, Within Temptation & more), but this time combines comic strips alternating with stunning performance cuts.


Dominum recently signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records. The band showcases the highest level of production value right off the bat with their first singles “Patient Zero” and “Danger Danger”, which were mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Arch Enemy, Katatonia, Delain, Amaranthe & more). The band proves they are poised to become one of the biggest successes in the current power metal universe.


Join the Living Dead Squad and witness further shows this autumn with Hämatom and Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, and at many big festivals in 2024.




Dr. Dead on “Danger Danger”: "Living people, did you successfully survive the first serving with 'Patient Zero'? Then you can go straight to 'Danger Danger' – Dr. Dead has led his first zombie into town and tested it on an unsuspecting living being for the first time, under non-laboratory conditions. It worked out well right away - the system is a go. Everything has been successfully documented and is visible in the new video 'Danger Danger'."


Watch the official music video for “Danger Danger”





The band around singer, producer and songwriter Felix Heldt (known from his work for Feuerschwanz, Visions Of Atlantis and others) is the character of Dr. Dead, and takes the living into the world of the undead - telling stories of zombies, survival and insatiable hunger for more - creating their own intense and captivating reality.
 
At the core of Dominum, fantastic storytelling, genius songwriting and high levels of musicianship combine the energy of metal with the drama and narration of horror movies.
 
Even before they released their first single, Dominum had already put on stellar performances - at Austria’s Area 53, for example - have been booked on a tour with Die Apokalyptischen Reiter and Equilibrium, as well as shows with Hämatom and Winterstorm, and have more in the pipeline for 2024.
 
Join the Living Dead Squad and become a part of the hottest up-and-coming force in theatrical power metal.





Dominum are:


Dr. Dead - Vocals
Patient Zero - Bass
Victor - Drums
Tommy - Guitars


(Photo - 360 Grad Design)

Polish blackened death metal practitioners, Hate, performed "Erebos" - the title track of their 2010 album - during their set at the 2023 edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival. Watch professionally-filmed footage below:





No one combines death and black metal quite like Poland’s Hate. With unflinching viciousness and a sense of atmosphere unique to the band, Rugia, the band’s twelfth and most recent full-length released via Metal Blade Records, pushes the boundaries of their craft even further.







Rugia, which earned the #30 spot on Billboard’s Current Hard Music Albums chart and #33 on Billboard’s Top New Artists Albums chart in the US as well as the #25 on Billboard’s Current Hard Music Albums chart in Canada upon its first week of release, is currently available on CD, LP, and digital formats.

Ronnie James Dio's widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio has once again said that there are plans to reissue "Stars", the 1985 charity single for famine relief released under the HEAR 'N AID banner.

On May 20 and May 21, 1985, 40 artists from the metal community gathered at A&M Records Studios in Hollywood, California to participate in the making of a record called "Stars" as a part of a very special fundraising project spearheaded by Ronnie James Dio known as HEAR 'N AID. The "Stars" single and a video documentary on the making of the record was used to raise money for famine relief efforts in Africa and around the world. These 40 artists — including members of MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, QUIET RIOT, TWISTED SISTER, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT and even SPINAL TAP — along with hundreds of other volunteers, donated their time and talent over four months to make HEAR 'N AID a reality. "Stars" was a plea for unity in the fight against world hunger.

Due to contract differences with the labels, the "Stars" song and album weren't released until New Year's Day, 1986, and were only ever made available on vinyl and cassette. But Wendy is continuing her efforts to correct that.

"Well, we've talked about it a lot," she said during an appearance earlier today (Monday, September 25) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I never seem to have the time, but it will be down the pipeline. I'd like to add some new stuff to it, to get some new, younger bands in there as well to record some stuff along with the old stuff. Obviously all the money will go to [Ronnie James Dio] Stand Up And Shout [Cancer Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable fund dedicated to support research and education that furthers early detection, prevention and treatment of prostate, colon and stomach cancers]. But it is in the works, but we just have to have the time. Maybe next year I'll have some time to get together with doing it. It's such a lot of things with… The bands are always great and the musicians are always great. It's all of the red tape behind it with the managers and the record labels, and that's what we have to deal with. But we will do it. It will be there sometime soon."

Back in 2016, Wendy told "Trunk Nation" that both a new version and the old version of "Stars" will be included on the reissue package. "Because the old version was only ever on, I think, vinyl and cassette; it was never on a DVD or on CD," she explained. "And we also have a lot of stuff that was behind the scenes that wasn't heard or seen, which is kind of fun. There's loads of photos we have. I think we have about a hundred signed posters by everyone, and a lot of those people are not alive now. But I just feel we wanna update it a little bit. So instead of just bringing the old stuff up as a reissue, let's update it with a bonus of some kind."

Earlier this month, former DIO and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell told Guitar Interactive magazine about his involvement with "Stars": "When we did that, we were at Rumbo Recorders in L.A. recording the [DIO] 'Sacred Heart' album. And it was a really dark time for Ronnie and for the band. I mean, nobody wanted to be around Ronnie. Ronnie and Wendy had split up. They weren't getting divorced, but they were living separate lives. And Ronnie's mood was really, really dark. And the big difference between the 'Sacred Heart' album and [the first two DIO albums] 'Holy Diver' and 'The Last In Line' is that when we did 'Holy Diver' and 'The Last In Line', everyone was in the studio all the time. We were all there offering encouragement. There was a really good vibe. And then nobody went home early. Everyone was waiting for everything and excited by every little development in those records. When we were doing the 'Sacred Heart' album, nobody wanted to hang around. We cut the tracks and it was, like, 'Oh, okay. I'm gonna go. You done with me?' And it was just left Ronnie and Angelo [Arcuri], our engineer, and it was because of that energy, that vibe that was coming from Ronnie at that time. So it was really, really difficult to make. I'm not saying it's a bad record, but it was really difficult for [then-DIO drummer] Vinny [Appice] and [then-DIO bassist] Jimmy [Bain] and myself, and obviously for Ronnie, to make it."

He continued: "So, at that time, that 'We Are The World' thing had come out, with Michael Jackson and all the pop stars that made this great record. And Jimmy and I, who were roommates at the time — we were living in an apartment together — we happened to do an interview for a station called KLOS in Los Angeles, and the DJ asked us, he said, 'How come nobody from the hard rock world was invited to participate in that?' And we thought, 'You know, you're absolutely right.' And this was an era when hard rock was really sort of shunned. I mean, it never got nominated for a Grammy or anything. There was no real industry recognition, even though it was a very, very popular cultural force and sold in multi-millions. But the industry was yet to really fully recognize it as being legit. And so anyway, we were joking about this, and it was Jimmy who — he was a funny guy — and Jimmy right off the bat said, 'Yeah, we should do one. We should call it HEAR 'N AID.' We were all, like, 'Hahaha'; we fell off our stools. And then we went back to our apartment and Jimmy said, 'Well, do you wanna actually do this?' [And I said] 'Really? I mean, do we have time for this?' And he said, 'Yeah.' So Jimmy and I wrote the song. We didn't write the lyrics. We put the music together. We thought, 'We're not gonna get this off the ground without Ronnie. We need some clout. We need the name.' So we went in the studio the next day As I said, we're in the middle of doing the 'Sacred Heart' album. Ronnie's in a real dark spot. We offer it, and we say, 'Ronnie, what about this?' He immediately shuts it down. No interest. So, we keep pushing it on him for a couple of weeks, and then eventually he came back to us and said, 'You know what? Yeah. I'll get on board with this.' So he wrote the lyric for it."

Regarding how they ended up recruiting so many big names for the project, Vivian said: "I, with the help of a publicist we were working with at the time, went to the office every day with a publicist. She let me go through her Rolodex — this is how old school this is; her Rolodex — and look up names. I'd go, 'Oh, Jon Bon Jovi.' I'd literally be cold calling people that I didn't know… [I was] trying to explain, 'We're making this charity record. And we'll cover expenses. We'll get some sponsorship.' So that was my life for weeks, every day going into a whole different world for me, just getting on the phone and calling people. 'Hi, Neal Schon. Love your JOURNEY stuff. Is there any chance you could…?' 'Who else is doing it?' And the same old thing — nobody wants to commit until [other big names are involved]. But I was able to throw Ronnie's name there. I said, 'Well, Ronnie's doing it.' 'Oh, okay.' And calling up studios, like A&M studios, 'Hey, is it possible we can get a day free in the studio? It's for charity.' 'Hey, American Airlines, is there any way we can…?' 'Hey, Holiday Inn, can you…?' It was something I'd never done before, but I spent weeks and weeks and weeks doing it. And so it all came together, and it was just bonkers that it did.

"I remember the day we were doing it at A&M, with a film crew in there, and the guys from SPINAL TAP even showed up. And that made it great because that brought a little much-needed humor to the whole situation. And all these great guitar players — we had Yngwie [Malmsteen] there and George Lynch and Neal Schon, guys who were blazing guitar [players]. And I just remember I was so busy making sure that everyone had a limo ride, had a flight, had a hotel room, had something to eat. And then, at the end of the day, it's, like, 'Okay, now you've gotta play guitar.' It's, like, 'What?'"

With their new single, John Diva & The Rockets Of Love set out to destroy gender stereotypes in the most entertaining way possible. As the self declared "King of the High Heel", John Diva struts his stuff as the Barbie AND Ken of hard rock, showing that despite their classic sound, the band are definitely not stuck in 80s.


"A touch too much a little macho, like a blast from the past, babe," John Diva sings over dirty bluesy guitars and a heavy drum groove, before the juicy brass sections take over in the chorus, which sparkles with Aerosmith-like ambiguity.







"Boys Don't Play With Dolls" expresses the band's rebellious and libertine elements like no other song on the current record.


John Diva comments, "We value being different types, different men than in 1984. Basically, rock music is conservative, when you consider which images are maintained and that it is predominantly male-dominated. If you look at the protagonists of 80's glam metal, I don't know how many of the gentlemen I could actually spend an evening talking to about anything other than their cars."


With an invitation to read between the lines, "Boys Don't Play With Dolls" is lyrically, almost a political statement: "I'm tough enough like a feminine man.... and twice a man than a republican."


Musically, the new track serves all the clichés of the genre - blues rock with a horn section, cowbell groove and a sprawling guitar solo by Les Paul aficionado Snake Rocket. This seduction creates a gap between sound and message, which is great fun for both the artist and the listener. this all brings us to the core tenet of The Rockets: in the end, everything is just a big party, with champagne corks flying by as a sweaty rock band blasts through the club.


In reference to the track, John says, "JDATROL has always been an offer for participation. We don't exclude anyone, everyone is welcome - no matter what you wear or who you want to be tonight."


So, in the end, this song is about throwing a big, smiling middle finger at the establishment and not letting anyone or anything dictate how you should look, behave, dress or love, just like rock'n'roll.


Stream the song here, and watch the video below:





The name of the record says it all: "We wanted to record an album that sounds like Cherry Cola," guitarist Snake Rocket explains the process of creating The Big Easy. "Also, we put great emphasis on the fact that the record is intended as an album and doesn’t sound as if we jammed together an intro and eleven random songs. The record works in that order precisely." It only took six months from initial song idea to finished album. Never has John Diva & The Rockets Of Love sounded more like a unit – never has the group oozed so much joy and California sunshine from every pore.


The new album, The Big Easy, is available via SPV/Steamhammer as CD Digipak, LP Gatefold version, CD/LP bundle with shirt (only at the Steamhammer Shop), download and stream here.





The Big Easy tracklisting:


"California Rhapsody"
"The Big Easy"
"God Made Radio"
"Runaway Train"
"Thunder"
"Believe"
"Back In The Days"
"Hit And Run"
"Boys Don’t Play With Dolls"
"The Limit Is The Sky"
"Capri Style"
"Wild At Heart"


"The Limit Is The Sky" video:





"Runaway Train":





"God Made Radio" video:

Jon Kennedy, the former bassist for Cradle Of Filth, and former vocalist for Hecate Enthroned has died at the age of 46.


COF singer Dani Filth shared the news on social media stating, “It is with much sadness that we hear about the untimely passing of our former bassist Jon Kennedy.” 


“He was a great bassist and singer who filled in for Cradle at a time of such magical import, mayhem and mischief.”                  




“I distinctly remember having a wickedly wonderful week staying just outside Wrexham in Wales at Jon’s Mum’s house in 1995.” 


“We picked our own magic mushrooms from a local football pitch and then watched Emperor synch up with the newly-released Disney Aladdin on VHS, heading out to undertake black metal shenanigans thereafter. We were always pulling pranks and playfully winding each other up back in those days. He will be missed!”


Kennedy replaced Robin “Graves” Eaglestone during the Principle Of Evil Made Flesh Tour and participated in the first recording sessions for Dusk And Her Embrace and performed on Dusk On Her Embrace – The Original Sin.


Kennedy was also vocalist and founding member of UK symphonic black metallers Hecate Enthroned, performing on their first two full-length albums.