10 YEARS and Mascot Records have released a new recording titled "I Remember". The release follows the isolated reveal of "The Optimist" that, since being released, has been streamed over nine million times.

10 YEARS guitarist Brian Vodinh shares: "'I Remember' is about looking back at our youth and remembering how it felt like we had our entire lives in front of us. How we were full of hope and ambition and kind of clueless to how harsh the real world is. It's about remembering how we used to always look at the bright side and weren't so beaten up by life."

Since forming in 1999, 10 YEARS have quietly pushed themselves and modern rock towards evolution. Building a formidable catalog, the group's gold-selling 2005 breakthrough "The Autumn Effect" yielded the hit "Wasteland", which went gold, infiltrated the Billboard Hot 100, and clinched No. 1 at Active Rock Radio and No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. They landed three Top 30 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with "Division" (2008),"Feeding The Wolves" (2010) and "Minus The Machine" (2012). 2017's "(How To Live) As Ghosts" marked a reunion between singer Jesse Hasek, Brian and guitarist Matt Wantland and achieved marked success. Not only did the album bow in the Top 5 of the US Top Hard Rock Albums Chart, but it also yielded the hit "Novacaine". The single ascended to the Top 5 of the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock Songs chart and has now tallied over 40 million streams, across all DSPs. The cumulative total for all track streams from repertoire on "How To Live (As Ghosts)" exceeds 70 million plays. Along the way, they sold out countless headline shows and toured with everyone from KORN, THREE DAYS GRACE, DEFTONES and STONE SOUR to Chris Cornell and LINKIN PARK. The band's most recent studio album is titled "Violent Allies", and was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, HALESTORM, PAPA ROACH). The record has amassed over 45 million streams.

10 YEARS is: Jesse Hasek (lead vocals),Brian Vodinh (guitar, backing vocals),Matt Wantland (guitar),Chad Grennor (bass) and Luke Narey (drums).

Dear Mother, the innovative Dutch alternative metal band, is thrilled to announce the release of their highly anticipated single, "Unbreakable". This captivating track marks the beginning of a new chapter for Dear Mother, after their successful debut album Bulletproof in 2021. 


Dear Mother is the brainchild of Dutch guitarist Merel Bechtold (ex-Delain) and Czech vocalist David Pear. With "Unbreakable" they have found their new unique sound, drawing inspiration from nu-metal bands like Slipknot and In Flames. The new track features a dynamic blend of high-energy riffs, driving rhythms, and a memorable, sing-along chorus. "Unbreakable"  will be the first single of their upcoming EP, expected to be released in spring 2024. 







With Ruben Israel (drums), Desmond Kuijk (bass) and Ferry Duijsens (guitar) completing their just announced 5-piece line-up, Dear Mother is poised to make their mark on the alternative metal scene.


The forthcoming EP can be pre-ordered here. "Unbreakable" is available via digital platforms found here.  

Fan-filmed video of Rammstein's entire June 26th show in Lisbon, Portugal on their current stadium tour of Europe can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Rammlied"
"Links 2 3 4"
"Bestrafe Mich"
"Giftig"
"Sehnsucht"
"Mein Herz Brennt"
"Puppe"
"Angst"
"Zeit"
"Deutschland" (RMX by Richard Z. Kruspe)
"Deutschland"
"Radio"
"Mein Teil"
"Du Hast"
"Sonne"
"Engel" (with Duo Abélard)
"Ausländer"
"Du Riechst So Gut"
"Ohne Dich"
"Rammstein"
"Ich Will"
"Adieu"







Rammstein's tour schedule is as follows:


July
1 - Padova, Italy - Stadio Euganeo
6 - Groningen, Netherlands - Stadspark
11 - Budapest, Hungary - Puskás Aréna
15 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion
16 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion
22 - Paris, France - Stade de France
26 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst-Happel-Stadion
30 - Chorzów, Poland - Stadion Śląski


August
4 - Brussels, Belgium - King Baudouin Stadium

Agonia Records has announced the signing of Norwegian dark metal forefathers Aeternus. The band is putting final touches to its new album, set for release later this year.


"For those of you who have been following us on our social media channels, it is no secret that we have been recording a new album," comments Aeternus. "We're happy to announce that we've signed to Agonia Records to release this beast. Agonia’s hard work and dedication to their artists has been very well noticed and we believe they will be a great match for us to take the next step."


Aeternus was formed by vocalist / guitarist Ares in 1993 in Bergen, Norway. Aeternus pioneered the genre dark metal; combining black metal and death metal with elements of classical and folk music. The band creates its trademark sound by layering superlative guitar playing and haunting, melodic interludes.




Upon releasing the demo Walk My Path, in 1994, Aeternus was signed to View Beyond Records, who later released their cult classic Dark Sorcery in 1995. Hammerheart Records subsequently signed the band and released their debut album, Beyond The Wandering Moon, in 1997. This led to a long period of touring for the band throughout the '90s and into the new millennium. During this era, Aeternus toured alongside: Deicide, Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Emperor, Marduk, 1349 and Aura Noir, among others.


Following a number of lineup changes and restructuring, 2013 began a new era for the band with the release of …And The Seventh His Soul Detesteth. Of the original lineup, only the founding member Ares remained. With a new spirit taking hold in the band, after years of silence, Aeternus returned to the stage, touring in Europe and playing a large number of festivals. This era also sees the band perform their first appearance in the US at the Maryland Deathfest in front of a packed venue.


In 2018, Aeternus released their eighth and most recent album, Heathen. In support of the release, the band did their first Latin American tour; playing in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina. They also played a few festivals in Europe, until the pandemic stopped the band's live activity and future show plans. Aeternus spent this period productively, creating their ninth studio album, due for release in 2023.


For further details, visit Aeternus on Facebook.


(Photo credit: Henning Berg)


 

In a new interview with "THAT Rocks!", the weekly YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess spoke about the growing demand among artists that music venues and promoters eliminate the fees they charge bands to sell merchandise at shows.

Many venues require bands to pay them a percentage of their merchandise sales. Commonly that split is 20/80, meaning for every dollar a band makes selling a t-shirt, the venue gets 20 cents. It's an accepted industry standard that understandably riles touring bands, especially those acts for whom merch income is still crucial for ensuring that a tour is profitable.

"That's a typical thing that venues will do," Petrucci said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I think that if you're in the position, you should try to negotiate that as much as you can. I mean, 30 percent, that's way too high. I think it's more typical [for it to be in] the 15-to-20 [range]. And I think also it might be different for soft goods and physical things, like records and stuff like that. So there might be a difference there as well. But it's all reasons to be on top of your shit and your business and have people representing you that know what they're doing, because a young band might not know that they can negotiate that. They just kind of [go], 'Oh, I guess it is what it is.' And I guess in some circumstances, if you have no leverage, then it is what it is. But you can look at that and be conscious of that. Because it sucks. 'Cause then you're in that position — well, what are you gonna [do]? [Are you] gonna jack up the price of your shirt? Then somebody is paying 50, 60 dollars for a t-shirt? That's ridiculous. And you feel like you're gouging your fans, and that's not cool."

Rudess added: "And it's also sad, because a lot of these younger bands, they're working so hard to get out there and play, they finally show up at a venue and they stand a chance of making a little money maybe at the merch booth, and then you've got these venues — clubs, theaters, whatever — that wanna take money out of their pockets, basically. You see it all the time. It sucks."

In larger venues, it is often mandatory for a merchandise staff to be employed directly by the venue, meaning a percentage cut can be standard.

In recent months, some venues have said that they will do away with merch fees. Ineffable Live, which runs 10 venues, including the Golden State Theater in Monterey, California; the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California; and the Chicken Box in Nantucket, Massachusetts, got rid of their 20% merch fee in response to the testimony of Clyde Lawrence of the independent soul-pop band LAWRENCE, who spoke in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee this past January about the "lopsided deal mechanics in certain aspects of the live music industry." During his appearance at the hearing, Lawrence explained why venues taking a cut of merch sales is unfair, saying: Another pain point for artists is the significant loss of revenues due to promoter merchandise cuts. Typically, the promoter takes a sizable percentage (roughly 20%) of an artist's merch sales, and once we factor in our costs of creating and transporting the merch, it can be an even larger percentage (40%) of an artist's bottom line. The argument is that the venue is providing us the retail space for us to sell our merch. Sure. But we're providing all of the customers, and yet receive no cut from their many ancillary revenue streams. Live Nation getting around 20% of our gross merch sales while we get nothing on ticketing fees, bar tabs, coat checks and parking passes doesn’t make a lot of sense to me."

According to Billboard, Ineffable Music Group CEO Thomas Cussins said that on a good night, an independent touring band with a loyal fanbase can sell $5,000 to $10,000 in merchandise at a 500-capacity show. Eliminating the venue fee can save some groups $1,000 to $2,000 per night, he added.

"We are on the ground and hearing from artists every day," Cussins said. "We are seeing how much the costs of everything have gone up — from buses to hotels to flights. So even though the club business is a marginal business, any action we can take to help to insure a healthy, vibrant concert ecosystem is important. This industry only works if artists of all levels are able to afford to tour. When artists are able to tour sustainably and fans can afford to buy a t-shirt because the all-in ticket price is reasonable, everyone wins."

Ineffable head talent buyer Casey Smith added: "We've been able to make our live business work even with increased expenses by having a number of venues and being able to create routes for artists, offering them a number of shows in secondary and college markets between their big city plays. Since we've made it work for ourselves, we want it to work for the artists as well. This move is fully aligned with Ineffable's independent spirit, and in hearing the needs of independent artists, we believe it’s important to put them first."

In a new interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock, former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes was asked if having money and fame is important to him. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. To me, the fame… I've had the opportunity, because of my parents [who] made me and my personality… I'm lucky I'm tall. I'm not bald yet. I look the way I do 'cause of my parents. I'm very fortunate to be who I am. I've got some friends that play guitar that will never be able to stand on the stages that I've stood on and played because their personalities — they just don't have what it takes. They play guitar. They wanna do it. But certain people… I'm lucky. I'm blessed to be who I am."

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Holmes last year completed seven weeks of radiation therapy in his battle with cancer in throat and neck.

Last September, Chris told Canada's The Metal Voice that he hadn't heard from W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless since his diagnosis. He said: "Blackie could have helped to pay for some of my treatment, but [he didn't]. But Nikki Sixx [MÖTLEY CRÜE] did. He gave me a lot of money. He was the first one; he forked over 500 bucks, and I love the guy for it. Thank you, Nikki. I love him for that."

A few hours after Chris's diagnosis was made public in February, Lawless released a statement via W.A.S.P.'s social media in which he said: "The entire W.A.S.P. family are all optimistic of a positive outcome concerning the diagnosis for Chris. I certainly wish him the very best."

In 2021, Holmes told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that W.A.S.P. was "a group, a band" on the first LP. "And after that, the second album, it wasn't a group — it was a one-man show," he said. "And it's been a one-man show after that ever since. It's the way it is. Look at the records. It's the way it is in that band."

According to Chris, he, guitarist Randy Piper, drummer Tony Richards and Blackie were all part of W.A.S.P. initial management contract, but Blackie was the only one signed to the record label. "Everybody thinks we [all] signed to the label, but it wasn't [like that]," Holmes told "Trunk Nation".

Despite the fact that he only got songwriting credit on a couple of the songs on each of the first four W.A.S.P. records, Holmes was adamant that his input was essential to the band's overall sound.

"If I would have quit after the first album, the way I play guitar, the way I play is really important to writing those songs," he told "Trunk Nation".

"If I hadn't joined in the beginning, it would have never worked. Blackie told me that the first day, when he came and talked to me to play in W.A.S.P. He says, 'I've got this band. It's not gonna work unless you're in it.' He told me that to my face."

In February 2022, Lawless shot down Holmes's claim that the guitarist was "screwed" out of receiving royalties on the W.A.S.P. albums that he performed on. Lawless discussed Holmes's tenure with W.A.S.P. in an interview with "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked to respond to Holmes's assertion in Chris's recently released documentary "Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes" that he was financially taken advantage of during his time in the band, Lawless said: "I don't really know much about… I spoke to [former W.A.S.P. guitarist] Randy Piper a couple of years ago. I don't really know what's going on with the rest of the guys. And I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about with Chris about not being paid.

"Chris, at two different points in his musical career, received settlements from this band; he signed documents as such," Blackie explained. "And he was paid quite well.

"I haven't seen what you're talking about. The answer I'm giving you right now is based on what you just said to me."

The W.A.S.P. frontman went on to confirm that he hadn't seen Chris's documentary and was once again asked about Holmes's claim that there is money and songwriting credits that he didn't get that he's due. Lawless said simply: "That is not true."

During a November 2017 press conference in Moscow, Russia, Lawless was asked what he would say to those W.A.S.P. fans who continue to call for the band to reunite with Holmes. He responded: "People get divorced for certain reasons, and there's times when the kids want the parents to get back together, but sometimes it never happens. And this is one of those [times]. Sorry."

In a new interview with NME, guitarist Slash spoke about Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl coming onstage to perform “Paradise City” with Guns N’ Roses at Glastonbury.


Slash said, “We’ve actually jammed with Dave a couple of times. He’s just one of my all-time favourite musicians. I knew he was gonna be around, and I think it was [Guns N’ Roses bassist] Duff [McKagan] who said to him, ‘Hey, you wanna come jam?’ So yeah, it eventually came together and it was fun.”







Guns N’ Roses recently announced the artists that will support the tour’s North American leg: Superstar Carrie Underwood, The Pretenders, Alice In Chains, The Warning, and Dirty Honey. In addition, the band will be adding new shows: one in Pittsburgh, PA at PNC Park on Friday, August 18 and another in Seattle, WA at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday, October 14.


Guns N’ Roses return to the road on a massive 2023 World Tour produced by Live Nation, headlining stadiums, festivals, and arenas throughout the summer and fall. The powerhouse rock band launched this jaunt on June 5 in Tel Aviv, and will continue across Europe through July 22, wrapping in Athens, Greece. The band will continue onto North America, starting on Saturday, August 5 in Moncton, NB at Medavie Blue Cross Stadium, and will visit historic venues across the country such as Fenway Park in Boston, MA on August 21 and Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL on August 24. The tour concludes in Vancouver, BC at BC Place on Monday, October 16.  


This will be the first time the group have toured North America since the monumental We’re F’N Back! Tour in 2021 - which also steamrolled stadiums coast-to-coast including their first headliner at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Meanwhile, their now-legendary Not In This Lifetime… Tour (2016-2019) stands out as the “third-highest grossing tour of all time.”


Expanding their influence across culture, Guns N’ Roses also notably just sponsored Erik Jones and the No. 43 in the Daytona 500. His race team, Legacy Motor Club is co-owned by NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson who shared his excitement on Twitter.


2023 Global Tour Dates;


International:


June
30 - London, UK - BST Hyde Park


July
3 - Frankfurt, Germany - Deutsch Bank Park
5 - Bern, Switzerland - BernExpo
8 - Rome, Italy - Circo Massimo
11 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Megaland
13 - Paris, France - La Defense
16 - Bucharest, Romania - National Arena
19 - Budapest, Hungary - Puskás Arena
22 - Athens, Greece - Olympic Stadium





North America:


August
5 - Moncton, NB - Medavie Blue Cross Stadium with Carrie Underwood
8 - Montreal, QC - Parc Jean Drapeau with Carrie Underwood
11 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium with The Pretenders
15 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium with The Pretenders
18 - Pittsburgh, PA - PNC Park with The Pretenders^
21 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park  with The Pretenders
24 - Chicago, IL - Wrigley Field with The Pretenders
26 - Nashville, TN - GEODIS Park with Carrie Underwood
29 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center with Dirty Honey


September
1 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center with Dirty Honey
3 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre with The Pretenders
6 - Lexington, KY - Rupp Arena with Dirty Honey
9 - St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium with The Pretenders
12 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena with The Warning
15 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live with The Warning*
17 - Atlanta, GA - Midtown Music Festival*
20 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum with Dirty Honey
23 - Kansas City, MO - Kauffman Stadium with Alice in Chains
26 - San Antonio, TX - Alamodome with Alice in Chains
28 - Houston, TX - Minute Maid Park with Alice in Chains


October
1 - San Diego, CA - Snapdragon Stadium with Alice in Chains
6 - Indio, CA - Power Trip Festival*
8 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival*
11 - Phoenix, AZ - Chase Field with Alice in Chains
14 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena^ (support act TBD)
16 - Vancouver, BC - BC Place with Alice in Chains


^ Newly Added Date
* Not A Live Nation Date

BraveWords is hosting the exclusive premiere of the new video by British metalcore quartet We Are Sovereign; “Don’t You Dare Quit (Resilience)”, which is set for release on July 3, 2023, ahead of the release of their debut album Step Out Your Comfort Zone on September 4, 2023.





We Are Sovereign have a simple message for fans and casual listeners on their new single; “Don’t You Dare Quit (Resilience)”.




Speaking about the new single, co-vocalist Laura Russell had this to say:


“We Are Sovereign stands for resilience. This is the sole reason the band We Are Sovereign exists today. I ask you, if you're reading this and you have a dream; stay focused. Find your resilience. Believe in yourself Even if nobody else does. Don’t you dare quit.”


Russell concluded by saying:


“For those who have dreams, the dreamers, the ones who imagine themselves in places others couldn't. For those that are wanting to break doors down and conquer what others see as the impossible.”





Life is a crazy and unpredictable journey, and British metalcore quartet We Are Sovereign want to take you through every part of it with their music. Their motto is, “We speak for those who feel like giving up, we speak for those who feel like they have lost the way, and we speak for those who fear the unknown.”


It all started in 2019 in an apartment bedroom of co-vocalist and founder Laura Russell. After suffering with Gender Dysphoria since their teenage years, and having spent years battling mental health issues, Laura had a life changing operation to feel comfortable within their own skin. The emotions of Laura’s experience are where a lot of the inspiration for the music, concepts and lyrics come from. When Laura had recovered from a journey of healing and finding themselves, they began to recruit members.


Co-vocalist Ash Ho replied to an ad from Russell. They set to work writing and recording vocal demos while still hunting for the rest of the members. Despite setbacks caused by the pandemic, WAS headed into the studio with Ben Gaines at the Godhand Initiative in Derby to prep their debut album, Step Out Your Comfort Zone. Their debut singles, “Bridges Burnt Lessons Learnt (Betrayal)” and “Nostalgia (Acceptance)” did well with the media.


The band spent the remaining months of 2022 in the studio working on the album and preparing behind the scenes to hit the stage. Despite the story and journey of the band almost playing out backwards, they now have everything in place and are set to conquer stages across the UK in 2023. With a view to bring their message of inclusivity and autonomy to the masses. Their mission is to encourage people to stand up to be who they want to be and yearn for people to be comfortable within themselves.

Following their four successful albums The Unity (2017), Rise (2018), Pride (2020) and The Devil You Know – Live (2021), European tours as headlining act or alongside luminaries such as Sinner, Edguy, Axel Rudi Pell or Rhapsody Of Fire, celebrated shows at Masters Of Rock, the Knockout Festival, Metal-Fest or Bang Your Head, The Unity’s fifth release, The Hellish Joyride, presents them from a more playful and varied side than ever before.


“Our music has always featured a wide stylistic range, but The Hellish Joyride stretches the boundaries of melodic power metal even further,” explains Michael Ehré, referring to the album’s twelve extremely diverse songs, which range from neck-breakingly fast-paced and groovingly cool to balladesque.


On top of that, the band’s latest addition, Tobias “Eggi” Exxel (bass / Edguy), has brought fresh energy to the fold and unmistakably supports the sworn circle of Gamma Ray members Henjo Richter (guitar) and Michael Ehré (drums), vocalist Gianba Manenti, guitarist Stef and keyboardist Sascha Onnen.




The new album has been scheduled for release on Steamhammer/SPV August 25th, and their European tour with Primal Fear is set to kick off just one week later. 


The first single, including a “sportive” and as always lavishly produced video clip, is entitled "Always Two Ways To Play" and will be out on July 14th, followed five weeks later by the second single "Saints And Sinners" on August 18th.





Tracklist:


"One World"
"Masterpiece"
"The Hellish Joyride"
"Only The Good Die Young"
"Saints And Sinners"
"Something Good"
"Always Two Ways To Play"
"Awakening"
"Golden Sun"
"Stay The Fool"
"Never Surrender"
"You‘re Not Forced To Stay"


The Hellish Joyride will be released on August 25th worldwide through SPV/Steamhammer as CD DigiPak (incl. poster), 2LP Gatefold (cristallo vinyl), download and stream. Pre-order here


September (with Primal Fear)
1 - Stuttgart, Germany - Im Wizemann
2 - Memmingen, Germany - Kaminwerk
3 - Naila, Germany - Frankenhalle
5 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Werk
6 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
7 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
9 - Sion, Switzerland - Le Port Franc
10 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7

Rhino is a respected name in the audiophile community, renowned for their exceptional and quality catalog releases. Following the success of "The Doobie Brothers: Quadio" (2020) and "Chicago Quadio" (2016) sets, Rhino has released a slew of seminal 1970s albums recorded in quadraphonic sound.

Quadraphonic sound, or 4.0 surround sound, utilizes four audio channels connected to four speakers positioned at the corners of a listening space. The multi-tracked audio is mixed dimensional, immersing the listener in an expansive soundscape.

Unavailable in quadraphonic audio for nearly 50 years, four iconic titles have been digitized from the original analog four-track Quad mixes — Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies", BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid", THE J. GEILS BAND's "Nightmares… And Other Tales From The Vinyl Jungle" and JEFFERSON STARSHIP's "Red Octopus".

The collection of Quadio releases is being made available on June 23 as Blu-ray discs exclusively at Rhino.com. Each title is $24.98, with a bundle of all four albums retailing at $79.98.

Steve Woolard, director of A&R for the Quadio series, stated: "I can't wait for these to come out! Following in the footsteps of the CHICAGO and DOOBIE BROTHERS' Quadio sets, these are transferred from the original half-inch four-channel masters at 192/24 resolution and sound amazing. Considering they've been in the vault for 50 years, the tapes were in pristine condition and needed no tweaks or fixes. They sound as fresh, rich, and powerful as the day they were created. And, of course, there's also a 192/24 stereo program from the two-track master as well. Just because."

BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid" is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal albums ever, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and being certified four times platinum. It features the classics "Iron Man", "War Pigs" and the title track.

"Nightmares" showcased THE J. GEILS BAND's unique blend of blues-rock and R&B. The album features the track "Must of Got Lost", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974.

"Billion Dollar Babies" saw ALICE COOPER at the height of their power, mixing theatrical stage shows with hard-hitting rock anthems like "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Elected". The album went No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the U.K. Album chart and later earned a platinum certification.

JEFFERSON STARSHIP's "Red Octopus" marked their creative peak with hits like "Play On Love" and "Miracles", which held the No. 3 spot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

Rhino's Quadio series will continue to dig deep into Warner's archives to reintroduce the greatest hits from rock, blues, R&B and more in their highly anticipated quadraphonic sound. Audiophiles can expect more amazing quadraphonic experiences from Rhino in the future.
Paranoid is now available in immersive true discreet quadraphonic sound for the first time in nearly 50 years! Transferred from the original half-inch four-channel masters, each Blu-ray features 192/24 resolution quad and hi-res stereo mixes. Get it here: https://t.co/yZqyHo9omVpic.twitter.com/wVdYMgZ40o

— Tony Iommi (@tonyiommi) June 27, 2023

Swedish black metallers MARDUK will release their 15th studio album, "Memento Mori", on September 1 via Century Media Records.

The latest single from the LP, "Blood Of The Funeral", can be streamed below.

"Blood Of The Funeral" encapsulates the raw and unrelenting intensity that has become synonymous with MARDUK's sound. The track showcases their signature blend of aggressive guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and chilling vocals, evoking a sense of darkness and despair.

Commenting on the album, MARDUK frontman Daniel Rostén shares: "'Memento Mori' is, all at once, a bold leap forward, a calculated sidestep, and a wistful backward glance. Meaning, we have broken new ground without forgetting our legacy or the journey that brought us to this point."

Since its inception in the early 1990s, MARDUK has become one of the most influential and revered bands in the black metal genre. With a discography that spans over three decades, the band has consistently delivered uncompromising and aggressive music that resonates with metal fans worldwide. "Memento Mori" promises to be another groundbreaking chapter in their storied career, cementing their status as true legends of the genre.

MARDUK is:

Daniel Rostén (Vocals)
Morgan Hakansson (Guitar)
Devo Andersson (Bass)
Simon Schilling (Drums)

During an appearance on this past Wednesday's (June 21) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer was asked if he has commenced work on the follow-up to his sophomore solo album, "Rise", which came out in 2019. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I haven't recorded anything [new]. Some song ideas are starting to bubble.

"The pandemic kind of threw a wrench in everything, obviously," he explained. "We were in the middle of working 'Rise'; we were on the second single, 'Hype', and were about to go out on that 'Big Rock Summer Tour' [with RATT, SKID ROW and SLAUGHTER]. And 'Hype' was kind of moving up the charts, and then everything got shut down. All the creative juices, all the energy during that couple of years just kind of… I know some people got creative; some people didn't. I didn't. [Laughs] So, it's starting to come back now. I think getting back out on the road last year kind of ignited that spark again. But, yeah, we definitely wanna do a follow-up to it.

"I would say records come in their time; I don't like to rush them," Keifer added. "But, yeah, there will for sure be a follow-up. And that antenna is starting to go up and song ideas are starting to kind of come in. Yeah, it's coming."

According to Tom, the pandemic-related break from touring came just at the right time. "I kind of needed it," he said. "We toured so much with this band leading right up to the last tour, right before the pandemic. We were actually out early that year, in 2020, 'cause the 'Rise' tour was still kind of continuing; we were still working the record. So it was 10 years straight for me — or not quite 10 years at that point. But there were three CINDERELLA tours prior to that. So I'd been on the road, like, 12 years straight. So I was crispy by the time that pandemic hit. None of us wanted that forced on us, obviously, but I guess it forced me to take a break, which I probably needed."

Tom and his solo band, #KEIFERBAND, recently launched the "Live/Loud" 2023 tour with WINGER and John Corabi.

Keifer's story begins as the singer-songwriter, guitarist and frontman of hard rock heavyweights CINDERELLA. His signature voice, guitar and bluesy, no-B.S. arena-shaking songwriting, played an integral role in moving records to the tune of 15 million worldwide. Keifer is enjoying continued success recording and touring with #keiferband — Tom Keifer, Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Kendra Chantelle, Jarred Pope and Kory Myers — releasing two critically acclaimed solo albums, 2013's "The Way Life Goes" and the aforementioned "Rise".

"Rise", released in September 2019 on Cleopatra Records, features the rousing, rollicking rock singles "The Death Of Me" and "Hype". Both singles landed in the Billboard Mainstream Rock Top 40. Keifer's deep-seated roots shine through to the very core on "Rise", something that was embedded at the very heart of his music created during the multiplatinum CINDERELLA days.

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largely inactive for the last few years while Keifer focused on his solo career.

In March 2022, Keifer said that he was "not prepared" for the 2021 passing of CINDERELLA guitarist Jeff LaBar. Jeff was found dead by his wife in July 2021 inside his apartment in Nashville. He was 58 years old.

It's time to "Get What You Asked For" as you enter the monstrous moshing pit from Finnish thrashers TakaLaiton, and their new music video in support of their debut album Mindfection, produced by Teemu Aalto (Omnium Gatherum, Insomnium) being released on July 28, 2023 via Rockshots Records.


"Get What You Asked For", is the purest form of TakaLaiton's musical mayhem. The lyrics are based on today's society in the way of how we're nothing but ready to kill our own if we don't think the same about everything in general, along with the idea that everything and everyone has a price.


"Corporations are ready to destroy mother nature for the sake of the dollar and everyone who stands in their way has a price that makes them back off," adds the band.




"Get What You Asked For" came together in one hungover morning at Laiton Studio when the band was having a songwriting weekend. Vocalist/guitarist Juho came up with the riffs for the song, but he was missing a chorus riff. Pasi, the band's lead guitarist added that in and the band managed to build the song structure on that very day. Not long after that, Juho wrote the lyrics in two days.





Hailing from Finland's far north, TakaLaiton garners a powerful melodic groove thrash-influenced attitude that is best seen in their super-energetic live shows that have always left fans with a sore neck and bruises from the moshpit. With a risk-taking thrash-fueled demeanor, TakaLaiton superbly blends fast-paced energy, and a bone-crushing groove, with melodies that can only be inspired by the dark, depressing, and frigid far-north. Not to mention the band's lyrical onslaught, sung in both Finnish and English. Since their inception, the band has covered a lot of territories while on tour, bringing their rowdy stage presence to the Scandinavian regions, the rest of Europe, and Asian continents.


TakaLaiton has a "break the rules, exceed all limits" approach, as their name suggests; deriving from a Finnish baseball term for "swing the ball over the borders.'' With that fierce frame of mind, the band has won Heavy Metal Heart 11 - a National Music Contest in Finland; and is ready to follow up their 2019 double EP SisuKastraatio I & II, with 2023's Mindfection; their first full-length that is based on today's society, where we as people do everything to be a part of it and what's sickening to the band is that people are ready to do anything in the name of a couple minutes of fame. This album is based on this sick way our world has come to be.


"We think this will be the album that the TakaLaiton fans will consider a classic in the future. The well-known crushing sound and the rage are in there with the heartwarming melodies, which TakaLaiton fans are familiar with. We are absolutely psyched about the album's release and the fact it's coming through Rockshots Records! We spent literally everything we had when it comes to effort and money on this album and the final result turned out to be magnificent with the producer Teemu Aalto. With our great partners in Rockshots Records, we know that this album will find everybody that it has to!"





Tracklisting:


"Rip 'n Burn" 
"Do Or Die" 
"Get What You Asked For" 
"Hopeareunus" 
"Ambassador Of Revenge" 
"Mies Miestä Vastaan" 
"Reborn" 
"Arkajalka" 
"Destination... Termination" 
"Mindfection" 





 

As Blacktop Mojo continues to work on their as yet untitled fifth studio album, vocalist Matt James has released his third solo song / video "Runaway", which can be streamed here.





"Runaway" follows "Wait It Out" and "Way Too Strong", the previous solo tracks from Matt James.










Blacktop Mojo has confirmed the initial batch of dates for their Sun On My Face Tour 2023. Tickets and VIP are on sale now. More shows will be announced soon.


July
20 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street 
22 - Menagha, MN - Mid Summer Music Fest 
23 - Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze 
26 - Lakewood, OH - The Winchester Music Tavern 
28 - Worcester, MA - Off The Rails 
30 - Hampton Beach, NH - Wally's 


August
4 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop 
5 - Mt Vernon, IL - Ash Bash Art & Music Festival 
6 - Joliet, IL - The Forge 
11 - Ringle, WI - Q And Z Expo Center
12 - Three Rivers, MI - Elkhart County Abate SummerFest
13 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall
19 - McAlester, OK - Downtown 312





 

Often called America's answer to Black Sabbath, one of the most unsung bands in the history of US hard rock music, Bang, is back with a new album, Another Me. Featuring all three members of the classic lineup: bassist/vocalist Frank Ferrara, guitarist Frankie Gilcken and original drummer/lyricist Tony Diorio along with new drummer Danny Piselli.


“We’re stoked about our new album Another Me … It was a labor of love that’s been a long time coming … We went back to our roots to give our fans … in your face rock … all killer … no filler.” - Bang


Check out the first single from the album, the killer title track “Another Me”. Stream/download the single here. Listen below.




With the heaviness of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, coupled with the groove of Grand Funk Railroad, Bang released three critically acclaimed albums on Capitol Records in the early 1970s before disappearing for a number of years. 2023 marks the 52nd anniversary of Bang’s debut album which was just reissued last week on a unique, limited edition colored vinyl. Buy the vinyl here.


In the summer of 1971, Bang, a trio from the Philadelphia area, decided to take a road trip to Florida to try their fortune. While buying some rolling papers in the Sunshine State, they learned about a Faces and Deep Purple concert nearby in Orlando. They showed up at the venue and brazenly declared they were ready to go on stage. The concert organizer asked them to set up and play for him. After a couple songs, he told them they were opening for Rod Stewart and Faces. Before they knew it, Bang was playing with Bachman Turner Overdrive, Deep Purple, Three Dog Night, Fleetwood Mac, Ike and Tina Turner, The Doobie Brothers, and even Black Sabbath. Capitol Records signed them, and three LPs were released.


The 1971 self-titled debut album is considered an important forerunner to the early doom metal genre. Undoubtedly one of America’s heaviest 'proto-metal' bands from the period, Bang also had a strong sense of melodic power. The band’s versatility and songwriting skills are second to none. Highly regarded as a cult act by many for years, it’s now time for this truly amazing rock band to be enjoyed by a new audience worldwide!


It’s been nearly 20 years since the band’s previous studio album, two decades in which they’ve overcome incredible challenges, all to bring this epic slab of heavy, melodic psychedelic metal to their still loyal fanbase.


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Another Me"
"Broken Toys"
"Man Of God"
"Clouds"
"Two Angels"
"Drone Pilot"
"Tin Man"
"This Night"


"Another Me":

Boston metal quartet, Ice Giant, have released the second single off their upcoming sophomore full-length. Fans can now hear the album’s title track, “Ghost Of Humanity”, along with an accompanying music video.


Combining elements of melodic death metal and thrash metal with epic symphonic orchestrations and soaring vocals, the group delivers intrepid storytelling and sublime soundscapes that are sure to fuel a sense of adventure for fans and newcomers alike.


Commenting on their new single, the band comments: “'Ghost Of Humanity' is a metaphor tackling the nature in which we treat our home planet earth. It explores what a future might be like when we run out of resources to, fight each other, and it laments what horrors we could have avoided. Driving riffs, soaring vocals, pounding drums, and a bespelling guitar solo from guitarist Eddie Shifflet, it is sure to instill horror whether you're at home or in one of our high-energy pits at a live show. ‘Peace and harmony left to pass...’”




Watch the video below, pre-order the album here.





Ghost Of Humanity tracklisting:


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


"Ghost Of Humanity" video:





"Serenity Of Darkness" video:

All My Shadows, the quintet founded in 2020 by Vanden Plas members Stephan Lill (guitar) and Andy Kuntz (vocals), released their debut album, Eerie Monsters, back in February via Frontiers Music Srl.


Today, the band has released a lyric video for the track "Lifeforms". Watch the video below, and order/save Eerie Monsters here.







Stephan Lill is the guitarist and musical backbone of the internationally known progressive metal band Vanden Plas. From the very beginning, he has been a huge influence on the sound and musical development of the band with his songwriting. Outside of Vanden Plas, Lill has also left his mark with his involvement in the rock operas/theater productions "Ludus Danielis," "Christ 0," "The Chronicles of the Immortals," "Everyman," and "Last Paradise Lost".


Andy Kuntz is the charismatic and talented singer of Vanden Plas. With his distinctive voice, he moves effortlessly through all levels of vocal register and has established himself internationally as not only a rock/metal singer, but also as a lead in multiple rock musicals and operas. As the main lyricist and writer of the vocal melodies for Vanden Plas, he is the other musical mainstay and partner in crime with Lill in not only the band, but the aforementioned rock operas.


"The idea of recording and releasing some rock songs is something I've been thinking about for a while. While composing, I kept coming up with songs that have the spirit of the '80s. As a big fan of bands from that era, like Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Dokken, and the like, I still have a huge love for music from that time. The goal was to transport that classic music into the here and now. Hard rock with a powerful production, peppered with modern musical elements," says Lill.


The original idea for All My Shadows was to have different vocalists appear on the album. Lill brought in his musical partner Kuntz to write the lyrics for the songs. "We know each other inside and out, have been working together for a very long time and very well, and are a perfectly attuned team," he says. But once Kuntz was on board to write the lyrics and had demoed the first four songs with Lill, it was immediately clear to both musicians that Kuntz was the man for the job. "Why look far and away for several good singers, if the perfect singer is already there?" Lill muses.


While Lill and Kuntz continued to work on more songs, the aforementioned demos found their way to Frontiers Music Srl, Vanden Plas' current record label. Frontiers were also immediately enthusiastic about those demos and immediately and enthusiastically asked the band if they could be involved with releasing the music.


With the songs coming along nicely, the creative juices flowing, and a label home in place, Lill and Kuntz knew that a completely new entity had to be created, which would give the whole thing its own vibe and aura.  When Kuntz came up with the name All My Shadows, they both knew that "the band name perfectly reflects the dark colorful aura of the lyrics and melody lines in a perfect way. The debut album, "Eerie Monsters" is an exciting musical journey through time, transporting our widely branched "heavy rock roots" into the present day in a melodically exciting symbiosis of retro ambience and modern sounds. Sonically, somewhat related to bands such as Ghost, Stone Sour, or Soen, if you will, the music unfolds in an intoxicating manner. It's time for The New Retro-Rock!" declare Lill and Kuntz.


Keyboardist Markus Teske, who is also the owner of Bazement Studios and has been turning the knobs on the mixing desk for all of Vanden Plas' albums since 2002, was brought on board first. Beside being a superb engineer, he is a virtuoso at his instrument too. Then followed Franky R., a bassist who has played with renowned guitarist Michael Schenker, among others. And to keep it in the family, Stephan's brother Andreas Lill, also of Vanden Plas and who has a tremendous reputation for his musical experience and skill set, was brought in on drums to complete the lineup.


Lill and Kuntz unanimously answer with a clear "No!" whether the participation of the Vanden Plas musicians will bring All My Shadows too close sonically to Vanden Plas. Both musically and lyrically, the differences are too great, too tangible, too obvious.


"Vanden Plas stands very much for progressive metal in all its variations, while All My Shadows stands very much for melodic hard rock. Musical points of contact are there, overlaps are not. All My Shadows have all the characteristics to have their own identity," says Lill.





Eerie Monsters tracklisting:


"Silent Waters"
"A Boy Without A Name"
"Syrens"
"Lifeforms"
"Wolverinized"
"The Phantoms Of The Dawn"
"Farewell"
"Devil's Ride"
" All My Eerie Monsters"


"The Phantoms Of The Dawn" video:





"Silent Waters" video:





Lineup:


Stephan Lill - Guitars
Andy Kuntz - Vocals
Markus Teske - Keyboards
Franky R. - Bass
Andreas Lill - Drums

In a recent interview with the Joey Sturgis Tones YouTube channel, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked what his main source of income is nowadays. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm not the kind of guy who's a stay-at-home, online, YouTube shredder. No. I'm a touring musician. I'm an entertainer. I go out there and I play songs live. That's where most of my income comes from. And so that's what I like to do."

He continued: "There's nothing better than meeting somebody or just seeing somebody in the crowd that is singing all your lyrics or [who has] a smile on their face that they're up there getting to see a band that they like or a song they wanna hear. And then meeting them after and then you listen to that fan's story. That's amazing, because they wanna tell you how they got into the band, what their favorite song means to them, whether it's lyrically, whether it's riff-wise, whether it's tone-wise, or they bought your pick-up or they bought an amp 'cause of you or bought a speaker cabinet [because] of you. There's nothing better than that — than going out there and seeing that and experiencing that."

Cazares added: "There's a lot of [guitar players] who are at home… There's some guys who are just secluded and all they do is do the YouTube and that's it. And when it comes to being social, they have social anxiety, 'cause they're not used to dealing with actual humans. They're just used to dealing with people commenting, whether it's bad or good, on their YouTube channel. For me, I love going out there. I love talking to these people and experiencing them. I'm approachable; I'm an approachable guy. I like it when people come up and talk to me. Like on this tour that we've got coming up [with STATIC-X], or on tours in general, but this one particular tour we've got coming up, I decided to not do a meet-and-greet and not charge fans the extra money to come meet me. What I've done is I just said, 'Meet me at the merch table after our performance.' I'll be there at the merch table every night, signing autographs and taking photos for fans. That way they can just come out there and they can meet me and they don't have to pay the extra money. I'm not saying anything negative about meet-and-greets because it definitely does help the band to pay for gas or pay for whatever they've gotta pay for — it does help the band financially — but in this particular case, I decided to switch it up a little bit and just have them come meet me at the merch table. If you wanna help the band out, buy a t-shirt, buy a sticker, buy a patch. Put it on your nice jacket or whatever. But just come out and just meet me and I'll talk to you for a few minutes. Whatever it takes."

It was back in December 2022 that Dino first tweeted (see below) that FEAR FACTORY wouldn't be taking part in any paid meet-and-greets during the band's North American tour with STATIC-X, MUSHROOMHEAD and DOPE.

"V.I.P Packages" seem to be the only way for fans to meet the bands they admire these days. Some of these come at a really inflated price on top of the standard ticket costs and include anything from a signed item, a photo to watching soundchecks or a collectable lanyard.

Paid meet-and-greets are becoming staples of the touring circuit and are seen by some artists as a necessary evil to survive nowadays. Other musicians object to meet-and-greets on moral grounds, believing they favor richer fans over poorer ones. Similarly, many people view the fact that groups charge fans to meet them as completely exploitative, since artists are usually aware that young admirers are prepared to pay any amount of money to see their favorite band, sometimes at their parents' expense.

A few years ago, Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend defended the culture of "V.I.P Packages," telling Noisey: "A lot of the times, fans may think bands are taking the piss by simply doing a meet-and-greet, but if we don't do them, we simply can't do what we're doing. It's not like we do them then get a bonus at the end of the tour. On the other side of it, if you're in the band and you're hypersensitive to people's energy, like I believe I am, meet-and-greets fucking beat the shit out of you. Not because you don't want to meet people, but because in order to do it correctly, you really have to invest yourself and be present and ready to talk to people and sometimes accept hyperbolic praise or criticism, and you have to be emotionally resilient enough to not let either… I mean, it's about them. They're paying for a moment and your job is to be present and that's really challenging on tour."

Y&T frontman Dave Meniketti made headlines in 2016 when he said he was completely opposed to fans paying for meet-and-greets, explaining that "we should be paying [them]." "Some bands will charge for meet-and-greets or they'll charge for some special types of meet-and-greets," Meniketti said. "I don't like to do that. I think that's gouging the fans. I think that's a little too much of trying to get every last dollar out of everybody, dollaring people to death. I don't like that whatsoever. To me, your fanbase is golden. They're the people that are keeping us going. They're the people that love the music."

He continued: "Why do we want to charge them to meet us? That, to me, seems like the most bizarre thing you can do and too opportunist. That's not my thing. They pay for a ticket. Come see us live, that's what's going to keep us alive. Buy a t-shirt, something like that. But don't pay to see me. My God. I should be paying you guys. I'm happy to shake a hand, take a picture or listen to a story or something like that. In fact, more than happy. It makes us all feel good. It makes us feel connected to our fans."

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted called the paid-meet-and-greet practice "bullshit" in a 2012 interview. He explained: "My guys had been talking to me about doing those things, and they talk about KISS making money for this meet-and-greet. People will pay it, but that's not the point. I don't want to take money like that. If they want to buy a t-shirt and have something to show for it, that's what we do. You can't download a t-shirt.

"There are certain things that make sense to me. I have never charged for my autograph up until [I launched my own] web site. That is my first time in my thirty-year career that I have charged for my autograph, and I have signed for hundreds of thousands of people.

"I don't feel comfortable with charging people to meet me; I don't feel comfortable with charging people to get me to sign something when they are standing with me. If they buy it off the Internet and want an 8x10 or an autograph CD, they have that momentum. That's fine, but I'm not going to charge people to meet me. I just don't feel that's right. I'll pay to meet one of my old sports heroes, or something like one of the cats from the 1970s Orioles. I'll pay a couple of bucks for something, but I'm not going to pay for Gene Simmons. It's ridiculous; that's not what it's about."

FEAR FACTORY's "Rise Of The Machine" North American tour with STATIC-X kicked off on February 25 in San Francisco, California and wrapped up April 15 in Los Angeles, California.
If anyone bought VIP tix for the upcoming “Rise Of The Machine”tour thinking they are for a FF meet n greet we never put any up for sale. I will be at the merch table every night for autograph/photos with the purchase of FF merch. It’s a much more affordable way to meet me

— Dino Cazares (@DinoCazares) December 27, 2022

Influenced by tattoo art and Celine Dion, the Finnish pack of road dogs that is Clear Vision releases the second single from their upcoming new album, in their unique mix of metal and melody.





Clear Vision is a six piece melodic metal outfit consisting of Mikko Laihanen (drums), Jaakko Mäntymaa (Vocals), Antti Röksä (Rhythm Guitar), Mika Koskimies (Clean Vocals), Johnny Texas (Bass), Petri Paronen (Rhythm/ Lead Guitar and Orchestrations), born and raised in Finland.




Talking about the meaning of their new song, Petri Paronen says: "The song is about a last getaway, amok run to experience freedom for the last time. It's a like middle finger to remind us that sometimes it's okay not conform to every norm that shape and define our daily lives. Sometimes it is necessary to take a stand and shake things up. Even if you are not a young rebel anymore as all of us in this band. So basically despite its aggressive and darkish undertone it's a song celebrating freedom and diversity."


Clear Vision was born a cold, early spring day in the studio of Teemu Alto, and the producer is still a vital part of creating the cold nordic landscape of onrushing energy that is the music of Clear Vision.  The circle closes with Grammy nominated mastering engineer Svante Forsbäck, sprinkling the final sparkle of star quality over the tracks.

Boston's Mammothor have released a video for new single "The Red State Blues", featured on their new album, The Ecstasy Of Silence... The Agony Of Dreams, out now. Watch the clip, directed by Adam Noya (Red 13 Studios), below.





Tracklist:




"M.O.A.B."
"Novocaine"
"You Don't Know Me"
"Hitcher"
"Take the World"
"Parasomnia"
"[Breaking News]"
"Bury The Motive"
"Trial by Fire"
"The Red State Blues"
"Final Hour"
"Do You Call My Name"


"The Red State Blues" video:





"Parasomnia" video:





"Bury The Motive" video:





"Take The World" video:





"M.O.A.B." lyric video:

Albert Bouchard is best known as a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult, the original lineup sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart “Burning For You”. Bouchard contributed to songwriting and lead vocals on some of its greatest songs, such as “Cites On Flame With Rock And Roll".


Albert Bouchard is back with Imaginos III - Mutant Reformation, wrapping up the trilogy of Imaginos. Bouchard has shepherded the concept of Imaginos through its many incarnations over the years, translating Sandy Pearlman’s feverish visions into sonic resonance.


As Bouchard states, “Sandy’s not being here to feel the long-awaited culmination is perhaps the greatest irony of this epic journey through the invisibility of conspiracy, the shape-shifting, and eternal light that is Desdinova. But legend lives on, as will tales told ‘round the fire of when Man still walked the Earth, and the carnage had yet to begin. Hear the final chapter in this monumental saga when the record is released on July 7, 2023.”




The first single was Bouchard’s take on the Blue Öyster Cult fan favorite, “E.T.I.”, featuring brother Joe Bouchard on lead vocal, Isabella Kosal on background vocals, and R.J. Ronquillo on lead guitar. Now Bouchard releases the second single, “Transmaniacon", featuring the current lineup of The Dictators.


Bouchard had this to say, “I wanted to make a version of “Transmaniacon” that had a heavier approach, proto-metal with a punk flavor. The guys in the new Dictators were just the group to deliver that. I know it’s a fan favorite with BÖC fans, but I hope they can appreciate it as much as the original--just like they did for ‘E.T.I.’.”


Listen here, and below:





The album is available for pre-order and features guests “Ross the Boss” Friedman and Andy Shernoff (Dictators); Joe Cerisano (Silver Condor, TSO); Kenny Aaronson (Billy Idol, Bob Dylan); and Kasim Sulton (Utopia, Meat Loaf). It reunites original Blue Öyster Cult members Eric Bloom and Joe Bouchard, as well as current BÖC member Richie Castellano, who all contribute to this latest installment. The album also features reworks of classics like “E.T.I.,” “Godzilla,” and “Sole Survivor.” There will be limited-edition bundles, including a very limited colored-vinyl option (only 250 copies).





Pre-order your copy of Imagnos III - Mutant Reformation now and get your limited-edition bundles while supplies last.


Product includes:


- One Double LP Album (or CD) of Albert Bouchard‘s - Imaginos III
- One Imaginos III 10x10 Flat (Autographed)
- One Imaginos III T-shirt





Imaginos III - Mutant Reformation tracklisting:


“Welcome To Desdanovaland”
“Flaming Telepaths”
“The Queen’s Graveyard”
“Transmaniacon”
“Career of Evil”
“St. Cecilia”
“Curse of the Hidden Mirrors”
“Mountain of Madness”
“Redeemed”
“Mothra & Starfish”
“Godzilla”
“R.U. Red D. 2”
“Sole Survivor”
“E.T.I.”
“Aldebaran Alien Take Me Away”
“Arianna of Earth”
“Heavy Metal/Black and Silver”
“Buddha’s Knee”


“E.T.I.” lyric video:





Albert Bouchard’s Imaginos Show features the trilogy of the Imaginos saga performed in concert live. Dates below.


July
5 - Daryl’s House - Pawling, NY
9 - Tally Ho Theatre - Leesburg, VA
11- Ram’s Head on Stage - Annapolis, MD
12 - Sony Hall - NYC, NY