Swedish Viking metal marauders AMON AMARTH continue their domination with a brand new music video for their epic Valhalla feast track "Heidrun" off their chart-topping record "The Great Heathen Army". Additionally, AMON AMARTH has unleashed a special four-track digital single of "Heidrun" featuring a newly remixed version of the single plus two live bonus tracks and a "goat remix" version featuring actual goat vocals.

Frontman Johan Hegg sheds light on the mythological significance of "Heidrun": "Heidrun is an interesting mythological character. It's a goat that stands on the roof of Valhalla eating the leaf of the big tree Lärad. The milk that she gives is the honey/mead that the warriors in Valhalla drink each night. The lyrics themselves are both about Vikings travelling the world but also metaphorically what it is to be a touring musician."

"Heidrun" digital single track listing:

01. Heidrun (2023 Remix)
02. Heidrun (live at Graspop Metal Meeting, 2023)
03. Put Your Back Into The Oar (live at Hellfest, 2023)
04. Heidrun (Goat Remix)

Following their hugely successful "The Great Heathen Tour" at the end of last year, which saw them become the first death metal band to ever headline the legendary KIA Forum in Los Angeles, AMON AMARTH's relentless raid continues this week as they invade U.S. shores once again. This time they have joined forces with fellow Swedes GHOST for their 25-date "Re-Imperatour USA 2023" run as well as playing two very special headline shows in Omaha, Nebraska on August 10 with CREEPING DEATH and 200 STAB WOUNDS and Riverside, California on September 9 with GATECREEPER.

AMON AMARTH has teamed up with SET.Live to give Vikings in attendance at each show the opportunity to win their very own special, limited-edition Viking drinking horn on the night of each show. Fans simply need to scan the QR code found scattered throughout each venue near the official tour merch stands and will be entered to win. This also signs fans up for exclusive opportunities that may arise in the future. SET.Live is only available to those in attendance, so get your tickets now.

AMON AMARTH's twelfth studio album, "The Great Heathen Army", was released in August 2022 via Metal Blade Records. The LP was recorded with acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who previously worked with the band on 2013's "Deceiver Of The Gods" and 2016's "Jomsviking" albums.

Photo credit: Tomas Gidén and Henryk Michaluk, composite Jake Scheinberg

QUEENS OF THE STONE continue to prove themselves "a band reaching the peak of their powers" (NME). Following a triumphant reign over some of Europe's most hallowed festival grounds including "officially one of the most-watched Glasto sets ever — Josh Homme and co. pulled a huge crowd and unleashed pure chaotic joy" (Kerrang!),QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE are back with the latest audiovisual odyssey from their international chart-topping opus "In Times New Roman…", a brand new video for "Negative Space". As with previous videos from this campaign, "Negative Space" was created by, starring and directed by Liam Lynch, who states: "Acceptance is lonely, messy, and tough, especially when it's all that is left. This video takes place between the end and a beginning. It's the desperate and lost, message-in-a-bottle emotions that are tossed out and let float away. No action required."

In the wake of "In Times New Roman…" achieving global domination — including No. 1s in four countries, Top 3 positions in six more and a sweep of U.S. No. 1s across the Vinyl, Independent, Alternative, Digital, Rock and Hard Music Album Sales charts — QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE kick off the extensive North American leg of their "The End Is Nero" tour tonight at Detroit's Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill with special guests THE ARMED and PHANTOGRAM. With several shows already sold out, Joshua Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Dean Fertita, Michael Shuman and Jon Theodore will continue to span the globe through the end of 2023.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE also extend a formal invite to their inaugural Queens Colosseum pre-show party experience, taking place August 4 in Toronto at Budweiser Stage — ahead of the band's headlining show. Fans are encouraged to "Dance Like No One Is Surviving," as they immerse themselves in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE-curated extravaganza, including an exclusive merchandise line, burlesque dancers, local vendors featuring everything from books to records to oddities and art, live silk-screen printing, vintage clothing and more. The Queens Colosseum event starts at 4 p.m. and runs through the start of the show, with access available to ticket purchasers only.

In a new interview with FaceCulture, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre talked about the deepfake technology, one of the most worrying fruits of rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI),which allows those who wield it to create audio and video representations of real people saying and doing made-up things. In a deepfake, individuals train computers to mimic real people to make what appears to be an authentic video.

La Torre said that it is clear that when used by nefarious actors, synthetic (AI-generated) media can pose a significant risk to individuals, businesses, and societies more generally.

"When it sounds real, and then you see [the person in the video at] a little bit of a distance… Maybe it's a world leader… and it looks like the real person saying, 'We are gonna wage war against Islam. We're gonna wage war against the West. We're gonna wage war against you.' And people are gonna look, and then they're gonna say he said that. And there could be so much damage before… Now you're trying to clean up the mess," he said. "And at that point, at least in the U.S. — I don't know what it's like over [in the Netherlands, where the FaceCulture interviewer is based] — but people already justify ridiculous shit that is real. Like you saying, 'Oh, this person said that.' 'Well, that's not what he meant.' There's all this justification for things that are actually said that are not good. Now, can you imagine horrible, faked things? I mean, you could have a celebrity thing turned into like an inappropriate video. And somebody claims something, and a woman could say, 'That's not me.' And you say, 'Well, look at the video. You did it.' And now this woman is shamed publicly for something she didn't do. But when your eyes see what they see and you are convinced, it's really hard to unconvince somebody. And when the technology can be so convincing, how do you distinguish what's real and what's not real? The only way you could do that is if there's information within that, whatever it is. Just like there's metadata in photographs, videos — you know, there's things in there that a computer scientist could tear that thing apart and say, 'Here's the origin of this. This is the equipment that it was created on. This is the day and time,' and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But who wants to go through all that when you've already been accused of being a pedophile or a rapist or a thief or a racist or whatever — anything bad. So that that can be really scary."

La Torre went on to say that AI can't replace a live performance. "Okay, you can have a hologram. Well, it looks real, but it's not real," he explained. "And people like to know that I'm watching [a musician] play his piano or his keyboard in real… This is the real guy. And no matter how simulated something could seem, human beings, we understand that human connection. And I don't think AI's gonna be able to do that. But it kind of sucks where AI could…

"There was a thing on a guy's channel, and it was talking about AI. And it's a guy named Rick Beato, and he was talking about AI and this whole Drake thing. He's like this rap guy, whatever, but he is like really famous and probably has tons of money, whatever. But there was a fake, there was an AI of this artist. [And] some people were saying they like the AI artist better than the real artist and what it produced. That's scary."

Last month, QUEENSRŸCHE released a fully AI-generated video for the song "Tormentum", taken from the band's latest album, 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance". The clip was directed by Above The Void.

QUEENSRŸCHE recently completed its 2023 U.S. headlining tour with support from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and TRAUMA. On that tour, QUEENSRŸCHE's 18-song set included no less than five songs from the band's sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance", which came out last October via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

In a new interview with "The Dark" on the 94 Rocks KFML radio station, PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix spoke about FALLING IN REVERSE's recently released cover of PAPA ROACH's "Last Resort" which saw the Ronnie Radke-fronted outfit turning the song into a slow-burning, piano-led ballad. Jacoby said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it was, like, probably about two or three years ago, we had hit [Ronnie] up… We hit a few different artists up about, 'Hey, we wanna do a re-imagination of 'Last Resort'. We'll celebrate the history and the legacy of the track.' And he was just, like, 'Oh, I'm all about it.' [He] hit me up a few months later and he was, like, 'I've really got something special I'm doing right now. I'm really excited about it.' And time goes on. And then we went and did a tour [together]. And the first day of the tour, he was, like, 'Dude, I got that version I wanna play you.' It was last year. And I remember he came to the dressing room, and I just had goosebumps. And then when I heard it, I was just, like, 'Oh man.' He just tapped into the raw emotion of the lyric and really made it special, made it his."

Shaddix continued: "I just recently… I was on tour, and my wife, she FaceTimes me. She had all tears in her eyes. I'm, like, 'What's going on?' She's, like, 'Honey, I just heard the song Ronnie did, FALLING IN REVERSE, the cover of 'Last Resort', and I just was moved."

Jacoby went on to say that "Last Resort" has been "such a massive part" of PAPA ROACH's lives since its original release in 2000. "This song we put out, it really gave us a career, gave us an opportunity to go make an impact on the world with music," he explained. "And to see it kind of come back at us in such a powerful way… [We] can't ask for anything better."

Circling back to FALLING IN REVERSE's version of the track, Jacoby said: "[Ronnie] nailed it. That dude is — he's wildly talented. Straight up. It's crazy too. 'Cause I see that dude sit down at a piano and start ripping it. That's probably the coolest quality about that dude is he's got these little secret talents. I'm, like, 'Hold on. You're good at piano too. That's dope.'"

"Last Resort" originally appeared on PAPA ROACH's breakthrough album "Infest", which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020. The LP peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified triple platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for sales in excess of three million copies in the U.S. alone. It also featured the fan favorites "Broken Home", "Blood Brothers" and "Between Angels & Insects".

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor has weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Taylor discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback during an appearance earlier today (Wednesday, August 2) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked if he has had a chance to catch a performance from the new PANTERA lineup yet, Corey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I saw it at [the] Graspop [Metal Meeting festival in Belgium in June]. 'Cause they were on right before us at Graspop just this year. And I hadn't seen 'em [when they played with us in South America last December], 'cause we were flying in and out, so I didn't get to see them on that run, that South American run. And dude, me and [my wife] Alicia ran out to the front of house. And I didn't even care. I was, like, 'I'm watching this.' And I was so stoked. And my expectations were really high, dude. And they sounded incredible. I was so stoked. There's probably a bunch of fan-shot video of me singing along and jumping around like an idiot. I was so stoked, and they sounded so great. Dude, Phil looks great. He's having a great time."

Taylor continued: "We all know the story, and to see them get up there and to feel that positive energy that hasn't been felt around that in so long, dude. I mean, I got really — I'm starting to get emotional about it now. I mean, it just felt really good to see our buddies up there — and this is absolute honesty — really doing justice. I mean, it sounds really, really good."

A year ago, Taylor weighed in on the PANTERA reunion during a previous appearance on "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "I know everybody in the [current PANTERA] band; I knew everybody in the prior band. So it's interesting. I know there's a lot of debate about it. All I'm going to say is that I'm stoked to see these songs played live. I'm stoked to see it done with respect.

"Whether anybody wants to admit that or not, these fans online, they wanna admit this or not, you're talking about two dudes [Charlie and Zakk] who not only knew the brothers from years ago, knew them before PANTERA was even a thing," Corey continued. "They were friends with those guys from when PANTERA was still playing clubs, and they would go and hang out with them when those respective bands would go and play Dallas; they would go and hang out with those dudes. So then when PANTERA becomes massive, lo and behold they're touring with their friends, man.

"You can't get a better drummer than Charlie, you can't get a better guitar player than Zakk to step into those shoes," Taylor added. "Is it going to work? I don't know. But to say that it's not the right thing — first of all, it's for anybody else to say except for Phil and Rex, because those guys, they were in the band. So let's just give them the benefit of the doubt and let's see what happens."

In a recent interview with Live Nation, Taylor recalled going to an epic PANTERA and WHITE ZOMBIE show with some friends in 1996 that left a lasting impression on him. He said:  "The co-headlining tour was PANTERA and WHITE ZOMBIE, so it was fucking rad. We ended up scoring tickets to the [concert] in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I remember ZOMBIE came out. They opened with 'Electric Head, Part 1', and it was just awesome; I mean, the place lit up. And then PANTERA came out and just destroyed everything. They opened with 'Suicide Note' parts one and two. The excitement in that audience, when they came out and played those two songs back to back, was unlike anything I felt. And it has stuck with me to this day. I mean, it was just one of the most incredible one-two punches of all time. I remember charging the pit feeling like, 'Ah, this is what concerts are made for.' It was just a great way to feel a part of something that you didn't feel a part of in real life. The music was there for you to embrace. It was a rite of passage, man."

In February 2022, Taylor spoke about the impact PANTERA's classic sophomore major label album, "Vulgar Display Of Power", had on his musical upbringing. He told HardDrive Radio: "I remember where I was when that album came out, man. I was listening to that incessantly. I was working at the RV center that my grandma got me a job at. 'Cause I didn't wanna cut my hair and I couldn't work anywhere else, man, so I was washing RVs for nine hours a day during the day in the hottest summer I'd ever felt. And it was intense, dude. And all I had was that tape — I had that tape and [a cassette from] BEASTIE BOYS. So I kept trading those tapes back and forth. And when I needed a burst of energy, I'd put on 'Vulgar Display', and when I just wanted to chill and just kind of get into the rhythm of it, I would put on, I think it was [BEASTIE BOYS'] 'Check Your Head'. So it was, like, those two albums really fueled me that summer to get through it. And I just remember listening to that album and just going, 'Jesus, this is so heavy and yet so hummable.' That's the thing that I think people really lose with PANTERA — is that it was so incredibly heavy but the hooks were incredible, dude. I mean, it was like the next evolution of what METALLICA had kind of started to do. To this day, it's still one of my favorite albums."

Back in 2017, Taylor named PANTERA's 1994 effort "Far Beyond Driven" as one of his 10 favorite metal albums of all time. "That album is so sludgy," he told Rolling Stone. "I loved 'Vulgar Display Of Power', and obviously everybody gravitates toward that one just because it's got the songs, it's got the whatever. But to me, 'Far Beyond Driven' was the first example of what a modern metal production could sound like. It was so thick and the mix was a little angrier. To me, it was the first time that you could really hear how heavy they could go and how willing they were to just drive that shit home. And it's got my favorite PANTERA song on it, which is 'Becoming'. That song alone wins. Just when you thought you had some shit figured out, fuck you. You're done."

Corey Taylor photo credit: Marina Hunter

Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach performed at the Northern Lights Music Festival in Escanaba, Michigan on July 21st. Fan-filmed video of his entire set can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Big Guns"
"Sweet Little Sister"
"Here I Am"
"18 & Life"
"Piece of Me"
"The Threat"
"American Metalhead"
"Monkey Business / Tom Sawyer"
"I Remember You"
"Stuck Inside"
"In A Darkened Room"
"Youth Gone Wild"







Regina Leader Post is reporting that the annual Queen City Exhibition, which runs Wednesday to Sunday at REAL District, made an 11th-hour lineup revision for the Original 16 outdoor stage in Confederation Park.


Sebastian Bach - the former lead singer of Skid Row - has cancelled a pair of upcoming shows, including Sunday night’s appearance in Regina, “due to last-minute, unforeseen scheduling conflicts,” according to a media release.


The ‘80s metal frontman has been replaced by Canadian rock band Sloan, which is scheduled to hit the stage at 9 PM on the final night of QCX.


Pre-purchased VIP and fan zone tickets for Bach will be honoured at the Sloan concert, according to REAL. Refunds are to be available by emailing guest-service@real1884.ca or by calling 306-781-9300. Advance gate and daytripper passes that were purchased for the Bach show are also eligible to be refunded.


Read more at Regina Leader Post.


Bach's team recently checked in with the following update: "Due to last minute, unforeseen scheduling conflicts, Sebastian Bach will not be performing at Rockin The Fields in Minnedosa, MB on 8/4. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Sebastian hopes to make it back to Canada sometime in the near future. Stay tuned for updates!"


Big Sugar has been announced as Bach's replacement. Go to this location for more information.

Final Gasp hit listeners with their driving new single “Climax Infinity”–the second single from their debut full-length, Mourning Moon– due via Relapse on September 22. “It comes in strong and with the full intention to make you feel it in your chest,” notes vocalist / guitarist Jake Murphy. “Lyrically it’s all about dealing with the things you can’t control, whether good or bad. We’re all put in situations where we know what the outcome will be but you’re hoping for something else.”


The visual for “Climax Infinity” was filmed by Caleb Gowett and Chris Gill at their tour kick off show at Middle East in Cambridge, MA. The footage gives us a first look into their gripping performances which put Final Gasp on the map.


Mourning Moon is a hook laden, inventive journey through all things punk, hardcore, metal and goth. Frontman Jake Murphy drags listeners through twelve thrilling tracks while delivering an unmatched, soulful performance – taking on the weightiest of topics.




“The whole record has to do with loss,” he explains. “The title comes from that anxious feeling you have when you go to bed and you’re thinking about everything all at once. You’re regretting decisions you’ve made - or didn’t make - and you’re up all night thinking about it.”


Final Gasp recorded Mourning Moon in Philadelphia with famed producer Arthur Rizk (Ghostmane, Cavalera Conspiracy, Sumerlands). Its foundation was built by the band’s two previous EPs - 2019’s Baptism of Desire (Primitive Propaganda) and 2021’s Haunting Whisper (Triple B). “Every song was  written with nothing but a natural feeling for what felt right,” Murphy tells. “There’re tons of different influences, like Killing Joke and Die Kreuzen, even Echo & The Bunnymen and SSD.  But we’re not really thinking about other bands. We feel like we’ve tapped into something that’s our own.”


Mourning Moon proves to be one of the most inventive journeys this side of the genre in recent times - now, Final Gasp are ready to emerge from the shadows, and step into the forefront of extreme music's new guard.


Pre-order / pre-save Mourning Moon here.





Mourning Moon tracklisting:


"Climax Infinity"
"Homebound"
"Botched Ritual"
"Frozen Glare"
"Seize"
"Blood And Sulfur"
"Mourning Moon"
"Unnatural Law"
"14 Gates"
"Temptation"
"The Vanishing"
"Rows Of Heaven"


"Climax Infinity":





"Mourning Moon" video:





Final Gasp live:


August
3 – Richmond, VA – Fuzzy Cactus
4 – Washington, DC – The Runaway
5 – New York, NY – TV Eye


Final Gasp is:


Jacob Murphy - Vocals
Alex Consentino - Guitar
Sean Rose - Bass
James Forsythe - Guitar
Peter Micanovic - Guitar  
Eric Lester - Drums


(Photo - Tyler Hallett)

With four albums under their belts already, Slovenia’s Cvinger returns seven years later to take listeners back into black metal darkness with Doctrines By The Figures of Črnobog. Originally creating death metal, they have diverged fully into the black metal underworld, playing festivals in Europe among some of the biggest names in the genre. This new album explores the existence of man in a Slavic spiritual realm whose body and soul are split during the rites and incantations. It is a journey of lust, madness, faith, and sorrow and questioning the existence of its mortality, and the first chance to dig your teeth into this aggressive offering is with a music video for the title track. The band comments:


“The album was written after meditation seances in a cave of a prehistoric hunter. It is the fastest and most brutal album that we have created till now. The new album/single Doctrines By The Figures Of Črnobog will be released by the Polish record label Via Nocturna on the 28th of August 2023. With the new creation, we are paying homage to the Slavic old faith, especially the occult and the dark aspect of it. The band has gone through some lineup changes, and by bringing in the new blood, we have changed the perspective of creating and redefining new hellish symphonies. Soon live rituals will follow in support of the new album.”


This album was created as a stepping stone into a new chapter of Cvinger, who started with a raw and unpolished sound but with each EP/album that came forth, their production and composing became more advanced and most of all more personal. The album artwork was created by an amazing artist Mitchell Nolte. It represents a ritual of Slavs manifesting the obscure god of death and night Črnobog which in translation means the Black God.




Fast, destructive, and mystical, for Cvinger, a concert is not only playing their songs live. It is a ritual and a synergy of sound visualization and energy that is given to the listener. Join their rite by diving into Doctrines By The Figures of Črnobog. It is recommended for fans of Marduk, Mayhem, and Gorgoroth.


Doctrines By The Figures Of Črnobog is due out August 28, 2023 via Via Nocturna (Physical) / Earache (Digital) and is available to preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Meditations At The World’s Demise”
“Revelation Of The Three Heade One”
“Fury Born Out Of Bones And Fire”
“Blood Catharsis And The Mantra Of Depravity”
“The Winter Night Of The Funeral Pyres”
“Slava”
“Totemism”
“Cosmic Realm”
“Doctrines By The Figures Of Črnobog”
“Chants And Canticle” 


“Doctrines By The Figures Of Črnobog” video:





(Photo – Blanka Slana Heine)

Leah is about to embark on her most ambitious venture yet. The renowned Celtic metal singer-songwriter has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring her new album, The Glory and the Fallen, to life. Promising to be her most epic and groundbreaking work yet, the album fuses Leah's signature blend of ethereal vocals, magical Celtic melodies and symphonic metal into a monumental soundscape inspired by fantasy, history and personal journey.


“This is one of my biggest projects to date”, illustrates the Canadian maven from her home, just outside of British Columbia. “Not because of the number of people involved, but because of the scope of the music and the way I challenged myself in the songwriting process. I think you’ll hear a continuation of my evolution as a songwriter and vocalist. This collection of songs is very much the classic Leah sound but also explores some new territory that I think you’ll really enjoy.”


The new release will feature appearances from renowned musicians Mark Jansen (Epica, MaYaN), Timo Somers (Arjen Lucassen, ex-Delain), Sander Zoer (Delain), and was produced by Oliver Philipps (Everon, Phantasma). The amazing artwork was created by Giannis Nakos (Kamelot, Evergrey, Amaranthe.)




In a gallant move, Leah will also be treating fans to an instrumental album and folk versions of several songs from the album, providing a full experience for a wide range of musical tastes.





Having successfully crowdfunded her previous four albums without the assistance of a record label, this campaign presents an opportunity for her dedicated fanbase to play a pivotal role in bringing her musical vision to life. The campaign will feature a range of special packages, including limited-edition collector's items that will not be available once the campaign concludes.


These one-of-a-kind items will undoubtedly become cherished memorabilia for Leah's dedicated fan base. She explains, “This crowdfunding campaign is a bit different in that we’re focused on true collector items, for a really immersive and memorable experience. The more common items expected will be available when the album launches publicly this fall.”


The crowdfunding campaign serves as more than just a means of funding the project; it allows Leah to connect directly with her fans and amplify her community of passionate supporters. By participating in the campaign, backers will have the unique opportunity to engage with Leah personally and gain an exclusive glimpse into the creative process behind her music. To make the campaign even more enticing, Leah has curated a selection of captivating rewards that range from limited-edition merchandise to VIP experiences, ensuring that her supporters feel truly valued and connected to the project's journey.


The Kickstarter campaign will run until August 30 and every contribution will make a significant impact in bringing this remarkable album to fruition.


Check out Leah’s past work on Bandcamp.

Former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland, who was with the band from 1984 - 1987, is featured in a new interview with Guitar World discussing his recent work on a re-recorded version of Pink Floyd's 1971 album, Meddle. During the chat, he looked back on his time with Megadeth.


Poland:  "I came from a different place than Dave (Mustaine). But I guess that was the beauty of our incarnation of Megadeth. The differing opinions probably made the music as good as it was.


I look back on what we did with a lot of fondness. And as far as the guitar goes, I'm a better player now. My instincts are sharper. But I still do what I've always done – fly by the seat of my pants (laughs). And, yeah, I still sometimes struggle to re-learn things. But, man, I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of those Megadeth records and how humbled I am to have been a part of it all. 




Peace Sells… But Who's Buying? was a serious record, dude. It was a serious record; I didn't even know it until years later. When I first heard the mix, all I could do was compare it to Metallica's Master of Puppets, and I was so bummed out. I never listened to it again after that. But then it got remastered years later, and I went back and listened, and that's when I realized I'd been a part of a genius record. So, all credit to Dave Mustaine; he probably knew. To me, we were just playing music. I had no idea I was going to be part of something iconic. But I'm glad I was."


Read the complete story here








Photo by Mark Weiss

Boston progressive thrash metal outfit Ice Giant have released a new single from their upcoming studio album. The new track, “Grandeval’s Machine”, is the third and final lead-up track before the release of the band’s long-awaited sophomore studio full-length, Ghost Of Humanity.


In addition to the album, Ice Giant will join forces with Atlanta prog-metal explorers Scorched Moon for nine shows in the month of September – beginning in their own hometown of Boston with a record release show at The Middle East on September 8.


Speaking on “Grandeval’s Machine”, the band shares:




“'Grandeval’s Machine' unveils a futuristic Earth overwhelmed by war and global climate crisis. Amidst fire and destruction, a bio-mechanical plague rises and binds itself to the flesh of Earth's population. This song sets the stage for the full concept of the Ghost Of Humanity album by showcasing the ending of human society if we continue down the wrong path.”





Tour dates:


September
8 - The Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA
9 - Cherry Street Station - Wallingford, CT
10 - The Brooklyn Monarch, Mona Lisa Room - Brooklyn, NY
11 - The Depot - Baltimore, MD
12 - Century Bar - Philadelphia, PA
13 - Another Round Bar & Grill - Richmond, VA
14 - BrickYard Bar & Grill - Knoxville, TN
15 - Star Bar - Atlanta, GA
16 - TBA - Birmingham, AL


Pre-order the album here.





Ghost Of Humanity tracklisting:


"Heritage"
"Grandeval’s Machine"
"Emergence"
"Serenity Of Darkness"
"Home For Eternity"
"Venthos Prime"
"Ghost Of Humanity"
"In The Maw Of Reality"
"Unification Epoch"
"Visages Of Our Past Despair"
"Legacy"


"Grandeval's Machine":





"Ghost Of Humanity" video:





"Serenity Of Darkness" video:

From Ashes To New's new album, Blackout, has landed at #1 on several iTunes and Spotify Rock and Metal charts across the globe. The 12-track album, released via Better Noise Music last Friday, June 28, was produced by vocalist Matt Brandyberry, alongside longtime collaborators and producers Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak.


Blackout has made waves with seven #1 iTunes Metal albums chartings and four #1 iTunes Rock albums placements including four dual #1’s globally. See their top chartings listed below.


“This past weekend was absolutely insane,” says the band’s lead singer Matt Brandyberry. “We went from not releasing a record since 2020 to having one of the biggest releases in the industry last Friday. When we decided to write ‘Blackout,’ we chose to write it for us. We wanted it to be a representation of who we feel we are as a band. Much like ‘Day One’ we pushed away outside influences and made something organic. The silver lining to the chaos of 2020/2021 was realizing how quickly everything can be taken away. It reinvigorated the passion that ignited all of our musical journeys. This sound is who we’ve always been and is who we will always be moving forward. Welcome to the BLACKOUT!”




Charts:


Global - #10 Overall Albums (iTunes)
USA - Top 10 (Spotify)
UK - #1 Metal & #1 Rock Album (iTunes)
Switzerland - #1 Metal & #1 Rock Album (iTunes)
Belgium - #1 Metal & #1 Rock Album (iTunes)
Australia - #1 Metal & #1 Rock Album (iTunes)
Germany - #1 Metal & #2 Rock Album (iTunes)
Japan - #1 Metal & #4 Rock Album (iTunes)
Austria - #2 Metal & #2 Rock Album (iTunes)
France - # 2 Metal & #5 Rock (iTunes)


Conceptually, Blackout encapsulates the distress of the pre-apocalyptic world the Lancaster, PA band built with their groundbreaking 2016 debut Day One, while mirroring the angst and unrest the world felt during the 2020 pandemic at which time it was written. Sonically, From Ashes To New deliver a fresh spin on the sound that broke them onto the scene with their distinctive blend of hard rock, hip-hop, electronic and alternative music.


Blackout was produced by vocalist Matt Brandyberry, alongside longtime collaborators and producers Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak at Atrium Audio in PA. It features 12 tracks including their fifth-ever Top 10-charting rock radio single “Hate Me Too,” which peaked at #8 on Mediabase charts, and their latest anthemic single “Nightmare” which is now climbing the charts at Active Rock radio.


“Blackout is our prequel to Day One,” says co-vocalist Matt Brandyberry. “Day One was a strong representation of the style that made FATN who we are today, and Blackout is a step above. The world seems to be headed further and further towards chaos and destruction, so it only felt right to create a piece to paint the picture we are all becoming all too familiar with. Expect much more of this from us in the future!”


“Blackout is the album we’ve always wanted to make,” relays co-vocalist Danny Case. “It’s intense, emotional, heavy, and most importantly, it’s us. This album truly represents who we are as a band and its massive sound will prove to be our best record yet. We are so incredibly proud of this album, and we are confident it will quickly become our fans’ favorite From Ashes To New record ever.”


Order a copy of the new album on CD, cassette and/or vinyl here.





Tracklisting:


"Heartache"
"Nightmare"
"Hate Me Too"
"Hope Youre Happy"
"Barely Breathing"
"Dead To Me"
"Monster In Me"
"Echoes"
"Armageddon"
"Legacy"
"Until We Break" (feat. Matty Mullins of Memphis Mayfire)
"Broken By Design"


"Monster In Me" lyric video:





"Hate Me Too" video:





"Nightmare" video:





"Heartache" video:





From Ashes To New are currently on tour with In This Moment, Motionless In White, and Fit For A King. Remaining dates are listed below.





August
2 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
4 - Council Bluffs, IA - KIWR’s Rockfest – Westfair Amphitheater
5 - Camdenton, MO - Ozarks Amphitheater
6 - Little Rock, AR - Simmons Bank Arena
8 - Memphis, TN - The Soundstage at Graceland
9 - Mobile, AL - Mobile Civic Center Arena
11 - Huntsville, AL - Propst Arena
12 - Asheville, NC - Harrah's Cherokee Center
13 - Corbin, KY - Corbin Arena
15 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center
16 - Fort Wayne, IN - Allen County War Memorial Expo Center
18 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
19 - Albany, NY - MVP Arena


* In This Moment only


(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)

Brian Slagel (pictured above) is once more opening up the doors to the Metal Blade Records Museum, located in Las Vegas, NV. The museum will be opening up to ticket holders on Saturday, August 19 and open up every Saturday thereafter.


Lizzy Borden will be present on Saturday, August 19 to take a stroll through the museum himself! Hours of operation are 12 PM to 5 PM, PT and tickets are available here.


* ticket holders will be informed of the museum address after purchase







Founded upon owner Brian Slagel's enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982 Metal Blade has brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seen Metal Blade build up a stunning and diverse catalog, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it celebrates its fourth decade.


Metal Blade Records launched Metallica, Slayer, Armored Saint, Fates Warning, GWAR, Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth, Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cattle Decapitation, and dozens more genre giants, shaping four decades and counting of hard rock, metal, and extreme music culture. Brian Slagel worked as a record store clerk when he founded Metal Blade in 1982, reserving a spot for a young Lars Ulrich on his Metal Massacre compilation series. Metal Blade grew from humble beginnings in Los Angeles to become an international powerhouse, selling millions of albums while remaining fiercely independent. In 2017, Slayer's Kerry King inducted the label into the Hall of Heavy Metal History. Slagel's For the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records arrived the same year.

TRIVIUM bassist Paolo Gregoletto will miss the band's next few shows while he is recovering from emergency hernia surgery. He will be temporarily replaced by Josh Baines of the British metal band MALEVOLENCE.

The news of Gregoletto's condition was first revealed by TRIVIUM guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy, who wrote in a social media post: "Attention! Yesterday, we arrived in Germany from America. After experiencing abdominal pain, Paolo needed to be taken to the hospital for emergency hernia surgery late in the night. The operation went well and Paolo is recovering.

"Paolo will need to stay under observation for the next few days, and Josh from MALEVOLENCE will be filling in for the next few shows.

"Please send your healing energy and love over Paolo's way – you'll be seeing him back on stage in a few days.

"See ya Wacken!"

Gregoletto shared a post-surgery video message on his social media in which he said: " Hey, guys. [I'm] obviously starting this tour a lot differently than I had planned. But I'm gonna rest up here in Hamburg for a few days and I'll join back up with the tour either in Marseille or in Belgium at Alcatraz. You know, I might play in a chair, might just kind of stand there to play, but I will be joining back up and just taking it easy. But thank you guys for understanding. I really appreciate it and love you guys. Thank you."

Florida native Gregoletto joined TRIVIUM in 2004 when Matt and then-drummer Travis Smith held auditions for a new bass player. He got the gig just in time for the tour with MACHINE HEAD and replaced bassist Brent Young just after the band had finished recording "Ember To Inferno".

According to EMG, Paolo uses a variety of techniques to perform his bass-lines. He uses a two fingered plucking style to pick out the more elegant counter melodies and rapid pentatonic accompaniments necessary for some of TRIVIUM's material. He also frequently uses a modern three-fingered plucking style, as favored by Billy Sheehan, in order to achieve a gallop rhythm (two 16ths and one 8th) in the style of IRON MAIDEN's Steve Harris. His preferable way to warm up is by performing chromatic exercises up and down the whole neck of the bass, using both fingers and a pick.

TRIVIUM is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "In The Court Of The Dragon", which came out in October 2021 via TRIVIUM's longtime label Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in the fall of 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando. The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres.

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A post shared by Paolo Gregoletto (@triviumpaolo)



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A post shared by Matthew kiichichaos Heafy (@matthewkheafy)

Swedish death metal pioneers, Dismember, recently announced the long overdue physical standalone reissues of their expansive discography. The first batch consisting of the first two albums, Like An Everflowing Stream (1991) and Indecent & Obscene (1993), as well as the Pieces EP (1992) will be released on August 25.


Today, the band reissues the music video for "Soon To Be Dead", from Like An Everflowing Stream. Revisit the video below:







For the reissues, the entire audio has been mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony with the goal to preserve a 'true to the original' sound and contains the more dynamic June '91 master of Like An Ever Flowing Stream on vinyl for the first time. All album layouts were created together with Dismember resulting in a return of the Indecent and Obscene sticker.





Pre-order the physical reissues here, or at the band's official webstore.





Like An Everflowing Stream
Available Formats: LP | CD | Cassette


Considered one of the best death metal albums of all time, 1991's Like An Ever Flowing Stream is a timeless masterpiece establishing Stockholm's Dismember as one of the most talented acts of the genre and laid the groundwork for their merciless buzz-saw sound. This new edition features the more dynamic June 1991 master resulting in the best sounding version of this classic ever!





Indecent & Obscene
Available Formats: LP | CD | Cassette


Released in 1993, the second, more refined studio album by Sweden's death metal masters Dismember includes classic tunes like "Skinfather", "Fleshless", and "Dreaming In Red", which are mainstays in the group's live set up until now. CD and LP feature the cult Indecent and Obscene sticker mocking the censorship troubles Dismember faced at that time.





Pieces
Available Formats: MLP | CD


To the very day, this EP - originally released in 1992 - is an epitome of nastily loud, savagely distorted, uncompromising Swedish death metal.


Keep your eyes peeled for the next batch of physical Dismember reissues to be announced soon.


Upcoming live dates:


August
9-12 - Fortress Josefov, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault
11-13 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival


September
7-9 - Aleksandrów Łódzki, Poland - Summer Dying Loud Festival


October
13 - Karlstad, Sweden - Nöjesfabriken
14 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Strand


May 2024
23-26 - Baltimore, MD - Maryland Death Fest


Dismember are:


Fred Estby (Drums)
David Blomqvist (Guitars)
Robert Sennebäck (Guitars)
Matti Karki (Vocals)
Richard Cabeza (Bass)


(Photo - Nathaniel Shannon)

BMG has announced "Year Of The Devil", a multi-configuration celebration of the 40th anniversary of MÖTLEY CRÜE's landmark second album, "Shout At The Devil". The centerpiece of "Year Of The Devil" is the Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Set which features the newly remastered album on LP, CD and cassette. Also included are reproductions of the original 7" singles of "Too Young To Fall In Love" and "Looks That Kill" alongside a Pentagram Séance Board, Devil Board with Metal Planchette, Metal 7" Adapter, album art lithographs, tarot cards, devil candle holder and more. In addition, seven rare demo tracks have been resurrected and are included as "Shout At The Demos & Rarities".

"Shout At The Devil - 40th Anniversary" is available as a streaming/digital deluxe edition and the following Limited Edition configurations: Super Deluxe Box Set, Picture Disc, Red/Black Vinyl (Walmart),Ghostly Orange Vinyl (Urban Outfitters),Blood Filled Vinyl (Newbury Comics),LP Replica CD, and Lenticular CD (Walmart).

Originally released in 1983 at the height of the Satanic Panic, "Shout At The Devil" catapulted MÖTLEY CRÜE to superstardom. Delivering on the hype and promise of their platinum debut "Too Fast For Love", MÖTLEY CRÜE's second album hit the US Top 20 and was certified four times platinum. For many music fans, "Shout At The Devil" was the first time they witnessed an album with this imagery and lyrical content on mainstream retail shelves.

"Shout At The Devil" continues to be a cornerstone of MÖTLEY CRÜE's live set, with the band playing up to four songs from this iconic album at every show of "The World Tour" which is currently underway. Fittingly, the original touring cycle for this album saw MÖTLEY CRÜE jump from opening act to full on arena headliners.

The ground-breaking music videos for "Looks That Kill" and "Too Young To Fall In Love" set the standard for countless MTV moments. Those two singles, combined with the sinister title track, reckless cuts like "Knock 'Em Dead, Kid", "Bastard" and "Red Hot", their frenzied take on "Helter Skelter" and the haunting nearly instrumental "God Bless The Children Of The Beast" helped create this era- and genre-defining album.

Deluxe Limited Edition Box Set Includes:

* Original Album Remastered on Orange/Yellow Splatter LP
* "Shout At The Demos & Rarities" Red/White Splatter LP
* "Shout At The Devil" CD
* "Shout At The Devil" Cassette
* "Looks That Kill" White 7"
* "Too Young To Fall In Love" Orange 7"
* Devil Board w/Metal Planchette
* Metal Pentagram 7" Adapter
* Pentagram Felt Bag
* Devil Candle Holder (candle not included)
* Band Member Tarot Cards
* 12" x 12" Pentagram Séance Board
* Two 12" x 12" Shout At The Devil Blood Album Cover Litho Art Prints

Album track listing:

01. In The Beginning
02. Shout At The Devil
03. Looks That Kill
04. Bastard
05. God Bless The Children Of The Beast
06. Helter Skelter
07. Red Hot
08. Too Young To Fall In Love
09. Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid
10. Ten Seconds To Love
11. Danger

"Shout At The Demos & Rarities" track listing:

01. Shout At The Devil (Demo)
02. Looks That Kill (Demo)
03. Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid (Demo)
04. Too Young To Fall In Love (Demo)
05. Hotter Than Hell (Demo for "Louder Than Hell")
06. I Will Survive (Demo)
07. Black Widow (Demo)

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, MÖTLEY CRÜE — Vince Neil (vocals),Nikki Sixx (bass),Tommy Lee (drums) and Mick Mars (guitars) — has commandeered the rock pantheon for 41 years. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, garnered seven USA platinum and multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles, three Grammy nominations, five New York Times best-selling books, a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and a Netflix hit movie.

The quartet has amassed over five billion streams across digital platforms and the band has over eight million followers on social media. Known for their iconic live performances, the band has sold-out countless tours across the globe in front of millions of fans with groundbreaking production highlights such as Tommy Lee's drum-rollercoaster and Nikki Sixx's flame-throwing-bass. They pioneered the Las Vegas rock residency with a sold out run in 2012. MÖTLEY CRÜE's hit songs such as "Kickstart My Heart" and "Home Sweet Home" are frequently licensed by major brands such as NASCAR, Dodge, Coldwell Banker, Carl's Jr. and KIA, to name a few, and their music can be heard on TV hit shows such as "Stranger Things" and "Cobra Kai", among many others.

The band's biography "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band" became a New York Times best-seller in 2001 and has sold over one million copies worldwide. Members of the band have authored four additional New York Times best-selling books since. In 2019 Netflix premiered "The Dirt" biopic based on the bestselling book which became a global hit movie, scoring a 94% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. As a result, MÖTLEY CRÜE gained an entire new generation of young fans who discovered the band through the movie and further solidified their iconic status, relevance and the timelessness of their songwriting.

MÖTLEY CRÜE remains a huge global draw 41 years into their career and, in the summer of 2022 co-headlined a nearly sold-out North American stadium tour with DEF LEPPARD. "The World Tour" continues to travel to stadiums around the world throughout 2023, with John 5 stepping in on guitar as the replacement for Mars.

German metal queen Doro Pesch was joined by a number of guests — including Udo Dirkschneider (ACCEPT, U.D.O.),Uli Jon Roth (SCORPIONS),Joey Belladonna (ANTHRAX),Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD) and Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN) — during her August 2 performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. Professionally filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below.

Doro's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. I Rule The Ruins (WARLOCK song)
02. Earthshaker Rock (WARLOCK song)
03. Time For Justice
04. Burning The Witches (WARLOCK song)
05. Rock Till Death (with Hansi Kürsch)
06. Hellbound (WARLOCK song)
07. East Meets West (WARLOCK song) (with Sammy Amara)
08. Metal Racer (WARLOCK song)
09. Für Immer (WARLOCK song)
10. Antisocial (TRUST cover) (with Joey Belladonna)
11. Raise Your Fist In The Air (with Joey Belladonna)
12. Drum Solo (Johnny Dee)
13. Love Me Forever (MOTÖRHEAD cover) (with Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell)
14. Blood, Sweat And Rock 'N' Roll (with Michael Rhein)
15. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST cover) (with Uli Jon Roth and Udo Dirkschneider)
16. All We Are (WARLOCK song) ((with Uli Jon Roth, Joey Belladonna, Udo Dirkschneider, Hansi Kürsch, Sammy Amara and Michael Rhein)

Encore:

17. All For Metal
18. Ace Of Spades (MOTÖRHEAD cover) (with Mikkey Dee and Phil Campell)

Doro's new studio album, "Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud", is due on October 27 via Nuclear Blast.

The 19-song LP is described in a press release as "the result of intensive hard work that took the incomparable singer and songwriter back to studios in Miami, New York and Hamburg, amongst others. The album presents Doro at the height of her creative powers."

This past June, Doro released "Time For Justice", the first single from "Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud", along with a "Mad Max"-style video. The clip was filmed with director Mirko Witzki (CALIBAN, ANY GIVEN DAY, EMIL BULLS).

"Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud" will arrive one day before Doro's 40th-anniversary concert at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Doro's latest album, 2018's "Forever Warriors, Forever United" featured 19 regular tracks and six bonus songs.

In September 2022, Doro released a very unique single — a soulful adaptation of her classic metal anthem "Raise Your Fist In The Air". The track was made possible by the new ZDF (national German TV channel) music show "Music Impossible".

Sherinian/Phillips is the musical alliance of Derek Sherinian and Simon Phillips, whose parallel reputations in virtuosic sonic inventions combine on the backdrop of instrumental genre fusion.


Though the two had written and recorded together in the past, commitments to other projects had kept them busy in their own circles for a time. Upon their reunion for the recording of 2020’s The Phoenix, the duo has been going strong with consistent new releases ever since.


Now, they are pleased to announce the release of Sherinian/Phillips Live, which exhibits the pair uniting once again for a collaborative effort, documenting a special concert recorded at The Grape in Ventura, California on August 29th, 2022. The set is due out on August 25 via InsideOutMusic.




Joining Sherinian/Phillips are fellow creatives Ron "Bumblefoot' Thal on guitar and Ric Fierabracci on bass to round out the lineup of the evening. Several tracks from the latest studio album offering, Vortex, made their way into the set, such as the title track “Vortex”, “Seven Seas”, and “Aurora Australis” (the original recording of which featured Bumblefoot), alongside other instrumentals.


Today, they share another track from the album. Listen to “Inertia" (Live 2022) here, and below:





Sherinian/Phillips Live has every note - planned or jammed - captured like lightning in a bottle, taking listeners to the moment these sounds sparked from their instruments. The live performance sits naturally in a rock context, while reminiscent of jazz fusion concert structures, with room for each musician to stand out in a solo space, each carrying and trading unique melodies along the way.


Derek Sherinian: “After 20 years of making albums together, it was a great pleasure bringing this music to life with Simon for the first time.”


Pre-orderhere.





Sherinian/Phillips Live tracklisting:


"The Vortex"
"Empyrean Sky"
"Temple of Helios"
"Inertia"
"Alpha Burst"
"Barnacus"
"Seven Seas"
"Ascension"
"The Phoenix"
"Introduction"
"Aurora Australis"





Lineup:


Derek Sherinian (keys/synth)
Simon Phillips (drums)
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (guitar)
Ric Fierabracci (bass)


Sherinian’s background as a composer and keyboardist extends well beyond his familiar Dream Theater run, with a notable solo career creating a landscape for contributions from an array of acclaimed musicians, alongside performance credits with the likes of Alice Cooper, Black Country Communion, Billy Idol, Whitesnake, Kiss, Black Label Society, and Sons of Apollo (doubling on production credits), among others.


Phillips has equally rooted himself as a well-respected drummer and composer in the rock, metal, and jazz worlds, with credits ranging from Toto, Judas Priest, Jeff Beck, The Who, Whitesnake, and Joe Satriani, to a discography in jazz fusion with Protocol, movie soundtracks, and beyond.


The diverse range of this pair’s individual talents collectively emerges through each work they craft together; Sherinian and Phillips continue to evolve their joint musical endeavors in new directions.

IRON MAIDEN's Nicko McBrain has revealed that he suffered a stroke earlier this year.

The 71-year-old drummer confirms shared the news of the medical episode in a statement posted via MAIDEN's official web site, revealing that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and left him "worried" that his career with the band was over.

McBrain's statement reads as follows: "I hope this message finds you all well!

"The reason I'm writing to you all today is to let you know of a very serious health problem that I have been through. In January I had a stroke, thank the Lord it was a minor one referred to as a TIA. It left me paralyzed on my right side from my shoulder on down, of course I was very worried that my career was over but with the love and support from my wife, Rebecca and family, my doctors, especially Julie my OT (Occupational Therapist),and my MAIDEN family I was able to bounce back to somewhere near 70% recovered. After 10 weeks of intense therapy it was almost time to start rehearsals for our tour.

"I feel it's important to let you know about this now instead of earlier as I was mainly concerned with doing my job and concentrating on getting back to 100% fitness. I'm not there yet but by the grace of God I'm getting better and stronger as the weeks go by.

"Thank you all for a most wonderful and magical tour so far, you have all been so amazing.

"Well that's it from me. God bless you all, stay safe and well and I look forward to seeing you all somewhere in time. :-) :-)"

Manager Rod Smallwood added: "The rest of the band and l think that what Nicko has been able to achieve since his stroke shows incredible belief and willpower and we are all very proud of him. With this new and musically very complex set to learn ahead of him, he just got his head down and concentrated on recovery. We honestly did not know if he would be able to play a whole show until band rehearsals started in May and there was just so much support for him from the band and then genuine relief for all when we saw he was going to be able to do it!

"Nicko being Nicko he did not want to make a fuss and cause any distraction to the tour at the time but, now that he is sure he will soon get there, he thought you fans should know straight from him rather than by any rumours! We are all of course delighted he battled through this so well and look forward to many more tours together starting with the three Western Canada shows and Power Trip in California coming up in a couple of months time. We can't wait! This tour is that good!"

McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer in 2020 and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps.

The now-71-year-old musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

McBrain, who had the cancer in a part of his vocal cords, isn't the first member of MAIDEN to beat cancer. Back in late 2014, IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with throat cancer. The singer, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

In a 2015 interview with Overdrive, McBrain admitted that he thought MAIDEN was over when it was discovered that Dickinson had a cancerous tumor. "Well, I'd be a liar if I didn't think for a minute that IRON MAIDEN [was] finished," he said. "[But] I thought more about the possibility of losing my friend than anything else, to be honest. Then later, I was thinking, 'God forbid if the worst ever happened, the legacy would be the last 16 albums.'"

McBrain, who is a dedicated Christian, continued: "I've got to be honest, I did question his mortality at one point and thankfully that didn't last long. Honestly, I got down on my knees and said a prayer, picked my thoughts up and got positive about it all, thinking to myself, 'If anyone can beat this, it's Bruce.' He's so positive about everything he's ever done in his life, or whatever he is about to do. Basically, I prayed for him and my prayers were answered, as well as everybody else that knows and cares for him."

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme says that it's "a little cunty" when certain music acts don't perform their "big songs" in concert.

The 50-year-old musician weighed in on the topic of bands not playing their most popular tracks while discussing how he puts together his band's setlists during an appearance on appearing on the "Tuna On Toast With Stryker" podcast.

Homme remarked: "I understand that I'm always going to play [QOTSA's hit] 'No One Knows' because I still like playing that song, and that's something that, it's an agreement with the audience. 'I assume that this is a part of coming here to see us, and here you go.'"

He continued: "When there's bands that don't wanna play their big song or their big songs, I always think it's a little cunty to do that. [Laughs] Acting like a song that a lot of people like is a burden is just a strange reaction to the gift that your fans have given you. Seems like an odd reaction."

Homme went on to say that some acts have a hard time dealing with the success of their own hit songs. "I think especially when something blows up, I can understand perhaps that feeling of it's overshadowing the rest of what you do and all," he said. "But perhaps these are uptown problems, you know? And while I understand bits of that sentiment, I don't think the end result can be that you deny the sort of world that that song would give you… In the years of doing this, I've seen a lot of artists do that — at times they sort of get angry at their own music for doing well, for creating this world."

He continued: "I don't know. Having fans is a cool thing, and they want stuff, and when it comes to playing the stuff they want, I feel like that that's why this is happening, right? You guys are all here because you wanna hear some stuff and also have no idea what's gonna happen. And you needed to have that basic food group in order for me to surprise you, too. Surprise requires knowing some constants are going to happen, you know?

"So, I don't know. I don't sweat stuff like that. Why would I not play 'No One Knows'?"

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's latest album, "In Times New Roman…", was made available across all platforms on June 16 via Matador Records.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE performed live for the first time in more than three years on May 26 at the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the Columbus gig, Homme and his bandmates played one gig in early 2020, their first since 2018.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's 11-song set included the live debut of the new song "Emotion Sickness".

"In Times New Roman…" was recorded and mixed at Homme's own Pink Duck (RIP),with additional recording at Shangri-La. The album was produced by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and mixed by Mark Rankin. Artwork and double LP gatefold packaging was designed by longtime collaborator Boneface.

At this year's Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, which was held on July 14-16 at the Ohio State Reformatory, a historic and allegedly haunted former prison which most famously featured in the 1994 film "The Shawshank Redemption", one winner and their guest joined SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor on a private tour of the "Blood Prison" haunted house. A video recap of the experience, shot and edited by Cyrus Entezam, can be seen below (courtesy of Danny Wimmer Presents).

"Blood Prison" is a harrowing walk through the unrelenting horrors of the Ohio State Reformatory — the state's notoriously haunted prison. In this unsettling space where paranormal activity abounds, hear the ear-splitting wail of the warden's widow. Encounter the frightening phantasms of maniacal inmates and deformed guards in the world's largest free-standing steel cell block. Descend into the suffocating blackness of The Hole.

The haunted house takes guests on a 45-minute walk through several haunts, including the warden's widow's quarter, a post-apocalyptic corridor, and an area roamed by clowns.

"Some people come just to see the scenes, some people come for entertainment and others come for fear," owner Victor Amesquita told Spectrum News 1. "You are going to get some sort of thrill while you are here."

The "Blood Prison" has been a part of the Ohio State Reformatory since 2017.

According to Amesquita, the prison's haunted reputation helps them bring the scares to their guests. "A lot of people were already thinking that coming in," he told ABC 6. "That they're actually coming into a haunted facility. That's very paranormal and it's active in that manner. So that adds a little uneasiness to the guests."

During an appearance on today's episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", guitarist Joe Bonamassa spoke about the status of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, his supergroup with legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH),drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL). Asked if the band's fifth album has already been completed, Joe said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is not done. I'm actually, after I see you today, I'm gonna go to Sunset Sound [studios in Hollywood] and see Glenn. And I've gotta sing a little bit on it and redo one guitar part for [the record]. And he's over there cutting vocals now. So we're, I would say, 90% done, but the music's done."

He continued: "The thing about BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, whether you like the way we sound or not, when we all get together, it has a very specific thing that it does. Everybody brings a very specific thing to the table, and it's a special band."

According to Joe, he brought the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members back together to make the follow-up to "BCCIV", which was released in September 2017 and marked BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first studio effort since 2013's "Afterglow". "I was the one that kind of initiated the text, be, like, 'Hey, is there anybody interested in doing a fifth one?'" he said. "And Derek got back to me. Jason got back to me pretty quickly. And Glenn called me and said, 'I can't do anything until this DEAD DAISIES situation goes one way or the next.' And I said, 'Fair enough.' So when Glenn left THE DEAD DAISIES last year, that was kind of the green light for us to get back together."

Regarding the songwriting process for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's fifth album and how it compared to that on the band's previous efforts, Joe said: "This was the same. I went over to Glenn's house about six times and we hashed out some ideas — pretty rough, loose ideas. Nothing in stone. And so I had a playlist on my phone, voice memos, BCC 1 through 10. And that was it. So, so day one, we just [said], 'Okay, let's start with BCC 1.' And we sat in the courtyard at Sunset Sound — they have this really nice courtyard with a bunch of chairs — and we sat out there with an acoustic guitar and a couple of things and we just bashed out the arrangement. We were, like, 'Okay, that's cool.' We went in, played it three or four times and that was it. Nobody charted anything; we just kind of memorized it and did it. And we would go into the control room, listen a little bit, maybe tweak something, but once it fired up and after the second day, we really hit our stride, going, 'Okay, the band's back.' 'Cause we hadn't played together in six years."

As for the recording process for the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION disc, Joe said: "There's not a lot of overdubs. I rarely double the guitars, 'cause Glenn's bass sound is so big and distorted, you know what I mean? It's, like, why do I need to double the guitar? Same thing with Derek. It's almost like playing in the band FREE. All of the sound comes from the four of us. And Jason takes up a huge amount of bandwidth; he's such a big drummer."

Bonamassa went on to say that he is looking forward to performing with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION again. "I'd like to do some live shows with 'em next year," he said. "I think it would be really fun… Scheduling is the hardest thing, because of what everybody's got [coming up]… [My solo band is] booked almost two years out. But next year, I really wanna at least set aside a week, maybe two weeks, where we can go out and do selected shows, do a couple here in the U.S., go to Europe, do a couple there. 'Cause it is fun."

The news of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's recording activity came less than three months after it was announced that the band will perform on next year's Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea IX cruise, sailing from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on March 18-22, 2024.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's most recent performance took place in February 2018 at the fourth edition of the Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea, which benefits the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa's non-profit organization dedicated to providing students, teachers, and musicians with the resources and tools needed to further their music education.

In a September 2022 interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Bonamassa stated about what it is about a "band situation" that appeals to him, considering he has spent most of his career as a solo artist: "I like nothing more than to be a member of a band and playing guitar. I don't have to front it; I don't have to sing all the time. And it's a lot less pressure than being the front person. Being the person in front is a special skillset. You have to be an entertainer. You can't just sit up there and stare at your guitar and go, 'Wow. Look, I can play guitar pretty good.' That's not gonna fill the theater. You have to put on a show. And to put on a show requires being an entertainer. So being in a band, the sum of the parts is greater than the single entity. So this thing where Glenn co-fronts BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, I can just sit back and play rhythm guitar and watch him do his thing. He's a legend. And then conversely, Glenn doesn't have to sing all night; I'll sing three or four [songs]. So we kind of spread out the whole workload a little bit."

Just like its four predecessors, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's new album is being overseen by producer Kevin Shirley, who originally had the idea of putting Hughes and Bonamassa in a band after seeing them jamming together onstage in Los Angeles back in November 2009.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's inception took place when Hughes and Bonamassa fused their styles on stage in Los Angeles for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King Of The Blues event. With the help and guidance of Shirley, they further added to their rock lineage by recruiting Bonham and Sherinian.

In a 2017 interview, Hughes talked about the chemistry between the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members, especially since all the musicians have had successful careers prior to launching the group.

"This band was meant to be," Glenn said. "It was formed out of a friendship with Joe and I. We got the [other] guys to come in, and it's always been a strong brotherhood. And we're just very lucky and fortunate to have met. I've known Jason since he was [a kid]. I just think that these four guys in this band are the right guys to play in the band."

Photo credit: Neil Zlozower

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PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix joined FALLING IN REVERSE on stage on July 29 at Heart Health Park in Sacramento, California to perform the song "Popular Monster". Video of his appearance can be seen below.

This past June, FALLING IN REVERSE shared a cover of PAPA ROACH's "Last Resort" by turning the song into a slow-burning, piano-led ballad.

"I wanted to reimagine one of the biggest rock songs of the last 20 years, because lyrically, it is so powerful and resonates," FALLING IN REVERSE vocalist Ronnie Radke said at the time. "I got the blessing from Jacoby and I think that PAPA ROACH are one of the nicest, humble, and most down-to-earth bands to date and it inspires me to keep going, since they have been so successful for so many years. This is me paying homage in the best way I know how."

A few days, later Jacoby shared his reaction to the song on social media, writing: "WOW I AM BLOWN AWAY!!!! Honestly this one cuts deep. Right to the true emotion and depth of the lyrics. What an amazing cover @RonnieRadke. I'm trippin."

He added: "We are humbled that this song, 20+ years later continues to be meaningful to so many. Well done @FIROfficial & Ronnie."

FALLING IN REVERSE's "Popular Monstour", its name a play on "Popular Monster", kicked off on June 26 in Charleston, West Virginia. Support on the trek is coming from ICE NINE KILLS, UNDEROATH and CROWN THE EMPIRE, among others.

Formed back in 2008 by Radke while he was incarcerated, FALLING IN REVERSE's recent single, "Zombified", hit no. 1 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. The aforementioned "Popular Monster" earned platinum RIAA status and has been streamed nearly half a billion times.
Big thanks to @jacobyshaddix for joining us on stage in Sacramento. pic.twitter.com/Ofz2s08mrF

— Falling In Reverse (@FIROfficial) August 1, 2023