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

The LP's second single, "Ostracized", is the first original song from the upcoming album. Shamaya harnesses the power of her raw, unapologetic emotion and passion-filled poetry, which act as the driving forces behind "Ostracized". This dynamic musical masterpiece was forged in the fire of unadulterated rage, with an edge sharpened by an ear-shattering blend of high screams, death growls, and guttural vocals, galvanized by gritty guitar, pounding drums, and a face-melting solo, courtesy of VIGIL OF WAR guitarist Kiki Wong.

The first single from "The God Slayer", a cover of Eilish's "You Should See Me In A Crown", was releases during OTEP's U.S. tour earlier this year and has been generating massive buzz as well as landing in top 10 most popular tracks on Spotify.

"The God Slayer" track listing:

01. My Violent Appetites
02. Ostracized
03. Good 4 U
04. Exit Wounds
05. You Should See Me In A Crown
06. The Way I Am
07. California Girls
08. Pet
09. Territorial Pissings
10. Star Shopping
11. Purity
12. God Slayer

Not only is Shamaya a revered musical figure, known for her intrepid blending of metal genres and hip-hop, as exemplified on her notorious 2002 debut album "Sevas Tra", but she's also amassed an enormous following based on her fearless performances and confrontational, spiritually tinged lyrics. It's that combination of radical artistry and galvanizing message that the world desperately needs now more than ever, and OTEP is ready to answer the call.

"You Should See Me In A Crown" was the lead single from the 2018 debut album of another controversial female figure who cut across musical and social norms to carve out an identity all her own. That artist is, of course, Billie Eilish, and OTEP's cover version is no mere homage to a young acolyte but rather a radical reimagining of the song that mines all of its dark sonic complexity as well as its bold lyrical message, transforming it into the kind of modern metal epic that nobody does better than OTEP.

As Shamaya herself puts it: "To me the song is a warning against cultural reduction, biased underestimation and the volatile anti-Newtonian reaction of judging someone before you know their true power."

Last September, Shamaya told the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire" about the songwriting process for OTEP's new album: "This record actually was written with a couple of different songwriters, which I was really excited to work with. 'Kult 45' was my last album, which is four years old now. It's insane to believe that it's been four years, but it has. When I went back in the studio, the band had sort of dispersed at that point — everybody was trying to make a living and trying to find other jobs — and so I just went to the producer and we sat down and we found some really, really talented, creative people. And even though I've been doing this for a long time and have accomplished a lot — at least I think I have — I really work best with mentors. I like people that are, I feel, creatively better than I am so that I can have this sort of spiritual intercourse between all of us where we're sort of sharing ideas and I'm inspiring them and they're inspiring me."

Throughout the span of her career, Shamaya has been an undeniable force in bringing awareness via various acclaimed mediums to social and political injustices felt by various communities and subcultures. For years, publications such as Revolver magazine have lauded Shamaya for "following in the footsteps of outspoken musicians from folk singer Woody Guthrie to RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Zach de la Rocha, dubbing her "one of music's catalysts for social change".

OTEP's latest album, the aforementioned "Kult 45", was recorded at The Lair in Los Angeles, completely utilizing the same equipment used for OTEP's first album, "Sevas Tra" (down to Shamaya's vocal microphone, a SHURE Beta 58),in order to create a sound reminiscent of their roots. "Kult 45" was produced by the band, with assistant engineering from Larry Goetz, Nicolas Schilke and Lizzy Ostro.

In a new interview with the Tucson, Arizona radio station KFMA, vocalist Oli Sykes of British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON spoke about how he feels about those fans who think the band's more recent musical output has veered too far away from BRING ME THE HORIZON's early metalcore sound.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think I've managed over recent years to soften my approach to what those… It's very easy for them people to piss you off and you're just, like, 'Fuck off.' But at the end of the day they just love your band and something you did meant so much to them that they just want you to do it again. And you've just gotta realize that even though it might annoy you, it comes from a place of love. And rather than fighting back, you've just gotta appreciate that and appreciate the fact that… and sometimes maybe it even makes you question yourself as well.

"To a certain degree, we can't be the band that we used to be," he continued. "We wouldn't know how to do it, and we wouldn't know how to do it with any authenticity or integrity. Because we grow and we age and we mature and our tastes change, the same like the way your taste buds change; it just does, and there's nothing you can do about that. But sometimes those people can remind you, like, 'Wait. Are we losing what makes us special?' And that's what I've asked myself over the years. It's, like, some people that are sad because we're not as heavy anymore or whatever, do they have a point?

"There's not many bands like BRING ME THE HORIZON anymore that are in the kind of mainstream stuff," Sykes added. "And sometimes you almost wanna con… not conform, but sometimes, like our band, 10 years ago [I never would have thought] that anyone would've ever said our band are gonna headline festivals one day or that could be the biggest rock band in the world. And then, all of a sudden, those kind of ideas started formulating and people saying them. And that can go to your head, and then you can start going, 'Oh, maybe we can.' And sometimes you get so preoccupied whether you could that you don't stop to think whether you should. And I definitely feel like I've listened to some of the fans over the years and, like, you know what? They're right. We shouldn't water our shit down. Because we're like one of the last bands that still do heavy music right. So all that stuff just keeps you in line, and you've just gotta realize it all comes from a place of love and don't let it piss you off. And at the same time stay true to yourself. We can't write music for the fans; it's impossible. But we can let what they say resonate with us and not just automatically, like, knee-jerk reaction of like, 'Fuck you. We'll do what we want.'"

BRING ME THE HORIZON will release its seventh full-length studio album, "Post Human: NeX GEn", on September 15 via Columbia Records. The LP will continue the band's "Post Human" series, which began with the 2020 EP "Post Human: Survival Horror".

Two months ago, Sykes told NME about "Post Human: NeX GEn": "LINKIN PARK were the first band that I got into, but when I found GLASSJAW is when I became obsessed with music and knew I wanted to be a singer, so the album pays homage to that."

He continued: "I wouldn't say it's a hyper-pop album, but I've definitely been inspired by that world. I admire how obnoxious, trashy and in your face that music feels, which is what I was drawn to when I got into emo, hardcore and screamo.

"It's not that we've lost that in our music, but as you become a bigger band, things do get more polished. I want to go the opposite way. Let's be unhinged, let's stop trying to make all the edges smooth."

The frontman went on to explain how "the hope is that this record is pure fun" with "no limits on how or what we want to express."

"There's no, 'That song could be played on the radio if we don't scream,'" he revealed. "It's almost like we’re connecting to that time before BRING ME THE HORIZON had any prospects of being a big band. Back then, there was never anything but, 'What do you want to make?' — so we're trying to tap back into that."

BRING ME THE HORIZON is Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Mat Nicholls, and keyboardist Jordan Fish.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have released a video message thanking fans for coming out to see them on the just-completed European leg of "The Future Past Tour".

"The Future Past Tour" features previously unperformed songs from MAIDEN's most recent studio album, "Senjutsu", along with a focus on 1986's "Somewhere In Time" LP, plus other classic cuts.

In the three-minute video message, which can be seen below, singer Bruce Dickinson stated: "We're just coming to the end of the first 35 shows, something like that. And we're having a little, a little break, not too much. And then we've got three Canadian shows [in late September and early October], which will be great to go on a little run around Western Canada. And then we go out to the desert for Power Trip [festival in Indio, California]."

As for MAIDEN's post-Power Trip plans, Bruce said cryptically: "Something else will happen. I can't tell you what. But you'll be happy."

The European leg of "The Future Past Tour" saw MAIDEN play a 15-song set that included "Days Of Future Past", "The Time Machine", "Death Of The Celts" and "Hell On Earth" from "Senjutsu", along with "Alexander The Great" from "Somewhere In Time".

"Senjutsu" came out in September 2021. It marked MAIDEN's second consecutive double album behind 2015's "The Book Of Souls" which is the longest MAIDEN album, with a running time of 92 minutes.

IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, "Senjutsu" was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris. It features three tracks whose running time exceeds 10 minutes each.

For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.

"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.

"Senjutsu" was MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.

In a new interview with Chris Akin Presents, former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider spoke about the realities of post-pandemic touring, including increased travel expenses — gas, tour buses, hotels and flight costs. Udo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's not so easy. We are in a, let's say, good situation money-wise, that we can [go on the road], but we also have to see, some things that the prices are exploding at the moment. But it works for us. But I know a lot of bands, they cannot go on tour anymore. And also the situation with guitar techs and drum techs and all this stuff, now they're so expensive. And [during] the corona [pandemic], a lot of guitar techs [were] going to a different job and not coming back, and now there are not that many people left. And now they can say, 'Yeah, I cost' whatever, and they can make their prices like they want. And also there are not enough people there anymore. Nightliners are more expensive — unbelievable. The costs are [through the roof]. It's not so easy. Okay, we are lucky, but I think for a lot of bands, it's a big problem."

Financial issues are continuing to wreak havoc on the touring industry, with the economics of the business simply not adding up.

Acts of all sizes are canceling or postponing shows, with several claiming that it was "not sustainable" for them to go ahead with the tours.

For many midsized acts, ticket sales are not even enough to cover their overheads.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows said in a recent interview that the busing on the band's upcoming tour will cost two million dollars more than it did prior to the pandemic.

This past June, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine told The Jeremy White Show that "it's pretty expensive" for him and his bandmates to tour nowadays. "I think it's about 45 thousand dollars a day for us just to sit still," he said. "I think — it might be 52. But that's just sitting still; that's not doing a show. Show days are more expensive… [That's] salaries, hotel rooms, insurance — everything. The buses, the bus drivers, the trucks, the truck drivers. Yeah, a lot of stuff."

Last October, SHINEDOWN canceled its previously announced fall 2022 dates in continental Europe due to "economic and logistical side of touring". ANTHRAX also canceled shows in continental Europe as part of its fall 2022 touring activities, citing "ongoing logistical issues" and "costs that are out of our control."

Two months ago, DEVILDRIVER and COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara told the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show that more and more artists are opening about the financial realities of post-pandemic touring. "The business of it is getting really called into the forefront now because bands are starting to talk about the business," he said. "Before, it was kind of taboo to talk about what you make on tour, what you don't make on tour, if touring is hard monetarily. Five, ten years ago, people didn't talk about how much buses were or how much it was to tour. And now it's coming to the forefront, because everything has tripled.

"I said to somebody the other day, 'I don't know a young guy in a van is gonna do it. I don't know how you're gonna do it,'" he continued. "And to give you an example, I have a huge management company. I had a band go out on a small little run. They came home with 235 thousand dollars [gross], but with all of the costs and with everything else, the band made 12 thousand dollars. And that's with merch — everything. 240 grand — the band came home with 12 grand. I mean, it's insanity. And I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't think the buses are ever gonna come down. I don't think the crews are ever gonna come down. I don't think lighting that's doubled, gas that's tripled, I don't see any of that returning back to form to where people can do this. So it's gonna be a real rough go.

"We're all facing those things now," Dez added. "I've got a second leg getting with DEVILDRIVER and CRADLE OF FILTH — it's gonna [take place in] October — and I'm looking at the money, I'm looking at the budgets, and I'm, like, 'Wow. This is rough.' Even COAL CHAMBER going out with MUDVAYNE, I'm looking at everybody's budgets, I'm looking at what everything costs, and it's, like, insane what it costs."

When the interviewer suggested that the increased costs will ultimately be passed on to the fans in the form of higher ticket prices, Dez said: "I just read a thread online — on Reddit, actually — where fans are talking about that, and they're boycotting. They're, like, 'Fuck you. I'm not gonna pay the money.' But, yeah, we have to pass it on to the promoters. We have to say, 'Look, my buses are triple. My crew is double. My gas is triple.' Tolls have gone up because the United States, every fucking five minutes you're stopping at a toll road now. They've taken that directly from Europe; they've learned that they can do that now. I'm just going over a budget for a previous run of a band that I manage, and they paid 4800 dollars in toll costs. So how is this supposed to work?

"So, yes, we have to pass it on to the promoter, which is gonna pass it on to… The tickets are gonna be higher," Dez concurred. "And then the fans are gonna get pissed, and they're either gonna boycott it or they're gonna go, 'No, I'll pay 50 bucks to see my favorite band.' But what they're not gonna do is go to two, three shows a week anymore. And that same fan that used to go to two, three shows, he's going to one or two a month now. So… I don't know. It's rough. It's definitely rough. And it's not just rough for the small guys… And we manage some pretty big bands over here. And I look at budgets all day long; that's my forte, man. And I don't see how we can cut… You can't cut it. It's, like, 'Well, we need to take a bus.' Well, that same bus that was 350 dollars a day is 750, 800 a day. That same driver that was 200 a day is 550, 600 a day. That same hotel for the driver that was 120 a day is 250 a day. That same Uber that took the driver to the fucking hotel room that cost you 23 dollars, it's 42 dollars. I mean, it's insanity what's happening."

Legendary rockers NIGHT RANGER will release a new live album, "40 Years And A Night With Contemporary Youth Orchestra", on October 20 via Frontiers Music Srl. The live album and live performance footage will be available on CD, vinyl (including limited editions),DVD, Blu-ray, and digitally across all streaming platforms worldwide. This release comes as they approach the anniversary of date it was recorded, just one year ago in Cleveland on November 9, 2022.

The first single from the album, "(You Can Still) Rock In America (Live)", is out today, along with a live music video.

NIGHT RANGER's Jack Blades said: "It was a dream come true to have NIGHT RANGER music accompanied by an entire symphonic band… including our own! Although now, we're spoiled, and we want to carry the orchestra with us everywhere we go!!"

Added NIGHT RANGER's Kelly Keagy: "Playing the show with the Cleveland CYO and being able to record It was an incredible and unique experience. To have younger musicians not only embrace but enjoy playing our music was a new high for us as a band. You could see all the hard work they put into rehearsals, and finally getting to perform it live was an incredible new benchmark in our career."

Said NIGHT RANGER's Brad Gillis: "I can check this one off my bucket list. Having the CYO backing us for this show was just amazing and it really took NIGHT RANGER to another level. Looking forward to its release and sharing with the world!"

"40 Years And A Night With Contemporary Youth Orchestra" track listing:

01. Intro
02. (You Can Still) Rock In America
03. Four In The Morning
04. Sing Me Away
05. Call My Name
06. Sentimental Street
07. High Road
08. Night Ranger
09. Goodbye
10. When You Close Your Eyes
11. Don't Tell Me You Love Me
12. Sister Christian
13. High Enough (bonus track; Japan)

This one-of-a-kind, one-night-only NIGHT RANGER performance with Cleveland's own Contemporary Youth Orchestra was at the Key Bank State Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio on November 9, 2022. The Contemporary Youth Orchestra (CYO) is made up of more than 80 musicians aged 12 to 18, representing more than 40 schools in Ohio. It fosters students' technical ability and creative growth in both an inspiring and supportive community. The students performed alongside NIGHT RANGER throughout their entire set and these unique renditions of their greatest hits was also their first time ever performing with a symphonic orchestra live. All of this is what made this a truly once-in-a-lifetime NIGHT RANGER concert event.

Contemporary Youth Orchestra was founded in 1995 and its mission is to change lives through the study and performance of new and contemporary music and introduce students to opportunities in the creative arts industries. The CYO vision is to create experiences that foster imagination, develop independent thinkers, and inspire confidence through music. Contemporary Youth Orchestra includes advanced ensembles that focus on the study and performance of orchestral works by living composers. In residence at Cuyahoga Community College (Metro Campus),CYO has grown to include a full orchestra, wind, string, and percussion ensembles. CYO inspires and nurtures young musicians as they are challenged to explore creativity, enhance their work ethic, and increase their capacity to function as a team. CYO musicians bring the energy of youth and the quality of professional playing to the concert stage. CYO has previously collaborated with JEFFERSON STARSHIP, STYX, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, and Kenny Loggins (among others) for orchestral concerts featuring the artists' work.

NIGHT RANGER recently came off the nationwide "Parti-Gras" tour with Bret Michaels. They continue to play around the world in celebration of their 40th anniversary.

NIGHT RANGER is:

Jack Blades - Vocals, Bass
Kelly Keagy - Vocals, Drums
Brad Gillis - Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Eric Levy - Keyboards
Keri Kelli - Lead, Rhythm Guitars

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

"The Collection II" will be available on October 6 on five LPs for $124.98 and five CDs for $49.98. All the music in the set was mastered directly from the original master tapes, a process overseen by the band's longtime engineer, Donn Landee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Collection II" 5-LP track listing

LP One: 5150

Side One

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

Side Two

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

LP Two: OU812

Side One

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

Side Two

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

LP Three: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

Side One

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

Side Two

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

LP Four: Balance

Side One

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

Side Two

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

LP Five: Studio Rarities 1989-2004

Side One

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

Side Two

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

Photo by Eika Aoshima (courtesy of Shore Fire Media)

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy joined MEGADETH on stage last night (Tuesday, August 8) at the Orange Metalic Festival in Orange, France to perform the MEGADETH classic "Tornado Of Souls". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

TRIVIUM previously supported MEGADETH on the 2021 and 2022 legs of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". At the time Heafy told Classic Rock magazine that MEGADETH was "just unbelievable. Every single detail of their show is meticulous, and Dave Mustaine is still flawless," he said. "There is no one else on the planet like him."

In a 2020 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, Heafy said: "MEGADETH was one of the very first metal bands I ever got into. 'Countdown To Extinction' was my first MEGADETH record, and then 'Rust In Peace' was my second MEGADETH record. They were right alongside METALLICA, PANTERA, SLAYER — the very first bands to show me what metal was."

MEGADETH kicked off the summer 2023 European leg of its "Crush The World" tour on July 23 at the Triple Thrash Triumph festival at Spodek in Katowice, Poland.

MEGADETH's current lineup includes guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who had played with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH, Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was previously best known for his work with ANGRA, and bassist James LoMenzo. James was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and stepped back in as a touring member for the 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". In May 2022, it was announced that Lomenzo was officially rejoining the MEGADETH family.

Last September, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as number ones on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was the highest-charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, notching No. 1 In Finland, No. 2 in australia, poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the U.K., and more.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

MEGADETH recently received its thirteenth Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" for the song "We'll Be Back" from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!".

MEGADETH won the 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of the band's 2016 album "Dystopia". This marked the group's twelfth Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category).

Kingdom Of Tyrants, the US power/heavy metal band comprising veterans of the Boston metal scene, held their premier concert on August 5 at the Amvets in Randolph, MA. A live video for the track “The Judas Gate”, taken from their full-length debut Architects Of Power, is streaming below.





Out of the Boston area rises a new metal beast ready to take on the world. But its musical ancestry is neck-deep - it comprises the Steel Assassin guitar duo of Kevin Curran and Michael Mooney who teamed up with other veterans of the local '80s metal scene: the original Meliah Rage vocalist Mike Munro and drummer Stuart Dowie.




Drawing heavily on the mythology and history of mankind, their debut album brings their take on classic heavy metal mixed with a dose US power. This masterwork shows a wide breadth of distinct, remarkable and consistently heavy songs with driving rhythms, catchy melodies and plenty of hooks. The rhythm section represents a bombast of anger and furious beauty, the riffs are massive and the inspired leads exude pure talent and class. Atop of this foundation, Munro's powerful bellow evokes the alpha wolf lusting after the thrill of the hunt.


The excellence and confidence expected from such seasoned musicians is complemented by superb production. The band remains grounded in the footprints of masters like Metal Church, Savatage, Accept, Judas Priest, Armored Saint and Heretic, but doesn't sound exactly like any of them, having already forged their own personal style.





"Unforgotten Souls" video:





"Ghosts Of Industry" video:





"Diabolical":





"A Boston Metal Story" interview

Iron Savior frontman / founder Piet Sielck recently checked in with the following update:


"They say lightning never strikes twice… but sometimes it does. After Jan (S. Eckert / bass) was diagnosed with cancer, now it’s my turn. Fortunately, it was detected at a stage where cure is possible. Therefore, I have to start immediate medical treatment in order to heal as soon as possible. I have a top notch medical team and a great network of support, I am in quite good shape, I have no other diseases and  also have the psychic power and strength of will to go successfully through this rough ride. First step will be a chemo therapy followed by surgery after some time of recovery.


Since I need to concentrate 100% on my healing process, we canceled all remaining shows for 2023. I am sure you all will understand, that I need all my energy for myself for a while. I will continue my activities on social media and also will promote the new album, Firestar, as best as possible. I have asked AFM to keep the release schedule 6th of October. 




Healing is the ultimate aim and I have already started the process."


Now, Sielck has issued an update on his treatment:


"Thank you a thousand times for all the hearty greetings. So far, I have done two out of four chemos. As you can see, the little hair I have is still there and I feel quite well. The side effects are mild. Thank you so much for your concern. This feels really good." 





Following their latest, much-acclaimed offering, Reforged - Ironbound (released in 2022 via AFM Records), Hamburg-based power metal act Iron Savior has announced the release of a brand new studio album. Firestar will be out on October 6, 2023 through AFM. Preorders are available here.


To shorten the wait until the full-length release, today, Iron Savior unleashed their blistering album title track. It's immediately evident, "Firestar" is irresistible and with its incredible 176 bpm definitely one of the fastest songs in Iron Savior’s history to date. Says singer and guitarist Piet Sielck: "With the power of the debut, the energy of Condition Red and a massive old-school-meets-modern-soundscapes production, Firestar is a massive track that won’t leave your players for a long time. We promise!"


The band's upcoming album will feature a wide range of influences from hard rock to pop, all calibrated to heavy metal standards thanks to those typical Iron Savior virtues. But sometimes pure coincidence or seemingly inconspicuous little details can turn a very good album into an outstanding release. In the case of Firestar, it has come as a real surprise even for Sielck that the new songs surpass the material of the impressive 2020-album Skycrest. 


In fact, the cornerstones of the current offering were already set and pointed to a successful production within the tried and tested framework, when all of a sudden everything turned out rather differently: “Just before the recordings were finalised, I was inspired by the muse, totally of the blue. I wrote two more songs out of nowhere and changed a third one on the spur of the moment. And suddenly, ‘Firestar’ turned into an even better record,” says Sielck happily, admitting that this unexpected creative surge “triggered great emotions” in him.


Iron Savior have again come up with an exceptional studio album in Firestar, enhanced by Felipe Machado Franco’s impressive cover artwork presenting the Iron Savior spaceship that has been around since 2011. The cherry on the cake is the powerful production courtesy of Hamburg’s Powerhouse Studio, including intelligently positioned keyboard parts and the anthemic background choirs, supported by Sielck’s 17-year-old daughter Frida and her boyfriend. Without any doubt, Firestar promises to be a bonfire in many respects.





Tracklisting:


“The Titan”
“Curse Of The Machinery”
“In The Realm Of Heavy Metal”
“Demise Of The Tyrant”
“Firestar”
“Through The Fires Of Hell”
“Mask, Cloak And Sword”
“Across The Wastelands”
“Rising From Ashes”
“Nothing Is Forever”
“Together As One” 


“Firestar” video:





Iron Savior is:
Piet Sielck (vocals, guitars)
Joachim “Piesel” Küstner (guitars)
Jan S. Eckert (bass)
Patrick Klose (drums)

Washington State true metal duo Vision Master have released the third single from forthcoming full-length debut album Sceptre. “Arc Terminal X” features special guest Sean “Bloodbath” McGrath of Impaled pitted against Vision Master’s very own Dan Munro in a string-pulling, wham-barring, extra-electric guitar duel to death that proves he who huffs fast laughs last.


The band comments:


"Xenon. That rare and perfectly noble stranger; the veritable lifeblood for our salvation.  




“Xenon. The core fuel component for the ion-thrusters that will spirit away the most fertile and virile humanity has to offer, far from this wretched husk of an orb. And yet for some it provides another sort of salvation…


“Xenon. The only element known to have psychoactive properties in its atomic form and so fetches a hefty purse in halls where scruples are in disregard.  


“Will man’s inherent lust for an altered consciousness doom his procreative obsession? Learn humanity’s fate in a mere two minutes and forty-three seconds by listening now to Vision Master’s 'Arc Terminal X.'"


Former Funerot members Dan Munro and Reuben Storey (Christian Mistress) have long imagined a band like Vision Master: Dark, but with mystical atmospheres adjoined with blistering guitar riffs, thunderous rhythms and soaring vocals. 


The band’s first full-length, Sceptre, is a fully-realized exercise in driving, unrelenting and unique true metal. Thoroughly recorded at Storey and Munro’s home studios, and with Tony “Baloney” Jefferson providing additional engineering, Sceptre was finally mastered by Justin Weis’.


Sceptre pushes boundaries across the traditional metal terrain, with Vision Master drawing from a wide range of influences that spans old-school metal as well as the likes of Brocas Helm, Slough Feg, Venom, Mercyful Fate and early Voivod. And, going down an even dirtier and extreme path, Discharge, Poison Idea, Die Kreuzen and classic black metal. It all adds up to a cosmic journey that, as Munro explains, “explores the depths of strange, unfamiliar realms and unrealities.” 


Featuring cover art by Seventh Bell Artworks based on an experimental photographic collaboration between Dan and David Hoekje, Sceptre transports the listener into a futuristic world where a biological network sprawls across cities and xenon gas stores are the only hope for mankind. The album’s journey brings listeners to a mystical, sandstone throne with the power to probe the origins of mankind, ultimately asking the question: If you had the power to undo the petulant plague that is man, would you?”


Sceptre is out August 25 via Gates Of Hell Records. Preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Wolves In The Shadows”
“Wet Net”
“Gossamer Sky”
“Knife In A Velvet Glove”
“Walls Of Bone”
“Sandstone”
“Arc Terminal X”
“Dust Within”
“Beyond”
“Thin Veil”


"Arc Terminal X":





“Wolves In The Shadow”:

Lenne have released the official music video for the single, "Plastic". The single is from their debut EP, A Sympathetic Antipathy, released through Imagen Records. The video was directed by Steven Nathan of Art in the Chaos Productions.


“'Plastic' was actually our first official tune we did down in Atlanta. This was before we really knew what we were gonna do & even before our current band lineup. We went with 'Letting You Down' as our first single because it was just more radio friendly. But this is really our backbone. We like mashing sounds and genres up. We just spent some time recording new tracks to follow up our debut EP with our official band. Can’t wait to share it with everyone. Meanwhile, we appreciate everyone who checks our video out for 'Plastic' off our EP ASympathetic Antipathy," says Leonard Cerzosie Jr.


A Sympathetic Antipathy can be streamed/downloaded here. Watch the new video below.







A Sympathetic Antipathy tracklisting:


"The Screaming"
"Miracle"
"Plastic"
"Letting You Down"
"No Amends"








Back in the early 2000's, Leonard Cerzosie Jr. started a band with his brother called The Infinite Staircase that did very well as an independent band. the band worked with artists like Earl Slick from David Bowie's band, Candlebox, Sevendust, and even Zakk Wylde. In 2009, they scored a slot on tour with Black Label Society, Sevendust, and Dope that sealed a lot of friendships they still have to this day.


"In 2010, the love of my life passed away suddenly. Pill overdose. It was a devastating time. She was only 27. Morgan Rose and I wrote and recorded the EP, No Amends that was a dedication to my love" says Leonard Cerzosie Jr.


He continues, "Over the years, I've had my hand in multiple projects. I formed "Le Projet" around 2013 that featured members of Candlebox, Sevendust, and The Infinite Staircase. I also joined the Baltimore band "The Mayan Factor" a few years ago and have toured with them in Mexico City and the states. During all this, my mother was diagnosed with ALS. One day- after performing a friend insisted on introducing me to someone. He was confident we needed to meet. That was the day I met Jim Taylor. We did get along immediately and have since been composing all sorts of music together."


"When my mother passed away, Morgan got very involved with what was going on with me and my dad. He invited us out to his place in Atlanta multiple times. We started recording songs with Corey Lowery that would ultimately become 'LeNNe'. We spent much time digging deep for the right lyrics and tones. There were multiple artists involved over the course of a few years, but the official line up is me and Jim led by Morgan," he adds.


A Sympathetic Antipathy is the culmination of a few years of musical collaboration. The project was produced & co-written by Morgan Rose along with Leonard Cerzosie Jr., Corey Lowery, and Jim Taylor. In its various stages of recording, engineering talents include Jose Urquiza, James "Fluff" Harley, and Mike Ferretti. The initial inspiration for the EP was the passing of Lenny's mother after years of battling ALS. Tracks like "Miracle" were written about that struggle. Rose & Cerzosie have a history of writing & recording together and included a remastered version of a song they wrote with The Infinite Staircase in 2013 called "No Amends". Other musicians featured on the EP include Chris Caffrey of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Justin Taylor of Alborn.


The current band line up consists of heavy hitting, Maryland musicians Mike Slaski, Rob Landon, and Stephen Hybdzinski; alongside Jim Taylor from PA and Cerzosie from NY.


"This was originally supposed to just be a session in Atlanta with Morgan & Corey. The plan was to do a song in honor of my mom. We ended up having such cool, sometimes borderline morbid chemistry. Funny fact? The original song that started this whole thing didn't even make the EP. We went along this darker, heavier path while still maintaining all the melodies we initially created," says Leonard Cerzosie Jr.

Profound Lore Records presents Ruiner, the new LP from time-honored Philadelphia, Pennsylvania black metal collective Krieg, confirming the merciless new album for October 13 release and issuing its lead single, “Solitarily, A Future Renounced”.


Krieg’s Ruiner is the first full-length from the long-running and iconic cult since 2014’s Transient and is a despondent expression that captures the classic band complexion which has solidified the band as a vanguard and pioneer of US black metal. Although Ruiner is the band’s first full-length album in nine years, Krieg has continued to remain active leading up to its long-awaited release through various splits, collaborations, and EPs. This all culminated in that moment for Ruiner to ultimately manifest itself.


Ruiner is unrepentant and remorseless black metal in the reflective manner Krieg and mastermind N. Jameson have always been known for. Most notably that of the savage and unhinged aura present in the triarchy of classic Krieg works, namely Destruction Ritual (2001), The Black House (2004), and Blue Miasma, (2006) while maintaining that harsh, sorrowful, and cold-blooded melancholic aura.




Merciless, remorseless despondent black metal psychosis destined to leave desolate, Ruiner was recorded and mixed by guitarist A. Poole, mastered by Dan Lowndes (Resonance Sound), and completed with artwork by Rob Sheyder.


N. Jameson writes of the “Solitarily, A Future Renounced” single, "Thematically and sonically this song is meant to pull myself back through almost thirty years of whatever you want to call it, my life's work I suppose, to the moment when I was sitting in my room listening to Pentagram over and over and deciding that this was how I planned to shape, break and rebuild my life. There are very obvious nods to the Norse bands of the second wave, which is supposed to be taboo for American bands, but I've really given up caring about the rulebook written by what amounts to social clubs. This is the black metal I wanted to hear when I was sixteen, finally given life twenty-eight years later."


Listen to "Solitarily, A Future Renounced" below.


Ruiner will be released on LP, CD, and all digital platforms on October 13. Find pre-orders, pre-saves, merch, and more here.


Krieg is booking regional live actions surrounding the release of Ruiner including a run of Northeastern US shows hitting New York City, Providence, and Philadelphia November 10 through 12. See the confirmed shows below and stand by for updates to post alongside additional previews of the album, videos, and more over the weeks ahead.





Ruiner tracklisting:


"Bulwark"
"Fragments Of Nothing"
"Red Rooms"
"Solitarily, A Future Renounced"
"Manifested Ritual Horror"
"No Gardens Grow Here"
"An Execution In The Kingdom Of Ideas"
"The Lantern And The Key"


"Solitarily, A Future Renounced":





Live dates:


November
10 - The Kingsland – Brooklyn, NY
11 - Dusk – Providence, RI
12 - Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA (with Bastard Cross, Cathedrals In The Night)





Krieg “Ruiner” personnel:


N. Jameson – vocals
A. Poole – guitar and leads
S. Riley – guitar
B. Durrant – bass
J. Dost – drums


(Photo - Kassandra Carmona)

With the release of their fourth studio album, Rebuilding The Mountain, now realized, Atlanta’s Royal Thunder are eager to return to their hometown to celebrate the journey that led to the trio’s resurrection.


Today, the band has unveiled a music video for the song “Twice” from the new LP, along with the announcement of an official album release show at The Earl on Saturday, August 12.


Released on June 16 via Spinefarm Records, Rebuilding The Mountain is the band’s first studio effort since 2017’s Wick. Mostly recently, Royal Thunder concluded a US tour alongside Royal Bliss and New Monarch.




Reflecting on the studio montage for the “Twice” music video, guitarist Josh Weaver shares: "We had an incredible time reuniting in the studio and bringing the music to life. We all grew and learned a lot about ourselves during that time, pushing us personally and as musicians. We are so thankful to be back doing what we love and thankful to have one another. Thank you to everyone that has truly supported us and believed in us! Hope you enjoy the video!"





Commenting on the band’s upcoming hometown show, vocalist/bassist Mlny Parsonz adds, “Our recent tour was a reminder of what we were missing and what we are meant to do. We made connections within ourselves and with the people around us. I can't wait to do that again in our hometown, ATL. The love and support after being gone for a while, was and is felt. Thank you to everyone that has been sharing this experience with us. We appreciate you more than words I can say.”





Get Royal Thunder's Rebuilding The Mountain here.





Rebuilding The Mountain tracklisting:


"Drag Me"
"The Knife"
"Now Here No Where"
"Twice"
"Pull"
"Live To Live"
"My Ten"
"Fade"
"The King"
"Dead Star"


"Fade" video:





"The Knife" video:





Royal Thunder are:


Mlny Parsonz – vocals, bass
Josh Weaver – guitar
Evan Diprima – drums

The FirstRowConcert YouTube channel has uploaded front-row 4K video of GHOST's August 8 concert at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Check out the clips below.

GHOST kicked off its summer 2023 U.S. tour on August 2 at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California. Support on the "Re-Imperatour" is coming from fellow Swedes AMON AMARTH.

GHOST's setlist for the Greenwood Village show was as follows:

01. Kaisarion
02. Rats
03. From The Pinnacle To The Pit
04. Spillways
05. Cirice
06. Absolution
07. Ritual
08. Call Me Little Sunshine
09. Con Clavi Con Dio
10. Watcher In The Sky
11. Year Zero
12. He Is
13. Miasma
14. Mary On A Cross
15. Mummy Dust
16. Respite On The Spitalfields

Encore:

17. Kiss the Go-Goat
18. Dance Macabre
19. Square Hammer

Fan-filmed video can be found below.

Produced by Live Nation and FPC Live, the 27-date trek is stopping in Salt Lake City, Chicago, Cincinnati, Austin and more before wrapping up with the band's September 11 and September 12 return to the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

GHOST released an "extended" box-set edition of the band's latest album, "Impera", on July 28.

GHOST's fifth album, "Impera" sold 70,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked the third top 10 album — and fifth top 40-charting set — for the Swedish act.

"Impera" landed at position No. 1 in Germany and Sweden, No. 2 in the U.K., Netherlands, Belgium and Norway, No. 3 in Australia, No. 5 in France and Ireland, and No. 20 in Italy.

"Impera" was released in March 2022. The 12-song effort was produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace.

GHOST leader Tobias Forge worked on the follow-up to 2018's "Prequelle" with Åhlund and Swedish co-writers Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, whose credits include Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Six of GHOST's albums have charted on the Billboard 200: "Infestissumam" (No. 28, 2013); "If You Have Ghost" EP (No. 87, 2013); "Meliora" (No. 8, 2015); "Popestar" EP (No. 16, 2016); "Prequelle" (No. 3, 2018); and "Impera" (No. 2, 2022).

This past May, GHOST released "Phantomime", a five-song EP which sees the Swedish occult rockers offering takes on IRON MAIDEN's "Phantom Of The Opera", GENESIS's "Jesus He Knows Me", TELEVISION's "See No Evil", THE STRANGLERS' "Hanging Around" and Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)".

GHOST is no stranger to covers, having previously tackled material originally written and recorded by THE BEATLES ("Here Comes The Sun"), ABBA ("I'm A Marionette"), DEPECHE MODE ("Waiting For The Night"), Roky Erickson ("If You Have Ghosts"), METALLICA ("Enter Sandman"), PET SHOP BOYS ("It's A Sin") and EURYTHMICS ("Missionary Man"), among others.

In the latest Metallica So What! interview with Steffan Chirazi from metallica.com, producer Greg Fidelman talks working with the legendary band on their new album 72 Seasons.


An excerpt below:


SC: How many riff ideas did you listen to in that initial selection process?




GF: “The first process was over 300. Then there was another run, and we went through things that were recorded either at an HQ rehearsal or, more often, in the tuning room during tour rehearsals. Then after that, Kirk sent me, I don’t know, 700 things…”


SC: 700 from Kirk?


GF: “Yes. And Kirk was honest in saying, ‘I can’t do this. I know that’s going to be a bummer, man, but I could use your help.’ So when I told Lars how many Kirk had, Lars was like, ‘I’m not trying to get out of this, but why don’t you go through and knock it down halfway? Just the things you think are promising… split it in half at least. It’ll take us a month to go through that together.’ So I did that. Then once me and Lars had our pile of A-list riffs, I guess I’d call it, we’d pick 10 or 12 for a day.


“Now at this point, I’ve had a couple of guys from the Bay Area visit his house on days when Lars wasn’t around [to set up additional equipment – ED] because everyone was still totally isolated. I could tell them via Zoom that he needed headphones ‘over there’ when he’s at the drum set, there needed to be an iPad over by his hi-hat so I could see him, and he could see me. I needed to be able to hear him talk to me regardless of whether I had Pro Tools open or we were recording. We set up this crazy thing, and it worked. And then we would record! ‘What’s the beat that works with this? I like this one. I like that one.’ We’d do a bunch, literally ten ideas, we’d go through a whole process which I won’t get into here, and then we’d do ten more. That was sort of step two, just Lars, me, and Jason.”


Metallica have checked in with the following update:


"The M72 Montreal Pop-Up Shop opens Thursday! Not only will you be able to shop the basic tour line, but also a range of pop-up exclusives, including vinyl, apparel, accessories, skate decks, YETI x Metallica drinkware, and more! 


Don't forget to pick up a Fan Card during your visit for a chance at a Snake Pit upgrade!"





Metallica's M72 World Tour No Repeat Weekend lands in Montreal on August 11th and 13th at Stade Olympique. Go to this location for details and ticket information.





Metallica made the first of two appearances at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on August 4th. A complete audio recording of the show is now available for pre-order here. The CD is expected to ship on October 20th, 2023.


You can purchase digital download formats of this show at LiveMetallica.com once they become available.


Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below, as well as a clip of "Shadows Follow" being performed live for the first time.


The setlist was as follows:


"Creeping Death"
"Harvester of Sorrow"
"Holier Than Thou"
"King Nothing"
"72 Seasons"
"If Darkness Had a Son"
"Fade to Black"
"Shadows Follow" (live debut)
"Orion"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Sad But True"
"The Day That Never Comes" 
"Battery"
"Fuel"
"Seek and Destroy"
"Master of Puppets"

The yupsure YouTube channel has uploaded video of HALESTORM's entire August 6 concert at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pennsylvania as the support act for VOLBEAT. Check it out below.

Featured songs:

00:24 I Miss The Misery
04:15 Love Bites (So Do I)
06:29 Solo
07:42 Lzzy Hale Speaks
08:48 I Get Off (with HEART's "Crazy On You")
10:40 Solo
11:01 Vocal Outro
14:12 Wicked Ways
17:09 Solo
17:39 Freak Like Me
21:19 Lzzy Hale Speaks
22:50 Familiar Taste Of Poison
26:53 Solo
29:26 Takes My Life
33:40 Drum Solo
35:53 Back From The Dead
38:57 I Like It Heavy
44:07 I Am The Fire
48:13 The Steeple

Lzzy Hale (guitar, vocals) and her brother Arejay (drums) formed HALESTORM in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

During a June 2022 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Lzzy talked about the fact that HALESTORM has had the same lineup for nearly two decades – a rarity among rock acts. "I feel like that's probably one of our biggest accomplishments," she said. "We actually still like each other. We've been on tours — we still go out on tours with bands that don't even speak [to each other] until they're on stage. And I'm, like, 'That must be horrible.' We've always supported and loved each other. And we've been through a lot of ups and downs; we've been through this whole roller-coaster ride together. And nobody really knows us the way we all know us. So it really is like a marriage, which is weird, because it's like I'm married to three guys and one of them is my brother. I should probably just say 'family' and not 'marriage' because Blabbermouth will get a hold of that… It's great. I love the boys. And I couldn't imagine doing it with anybody else. Because there is something about the way that we all meet in the middle. What I can do is something that the three boys cannot. But I can't do the same thing that Joe does; I can't do the same thing that Josh does; nobody can do anything that Arejay can do. And it's one of those things that, like I said, with our forces combined, with all four of us together making these decisions and moving forward and the way that we play together, it just wouldn't be HALESTORM without the four of us."

This past May, HALESTORM teamed up with country singer Ashley McBryde for a reimagined version of the band's song "Terrible Things", which was originally featured on the Lzzy-fronted outfit's 2022 studio album "Back From The Dead".

Last December, HALESTORM released a deluxe edition of "Back From The Dead". "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" includes seven previously unreleased B-sides, including "Mine", a 1980s-inspired rocker. "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" is available digitally, on CD, and cassette tape, marking the first time that the album has been offered in those physical formats.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)".

Wacken promoters Thomas Jensen and Holger Hübner spoke with Wacken TV hosts Lizzy Lynden and Chris Cab about Wacken Open Air 2023 and the extraordinary weather and travel situation that made this year's installmemnt of the festival a major challenge for the organizers, crew, bands and fans. Check it out below.


 


"Metalheads, we are absolutely speechless! Wacken Open Air 2024 is SOLD OUT," begins a statement from the organizers of the prestigious heavy metal festival held annually in Germany. Wacken Open Air 2024 will take place July 31 - August 3, 2024 and will be headlined by Scorpions and Amon Amarth. Currently, 33 bands have been announced for next year's festival; the promotional poster can be viewed below. 




"All tickets (Faster & Harder) for the W:O:A 2024 are completely sold out in record time of 4.5 hours!


We are more than grateful and humbled for your trust!


Especially after the difficult start of the festival this summer, where a part of our metal family couldn't celebrate with us, we really appreciate that the community stands by us and sticks together. The fact that all 85,000 tickets are gone is simply amazing! You are the best fans in the world! So we can't wait to celebrate another superlative metal party with you next year.


Since some payments are still unsuccessful at the moment, it may still be possible to purchase individual tickets in the coming hours - so feel free to try your luck on the ticket page.


Thanks for your incredible loyalty, support and the trust you give us!


Next year we will start the new season under the motto Warlocks & Witches, so stay tuned for what we will pull out of the hat for you!


Here are some organizational points:


- You will receive an email as soon as your tickets are in the ticket center. Please do not contact us proactively!
- As soon as you have the tickets in the ticket center, you can also start ordering the merchandising there.
- The shipping of the merchandising items will start on August 7th, 2023 and is expected to be finished mid-September!
- We ask you not to buy tickets from third parties. The exception: As always, our official travel partners still have quotas available.
- You got no ticket? Our waiting list is already available. As always, we will raffle all tickets from canceled orders. You can find the waiting list here.
- Individual tickets may still be available on the ticket page at any time. Try your luck!


Once again: THANX FOR YOUR SUPPORT - SEE YOU IN WACKEN - RAIN OR SHINE!


Yours,
W:O:A team"





For further details, visit Wacken.com.

Craft Recordings celebrates the 10th anniversary of Otep’s concept album, Hydra, with its first-ever vinyl release. Featuring such haunting favorites as “Apex Predator,” “Blowtorch Nightlight” and “Seduce & Destroy,” the cinematic metal album is based on a novella by the band’s founder and frontwoman, Otep Shamaya, and centers on the story of a vigilante assassin named Hydra.


Arriving October 6 and available for pre-order today, Hydra is presented as a 2LP gatefold set and features a unique etching on Side D, based on the character of Hydra and emblazoned with Otep’s signature tenet, “Art Saves.” The design, which will also be available on a limited Apple Red edition (exclusively via CraftRecordings.com), was overseen by Shamaya herself.


Otep’s story is the stuff of rock ’n’ roll dreams. Founded in late 2000 by singer, songwriter and renegade Otep Shamaya, the Los Angeles metal band was playing their fourth-ever show when they caught the attention of manager and TV personality Sharon Osbourne, who invited them to join 2001’s Ozzfest. Amid the buzz, Otep was scouted by a major label, despite having no demo. While their first stop on the tour was only their eighth live appearance, audiences were blown away by Shamaya’s striking stage presence, outspoken lyricism and genre-bending brand of metal, which she describes as “a total and complete mutiny on the senses. We are a fusion band by nature, inspired by many styles and tones from a variety of musical genres—rock, punk, metal, hip-hop, spoken word, jazz, and classic rock. We never allow the antiquated limits of a genre [to] confine or restrict us. Our music is universal and does not belong nor can it be contained in a nice, neat, little box.”




Over the next few years, Otep established themselves as one of the most exciting acts on the scene, drawing comparisons to Rage Against the Machine and even Woody Guthrie for their rousing political songs. In 2009, when the band signed to Victory Records, Otep had sold over 500,000 records, including their broadly acclaimed 2002 debut, Sevas Tra, the bestselling House of Secrets (2004) and The Ascension (2007). Shamaya, meanwhile, had already published two books of poetry, earned a 2010 GLAAD nomination for Outstanding Music Artist and was a guest speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.


At Victory, Otep maintained a busy schedule of touring and releases, including Smash the Control Machine (2009) and Atavist (2011). For her sixth LP, however, Shamaya drew inspiration from a novella she had written, titled None Shall Sleep. She set to work on a concept album, written from the perspective of its anti-hero, Hydra. Speaking to fans on Facebook, Shamaya explained the character’s backstory: “Corrupted by the world, corrugated by evil, ripped away from the golden, molten elixir of creativity, and abandoned on the placid, jagged rocks of a cruel and barbaric island. . . . This is a story of her personal alchemy of theophagy, revenge, and righteousness. Her rise from the smoldering ash as . . . a vigilante serial assassin, codename: Hydra.”





Produced by Ulrich Wild (Pantera, Deftones, Static-X), the cinematic album transports listeners on an ominous journey, as a dynamic blend of instrumentation (including the band’s first and only use of drum programming) and haunting lyricism evoke its namesake’s tortured soul. Among the most popular tracks is “Apex Predator,” a twisted chant, in which Hydra becomes enraptured with one of her victims. As the song progresses, she begins to question her sanity—and whether the woman she captured exists at all. Released as a single, the song was accompanied by a provocative visual, filmed at an abandoned hospital and directed by P.R. Brown (The Smashing Pumpkins, Evanescence, Slipknot).


Also keeping listeners on their toes is “Blowtorch Nightlight,” which intersperses cathartic growls and violent riffs with atmospheric breakdowns. In an interview with Metal Riot, Shamaya explained that the song is “an anthem based on [Hydra’s] search for the one who made her and to give a glimpse of the processes that created and summoned this dark thing that now inhabits her.” That ferocious intensity builds in “Seduce & Destroy” and comes to a climax in “Hag.” On the other end of the spectrum is the sparsely arranged “Voyeur,” during which Shamaya delivers a sinister, spoken-word monologue in whispered tones. The album closes with the industrial “Theophagy,” followed by a blood-curdling scream.


Reflecting on the creative process a decade later, Shamaya shares, “Hydra is a very unique and special album to me. Out of all nine albums, it’s only the second concept album I’ve written besides House of Secrets, which was an exciting challenge to undertake: adapting a novella into songs and to transcribe it as the main character herself. I did a lot of research into the minds of serial killers, thrill killers, and mass murderers. One of the most impactful moments of research was listening to the Ted Bundy tapes, which had been retrieved from an old tape recorded and played in mono (so only in my left ear) as he whispered where he had hidden the head of one of his youngest victims.”


As Hydra neared its release, Otep announced that it would be their final album and many of its reviews reflected that statement.


Fans embraced Hydra as well, upon its release in January 2013. In addition to landing on the Billboard 200, Hydra was a Top 10 hit on the Hard Rock Albums chart and a Top 40 hit on the Independent Albums chart. A year later, Shamaya announced that Otep would continue to release new material. Generation Doom arrived in 2016, followed by Kult 45 in 2018. Today, Otep Shamaya continues to stay active on the road. Outside of music, she is busy as a voiceover actor, appearing in the likes of The Last of Us, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, World of Warcraft: Legion and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.


Click here to pre-order





Hydra tracklisting:


Side A


"Rising"
"Blowtorch Nightlight"
"Seduce & Destroy"
"Crush"


Side B


"Hematopia"
"Necromantic"
"Quarantine"
"Voyeur"
"Apex Predator"


Side C


"Feral Game"
"Livestock"
"Hag"
"Theophagy (Shortened)"


Side D


- Etching


(Photo - Brett Katinas)

Having completed a hugely successful debut American tour earlier this year with August Burns Red and The Devil Wears Prada, Bleed From Within are now currently in the midst of a colossal summer tour, taking in both headline shows, some performances with Heaven Shall Burn and festival appearances at the likes of Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), Summer Breeze (Germany) and Alcatraz (Belgium). This run is due to be topped off by a 13-date tour supporting Trivium across the UK and a visit to the USA for Blue Ridge Rock Fest.


To mark this energetic period of live shows, Bleed From Within have today released a new single, titled "The Will To Resist", taken from their Shrine Deluxe Edition, which will be released on November 10.


Their latest studio album Shrine was released in the summer of 2022, marking the band's most groundbreaking work to date and staking out Bleed From Within's bold intent. The Scottish 5-piece claiming their position as the most exciting prospect in modern metal.




Ali Richardson stated, "It's been an amazing year for us since the release of Shrine! As the touring schedule started to fill up, we truly began to appreciate the effect the album was having on our career so we put this idea in motion of releasing a Deluxe Edition for our fans. The 3 new songs that can be found here were very nearly a part of the initial release. They're all very different in their composition and many arguments were had whilst settling on our final tracklisting. "The Will To Resist" takes the lead single here as a band favorite. I'm sure its intensity will resonate with our audience. You can visit our website to pre-order your copy of the limited edition vinyl and check out the merchandise we've put together alongside it. Thanks for the support!"


Watch "The Will To Resist" visualizer below, and check out the Shrine Deluxe Edition here.





Shrine Deluxe Edition tracklisting


"I Am Damnation"
"Sovereign"
"Levitate"
"Flesh And Stone"
"Invisible Enemy"
"Skye"
"Stand Down"
"Death Defined"
"Shapeshifter"
"Temple Of Lunacy"
"Killing Time"
"Paradise"
"The Will To Resist" (bonus track)
"Overthrone" (bonus track)
"Chemical Carnival" (bonus track)


"The Will To Resist" visualizer:





Bleed From Within are:


Scott Kennedy - Vocals
Craig Gowans - Guitar
Steven Jones - Guitar
David Provan - Bass
Ali Richardson - Drums

Originally released by Century Media back in 2003, The Antidote is yet another Moonspell album that drifted off the paths of the trendy symphonic metal that dominated the scene at the time. It’s a record that laughed at the softening powers in power metal that began poisoning the scene 20 years ago. Thus… it has been, again, misunderstood by the fans and the press alike.


That didn’t stop The Antidote from becoming a long ago out of print, sold-out record and an unnamed classic in its own right. To properly celebrate its two decades of life, The Antidote will be re-released via Napalm Records on September 29, under exclusive licensing from Century Media.


Exactly 20 years after its original release, Moonspell will once again bring you the fear and the intimidation of an album inspired by what we dread: our darkest dreams and bleak crossroads. It’s a tribal, ritualistic album, devoid of the plastic, business-like beauty of what became gothic metal along the way.




An album that is also a book by Jose Luis Peixoto, one of Portugal’s most celebrated authors, and that opens traps beneath your feet and holes within your mind - a work that is not for the faint of heart.


Here’s your second chance to own it and to claim the consternation inside of you. The Antidote, in its cup, is yours to take - if only you could dare…


The Antidote will be available in CD Digipak, LP Gatefold Vinyl editions and a highly collectable, limited Deluxe Earbook. Pre-order this must-have Moonspell classic here.





The Antidote tracklisting:


"In And Above Men"
"From Lowering Skies"
"Everything Invaded"
"The Southern Deathstyle"
"Antidote"
"Capricorn At Her Feet"
"Lunar Still"
"A Walk On The Darkside"
"Crystal Gazing"
"As We Eternally Sleep On It"


(Photo - Paulo Moreira / Naked Photography)

Shadow Kingdom Records will release Cruel Force's third album, Dawn Of The Axe, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.


Truest of the true, Germany's Cruel Force burst onto the scene in 2008 with the Into The Crypts... demo. While many have tried to emulate the ancient German (black) thrash sound, Cruel Force brimmed with an authenticity that could not be denied, as well as songwriting that added to that noble tradition rather than lazily picking at its corpse. 


Their two successive albums, 2010's The Rise Of Satanic Might and 2011's Under The Sign Of The Moon, made Cruel Force a certifiably CULT name in the international metal underground.




Sadly, the band fell into a hiatus following that second album, but returned reinvigorated with the comeback 7" EP Across the Styx in 2022 and are ready to make up for lost time with their imminent third album for new label home Shadow Kingdom.


Titled Dawn Of The Axe, Cruel Force's long-awaited new album is, in many ways, a new chapter for the band. As presaged by that short-length, Dawn Of The Axe harkens to dustier, more archaic times - ones where subgenre delineations weren't so strict and all was mostly heavy metal. 


For sure, Cruel Force can still thrash with the best of them but their sound carries a strong old-style speed metal edge reminiscent of '80s Kreator, Iron Angel, and Germany's Deathrow, sharp as an axe and just as lethal. And while the blackened elements of the first two albums have been dialed back some here, the overall speed of LP#3 is, in fact, faster. But as Dawn Of The Axe slices onward, it soon becomes apparent that that the quartet are subtly integrating a more rarefied field of influences, with the mysticism of '70s Rainbow and especially Scorpions most prominent as well as the blue-collar thrust of early US metal - again, all before the development of speed metal or thrash. 


Thus, the nine songs comprising the 39-minute album exude a wider variety of moods and dynamics, and also sees Cruel Force exploring their more epic side, with three of those songs topping six minutes.





Tracklisting:


“Azrael’s Dawn”
“At The Dawn Of The Axe”
“Night Of Thunder”
“Death Rides The Sky”
“Devil’s Dungeon”
“Watchtower Of Abra”
“Across The Styx”
“Power Surge”
“Realm Of Sands”


“At The Dawn Of The Axe” video:





“Night Of Thunder” video:

DANZIG has postponed two shows on his upcoming tour with BEHEMOTH, TWIN TEMPLE and MIDNIGHT due to a "tour bus shortage."

The Las Vegas concert, previously scheduled for August 25, will now take place on September 22 at The Theatre at Virgin Hotels, while the Southern California date has been moved from Norco, California's SilverLakes Park on August 26 to Ontario, California's Toyota Arena on September 23.

On August 4, DANZIG's social media was updated with the following statement: "Due to the current Tour Bus Shortage we are forced to move the Las Vegas & SoCal Shows to the end of the Tour Sept. 22 & 23 in order to secure a Tour Bus. The Las Vegas Show will remain in the Same Venue for the Friday Sept. 22 date but the SoCal Show had to be moved to The Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA for Sat. Sept. 23."

DANZIG's upcoming shows will see Glenn Danzig and his bandmates will perform their classic debut album in its entirety.

"Danzig" was released in August 1988 via producer Rick Rubin's then-new label Def American Recordings. It remains the band's best-selling album, having been certified platinum in the U.S. for sales in excess of a million copies.

When DANZIG, the band, grew out of the MISFITS/SAMHAIN lineage in 1987, leader Glenn Danzig went into the new project with even grander ambitions and a long-term design. Between 1977 and 1987, the MISFITS' horror-punk morphed into the darker, occult-steeped SAMHAIN. When producer and record mogul Rick Rubin showed interest in signing SAMHAIN to his Def Jam label and producing their first record, the band yet again evolved, and DANZIG was born.

1988's "Danzig" debut stripped away the creepy dissonance of SAMHAIN and replaced it with a focused sensibility. It rocked hard and aimed for the gut; it was primal and memorable, a straightforward howl of sinister rock and roll played by a band of four who locked tight in their vision and looked unified in their presentation.

" Due to the current Tour Bus Shortage we are forced to move the Las Vegas & SoCal Shows to the end of the Tour Sept. 22...

Posted by Danzig on Friday, August 4, 2023

Rufus Publications has announced the release of a new photo book, "Velvet Revolver By Ross Halfin", focusing on VELVET REVOLVER, the band formed in 2002 by then-former GUNS N' ROSES members Duff McKagan, Slash and Matt Sorum.

Sorum, McKagan, Slash and guitarist Dave Kushner held an exhaustive singer search after VELVET REVOLVER's formation that lasted for almost two years, during which they issued an open invitation to the public to send in demos. Eventually they settled on former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland.

VELVET REVOLVER released two full-length albums through RCA/Sony BMG — 2004's "Contraband" and 2007's "Libertad" — before dismissing Weiland in April 2008.

Down the long and convoluted road of rock history, the term "supergroup" has been used to describe collaborations put together by musicians already renowned for having established themselves with other popular bands. Many of these projects tend to be short lived and rarely capture the collective or individual greatness that these musicians achieved in prior bands. However, every so often, one of these so-called "supergroups" actually delivers on the theoretical sum of its parts and writes, records, and performs music that stands up on its own merits and strengths and cements its place in the hearts and minds of rock fans across the world. One such band was VELVET REVOLVER.

Having utterly dominated the early and mid 1990s in GUNS N' ROSES — one of the only truly bonafide bands to ever adopt the slogan of "biggest band in the world" — Slash and McKagan found themselves somewhat adrift by the early 2000s, both having long left behind the machine of GUNS N' ROSES. Under fairly similar circumstances, another 1990s rock giant — STONE TEMPLE PILOTS — had publicly imploded as a result of their own internal politics.

Despite all the drama and the cultural zeitgeist of the time not particularly calling out for such a group, VELVET REVOLVER formed with Weiland, Slash, McKagan, Sorum and Kushner, and perhaps in spite of such adversity delivered their stunning debut album, "Contraband", on June 8, 2004. The album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell over two million copies in the United States alone — a truly remarkable achievement by anyone's standards and serves as a reminder of the undeniable quality of the songs and performances that make up the track listing. A second album, "Libertad", followed three years later after countless concerts around the globe, and even if it didn’t quite live up to the quality of its predecessor (frankly, few records could) — it still landed at No. 5 on the Billboard top 200 and would be certified gold in Canada and New Zealand.

History would ultimately repeat itself and the same forces that led to the band's inception would reappear to derail VELVET REVOLVER once and for all in 2008. However, photographer Ross Halfin was there every step of the way to capture the band in the good times and the bad, and this photo book represents the total journey of VELVET REVOLVER and serves as a timely reminder that sometimes, rare as it might be, "supergroups" can be genuinely super.

The new coffee-table book from Rufus celebrates the short-lived brilliance of VELVET REVOLVER in a single limited-edition book of just 500 numbered copies worldwide with an introduction by McKagan. Coming in at 340 high-quality art pages, with a printed, foiled and embossed cover, a unique Carbon X slipcase plus a Ross Halfin signed print and poster, this book is a unique visual documentary of the band.

"Velvet Revolver By Ross Halfin" goes on pre-sale on Friday, August 11 at 3 p.m. UK time. All orders placed before September 30, 2023 will get a 10% discount.

Sorum discussed the formation of VELVET REVOLVER and the band's eventual split during an August 2022 appearance on the latest episode of the "Sound, Sobriety And Success With Matt Pinfield" podcast. He said: "When we all got back together [after our departures from GUNS N' ROSES], our big thing was, 'We can't do this if we're gonna be loaded and everyone is fucked up.' So we made a pact: 'Everyone get clean. Let's get cleaned up.' We were in really great shape. I went to the gym. I was ripped. I was the skinniest I've ever been… I was already in my 40s. I'm, like, 'Let's see if we can just look like a great rock and roll band, get our look together here. Get our songs together, number one. Get looking good.' Scott was looking lean and mean. I don't know what he was doing to look like that, but he was great. And he was in good form. He'd cleaned up. We'd worked with him on it — we all did.

"We kind of looked at it like the AEROSMITH model," Sorum explained. "'If we're gonna continue to play rock and roll, we can't go out there like 20-year-old kids. We can't be out there every night getting fucked up playing rock [and roll] — we can't. We're older guys. We've gotta get our shit together.' We all got it together, man, and we were on fire. And I remember we were all nervous 'cause it was the first time we'd ever gone out on the road clean like that, sober.

"The first album went triple platinum and we got three Grammy nominations and won a Grammy and got a lot of money," Matt recalled. "And the wheels came off — the wheels came off the machine, the train came off the tracks and bad habits reappeared. I started drinking again, drugging, the whole thing — all of us. And shit got fucked up.

"Typically, people go, 'Well, did you spend a lot of money doing drugs?' I said, 'No. But I made a lot of bad decisions.' [Laughs] I made really a lot of bad decisions. I did stupid shit.

"People give you drugs, man," Sorum added. "C'mon, forget it; you can get drugs. But if I had to do it all over again, I would be, like, "Cmon, you guys, man. We're not gonna get this opportunity again. This is it for us.' And we just — we imploded.

"The second record, I like the second record — I think it's a good record — but it didn't have the angst of the first record. The first record had a youthful thing because we were hungry. We meant it. I think we meant it on the second record musically, but it didn't have that fairy dust of angst. And typically you hear that on a lot of bands' early records, even though we were [all experienced]. Typically the first couple of records are always the best records. AEROSMITH 'Toys In The Attic', 'Rocks'."

Weiland was found dead on his band's tour bus in December 2015. The vocalist, who was 48 years old at the time of his death, was on tour with THE WILDABOUTS in Minnesota when he was found unresponsive.

Matt told "Sound, Sobriety And Success With Matt Pinfield" about his former bandmate: "I had my differences with Scott. We fought like brothers. But really what I wanted for Scott was the best for Scott. Scott was so fucking great. You just wanted him to realize how great he really was. You wanted to shake him and go, 'Scott, you're great.' He would put off the air of, like, he was the epitome of a rock star. He'd walk on stage and you'd go, 'There he is. There's the frontman.' They just don't fucking make them like that anymore."

In the past, Sorum had made it clear that he and his bandmates were very aware of Weiland's drug-addiction battles and chronic tardiness when they first joined forces with him to launch VELVET REVOLVER.

Weiland and his former VELVET REVOLVER bandmates said all kinds of nasty things about each other after their acrimonious split in 2008. But Sorum later said he wasn't bothered anymore, partly because he said he had a chance to talk things out with the frontman a couple of years before Scott's death.

VELVET REVOLVER reunited with Weiland for a four-song set in January 2012 at a Los Angeles tribute concert for late songwriter John O'Brien, but the band has otherwise remained inactive.

At one point it was reported that VELVET REVOLVER was going to team with STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor, but the idea was ultimately vetoed by Slash. The group and Taylor recorded demos of 10 songs together.

A few days after Weiland's death, Matt reiterated his view that the launch of VELVET REVOLVER was the high point of his career. He said: "I remember me and Duff McKagan came out of a… We were coming out of the subway in New York, and he's two guys who were in GUNS N' ROSES, right? And we came out of the subway, and this guy looks over, and he goes, 'Hey, you're Duff and Matt from VELVET REVOLVER.' And I looked over at Duff. I went, 'Oh my God! That's the first time I've ever heard that.' And it was a very pivotal point for us, because now we'd created something new, modern, but at the same time, it was still great rock and roll. So I've gotta thank Scott for that."