Alterium, the new Italian power metal quintet led by Nicoletta Rosellini (ex-Kalidia, Walk In Darkness), has inked a worldwide deal with AFM Records / Soulfood Music.


Born in late 2022, Alterium consists of Nicoletta and former bandmates Paolo Campitelli (guitars) and Dario Gozzi (drums) from Kalidia, soon joined by Alessandro Mammola (guitars, also in Draconicon) and Luca Scalabrin (bass, also in Altair).


Nicoletta says: “I am finally happy to present you Alterium, my new power metal adventure. In the past months, we have poured our hearts and souls into crafting a debut album that harmonizes captivating melodies, powerful guitar riffs, and thunderous drums. The result is a strong debut album that we are eagerly anticipating to share with all of you. We are also filled with enthusiasm to share the exciting news we joined forces with AFM Records! Our music and vision align perfectly with their understanding and belief, making this collaboration truly thrilling. We take immense pride in sharing the label's roster with an array of renowned exceptional bands.”




“After the first contact with Nicoletta, we at AFM were immediately hooked. Alterium is uncompromising power metal paired with a powerful voice performed by a powerful woman!” Jochen Richert, CEO at Soulfood Music, comments. “Nicoletta, well remembered by many fans as Kalidia's front woman, is bursting with energy and this is fully expressed on their debut album. It was clear from the start that we would embark on a journey together. We are absolutely convinced of the success of Alterium, so we will bring in all our label power.”
 
After Kalidia parted ways, Nicoletta decided to take a different approach and finally unleashes her whole potential as both a singer and a songwriter. Under the guidance of producer Lars Rettkowitz (Freedom Call), Alterium have finished the recordings of a bombastic debut album.


The band's first full-length will also feature a cover of the Sabaton classic “Bismarck”. Watch out for Alterium, when they will take the power metal scene by storm with a triumph of powerful sounds, big riffs, explosive drums, majestic choirs and captivating grooves!
 
Alterium is:


Nicoletta Rosellini - vocals
Paolo Campitelli - guitars
Alessandro Mammola - guitars
Luca Scalabrin - bass
Dario Gozzi - drums


(Photo - Mattia Gianelli)

Randy Meisner, a co-founding member of legendary rock band THE EAGLES, has died, according to an announcement on the band's social media. He was 77.

"THE EAGLES are sad to report that founding member, bassist, and vocalist, Randy Meisner, passed away last night (July 26) in Los Angeles at age 77, due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD)," the statement read.

"Randy was an integral part of THE EAGLES and instrumental in the early success of the band. His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, 'Take It to the Limit'," said THE EAGLES.

As the original bass player for the pioneering country-rock group POCO, Randy was at the forefront of the musical revolution that began in Los Angeles in the late 1960s.

In 1971, Randy, along with Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Bernie Leadon, formed THE EAGLES and contributed to the band's albums "Eagles", "Desperado", "On The Border", "One Of These Nights" and "Hotel California". He was inducted with THE EAGLES into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.

Prior to POCO, he was bassist and vocalist with RICK NELSON'S STONE CANYON BAND.

Randy was born on March 8, 1946, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

The Eagles are sad to report that founding member, bassist, and vocalist, Randy Meisner, passed away last night (July...

Posted by Eagles on Thursday, July 27, 2023

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing's new band KK'S PRIEST will release its sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", on September 29 via the Austrian rock and metal empire Napalm Records. The official music video for the LP's second single, "Reap The Whirlwind", can be seen below.

Downing says about "Reap The Whirlwind": "'If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind' — this is a common phrase that has been familiar with me from a very young age. Obviously it's very meaningful — it's a warning that if you mistreat people, or really whatever you do in life, you need to be very careful, because whatever sufferance you inflict on anyone, it could come back to haunt you, and your suffering could be even more severe. Everyone knowingly or unknowingly has made the mistake of thinking they can get away with small misdemeanors to suit their selfish pursuits, but if justice is to be served, you will reap exactly what you sow. That is the message of this song."

With "The Sinner Rides Again", the powerhouse heavy metal amalgamation of iconic JUDAS PRIEST alumni and Grammy Award-winning/nominated musicians Downing and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),double down on the ripping melodic force of their debut, which Metal Hammer U.K. dubbed "hugely enjoyable" and Metal Injection cited as boasting "catchy hooks and plenty of guitar wizardry". "The Sinner Rides Again" wields nine tracks of pure hellfire, produced and written by Downing and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen.

Last month, KK'S PRIEST released the first single from "The Sinner Rides Again", a song called "One More Shot At Glory". The track evokes a high-stakes battle with heroic chants and double bass, setting the stage for a spine-tingling guitar solo. The track was accompanied by an intense, high-quality music video.

Downing said about "The Sinner Rides Again": "To continue the legacy of the traditional rock and metal that I have been so fortunate to be a part of for over 50 years, this latest album, 'The Sinner Rides Again', has been created to take the listener on a journey that is both real and fictional with its characters, although sometimes ambiguous. These songs allow the imaginations of all fans of this wonderful genre of music to escape reality and join with us to continue our heavy metal experience into the future."

Downing added regarding the band's signing with Napalm Records: "With a brand new record that needed placement with a great record label, we discussed the labels we liked, and Napalm Records was one of those companies. It's fair to say that Napalm is a leader in the heavy metal genre and has been for a long time now. They have a fantastic roster of both established and new bands and artists that are a force to be reckoned with. So it's a roster of some of the top and leading metal bands in the world today, and for the foreseeable future. I am pleased to say that we are excited about partnering with Napalm Records and we look forward to working together."

Sebastian Münch, senior A&R at Napalm Records, said: "K.K. Downing has created, with the sophomore album 'The Sinner Rides Again', an absolutely brilliant heavy metal masterpiece — one, I believe, that will stand the test of time and will be listened to by metal fans around the world for many, many years. K.K. Downing is a genius and Tim 'Ripper' Owens's vocals are simply mesmerizing! Napalm Records is absolutely proud to help continue to build this legacy."

A haunting introduction of dual guitars carries the listener into the thundering "Sons Of The Sentinel", winding across a wasteland of burning riffs and a deftly dynamic guitar solo to kick off the record with relentless energy. The undeniably catchy anthem "Strike Of The Viper" proves itself as one of the album's most unforgettable tracks, before "Reap The Whirlwind" crashes in with a classic heavy metal power thrust of soaring leads, hair-raising harmonics and earworm vocal hooks. First single "One More Shot At Glory" raises its sword high, instantaneously calling for battle with its opening riff and beckoning verses. Heroic chants and unrelenting double bass set the stage for a galloping midsection as a spine-tingling guitar solo commands the song. Striding "Hymn 66" commands with sultry, slow and low metallic punches and a bluesy gait, while massive title track "The Sinner Rides Again" straddles balladic passages and sinister, head-bobbing choruses. Beginning with ominous bells, "Keeper Of The Graves" rounds the final bend of the album with roaring cascades and a dynamic performance from Owens, before charging "Pledge Your Souls" and rollercoaster closer epic "Wash Away Your Sins" rise as the final embers of a certified burner — proving itself as a must-hear metal album of the year by the greatest to ever perform the genre.

The immense and intricate art for "The Sinner Rides Again" was created by talented artist Andy Pilkington.

"The Sinner Rides Again" track listing:

01. Sons Of The Sentinel
02. Strike Of The Viper
03. Reap The Whirlwind
04. One More Shot At Glory
05. Hymn 66
06. The Sinner Rides Again
07. Keeper Of The Graves
08. Pledge Your Souls
09. Wash Away Your Sins

KK'S PRIEST will embark October U.K. headlining tour. The "Priests, Killers & Witches" tour starts at the O2 Institute in Birmingham on Saturday, October 7, and visits London, Glasgow, Manchester and Nottingham. Special guest on all dates will be former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno who will be performing a full set of classics straight from the first two MAIDEN records, and opening up the bill is BURNING WITCHES.

"Sermons Of The Sinner" was released in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

In a recent interview with Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk, Owens spoke about the upcoming sophomore album from KK'S PRIEST. He said: "It's really good too. I like it better [than the debut LP]. It's a little heavier, a little edgier on the vocals — and even music, I think."

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony last November at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Nearly two years ago, Downing said that he had no problems with fans making comparisons between PRIEST and KK'S PRIEST. "It's absolutely fine, because it's who I am and what I am and what I do and how I do it," he told Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda. "It's too late to change; I can't change. I can't go out and buy different guitars and different amplifiers and start to write differently and think differently. I have to do things the way that I like them to be done. And that's what I did in JUDAS PRIEST for all those years to the best of my ability. But even now that I don't have to consult with anyone else, really, then I feel a lot more freedom to be able to do this.

"I think I can do what I do better now than I did before, if that makes any sense," he continued. "Because I'm working and writing and putting things together for me — and, obviously, of course, the rest of the members in [KK'S PRIEST] as well. But I was on my own, for the most part, in the lockdown doing this. But there was a lot of things I wanted to say and get off my chest.

"The [KK'S PRIEST] album's full of emotions, sentiments and messages and also rejoicement. It's a lot of things, all in one package. And it was very important for me to be able to express myself through this album.

"I know that people will make comparisons, but that's fine. I either succeed or fail, like everyone else in life. But I'm a fan of this wonderful style of music, and if I like it, I'm hopefully sure that the fans will like it too. And I really hope they do. And I'm very much looking forward to the feedback from everybody all over the world.

"Towards the end for me in JUDAS PRIEST, it wasn't as energized as it was in former years, and I missed that. I remember the days when Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] used to come offstage and he used to empty his boots out, and the water — which was sweat — used to just pour out of the boots. And it was the same for all of us. It was like we ran a marathon or something. So, hopefully we deliver that up. So I'm looking forward to doing that. I'm definitely gonna do my best, put it that way."

In September 2021, Owens said that there was no competition between JUDAS PRIEST and KK'S PRIEST. "I don't think we look at it [like that]," he told The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn in an interview. "There's one JUDAS PRIEST. They're JUDAS PRIEST. If [K.K. and I] wanted to take that angle, we would have called [our new band] KK'S JUDAS PRIEST. But I think fans are happy 'cause they know they do have two things that are the same vein, and they have K.K. back. I went nowhere — I've been putting music out like crazy — but they have Ken and I back together again. So there's no competition. I mean, how awesome would it be if we do shows with them? I don't care. I really don't. I love the guys in PRIEST. Rob's [Halford, PRIEST singer] my idol. And Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist] and I are friends. But this isn't a competition. We're not trying to make it a competition or another JUDAS PRIEST. That's why we put an album out first; that was the difference. If we were trying to make it that, we would start touring right away, doing the back catalog."

Asked if KK'S PRIEST is really open to touring with JUDAS PRIEST, Tim said: "I'm open to anything. I've never burned bridges. From the sounds of it, it's never gonna happen. 'Cause it never happened with me. I tried to get BEYOND FEAR to support JUDAS PRIEST on tour. Wendy Dio was my manager, and they were, like, 'Absolutely not. You're not gonna support us.' But we're all friends. I mean, I'm speaking for me — I'm not speaking for Ken. But, yeah, listen, I always look at it as how much fans would love stuff. How cool would it be if that happened?"

Photo credit: Mind Art Visual

On June 30, during this year's Tuska festival in Helsinki, Finland, Kiki of the "Bleeding Metal" podcast conducted an interview with ARCH ENEMY frontwoman and animal rights activist Alissa White-Gluz. Asked if her activism is part of her identity, Alissa said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I am an activist before I'm a musician even. That's really what drives me forward every single day, is hoping that in some way my existence on this planet can make it a little bit better for everybody else who is currently existing on the planet and who will exist in the future. And that's first and foremost animal rights."

Asked if she would describe that as her purpose in life then even, Alissa said: "I don't know if people have, like, a purpose in life. I think it's nice to think that we do. I don't really know if we actually do. I think someone's purpose in life can just be whatever they attach themselves to — you know, whatever drives them forward. It doesn't have to be some big grandiose thing. But with that definition, then yes, I would say that it's my purpose. Yeah."

As for what her activism entails, Alissa said: "For me, I mean, I don't look at it as a job or something that I can really detail out because if I did, I would do that and not this. So it's really just… Deep down inside, I love animals. I think it's amazing that we share this planet with so many different, uncountable species in the sky, in the water, on land, these amazing creatures. They look different than us. They have different abilities than us. I mean, a fish can just live underwater; we would drown. You know what I mean? Like, just even simple things like this. A bird just flies. They just jump off a building and then fly. I still have this childlike awe over animals that can do this. And I think it's so sad that we have built an industry that doesn't care about that and actually only cares about profiting off of exploiting animals. And so as much as possible, I like to just show people that you don't have to take part in those industries. You can actually still have all the things that you wanna have in life — everything that you like; your food, your makeup, your whatever — you can still have all those things without involving animals at all. And now, actually, I've been more and more involved in the tech space when it comes to this. So there's some really cool innovations happening in the tech space when it comes to the future of food and also just reducing animal testing."

Last year, during a question-and-answer session at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, White-Gluz was asked if it's difficult for her to maintain her lifestyle while she is on tour. She responded: "It super easy, actually, because I still party; I just don't intoxicate myself when I do it. But if other people wanna do that, that's their choice — it's up to them. Smoking, I'd like them to stay away 'cause I don't wanna breathe that in. But otherwise, it's really, really easy, actually. It's not even something that I think about. And actually, we have… In our tour bus, in our band and crew, I'm not the only sober one and I'm not the only vegan either, so I'm surrounded by a lot of different kinds of people and we all get along beautifully."

Two years earlier, White-Gluz explained why being vegan is definitely metal, telling the Mercy For Animals Facebook page: "So, I've been vegan for over 20 years now. I was vegan before I ever started in music. I've never eaten meat in my life. I grew up in a completely vegetarian household, so going vegan was just like the logical next step. And when I started doing music, there was nothing that I wanted to talk about more than animal rights. And so I was now using this heavy, passionate form of music to sort of convey a message that I wanted to. When I'm screaming in my band, I feel like I'm screaming for the voiceless. And I can't imagine being that loud if I had nothing to say.

"Being female, being vegan and also being straight edge in the metal world is just a combination of targets on my forehead that make it really easy for me to get singled out or pushed around," she continued. "But those are just things that are so much a part of who I am that I couldn't change them even if I wanted to. And I wouldn't — I wouldn't change for anyone.

"In my opinion, metal is all about rebellion — it's about carving your own path, thinking against what everyone's trying to make you think," Alissa added. "And veganism is the ultimate form of rebellion, because you are literally taking things that people have told you are normal that deep down inside you don't think are normal that you've been conditioned to accept about your day-to-day tasks, like eating or what you wear or what you choose to buy. Everyone says that that's normal, that you need to exploit other living beings for those things, but you don't. And so taking a stand against that is what veganism is. And that is really metal."

During a recent appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored", Gene Simmons was asked how he really feels about KISS retiring from the road at the end of 2023 when he and his bandmates play the final shows of their "End Of The Road" farewell tour. The KISS bassist/vocalist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I really feel proud. The best part was when I ran into my buddy Paul Stanley [KISS guitarist/vocalist] who, we continue to have this astonishing relationship. And I've always been so sad when Lennon and McCartney and Jagger and Richards started backbiting. I mean, even Cain and Abel didn't get along so well. It was always so sad to me. But Paul and I have this resilient, sort of the brother-I-never-had kind of a thing. And we don't agree on very much at all, but there's an abiding admiration and respect for the talent that he has that I will never have and hopefully the piece of the puzzle that I bring to it that he doesn't have. It works. One and one is three. You don't know everything. I don't. And when you meet somebody that's a kindred spirit, you can run and be bigger than you ever were."

He continued: "At any rate, to cut to the chase, all good things have to come to an end and you have to have the self-respect and pride — that's a big word — and the love of the fans to know when the hell it's time to get off that stage… And it's tough to give it up; this kind of admiration is godlike. But at any rate, when you still look good, when you still have the physicality it takes to do that, get off the stage. By the way, it goes for boxers too. Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, who's a friend, and so on, these are the greats of all time. And you've got to know when it's time to know when it's time to [leave the party]."

KISS's final runs of shows will kick off this September and will wrap up with a massive concert in the city where it all began for the legendary rock act. New York City has been a part of the band's ethos and storyline for more than four decades, so they felt it fitting to culminate an iconic Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-worthy career on stage at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

OVERKILL and SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner 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.

Bittner discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Pod Scum. Addressing the negative feedback from some fans about Anselmo and Brown playing shows under the PANTERA name without the Abbott brothers, Jason said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What it comes down to, and I'm not gonna be one of those guys to say, 'Well, 'cause I knew Dime and Vinnie…', but I knew Dime and Vinnie… What it is, is a lot of people who don't know these guys, who didn't know these guys who just talk shit: 'Oh, Dime and Vinnie, they wouldn't want this.' I beg to differ with that. I think that the two of them are looking down and they're quite happy with what's going on."

Jason went on to say that Wylde and Benante are absolutely the right musicians to step in for the Abbott brothers. "It's one of the greatest guitar players and one of the greatest drummers to ever play rock and metal," he said. "So, give me a break."

This past April, Bittner's OVERKILL bandmate Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth also threw his support behind the PANTERA reunion, telling Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio: "I'd love to see it. When it comes around here, I'm gonna go. I think it's just a great thing. The original band itself was just so groundbreaking with regard to how they morphed into that 'Reinventing The Steel' vibe. [From] 'Cowboys From Hell' on, it was just amazing. I think if anything deserves to be celebrated, especially with original members there — at least 50 percent of them, obviously — this is the project or the event that needs to be celebrated and seen."

While he was alive, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed talks of a PANTERA reunion, telling Germany's EMP Rock Invasion in 2014: "People are selfish, man. They want what they want; they don't care what you want. And it's unfortunate that people go, 'Oh, wow, man, they can get Zakk Wylde to jump up there on stage and it's PANTERA again.' No, it's not, you know. It's not that simple. If Eddie Van Halen was to get shot in the head four times next week, would everybody be going, 'Hey, man, Zakk, go play for VAN HALEN. Just call it VAN HALEN.' You see what I'm saying? I mean, it's really selfish for people to think that, and it's stupid. It's not right at all."

He continued: "They call it a reunion for a reason. It's called bringing the original members back to what it was. So there's a lot of these things that they call reunions that aren't really reunions. They've got one dude from the band floating around in them, you know. That's not a true reunion. With PANTERA, it'll never be possible."

He repeated those same sentiments a few months later, telling PlanetMosh in a separate interview: "Without Dimebag Darrell, there is no [PANTERA] reunion. And that's all there is to it. We were a very influential band, and we touched millions and millions of people with that band, but it's over. People really have to come to grips with that, and that's all there is to it. If all of us were still here, then the possibility would truly be there, but since it's not, you know… It's selfish of the fans to want something that they can't have. And they don't ever understand that, and I get it. There's things I want in this world too. You know, people in fucking hell want ice water, but they're not gonna get it."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Haney told the producers of "Behind The Music Remastered: Pantera" that she forgave the singer after they found themselves unexpectedly face to face at a concert in California.

Jason Bittner photo credit: Frank White

Pantera performed at Inkcarceration 2023, at Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, OH, on July 15. The band have shared the recap video below, stating: "Amazing show in Mansfield, Ohio! Thanks to everyone who came out."





Pantera will be on tour across North America this summer, with special guest Lamb Of God. S.N.A.F.U., Child Bite, Flesh Hoarder, Spirit In The Room, and King Parrot each enjoying a stint as the opening act. All bands are part of the Housecore Records family. Housecore Records is owned by Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo.







Pantera / Lamb Of God tour dates:


With S.N.A.F.U.:


July
28 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake
29 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
31 - Milwaukee, WI - American Family Insurance Amphitheater


With Child Bite:


August
2 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
5 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium
6 - Scranton, PA - The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
8 - Syracuse, NY - St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
9 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater
12 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage


With Flesh Hoarder:


August
15 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Amp
17 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
20 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater


With Spirit In The Room:


August
23 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
26 - San Diego, CA - North Island Credit Union Amphitheater
29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Usana Amphitheater
31 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater


With King Parrot:


September
7 - Bangor, ME - Waterfront Music Pavilion
8 - Gilford, NH - Bank Of New Hampshire
12 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
14 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Virginia Beach
15 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live

In a new interview with Jordi Pinyol, EXTREME guitarist Nuno Bettencourt weighed in on some artists' use of backing tracks to add extra instrumental or vocal tracks to a live performance, to enhance the sound or to replicate more closely the instrumentation heard on a recording. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, look, I think whenever we try to play live… It's like it's like the dilemma we had when we did horns on 'Pornograffitti'. You ask yourself, what do you do? It's got horns on three or four songs. And then we did 'III Sides [To Every Story]' and we brought horns with us on tour. But even now we're playing some of those songs, and you make a choice. You're, like, of course the songs rock without the horns… But lately we've been, like, 'Fuck it. Play with a click. Let's get the horns exciting there.'"

He continued: "I have no problem with any band — I don't give a shit if it's acoustic, rock, punk, fucking whatever — you're allowed to do whatever the fuck you want. You wanna pump in horns, you pump in horns. You wanna pump in synthesizer, you pump in synthesizer. People have been criticizing bands for doing that stuff. I tell them to go fuck themselves, because it's not your fucking choice. You don't like it? Don't go see the fucking band. But it's not wrong, and it's not right. An artist can do whatever the fuck he wants whenever the fuck he wants to do it. Who the fuck are you to tell him he can or can't do it? Now, having said that, you have a choice to buy a ticket [to] go see him or not or don't listen to the album. Or… I do draw the line when somebody is doing something and they're pretending to do it. That's a whole different thing. If we're sitting there… Like I use a [click track on] '[Flight Of The Wounded] Bumble Bee'… It's a click track. You can you can tell me that's bullshit, but Kevin's [Figueiredo, EXTREME drummer] not going pretending to do it. Same thing with 'Midnight Express'. I don't like when people pretend to do something or they're faking like they're singing or they're faking like they're playing horns, and it's not happening. That's not cool with me, because then you're lying to the audience; you're not performing anymore. So I'm of the mind that I don't give a fuck if a band, 90 percent of the sound is electronics and it's all being sequenced and it's 90 percent of the sound, but they don't have a guitar player and they have guitar going through. But if there is guys on stage faking it, I think that's a little bit unfair and that not cool. Do it if you want, but it's up to the audience if they wanna stay or not stay."

Bettencourt added: "The good thing about rock and roll to me, in music is there are no fucking rules; there just are no rules. And people can criticize, and that's their job, is to have opinions and journalists to do reviews of shows — no problem; everybody's got their opinion, and I respect that. But as an artist, somebody says to me that what I should and shouldn't do and that I shouldn't do this and they shouldn't have horns? I'm, like, I've got one word for you: go fuck yourself. No — 'go fuck yourself'; three words. Sorry. I quit high school. Go fuck yourself. You don't like what I do? Don't buy the fucking album. You don't like what I do? Don't buy a ticket. I don't give a fuck what you think about me. I don't."

EXTREME's latest album, "Six", was released on June 9 via earMUSIC. It marked EXTREME's first album since "Saudades De Rock" came out in 2008.

EXTREME is currently gearing up to perform for audiences across the globe on its headlining "Thicker Than Blood" world tour. It stretches from August 2 to December 16 and will see the band appear across the U.S., Australia, Japan and Europe, including special guests LIVING COLOUR (U.S., Australia and U.K. only) and THE LAST INTERNATIONALE (Europe only).

MÖTLEY CRÜE fans shouldn't expect any changes to the setlist for the band's upcoming U.S. shows.

CRÜE's "The World Tour" with DEF LEPPARD will return to America for six dates starting on August 5 in Syracuse, New York.

On Wednesday (July 26),Sixx shared a post about CRÜE's upcoming concerts with LEPPARD, and encouraged everyone to buy tickets.

One of the fans who commented on Sixx's post wrote, "Hopefully an adjustment in the set list, would love to hear some of the other killer songs you have to", to which Nikki replied: "The show is all worked out for this tour. Next time we go into rehearsals in 2024 for the next tour we do all the set list and video content changes."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's setlist for the 2023 "The World Tour" has remained very similar to the one from last year's "The Stadium Tour", with "Wild Side" opening the show before Sixx and his bandmates run through a 15-song set that includes other classics like "Shout At The Devil", "Home Sweet Home", "Dr. Feelgood" and the closing number "Kickstart My Heart".

CRÜE's setlist for the 2023 "The World Tour":

01. Wild Side
02. Shout Out At The Devil
03. Too Fast For Love
04. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
05. Saints of Los Angeles
06. Live Wire
07. Looks That Kill
08. The Dirt (Est. 1981)
09. Guitar Solo
10. Rock And Roll / Smokin' In The Boys' Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy In The U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop
11. Home Sweet Home
12. Dr. Feelgood
13. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
14. Girls Girls Girls
15. Primal Scream
16. Kickstart My Heart

Last month, MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil confirmed to The Music Universe that the band will embark on another stadium tour in 2024. "We're not sure who's gonna be on it, but there'll be another tour," he said.

MÖTLEY CRÜE recently went into the studio with longtime producer Bob Rock and recorded three new songs, including "Dogs Of War" and a cover of BEASTIE BOYS' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)".

Asked what inspired him and his CRÜE bandmates to head back to the studio, Vince told The Music Universe: "Well, we've written the songs, and then we had Bob Rock, our producer, come in and take a listen to 'em too. We got some studio time and went in and recorded. I didn't record with the band, 'cause I'm in Nashville, and they're in L.A. They recorded the tracks in Nashville, and then I did like a Zoom call with the producer for three days. And I did all the songs. And they turned out really well. One of them is the BEASTIE BOYS song 'Fight For Your Right'… That turned out really cool."

Pressed about whether the three new songs might be a precursor to a new full-length album, Neil said: "I don't know if we're gonna do a whole album or not. We'll see how these songs go first."

CRÜE and LEPPARD kicked off the European leg of their "The World Tour" on May 22 in Sheffield. The European leg concluded on July 6 in Glasgow.

LEPPARD and CRÜE will team up with Alice Cooper for a U.S. mini-tour this summer. The trek will kick off on August 5 in Syracuse, New York and include stops in the Midwest before concluding in El Paso, Texas on August 18. Shows in Japan and Australia will follow in the fall.

In April, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx said that he and his bandmates had completed recording several new songs with Rock.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist John 5 told Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about recording the group's new music with Rock: "Bob would come in and [say], 'Okay, let's try this here, and that here and this here. It was one of the most incredible experiences ever… I'm thinking, 'We've got so much great technology today'… but we got in that room and it was like being in a garage working on a song when you were in high school… It was incredible, and we documented a lot of it too."

Regarding the musical direction of the tracks he and the rest of MÖTLEY CRÜE have recorded so far, John 5 said: "The songs are fucking heavy. I sound like a little excited kid right now, but they're heavy and they're mean. I can't wait for them to come out. I'm just so excited."

When host Eddie Trunk asked John 5 whether the new MÖTLEY CRÜE music can be compared to the band's breakthrough second album, 1983's "Shout At The Devil", the guitarist said that some of the new riffs are "heavier than anything" on that LP. "All I can tell you is that it's heavy and it's aggressive, and I think people are going to dig it because, talking as a fan, it's fucking badass," he said.

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE last fall as the replacement for the band's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE last October as a result of worsening health issues.

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE last summer that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in early April the 71-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

🤟🏽-Repost from @motleycrue
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Gear up now for Tour - US Shows begin next week!
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Posted by Nikki Sixx on Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Influenced by thrash metal royaly Slayer, Kreator, Destruction and Exodus' earlier works, Eternal Evil was formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 2019. The band intends to carry on the legacy of early high energy classic thrash insanity.


Their quickly sold out Rise Of Death self-released demo recorded in band leader Adrian Tobar's garage was later reissued by Iron Fist and Redefining Darkness records. Shortly after the demo release, the world was hit by a pandemic and during those restrictive years, the band worked on in silence and brought in Norrland guitarist Tobias Lindström.


Recorded at Studio Humbucker by Robert Pehrsson, the band’s full length debut, The Warriors Awakening... Brings The Unholy Slaughter, was released in November 2021.




Now with two new members, the band is ready with its follow-up album, The Gates Beyond Mortality,  to be released in October. With lyrical themes from Occult Practice to the violent nature of warfare the band has crafted an album that has broken all the rules and standards from previous times, which makes this album sound darker than anything they have released prior.


Having kickstarted with an indestructible enthusiasm conjuring malicious old school metal powers, Eternal Evil are destined to make that head bang forever.


The first single, "Funeral Prayers", is out today. Get the song here, and listen below.





The Gates Beyond Mortality tracklisting:


"Depths A Of A New Eternity"
"Guerilla Warfare"
"The Gates Beyond Mortality"
"Funeral Prayers"
"Signs Of Ancient Sin"
"Desecration Of Light"
"The Astral Below"
"Immolation"
"The Cursed Trilogy"


"Funeral Prayers":





Eternal Evil lineup:


Adrian Tobar - Vocals and Lead Guitar
Tobias Lindström - Lead Guitar
Niklas Saari  - Bass Guitar
Adam Schmidt  - Drums

Vandenberg and Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group have released a lyric video for "Light It Up", the new single from the band's upcoming studio album, to be released on August 25. Watch the clip below, and pre-order the album here.


Adrian Vandenberg shares, “Amigos! It’s D-Day and high time for some bonafide stadium rock. You deserve to treat your good selves to some huge, Oprah ass sized ROCK to launch yourself into the upcoming weekend in style!”







Every album paints a picture. Instead of utilizing a brush and canvas, Vandenberg paints with towering vocals, earthquaking rhythms, and the iconic and instantly recognizable fretwork of guitarist and namesake, Adrian Vandenberg. Joined by vocalist Mats Levén, drummer Koen Herfst, and bassist Randy van der Elsen, the influential axe-slinger delivers a vibrant, visceral, and vital vision on the group’s fifth full-length offering, Sin, brought to life in broad strokes of anthemic hard rock and airtight metal and produced by Bob Marlette (Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie).


“For me, music is very much like a painting,” affirms Adrian. “You have your ups, downs, lights, and shades. One song might make you want to jump on the table and party your brains out. Another song will inspire you to think. Either way, you’re thrown into a landscape, which my favorite albums still do to me. You could be in your car or at home with your headphones plugged into a soundsystem, and you’re in a different world.”


Exploding out of The Netherlands and onto the global scene with 1982’s self-titled Vandenberg, the Dutch phenomenon notched an international hit in the form of “Burning Heart,” paving the way for seminal releases such as Heading For A Storm [1983] and Alibi [1985]. The band canvased the United States, Europe, and Japan alongside Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Rush, Scorpions, Michael Schenker, and many others. Sought out to join Whitesnake, Adrian famously ripped the legendary lead on the 1987 recording of the #1 smash “Here I Go Again,” which adorned the 8x-platinum Whitesnake and ended up touring the world’s largest arenas for a year-and-a-half when the 1987 album went through the roof in terms of sales. He co-wrote the entirety of 1989’s platinum Slip of the Tongue and spent the ensuing tour sharing axe duties with none other than Steve Vai. In addition to playing guitar on and cowriting Restless Heart from David Coverdale & Whitesnake, he performed hundreds of shows as part of the band for some twelve years. Speaking to the breadth of his output, he notably penned and recorded “A Number One” as the theme for his hometown Dutch football team FC Twente. 2013 saw him launch the acclaimed Vandenberg’s MoonKings, releasing MoonKings [2014], MK II [2017], and Rugged and Unplugged [2018].


Vandenberg as a band roared back to life with the comeback LP, 2020. Among many highlights, “Freight Train” gathered 1.6 million Spotify streams, while the record attracted praise. In its wake, Vandenberg welcomed Mats [Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Yngwie Malmsteen] to the fold.


“He’s an amazing singer,” notes Adrian. “I’d heard him online, and we got in touch. It’s funny because his mom brought the first two Vandenberg records back to Scandinavia from England when he was in his early twenties—and he was a fan. He’s a workaholic like me. We picked up after COVID and put the new album together. The spark is definitely there. On top of that, Koen and Randy lay down the most solid concrete, grooving foundation that I could ever wish for. I’d say it’s one notch heavier than 2020,” he smiles.


Recorded in Holland and Los Angeles with Marlette, Sin represents a natural evolution for Vandenberg. Scorching pinch harmonics light up the first single “House On Fire” as the groove underlines a chantable chorus from Mats.  “In one way, it’s a party song, because it keeps you tapping your foot,” Adrian exclaims. “Mats added a different darker twist with his lyrics. It also envisions a person who’s frustrated about the things other people have. This person can’t control their anger and sets the place on fire.”





Tracklisting:


"Thunder And Lightning"
"House On Fire"
"Sin"
"Light It Up"
"Walking On Water"
"Burning Skies"
"Hit The Ground Running"
"Baby You’ve Changed"
"Out Of The Shadows"


"Sin" lyric video:





"House On Fire" lyric video:





(Photo - HP van Velthoven)

It’s been five years since their last offering, Civilisation, made such a big impression on the music press and fans alike and now the boys of Southern Empire have put together their follow-up album, Another World, due out on September 4 on GEP Records. The first single from the album, "Reaching Out", is available now. Watch the video below.





Featuring their unique mixture of prog, classic rock and jazz, the addition of impressive new vocalist Shaun Holton takes it to the next level.




Sean Timms: “I am incredibly excited to have Shaun on board for the next phase of Southern Empire music. His range, tonal colour and song writing are impeccable and have a modern sensibility that will take the band further than I’d ever thought possible.”


Shaun Holton: “Making my previous albums pushed me to find the very limits of my potential as a producer and multi-instrumentalist... and whilst I’m incredibly proud of that work and the positive reception it received, I knew that I wanted something more. Southern Empire is definitely the welcome opportunity I’ve waited a lifetime for. This is musicality at a level I have only previously dreamt about, but I have never been more ready!”


Available on CD and double marbled vinyl. Pre-orders will begin on August 7.





Tracklisting:


"Reaching Out"
"Face The Dawn"
"Hold On To Me"
"When You Return"
"Moving Through Tomorrow"
"White Shadows"
"Butterfly"


"Reaching Out" video:





Lineup:


Shaun Holton - Lead and Backing Vocals
Cam Blokland - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Lead and Backing Vocals
Jez Martin - Fretted and Fretless Bass
Brody Green - Drums, Hand Percussion, Backing Vocals
Sean Timms - Keyboards, Programming, Lap Steel Guitar, Backing Vocals

Quadvium recently issued an update, after a couple of years of radio silence, about the bass duo’s commencement on the debut album. Now the bassists, Steve Di Giorgio (Testament, Death) and Jeroen Paul Thesseling (Obscura, Pestilence), bring to light the other musicians that will complete the quartet. 


Launching a band with two predominantly fretless bass players is no common occurrence, and the duo felt they needed to take very special and deliberate time to get the right alignment with who’s participating and what will be the end result – meaning the right sound & composition to represent this rare vision.


Staying the course, and some will notice from those long-ago press releases from Quadvium, the recognizable friendly face of Yuma van Eekelen (Our Oceans, Pestilence). The drummer has in fact been a major presence the whole time, Yuma’s agreeable dedication in helping find the final member and contributing with massive effort to the arrangements of the songs is no understatement. On chops alone, the band is lucky to cooperate with such a masterful drummer, but Yuma’s vision and chemistry is invaluably equal to the foundation towards this undertaking.







And with immense pleasure, we’d like to introduce, the final member… Jennings Smith (Myth Of I, Kaathe).


The guitarist/composer has taken the little seed of an idea and cultivated it into a sprawling kickass garden. The technical prowess of Jennings can be seen in his many videos on Instagram for Myth Of I and his solo material – we suggest you go and have a look! He has brought to this band a level of musicality and compositional energy and vision we only dreamed of. And the result of hours/days/weeks/and pretty much one year since the discovery and ingression to the band, is a presentation of just what we imagined we were looking for! Jennings understood the concept of writing for a dual-bass driving effort in this unique quartet format. With his song writing mastery and very impressive bass chops (also check his playthrough videos on bass), we can safely say this time that we have a solid lineup and a varied offering of songs we are excited to show you.





The composing phase is coming to a close with the last couple of ideas that will round-out the content for the first album. The band enters the preproduction phase with some final arranging and preliminary tracking in Amsterdam during the end of August. Final tracking and fine tuning will be ongoing through the rest of this year, as we also navigate and organize around many busy touring schedules. Plans, at this point, for the album release, foreseeable in the first half of 2024!


Quadvium lineup:


Jennings Smith – guitar
Steve Di Giorgio – bass
Jeroen Paul Thesseling – bass
Yuma van Eekelen – drums


Quick progress updates and exclusive video peeks into the workings will be posted up on the band’s official Facebook page.

Legendary SoCal punk rock band THE OFFSPRING has shared the second episode of its podcast "Time To Relax With The Offspring", featuring special guest Joe Escalante of THE VANDALS. Joe sits down with the gang and tells them about what it's like to be a real radio show host, touring Japan, and a 20 year-long LIMP BIZKIT-fueled beef with Jason "Blackball" McLean. Dexter climbs Mt. Fuji; Noodles forgets to bring his vacation photos to the studio.

Watch the new episode of "Time To Relax With The Offspring" below. Audio downloads are available on Spotify, Apple Music, iHeart Radio and Audible.

"Time To Relax With The Offspring" features guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman and singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland alongside their longtime friend McLean (from THE OFFSPRING's "You've Gotta Keep 'Em Separated"). The open format video podcast brings friends into their studio to chat music, touring, life and everything in between. Kick off your shoes, lean back and just enjoy the nonsense. It's time to relax with THE OFFSPRING.

The first episode of the podcast, released last month, features special guest, Fletcher Dragge (of PENNYWISE). The guys share some of their fondest memories together over the past 30 years, punk rock hacks and debauchery.

Frequently regarded as one of the best rock bands of all time, THE OFFSPRING have garnered a reputation for its unmistakable sound and social comment. The multi-platinum band first achieved worldwide success in the 1990s with the release of their album "Smash", which sold over 11 million copies. Following "Smash", they continued to release hit after hit, popularizing rock at a mainstream level. Throughout their career, they've sold over 40 million albums, toured arenas, and built a massive fan base globally. The group is also currently working on new music.

THE OFFSPRING is an American band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Throughout their 38-year career, they have released ten studio albums. THE OFFSPRING is often credited — alongside fellow California bands GREEN DAY and RANCID — for reviving mainstream interest in rock in the 1990s. They have sold over 40 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling rock bands in history.

ASINHELL, the new death metal band led by VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen, has released the official music video for the song "Fall Of The Loyal Warrior". The track is taken from ASINHELL's debut album, "Impii Hora" (Latin for "Ungodly Hour"),which will arrive on September 29 via Metal Blade.

For more than 20 years, vocalist/guitarist Poulsen has been spearheading Danish rock and roll machine VOLBEAT, releasing eight full-lengths, selling millions of albums, and filling stadiums worldwide. Before fronting VOLBEAT, however, Poulsen formed death metal band DOMINUS, which recorded four fast, brutal albums in the mid-'90s.

When Poulsen was putting together songs for VOLBEAT's 2021 album "Servant Of The Mind", he wrote a bunch of death metal riffs and saved them on his phone. Then, when he was done with the VOLBEAT record, he reopened the rusty gates to Armageddon and started putting together songs for "Impii Hora", which is a tribute to Poulsen's favorite old-school groups. The songs are rooted in crushing riffs yet injected with strong guitar hooks and shout-along refrains.

While Poulsen sings in VOLBEAT and sang for DOMINUS, he didn't want to front ASINHELL. So, in March 2022, he called his old friend, ex-MORGOTH singer Marc Grewe (also of INSIDIOUS DISEASE) and invited him to join the party.

"I had known Michael quite a long time and he always mentioned that we should do a death metal project one day, but I never took him too seriously because he was so busy with VOLBEAT," Grewe says. "Then he called for real and said, 'Yeah, I want to do it now. Are you up for it?' Immediately, I was 'Yes, of course!'"

After considering drummer friends from established bands, Poulsen asked Morten Toft Hansen from Danish group RAUNCHY to join. Not only does Morten play like a fiend possessed, his and Poulsen's six-year-old daughters are good friends… and, it takes just 10 minutes to drive to Morten's place.

The two veteran musicians started practicing and completed a full song almost every time they got together. Grewe was tied up at home in Germany when it came time to write the vocals, so Poulsen sent the singer phone recordings from rehearsals to start the process. Through Poulsen and Toft Hansen's years of experience and renewed hunger to destroy, they captured a firestorm in a bottle.

"We're very excited to share the first taste of ASINHELL with 'Fall Of The Loyal Warrior','" said Poulsen. "The song is kind of a tribute to bands I love, like BOLT THROWER, ENTOMBED, AUTOPSY, GRAVE and DARKTHRONE. They're the reason why we can do this in the first place, and we're proud to wear our influences on our sleeve. The album was inspired by late '80s and early '90s old school death metal, and one of our brightest points of inspiration was the mighty DEATH, fronted by the legendary Chuck Schuldiner. There's a lot of DEATH in there. Schuldiner is one of my favorite death metal vocalists, the other being our vocalist Marc [Grewe]. So to me, this song is the combination of two of my favorites. 'Let the metal flow,' as Chuck would have said!"

ASINHELL went from being a mere idea to recording the piledriving full-length "Impii Hora" in about a year. Poulsen asked VOLBEAT's management to help find a home for ASINHELL and was thrilled when they mentioned that Metal Blade founder Brian Slagel would love the band. As soon as he heard "Impii Hora", Slagel made ASINHELL a top priority.

"It's such a dream come true for me to get to be on fucking Metal Blade Records," Poulsen exclaims. "When they said they wanted to put out the album, I felt like I was 17 years old again. I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm making a deal with Metal Blade! How cool is that?' It was like I was finally getting the record deal I dreamed of when I was a teenager."

"Impii Hora" track listing:

01. Fall Of The Loyal Warrior
02. Inner Sancticide
03. Island Of Dead Men
04. Trophies
05. The Ultimate Sin
06. Wolfpack Laws
07. Desert Of Doom
08. Pyromantic Scryer
09. Impii Hora
10. Foj For Helvede

ASINHELL is:

Michael Poulsen - Guitar
Marc Grewe - Vocals
Morten Toft Hansen - Drums

Photo credit: Brittany Bowman

The Steve's Concert Corner YouTube channel has uploaded video of STAIND's July 26 concert at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Check out the series of clips in the playlist below.

Earlier this month, STAIND landed a No. 1 active rock single with "Lowest In Me", the first single from the band's upcoming album, "Confessions Of The Fallen". The veteran rock group's first full-length album of original material since 2011 is scheduled for release on September 15 via Alchemy Recordings/BMG.

Alchemy Recordings is a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States.

"We are extremely proud that 'Lowest In Me' is our first No. 1 single at rock radio," says Joe Guzik, general manager of Alchemy Recordings. "We'd like to thank all of our partners at radio and DSPs, Vector Management and Rise/BMG for helping us get to No. 1. We also want to congratulate STAIND for delivering such a great song and putting their trust in us as we grow this partnership. They've turned in an incredible record, and we know this is the first of many number-one songs to come."

STAIND performed "Lowest In Me" live for the first time at the trio of Florida shows the band played earlier in the month leading up to STAIND's U.S. tour with GODSMACK.

"Confessions Of The Fallen" was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, BLACK VEIL BRIDES).

Asked in a recent interview with Cutter's Rockcast if "Lowest In Me" is a good representation of the entire LP, STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok said: "Listen, there's a couple of songs that kind of go to, I think, what we're actually really known for — that 'It's Been Awhile', 'Outside' type of thing. But a lot of it has the heavy [edge to it]. And there's something — there's an electronic element that there wasn't in any of our stuff before; it's in this. There's a couple of songs that have a little bit more [of it than others]. And that was something that Aaron [Lewis, STAIND frontman] spoke of for a long time, that he wanted to do. And I really think that Erik, the producer, was really helpful in bringing that element to what we do. 'Cause I remember, in our preliminary talks of it, I was, like, 'I don't know how to write a record like that, 'cause that's not what I do.' And it was something as simple as taking a guitar riff that I wrote and playing it on a synthesizer or breaking it up and making some cool sounds out of it."

Mushok went on to say that he is "real happy with the way that it turned out. It was definitely a little — I just wasn't sure," he explained. "But as I heard it, I was, like, 'Oh.' Actually, I really liked it… I can't wait for people to hear it, 'cause I really feel like it worked. I feel like it's STAIND 2023, I guess. It's kind of… It's a little more modern version, I think, of what we've always done."

Last month, Mushok spoke to the Z93 radio station in Saginaw, Michigan about why it took STAIND so long to make a new studio album. He said: "I always hoped that [we would get around to working on new music]. Aaron wanted to pursue his country career and kind of felt like doing STAIND was something that would be detrimental to what that would be. He had to show the country people, 'I'm a country guy.' And I was able to go off and do a few other things, which was great — play with some really great people, musicians. Thankfully I was able to do that. That being said, I'm very thankful that we're back together and doing this. Because this is really kind of what I started with Aaron — over 28 years ago, whatever, or 27 years ago; whatever it was. So it's great to be able to be back making music again. And I'm looking forward to going out and doing these shows."

Asked if it was the initial plan to write new material when STAIND reunited for its first full live show in five years in September 2019 at the Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Kentucky, Mike said: "There was always talk of doing music. Even when we were off, it was funny — I remember Aaron would call me randomly, and I would always be at the same place, this indoor soccer place at my son's soccer game. And I would be, like, 'Oh, it's Aaron.' And we would kind of talk about ultimately [writing new music]. We knew it was in the future. We never had any plans. Then it finally started to come together. I wanna say 2018, I think, we started talking about it. And, honestly, that KORN tour [in 2021] was really where a lot of the record got put together, was on that. I was working every day, and I was able to demo a lot of the songs on that tour and able to get Aaron in a room and say, 'Listen to some of the music,' and get some direction from him of where he wanted it to go and some changes that he wanted to make and what he liked and what he didn't like. So a lot was done on that, and it really gave me the foundation and kind of a roadmap of where things should go. So it was actually really productive and a really good time."

STAIND recently released the DJay Brawner-directed music video for "Lowest In Me".

In May, Mushok told Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio about the songwriting process for "Confessions Of The Fallen": "I had a lot of songs, and they were all demoed. So it was basically just instrumental songs. I would take something that I liked, and I would just play it for him. Aaron would listen. And [he would say], 'Oh, I like that verse. Maybe we could try this. Maybe change the chorus a little.' So it was just really kind of getting ideas of where he was at, what music that I had that he was wanting to sing over and really kind of taking those notes, going back and reconstructing the songs, if need be, changing parts, rewriting stuff. And finally when we decided we were gonna do it, and I kind of had a pretty good group of what I thought would make up the record, and Erik ended up being the producer, Erik and I kind of went back and did the same process through the music. Kind of refining the songs, demoing them. And he'd take it to Aaron and they would work on the melody and the lyrics."

In an interview with Billboard, Lewis said that it took him "a long time to be ready to do another STAIND record. I got really burnt out on digging into the dark corners of my psyche every night to deliver those very deep, dark songs in a manner that was believable and authentic," he explained. "I needed to step away from it for awhile and do something different. It just came back together naturally."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Lowest In Me", Aaron told Billboard: "Everybody has got people in their lives that don't bring out the good in somebody. Just with what's going on in the world right now, there's so many things, so many people that are like, 'You bring out the lowest in me.' There's a lot of factors out there that could fall under the 'you' category."

When "Confessions Of The Fallen" was announced in April, Lewis stated about the LP's musical direction: "I did want to modernize the sound and bring us up to date. You can certainly recognize the band but at the same time you can hear that we've been paying attention and understand what kind of sounds and approaches we can use that maybe weren't around the last time we did this."

STAIND has released seven albums since 1995, the latest being 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", in May 2021 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents.

STAIND and GODSMACK's 25-city co-headlining 2023 tour, produced by Live Nation, kicked off on July 18 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, Missouri, with stops across the U.S. before wrapping up in Austin, Texas at Germania Insurance Amphitheatre on August 31.

Former CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho passed away in December 2020 due to alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue. Furthermore, Laiho had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

In a brand-new interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET promoting "Here For None", the upcoming album from his band WARMEN, former BODOM keyboardist Janne "Warman" Wirman opened up about the string of events that led to the band's 2019 demise and the deterioration of Laiho's health.

"Alexi's downfall started in 2016," Janne said. "I don't know what caused him to do that. He told me but didn't tell anyone else in the band — he made sure no one else was in the room — and told me, 'Dude, from now on, I'm going to drink until I die.' I said, 'Fuck, man. You can't say that to me.' He said it another time in 2018. I knew that was what he was doing — he said he wouldn't take any help for his medical issues. He was going to keep drinking. That's what he did, which is fucking crazy."

Janne continied: "A lot of people who haven't had a family friend or work buddy or someone who is sick with alcoholism, a lot of people don't understand you cannot help the person who doesn't want help. He had decided he didn't want help and would keep drinking until he died. That's what he did."

Wirmen then detailed BODOM's final years, beset by infighting largely stemming from Laiho's substance abuse issues. "The last years were pretty bad," he said. "There was a lot of bullshit. It's so crazy because he was in such a good place a couple of years before. He was happy about being sober and on tour, and the shows were good. I don't know what happened to him. Something pushed him over the edge where he decided, 'Fuck it. I'm going to keep drinking.'"

Alexi's ashes were buried in December 2021 — nearly a year after his tragic passing. He was laid to rest at the Malmi Cemetery, a large cemetery located in the Malmi district in Helsinki, Finland.

Alexi and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. In 2020, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, all of which were released posthumously.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

Last, Wirman and fellow former CHILDREN OF BODOM members Raatikainen and Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä discussed publicly for the first time the circumstances that led to the band's split and ultimately Laiho's death. In an interview with Finland's Helsingin Sanomat, the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM said the real reason for the band's breakup was not that they wanted to stop touring in order to spend more time with their families, which is how Laiho explained it to Helsingin Sanomat in November 2019. Instead, what caused the group to split was Laiho's substance abuse, and that is also what eventually killed him a year after they went their separate ways.

Laiho's addiction began to take a serious toll on CHIDLREN OF BODOM in 2008, when the band was the support act on a SLIPKNOT tour. In the ensuing years, Laiho promised his bandmates that he would not drink on the road anymore. Although he kept his word for a few years, Alexi "went into a tailspin again in 2016," according to Wirman. Laiho, who had a substantial income as COB's main songwriter (all other income, from gigs to merchandise, was split equally),repeatedly complained that his income was declining and threatened to pull himself out of the limited liability company, AA & Sewira Consulting Oy, he and the other members formed in 2003.

After CHILDREN OF BODOM's manager brought up Laiho's substance abuse at a business meeting in New York in early 2019, Alexi refused to go into rehabilitation but did agree to see a doctor. He was diagnosed with diabetes, and he began taking medication to treat the condition.

In the summer of 2019, Laiho filed an application with the Finnish Patent And Registration Office to register the CHILDREN OF BODOM name to Laiho. This infuriated his bandmates who saw this as an attempt to hijack the name and brand that was controlled by the group's LLC.

During CHILDREN OF BODOM's tour of Russia in October 2019, Laiho "was hitting the bottle like back in 2008," his bandmates told Helsingin Sanomat.

"I told Alexi that you don't usually drink starting at breakfast before a gig, and now you don't even warm up with the guitar before going on stage like you always do," Raatikainen recalled.

Laiho later apologized and stopped drinking for the last concerts of the tour.

"His hands were shaking for two days, but the gigs in Moscow and St Petersburg went pretty well," Raatikainen said.

Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman decided to go with Alexi's wish from a few years back and buy him out of the LLC. Laiho retained the rights to his music and was paid royalties on performances and record sales as before, but sold his part of the LLC that owns the name of the band and the merchandising rights.

According to the trio, Alexi was sober for CHILDREN OF BODOM's entire final tour of Finland in December 2019 and he "exchanged cordial messages" with them even after the start of the pandemic.

Alexi's sister Anna Laiho told Helsingin Sanomat that the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM "have the full support of our family."

Anna, Alexi's Australian wife Kelli Wright-Laiho and a few close friends attempted to get him professional help in the fall of 2020, but he refused.

"At heart, he was a warm and caring person, always ready to help others. But he had his demons, and he wanted to fight those alone", Alexi's sister said. "He wanted to make his own choices. For better or worse."

"Here For None" is due on August 18 via Reaper Entertainment.

Janne Wirman photo by Marek Sabogal (for WARMEN) / Alexi Laiho photo courtesy of Nuclear Blast

Ozzy, the mechanical bull named after legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne, has been unveiled at its permanent home, Birmingham New Street station in Birmingham, England.

According to BBC News, Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon saw the bull's first performance this morning (Wednesday, July 26),which involved him moving his head and swishing his tail.

"It's like breathtaking, this is mammoth, huge, but it's just brilliant isn't it," Sharon said.

"For Ozzy to be born and bred here and having spent so much time in this station, because of course he didn't have a car, so he was everywhere from New Street," she explained.

"He would never, ever, ever have thought that at this time in his life, this would happen."

The naming of the 33-foot-tall (10-meter) sculpture, which made an appearance at last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, came after a public vote and was revealed on "BBC Breakfast".

More than 28,000 votes were cast to name the sculpture, previously known informally as Raging Bull. The other shortlisted names were Bostin, Brummie or Boulton.

Osbourne performed at the closing of the Commonwealth Games in his original hometown of Birmingham on August 8, 2022. The BLACK SABBATH icon made a surprise appearance at the Games, declaring "Birmingham forever" as fireworks erupted. Ozzy performed "Paranoid", with BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi and two musicians from the band's final tour, Adam Wakeman, who played bass and keyboards, and drummer Tommy Clufetos, also on stage.

"When I was asked last year to close the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, they didn't have to ask me twice," Ozzy said in a statement. "I jumped on the next plane and flew back to England. I was honored to close the games, and this year I've just been told they've chosen my name to name the bull, which is going to be in the station. I can't believe it, I'm absolutely blown away. I don't know what to say anymore, I'm just absolutely thrilled to bits. God bless you all."

A petition to keep the sculpture in the city received more than 15,000 signatures.



OZZY THE BULL LIVE: Watch as raging beast comes alive at Birmingham New Street

Posted by Birmingham Live on Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Ozzy the bull

🐂 Ozzy has officially been revealed at Birmingham New Street station.

👉 https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/ozzy-the-bull-roars-back-into-birmingham-new-street-station

#OzzyNewStreet

Posted by Network Rail on Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Ozzy The Bull has arrived at New Street Station 🐂 Officially unveiled by none other than Sharon Osbourne this morning 🤩👏

📸@breadbirmingham

Posted by Secret Birmingham on Wednesday, July 26, 2023

The major workforce education initiative that METALLICA's All Within My Hands (AWMH) foundation launched in 2019 in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is marking its fifth year with the addition of 11 new colleges to its existing 31-college roster, and an ambitious expansion into new programs. Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states in the US to enhance their career and technical education programs. To date, METALLICA and their foundation have invested over $6 million in the American workforce.

Reaffirming a commitment to career and technical education at the local level, each new school brings incredible opportunities to a thriving and growing community, says All Within My Hands executive director Peter Delgrosso.

"With the launch of the fifth year of the program, we will now have supported well over 5,000 Metallica Scholars across workforce education," Delgrosso says. "The Metallica Scholars Initiative is a strong and cooperative community of the nation's best community colleges creating a supportive climate for participants to communicate directly and share best practices. As a result, our Metallica Scholars leave the program well-trained and confident. Ultimately the impact is felt in their local communities, and on the national scale, as Metallica Scholars enter the workforce and fill, or create, much needed workforce and technical positions."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said: "The Metallica Scholars Initiative is so important to us because we are seeing results. Five years in, with the help of community colleges across the country, we are helping people fill these essential jobs which require skills and training. We are so proud and grateful that we can facilitate this program."

The new schools will each receive $100,000 to enhance the student experience as they receive career training for economic development. The 11 schools joining MSI this year are:

* Aiken Technical College - Aiken, South Carolina
* Central Wyoming College – Riverton, Wyoming
* Columbia State Community College – Columbia, Tennessee
* Front Range Community College – Westminster, Colorado
* Itawamba Community College – Fulton, Mississippi
* Northeast Wisconsin Technical College - Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Oxnard College (Ventura County Community College District) – Oxnard, California
* South Central College - North Mankato, Minnesota
* South Louisiana Community College – Lafayette, Louisiana
* Texas State Technical College – Waco, Texas
* Western Dakota Technical College - Rapid City, South Dakota

The newly added schools are joining the veteran 31 schools invited to continue. Each year the returning colleges play an integral part in helping guide the success of the new schools.

The returning schools are:

* Clark State Community College - Springfield, Ohio
* Central Community College - Grand Island, Nebraska
* Central Piedmont Community College - Charlotte, North Carolina
* Clackamas Community College - Oregon City, Oregon
* Clinton Community College - Clinton, Iowa
* College of Lake County - Grayslake, Illinois
* Columbia Gorge Community College - The Dalles, Oregon
* Community College of Baltimore County - Baltimore, Maryland
* East Central College - Union, Missouri
* Elizabethtown Community & Technical College - Elizabethtown, Kentucky
* Gateway Technical College - Kenosha, Wisconsin
* Grand Rapids Community College - Grand Rapids, Michigan
* Guilford Technical Community College - Jamestown, North Carolina
* Hudson County Community College - Jersey City, New Jersey
* Lone Star College - The Woodlands, Texas
* Middlesex Community College - Lowell, Massachusetts
* Milwaukee Area Technical College - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College - Perkinston, Mississippi
* Northern Virginia Community College - Annandale, Virginia
* Northwest-Shoals Community College - Muscle Shoals, Alabama
* Pima Community College - Tuscon, Arizona
* Polk State College - Winter Haven, Florida
* Rockland Community College - Suffern, New York
* Salt Lake Community College - Salt Lake City, Utah
* San Juan College – Farmington, New Mexico
* Spokane Community College - Spokane, Washington
* Valencia College - Orlando, Florida
* Victor Valley College - Victorville, California
* West Virginia University Parkersburg - Parkersburg, Wes Virginia
* Westchester Community College - Valhalla, New York
* WSU-Tech - Wichita, Kansas

What began with ten colleges and mostly manufacturing programs in its first round in 2019 has developed into a diverse list of workforce opportunities for students who are interested in gaining the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying careers in fields and positions including:

* Agriculture
* Automation and Robotics
* Automotive Technology
* Aviation, Computer-Aided Drafting & Design
* Carpentry
* Computerized Manufacturing (CNC)
* Construction Technology
* Criminal Justice
* Culinary Arts
* Cybersecurity
* Diesel Technology
* Dental Hygiene
* Electrical Engineering
* EMT
* Fire Technology
* Healthcare
* Heating & Ventilation (HVAC)
* Heavy Equipment Operator
* Hospitality
* Industrial Maintenance Technology
* Lineworker
* Manufacturing & Machining
* Mechanical Design
* Mechatronics Engineering
* Process Technology
* Trucking (CDL)
* Welding
* Wind Energy

As the voice of the nation's community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges delivers educational and economic opportunities for 12 million diverse students searching for the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC's nearly 1,100 member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers, and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support to increase economic mobility for all.

All Within My Hands was established in 2017 by METALLICA to invest in the people and places that have supported the band. It also allows METALLICA's fans to engage in philanthropy and volunteerism. The Foundation is dedicated to creating sustainable communities through workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services. All expenses of the Foundation are covered by the band, the board, and a few special friends so that 100% of donations go to the organizations it supports. AWMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

After more than four decades in the music business, legendary German heavy metal figurehead and distinctive voice of Grave Digger, Chris Boltendahl, will release his first-ever solo album, Reborn In Flames, under the flag of Chris Boltendahl's Steelhammer, this Friday, July 28, via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records.


Today, the band release a lyric video for the fourth single, a cover of Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning".


Chris comments on the song ..."Midnight Oil's 'Beds Are Burning' is more relevant today than ever before. Mankind is digging its own grave. Climate change can hardly be stopped. It's such a great song with acute time criticism... this lyrics should wake up and lead us again and again in mind: We only have this one world... after that nothing more comes!"







With Tobias Kersting (guitar, ex-Orden Ogan), Lars Schneider (bass, ex-Orden Ogan) and Patrick Klose (drums, Iron Savior), Chris has brought a truly illustrious crew of outstanding musicians onto the steel boat, who actively support him with his intension, also to act as a "real" live band.


The inclined metal fan can expect a fiery mixture of classic heavy metal paired with the influences of early US power metal, best described as "Grave Digger meets Metal Church", with hard-hitting bangers, fast-paced anthems, real groove monsters, brute killer riffs and filigree world-class solos... everything any metalhead's heart and ears could ever wish for.


Pre-order Reborn In Flames here.





Tracklisting:


"Reborn In Flames"
"Fire Angel"
"Beyond The Black Souls"
"Gods Of Steel"
"Die For Your Sins"
"Let The Evil Rise"
"Out Of The Ruins"
"I Am Metal"
"The Hammer That Kills"
"Iron Christ"
"Beds Are Burning"


"Fire Angel" lyric video:





"Beyond The Black Souls" video:





"Reborn In Flames" video:





- Produced by Chris Boltendahl
- Mixed and mastered by Chris Boltendahl @ Graveyard Studio in Cologne/Germany
- All songs written, composed and arranged by Chris Boltendahl & Tobias Kersting (except "Beds Are Burning", written by Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst & Jim Moginie)
- Cover artwork and paintings by Uwe Jarling
- Cover concept by Chris Boltendahl
- Photos by Jens Howorka @ Blendfabrik in Düsseldorf/Germany
- Booklet layout by Wanderley Perna