Berkeley, California punk stalwarts RANCID have released the official music video for their new single "Live Forever". Over rapid-fire vocal chants and classic punk riffs, the black-and-white video captures unseen footage of RANCID during the band's massive European tour this past June, including headline shows and performances at Hellfest and beyond. The track is taken from RANCID's tenth studio album, "Tomorrow Never Comes", which came out on June 2 via Epitaph. The follow-up to 2017's "Trouble Maker" was produced by longtime collaborator, BAD RELIGION guitarist and Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz.

At a whopping 850 million catalog streams to date, fans and critics alike seem to agree that RANCID's brand of high-impact, no-frills punk still flows abundantly in their blood, while easily translating to a modern audience. Now embarking on their tenth full-length effort, this is evident throughout "Tomorrow Never Comes". With its sixteen blistering tracks barely making the two-and-a-half-minute mark, the album boasts the same gritty, straight forward punk-with-a-purpose that the world just can't get enough of.

Throughout the last three decades, RANCID has remained fiercely independent, never losing their loyalty to their community or each other. Their music confronts political and social issues, while balancing personal tales of love, loss, and heartbreak with attitude. By carrying on the traditions and spirit of the original punk rock bands that came before, Rancid has become a legend and inspiration to punk bands that have come after.

Photo credit: Atiba Jefferson

VENDED, the band fronted by Griffin Taylor, the 20-year-old son of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor, has released the official music video for its latest single, "Am I The Only One". VENDED's lineup is completed by Simon Crahan (son of SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan) on drums, Connor Grodzicki on rhythm guitar, Jeremiah Pugh on bass and Cole Espeland on lead guitar.

In a recent interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Corey spoke about Griffin's work with VENDED, saying: "I cannot tell you how proud I am of that boy. And, of course, being a typical Taylor, on one hand I'm super proud of him, but I still can't get him to clean anything, dude; he's just such a nightmare.

"The funny thing is you and I were talking the day after he was born. And I keep going back to that night, going, 'What's he gonna be? Who's he gonna be in life?' And now 20 years later, almost 21, and he is this crazy metal pirate, just like I was," Corey continued. "And I'm just, like, 'Oh, I failed as a father. What did I do?' I kept trying to push him to be anything other than what I do. And, yeah, dude, he's crushing.

"I've heard the new stuff that he just recorded with [producer] Chris Collier, and it is so good," Corey added. "VENDED, their new stuff is so rad. Not only Griffin, man, but Simon's [Crahan] drumming sounds incredible. All of the guys — Cole [Espeland] and Grod [Connor Grodzicki] sound great [on guitar]. The guitars have just gone above and beyond. J.J.'s [Jeremiah Pugh] crushing it on bass. I'm really, really proud of those guys, man. And then to be able to watch my boy get out there and just be himself and crush. It's so easy for him, and it just makes me angry. Because he's got all the great stuff that I never had when I was… He can wear anything. It's just criminal. I'm just, like, 'You don't know how good you've got it, kid. The carbs haven't caught you yet.'"

Last November, VENDED released the official music video for its previous single, "Overall".

A year earlier, VENDED dropped a duo of singles ("Asylum" and "Burn My Misery") ahead of its five-track debut EP, "What Is It / Kill It", which arrived at DSPs in November 2021. The collection was recorded with Griffin Landa of THE ACACIA STRAIN. The two singles bookended VENDED's first U.S. headline tour, after which the band went on to open the day's proceedings at the huge Knotfest Los Angeles show at the Banc Of California Stadium, playing alongside SLIPKNOT, BRING ME THE HORIZON, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333, CODE ORANGE and CHERRY BOMBS.

In July 2022, VENDED released a new single, "Ded To Me", ahead of its first-ever European dates.

Formed in February of 2018 in Des Moines, Iowa, VENDED had its first mainstream exposure in 2020 when they performed as part of Knotfest.com's virtual "Pulse Of The Maggots" festival.

VENDED played its first headlining show in March 2020 at the iconic local club Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, Iowa.

Griffin, who looks a lot like his father, previously showcased his skills when he joined Corey onstage during STONE SOUR shows in 2017 and 2018. He's also played cover tunes with Simon Crahan, while Clown's daughter Alexandria Crahan-Conway has snapped some of VENDED's previous press pics.

PRONG's thirteenth studio album, "State Of Emergency", will arrive on October 6 via Steamhammer/SPV. The official music video for the LP's third single, "The Descent", can be seen below.

The track is a perfect blend of that impeccable recipe of punk, metal and thrash that makes up PRONG's signature sound, and shows Tommy Victor and the boys are primed and ready to tear some faces off with "State Of Emergency".

Victor comments: "'The Descent' has a narrative of isolation, confusion, and hopelessness due to the intervention of media."

The earned experience of having sat at the forefront of the heavy metal scene in the U.S. and around the world for many decades now has given frontman Tommy Victor and the band the foresight to know what's ahead, and to and to keep churning out that impeccable recipe of punk, metal, post-punk noise, doom, blues and thrash that makes up PRONG's sound.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"RUSH was the first power trio I ever saw live and I was blown away by them," Tommy says. "'Working Man' is so simple and it's so heavy. I also love the lyric. I thought it would be great tuned down a bit and slowed down, and I think we nailed it."

"State Of Emergency" arrives perfectly in time for PRONG's upcoming headline tour and subsequent November dates with LIFE OF AGONY in Europe.

"State Of Emergency" track listing:

01. The Descent
02. State Of Emergency
03. Breaking Point
04. Non-Existence
05. Light Turns Black
06. Who Told Me
07. Obeisance
08. Disconnected
09. Compliant
10. Back (NYC)
11. Working Man (RUSH Cover)

Photo credit: Nathaniel Shannon

MR. BUNGLE, which recently completed its first post-pandemic tour dates this past May as part of the Ipecac Recordings' "Geek Show", kicked off its summer U.S. tour last night (Tuesday, September 5) at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland. Fan-filmed video of the entire show — courtesy of the Jim Powers YouTube channel — can be seen below.

MR. BUNGLE's current dates, which mark the band's first shows on the East Coast (with the exception of New York City) in 23 years, find MR. BUNGLE once again featuring their "The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny" demo lineup: Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Trey Spruance, Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo.

MR. BUNGLE released "The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo" in 2020, an album that saw the Eureka, California-born band record songs from their 1986 cassette only demo. The collection's release was preceded by seven February 2020 shows (Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York). The newly revamped version of the seminal band sees Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton and Trey Spruance joined by Scott Ian (ANTHRAX, S.O.D.) and Dave Lombardo (DEAD CROSS, ex-SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES). Rolling Stone dubbed the album "a feast of ingenious riffs… and pure manic energy," Stereogum said "MR. BUNGLE are reliving their very earliest days and kicking a whole lot of ass in the process," and Decibel declared it "one of the best thrash records of the year."

MR. BUNGLE was formed in an impoverished lumber and fishing town by a trio of curious, volatile teenagers. Trey Spruance, Mike Patton and Trevor Dunn beget the amorphous "band" in 1985 up in Humboldt County, California, sifting through a variety of members until around 1989 when they settled on a lineup that managed to get signed to Warner Bros. Records. No one really knows how this happened and it remains a complete mystery that even the algorithms of the Internet can't decode. Up until 2000, they released three albums ("Mr. Bungle" in 1991, "Disco Volante" in 1995 and "California" in 1999),toured a good portion of the Western hemisphere and avoided any sort of critical acclaim. Some argue that the band subsequently broke up but there is also no proof of this. What is true is that they took 20 years off from performing under said moniker while they pursued various other music that, in contrast, paid the rent.

Kicking off our fall season properly! Tonight we welcome Mr. Bungle and only a handful of tickets remain, get on it!

Posted by Rams Head Live on Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon and daughter Kelly spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about his recent decision to withdraw from the upcoming Power Trip festival. The historic three-day event set for October 6, 7 and 8 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California 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).

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

"We can't talk about it in the house because it is just so heartbreaking to see that all he wants is just one more show," Kelly told Rolling Stone.

"And Ozzy wants to be on that show with all his friends," Sharon added. "It's heartbreaking for him to see everybody going on, and he's just left behind."

"He could do it right now if he sat in a chair," Kelly said, "because the voice is there; there's nothing wrong with the voice."

"But he won't do it," Sharon interjected.

"He said that if he can't give his fans what they paid to see, he won't do it," Kelly offered. "There is nobody that loves their friends as much as Dad does."

When Ozzy canceled his appearance as one the headliners of Power Trip, he said in a statement: "As painful as this is, I've had to make the decision to bow out of performing on Power Trip in October.

"My original plan was to return to the stage in the summer of 2024, and when the offer to do this show came in, I optimistically moved forward. Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I'm just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed.

"Above all, I want to thank my fans, my band, and my crew for their unconditional loyalty and continual support. I love you all and I will see you soon.

"God Bless, Ozzy".

Ozzy's health issues, including catching COVID-19 a year and a half ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

While Osbourne's health issues forced him to scrap most of his live appearances, the legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman said he would return if his condition improved.

This past April, Ozzy was photographed walking without his cane in Los Angeles. According to Page Six, the 74-year-old singer looked unbalanced as he walked alongside his carer, who picked up flowers during their daytime stroll around the neighborhood and held them out for Osbourne to take a whiff.

Ozzy most recently gave an update on his touring status in February during an episode of SiriusXM's "Ozzy Speaks". He said: "Well, I've been working my guts out to try and get back on my feet. I've come to the point where Sharon says to me, 'You know what? The truth of the matter is you can't keep booking tours and failing, canceling. So, if I can ever get back to where I can tour again, fine. But right now, if you said to me, 'Can you go on the road in a month?' I couldn't say yes. I mean, if I could tour, I'd tour. But right now I can't book tours because right now I don't think I could pull them off."

Osbourne also commented on the fact that some of the media outlets reported that he was retiring from the road after he released his statement canceling his tour.

"The fucking press drive you nuts," Ozzy said. "I mean, I looked in the magazine, 'Ozzy's on his last legs.' I'm fucking not dying… Come on, guys. Haven't I've had it bad enough already? If I get okay today, if the doctor said to me today, 'Oh, you can tour, it would take another six months to get it together, you know?"

Osbourne also touched upon his ongoing health issues, saying: "You've got no idea. You got no idea what my… I feel like a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. The only thing I've got that keeps me going is making records. But I can't do that forever. I gotta get out there… [I'm] still in constant pain. I do to the best I can to stay away from the pain medication, but there are times when I go, 'You know, I've gotta take something.' I mean, last week I couldn't… I've been sleeping great, and all of a sudden for two back-to-back nights. I never slept a wink. If you're gonna torture me, just keep me awake for a couple of days. I'll tell you whatever the fuck you want me to say."

Osbourne was due to embark on a tour of Europe this past spring, but in the aforementioned statement said that he has "come to the realization that I'm not physically capable … as I know I couldn't deal with the travel required.

"This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to share with my loyal fans," the musician continued in his statement. "As you may all know, four years ago this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine. My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) treatment, my body is still physically weak.

"Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know," he wrote. "Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way."

In the statement, Osbourne added that he was looking into "ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country", and thanked his fans for "their endless dedication, loyalty and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have".

Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled in early February. The trek was scheduled to begin in Helsinki, Finland, on May 3, and include gigs in Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin and London, before finishing in his original hometown of Birmingham on June 14.

Ozzy has had extensive spinal surgery and other treatment over the past four years, after a fall at home in 2019 aggravated injuries he suffered in a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. But despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in recent months, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Photo courtesy of Schneider Rondan Organization

Italian power metallers Frozen Crown have checked in with a new update:


"Dear friends, yes, you're seeing right: there's a sixth member in our band (and this is not temporary)! Her name is Alessia Lanzone and she's going to share lead and rhythm guitar duties with Sheena and Federico both live and in the studio. Just like Niso when he joined the band, she's just 17 years old, but during the last months spent secretly together she already gave us proof of her huge talent - as well as being an awesome person - and we can't wait to finally introduce her to you live! She'll make her live debut with us at our next show September 16 in Tuttlingen, Germany, where we'll bring her on stage with us for the first time for an exclusive and unique event. Don't miss it!


As you know, we progressively increased the amount of guitar tracks in our albums, and nowadays our songs are a feast of harmonized riffs and leads, counting dozens of guitar layers, at least in the studio. During our stage performances we've been missing for long the huge impact a rhythm guitar player can add during twin leads, and lead guitar-wise, Sheena and Federico had to re-arrange many songs, sacrificing many parts for the sake of them sounding right in a live environment and not too empty. 




Yes, some may say: 'Why don't you simply add guitar layers in your backing tracks like most bands do nowadays?' The answer is we never included guitars in our backing tracks, and we never will. That just feels so wrong. Yes, this may go in sharp contrast with the latest tendencies of having layers and layers of instruments (and even vocals) included in the backing tracks: many bands do that and it's definitely more practical (as well as it's making things easier, let alone having less people in the line-up means less travel costs). But that's not our cup of tea, we just want to sound as live as possible (and if you ever attended one of our live shows lately you'd already know we just have a few keyboard as sequences, mostly just in some crucial parts, and that we always sounded as raw as possible). We always did what we felt doing, and never followed any trend since day 0. So here we are: Frozen Crown is officially becoming a band with three guitar players!


So let's welcome Alessia: thanks to her our live songs are going to sound truer to their original sound and our shows are going to turn into an even crazier guitar action feast!"


Frozen Crown recently inked a worldwide contract with Napalm Records. The five-piece was founded in 2018, and have since become one of the most influential Italian metal bands in the current scene.


So far, Frozen Crown have released four albums - The Fallen King (2018), Crowned In Frost (2019), Winterbane (2021) and this year’s Call Of The North - which have brought the band huge media exposure, millions of streams and video views, and big European tours with the likes of Dragonforce and Nanowar Of Steel, as well as two headlining tours in Japan.


Their current album, Call Of The North, is Frozen Crown’s most mature work so far, showcasing the best of the band’s unique power metal style infused with classic heavy metal, melodic death metal and speed metal influences, all topped with bombastic production highlighting opulent orchestrations and harmonies.


Frozen Crown on the signing: "We're happy and honored to join the Napalm Records family and we're ready for our next big step together. Since we founded this band in 2018 we worked hard incessantly, day after day, not only trying to put our best in our studio albums and live, but also managing the band all by ourselves, conquering every single little accomplishment with our DIY attitude, always keeping loyal to our (extremely) small entourage. Thanks to the support of our lovely fans, Frozen Crown eventually grew bigger, and got to a point where we were not able to handle it all by ourselves anymore. At the same time, we knew we needed more firepower to push the band further and bring it to the next level. And speaking of firepower, Napalm Records was just the best record label to start this new chapter with... We're excited beyond words to be part of the best metal label in the world, and we can't wait to start working together on our new album, joining forces with this huge team of professionals."


Sebastian Muench, Senior A&R Napalm Records, adds: “Frozen Crown are simply one of the most creative power metal bands to emerge in the last five years. Their previous releases, Winterbane and Call Of The North, are brilliant. We look forward to working with Frozen Crown to reach the next level in their career.”


Frozen Crown are:


Giada “Jade” Etro - Vocals
Federico Mondelli - Vocals, Guitar
Fabiola Bellomo - Guitar
Francesco Zof - Bass
Niso Tomasini - Drums

The Italian symphonic-extreme metal band Gotland released the lyric video of "Rise", the title track of the new album that will be released on September 15. The video was made by Stefano Mastronicola.


Furthermore, with this occasion, the band has announced a collaboration with the Broken Bones Promotion agency, which will take care of all the promotion of the new album together with the Earth and Sky Productions label.







Tracklisting:


“Foedus (Intro)”
“Roman And Cheruscan”
“The Downside”
“Insidia”
“Expectatio (Interlude)”
“Deception”
“Traitor Or Savior”
“Clades Variana (Interlude)”
“Slaughtered Centurions”
“Spiriti Nelle Tenebre”
“The Dishonor”
“Imperium Non Obliviscitur (Interlude)”
“Ballata Del Tradimento”
“The Same Blood”
“Visurgis”
“Invictus (Interlude)”
“Rise”


“Rise” lyric video:





“Roman And Cheruscan” lyric video:

THE ROLLING STONES come roaring out of the traps today with the release of their rocking single "Angry". It arrives alongside the announcement of their hugely anticipated new album, titled "Hackney Diamonds" and released on October 20. The exciting news was shared today by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood at a special media launch event at the historic Hackney Empire, East London's epicenter of pioneering art for almost 125 years. The launch was hosted by American TV star Jimmy Fallon and streamed worldwide via YouTube.

The 12-track album, for which full track list information will be revealed in due course, was recorded in various locations around the world, including Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Metropolis Studios, London; Sanctuary Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Electric Lady Studios, New York; and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios, also in New York.

The album is their first studio set of new material since 2005's "A Bigger Bang", coincidentally released exactly 18 years ago — on September 6. Since then, THE STONES have continued to smash box office records for fun on a series of global sellout tours and released 2016's Grammy Award-winning "Blue & Lonesome", which featured their brilliant versions of many of the blues tracks that helped shape their sound, and topped album charts around the world. Last year, they thrilled European audiences totaling nearly a quarter of a million on the anniversary "Sixty" tour.

"Hackney Diamonds" marks THE ROLLING STONES' first collaboration with New York-born producer and musician Andrew Watt, who was named "Producer Of The Year" at the 2021 Grammy Awards and has worked with Post Malone, Iggy Pop and Elton John.

The exhilarating "Angry" is accompanied by a music video directed by Francois Rousselet, whose credits include work with Nike, Diesel, Pharrell Williams, and on THE STONES' "Ride 'Em On Down", from "Blue & Lonesome". The new promo clip stars Emmy-nominated actress Sydney Sweeney ("The White Lotus", "Euphoria", "The Handmaid's Tale").

The bespoke artwork for "Hackney Diamonds" is by digital animator Paulina Almira.

"Hackney Diamonds" will be released across a number of formats including a special limited RS No. 9 Carnaby Red vinyl, available exclusively to pre-order direct from the flagship store from September 6. An exclusive "Hackney Diamonds" merch line is also available today from the London store.

THE ROLLING STONES' upcoming LP will be the first since their drummer, Charlie Watts, died in 2021.

This past February, THE ROLLING STONES confirmed that Paul McCartney makes a guest appearance on the band's upcoming album on at least one track. The band reportedly recorded the effort in a Los Angeles studio with 2021 Grammy "Producer Of The Year" Andrew Watt.

THE ROLLING STONES' new LP will likely include several songs Watts recorded prior to his death.

"Let me put it this way," Richards told the Los Angeles Times in 2021. "You haven't heard the last of Charlie Watts."

THE ROLLING STONES released a new track, "Living In A Ghost Town", in 2020.

In 2016, the band released "Blue & Lonesome", a covers collection paying tribute to old-school blues.

Two years ago, Richards told the Los Angeles Times the pandemic delayed work on the new album, while Jagger added, "We have a lot of tracks done, so when the tour's finished, we'll assess where we are with that and continue."

Photo credit: Mark Seliger

In a new interview with Czech Republic's Metalshop, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke about the realities of post-pandemic touring, including increased travel expenses — gas, tour buses, hotels and flight costs. Asked if touring is "a problem" for bands like SEPULTURA nowadays, Andreas said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. We're here [in the Czech Republic]. [Laughs] Otherwise we wouldn't be here, right? I mean, we are managing to do a great tour. The shows are being sold out everywhere. The fans are really buying the merch and stuff to keep this flowing, and it's great. It feels that people wanna go out and really be a part of life, not being home and just, 'Ah, tomorrow I do this, tomorrow I do that.' No, it's now, now that life happens. So it's great. I cannot complain, man."

Kisser continued: "It was always hard to be on the road — always. It doesn't matter if you are [a bigger band] or [a smaller band], you have higher cost or less cost, but [it's] always a big challenge to put the rock and roll circus on the road. But we have an amazing crew, meaning amazing managers, a band that's really tight, fantastic fans that really keep this band alive. Fans that don't like to buy bootleg stuff — they buy the official stuff where the money goes at the right place; it comes to the band, it goes to the label, it goes to the manager. So we manage to make it happen. Without the fans, nothing will be possible. So we all have to thank them a lot."

Last month, Kisser confirmed to Oran O'Beirne of Bloodstock TV that he and his SEPULTURA bandmates have no plans to work on the follow-up to 2020's "Quadra" album in the coming months. "Next year we're gonna celebrate 40 years of a career, so the idea is to put out a live album," he explained. "We're actually recording everything right now; we're recording every show. It's great that nowadays, because of technology, we have this possibility, so we don't have really to be attached or limited to one or two gigs to record a live set. So the idea is really to collect recordings from all over the world and prepare a really nice celebration release of our history, of our music. So, new songs or a new album, I don't even see happening in the [near future]."

Elaborating on how SEPULTURA is going about putting together the material for the upcoming live album, Andreas said: "I'm trying to be as much organized as I can. We have this Dropbox file with all the music. I have an Excel file with all the dates and all the songs. When you have the songs fresh in your mind, you make some notes — 'Oh, broken string here,' 'Shitty sound there,' or whatever. So at least we have a kind of a map where to start.

"It's exciting," he continued. "I mean, SEPULTURA doesn't have a proper live album per se. We have DVDs, we have the Barcelona stuff [1992's 'Under Siege (Live In Barcelona)'], which is very old. But I think it's a tradition of — when I grew up, my favorite albums were all live albums: 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith' [from MOTÖRHEAD], 'Alive I' and 'II' from KISS, THIN LIZZY — you name it. Many great albums. 'Made In Japan' [from DEEP PURPLE]."

When O'Beirne noted that not many bands release live albums nowadays, Kisser said: "You know why? Because the thing of the image of the YouTube, whatever, it kind of killed that. We are all from Brazil. We didn't see any of the shows [back in the 1980s], and to have a live album and to dream about to be there, to listen to the people screaming, it created this atmosphere for us. That's what we wanna try to do. Vinyl is back, [so we wanna] do a really nice package with a lot of photos and really show where we. I mean, we go everywhere in the world. We visited 80 countries so far [in] almost 40 years of a career. And now at the end of September, we go to Singapore for the first time. Still a first after so long. So it's exciting. It's great."

SEPULTURA's previous live albums include 2002's "Under A Pale Grey Sky", 2005's "Live In São Paulo" and 2014's "Metal Veins - Alive In Rock In Rio".

SEPULTURA comprises Kisser, singer Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Guitarist Jairo Guedz joined the group the following year and played on the band's first two releases, 1985's "Bestial Devastation" EP and their 1986 full-length debut, "Morbid Visions". He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987's "Schizophrenia".

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Kisser.

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band split with Max's wife Gloria as their manager.

Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their new son (who was born in January 2006).

Country and hard rock collide during Carrie's Octane Invasion, an exclusive crossover special featuring Carrie Underwood and hosted by Jose "Metal Ambassador" Mangin on SiriusXM's Carrie's Country and Octane channels.

The special includes Carrie and Jose's backstage conversation from the country-pop superstar's concert with GUNS N' ROSES in Nashville, where they shared their love of rock and went through all of Carrie's favorites — including DISTURBED, I PREVAIL, KORN and more.

Regarding how she became a fan of some of the aforementioned bands, Carrie, who was born on March 10, 1983 in Checotah, Oklahoma, said: "I remember going to big rock festivals in Tulsa and kind of being exposed to bands like SLIPKNOT and people like that. So it was just a really great time in music. I feel like the late '90s [and] early 2000s was just a fun time in rock music."

Carrie's Octane Invasion will air on September 5 at 8 p.m. ET on Carrie's Country (Ch. 60) and Octane (Ch. 37). The special will also be available on the SiriusXM app.

Carrie's Octane Invasion comes about three months after Carrie launched her SiriusXM channel Carrie's Country. The channel is a musical journey hand-crafted by country's iconic rhinestoned superstar. Carrie highlights her friends, favorites, and influences — new and classic country, workout hits, gospel, and beyond. Listeners can also hear high-octane favorites from classic to hard rock for your morning exercise or your late-night jam sessions. The stories behind her music, record-breaking career, and life on the road are also shared. In addition to Carrie's own extensive hit-filled catalogue, SiriusXM subscribers can hear music from Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert to AC/DC, GUNS N' ROSES and THE ROLLING STONES.

As her recent shows as the support act for GUNS N' ROSES, Carrie has been performing a cover of MOTÖRHEAD's classic "Ace Of Spades".

Underwood first sang "Ace Of Spades" at the first GN'R support gig on August 5 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Her 18-song concert also included her renditions of such iconic rock hits as Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation", Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", THE ROLLING STONES' "Wild Horses", HEART's "Alone" and LED ZEPPELIN's "Rock And Roll".

Carrie previously used "Ace Of Spades" as the hype anthem and the tune that played prior to her taking the stage on her headlining "Denim & Rhinestones" tour earlier this year.

Underwood's love for rock music has been well-documented, having previously joined GUNS N' ROSES on stage during the band's 2022 concert at London, England's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. She also released her version of Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Comin' Home" for Apple Music Sessions, a live performance series launched by the tech giant.

Carrie said in a 2014 interview that late QUEEN frontman Freddie Mercury was high on her list of first loves.

"I've always been a huge fan and lover of Freddie Mercury," she said. "I would listen to him when I was a kid. He could do so many amazing things with his voice. People like that — who had incredible voices — I was always drawn to. I would want to try to do what they do. They were my teachers."

She also said that if you scrolled through her iPod, you'd find some really hard rock music, like MUDVAYNE.

"When I work out, I like to listen to things that are really angry," she said. "I couldn't do it on a daily basis or driving in my car. I think that would be kind of weird."

When I PREVAIL took to Twitter in September 2022 and shared about the band's third studio album, "True Power", "One month of 'TRUE POWER'. 56M streams. All thanks to you." Underwood replied to the tweet with, "I think I was a large number of them!" She also added a "face with tears of joy" emoji.

This past February, several members of I PREVAIL attended Underwood's concert at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, with the singer later writing on social media: "I was so excited to have the guys from @iprevailband at the show last night in Michigan!!! I tried to play it cool and not fangirl too much! Super great guys!!! I'm hoping I get to catch one of their shows this year!!!"

In the comments section below Underwood's Instagram post, I PREVAIL vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe wrote: "There was an equal amount of fangirling haha. Thanks again for having us out! Show was incredible." Meanwhile, I PREVAIL co-vocalist Brian Burkheiser wrote: "Thank you for an incredible night!!!"

The Loss Of Beauty is Shores Of Null’s fourth album and follows the acclaimed Beyond The Shores (On Death And Dying), unanimously considered by fans and critics as one of the doom metal gems of recent years. The lyrics celebrate beauty in imperfection and transience and are meant to be an invitation to seek beauty in little things, especially those unexpected and ephemeral. 


Today, the band presents their latest music video in support of this release, “Darkness Won't Take Me”, which vocalist Davide Straccione details:


“While I was collecting ideas for the album’s lyrics, I remember having a chat with Martina of Sanda Movies about possible topics, starting from visual ideas. Martina knows us very well, in fact, she contributed since our first album to create our visual identity through the videos she made for us. She showed me a painting by the Italian artist Verdirosi, portraying an old man, tired and hunchback, pulling a barrow with the grim reaper patiently sitting on it, and immediately connected with that vision. I imagined a man that had lived his life to the fullest, his time has come but he’s holding back death for a little longer ‘cause he’s so attached to life. He will leave this world on his own terms, and without regrets.”







The band goes on to share that stylistically, The Loss Of Beauty continues along the sulcus set forth by Quiescence and Black Drapes For Tomorrow, its melancholic dark metal with a wide range of influences, from gothic metal to doom metal and melodic black/death metal, with frequent use of vocal harmonies and deep growls. The lyrics celebrate beauty in imperfection and transience and are meant to be an invitation to seek beauty in little things, especially those unexpected and ephemeral.


The album consists of 13 songs, while the LP version only contains 11, the two extra tracks are bonus tracks that can be found on the CD version as well as on the streaming platforms. Dark and heavy, tinged with feelings of despair and melancholy, The Loss Of Beauty was released on March 24, 2023, and is recommended for fans of Swallow The Sun, Borknagar, and Paradise Lost. Order The Loss Beauty this location.





In additional news, the band will perform at various European Festivals this coming fall along with plans for an Italian Winter Tour to be announced at a later date.


Dates:


September
9 – Rieti, Italy – Summer Metal Festival
30 – Bucharest, Romania – Metal Gates


November
4 – Helsinki, Finland – Fall Fest


December
9 – Pescara, Italy – Scumm


January 
13 – Bari, Italy – Metal Symposium


March
1 – Torino, Italy – Ziggy
2 – Mantova, Italy – The Academy
15 – Perugia, Italy – Rework
16 – Milano, Italy – Slaughter 

Canadian sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD celebrated 40 eventful years of existence in 2023 with a special anniversary studio album titled "Morgöth Tales", which was released on July 21 via Century Media Records. The LP's latest single is "Fix My Heart (2023 Version)", accompanied by a video directed by Above The Void.

VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain comments on the new single: "It's always the highlight of our live show when the audience claps with big smiles all round. To me it's about keeping hope and focus towards a better future, moving on, leaving the past behind and exploring new worlds within. 'I'm not afraid to live'."

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, "Morgöth Tales" includes fresh studio re-recordings by the band's current lineup of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band's hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song and the album's title track, "Morgöth Tales".

VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin comments: "'Morgöth Tales' covers 40 years of space exploration.

"It was really exciting for us to revisit a more obscure part of the VOIVOD catalogue, from thrash-punk to prog-metal.

"The title track is a new song, which we started writing on the tour bus and hotels during the OPETH European tour in November/December 2022. It has the vibe of the experimental music we are doing nowadays, with a new twist I think. We also had the great thrill of getting Eric [Forrest] and Jason [Newsted] involved on this album.

"I hope you'll dig it. Chewy, Rocky, Snake and I certainly had a blast recording it. All aboard and ready for take off!"

"Morgöth Tales" track listing:

01. Condemned To The Gallows (2023 Version) [originally on "Metal Massacre V" compilation, 1984]
02. Thrashing Rage (2023 Version) [originally on "Rrröööaaarrr", 1986]
03. Killing Technology (2023 Version) [originally on "Killing Technology", 1987]
04. Macrosolutions To Megaproblems (2023 Version) [originally on "Dimension Hatröss", 1988]
05. Pre-Ignition (2023 Version) [originally on "Nothingface", 1989]
06. Nuage Fractal (2023 Version) [originally on "Angel Rat", 1991]
07. Fix My Heart (2023 Version) [originally on "The Outer Limits", 1993]
08. Rise (2023 Version, feat. Eric Forrest) [originally on "Phobos", 1997]
09. Rebel Robot (2023 Version, feat. Jason Newsted) [originally on "Voivod", 2003]
10. Morgöth Tales [New Song]

VOIVOD vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger spoke about "Morgöth Tales" in an interview with Agoraphobic News. He said: "It was a really fun thing to do. It was like a time capsule, going back in time [to] revisit these old songs, especially one in particular, which was first song we ever recorded ['Condemned To The Gallows']; that was for 'Metal Massacre V' [1984] on Metal Blade Records back in the day, before our first album. And the funny thing about it was there was no lyric sheet in the compilation itself. It was us, including many other bands. And the way it was recorded, it was really hard to figure out the lyrics; I couldn't remember what I was singing. So we're looking everywhere on the Internet, if someone has it or whatever. And it was nowhere [to be] found. And then I said to myself, 'Maybe mom has it in the attic somewhere.' And then I called my sister: 'Can you check at mom's place? Maybe she put it somewhere.' And she went, and my mom classified — everything is in order with mom. And she was, like, 'Yeah, yeah, I have it. File number six.' And then she pulls out the only copy of the lyrics in the world of that song.' And we were, like, 'Yeah!' 'Cause [music for] the song was already recorded. And we were, like, 'Oh my God. What are we gonna do?'"

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

Last November, VOIVOD released an EP, "Ultraman", via Century Media Records. The effort featured a highly original tribute to the "Ultraman" TV series theme as well as previously unreleased bonus live cuts, available both as a 12-inch vinyl EP or as a digital EP.

VOIVOD's 15th studio album, "Synchro Anarchy", was released in February 2022 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2018's "The Wake" was produced by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio and features cover artwork created by drummer Michel Langevin (a.k.a. Away).

Photo credit: Catherine Deslauriers

Wisconsin, US-based doom-death masters, Dusk, will release their new album, Dissolve Into Ash, later this year. It will be the band’s first full-length album in 28 years, following on from the debut, ...Majestic Thou In Ruin, which was originally released in 1995.





Dissolve Into Ash will be released in late 2023 via Dark Symphonies / The Crypt Vinyl on CD and vinyl and on tape via Dread Records. The release will be distributed through Dark Descent Records. The album was produced by David Pietila at SourceTrack Studio.




With Dissolve Into Ash, Dusk tried to stay true to their old-school death-doom roots, since not having recorded a full-length since 1995, and at the same time ushering in a new modern version of the band. Fans of old school and new fans who never heard of Dusk should be pleased with the result.


Regarding the background of the new album, the band commented: “Birthed out of the Covid pandemic, the inspiration of the material for this release was an overall sadness. The purpose of this album is to somehow musically equate the overall demise of mankind; an almost apocalyptic/end days atomosphere. The title Dissolve into Ash was derived from an ancient Latin funeral dirge entitled “Dies Irae”.  


“The section of the chant focused on is translated into English as: “The Day of Wrath,
that Day Will Dissolve the World in Ashes
How great will be the Quaking  
When the Judge is about to Come


“This verse contains the overall feeling of being overwhelmed by this life and the mental torment that exists during these times. This is the darkest album that Dusk has ever recorded. Exploring the deepest depressive depths of the soul.”


Live dates:


September
9 - Farmageddon III at The Brodazoffa - Kaukauna, WI


November
11 - Wisconsin Doomed and Stoned Fest at Badger State Brewing Company - Green Bay, WI
17 - Nightmare in November Fest at 58 Below - Kenosha, WI


More shows in the US and abroad TBC.

Canada’s new power thrash metal gods, Triskelyon, will be unleashing their sophomore album, Artificial Insanity - mixed and mastered by Michael Small (Winterhearth, Triskelyon, Artach -  on September 8th via Moribund Records.


The band has unveiled their next single, "At War With Demons", featuring vocals from Cara McCutchen (Mortillery, Naitaka), which can be viewed below. 


Guitarist Geoff Waye adds about the single:




"The title 'At War With Demons' was fashioned as a nod to the legendary 'At War With Satan' by the mighty Venom. However, that's precisely where the similarity ends. This track stands as one of the heavier offerings on the album, a direct and succinct thrasher that strikes at the heart with its intent. Its lyrics are fundamentally centered around the theme of war. On vocals for this one is the remarkable Cara McCutchen, whose vocal prowess I had become acquainted with through her contributions to Mortillery. Presently, she fronts the Canadian ensemble Naitaka. Her vocal range is remarkably versatile, spanning from piercing screams to unrelenting brutality. Undoubtedly, her band is fortunate to have her as their vocalist."





Founded in 2021 by guitarist Geoff Waye, of the popular true metal band Category VI, Triskelyon released one self-titled EP and was promptly signed to Moribund Records for their radio chart-topping debut album, Downfall (2022).


With Artificial Insanity, Triskelyon returns with a varied yet blistering thrash/power metal classic, bringing back the 1980’s glory days, while maintaining a fresh and modern sound. To close the album Triskelyon surprises all with an incredible female-fronted power metal rendition of the hit song, "It Doesn't Really Matter", by Canadian rockers Platinum Blonde.


Guitarist and band leader Geoff Waye has enlisted the following talent from (mostly) the vast Canadian metal scene to realize his vision this time around:


Guest Vocalists:
Amanda Jackman (Category VI)
Armin Kamal (Infrared)
Cara McCutchen (Mortillery, Naitaka)
Dale Drew (Sea Dogs)
Des Mason
Ellim
Pete Healey
Raúl Álvarez (Dark Order)
Tim Tymo (Tymo).


Percussion:
Raul Marques (Burning Torment)
Alexander Raykov


Bass:
Dwayne Pike
Keith Jackman (Category VI)
Darrin Pope





Tracklist:


"Tektyranny"
"At War With Demons"
"Bringers of Chaos"
"Is Hope Still Alive?"
"Obsolescence"
"One Blood"
"Visionaries"
"Beyond The Past"
"Celtic Creatures"
"Why Burn?"
"It Doesn't Really Matter" (Platinum Blonde)


"Visionairies"





"Tektyranny"

On the heels of the successful release of his latest album Seven Heads (Cleopatra Records, July 2023), comes Swedish industrial icon Skold’s rousing rendition of Rammstein’s iconic song, “Sonne”. The track is available here. Listen below.


Tthe track is part of the recently released A Tribute To Rammstein album (Cleopatra Records, August 25).


Skold’s cover of “Sonne” is one of 13 trailblazing tracks by new school industrial acts, including Priest, Manntra, and Julien-K, and veterans Frontline Assembly, Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory) and Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke), and more, on a true clash of the industrial titans. A Tribute To Rammstein marks the 30th anniversary of the Berliners’ beginnings and is an homage to Till Lindemann and his colleagues with vicious cover versions of some of the band’s most iconic songs.




“Sonne,” which is German for “Sun”, was released by Rammstein in 2001 as the debut single from their album Mutter and is considered by many to be their greatest song ever recorded.


Skold, who was a member of Marilyn Manson’s band and is one of the most in-demand producers and musicians, playing numerous shows as a guitarist for EBM legends Front Line Assembly and more, maintained the integrity of the legendary Rammstein song while putting his own corrosive touch to it.


Download the digital album here. Purchase the CD/vinyl here.





A Tribute To Rammstein tracklisting:


"Du Hast" - Burton C Bell, Paul Ferguson & MGT
"Deutschland" - Front Line Assembly
"Sonne" - Skold
"Engel" - Priest
"Amerika" - Laibach
"Feuer Frei!" - The 69 Eyes
"Ausländer" - Jah Wobble & Jon Klein
"Radio" - Julien-K
"Ich Will" - Stoneman
"Keine Lust" - Lacrimas Profundere
"Links 2 3 4" - Manntra


Bonus Tracks:


"Mein Teil" - Original God
"Du Hast" - Leæther Strip

Following the release of their new album Memorial, Soen have released the video for the new single, “Hollowed”, featuring vocals from acclaimed singer Elisa.


Memorial sees the band overall take a heavier approach to their craft but the new single, "Hollowed", is a hugely powerful and gushing ballad, which stands out as a powerful bridge across the album’s ten tracks. The song sees guitarist Cody Ford shine with an epic and intense Pink Floyd-tinged guitar solo, whilst tender vocals are traded throughout from singer and founding member Joel Ekelöf and Italian star Elisa.


Elisa has firmly established herself as a global superstar during her more than twenty-year career. Her collaboration with Ennio Morricone, "Ancora qui", was featured in Quentin Tarantino's film, Django Unchained and its Grammy nominated soundtrack album. Just some of her other achievements include her albums going triple platinum and collaborations with the likes of Muse, Imagine Dragons, Tina Turner and Pavarotti & Friends.




Ekelöf comments, “’Hollowed’ is a song about moving away from the place and persons that have been your home. It’s also the first time we ever have had a guest appearance on one of our albums and the turnout was more than successful. Elisa is such a talented singer and she truly made this song reach the emotional intensity that it deserves.”


Drummer and co-founding member Martin Lopez adds, “The message of the track is powerful and is about whether to make the decision of either leaving behind what once was a perfect harmony but has turned into dissonance, or to just stay there and maybe spend the rest of your life trying to revive something that is already dead.”





Never ones to take the restrained path, Soen face down the ills and ways of current society with a crisp, wounded venom that betrays their pain, anger and frustrations. Each guitar carries a greater serrated edge, each melody a richer heart, each lyric a soul and spleen venting definitive proclamation. At the same time, Soen’s unique blend of progression, aggression, and beauty shows more maturity than ever before.


Soen have been building up to this moment for years and now they’re here with Memorial, which is an inspiring modern hard rock classic.


Memorial is available as a Deluxe CD, 12” vinyl album in black and colour variants, digital formats and special D2C products and bundles. Order here.





Memorial tracklisting:


"Sincere"
"Unbreakable"
"Violence"
"Fortress"
"Hollowed" (feat. Elisa)
"Memorial
"Incendiary"
"Tragedian"
"Icon"
"Vitals"


"Violence" video:





"Memorial" video:





"Unbreakable" video:





Following their incredible performances at this year’s summer festivals across Europe, Soen, completed by Lars Enok Åhlund (Keyboards and Guitar), Oleksii ‘Zlatoyar’ Kobel (Bass) and Cody Ford (Lead Guitar), will be heading out on their Memorial European tour, which will kick off in September in Odense, Denmark.


The band recently announced twenty-five new dates seeing them bring Memorial to the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tour will kick-off in May 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.


Full list of confirmed dates, tickets, and additional information available here


Lineup:


Joel Ekelöf - Vocals
Martin Lopez - Drums
Lars Enok Åhlund - Keyboards and Guitar
Cody Ford - Lead Guitar
Oleksii “Zlatoyar” Kobel - Bass


(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)

MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro will sit out the next leg of the band's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

Earlier today, the Brazilian-born musician released the following statement regarding the matter: "Kiko checking in here! Our new record 'The Sick, The Dying, and The Dead' and our 'Crush The World tour have been great. The worldwide chart positions have been our best yet! We want to really thank you for that.

"I have something that is difficult to share, but we always like to keep you informed with the truth. I have to leave the tour for now, to be home with my children, and to help them face the difficult challenges that arise from us being 'Dads that work away from home.'

"I found a guitarist, Teemu Mäntysaari [WINTERSUN, SMACKBOUND], to fill in for me during the fall, and I think you'll be very happy. He's an amazing, incredible player. I have shared this with my partner in shred, Dave Mustaine, and to no surprise, he said, 'Go! Go be there for your family and keep us posted!'

"To my band mates and all of our fans around the world, see you all very soon, back out on the Killing Road!"

Added Mustaine: "Kiko has had something come up in his family life that requires him to miss this next leg of our 'Crush The World' tour.

"We will not be cancelling the tour, and we'll introduce you to Teemu on September 6th in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Revel Arena. We are asking for your support and understanding at this time."

The 36-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

In April 2015, it was announced that Loureiro had joined MEGADETH, replacing Chris Broderick, who had left the band five months earlier.

In an October 2015 interview with The Irish Sun, Mustaine was full of praise for Loureiro, saying: "A lot of times guitarists won't know how to add to something — they'll put something in there that's kind of like tits on a bull, unnecessary. Kiko came in and immediately started making some really good suggestions that we applied [to MEGADETH's 2016 album, 'Dystopia']. When he first came in, I knew he had the ability but I didn't know if the songwriting technique and talent was going to show up this early on."

He continued: "What was great about the suggestions that Kiko made was that they weren't just guitar ones — he made a bass part in a song called 'Me Hate You' [that made it] really come along. In fact, that was one of the songs where he made a huge melodic contribution in the chorus and I said, 'Man, this sounds like something.'"

According to Dave, Kiko possesses all the elements that are required to become part of a legendary metal act like MEGADETH.

"For me — really simply stated — if you want to be a musician, that's one thing. If you want to be a rock star, that's another," Mustaine said. "But if you want to be legendary, you need to have three very important components: you need to have ability, you need to have appearance, and you need to have attitude. Without all three of those things, it's kind of like trying to have a three-legged milk stool without three legs — it's just not going to work."

He continued: "I found with Kiko, his ability was astronomical, with his attitude he was very confident in what he did — there's a difference between confidence and arrogance. In appearance, he was very classy and very subdued on the street, but up on stage he totally takes command of his performance. When he came up to Nashville to visit with me, I didn't even have him play for the majority of the day he was there. I just wanted to hang out with him and it's been a really long time since I hung out with a guitar player before I hired him. Usually I would listen to how he played and then I'd go, 'Okay, we'll work it out.' I didn't want to do that again. Hanging out with Kiko, and having lunch and kicking back and talking music was all I needed — I knew he was the right guy."

In addition to Mustaine andLoureiro, MEGADETH's current lineup includes former SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren and bassist James LoMenzo.

A message from the band #megadeth

Posted by Megadeth on Tuesday, September 5, 2023

In a new interview with Metal Hammer, King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp shared his appreciation for metal bands including Metallica, Megadeth, Slipknot and Korn. he and his wife, Toyah Willcox, have been enjoying viral success on YouTube with their weekly Sunday Lunch installments, which features the couple offering up twisted covers of popular rock and metal hits.


Following is an excerpt from the chat.


Fripp: "Toyah and myself have been aware of Metallica for quite a while, but I’d never learned a Metallica song before Sunday Lunch. We’re actually playing that song on the road because we love it so much. I look at Kirk (Hammett) and James (Hetfield) as one player – they’re joined at the hip for me! The solo on 'Enter Sandman' is a real hummer! I’ve been learning it and would say it’s quite challenging but lots of fun. It requires work to get it down properly. So yes, Metallica and 'Enter Sandman'… I just love it!"




Read more here.





Toyah & Robert's Sunday Lunch is going on tour throughout the UK in September and October. The couple will be accompanied by a live band, with Fripp on guitar.


Tickets are available here.





Says Toyah: “When people ask, 'What is the show going to be?', it’s going to be about the hundred years of musical experience we have between us.”


Watch the "Toyah At Home" video below, where Toyah and Robert introduce the tour concept:

Infernalizer is the brand new creature conceived and brought to life by the creative mind of Claudio Ravinale to portray his own take on the heavy metal genre. Ravinale is best known as the vocalist of Italian death metal veterans Disarmonia Mundi, who has achieved worldwide recognition with their high-octane melo-death throughout two decades and featuring Bjorn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork) among their ranks, along with being in other recognizable bands such as The Silverblack, 5 Star Grave and The Stranded.


Heavily influenced by ‘80s metal acts such as Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, and Danzig, Ravinale's new project Infernalizer relies on the use of gloomy keys and eerie samples, paying homage to more somber gothic rock acts like Type O Negative and The Sisters Of Mercy. Vocally closer to contemporary acts like Rob Zombie and Wednesday 13, the range of influences also includes evocative cinematographic soundscapes that provide Infernalizer's songs with a more solemn and nocturnal atmosphere.


Ready to follow up the 2021 debut album The Ugly Truth, Infernalizer presents the new full-length After Dark set to be unleashed in October 2023 via Rockshots Records.




Constantly balancing between aggressive moments and gothic atmospheres properly supported by deep crooning vocals and more irate outbursts. This new record is deeply rooted in 80's metal and often prone to arena rock choruses, sets an eerie and nocturnal mood especially when it comes to the use of keyboards, often reminiscent of classic horror movie themes.


The desire to go towards more gothic rock territories on this new offering is fully represented by tracks like "Death Wish", "This Is My Yard" or "Falling In Slow Motion", while the planned-to-be-released singles "What Did You Expect?" and "What We Do In The Shadows" (both mastered at Sterling Sound Studio in Nashville by legendary Grammy-winning mastering engineer Ted Jensen) are open-heart love letters to 80's hard rock. There's no shortage of bangers as well with songs like "The Dark Passenger", "Moon of Blood" or the title track providing the more muscular edge of the album.


Infernalizer frontman Claudio Ravinale comments:


"People that loved the previous album are gonna dig this new one because we basically took our time to refine the formula, focus properly on how we wanted the record to sound, and had a starting point to evolve from. Usually with the first album you simply take a leap in the dark and see how it goes, with the second one you already have a layer of bricks to build on and that's exactly what we did. This is pure and simple entertainment. I'm not here to preach, I'm not here to make the world a better place, I simply want people to have a good time listening to this music, nothing else."


Today, Infernalizer presents the new video for the second single "What We Do In The Shadows".


"Right after we finished writing ‘What Did You Expect?’, the band wrote this one and as soon as it was finished we immediately decided it was going to be the second single. It somewhat mirrors on the B side of the vinyl what ‘What Did You Expect?’ does on the A-side. It has been mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound Studio in Nashville as well. While the intro of the track might have a little Ghost vibe it was originally intended as a tribute to Deep Purple. As soon as the song kicks in the whole ‘80s metal vibe explodes again into another modern-day tribute to what is widely considered the best era of metal and hard rock. The chorus clearly represents the intention to write an arena rock-style anthem to sing with fists in the air, the lyrics focus on the inner fascination with the darker sides of human nature. If you dig Ghost, Lordi, Wednesday 13, and Alice Cooper this one is for you!" adds Ravinale.


After Dark is due out on October 27, 2023, and available for pre-order on vinyl at the Rockshots Records webshop.





Tracklisting:


“Season Of The Witch”
“The Dark Passenger”
“What Did You Expect?”
“Moon Of Blood”
“After Dark”
“What We Do In The Shadows”
“Death Wish”
“This Is My Yard”
“Falling In Slow Motion”
“Sky Burial” 


"What We Do In The Shadows":





“What Did You Expect?” video:

KISS performed the Destroyer classics “Detroit Rock City” and “God Of Thunder” in Crandon, WI at the Crandon International Raceway on September 1. Check out fan-filmed video below:










For KISS' complete End Of The Road tour schedule, head to KISSOnline.com.

In a recent interview with Danny Wimmer Presents' "Power Hour", TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan spoke about his band's participation in the upcoming Power Trip festival, which will take place this fall 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).

Asked what it feels like to be performing alongside those other legendary bands, Maynard said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's overwhelming to be put in the same list with those people. All you can really do is not worry about it — just kind of do what you do and try to do it the best you can so that you don't look like a clown next to these superstars."

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.

Last year, Johnson told Rolling Stone he didn't know if AC/DC would perform again. "I would love to," he said. "It's as simple as that. I think everybody would. There's a groundswell of people just asking. But I hate talking about the future, because, fuck, we were ready two years ago, and the pandemic came, and it screwed everything up. So I'm terrified to say what could happen and what couldn't."

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.