German prog-metal trio, The Hirsch Effekt, have released an unboxing video for their new album Urian, out on September 29 via Long Branch Records. Watch below:





The Hirsch Effekt, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Nils Wittrock (i.a. vocals, guitars), Ilja John Lappin (i.a. bass, vocals) and Moritz Schmidt (drums), plays an extremely variable style of music, as well as combines various elements to the utter peak of sophistication.




The end result is nothing less than a homogenous and enormous sound monster, nearly beating your speakers to death. Although the very first impressions coalesce into an epic, aggressive, and sinister sound, there is a specific personal touch and frankness in the German lyrics. They signify authenticity and closeness and stand out as a counterpart to the musical periphery.





Pre-order/save Urian here.





Urian tracklisting:


"Agora"
"Otus"
"2054"
"Urian"
"Stegodon"
"Granica"
"Blud"
"Eristys"


"Granica" video:





"Otus":





"Agora" video:





"Urian":





The Hirsch Effekt are:


Nils Wittrock (Guitar, Vocals)
Ilja John Lappin (Bass, Vocals)
Moritz Schmidt (Drums, Vocals)


(Photo - Vol Vincent)

As part of Atlantic Records' 75th-anniversary celebration, the label — in conjunction with Rhino Entertainment — has launched an extensive year-long vinyl series featuring 90 releases spanning the entire history of the company, from its earliest days until the present. The series encompasses iconic and acclaimed albums across virtually every popular musical genre, including special editions and many that have never been on vinyl. The unprecedented series has been curated by Atlantic Records chairman and CEO Craig Kallman, who — in addition to his role as the label's chief executive — is one of the world's foremost audiophiles, with a personal vinyl collection now numbering over two million LPs.

Each month's Atlantic 75 collection reflects the label's diverse and rich history. With most titles pressed in crystal clear vinyl, releases included span groundbreaking works that underline the genre-defiant greatness of the label's release over the years. In addition, Atlantic has partnered with noted audiophile label Acoustic Sounds for a multi-year-long slate of 180-gram, 45RPM black vinyl, and SACD versions of classic Atlantic albums. The label has also partnered with beloved vinyl subscription service VMP (Vinyl Me, Please) for their first ever label collection for Record Of The Month, which will be available for VMP members on Thursday, October 19, shipping early November.

"Our 75th anniversary has given us an incredible opportunity to revisit the amazing range and depth of the music that Atlantic has released across the decades," said Kallman. "These 90 albums are not only an extraordinary musical journey through the years, but a cultural one as well, reflecting a series of seismic social shifts. As an admitted vinyl junkie, I'm honored and thrilled to join with our colleagues at Rhino, our longtime friends at Acoustic Sounds, and the great folks at VMP to give all this brilliant music the royal LP treatment. It's been a true labor of love, and the perfect celebration of this landmark anniversary."

As part of the ongoing series, Atlantic has announced the October 27 release of LED ZEPPELIN's paradigm-shifting untitled fourth album, commonly referred to as "Led Zeppelin IV". "Led Zeppelin IV", produced by Jimmy Page, will be pressed on crystal-clear, 180-gram vinyl.

Titles from the collection are available to order at store.atlanticrecords.com.

In a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, BLACK STONE CHERRY guitarist Ben Wells spoke about the 2021 departure of bassist Jon Lawhon and addition of his replacement, Steve Jewell Jr. (ex-OTIS). He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it was kind of an adjustment at first. It was coming out of the — well, it was still in the pandemic during the time. I think that kind of changed a lot of people. And we respected his wishes to come off the road. And it was an adjustment, because we'd always been together. But luckily for us, as far as the band moving on, Steve, our bass player now, was the first guy that we called, because he's from the same town as we are. He grew up just like we did, and he's always been around. He was in a band called OTIS that used to open up for us. And so he's always been a part of our chemistry in a different way before he was in the band, because he would always be hanging out with us and stuff. So that wasn't a thing we had to get used to — somebody else's personality — 'cause we already knew the guy. And then, of course, he's a super-talented musician, and we're just so honored and lucky to have him now. And you can listen to the [new BLACK STONE CHERRY] record ['Screamin' At The Sky'] and you hear his bass playing on it. He even played slide guitar on the song 'Nervous'. He was just amazing."

Ben continued: "I think we have we've gone up musically now, dynamically another level, just because his heart is on fire for music and he has such a passion for it. And, yeah, we're lucky to have him. And he has just as much energy as I do when it comes to playing live, which is a great thing. Now, people, when they come to see us, they don't know who to watch, which is awesome, because I love that. So it was an adjustment at first, but luckily, I think everything happens for a reason, and we're just glad to be able to still be here and put out this album."

BLACK STONE CHERRY recently announced a co-headline tour with GIOVANNIE AND THE HIRED GUNS. The run begins on November 2 at Piere's in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Fourteen appearances have been announced, wrapping with a performance on November 18 at Columbia, Missouri's Blue Note.

"Screamin' At The Sky" will be released on September 29 via Mascot Records. The opus will be available in white solid vinyl, limited edition vinyl boxset, CD and digitally.

Earlier this year, BLACK STONE CHERRY released the album's lead single, "Out of Pocket", which went on to be a crowd favorite on the band's recent U.K. arena shows.

The Kentucky-based band, featuring Chris Robertson (lead vocals/guitar),Ben Wells (guitar/backing vox) and John-Fred Young (drums/backing vox),are joined for the first time on an album recording by Jewell. The band's fanbase will be more than familiar with Steve, as he has been touring with BLACK STONE CHERRY since 2021.

"Screamin' At The Sky" features all-new material written collaboratively while on tour, but when it came time to record, BLACK STONE CHERRY decided to try something it's always dreamed of doing: tracking an album at The Plaza Theater in Glasgow, Kentucky — a legendary 1020-seat venue built in 1934 that boasts meticulous acoustics.

BLACK STONE CHERRY's last album, "The Human Condition", released in October 2020 was their sixth consecutive No. 1 debut on the U.K. Rock Albums chart. The album's lead single, "Again" was the band's biggest single in over 10 years in America, peaking at No. 15, and their highest-charting record ever in Canada, landing in the Top 15. The album racked up 50 million streams worldwide. Over the years, BSC has both headlined and rocked 12,000-cap arena shows and shared the stage with a wide range of superstars, including ALTER BRIDGE, DEF LEPPARD, GOV'T MULE, NICKELBACK, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, BAD COMPANY, MÖTORHEAD, HALESTORM, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, THE DARKNESS and ZZ TOP. In 2018, BSC performed in front of 100,000 people at the Download festival as main support to GUNS N' ROSES and in 2021, the band played the venerated Royal Albert Hall, immortalized on 2022's live DVD "Live From The Royal Albert Hall…Y'All".

Blackened heavy metal band Faethom from South Florida have released a lyric video for “Ancient Powers That Be”, off their upcoming full-length sci-fi album, Chaosmorphogoria. The album is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 13, 2023.


Chaosmorphogoria is the band's third conceptual full-length album, a sci-fi blackened heavy metal tale about an extraterrestrial witch-warrior named Tien-nen-thal traveling to hellish planets on her spacecraft, Blackfire Star. Throughout her galactic journey, she battles loathsome monsters, such as the giant king, Goregantuan. After her final battle, she embraces the chaos of the cosmos, and transforms triumphant into her truest, most powerful self. 


Faethom has been bringing their unique blend of traditional heavy metal, extreme metal, ‘80s horror/sci-fi and classic ‘70s rock soundscapes since 2008. The band is based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and their two founding members, Mariela Muerte and David Diacrono, hail from Cochabamba, Bolivia. They were joined by Floridian bassist, Evie Austin, in 2022. Drummer Brian Wilson of Night Demon, Hellwitch, and Midnight Spell has been performing with them live and recorded drums on the new album. 




Chaosmorphogoria was recorded at Derek Roddy's Studio and David Diacrono's home studio in Florida and mixed and mastered by Jörg Uken at Soundlodge Studios in Germany.


The album artwork was created by California-based artist, Fernando Saavedra. The album is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2023.





Tracklisting:


“Rise Of Tien-nen-thal”
“Blackfire Star”
“Ancient Powers That Be”
“Goregantuan”
“Sangre Mala Sangre”
“Untraversable Force”
“Feral”
“Final Cosmic Warcry”
“Strike Thunder, Rebel!”
“Chaosmorphogoria”


"Ancient Powers That Be" lyric video:





Album lineup:
Mariela Muerte - Vocals/keyboards
David Diacrono - Guitars
Evil Evie - Bass
Brutal Brian - Drums

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the new album from Austin Texas' blackened speed/thrash metal maniacs Sadistic Force. Midnight Assassin is up now for preorder and will be released October 13 on CD and Digital formats along with merch.


Sadistic Force unleash a record steeped in blood and terror, cultivated from countless hours of true crime research and copious ‘80s slasher movie viewings. Midnight Assassin is a nine track sinister speed metal assault inspired by serial killers, stalkers, and necrophiliacs, transporting listeners into a dark and twisted sonic arena that exposes the harsh realities of human depravity and violence. Sadistic Force prove that they are an unrelenting force to be reckoned with... beware the Midnight Assassin. 







Tracklisting:


“The Unseen Force”
“Corpsewood Curse”
“Speeding Black Leather Hell”
“Midnight Assassin”
“Nuremburg Nights”
“The Butchers Apron”
“Marked For Death”
“Campaign Of Sin”
“Howl Of The Horde”


“Speeding Black Leather Hell”:

Classic rock legend, Steve Miller, was a guest recently on The Howard Stern Show. In the video below, Miller performs his classic, "The Joker", live in the Howard Stern Show studio. Hear the full special on SiriusXM Howard 101.





"The Joker" originally appeared on the Steve Miller Band's 1973 album, The Joker. The track was released as a single that October, and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974. In September 1990, "The Joker" reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks after being used in "Great Deal", a Hugh Johnson-directed television ad for Levi's.

Gore metal maniacs, Exhumed, announce the 25 year anniversary deluxe reissue of their legendary debut album, Gore Metal. Fully remastered audio of the original mix by Arthur Rizk (Kreator, Cavalera, Power Trip, and more), Gore Metal now features expanded artwork, live tracks (digital only), and liner notes.


 The 25th anniversary edition of Gore Metal is streaming in full now. Physical pre-orders are out October 27 on LP/CS. Pre-order here, and listen on all streaming services here, and below.


Frontman Matt Harvey comments: “Like a lingering recurrent infection, this album just keeps rearing its ugly head. Twenty-five years is a long time for a record this raw, nasty, crude and repugnant to hang around, so what better time would there be than now to reissue it on vinyl? The re-master has breathed new life into these dusty old tracks and the record has never sounded better. I hope you necromaniacs are as excited about this as we are, because we have a bunch of plans around this reissue and anniversary in the works. If you've been hoping for a chance to hear some deep cuts and (slaughter)cult classicks... your patience will soon be rewarded.”







Tracklisting:


"Necromaniac" (2023 Remaster)
"Open The Abscess" (2023 Remaster)
"Postmortem Procedures" (2023 Remaster)
"Limb From Limb" (2023 Remaster)
"Enucleation" (2023 Remaster)
"Casketkrusher" (2023 Remaster)
"Deathmask" (2023 Remaster)
"In My Human Slaughterhouse" (2023 Remaster)
"Sepulchral Slaughter" (2023 Remaster)
"Vagitarian II" (2023 Remaster)
"Blazing Corpse" (2023 Remaster)
"Deadest Of The Dead" (2023 Remaster)
"Sodomy And Lust" (2023 Remaster)


Additional tracks (Digital only):


"Carnal Epitaph" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Necromaniac" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Decrepit Crescendo" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Limb From Limb" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"This Axe Was Made To Grind" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Forged In Fire (Formed in Flame)" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Exhumed To Consume" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Deep Red" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Vacant Grave" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Open The Abscess" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Open The Abscess" (continued) (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Slaughtercult" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)
"Sodomy And Lust" (Live at Fuck the Commerce, May 24, 2001)





Exhumed continue their massive late summer/fall US tour with Cavalera tomorrow through October 18.





Exhumed are:


Matt Harvey - Guitar, Vocals
Ross Sewage - Bass, Vocals
Mike Hamilton - Drums
Sebastian Phillips - Guitar

Glamour icon Boy George of one of the biggest global acts of the '80s, new wave, pop legends CULTURE CLUB, is apparently a fan of British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH.

The 62-year-old singer, whose real name is George Alan O'Dowd, took to his Twitter on Wednesday (September 13) to share a short video of NAPALM DEATH's September 12 concert at The Triffid in Brisbane, Australia, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Saw the noise monsters @officialND last night and my ears are still ringing. Loved all of the stuff [NAPALM DEATH frontman] Barney had to say. Totally tight band (no other way of saying it, lol) Hey Barney see you at the coffee counter! Comment of the night 'shut up you fresh faced fucker'".

Boy George is currently celebrating CULTURE CLUB's four-plus-decade with a "Greatest Hits" tour of Australia. The musician, whose flamboyant dresses and heavy makeup created a disarmingly androgynous appearance that was a sensation on early MTV, is joined by guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig as they perform favorites from across their back catalog. The tour kicked off on September 5 at Perth's RAC Arena, before shows at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on September 8 and September 9, respectively. The tour continued with a show at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on September 11 before wrapping up on September 14 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

NAPALM DEATH is a British-American extreme metal band formed in Meriden, West Midlands, England, in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's career.

NAPALM DEATH is credited as pioneers of the grindcore genre by incorporating elements of hardcore punk and death metal, using a noise-filled sound that uses heavily distorted, down-tuned guitars, grinding overdrive bass, high speed tempo, blast beats, and vocals which consist of incomprehensible growls, or high-pitched shrieks, extremely short songs, fast tempos, and sociopolitical lyrics.
Saw the noise monsters @officialND last night and my ears are still ringing. Loved all of the stuff Barney had to say. Totally tight band (no other way of saying it, lol) Hey Barney see you at the coffee counter! Comment of the night 'shut up you fresh faced fucker' pic.twitter.com/xbLpwhCkWt

— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) September 12, 2023



2 weeks to go 🚨 Napalm Death

One of the most influential and legendary acts in the history of heavy metal, and is...

Posted by The Triffid on Tuesday, August 29, 2023

BEARTOOTH will release its fifth album, "The Surface", on October 13 via Red Bull Records.

Like its predecessors, "The Surface" is an intensely personal and powerful journey for Caleb Shomo, who has never shied away from sharing his demons in his music and with his fans. However, the frontman has turned a corner with a more optimistic outlook and demonstrates exceptional growth as both an artist and a human being through the songs that comprise the album.

Today, the band has shared the new single "The Better Me (Feat. Hardy)". Listen below.

This epic collaboration is the product of the mutual admiration for each other's work and their friendship. Michael Wilson Hardy, known simply as Hardy to his country music fans, even spoke about looking to Shomo for advice on how to perfect his own sing/scream vocal delivery in a chat with Billboard.

"There are times where we feel like there is a way better version of ourselves somewhere deep inside that we need to find and bring back to the forefront of our lives," shares Shomo. "This song is about going through the things that brought me to that conclusion. Simply put, I made a choice to be a better me."

Additionally, all previously released tracks — "Riptide", "Sunshine!", "Might Love Myself" and "Doubt Me" have tallied nearly 54 million total streams thus far.

Both BEARTOOTH and Hardy are currently in the Top 15 on Active Rock radio charts in the U.S. and rising. In fact, BEARTOOTH's "Might Love Myself" moved up two slots this week and is currently at #15 on the Active Rock radio chart, which is the fastest clip at which they've cracked the top 15 in their career.

In a recent interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, Caleb spoke about why BEARTOOTH went through several lineup changes in the early days of its existence around a decade ago. He said: "Yeah, thankfully, we do have [a lineup] that we've had for a while. I think something like this and the way this is run, with it being just me and me [playing all the instruments], at least in the studio… the way this whole thing is structured out, it was bound to go through some changes. And everybody else also has their own lives they've gotta live. And not everybody wants to just be out on the road doing this all the time, which I completely respect. But I think as of now, we've got the lineup, in my opinion. It's good. We got some of the best players ever. I'm very, very proud of everybody who's standing on that stage. And I feel like every show we just get more in tune with each other and we're becoming more of a team and it's really taking the BEARTOOTH live show to a whole new level."

Regarding "The Surface", Caleb said: "It's really just kind of the polar opposite of [2021's] 'Below'. 'Below' was really a COVID kind of period piece record, just about all of the emotions that were being felt throughout that, that I was feeling and I was dealing with and kind of my mental state. And I vowed after that record that I would never make a record that kind of dark and sad again. And in turn, through all of the kind of changes that I started making in my own life coming out of COVID, this record just kind of started to be born. And it really is just the polar opposite. It's hopeful and there's positive tones to it and it's not just miserable and sad, and I'm very happy about that."

He continued: "I think really for me it's about manifesting happiness. I really do believe that we are very in control of our futures and at least ourselves and the way we feel in the future. And it takes a lot of manifesting, it takes a lot of just calling things for what it is and deciding things. For me, I think being happy in a lot of ways is a choice, and I have to choose to do these practical things that may be difficult throughout the day but I know they will make me happier in the long run. So this record's really just about kind of like wanting to manifest that I wanna live a happier life from here on out."

Shomo first turned the pain of his struggle with mental health and self-image into music in 2013. BEARTOOTH began as a living document, a diary, a journal of repressed rage and depression. Alone in his basement studio, screaming and singing, playing all the instruments, and self-producing a batch of furious but melodic songs filled with reflection and confession, the Ohio native stared into the abyss, initially with no intention of returning to the heavy music world that burned him as a teen. A decade later, the different pieces of his body of work connect in title, sound, and spirit. As the frontman hits 30, BEARTOOTH's fifth album, "The Surface", completes this era in 2023. Even more importantly, it kicks off a new chapter filled with surprising optimism and just as honest. Depression is a sick, disgusting, aggressive disease below the surface. Shomo stands ready to bask in the light.

Like NINE INCH NAILS, BEARTOOTH remains a one-person band in the studio. On the heels of the introductory "Sick" EP (2013),"Disgusting" (2014) produced the band's first gold single, "In Between". "Aggressive" (2016) and "Disease" (2018) expanded on the desperation and pain, each a step closer to a balance between the blood and tears of classic recordings and the shimmer of modernity.

Rolling Stone heralded BEARTOOTH as one of 10 Artists You Need to Know. The rabid response to Shomo's music demonstrated how many people related to his struggle for self-acceptance. "Below" topped the Rock and Alternative charts and several Best Rock/Metal Albums Of The Year lists. As of 2023, the BEARTOOTH catalog boasts more than one billion streams across all platforms.

FOREIGNER, the band behind some of rock's most timeless songs, has just wrapped up the first leg of its farewell tour with a slew of sold-out shows, enthusiastic reviews, and box-office records.

The trek will continue through the fall with a string of sold-out indoor events that will bring the excitement to fans in secondary markets across the USA. Details can be found at foreigneronline.com.

FOREIGNER reached hundreds of thousands of loyal fans as the band rocked across the U.S. and Canada on the first leg of its farewell tour, which grossed over $18,000,000, making it one of the most successful classic rock tours of the summer. Fans at the 32 tour stops were treated to some of rock and roll's most enduring anthems, including "Juke Box Hero", "Cold As Ice", "Hot Blooded", "Waiting For A Girl Like You", "Feels Like The First Time", "Urgent", "Head Games", "Say You Will", "Dirty White Boy", "Long, Long Way From Home" and the worldwide No. 1 hit "I Want To Know What Love Is".

The farewell tour, announced by FOREIGNER frontman Kelly Hansen in a sit-down interview with "Fox & Friends" in November 2022, launched at Atlanta's Ameris Bank Amphitheatre on July 6, 2023. For the Live Nation amphitheater tour, FOREIGNER was joined by LOVERBOY, one of the 1980s' biggest hit-makers. The spectacular show, also teased for millions of viewers on ABC's hit show "GMA3" this summer, thrilled audiences with stellar performances of more than 20 combined chart-topping songs.

Hansen had this to say: "What a fabulous beginning to our farewell odyssey. The fans have been amazing in expressing their joy for this catalog and this legacy. I very much look forward to continuing to play these amazing songs with this extremely talented band to these brilliant fans all over, and I am filled with humble gratitude."

Live Nation's Rick Franks said: "The first leg of FOREIGNER's two-year farewell tour played to a nightly average of over 10,000 ecstatic fans. The amazing reviews and box office numbers made it one of the most successful classic rock tours of the summer. We are all looking forward to the band's December announcement of forthcoming shows."

As part of FOREIGNER's longtime partnership with the Grammy Museum Foundation supporting music programs in our nation's schools, FOREIGNER conducted a contest in each tour city that gave choirs the chance to open the show and win a P.A. system donated by Bose.

Launched exclusively during the FOREIGNER farewell tour was the companion album on vinyl, "Farewell – The Very Best Of Foreigner", which debuted on the Billboard Current Album chart at No. 40.

FOREIGNER leader and founder Mick Jones said: "It has been heartwarming to read the reviews on social media from so many of our fans that attended the first leg of our farewell tour. Over the next year or so we hope to perform in most of the cities that FOREIGNER has played since the band was reformed."

FOREIGNER will round out the first year of the farewell tour with 2024 shows to be announced in December, including "Feels Like The Last Time"; a two-part residency at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas featuring sixteen shows taking place March 22 – April 6 and October 25 – November 9, 2024.

The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. Ever since, it is never announced whether he will be appearing with the band for specific shows — it just depends how he is feeling.

After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and bassist Jeff Pilson, among others.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want To Know What Love Is".

Photo credit: Kamal Asar