German TV program "Rockpalast", which broadcasts on the television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR),has uploaded professionally filmed video of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's entire May 11 concert at Luxor in Cologne, Germany. You can watch the show below.

Featured songs:

01. Bottom Feeder 00:00:00
02. Paranoid Opioid 00:02:45
03. Shake Like You 00:09:25
04. Seven Days 00:14:22
05. Diablo Blvd. 00:20:16
06. Senor Limpio 00:24:08
07. Wiseblood 00:28:58
08. Who's Got The Fire 00:32:18
09. Stone Breaker 00:35:22
10. 13 Angels 00:40:46
11. Vote With A Bullet 00:50:00
12. Born Again For The Last Time 00:54:47
13. Albatross 00:59:20
14. Clean My Wounds 01:06:19

Two months ago, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY confirmed the return of drummer Stanton Moore for its upcoming album. The "brutal-sounding" follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" is tentatively due in 2024.

In an interview with Eonmusic ahead of the kick-off of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's European tour in Dublin, bassist Mike Dean and guitarist Woody Weatherman spoke about the loss of drummer Reed Mullin, who passed away in January 2020.

"It's a shock when you really realize [that he's gone for good]", said Dean. "Yeah, it was kind of a shock, yeah. Such an important musical contributor. Definitely an innovator. You can't replace him, for sure."

Added Weatherman: "Nobody really plays like Reed. But it's all part of moving forward. We miss him."

Regarding the decision to bring back Moore, who played on 2005's "In The Arms Of God", the pair were enthusiastic.

"We've been down to New Orleans and had a little writing session," Dean said. "We got together and picked it up pretty much where we left off." Weatherman added: "We turned the embers over a couple of times, rebuilding the fire."

On what Moore is bringing to proceedings, Mike said: "He's amped to do it, and he's got his indomitable style, so that's a good way to follow up the last one, for sure."

As for how the drummer came to be involved once again, Woody said: "He kind of spearheaded it, if recollection is clear, because him and Pepper [Keenan, guitar/vocals], they both live in New Orleans. He expressed his interest, and we were, like, 'Yes, that would be awesome, if, you know, if you got the time.' I mean, we'll make up time and we'll do it."

Regarding the sound of the album so far, Mike offered: "It's hard to say. I think you'll hear some new ideas, but I think you'll hear a little bit of the 'In The Arms Of God' vibe because that's where we're picking up with, in terms of jamming with Stanton. And he'll have his Stantonisms."

Weatherman added: "It's pretty brutal sounding. We're jamming a couple up that show promise. I mean, you never know what will happen."

When Dean first confirmed to MetalSucks last November that Moore would appear on the upcoming effort, he said: "History repeats itself all these years later. Stanton played on 'In The Arms Of God', and I think he's going to be working with us again for the next record. Having him aboard, I think you need to get a little nerdy to describe it because Stanton has got his own particular way that he wants to play. He wants to play kick drums in his jazzy way and likes to have the drums heads up front, so it's more of a traditional-sounding thing. And all of Stanton's fills are very second-line sounding, and he has these little phrases that are unique to him."

When asked if Stanton would join CORROSION OF CONFORMITY as a permanent replacement for Reed Mullin, Dean said: "Stanton is a different animal than Reed — we learned that back when we did 'In The Arms Of God' — and he brings an entirely new dynamic to the band. Stanton will take these straight, New Orleans-influenced, second-line things and throw them into a metal song; there's no stopping it. If you've seen Stanton Moore with GALACTIC, you'll know what I'm talking about. He's got his take, man. He's a character. But this isn't like Stanton joining the band per se, and I'm not sure that he would come out on the road and play with us because he's busy. It's more that Stanton is a good friend of ours, and we love working with him when we can when our schedules all sync up. Plus, Pepper and Stanton have known each other since they were little. It felt right to do another album with him because we loved what he did on 'In The Arms Of God', and we wanted to make this first record after Reed passed special. So, stay tuned, and we'll see how it all comes out."

Last October, Keenan told Guitar World that he still loves "No Cross No Crown". "It was a really fun experience to do and the last thing we did with Reed, unfortunately. So, it holds a special place in my heart. We're very happy with it."

Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside guitarist Woody Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

Asked how Reed's passing affected him and the rest of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, Pepper told Guitar World: "We lost our left arm. It was very hard to find a drummer. We have John Green [on tour with us], who is fantastic, but you just can't replace people like that. Other people have gone through it, too — but it's not easy. You spend decades with a person writing, and you don't even have to look at them; it just comes out. This was the first time we had to regroup in a long time and try to do it with a different drummer. We've got that figured out, so now we're getting ready to focus on that."

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.

Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel joined Nita Strauss on stage during her July 5 concert at Goldfield Trading Post in Sacramento, California to perform a cover of PANTERA's "Cowboys From Hell". Video of his appearance can be seen below (courtesy of the Rholedz YouTube channel).

As previously reported, Nita recruited a vocalist named Kasey Karlsen to join her onstage during her ongoing "Summer Storm" tour.

In a Twitter message introducing Kasey, Nita wrote: "We needed someone fearless and versatile for this tour who could handle tons of different vocal styles, and if you've seen Kasey's videos you already know she can do it all. She is going to destroy these stages and we are beyond excited to have her with us!!"

Karlsen has a half a million followers on TikTok where she posts vocal covers of such acts as SLIPKNOT, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BRING ME THE HORIZON and ICE NINE KILLS.

The "Summer Storm" trek will wrap up on July 14 in New Orleans. Support on the tour is coming from LIONS AT THE GATE, the new band featuring former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals),Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar),alongside bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus.

Nita released her sophomore solo album, "The Call Of The Void", on July 7 via Sumerian Records. The LP features guest appearances by IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale, Alice Cooper, DISTURBED's David Draiman, Dorothy, Alissa White-Gluz of ARCH ENEMY and Chris Motionless of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.

Nita released 2018's "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".

In March, it was announced that Nita would return to Alice's band for his 2023 tour.

The Alice Cooper North American tour, with an all-new show dubbed "Too Close For Comfort", kicked off in late April in Michigan and will continue through late September, including a handful of August stadium shows with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE, followed by a co-headlining late summer "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie.

Nita spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi Lovato's band last summer,

Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Some shuts last night with Amazing female guitarist Nita Strauss at Goldfield in Sacramento Ca 7/5/23. Epic guitar...

Posted by Rholedz on Thursday, July 6, 2023

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz was asked about a possible timeline for the release of her long-in-the-works debut solo album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're not ready to release it yet, so there's no real timeline yet. I'm still very much in the 'Deceivers' timeline with ARCH ENEMY, so I have to basically find a gap in ARCH ENEMY's albums to release this. But we don't really take a lot of breaks. So I'm working on it. As soon as it's done, everyone will know."

White-Gluz also talked about her vocal approach on her solo material, saying: "I like to include lots of different techniques, and for that reason I like to write music that's a little bit progressive so that there's some room for experimentation in there. And so, yeah, I did some really low growls, some kind of black metal growls, straight-up normal growls, some whispering stuff, some operatic stuff, more belting, more jazzy singing. I think one of the things that I used the most that I just haven't used that much so far is what I would call my natural voice, which is me just singing as me. And I think that that is actually a little bit of a bluesy, jazzy tone that maybe people don't know about yet."

Back in March 2022, Alissa told "Vox&Hops", the podcast hosted by Matt McGachy, frontman of extreme metal band CRYPTOPSY, about the delay in getting her debut solo album released: "What happened was it was announced [in September 2016] that I signed [with Napalm Records] for a solo album. All I did was sign to do one, but I think a lot of people interpreted that I had an album that I was ready to put out. So, basically, when the news came out about this solo album, the only thing that happened at that point was that I just agreed to do one. And then I was on tour for, like, three hundred days of the year up until 2020. And so now it's done, because now I've actually been home long enough to write the songs and get them done. And it's awesome and I love it."

Regarding a possible release date for the effort, Alissa said: "There's nothing holding it back — it's done — but I need to be careful with how I release it, because now there's so many releases happening that I wanna make sure that the music gets the attention it deserves. So it's not gonna come out at the same time as an ARCH ENEMY album, for sure, because that's just not a good idea, but I will find a time to release it in a way that makes sense."

As for the musical direction of her solo material, Alissa said: "It doesn't really sound like ARCH ENEMY, actually. It's still me, so it's gonna sound a little bit like ARCH ENEMY, but it's kind of different. I feel like it's kind of an amalgam of that really interesting place that you're at when you're a beginner musician, because although I'm not a beginner vocalist or songwriter, I am a beginner guitarist — I'm very bad at guitar. So when I'm writing songs on guitar, I have an approach that is probably totally wrong, and that's what, I think, makes it cool. It's different — it's an unorthodox approach. I mean, I can still play it, but it's not my main instrument, so when I'm writing riffs on a guitar, I'm writing like a vocalist writing riffs on a guitar. Some could argue that that's kind of how Michael [Amott, ARCH ENEMY] writes too, actually, because his riffs are so 'sing-songy.' But, yeah, so I wrote a bunch with Jeff [Loomis, ARCH ENEMY guitarist] and I wrote a bunch with a lot of other people, actually, which I don't wanna spoil and announce them all now. But there's clean singing, there's growling, of course, and other interesting vocal techniques with the note screaming and some operatic stuff. It's a heavy album. I don't know what genre to call it. It's totally self-produced in that sense. It's honest. It's exactly what I just felt like writing for this. So there's some prog elements, there's some rock and roll elements, there's a lot of metal in it, obviously. But, yeah, I'm really happy with it. So I hope that other people like it too, basically."

Back in 2017, Alissa said that her debut solo album would feature collaborations with a member of KAMELOT and at least one of her bandmates in ARCH ENEMY.

The ARCH ENEMY frontwoman said that the idea for a solo project came about as a suggestion from the band's former lead singer Angela Gossow, who has been managing ARCH ENEMY's career for more than a decade and also oversees Alissa's personal affairs.

"[Angela] was, like, 'Well, you need something. You need something that you can do, because I know you're a workaholic and you're not gonna be able to just sit there like this waiting for the next ARCH ENEMY tour,'" Alissa told France's Duke TV. "And she's totally right — I needed something else to be able to work on. And also, I have a lot of ideas that maybe don't sound like ARCH ENEMY and it would be kind of silly to just force them into ARCH ENEMY."

According to White-Gluz, her debut solo album will be released under the ALISSA banner because she wanted to "keep it simple" and "make it very clear who it is and what it is." In order to make the disc, Alissa "did a huge life overhaul," which included building a studio and investing a lot of time and money into learning how to engineer and record, program drums and improving at playing guitar. "Of course, on the album itself we're gonna have real musicians playing all of these things, but in terms of just getting the style down and the songwriting, it's something that I need to start on my own," she explained to Duke TV.

At the time of the Duke TV interview, half of Alissa's solo effort had been written, and it contained some musical surprises. "It doesn't really sound like ARCH ENEMY — it's pretty different — but I think it's pretty cool," she said. "For example, a song that I'm writing with Oliver [Palotai, keyboards] from KAMELOT doesn't sound like KAMELOT and it doesn't sound like ARCH ENEMY, but it's members of both."

Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis, who joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, didn't have any of his songwriting ideas included on the latter band's last two albums, "Will To Power" and 2022's "Deceivers", but will play a prominent role on Alissa's upcoming disc.

"Jeff didn't write with Michael, because Michael was already writing so well with Daniel [Erlandsson, ARCH ENEMY drummer] that we just actually had too many ideas," White-Gluz told France's Loud TV in a separate interview. "But all of Jeff's ideas are really good and I've heard them and they're gonna be released, so people will hear them… Jeff is gonna be one of my collaborators on my solo project, because how can you say no to that? [Laughs]"

"Deceivers" came out in July 2022 via Century Media.

Fan-filmed video of DEEP PURPLE's July 7 concert at the Rockwave festival in Athens, Greece can be seen below.

Last year, DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Don Airey told Rolling Stone magazine that there is no concrete plan for him and his bandmates to stop playing live shows.

"We started the farewell tour in 2017. It was due to end in 2019," he noted. "But the thing is, when you're a musician in a band, you think you're in control of it, but you're not. The business is running you.

"Of course, there was so much demand for the band to continue from the promoters and agents that we said, 'Okay, we'll do one more year.'"

Regarding when he thinks DEEP PURPLE will finally call it quits, Don said: "The words of T.S. Eliot [the greatest English-language poet of his generation] come to mind: 'This is the way the band ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.' I think we won't know it's the last gig. We won't have a clue that this one is going to be the last one. That's how it's going to end. It's going to be no big scenario.

"I like what Buddy Guy said. He said, 'Musicians don't retire. They drop.' You do have thoughts about being in the garden and bouncing the grandchildren on your knee, but it's part of your blood system, playing and touring. It's an addiction. I hope I keep playing for a while yet."

In a recent interview with Brazil's A Rádio Rock, DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover spoke about the band's plans for the coming months. He said: "Well, we've just undergone a big change, because our guitarist Steve Morse had to retire from the band because he was looking after his very ill wife. And so we have a new guitarist in the band called Simon McBride. And it's a whole experience; I mean, it's a different band."

He continued: "In a way, we have to embrace change. You can't do the same thing over and over again, and we've had several changes, of course, over the years. And this one is particularly exciting. 'Cause we've been working on a new album; we should have a new album out by next year. And we can't stop writing. That's what we do."

In July 2022, Morse officially left PURPLE to care for his wife, Janine, who is battling cancer.

Morse's announcement came four months after the guitarist said that he would be taking a hiatus from the band, in the hope of rejoining his bandmates once his wife's health improved. He was then replaced on the road by McBride.

Morse effectively took over Ritchie Blackmore's DEEP PURPLE slot in 1994 and had since been in the group longer than Ritchie.

McBride, who is guitar player, singer, songwriter and a band leader all in one, hails from Belfast in Northern Ireland — a place that resonates of the best music traditions like Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher, as well as bands such as THIN LIZZY, STIFF LITTLE FINGERS and obviously U2. His biography tells many stories — from his band touring with no sound engineer, driver, or roadie, playing 30 shows in 35 days, to him regularly sharing stages with Gillan and Airey.

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Turning To Crime", came out in November 2021 via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

The DarthNimmer YouTube channel has uploaded video of Stephen Pearcy's July 8 concert at the Tag's Summer Stage in Big Flats, New York. Check out the clips below.

As the founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the metal rock band RATT, Pearcy led his creation to mega multi-platinum success year after year from 1984 to 1991. RATT climbed up the charts with "Out Of The Cellar", which generated Top 10 singles followed by sold-out tours throughout the world. Throughout RATT's nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released eight albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records.

Pearcy has released five solo albums so far: "Social Intercourse" (2002),"Fueler" (2004),"Under My Skin" (2008),"Smash" (2017) and "View To A Thrill" (2018).

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

Last month, singer Pearcy spoke to Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved" series about his upcoming collection of music, "Legacy", which is due later in the year via Golden Robot Records. According to Stephen, the set will include never-before-heard RATT songs, solo tracks, re-recordings and new versions of previously released tunes.

Stephen said: "I've done five solo records. And the other one's ready to go, the sixth one. I have a record coming out, called 'Legacy', on an Australian label, Golden Robot, probably in the next few months. And it's songs from my career — 1977 to present day. And it's gonna be insane, because I'm unleashing some songs — the last song Warren [DeMartini, RATT guitarist] and I wrote; the last song Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] and I wrote years ago, some live RATT that nobody's heard. I have some songs going on there that'll blow minds. And it's a special thing. It's called 'Legacy'. You can look for that soon. And then the [new] solo record eventually."

Last November, Pearcy told Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic that he was "putting the finishing touches on" "Legacy". He added: "The problem I was having was a good one, because there was so much music to choose from through my history of music and catalog — quality stuff, not just hissy-hissy scratchy LP or cassette, whatever form it was recorded. We're taking time with it. It's kind of a story, actually, because there's some stuff like interluding into songs, and you hear us discussing rearranging 'Wanted Man' — early stuff, like in 1983 or [198]2. I mean, it's crazy. But it's all good. My problem was picking songs. Now, I've got it, so there'll probably be a part two."

He continued: "Not most, but some of the stuff that I've got were from bootleggers. And I'm the best bootlegger out there for RATT, or anything that I do, so I pretty much found the same thing but in better quality. Going back to, like, in the '80s, you'd get these double-album live bootlegs in Germany and Japan. I've got all those."

⚡️TOMORROW NIGHT⚡️ We welcome the legendary voice of Cinderella, Tom Keifer and the infamous voice of Ratt, Stephen...

Posted by TAG'S SUMMER STAGE on Friday, July 7, 2023

Toronto rockers Danko Jones have released an official lyric video for their latest single, "Good Time". Check it out below.


Danko: "Get this damn song inside your head! It’s got a lot of swears."







With Electric Sounds, Toronto’s archbishops of amplification prove that even a global pandemic couldn’t stop Danko Jones.


“Not working for two years really felt like touring rock bands were being put out to pasture,” recalls Danko. “But I guess that only made us try harder. We were still able to record and release an album during the pandemic (Power Trio, 2021). We toured as soon as we were allowed. Now that Electric Sounds is getting released, it doesn’t feel like we missed a beat. During the pandemic, we moved away from each other. JC lives in Finland and Rich lives in Prince Edward Island. So the writing for this band has changed. We used to bash out ideas in our rehearsal place, day after day, but it’s more about sending files back and forth now. However, last summer, while on tour, we did manage to jam out ideas in a rehearsal room in Berlin for a few days. Out of those jams came the nubs for five songs...”


Five songs have since been expanded to eleven new Danko Jones songs, and Electric Sounds promises to have the instant sound and feel of a classic. With no need to reinvent the wheel, the group have further honed and refined their craft - always at full volume - although Electric Sounds is a deceptively diverse affair. No band has ever sounded more ready to hit the road than the pumped-up threesome showcased on the hell-for-leather ragers featured on their forthcoming album.


Electric Sounds was produced by Eric Ratz, and features guest spots from Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies), Damian Abraham (Fucked Up) and guitarist Daniel Dekay (from Canadian thrash legends Exciter).


Pre-order the album here.





Electric Sounds tracklisting:


"Guess Who's Back"
"Good Time"
"Electric Sounds"
"Get High?"
"Stiff Competition"
"She's My Baby"
"Eye For An Eye"
"I Like It"
"Let's Make Out"
"What Goes Around"
"Shake Your City"


"Guess Who's Back" lyric video:





"Good Time" video





Danko Jones is:


Danko Jones - Vocals/Guitar
John Calabrese - Bass
Rich Knox - Drums

On June 28th, Hollywood Vampires - featuring Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen - performed at  Zitadelle Spandau in Berlin, Germany . Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.


The band is rounded out by Glen Sobel, Chris Wyse and Buck Johnson.


The setlist was as follows: 




"I Want My Now" 
"Raise the Dead"
"I'm Eighteen" (Alice Cooper)
"Five to One / Break On Through (To the Other Side)" (The Doors) 
"The Boogieman Surprise"
"My Dead Drunk Friends" 
"You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" (Johnny Thunders) 
"Baba O'Riley" (The Who)
"Who's Laughing Now"
"People Who Died" (The Jim Carroll Band) 
"The Jack (AC/DC) 
"As Bad As I Am" 
"Heroes" (David Bowie) 
- Jeff Beck Tribute - (instrumental) 
"Bright Light Fright" (Aerosmith) 
"The Death and Resurrection Show" (Killing Joke) 
"Walk This Way" (Aerosmith)
"The Train Kept A-Rollin'" (Tiny Bradshaw) 


Encore:
"School's Out" (Alice Cooper)





PEOPLE reported exclusively that Johnny Depp had an "intimate" birthday celebration with his bandmates last month.


The Oscar nominee, who turned 60 on June 9, marked the occasion by enjoying dinner with his Hollywood Vampires cohorts Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen while on a tour stop in Istanbul, Turkey, a source tells PEOPLE.


"There was no big grand party. No blast off. He celebrated in Istanbul on his birthday. He had a dinner with his bandmates," says the source. "It was an intimate dinner in Istanbul, where they were playing.”


The source adds that Depp is "really prioritizing his health in this phase of his life."


"He's 60. He's on tour. He's directing a movie. He can't do what he was doing at 20 years old," the source says. "He's taking care of himself. Everything in moderation."


"He's older. He's still working. It doesn't make any sense to be partying hard anymore," the source adds. "It's a different scene. He's really busy.”


Read more at PEOPLE.com.


In 2015, Hollywood Vampires played their biggest and most legendary concert in front of over 100,000 fans. Rock In Rio is not only one of the most famous festivals, but also the origin of the Hollywood Vampires first live album.


Live in Rio is now available as CD+DVD Digipak, CD+Blu-ray Digipak, limited + numbered 2LP Gatefold Black, and can be ordered here.





Live In Rio tracklisting:


"Raise The Dead"
"My Generation"
"I Got A Line On You"
"Cold Turkey"
"Five To One/Break On"
"Through (To The Other Side)"
"Manic Depression"
"7 And 7 Is"
"Whole Lotta Love"
"Jeepster"
"I'm A Boy"
"School's Out"
"Billion Dollar Babies"
"Train Kept A-Rollin’"
"Brown Sugar"


"Raise The Dead" video:





"Manic Depression" video:





"My Generation" video:





"I Got A Line On You" video:

London-based thrash-metal quintet Lokust have issued a music video for a new track titled "Parasitic" off the band's debut album Infidel, which will be self-released on July 28th. 





Featuring 11 tracks, Infidel is a creatively complex and thunderous dose of modern metal, brimming with pummelling drums and bass, shredding guitar riffs and blood-curdling vocals - although simultaneously featuring moments of dynamic introspection and poignancy throughout the album.




"We always meant for Lokust to exist on the border between old-school and contemporary - we use a lot of layering in our songwriting as well as aiming to integrate the full array of what a metal band can do these days, technically and production-wise - but our loyalty to imperfections, raw expression and humanity remains paramount," says the band about this new record.


"We've always aspired to follow in the footsteps of the bands we first fell in love with, who seemed to have a more transparent, expressive way of executing their music, rather than what we perceive as the more careful and polished approach of a lot of bands these days," they add. 





Tracklisting:


"(March)"
"The Sin Of Doubt"
"Parasitic"
"Guiltless"
"Anima"
"War Of Opposites"
"(Futile)"
"Vilified"
"Jinn"
"Eradication:One"
"Sacrosant"


"Vilified" video:





For further details, visit Lokust on Facebook.


 

According to The Entertainment Outlet, IN THIS MOMENT debuted two new songs called "Sacrifice" and "The Purge" at the opening concert of "The Dark Horizon Tour" on Saturday, July 8 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Video of the performance can be seen below. The official music video for "The Purge" is expected to make its online debut on July 18.

IN THIS MOMENT is joined on "The Dark Horizon Tour" by co-headliners MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, along with special guests FIT FOR A KING and FROM ASHES TO NEW. The trek, which sees IN THIS MOMENT and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE alternating closing sets each night, will continue through an August 19 performance at MVP Arena in Albany, New York.

This past January, IN THIS MOMENT said that it was preparing to enter the studio to begin recording its eighth full-length album. The band wrote in a social media post at the time: "We cannot wait for you all to hear what we are conjuring up".

Last October, IN THIS MOMENT released an EP called "Blood 1983". The effort commemorated the tenth anniversary of IN THIS MOMENT's gold-certified album "Blood" (2012) and was made available digitally across all digital service providers as well as CD via BMG.

"Blood 1983" was co-produced by Tyler Bates and Dan Haigh, and mixed by Zakk Cervini.

Since coming to life in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT has presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of "mother" figure and frontwoman Maria Brink — joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel and drummer Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group's otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as one of the most influential and impactful bands of the 21st century.

To date, in addition to the gold-selling album "Blood", the quintet has garnered two gold singles — "Blood" and "Whore" — followed by Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with "Black Widow" (2014) and "Ritual" (2017). Bringing their total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, "Ritual" elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. Between selling out headline tours coast-to-coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside DISTURBED and appeared at countless festivals from Welcome To Rockville to Sonic Temple. Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled "Mother" (Roadrunner) with longtime collaborator Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH).

IN THIS MOMENT is Maria Brink (lead vocals),Chris Howorth (guitars),Travis Johnson (bass),Randy Weitzel (rhythm guitar),Kent Dimmel (drums).

Hatefulmurder, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, returns with a new single and lyric video, "Eye For An Eye".


The new track brings elements of death metal, with a contrast between old school and contemporary with potent rhymes where the dynamic range of vocalist Angélica Burns can be heard in all its glory, talking about a theme that makes the listener reflect.


“The lyrics of the song 'Eye For An Eye' bring reflections on the consequences of human behavior in its wildest and most primitive state, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” comments Angélica.










In January 2023, Hatefulmurder released the single “Psywar”, along with an accompanying music video. In July, the band released the track “Eye For An Eye”, with a promotoinal lyric video. The two singles are part of a new album that will be released in the second half of this year.





 

Norfolk blues-rockers Bad Touch share details of their eagerly anticipated fifth studio album, Bittersweet Satisfaction, set for release on November 10th, 2023 via Marshall Records.


Accompanying the announcement is the band’s new single / video "Nothing Wrong With That". Fans can stream the new single and pre-order the album here.







Bittersweet Satisfaction sees Bad Touch back, bigger, and bolder than ever before. The band combines classic rock riffs with choruses destined for stadiums, and their signature fun loving attitude to create a some of their best work to date. The record is a ray of positive energy, a celebration of living in the moment and leaving your troubles at the door.


“We are a feel-good, good-time rock’n’roll band.” So says guitarist Daniel “Seeks” Seekings, and really, why does it need to be more complicated than that? It’s been recorded and finished for half a year, and – with a more polished, mainstream sound than they’ve explored before, but still with its roots in the classic rock of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and The Black Crowes – the band are bursting to let it loose on the world.


“We've never sat on anything that long because we're like kids in a candy shop, as soon as we write something, we want to get out there and play stuff,” says frontman Stevie Westwood. “So, it's very exciting. It's slightly more mature. I love every song. It's a different sound for Bad Touch. It's less balls-to-the-wall rock, and the songs seem a bit more thoughtful rather than just kind of exploded out of a tin can.”


Speaking on their latest single "Nothing Wrong With That" the band adds: “We’re delighted to present to the world our new single” exclaims Stevie. “It’s a song for everyone that encompasses the Bad Touch mantra ‘as long as you carry a song in your heart, and a smile on your face, then nothing can get you down.’”


“This song came together during a time when there was a lot of unrest, fear of the unknown, and we all were just getting through day by day, in whatever way we could. A time when we felt the world could use a little lift to somewhere a little bit brighter. So whatever is getting you down, this song is here to say you’re not alone, we are with you, and whatever way you need to get through the bad times… a good book, some good company… or some good wine!… we say…  there’s nothing wrong with that.”





Bittersweet Satisfaction finds Bad Touch with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.


Recorded at The Marshall Studio in Milton Keynes, it was self-produced by the band, engineered by Marshall’s Adam Beer and Ollie Brightman, then mixed in Wales by Motörhead / Bring Me The Horizon producer Romesh Dodangoda, who has made the drums sound suitably immense. A collection of classic rock anthems with heart and soul to spare, it’s sparked grand but relatable ambitions in the Bad Touch camp, a desire to give up the day jobs and dedicate their lives to rock’n’roll, and maybe even, Seeks hopes, have a shot at hitting the charts. Really, though, it’s all about the live experience, the coming together of likeminded people to celebrate the healing powers of music.


“I love meeting new people,” says Seeks. “The ultimate thing is being on stage. Especially if you've got a roomful of people who are really enjoying the music that you've created.”


“There are so many people that come up and shake my hand and go, ‘Your music has really helped me’, and that's a really special thing,” adds Westwood. “I think that's why music resonates with people; they want to feel that their emotions are validated. That's what I always long for when I come to songwriting – I want to write a song that someone can resonate with and go, ‘I've been here, and this is not necessarily a lovely place, but as long as there's someone else who's feeling the same emotions, then at least I'm not alone.’ Doing the nine-to-five is okay, as long as you got a Bad Touch gig at the end of the week.”


Bittersweet Satisfaction artwork and tracklisting:





"Slip Away"
"This Life"
"Spend My Days"
"Bittersweet Satisfaction"
"Nothing Wrong With That"
"Taste This"
"Tonight"
"Come Back Again"
"See It To Believe It"
"Dizzy For You"


(Photo courtesy of Blackham Images)


 

SAXON's founding guitarist Paul Quinn rejoined his bandmates on stage last night (Saturday, July 8) at the Barcelona Rocks festival in Barcelona, Spain. Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

The Barcelona concert took place just one day after DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler made his live debut as SAXON's new touring guitarist at the Rockwave festival in Athens, Greece.

Two months ago, Tatler spoke to Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk about the announcement that he was joining SAXON as the replacement for Quinn.

"Paul Quinn has stepped down from touring because — I think partly it's his age," Brian said. "I mean, he's been doing it for so long — 45, 47 years or something. And all respect due; I mean, he's a fantastic player. So I was happy to accept the offer. And I'm looking forward to it. I'm at home busy learning the set."

In addition to a dozen or so already-announced festival appearances in 2023, SAXON has revealed that it will support JUDAS PRIEST on a U.K. tour in early 2024. "We're playing really big venues," Brian said. "And it's JUDAS PRIEST, SAXON and URIAH HEEP. And I'm amazed to be… I've never been on a tour with JUDAS PRIEST before. The closest DIAMOND HEAD's come in the past is we've been on the same festival bill. I'm a big PRIEST fan and have been since maybe 1975. So to be on tour with them where we can watch them every night and get to know 'em a little bit and chat will be fantastic. I'm stoked about that. That's only come in a couple of weeks ago, and I'm excited for that already. It's not till March 2024, but I'm already looking forward to that."

Brian will join fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, bassist Nibs Carter, drummer Nigel Glockler and Byford for shows throughout the rest of 2023 but will continue to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

In March, Quinn thanked fans for their "outpouring of love and respect" after his announcement that he was "stepping back from touring".

As a result of Quinn's decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

On March 25, Quinn took to his social media to write: "Dear all, seeing the tremendous outpourings of love and respect worldwide, I am deeply grateful. It was an honour sharing this life-enhancing experience with you, our loyal fans.

"I agreed to perform the confirmed shows until autumn, but due to other circumstances the band need time to regroup sooner.

"After 50 years of being on the road, I look forward to trying some new things that this battered body still allows, so our paths might cross again.
"I will always be proud of what we created with SAXON, so it will remain in my DNA. Finishing these last gigs for you and recording music when required is part of the plan.

"I wish all the best to the band for their new chapter and I hope you will join me on mine, whether it is with THE CARDS or other projects.

"Play it Loud and keep the Wheels of Steel rolling.

"All my best, Paul Quinn".

In a recent interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind, Byford spoke about Quinn's decision to retire from the road. The singer said: "Yeah, it's gonna be a change. The thing is it wasn't a surprise. It was talked about for a few years now that he might retire. And the thing is the band are getting bigger, and we're busy and we're doing longer tours and bigger venues. I just think he wants to rest now. So it wasn't really a shock. We talked about it a few times, the fact that he gets very tired quite quickly. There's a lot of pressure on you when you're touring in a band. So, he's gonna be around. He's gonna be doing show till the end of the year with us, and he's gonna doing the new album with us. So pretty much he will be there, but not there, if you know what I mean."

Asked if SAXON was "actively auditioning" guitarists to replace Quinn on the road, Byford responded: "No, not at the moment. We're gonna put somebody in who's been around for a long time and can play great guitar. We want somebody who's from that same era — the '80s era — so I'm gonna let people guess on that."

When Paul's departure was first announced on March 10, SAXON said in a statement: "After much soul searching our great friend and fellow warrior Paul Quinn has decided to step back from touring with SAXON. After many years on the road, with the subsequent stress and tiredness that accompany long tour schedules, Paul doesn't want his performance to suffer and let his fellow band mates and fans down. Paul will continue to record with the band and may play select special shows in the future.

"SAXON stand by Paul's decision and will keep you all informed regarding our next journey.

"The current run of March shows in Europe will continue as is but the band will be cancelling their April dates in South America and the MOR Cruise to give time to re-group. These territories will be re-booked as soon as time permits. All summer festivals will continue as booked."

Quinn alluded to his decision on March 9 in a since-deleted Facebook post. He wrote: "You need to know I will miss you & my SAXON co-workers for the great times on and off stage, so with regret I will leave while I can still hold my head high and not worry about my fingers or brain forgetting riffs, keys or stumbling over licks, as they do occasionally. I am not taking this lightly, and I want to do SAXON proud, whilst continuing to love and play music with THE CARDS and other projects."

THE CARDS is a classic rock trio which Quinn founded in 2016 with DORO/U.D.O. alumnus Harrison Young, and VANDENBERG drummer Koen Herfst. They are currently poised to release their second album this year.

Four years ago, the now-71-year-old Quinn reflected on over four decades of being in the group in an interview with HeadBangers LifeStyle. He said: "Lots of road miles and air miles. It feels great to be relevant still. We always have a blast and I think the audience know that we are one of them. We are one of those party bands that they like. That always helped to get the message across, and Biff shouting at them occasionally. We've always had good members and good songwriters. The present band is included, and we’ve made some good stuff together, I think."

SAXON's new album, "More Inspirations", arrived on March 24 via Silver Lining Music. Following the release of "Inspirations" in 2021, "More Inspirations" is the second "deep dish" serving of the influences which have fed SAXON's immensely successful 40-plus-year career.

Produced by Biff, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann, "More Inspirations" includes takes on RAINBOW, ZZ TOP and CREAM, as well as "Razamanaz" by NAZARETH, THE WHO's "Substitute", and URIAH HEEP's "Gypsy".

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has once again 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 North America, South America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive 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.

Ellefson discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in a new interview with Sense Music Media. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was great to see Phil and Rex last week at Graspop [Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium, where PANTERA and Ellefson's new project DIETH both performed]. I've stayed in touch with those guys. Phil has jammed with us with METAL ALLEGIANCE, and I've seen Rex around quite a bit. So it's nice to see those guys land well, end well. They, too, were super supportive to me a couple of years ago, [sent] some nice messages to me and really had my back," he added, apparently referencing the fact that he was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

"I mean, look, any of us who have been in rock and roll more than a minute or two, we've all been through some shit, man. As has everybody, man — it's called life, man.

"But it was great to see them," Ellefson repeated. "They are doing that very respectfully, I think. Fans love hearing those songs again. So I'm happy for 'em. They're handling it very well."

Ellefson previously talked about the PANTERA reunion last October in an interview with "The Chuck Shute Podcast". At the time, he said: "Look, I just went and did KINGS OF THRASH," referencing his project with fellow ex-MEGADETH members Jeff Young and Chris Poland. "We played early [MEGADETH] songs that people haven't heard in many years and may not ever hear again if someone like us doesn't go play 'em. People love 'em. They love 'em. There are some original members in the organization, so they love it.

"Look, there's no replacing Dime and Vinnie. I mean, on one level, PANTERA as PANTERA, with the brothers, that's set in stone, never to be replicated again. And can't.

"Charlie is one of the best in the business and a great dude," David continued. "He keeps his head down, keeps his mouth shut. He's a man on a mission. I can't say enough great about the guy. And I think Zakk — you could almost see it coming. There's no heir to the throne, if you will, for Dimebag, 'cause it's a throne uniquely his own, but if there was ever anyone who could go out and do that justice, it would be Zakk. And I think that's kind of a 'thumbs up' from everybody on that one.

"Look, people wanna hear the songs. At the end of the day, they wanna hear the songs. And the voice is still there. Rex, he's an original member, so… Why not? Try it. [Laughs]"

Ellefson also spoke in more general terms about bands sometimes reuniting or carrying on with only one or two original members

"I think as a fan, for me, I don't wanna just see a corporate cash grab," he said. "I wanna hear and feel it be authentic. I want to see it be authentic. 'Cause let's face it — people listen with their eyes too. I was using an example, CHEAP TRICK. When I go see CHEAP TRICK, I wanna see Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen. And for me, Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos, that's no longer. But as much as you can, I wanna see some original guys up there. Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley of KISS]. To me, it's a good start. I wish all four of 'em were there, but the reality isn't that. I'm a fan too, so I probably have the same opinion as other people."

When Dimebag was murdered in 2004, Ellefson issued a statement in which he recalled that he first met the PANTERA guitarist in 1987 while in a Dallas, Texas "watering hole." He added: "Dime was a regional guitar hero who went under the name 'Diamond Darrell' and his band was making some big waves in Texas. That night Darrell raved to me about how MEGADETH's 'Peace Sells But Who's Buying' album forever changed his life. The next night PANTERA played a nearby club and they invited me on stage to jam 'Peace Sells' with them, which was kick-ass! They certainly knew their metal, alright. A bond was formed between me and the band which as the years passed was always like seeing good friends again. In fact, I remember calling Darrell years ago asking him if he would join MEGADETH as we were regrouping before 'Rust In Peace'. However, as cool of a musical fit as that might have been, there was no way anyone could split up the brotherly onslaught of him and Vinnie Paul, nor would you want to!

"Years later PANTERA played often with MEGADETH but I specifically remember a funny incident when we did a show together in Hamburg, Germany in the red light district known as the Reeperbahn. Dime's tour tradition was to get a tattoo in honor of his favorite bands he toured with. Right before the show, he walked into the club and showed us his brand new black-and-white tattoo on his lower leg of a black tooth grin. We were like, 'No fucking way, that's insane!' to which he replied, 'Yeah dad, Black Tooth Grin, just like in 'Sweating Bullets'.' Funny thing is I've seen other people get that same tattoo over the years, all in honor of Dime, and it always brings a grin to my face remembering how nuts he was to go out and get a tattoo in that part of town in our honor.

"In closing, Dime truly lived, breathed and played metal like no other guitar slinger out there."

This past March, PANTERA headlined the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event took place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America.

Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

Up until his passing, 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.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

👊🏼 Great time catching up with my friends in Pantera at Graspop Metal Meeting‼️
#pantera #graspopmetalmeeting

Posted by David Ellefson on Saturday, June 17, 2023

On a recent episode of the "Talk Louder" podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist "Metal Dave" Glessner and lifelong hard rock/metal vocalist Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS),JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked to name the best piece of advice he ever got from PRIEST singer Rob Halford. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were in the studio writing [2018's] 'Firepower' [album] and we had some differences of opinion. And I said my piece and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] said his piece. I mean, he's a legend of rock guitar. What the hell do I know? But I felt like I had an opinion. So we had a few words — it wasn't arguing or anything like that, but we had some strong opinions about where we thought the song should go. And afterwards, I said to Rob, 'Sorry that it got like that.' And he said, 'No, you have to do that. Otherwise you resent the other person and you end up not doing anything. If you think that that opinion is right, you've gotta put it out there.' And he's right. I think otherwise, you can imagine, if you do that a few times, you start resenting the people that you're creating with, and that just stifles the creativity. So I always remember that. And Glenn is one of those guys as well that he'll always say, 'What is your idea?', and if he thinks it's a better idea, we'll go with that. So he's very open to new ideas, which he didn't have to be. So it was an honor to be included in stuff like that."

Back in 2014, Tipton told the "Talking Metal" podcast that PRIEST recruiting Faulkner to replace original PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing in 2011 was "just a miracle, really. I said it many times. I honestly believe if we hadn't found Richie, or he had found us, there would be no JUDAS PRIEST," he said. "He has brought a lot of energy, youthful enthusiasm. He's brought all that and more."

Glenn's comments were similar to those made by Halford in a 2015 interview with The Georgia Straight. At the time, the singer said about finding Downing's replacement: "We didn't want a copycat, we didn't want somebody that was just gonna replicate things. The basic components of the song are already in place, but we said to Richie: 'Don't be afraid to do your own thing, because it's important that you establish your own identity.' Which he did. And the fans were so receptive. There was no negativity toward the guy. Let's face it, to some extent Richie saved JUDAS PRIEST, because if we hadn't found him at the crucial time that we were looking for a guitar player, things could have turned out quite differently."

Faulkner is currently promoting "Horns For A Halo", the debut album from ELEGANT WEAPONS, his new project also featuring singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG). The LP, which was released on May 26 via Nuclear Blast, was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

ELEGANT WEAPONS, which is rounded out by Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums, recently hit the road in Europe, with dates running through the end of July. The trek includes performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining shows.

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth was asked which METALLICA album he thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You know, you have to first understand that the thing that changed everything, where all the rules were broken, was [METALLICA's debut album, 1983's] 'Kill 'Em All'. Others will say, 'Hey, listen, that's not the best METALLICA album.' I get that, but all the rules were broken from that point.

"If I had to make a pick of those two ['Ride The Lightning' or 'Master Of Puppets'], I would say 'Master Of Puppets' because I think that they had come into their own at that point. And the excitement level can only go so far before you have to be great songwriters, and I think by the time they got to 'Master Of Puppets', they became great songwriters."

Ellsworth went on to say that OVERKILL will come close to performing at the same event as METALLICA this summer. "They actually added us on the MetLife [Stadium] New Jersey show [during their 'M72' tour in early August]. We're gonna play outside the arena at the main gate; they're putting up a theater stage there as people are coming in. And they're doing those takeovers where it's two nights — it's a Friday and a Sunday — and they have stuff in between; a day off on Saturday and stuff in between. But PRONG is doing the Friday night and we're doing the Sunday night, on the way in. So I guess it's kind of cool still, after all these years, to still be connected to those guys."

Bobby added: "I always remember people telling me, 'That whole sound that came out of the [San Francisco] Bay Area was just unbelievable, that scene.' And I always say this: that may be true, but [METALLICA] had to travel three thousand fucking miles east to New Jersey to get signed [laughs] — by the label [Megaforce Records] that we were on [laughs] soon thereafter. [Laughs]"

Back in January 2017, Ellsworth was asked by Metal Shock Finland why he thinks OVERKILL wasn't included in the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. He responded: "First and foremost, I think it's necessary to be concerned with your own house as opposed to what other people do.

"I think they're for sure a great compliment to the metal community, because I think it shows the power [those bands have within] the industry, being able to play the size venues that they did," he continued. "Obviously, METALLICA is worth the majority of those tickets, because they reinvented music on a heavy level by showing that a band out of San Francisco could make this happen at this large of a scale. And even the new record, the 'Hardwired' record, is, to me, back to, let's say, that angry, aggressive approach that was [present] on '…And Justice For All'."

Ellsworth added: "But when it comes to being selected and not selected, that's a simple accounting issue. When you talk numbers, numbers make the world go around, numbers put food on your table, and numbers put the 'Big Four' in arenas. And they sell enough records to do that.

"For me, it's not a concern. To even be asked the question from you is quite a compliment with regard to, let's say, our longevity or tenacity doing what we like doing. But this is quite simply an accounting issue. He who sells the most gets the pole positions."

Back in 2014, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked by U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine if it's strange to him how much METALLICA has eclipsed the other "Big Four" bands in terms of commercial popularity.

"I try not to spend too much time thinking about stuff like that because whatever I think of is still not going to be a satisfying enough explanation," he replied. "It's just the way things are and how the chips fell.

"EXODUS in the '80s had some bona fide problems, but I think their first album [1985's 'Bonded By Blood'] is just as good as 'Kill 'Em All'," he added. "We were just playing the music we wanted to hear because no one else was playing it and it wasn't being played on the radio. It was only a small group of people who knew about it and it was almost elitist in that 'No posers allowed!' thing."

OVERKILL will embark on the "Scorching The Earth" U.S. tour with EXHORDER and HEATHEN this summer. The 16-date trek will kick off on July 13 in San Francisco and make stops in Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale and Silver Springs, among other cities, before ending in Huntington, New York on July 30.

OVERKILL's twentieth studio album, "Scorched", was released on April 14 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth photo by Frank White

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was interviewed this past February for an episode of AXS TV's "Power Hour" which has just been uploaded to YouTube. Asked during the chat by co-host Matt Pinfield if making MEGADETH's latest album, last year's "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", was as enjoyable as recording the band's previous efforts had been in the past, Dave said: "It was really tough this time because of [my May 2019 throat] cancer [diagnosis]. The plandemic and everything was enough for us all to have to deal with. And getting cancer on top of that was just kind of the cherry on the top. I was feeling kind of a little detached from myself for a little while, and I need to get into that place of uncomfortability to write good. 'Cause when I'm feeling comfy, I don't really push myself. When I'm feeling angry or agitated or things aren't going my way, I start to feel out of place and that place is [where] I feel like I create my most intense music, because I'm a person that if you bump me, at that moment I don't know what's gonna come out."

The 61-year-old MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist revealed his cancer battle in June 2019 on social media, saying the doctors had given him a 90 percent chance of beating the illness.

Mustaine addressed his cancer battle during MEGADETH's concert in January 2020 at The SSE Arena in London, England. Speaking to the crowd before launching into the title track of MEGADETH's previous album, "Dystopia", he said: "About a year ago, we were working on our new album back in Franklin, Tennessee, and I started to feel some pain over here [points to his throat]. So I went to the doctor and he said, 'Dave, you have cancer.' And I went, 'Fuck! I have cancer.' And I was so shocked."

He continued: "At first, I thought, 'Am I afraid?' And then I said, 'No. I'm fucking pissed.' And we stopped the record; we stopped everything. I went into treatment for cancer. It was 51 radiation treatments and nine chemo treatments. And when it was all said and done, every day I would think, 'I can't face not playing again. I can't face not playing again.' So I would pray. I know a lot of you guys know that I pray. I say that in [the MEGADETH song] 'Peace Sells'. I pray every day. I say that in the song. I've said it since the second record. But I thought about you guys every day too. And I thought about my family. And I got this power from you guys. And I just kept thinking about it. And on October 16th [2019], I went to go see the doctor, and he said, 'You're 100 percent free of cancer.'"

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

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

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

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

MEGADETH's recently completed "Crush The World" tour kicked off in British Columbia, with shows in Abbotsford and Kelowna on April 28 and 29, respectively, before making stops in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal and Moncton, and wrapping up on May 15 in Halifax. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and ONI provided support on the tour.

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

In a recent interview with Marty Duda of The 13th Floor, AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ spoke about the band's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which arrived on June 2 via Warner. Regarding why it took so long to put together the LP, considering it has been seven years since 2016's "The Stage" was released, Johnny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There were several roadblocks that we had to get by. One of the biggest ones, the one that everybody knows about, is the pandemic, unfortunately. We got off the road in 2018, just like any other times, a little abruptly — our singer had some vocal issues. But just like any other time, we decided, 'Okay, let's just take a couple of months off. We just got home. Let's see friends and family for a little bit,' start to figure out what our muse was gonna be or what we wanna create on the new record. And we start those conversations and we start writing individually and then we start bringing it all together. That process was going well. We took a little bit — about the same time as it usually does, maybe a little longer; it was a little over a year by the time we were ready to take our demos and re-record them into the record forms that we do. And that was right about the time — we were scheduling with [producer] Joe Barresi, studio time, and the whole world shut down. So we were, like, 'Well, I guess we're gonna take a little bit longer on this.'"

He continued: "You find the silver lining when shit like that goes down. So the silver lining was we all have young kids now, young families, so we were stay-at-home dads for a lot of it, for the last five years, which was really cool. I got to take my son to all of his practices and games and everything and school. It's not like you want a pandemic to happen, but it gave us a new perspective on the record that we were about ready to go record. And it gave us time to continue to trim the fat.

"There's a lot of information on this record, but time-wise, it's our shortest record we've ever put out," Johnny added. "So it feels like you've gotten all this information, but we trimmed all the fat, and we did that over a process. And those delays allowed us time to experiment with our instruments or new technology, what's going on out there. We did some really fun stuff that people won't even know… you won't even hear it. [People will think], 'Oh, they must have programmed that.' We didn't program really anything on this record; it's all live playing, even down to the flutes. [Guitarist] Synyster Gates played flutes. It was a really wild time to just get in there [and make] a record that would have been made in the '70s or the '80s but with this sound. And it was a lot of fun."

Written and recorded over the span of four years, "Life Is But A Dream…" was produced by Joe Barresi and AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. The album is a journey through an existential crisis; a very personal exploration into the meaning, purpose and value of human existence with the anxiety of death always looming.

"Life Is But A Dream…" reportedly sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart. AVENGED SEVENFOLD's previous LP, "The Stage", debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2016. The surprise release of "The Stage" earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, less than half the tally of its previous two efforts.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The band's setlist included three songs from "Life Is But A Dream…": "Game Over", "We Love You" and "Nobody".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In April, AVENGED SEVENFOLD announced the second leg of its extensive "Life is But A Dream…" North American tour featuring support from FALLING IN REVERSE. Produced by Live Nation, leg two includes stops in Nashville, Denver, Austin, and more before concluding at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena on October 15. Fans will have the opportunity to hear the group's first single in seven years, "Nobody", and their new album "Life Is But A Dream…" for the first time live during the 30-show outing.

The first leg with support from ALEXISONFIRE includes thirteen cities across the U.S. and Canada, such as Mansfield, Québec City, Tinley Park, Calgary, and more.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD kicked off its 2023 touring run earlier this month with two unique one-night-only arena shows in New York and Los Angeles.

In a new interview with Sense Music Media, David Ellefson once again opened up about his dismissal from MEGADETH more than two years ago, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. Asked which other musicians were particularly supportive of him the months immediately following his firing from MEGADETH, Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, first of all, pretty much everybody. Because it was a bullshit situation. Twiggy from MARILYN MANSON… [Laughs] A whole bunch of people who I'd been friends with. Nergal [of BEHEMOTH] has become a friend. And I know he publicly spoke out in my defense and was very supportive to me. And I didn't even know him. I was a fan of his band. I just met him recently here when we were in Poland with [my new band] DIETH, and now I've become definitely friends with him. He's a real mensch; he's a standup guy; he's not afraid to speak up and step up. And I think that says a lot about someone's character."

David continued: "I read something really great. Jason Flom, who is [from] Lava Records. He signed a bunch of great stuff — TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Just a great guy. He put up something the other day. He said, 'I'd rather be excluded for who I included than to be included because of who I excluded.' And I thought, 'Man, that says it all.'

"What I found out is the people who distanced themselves from me are the ones who were guilty of shit way worse than anything I fucking did. Let me tell you that right now. And that's where some friends came alongside me and said, 'Man, I had something similar happen. And when my band or my boss or my people distanced from me, it's, like, the mirror popped up' of, like, 'Oh, shit' — they saw themselves in the mirror. Which is why I set out immediately to settle the score — meaning, to say, 'Fuck you. How dare you do this to me, or anybody?' Of course, everybody immediately, 'cause everybody's trying to protect their reputation and their public image and all that… I mean, I understand — I understand on one level the embarrassment or whatever of, like, 'Oh my gosh. What is this?' But it's, like, man, I think sometimes in situations that we've been in the longest, we find out we really aren't that close after all, at the end of the day.

"I knew that when I came back to MEGADETH in 2010, I saved their fucking ass, because there was no one else who was gonna be playing 'Rust In Peace' [in its entirety on that tour], and it was a perfect setup for that," Ellefson added. "And, you know, look, after 11, almost 12 years there, if that journey's over, well, move on. And I didn't sit around and lick my wounds and cry. I'm not making a career now of throwing rocks at them. It's, like, why? Just fucking move on, man. So I had a lot of really wonderful supporters — like I said, pretty much everybody. And look, I think the other reality of it is a lot of people kind of [went], 'Oh, shit. That could happen to any of us,' some related thing like that, the sort of celebrity shaming and all this kind of shit. Look, you live, you learn, you move on.

"Look, I'm only famous 'cause I'm a musician. [Laughs] And I always say, 'Be famous for what you do. Don't just do things to go be famous.' I'm not a social media influencer and all this kind of bullshit. I play songs — songs that, fortunately, a lot of people like. So that's why I ever got any notoriety in the first place, and, honestly, that's what I'd rather be known for, is doing that. So that's the thing that I've kept doing."

Shortly before Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, 2021, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14, 2021 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was fired.

Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — released a statement on May 24, 2021 announcing the bassist's departure from the band. In the statement, Dave said: "We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward."

Two days after Mustaine announced Ellefson's latest departure from MEGADETH, the bassist released a follow-up statement in which he vowed to file a "defamation lawsuit" against the person who "illegally posted a very private video" of the bassist and made "false allegations" against him. He also said he was working with the police in Scottsdale "in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted the video. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Ellefson wrote. He went on to say that he was "taking this time to be with my family" and wished his "bandmates" the best with their tour.

Last month, Ellefson told Andrew McKaysmith of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast that he was prepared for his latest exit from MEGADETH.

"When my departure from MEGADETH happened, a lot of people were hitting me [up and saying], 'Oh my God. It's so terrible. It's so terrible,'" he recalled. "[And I said], 'Yeah, believe me, it's not.' [Laughs] It really isn't. I was ready for it. I didn't think it was gonna go down that way; I didn't see that coming. But the fact that it happened, I was not sad about it. I was okay with it. Because I knew there's another journey ahead, and that journey wasn't gonna start until I was out of the old one.

"When you're in a group, you're in a setting, you've gotta play company man and you kind of go along with the narrative that's been set forth.

"There was a lot of things, a lot of the narrative in that band that I never agreed with," Ellefson admitted. "A lot of that band was started on a grudge and a hardship of the firing [of MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine] from METALLICA. That was never my story. I was always a METALLICA fan and I became friends with those guys. I have nothing but gratitude for that group and those gentlemen for what they've done for all of us, and I think they deserve the biggest applause. So it was hard to be in a band that always had this saltiness around that whole narrative, because it was never my narrative. So I went along to get along, but now I don't have to do that. And now I can be on my own path. These are my words; it's my story now. And maybe the events that happened a couple of years ago, I needed to have my own story to tell. 'Cause when you quit a band, everyone's pissed at you; they hate you: 'Oh, fuck you. You quit. You quit my favorite band.' But when you get tossed out… And I'm not looking for the sympathy card. You don't have to feel sorry for me; you don't have to do any of that. But it's interesting that, I guess the way it happened… it went down in a way that it was certainly visible enough and on a level that… It was sort of, like, okay, well, what's gonna happen next? And I just tried to be faithful to just following my heart, following the path."

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Photo credit: Maciej Pieloch

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, PEARL JAM bassist Jeff Ament spoke about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to the band's 2020 album "Gigaton". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think I heard Stone [Gossard, guitar] thought that the record was done, but I know for a fact that it's not. I don't think all the songs are done.

"The hardest part of making a record a lot of times is figuring out which songs go on the record and do we need to record another song, and what's the artwork and what's the title, and all that stuff," Jeff explained. "And I know for a fact right now everybody wants the summer off, because last summer was a bit of a grind. For me, in a week, I'm shutting everything off. And I know at that point, the record's still not done, so come September we're still gonna be… The questions we have about where we're at and whatever, we'll ask those questions again and we'll revisit them. But I think everybody hopes that we have a record out next year. If we have a record out next year, that means we'll probably play a few more shows. There's a couple of places we haven't played in quite a while. I think we have stuff penciled in."

Regarding the inspiration for PEARL JAM's new material, Ament said: "Well, we've talked a lot about, in the last three or four years, how we've sort of earned the right to do whatever the fuck we want to right now. And so why wouldn't we go all the way with that? Saying, like, 'Everybody, make a list of the 10 things that you wanna do in this band before we're done. Where is the city that you've never played? Or where is the venue you wanna go back to? Or what's the kind of song you wanna write? Or what's the cause you wanna get behind within the context of the band?' Those are sort of the things I talk about.

"It feels like we're sort of at this point where we should be able to turn a big corner," he continued. "We've earned the right to sort of, like… And that's tough, because there's five of us that are pulling the cart. And so sometimes you end up pulling the cart in opposite directions. It's, like, just embracing all of that — embracing everybody's ideas and everybody's hopes and dreams and wishes and styles.

"We have this amazing community as a band and the families within the band, and the people that we work with and the people that have worked with us for, like, 32 years in some cases. It's taken us this long for it to work this efficiently. We should be killing it right now in every way. I think that's what we hope for musically. I think we wanna turn the corner and I think we wanna access all the best parts of each other and we wanna flourish within that. We just wanna support the best parts of each other so we consequently make the best music.

"Sometimes there's a lot of ego involved, and if somebody feels like they're working harder than the other person, or whatever the stuff is, but if you can just leave that stuff behind and focus on how do we support each other so each person brings the best to the song we're working on right now," Ament added. "And I think that's what we're trying to do. The stuff we've been doing the last couple of years, it sort of feels like we've hit on that in a few instances."

PEARL JAM will hit the road in August and September performing nine shows across St. Paul, Chicago, Indianapolis, Fort Worth and Austin.

2020 officially marked 30 years of PEARL JAM performing live. Eleven studio albums, hundreds of unique live performances and official live concert bootleg releases later, the band continues to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful — with over 85 million albums sold worldwide. PEARL JAM was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017.

"Gigaton" was released in March 2020. Featuring fan favorites "Dance Of The Clairvoyants", "Superblood Wolfmoon" and "Quick Escape", the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Billboard Vinyl Albums Chart. In addition, it hit Top 5 on Billboard 200 chart, No. 2 on Billboard Top Album Sales chart and to date has reached over 200 million global streams. The album was critically acclaimed, with Entertainment Weekly raving, "It's a sturdy rock album from five guys who know what they're doing, took time till they had something to say, are interpolating new influences and sound stoked to be back together in a room."

Scott Weiland's widow is selling a self-portrait the late STONE TEMPLE PILOTS drew several months before his death.

This past Sunday (July 2), photographer Jamie Wachtel Weiland took to her Instagram to share several images from a sketchbook, including the above-mentioned Scott Weiland self-portrait, and she wrote in an accompanying message: "Came across this gem while packing my studio…a sketchbook of mine that #scottweiland got his hands on. The doodle on the cover as well as his self-portrait and a drawing of me are inside, done in 2015. I am parting with this book, which brings sadness but also joy, knowing that someone will cherish this very rare item. Also, I have my memories, and always will. It is listed on my site, www.jamieweiland.bigcartel.com (moving sale discount does not apply to this item). #love #art #sketchbook #selfportrait".

Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in December 2015 at the age of 48 from a toxic mix of drugs and alcohol. The vocalist, who was on the road with his solo band THE WILDABOUTS, was also dealing with self-medication, estrangement from his children, financial difficulties and a steadily increasing drinking problem.

A January 2016 report from Billboard revealed that Scott was dealing with hepatitis C, mental illness and the knowledge that both his parents had cancer in the final months of his life. The article featured interviews with Scott's widow Jamie, his mother Sharon, his WILDABOUTS bandmates Tommy Black and Nick Maybury, tour manager Aaron Mohler and others.

Jamie said at the time that Scott had been experiencing episodes of paranoia and mania caused by bipolar disorder.

She explained: "At one point, it was so bad I had to move out because he was unstable." Eventually they found a medication that leveled him out, with Jamie adding "For the last couple of years, he was doing pretty great."

In addition to STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Scott fronted VELVET REVOLVER from 2004 through 2008. He rejoined STP in 2008 after a six-year hiatus, but was dismissed from the group in 2013 due to his erratic behavior.

Seven years ago, Jamie filed a claim against Scott's estate, saying he owed her $64,406. Jamie said she and Scott signed a prenuptial agreement before their 2013 wedding which provided that the musician would put $2,000 into a separate account each month that they were married, with a provision that the amount would increase by seven percent annually. But Jamie said Scott had only made two deposits by the time he died in December 2015.

TMZ said that the document was "cut and dried," stating "what was his before the marriage remained his, and vice versa." In addition, the agreement waived Jamie's right to spousal support.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Jamie Weiland's creditor's claim against the estate was denied in August 2019.

Mary Forsberg was Weiland's second wife and mother to his children, Noah and Lucy. His first marriage to Janina Castenada lasted from 1994 to 2000.

Forsberg posted a brutally candid letter about Scott at RollingStone.com following his death, writing that his children "lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on December 3rd [2015] was hope."

Dolly Parton has thanked MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx for his guest appearance on the latest single from her hotly anticipated "Rockstar" album, "Bygones".

Earlier today (Wednesday, July 5),Sixx shared a typed message he received from Dolly and he captioned it: "Gonna have to frame this one."

In her message, Dolly wrote: "Hi Nikki, Well... I guess you've heard, we've got us a hit record! We're 41 from what I hear on 'Bygones'! You did a fantastic job on that. Thank you for joining us, you made it a lot of what it is. I appreciate you. Rock on! Love, Dolly".

"Bygones", which also features JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and MÖTLEY CRÜE's John 5, recently debuted atop the Mediabase Classic Rock Songs chart.

Dolly said in a statement: "I am so excited to see the response 'Bygones' is receiving! To debut at No. 1 on the Rock charts is such a thrill for me, and it makes it even sweeter to share this with Rob, Nikki and John 5. I also have to recognize my coproducer on the album and cowriter on this song, Kent Wells, who helped me bring this song to life. I am a happy girl today!"

"Bygones" follows the lead single from "Rockstar", "World On Fire" — another Parton original — that became the album's first No. 1 when it peaked atop Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales chart in May.

"It's been a career-long goal to work with Dolly and when we heard she was nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, we called management and said, 'hopefully, this is our time!'," said Big Machine Label Group chairman Scott Borchetta. "We are so proud to deliver her first Rock Radio No. 1!"

In addition to "World On Fire" and "Bygones", Parton has released a personalized cover of the rock classic "Magic Man (Carl Version) (feat. Ann Wilson)" with special guest Howard Leese.

Dolly previously said: "'Bygones' is an original song of mine featuring Rob Halford from JUDAS PRIEST with Nikki Sixx and John 5. It is one of my very favorites on the whole album. The song fits with so many couples and coupling my voice with Rob, one of my all-time favorites, made it even more special."

Parton teamed up with an all-star roster of musicians for the 30-song "Rockstar" collection which includes nine original tracks and 21 iconic rock anthems. "Rockstar" is set for global release on November 17 via Butterfly Records with distribution by Big Machine Label Group and will be available as a four-LP set, a two-CD set, digital download and on all streaming services.

Dolly said: "I'm so excited to finally present my first rock and roll album 'Rockstar'! I am very honored and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure. I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I've enjoyed putting it together!"

"Rockstar" track listing:

* Rockstar (special guest Richie Sambora)
* World On Fire
* Every Breath You Take (feat. Sting)
* Open Arms (feat. Steve Perry)
* Magic Man (feat. Ann Wilson with special guest Howard Leese)
* Long As I Can See The Light (feat. John Fogerty)
* Either Or (feat. Kid Rock)
* I Want You Back (feat. Steven Tyler with special guest Warren Haynes)
* What Has Rock And Roll Ever Done For You (feat. Stevie Nicks with special guest Waddy Wachtel)
* Purple Rain
* Baby, I Love Your Way (feat. Peter Frampton)
* I Hate Myself For Loving You (feat. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
* Night Moves (feat. Chris Stapleton)
* Wrecking Ball (feat. Miley Cyrus)
* (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (feat. P!nk & Brandi Carlile)
* Keep On Loving You (feat. Kevin Cronin)
* Heart Of Glass (feat. Debbie Harry)
* Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (feat. Elton John)
* Tried To Rock And Roll Me (feat. Melissa Etheridge)
* Stairway To Heaven (feat. Lizzo & Sasha Flute)
* We Are The Champions
* Bygones (feat. Rob Halford with special guests Nikki Sixx & John 5)
* My Blue Tears (feat. Simon Le Bon)
* What's Up? (feat. Linda Perry)
* You're No Good (feat. Emmylou Harris & Sheryl Crow)
* Heartbreaker (feat. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo)
* Bittersweet (feat. Michael McDonald)
* I Dreamed About Elvis (feat. Ronnie McDowell with special guest The Jordanaires)
* Let It Be (feat. Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr with special guests Peter Frampton & Mick Fleetwood)
* Free Bird (feat. Ronnie Van Zant with special guests Gary Rossington, Artimus Pyle and The Artimus Pyle Band)

When Parton was inducted into the Rock Hall, she mentioned several artists during her speech that she wanted to collaborate with on her rock album and revealed that she and Steve Perry would be singing JOURNEY's "Open Arms" together.

"If I'm gonna be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I'm gonna have to do something to earn it. So I'm doing a rock and roll album, and I'm having a lot of the rock stars that I met that night be on the album with me," Parton later explained.

Speaking to TotalRock, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford said about his collaboration with Dolly: "After the show, her manager came up to me, Danny [Nozell], and he goes, 'She's doing a project, like a rock album. Would you be interested?' I said, 'Yeah. Here's my number.' And then, out of the blue, like four weeks later, and suddenly [there's] ideas for some more work."

Parton is the most honored and revered female country singer-songwriter of all time and was recently inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Achieving 27 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, she has had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. Parton is the first artist to have topped the Billboard's Adult Contemporary, Christian AC Songs, Hot Country Songs, Christian Airplay, Country Airplay and Dance/Mix Show Airplay radio charts. Parton became the first country artist honored as Grammy MusiCares Person Of The Year given out by NARAS. She has 48 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over the past 50-plus years.

In 2014 the RIAA recognized her impact on recorded music with a plaque commemorating more than 100 million units sold worldwide. She has garnered eleven Grammy Awards and 51 nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, 10 Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year; five Academy Of Country Music Awards, also including a nod for Entertainer Of The Year; four People's Choice Awards; and three American Music Awards. In 1999, Parton was inducted as a member of the coveted Country Music Hall Of Fame.

In 2020, she released the Christmas album "A Holly Dolly Christmas" which went No. 1 on the Billboard Country and Holiday charts, as well released the best-selling coffee table book "Songteller: My Life in Lyrics". In 2021, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for the film "Dolly Parton's Christmas On The Square" and in December 2022, she released on NBC an all-new original holiday movie called "Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas" with her starring as well as producing; it was the most watched film of that year and the two years prior.

To date, Parton has donated over 205 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library. Her children's book, "Coat Of Many Colors", was dedicated to the Library Of Congress to honor the Imagination Library's 100 millionth book donation. In March of 2022, Parton released the book "Run Rose Run" which she co-authored with James Patterson which sat at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller's List for five weeks, a record for this decade. She also released an accompanying album of the same name with original songs inspired by the book which reached No. 1 on three charts simultaneously — Country, Americana/Folk and Bluegrass Albums. From her "Coat Of Many Colors" while working "9 To 5", no dream is too and no mountain too high for the country girl who turned the world into her stage.

Gonna have to frame this one. ♥️

Posted by Nikki Sixx on Wednesday, July 5, 2023

DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler made his live debut as SAXON's new touring guitarist earlier tonight (Friday, July 7) at the Rockwave festival in Athens, Greece. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Two months ago, Tatler spoke to Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk about the announcement that he was joining SAXON as the replacement for recently departed founding guitarist Paul Quinn.

"Paul Quinn has stepped down from touring because — I think partly it's his age," Brian said. "I mean, he's been doing it for so long — 45, 47 years or something. And all respect due; I mean, he's a fantastic player. So I was happy to accept the offer. And I'm looking forward to it. I'm at home busy learning the set."

In addition to a dozen or so already-announced festival appearances in 2023, SAXON has revealed that it will support JUDAS PRIEST on a U.K. tour in early 2024. "We're playing really big venues," Brian said. "And it's JUDAS PRIEST, SAXON and URIAH HEEP. And I'm amazed to be… I've never been on a tour with JUDAS PRIEST before. The closest DIAMOND HEAD's come in the past is we've been on the same festival bill. I'm a big PRIEST fan and have been since maybe 1975. So to be on tour with them where we can watch them every night and get to know 'em a little bit and chat will be fantastic. I'm stoked about that. That's only come in a couple of weeks ago, and I'm excited for that already. It's not till March 2024, but I'm already looking forward to that."

Brian joins fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, bassist Nibs Carter, drummer Nigel Glockler and Byford for shows starting July 7 in Athens, Greece but will continue to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

In March, Quinn thanked fans for their "outpouring of love and respect" after his announcement that he was "stepping back from touring".

As a result of Quinn's decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

On March 25, Quinn took to his social media to write: "Dear all, seeing the tremendous outpourings of love and respect worldwide, I am deeply grateful. It was an honour sharing this life-enhancing experience with you, our loyal fans.

"I agreed to perform the confirmed shows until autumn, but due to other circumstances the band need time to regroup sooner.

"After 50 years of being on the road, I look forward to trying some new things that this battered body still allows, so our paths might cross again.
"I will always be proud of what we created with SAXON, so it will remain in my DNA. Finishing these last gigs for you and recording music when required is part of the plan.

"I wish all the best to the band for their new chapter and I hope you will join me on mine, whether it is with THE CARDS or other projects.

"Play it Loud and keep the Wheels of Steel rolling.

"All my best, Paul Quinn".

In a recent interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind, Byford spoke about Quinn's decision to retire from the road. The singer said: "Yeah, it's gonna be a change. The thing is it wasn't a surprise. It was talked about for a few years now that he might retire. And the thing is the band are getting bigger, and we're busy and we're doing longer tours and bigger venues. I just think he wants to rest now. So it wasn't really a shock. We talked about it a few times, the fact that he gets very tired quite quickly. There's a lot of pressure on you when you're touring in a band. So, he's gonna be around. He's gonna be doing show till the end of the year with us, and he's gonna doing the new album with us. So pretty much he will be there, but not there, if you know what I mean."

Asked if SAXON was "actively auditioning" guitarists to replace Quinn on the road, Byford responded: "No, not at the moment. We're gonna put somebody in who's been around for a long time and can play great guitar. We want somebody who's from that same era — the '80s era — so I'm gonna let people guess on that."

When Paul's departure was first announced on March 10, SAXON said in a statement: "After much soul searching our great friend and fellow warrior Paul Quinn has decided to step back from touring with SAXON. After many years on the road, with the subsequent stress and tiredness that accompany long tour schedules, Paul doesn't want his performance to suffer and let his fellow band mates and fans down. Paul will continue to record with the band and may play select special shows in the future.

"SAXON stand by Paul's decision and will keep you all informed regarding our next journey.

"The current run of March shows in Europe will continue as is but the band will be cancelling their April dates in South America and the MOR Cruise to give time to re-group. These territories will be re-booked as soon as time permits. All summer festivals will continue as booked."

Quinn alluded to his decision on March 9 in a since-deleted Facebook post. He wrote: "You need to know I will miss you & my SAXON co-workers for the great times on and off stage, so with regret I will leave while I can still hold my head high and not worry about my fingers or brain forgetting riffs, keys or stumbling over licks, as they do occasionally. I am not taking this lightly, and I want to do SAXON proud, whilst continuing to love and play music with THE CARDS and other projects."

THE CARDS is a classic rock trio which Quinn founded in 2016 with DORO/U.D.O. alumnus Harrison Young, and VANDENBERG drummer Koen Herfst. They are currently poised to release their second album this year.

Four years ago, the now-71-year-old Quinn reflected on over four decades of being in the group in an interview with HeadBangers LifeStyle. He said: "Lots of road miles and air miles. It feels great to be relevant still. We always have a blast and I think the audience know that we are one of them. We are one of those party bands that they like. That always helped to get the message across, and Biff shouting at them occasionally. We've always had good members and good songwriters. The present band is included, and we’ve made some good stuff together, I think."

SAXON's new album, "More Inspirations", arrived on March 24 via Silver Lining Music. Following the release of "Inspirations" in 2021, "More Inspirations" is the second "deep dish" serving of the influences which have fed SAXON's immensely successful 40-plus-year career.

Produced by Biff, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann, "More Inspirations" includes takes on RAINBOW, ZZ TOP and CREAM, as well as "Razamanaz" by NAZARETH, THE WHO's "Substitute", and URIAH HEEP's "Gypsy".

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

British rockers ASKING ALEXANDRIA will release their eighth full-length studio album, "Where Do We Go From Here?", on August 25 via Better Noise Music. The 11-track effort was produced and mixed by Matt Good (HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, FROM FIRST TO LAST) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (DEFTONES, METALLICA) and Will Borza. The album is a culmination of ASKING ALEXANDRIA's career, melding the band's flagship sound with experimental electronics while its lyrics cover the group's trademark themes of disenchantment, loss, anxiety, and dejection.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce states: "'Where Do We Go From Here?' is the culmination of our entire journey as a band. We worked really hard to incorporate every aspect of what our fans love about ASKING ALEXANDRIA. We have taken elements from every single record we have ever written and pieced them all together to create one album. Our fans will find elements from 'Stand Up And Scream', such as the synth-tinged breakdown on 'Things Could Be Different', all the way through to 'See What's On The Inside' on this album. Lyrically, the album explores themes of loss and struggle through to hope and finding your own inner strength. We are incredibly proud of this album, and we can't wait for everyone to hear it."

"Where Do We Go From Here?" track listing:

01. Bad Blood
02. Things Could Be Different
03. Let Go
04. Psycho
05. Dark Void
06. Nothing Left
07. Feel
08. Let The Dead Take Me
09. Kill It With Fire
10. Holding On To Something More
11. Where Do We Go From Here?

ASKING ALEXANDRIA released "Where Do We Go From Here?"'s first official radio single, "Psycho", in June. The track, which was the No. 1 Most Added and No. 1 Most Increased Played Track at Active Rock radio for two consecutive weeks, currently sits at No. 25 on the Active Rock charts. It has since received over two million streams and more than 375,000 video views. Alongside the release of "Psycho", ASKING ALEXANDRIA also unveiled the heavy-hitting track "Bad Blood" and has just shared its lyric video. Notably, the album's debut track "Dark Void" (released May 12) has to date received 1.2 million video views and over 7.2 million streams.

Beginning the week after album release, ASKING ALEXANDRIA will launch an extensive U.S. tour with THE HU, BAD WOLVES and ZERO 9:36. The "Psycho Thunder" tour kicks off on August 30 and stretches into early fall, ending in Los Angeles, California on October 8, with a few festival appearances included along the way.

Photo credit: Danny Worsnop

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE has announced details of a special deluxe edition of its celebrated new album "Scoring The End Of The World". Available for pre-order today, "Scoring The End Of The World (Deluxe Edition)" sees the band expanding on its acclaimed 2022 album with new four new bonus tracks: "Hollow Points", "Fool's Gold", "Timebomb" (STEOTW Mix),and "Porcelain: Ricky Motion Picture Collection". Set for worldwide release on September 8, "Scoring The End Of The World (Deluxe Edition)" will be available in multiple formats and on vinyl for the first time ever in several different color variants: black, orange, hellfire, scorched earth, and electric purple, the latter of which comes with exclusive alternate cover artwork.

"Scoring The End Of The World (Deluxe Edition)" track listing:

01. Meltdown
02. Sign Of Life
03. Werewolf
04. Porcelain
05. Slaughterhouse (feat. Bryan Garris)
06. Masterpiece
07. Cause Of Death
08. We Become The Night
09. Burned At Both Ends II
10. BFBTG: Corpse Nation
11. Cyberhex
12. Red White & Boom (feat. Caleb Shomo)
13. Scoring The End Of The World (feat. Mick Gordon)
14. Hollow Points
15. Fool's Gold
16. Timebomb (STEOTW Mix)
17. Porcelain: Ricky Motion Picture Collection

Up next MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will join Grammy Award-nominated act IN THIS MOMENT for an epic co-headline run across North America this summer featuring special guests FIT FOR A KING and FROM ASHES TO NEW. "The Dark Horizon Tour" will see the two bands alternating closing sets each night and performing at arenas and amphitheaters across the country. The upcoming trek kicks off tomorrow July 8 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and continues through an August 19 performance at MVP Arena in Albany, New York.

Expanding an already stacked slate in 2023, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE recently revealed their biggest North American headline run to date, "The Touring The End of the World Tour", kicking off this fall. The upcoming trek includes support from special guests KNOCKED LOOSE, AFTER THE BURIAL and ALPHA WOLF. Hitting the road in style, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will launch this run with a very special homecoming in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Standing out as their biggest hometown gig ever, they will launch "The Scranton Apocalypse Fest" on September 16 at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain. The one-off event will feature a headlining set from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, with additional performances by PARKWAY DRIVE, KNOCKED LOOSE, THE AMITY AFFLICTION, AFTER THE BURIAL, NORTHLANE, ALPHA WOLF and MAKE THEM SUFFER. On its heels, "The Touring The End of the World Tour" rolls through Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at UPMC Events Center on September 17 and various major markets across the country before closing out on October 29 in Boston, Massachusetts at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE recently earned two RIAA gold singles for "Another Life" and "Voices".

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE is: Chris Motionless (vocals),Ricky Olson (guitar),Ryan Sitkowski (guitar),Vinny Mauro (drums) and Justin Morrow (bass).

German legends Scorpions have uploaded another rare performance from May 7, 1977 at Kaléidospop, this time of Fly To The Rainbow opener, “Speedy’s Coming”.





"In Trance":







Catch Scorpions live in concert on the dates listed below.


July
8 - Barcelona, Spain - Sant Jordi Club
11 - Sevilla, Spain - Icónica Sevilla Fest at Plaza de España de Sevilla -
13 – Puerto de a Coruna, Spain – Muelle de la Bateria
16 – Braga, Portugal – Altice Forum 

Canadian technical death metallers CRYPTOPSY will release their first full-length album in over a decade, "As Gomorrah Burns", on September 8 via Nuclear Blast Records. The extreme metal foursome emerges renewed and as vital as ever on its massively anticipated LP, which continues CRYPTOPSY's trailblazing path of sonic exploration and exceptionally complex songwriting, for one of their most tumultuous albums yet.

Commenting on the impending record, vocalist Matt McGachy says: "I'm excited to finally unveil 'As Gomorrah Burns'. It's an album that we have been crafting for the past five years. A meticulous endeavor that we are proud of. It's the perfect medley of old-school CRYPTOPSY with a few modern twists. We've leaned heavily into the grooves and let some of the riffs breathe just a little more than we have on the past few releases. I'm really stoked about the new era of CRYPTOPSY."

Today, CRYPTOPSY has unchained the record's first single, "In Abeyance", and accompanying video for which was directed by Chris Kells (THE AGONIST, BENEATH THE MASSACRE).

McGachy adds about the new single: "'In Abeyance' is conceptually about feeling isolated while being submerged in a new environment. The hunt for a sense of belonging while mourning a previous life. Musically, it's a slap in the face. It's a banger that appears to be straightforward yet remains ultra complex."

"As Gomorrah Burns" track listing:

01. Lascivious Undivine
02. In Abeyance
03. Godless Deceiver
04. Ill Ender
05. Flayed The Swine
06. The Righteous Lost
07. Obeisant
08. Praise The Filth

CRYPTOPSY has also teased an upcoming fall headlining "Carnival Of Death" tour of North America in support of "As Gomorrah Burns". Dates will be announced soon.

"As Gomorrah Burns" is CRYPTOPSY's first album for Nuclear Blast. On the LP, the Montreal-based quartet — featuring founding member/drummer Flo Mounier, guitarist Christian Donaldson, vocalist Matt McGachy, and bassist Olivier "Oli" Pinard — advances its signature Northern power as they celebrate 30-plus years of extremity. The merciless blasts of "Lascivious Undivine" and "Flayed The Swine" see CRYPTOPSY at their most intense and maniacal, while "In Abeyance" and "The Righteous Lost" groove savagely. "As Gomorrah Burns" underscores the animus of fan-favorite "None So Vile" (1996) and the meticulous technicality of "And Then You'll Beg" (2000) with a strikingly sinister vibe.

"As Gomorrah Burns" isn't merely the follow-up to EPs "The Book of Suffering - Tome I" (2015) and "The Book of Suffering - Tome II" (2018). It's another beast entirely. Crafted over two years during the pandemic, the initial sessions took place in a cabin in the forests of Quebec. McGachy calls the horror-like backdrop "surreal," but, as with everything CRYPTOPSY, the songwriting process was expectedly arduous. Donaldson was the primary motivator behind "As Gomorrah Burns". The guitarist and producer served as taskmaster and advocate, grinding out of his bandmates in McGachy, Mounier and Pinard eight slabs of unadulterated barbarity.

Conceptually, "As Gomorrah Burns" pits the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah against the modern-day Internet. McGachy's idea was to show how it's both the birthplace of invention and a cesspool of exploitation. The stories are based on real-life incidences — online stalkers, cults, misinformation, isolation, and intimidation — but ornamented deviously to enhance their potency. CRYPTOPSY commissioned Italian artist Paolo Girardi (POWER TRIP, TEMPLE OF VOID) to complement the old-world lyrical themes. If Renaissance masters Hieronymus Bosch and El Greco were thrust into McGachy's modern mind, the stunning cover of "As Gomorrah Burns" would be the outcome.

As with "The Unspoken King" (2008) and the self-titled (2012),CRYPTOPSY enlisted their bandmate Donaldson to helm the production, mixing, and mastering of "As Gomorrah Burns". Dom Grimard, of ION DISSONANCE fame, also came into the production fold. McGachy says the time in the studio took much longer than anticipated, but with Donaldson directing and everyone finally in the same room again post-pandemic, CRYPTOPSY were able to capture newfound vigor (and velocity) on "As Gomorrah Burns". Tracks such as "Godless Deceiver", "Ill Ender" and "Praise The Filth" demonstrate Donaldson's death metal mastery.

Aggressive to a fault yet thoughtful in its entirety, "As Gomorrah Burns" — with songs such as "In Abeyance", "Flayed The Swine" and "Lascivious Undivine" — pierces mundanity thoroughly and relentlessly. This is no-quarters death metal, the kind our bellicose world needed and only CRYPTOPSY could deliver.

"We are back," says McGachy. "I want our fans to know we're more than a legacy band. Yes, we have had massive cult favorite albums — like 'None So Vile' — but we are creating modern and relevant extreme music 30 years later. We're so proud of 'As Gomorrah Burns', and we can't wait for you to hear it!"

Photo credit: Mihaela Petrescu

Swedish heavy metal commando Lancer will release their fourth, new studio album Tempest worldwide on August 11, 2023. Today, the band reveals their second single and a music video, for the song "Entity".


"Musically it's a strong piece with multiple key changes and a really redemptive, catchy and fast chorus. Still it has a dark feeling over it, being about hearing destructive voices in your head, controlling your life", comments the band.







Tempest will be released in the following formats:
CD Digipak incl. 2 bonus-tracks
2-LP Gatefold Vinyl incl. 4 bonus tracks (purple, limited to 300 copies)
2-LP Gatefold Vinyl incl. 4 bonus tracks (orange, limited to 300 copies)
Digital


At the Atomic Fire Records Records Webshop you can also order any format along with an exclusive bundle t-shirt. Preorder here.


"I can't believe it's been six years since last time we released an album," says guitarist Fredrik Kelemen and adds: "But with the line-up changes, the pandemic and the intention of making Tempest a great comeback album, we let it take its time. We have developed our sound, it's a bit darker, especially lyrically. Production-wise, more dynamic and gritty. A bigger picture of sound, with elements we have never used before.


“We wanted the artwork of the cover to symbolize this change, with the devastating storm drawing in with the wasteland it creates. We have been known for using birds on our previous album covers, so the demon raven of Tempest seemed only natural, and the title is just a more epic and stronger word for storm, in my opinion.


“Overall I want to use the most well-known cliché of all time: this is the best album we have done so far! And it's totally true, all jokes aside. We are absolutely thrilled to release it to the world!"





Tracklisting:


“Purest Power”
“Fan The Flames”
“Entity”
“Out Of The Sun”
“Tempest”
“Corruption”
“Blind Faith”
“We Furiously Reign”
“Eye For An Eye”
“The Grand Masquerade”
“End Of The World” (Bonus Track)
“Postlude” (Bonus Track) 


"Entity" video:





"Fan The Flames" lyric video:





Lancer is:
Jack L. Stroem - Vocals
Per-Owe "Ewo" Solvelius - Guitar
Fredrik Kelemen - Guitar
Emil Öberg - Bass
Pontus Andrén – Drums


(Photo – Erik Hansen, EH Digital)

Four ex-members of In Flames - Mikael Stanne, Jesper Strömblad, Peter Iwers and Daniel Svensson - and still active In Flames guitarist Niclas Engelin founded The Halo Effect to get back to the roots of Gothenburg sound. In 2022, they played Germany for the very first time at Wacken Open Air #31. Check out pro-shot video of "Days Of The Lost", "Feel What I Believe" and "Shadowminds" below.





The Halo Effect recently released a visualizer for the song, "Path Of Fierce Resistance", which was previously released as a Japanese exclusive on the band’s acclaimed debut album, Days Of The Lost, that was released in August 2022.







Frontman Mikael Stanne comments: "'Path Of Fierce Resistance' is a song we wrote for the Days Of The Lost album but it only surfaced on the limited Japanese edition and it has been very close to us and having it here now for all to hear feels fantastic. The new album is in the works and we are incredibly excited about it, so consider this as something to keep you guys going until we unveil what is coming next. The song is another Jesper and Niclas classic that features everything that we love doing together in this band. Lyrically it deals with unrealistic expectations and about how important it is to follow one's own path and be adamant about it no matter what. We start our tour in the US on the 20th of May and we are beyond stoked to bring this band to America for the first time. Do not miss this!"


Stream the track here, and watch the visualizer below:





The Halo Effect recently uploaded their official band documentary, which can be viewed below:





Lineup:


Niclas Engelin - guitar
Jesper Strömblad - guitar
Mikael Stanne - vocals
Peter Iwers - bass
Daniel Svensson - drums

Better Lovers, the newly formed band featuring Jordan Buckley, Clayton “Goose” Holyoak, Stephen Micciche, Greg Puciato, and Will Putney, have released God Made Me An Animal, a four-song EP, via SharpTone Records.


“Surprise! Our debut EP, God Made Me An Animal, is out now,” the band shared, collectively. “Four eclectic and wildly fun songs we’ve been kicking around for what feels like forever, it’s great to finally have these out in the world. Let it happen to you. Hear all this and more on tour all summer. The engine is turned on.”


The EP arrives as Better Lovers are about to embark on their inaugural tour, a mix of both headlining dates, with several already sold out, and performances with Underoath. The tour begins in Buffalo, N.Y., the hometown of Buckley, Holyoak and Micciche, on July 13.




God Made Me An Animal follows the April release of the outfit’s debut single, “13 Over 30,” and its accompanying video.


“Looking back, I’m so happy everything got me to where I am,” said Buckley at the time of the song’s release. “The pandemic and the last few years made me hungrier and more grateful. This isn’t a hobby. This isn’t temporary. This is the next evolution for each of us. Greg and Will rejuvenated me and made me even more confident. Now, everybody needs to know we’re a wild animal that just broke out of the zoo—there’s no trying to put it back in the cage.”


God Made Me An Animal, which was produced and mixed by Putney with vocal production handled by Josh Wilbur, is streaming now, with physical pre-orders, including several limited-edition vinyl variants and CD, are available here.


Cover by Donny Phillips:





Tracklisting:


“Sacrificial Participant”
“30 Under 13”
“Become So Small”
“God Made Me An Animal”


“30 Under 13”:





Dates:


July
13 - Buffalo, NY - Rec Room (Early & Late Shows) SOLD OUT
14 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre
16 - Chicago, IL - The Salt Shed
17 - Louisville, KY - Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
18 - Cleveland, OH - The Foundry SOLD OUT
19 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena
21 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall
22 - Syracuse, NY - Sharkey’s Bar and Grill
23 - Toronto, ON - RBC Echo Beach
24 - Montreal, QC - L’Olympia
25 - Ottawa, ON - Galerie SAW Gallery
27 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony Summer Stage
28 - Brooklyn, NY - Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk
29 - Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Pavilion
30 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium Outdoors
31 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry


August
1 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
3 - Tampa, FL Yuengling Center
4 - Boca Raton, FL - Sunset Cove Amphitheater
5 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre Night Market
6 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy
8 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater
10 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center
11 - San Antonio, TX - Boeing Center at Tech Port
12 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum


October
4 - Brighton, UK - Chalk
5 - London, UK - New Cross Inn SOLD OUT
6 - London, UK - The Dome SOLD OUT
7 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club (Early & Late Shows)  SOLD OUT
14 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room SOLD OUT
15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy SOLD OUT
16 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre





(Photo – James Hartley)

Metal Blade has reissued two classic albums from progressive metal act Fates Warning.


Disconnected, which was originally released in 2000 and FWX, which was originally released in 2004, have both been remastered for these reissues by Alan Douches and contain additional bonus tracks. Each album is available on CD, digitally, on all streaming platforms, and as a double LP in different variants, which can be seen and ordered at metalblade.com.







Disconnected tracklisting:


“Disconnected Part 1”
“One”
“So”
“Pieces Of Me”
“Something From Nothing”
“Still Remains”
“Disconnected Part 2”
“Someone / Everything (One Demo)”
“It’s Over (Shutdown Demo)”
“Under The Milky Way” (The Church cover)





FWX tracklisting:


“Left Here”
“Simple Human”
“River Wide Ocean Deep”
“Another Perfect Day”
“Heal Me”
“Sequence #7”
“Crawl”
“A Handful Of Doubt”
“Stranger (With A Familiar Face)”
“Wish”
“Simple Human” (Bobby Jarzombek drum demo 2004)
“Another Perfect Day” (Bobby Jarzombek drum demo 2004)
“Wish” (Hideous Mix 2023)


“One”:





“Another Perfect Day”: