During a press conference earlier today (Saturday, June 17) at Hellfest in Clisson, France, Steven Wilson was asked about PORCUPINE TREE's future after it plays its currently scheduled shows this spring and summer at a handful of European festivals. He replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The simple answer is we don't know. And it's kind of reflected in the title of the album ['Closure / Continuation'] that we made last year. So this whole idea of closure-slash-continuation. We're kind of leaving our options open.

"We never officially said the band had stopped back in 2010; we just went off and did other things," he explained. "Personally, I've never seen the need for that kind of dramatic gesture: 'It's done.'

"So, I think we leave the door open. I personally would love to think we will record again. Whether we tour again, I don't know, 'cause we're all getting a bit old for that — at least I feel that way anyway."

Added keyboardist Richard Barbieri: "That's right. It would be silly to say that we are never gonna make another album, because you don't know. We don't know what's gonna happen in two years' time, three years' time. We do have a live album that's coming out at the end of this year. And that sounds really good. So it's quite exciting."

Last year, PORCUPINE TREE — Wilson, Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison — embarked on a wide-ranging world tour, the band's first since October 2010. The group was touring in support of its eleventh studio album, the aforementioned "Closure / Continuation", which came out in June 2022 via Music For Nations/Megaforce Records.

In June 2022, Wilson told Under The Radar that PORCUPINE TREE's most recent comeback is "not a reunion". He added: "I mean, firstly, we never broke up. And secondly, we've made a new record. For me, a reunion tour is when you get together having broken up and you basically go out and just play your greatest hits, for which is what THE POLICE did, for an audience that are basically nostalgic for what you used to be 30, 40 years before. We never broke up and we've been making this record for the last 10 years. In fact, pretty much since we were in the slipstream of the finishing of the previous tour. So is that a reunion? I don't think so. It's no different to TOOL coming back after 15 years with their next record. We've been quicker than that. [Laughs] We've been working on this record for a very long time in — this would be an understatement to say it — a fairly low-profile way, because nobody knew we were making the record at all. Everyone else assumed that the band didn't exist. I'd be the first to admit I added fuel to that because I would often tell people to forget PORCUPINE TREE and it's not coming back. Because I wanted people to focus on what I was doing at that given moment. But those were white lies because, actually, I knew we were working on this record and I knew eventually it would come out."

Asked if it's fair to say the "Closure / Continuation" album and tour is "probably a one-off", Wilson said: I suspect it will be the last time we'll tour. I think it's quite possible we might make another record. In fact, I was speaking with Richard about it. We were in Germany a couple of weeks ago doing promo in Berlin, and somebody asked me that question. I thought, Well, you know what? I think there's a way forward. A track like 'Walk The Plank' — which is one of the last tracks we did — which doesn't have any guitars on it at all, and kind of reflects the fact that I've moved more and more towards electronic music. I wondered about making a PORCUPINE TREE record where we just focused on keyboards, rather than guitars. It would have to be something different to justify doing it. But I suspect we probably wouldn't tour again. I think in my heart, I think this is probably the last round for sure."

One of the most forward-thinking, genre-defying rock bands of any era, PORCUPINE TREE was founded in 1987 by Wilson as an outlet for the experimental recordings he was making outside of his acclaimed post-rock duo NO-MAN. With the addition of Barbieri and Harrison, PORCUPINE TREE soon evolved into a proper band, releasing 10 studio albums between 1992 and 2009. Each new release saw PORCUPINE TREE exploring new musical ideas, their expansive music shifting from pastoral psychedelic rock and ambient electronic soundscapes to experimental pop and propulsive metal. Later releases like 2007's Grammy Award-nominated "Fear Of A Blank Planet" and 2009's "The Incident" — the band's biggest seller thus far, reaching the top 25 in both the U.S. and the U.K. — saw PORCUPINE TREE effortlessly melding distinctive genres to create a groundbreaking musical universe all their own.

As relentlessly creative on stage as they are in the studio, PORCUPINE TREE proved innovative live performers known for sonic innovation and inventive visual productions. In October 2010, the band entered a period of hiatus following a spectacular concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.

In a new interview with Yahoo! Entertainment 's Lyndsey Parker, Al Jourgensen revealed that he is close to putting MINISTRY to bed, more than 40 years after he launched the band in his former hometown of Chicago.

"My career is winding down with MINISTRY," Jourgensen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I'm gonna stop MINISTRY in an album or two. I have to. I have other things I wanna do."

He continued: "My public and my band are all in agreement that we are being shackled by… We are taking our genre to the farthest limits it can go, and we're happy with that. And we'll stop when it's time instead of keep going and trying to just recreate the same stuff. We keep trying to push further. So, I figure there's only maybe one more MINISTRY album to go. Maybe two, but probably one."

Jourgensen added: "I have other things to do. I have projects that I'm working on with various people. I have film scores. And MINISTRY, now we're being held to the standard of this new MINISTRY of, okay, either push further or do the most popular stuff over and over and over and over, which we have with 'Psalm 69' or something like that. I'm tired of that. We're all tired of that. Well, we are. The fans aren't. So I think this next year or two is gonna be really transformative in the sense that I'm wrapping a bow on my entire career and saying, 'Drop mic. Thank you. Thank you for buying our t-shirts… Good night. And now I hope you follow me on my next journey."

Al revealed that one of MINISTRY's final recordings might be a 'remake" of the band's first album, "With Sympathy", which he claims he had little control over, with the record company at the time dictating its direction. According to Jourgensen, a new version of "With Sympathy" would "tie a bow on the whole thing, and just say, 'Drop mic. Good night. I'm outta here.'"

The MINISTRY mastermind said that he and his bandmates are heading into the studio to commence work on a new recording of "Revenge", one of three singles from "With Sympathy", with the possibility that they will re-record three of the album's other cuts: "Effigy", "Work For Love" and "Here We Go". As for when fans might hear these new versions, Al said: "I think it's going to be sooner than you think."

This is not the first time Jourgensen has vowed to make a "final" MINISTRY album. 2007's "The Last Sucker" was supposed to be the band's last-ever LP. Then, while working on other projects, inspiring riffs were born that would eventually become 2012's "Relapse". Later that year, Jourgensen began work on yet another MINISTRY album with longtime guitarist and collaborator Mike Scaccia. Three days after leaving the MINISTRY sessions in El Paso, in the early hours of December 23, 2012, Scaccia suffered heart failure onstage while performing with his other band, RIGOR MORTIS, and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Scaccia's death both devastated and motivated Jourgensen to return the studio to put the final touches on what they had started in memory of his best friend. The result was 2013's "From Beer To Eternity". Two more albums followed, 2018's "AmeriKKKant" and 2021's "Moral Hygiene", with another new LP, "Hopium For The Masses", tentatively due in August.

MINISTRY played a new song from "Hopium For The Masses" called "Goddamn White Trash" on the band's recent tour. A fan-filmed video of one of the performances can be seen below.

Photo credit: Derick Smith / Nuclear Blast

During a pre-show press conference at this weekend's Hellfest festival in Clisson, France, PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix was asked how he feels about the supposed nu-metal resurgence in recent years, partly thanks to a whole new wave of exciting revivalists. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Nostalgia is such a powerful thing, and it's so cool to see that that era is making its way back around. And part of it is because, you know, time. And the other part of it is this new generation of bands that were little kids that were listening to bands like PAPA ROACH or KORN or DEFTONES or LIMP BIZKIT or LINKIN PARK, those were the bands that they were listening to, so this music kind of influenced them. And now bands like OF MICE & MEN or BRING ME THE HORIZON, you can hear elements of nu metal in that music. And that's frickin' sick."

As for PAPA ROACH's own "departure" from the nu metal sound, Shaddix said: "It was necessary. It's always about evolution. And for a while I really despised the title of nu metal because everybody was trying to compare us to LIMP BIZKIT or compare us to LINKIN PARK, and we were, like, 'No, we're our own thing.' And we've proved that we are our own thing, throughout the years. And now, as we look back, as older men, I look back proud on being part of that movement. It's just dope that it's finally kind of getting some respect in pop culture. I think that in the time, people just kind of looked down upon the genre. And now, as the years have gone on, there's some respect upon it, which is… it's dope."

Back in 2019, Jacoby said that "it was always a weird thing" for him and his bandmates to be lumped in with all the "nu metal" groups around the time of the release of PAPA ROACH's full-length debut, 2000's "Infest". "With the nu metal kingpins, the top dogs were LIMP BIZKIT at the time, and I wasn't on the same page as Fred [Durst]," he told the KUPD radio station. "I considered myself more of a punk rocker at that time. But we weren't a punk band — we knew that we weren't a punk band. But all the bands that we played with from 1993 up to 1999, they were all the local punk groups and the emo bands, and we were the odd man out all the time. But now, I look back on it, and I'm, like, yeah, we were a nu metal band for a few years — we were definitely a nu metal band. But for us, we kind of outlived the tag of nu-metal and just became more of a rock band."

Asked how PAPA ROACH managed to survive the nu metal phase when so many other bands fell by the wayside, Shaddix said: "For us, it's a trip, 'cause there's a lot of bands — we've seen waves of bands come and go. In the nu metal era, a lot of bands just dissipated or fell apart. And there was the garage rock revolution — THE HIVES, THE STROKES, THE VINES — that kind of sound came and had its time and then it kind of went away. And then screamo came in. And then after that, it was, like… I get lost. We just keep seeing people come and go. And we're, like, all right, cool. We're still here doing our thing. We said it from the beginning — we're the cockroaches; we're gonna be around for a while."

Pressed about whether it was hard for PAPA ROACH not to try to change its sound with the times over the years, Jacoby said: "Oh, yeah. For us, even from the beginning, from where we started, we were more like a funk-punk band when we first started — more like [RED HOT] CHILI PEPPERS meets… I don't even know; just some oddball shit. CHILI PEPPERS meets MR. BUNGLE — that was kind of where we sat in the beginning. And then we got into heavier, more metal style. And that's kind of when I got into rapping, and that's when we started doing that — we became a nu metal band. And then for us, after that, we discovered classic rock, and that was a big evolution for us. I was listening to QUEEN. I've always been a LED ZEPPELIN fan. THE WHO, SUPERTRAMP — all these classic groups. THE CLASH as well. And we were discovering the old stuff, and then it influenced our band again. So then we had guitar solos in our music and our guitar player grew his hair out, and we were just like a rocker band. And we toured with MÖTLEY CRÜE… And then I fell in love with hip-hop music again, and, really, we broke all the walls down again and kind of brought it full circle in a sense. Some of the modern music we're doing now has elements of the old school, but elements of the new school. We love a wide range of music. And so, for us now, I just don't give a fuck anymore. I just wanna make music that gets me off and is inspiring to me and makes me wanna walk into the studio and get on the mic and throw down. And sometimes we hit the mark, and sometimes we don't hit the mark. But for any career band, that's gonna be the story."

Nu metal thrived during the remarkable decade from 1994 to 2004 when mainstream charts, magazines, radio and TV were all taken over by a host of diverse artists performing their own brands of hard rock, hip-hop and heavy metal.

Essentially a fusion of rap and alternative rock (arguably born out of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),nu metal inexplicably swept the airwaves and peaked for a brief period, with Gregory Heaney of AllMusic describing the genre as "one of metal's more unfortunate pushes into the mainstream." Along the way, several bands associated with nu metal, including KORN, DEFTONES and SLIPKNOT, took a somewhat defensive stance against being labeled as such. Even those less apologetic nu metal groups eventually changed their sound, effectively disowning the genre that they helped pioneer.

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives, TESLA frontman Jeff Keith confirmed that his band doesn't use any backing tracks in its live shows these days. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When we play live, we don't roll no tape; we don't roll no Pro Tools or nothing. When you see us live, we either sound good and we're doing it or we have an off night and we're doing it. We've never rolled tape. And now they say, 'Well, it's not really tape anymore, Jeff. It's a computer.' I go, well, either way, we don't do none of that. Like we say on all our records: 'No machines.' … We like to keep it real."

Back in 2021, when TESLA announced its first post-pandemic tour, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon said in a statement: "We are so excited and anxious to get back to performing 'real' live concerts again. There's nothing like the energy of being in the same spontaneous moment with an audience of people. TESLA has always taken pride in being a high energy live band relying on performances without any backing tracks or pre-recorded help."

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

TESLA released a new live album, "Full Throttle Live", on May 26. The LP includes the band's latest single, "Time To Rock!", plus other songs, all recorded last August at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Independently recorded, mixed and produced by guitarist Frank Hannon and bassist Brian Wheat, this new live album truly captures TESLA in pure honest form, and even dives deeper into their roots by recording a live version of the 1974 AEROSMITH classic "S.O.S. (Too Bad)" as a bonus track. The heavier song choices range from "Miles Away" to more recent hard releases like the aforementioned "Time To Rock!" and "Cold Blue Steel". But don't worry, there are old TESLA classics captured too, like "Changes" and "Lazy Days, Crazy Nights", all recorded as TESLA is best — 100% full-throttle live.

In September 2021, TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

Due to overwhelming demand, TESLA recently added five shows to its residency at House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new dates will begin on Friday, September 29.

In a new interview with Into The Pit, guitarist Bobby Gustafson once again opened up about his fall 2022 exit from San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans VIO-LENCE. The 57-year-old musician, who is based in Florida, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[The split happened] for the same reason all these bands are canceling tours. It's just gotten so expensive to do. Even within that three-short-year span, the price of plane tickets really shot up after the pandemic. They're not playing all the time — they're doing sporadic shows here and there — and to spend that much money to bring me out there, it's understandable."

Gustafson went on to say: "I thought it was pretty much a solid band when I had started. But I know Phil [Demmel, VIO-LENCE's founding guitarist] has his eyes on something bigger. So if other projects come along, he wanted to really be with something at the level he was used to, which is understandable. You get used to that level, and it's hard to go back. I wish them well. Whatever happens, happens."

Gustafson previously talked about his departure from VIO-LENCE this past March in an interview with the "Metal Mayhem ROC" podcast. At the time, he said: "Yeah, [the cross-country commute] was hard. And with the economy, the way it was, everything started to get more expensive. I mean, the flights had doubled since I first started going out there in 2020. And to go back and forth, it was a strain on me, but it was a strain on the band as well, to try and keep themselves going. You can't be selfish and be the only one they're wasting money on like that. But they [originally] wanted somebody with a name [to be in their band], and they asked me to do it, and I was, like, 'Yeah. This'll be great.' So it just got to be where it's so expensive, and it's affecting every band, basically. Between diesel for the bus, hotel rooms, flying to Europe. I'm hearing now that they're taking a lot in Europe — they're taking money from your t-shirts.; they are taxing those bands that leave Europe to try and come here to play. Everyone's got their hands in your pockets. It's so hard to make anything… It's not cost effective anymore. It's, like, are you doing it [just to be] doing it, or are you doing it to make a living? 'Cause you still have bills to pay at home, so you've gotta make something. And, yeah, the worst part of it is really the gas and those buses, and everything over there is diesel, and that just went through the roof.

"So, it is what it is," Gustafson added. "There's no hard feelings or nothing. And it's just… move on."

A former member of OVERKILL, Gustafson joined VIO-LENCE in January 2020 as the replacement for Ray Vegas.

When Gustafson's departure from VIO-LENCE was first announced last October, the band cited "logistical difficulties that weigh too heavy to function in a productive manner" as the reason for the split.

VIO-LENCE's current touring lineup consists of vocalist Sean Killian, drummer Adrian Aguilar (EXMORTUS),guitarist Miles Dimitri Baker (VOIDBRINGER, INTERLOPER, ex-RINGS OF SATURN),bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and guitarist Ira Black (VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN, METAL CHURCH).

VIO-LENCE played its first show with Aguilar in February at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Aguilar joined VIO-LENCE following the departure of Perry Strickland.

When Demmel is unable to make some of the VIO-LENCE dates, he is being replaced by Baker.

Notably, VIO-LENCE's recent shows in Asia, Australia and New Zealand featured only Killian from the lineup that played its first comeback gig in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California. The VIO-LENCE lineup that appeared at the Metro consisted of Killian, Demmel, Strickland, bassist Deen Dell and Vegas.

Strickland announced his departure from VIO-LENCE in February by sharing a video of him performing with the band and captioning it: "I'll Miss playing these songs !" After one fan asked Perry in the comments to clarify whether he has in fact exited the group, Strickland responded: "yes about a month ago".

Among the people reacting to Strickland's announcement was Gustafson, who wrote: "Good luck with what ever you do in the future. We had some good times finally."

The Loknath 007 YouTube channel has uploaded 4K video of PANTERA's June 13 concert at the Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Germany. Check out the clips below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. A New Level
02. Mouth For War
03. Strength Beyond Strength
04. Becoming
05. I'm Broken
06. Suicide Note Pt. II
07. 5 Minutes Alone
08. This Love
09. Yesterday Don't Mean Shit
10. Fucking Hostile
11. Planet Caravan (BLACK SABBATH cover)
12. Walk
13. Domination / Hollow
14. Cowboys From Hell
15. Use My Third Arm

PANTERA's current lineup includes two surviving members from the band's classic formation, Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).

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

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

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.

On June 18th, US rockers performed at the Hellfest in Clisson, France. Pro-shot video of the entire show courtesy of ARTE Concert can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Raise Your Horns" (intro)
"I Miss The Misery"
"Love Bites (So Do I)"
"I Get Off"
"Crazy On You" (Heart)
"Wicked Ways"
"Familiar Taste Of Poison"
"Takes My Life"
- drum solo -
"Back From The Dead"
"The Steeple"







Halestorm recently announced their return to Europe this winter for their biggest headline shows to date.


The first and only UK date announced for their winter 2023 trek will take place at London's OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday, December 9th.


Special guests will be none other than charismatic rock act Black Veil Brides. An additional support is still to be announced.


Frontwoman Lzzy Hale comments: "We are so excited to be back across the pond where the rock n roll lifers are! We are celebrating so many milestones this year including having the honour of headlining Wembley at the end of the year! To kick it up a notch we’ve invited our friends in Black Veil Brides to join us for a run as well. We can’t wait to see all of your passionate faces!"


Tickets for the London show will go on general sale at 10am BST on June 1st. To buy tickets, click here.


Further European shows will be revealed soon.

Rap metal sensation Sicksense - featuring vocalists Vicky Psarakis (ex-The Agonist) and Robby J. Fonts (Stuck Mojo) - have shared a one-take vocal performance of the song "Run And Hide". The track is taken from their new Fools Tomorrow EP.





Hard-hitting and melodic; pissed off and groovy; energetic and catchy: upon first listen, it is clear that Sicksense is all of these things. The band - comprised of vocalists Killer V (Vicky Psarakis) and Rob The Ripper (Robby J. Fonts), guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The True Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard) – have released their new EP, Fools Tomorrow. It is now available here.







Fools Tomorrow tracklisting:


"Feed Them To The Wolves"
"Fools Tomorrow" (ft. Billy Grey)
"Invitation"
"Run And Hide"
"Erase, Rewind"


"Feed Them To The Wolves"





"Fools Tomorow"





Having both performed a range of styles in numerous heavy bands, Killer V and Rob The Ripper (who are married) wanted to return to a genre that’s close to their hearts, but also make music that is specifically written for two vocalists. Written with dual vocal interplay from a male / female perspective, their performance reflects a personal and fun side of them as people, but also tackles social and societal issues in the world today. Backed by guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The Trve Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard), Sicksense would be born out of the band’s desire to share their upbeat and fun message with the world. Sicksense chooses musical inspiration from various bands and those influences shine through in their debut EP, Kings Today.   


Sicksense is:


Killer V – Vocals/Keys
Rob The Ripper – Vocals
Breakdown Bran – Guitars
Spot-On Sam/SOS – Bass
The Trve Cody Taylor – Drums

On June 17th, German power metallers Powerwolf performed at the Hellfest in Clisson, France. Pro-shot video of the entire show courtesy of ARTE Concert can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Faster Than the Flame"
"Incense & Iron"
"Amen & Attack"
"Dancing With the Dead"
"Armata Strigoi"
"Bête du Gévaudan"
"Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend"
"Fire and Forgive"
"Blood for Blood (Faoladh)"
"Agnus Dei" (Intro)
"Sanctified With Dynamite"
"We Drink Your Blood"
"Werewolves of Armenia"







There is no way around the most successful German band in modern heavy metal. Only a few days before the release of the special album Interludium on April 7, and shortly after the overwhelming first North American tour in the band's history, Powerwolf announced four shows in Germany from October 31 to November 5.


The holy heavy metal mass will be brought to Düsseldorf, Ravensburg, Bamberg and Leipzig. The wolves will get support from special guests Lord Of The Lost, Beyond The Black And Serenity.





Dates:


October
31 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Mitsubishi Electric Halle (with Lord Of The Lost, Serenity)


November
2 - Ravensburg, Germany - Oberschwabenhalle (with Lord Of The Lost, Serenity)
3 - Bamberg, Germany - Brose Arena (with Lord Of The Lost, Serenity)
5 - Leipzig, Germany - Quarterback Immobilien Arena (with Beyond The Black, Serenity)


More Powerwolf tour dates, as well as tickets and more information, can be found at Powerwolf.net/tickets.


Powerwolf are:


Attila Dorn - vocals
Falk Maria Schlegel - organ
Charles Greywolf - guitar
Matthew Greywolf - guitar
Roel van Helden - drums

European metal powerhouse Last Temptation have checked in with the following message:


"Please give a warm welcome to Loup Malevil (Sabotage) and Fabio Alessandrini (Bonfire / TL Rhapsody / Annihilator)! A familiar face from our 2022 tour, Franz OA Wise is also officially joining the band, completing the new line-up. 


We can't wait for you to get a taste of the music we created together. A new album will be released by Fall 2023 and more dates being announced soon.




See you June 25th at Zénith de Paris!" 


Last Temptation returned last year with a new album, Fuel for My Soul, which is out now via Crusader Records.


Fuel for My Soul is a great step forward for Last Temptation. Recorded in a week, the band took their time to rehearse the new songs and had over 40 demos before eventually narrowing it down to 11 hard-hitting tracks. 


Fuel for My Soul has an entirely different production style compared to the last album. All the rhythm tracks, bass, drums and guitars were recorded live, and the songs are far more eclectic than previous releases. While Last Temptation still maintain their Ozzy/Black Sabbathinfluences, they add a grungy twist, along with big choruses that gives an ‘80s vibe.


"Fuel For My Soul"

The Future Past Tour features Iron Maiden presenting previously unperformed songs from the band’s most recent studio album, Senjutsu along with a focus on 1986’s iconic Somewhere In Time record, plus other classic cuts. Speaking exclusively with Metal Hammer recently, bassist / founder Steve Harris revealed that when it comes to picking what songs to play on each tour, the metal legends answer to only one voice: their own.


"This might be blunt and brutal, but we don’t do it for the audience. We do it for our own thing first. We’ve gotta feel comfortable with what we’re playing and enjoy it, and then hopefully they’ll like it. That’s always been our stance all the way through. We don’t do a census of, ‘Oh, does everyone like this or like that?’, or whatever. We don’t do that."


Read the complete report here.




On June 11th, Iron Maiden brought The Future Past tour to the Quarterback Immobilien Arena in Leipzig, Germany. Fan-filmed video from the show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Caught Somewhere In Time"
"Stranger In A Strange Land"
"The Writing On The Wall"
"Days Of Future Past"
"The Time Machine"
"The Prisoner"
"Death Of The Celts"
"Can I Play With Madness"
"Heaven Can Wait"
"Alexander The Great"
"Fear Of The Dark"
"Iron Maiden"


Encore:
"Hell On Earth"
"The Trooper"
"Wasted Years"

In a new interview with Graspop Metal Meeting, conducted at this weekend's festival in Dessel, Belgium, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan was asked if he thinks the band's "quite solid" lineup is one of the main reasons for the group's success. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we have a great deal respect for each other and a brotherhood. Back in 2011, we decided we were going so hard on the road, as most bands do… It was probably at that point about 11 years, 12 years straight of just hard touring and writing, recording and touring, and we wanted to take a little hiatus and just spend some time at home with the families, with the kids. My kids were really little back then; they're teenagers now. And then when we came back together after that short break, it made us really even appreciate everything even more, after it's missing from your life for those few years. And we still have a lot to say, a lot to write about. This is therapeutic for us. We need it to get through life. Even the fans — they need music to get through life. As [DISTURBED singer] David [Draiman] says many times, [our shows are] like one big group therapy session, because we all come to concerts to escape everyday life, of whatever may be going on at work or things that may be difficult through life. You come to have an escape."

Released in November, DISTURBED's latest album, "Divisive", was recorded early last year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Donegan's divorce inspired the "Divisive" song "Don't Tell Me", which is a duet with HEART's Ann Wilson. In two decades, it breaks ground as the first-ever guest collaboration on a DISTURBED record.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

On June 12th, Hollywood Vampires - featuring Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen - performed at  Arena Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria. 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)





The Hollywood Vampires tour schedule for Europe is as follows:


Tour dates:


June
20 - Rudolf Weber Arena - Oberhausen, Germany
21 - Rockhal - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
24 - Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
27 - Stadtpark - Hamburg, Germany
28 - Citadel Music Festival - Zitadelle Spandau - Berlin, Germany
30 - Summer in the City - Zitadelle Mainz - Mainz, Germany

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, are back with their latest Sunday Lunch video. Watch below.


A message states: "The legendary duo rock out to the Lenny Kravitz classic in that infamous kitchen. Enjoy this revisit to "Are You Gonna Go My Way" on the day that Toyah & Robert take to the stage at the Isle Of Wight Fest, Sunday 18 June 2023."







Toyah & Robert's Sunday Lunch is going on tour throughout the UK in September and October. The couple will be accompanied by a live band, with Fripp on guitar.


Tickets are available here.





Says Toyah: “When people ask, 'What is the show going to be?', it’s going to be about the hundred years of musical experience we have between us.”


Watch the "Toyah At Home" video below, where Toyah and Robert introduce the tour concept:

Due to health reasons, Hypocrisy guitarist Thomas Elofsson (on the far right above) has been forced off the road. He checked in on Facebook:


"Okay. Today was not a good day, but at the same time it was. A few hours ago i suffered a massive heart attack. I just came out of surgery and I'm a bit tired but in good spirit 😃 I survived. 3 vains where clogged and had to be cleared. The doctor did a good job and I owe him everything i got. Thank you ❤️ The show must go on and right this minute @hypocrisyband are playing without me for the first time in 13 years! 😃
Give em hell boys!! 😁 Now im gonna rest 😁👍"



On November 26, 2021, Hypocrisy released their latest album, Worship, which saw the best global chart results in the band's history so far. And yet, the band has another ace up their sleeve.




The fierce banger, "They Will Arrive", taken from Worship, provides the perfect soundtrack to the video, which was filmed across three different concerts during their last European tour in autumn/winter 2022.


Peter Tägtgren comments: "We’ve got a chance to make another video with Damien Dausch and it feels like it completes the Worship tour. Enjoy!"





Hypocrisy will be appearing at a few festivals in Europe this summer and will play some shows with label buddies Behemoth and In Flames.


Tour dates:


June
18 - Hannover, Germany (with Behemoth)
20 - Karlsruhe, Germany (with Behemoth)


July
15 - Neukirchen, Germany - Dong Open Air
29 - Steenwijk, Netherlands - Stone Henge Fest


August
3 - Brasov, Romania - Rockstadt Extreme Fest
11 - Obermehler, Germany - Party.San Metal Open Air
12 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault Fesival
13 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival
26 - Rättvik, Sweden - Dalhalla Brinner (with In Flames)


September
8 - Hüttikon, Switzerland - Meh Suff


Hypocrisy is:


Peter Tägtgren - Vocals, Guitars
Mikael Hedlund - Bass
Henrik Axelsson - Session Drums
Thomas Elofsson - Session Guitarist


 

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson, who has become known for his weekly covers of '80s classics, has released a seven song compilation of fan favourites from his catalogue. It is now available on digital platforms. 





The tracklist is as follows: 




"Africa" (Toto)
"Headless Cross" (Black Sabbath)
"18 And Life" (Skid Row)
"You're The Voice" (John Farnham)
"The Price" (Twisted Sister)
"Alone" (Heart)
"I'm Still Standing" (Elton John) 





 





 

On June 12th, KISS performed at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Holland on their End Of The Road farewell tour. Multicam video of "I Was Made For Lovin' You" can be viewed below.





To view the complete KISS tour schedule, visit this location.







"We are finally going on the final go-around," said KISS bassist / vocalist Gene Simmons, on June 8th, during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, which can be viewed below.


Gene shared his thoughts on The End Of The Road Tour, commenting: "You have to have a little pride and self-respect. Know when to get off the stage. It's been half a century, and boy, do I look good. We've been doing this an awfully long time. I can't tell you how much it means to us to be in front of the fans and put on the spectacle of all spectacles. But on December the 2nd, New York City, Madison Square Garden, that will be the last time KISS will ever be on stage anywhere."


"Pride in a half a century of defying the critics," continued Gene. "We use them as mulch. You know what that is? You grind 'em up and you put 'em in the dirt. They don't mean anything. If it was up to critics, we wouldn't have our favorite things — Star Wars and all the fun stuff in life. We completely ignored them. And I will tell you, the finest part of being up on stage and putting on the best show on the planet is the look on the faces of the fans. I can't tell you what it means. So it's gonna be happy, because of the amazing journey we've had, but sad, of course, because it's gonna be heartbreaking." 

HIGH ON FIRE is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023 with a special slate of rejoiceful revelry. The Grammy Award-winning group, featuring bassist Jeff Matz, guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike and new drummer Coady Willis (BIG BUSINESS, MELVINS, MURDER CITY DEVILS),will bookend the jubilee with a reissue of its long-out-of-print debut, "The Art Of Self Defense", and the release of its as-yet-untitled new album, set to drop in early 2024. In between, fans can expect a slew of live performances spotlighting specific eras from the trailblazing band's historic career.

On August 4, MNRK Heavy will reissue "The Art Of Self Defense". Originally released in 2000 on the late Frank Kozik's now-defunct Man's Ruin Records, "The Art Of Self Defense" introduced the world to the towering trio and modded the template for what constituted modern-day heavy music. The celebratory reissue is completely remixed by original producer Billy Anderson, remastered by Justin Weis, and boasts a new alternative cover, expanded gatefold artwork, and the band's self-titled demo as bonus tracks. "The Art Of Self Defense" deluxe reissue, which will be available on LP in a smorgasbord of colored vinyl variants, is available for pre-order.

In additional news, HIGH ON FIRE has completed work on its new, as-yet-untitled ninth studio album and successor to 2018's "Electric Messiah", which netted the group its first Grammy for "Best Metal Performance". Recorded in Salem, Massachusetts with longtime producer Kurt Ballou, the album is the first to feature Willis, who joined HIGH ON FIRE in 2021. Additional details will be announced as available.

"HIGH ON FIRE wishes to thank everyone that has supported our efforts over the last 25 years, including the labels, road crews, friends, and families, but most importantly the FANS," says the band collectively. "We are looking forward to celebrating this milestone with everyone and sharing new music soon."

In a 2019 interview with Kerrang! magazine, Pike was asked if it is fair to say that drugs have enhanced his creativity over the years. He responded: "Oh, absolutely. I think probably everyone who's a musician has some sort of mental tic that goes on, and I believe that marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms can help that and treat that in a constructive way, especially if it's helping you get your music done. Like, when I was a kid, I learned how to play guitar on acid. So it really has contributed to the way that I make music. But I can do it sober, I proved that to myself when I stopped drinking in 2012. I've had my struggles with that, but I've been as true as I can be to it, especially if I'm playing music. I didn't think I could play a show without a shot, but for a long time I was playing shows totally sober. Now I can do a little marijuana and I'm pretty happy."

Photo credit: Jason Zucco

SLIPKNOT co-founder and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) will once again sit out some of the band's upcoming shows in order to stay home with his wife, who is suffering from undisclosed health issues.

Earlier today, Shawn took to social media to write: "Hello to all of our fans. Unfortunately I had to return back home to be with my wife due to her medical situation. Thank you for the overwhelming support for the few shows I was able to make. I'm so sorry for missing the remainder of these shows, I was really looking forward to being there. As always, I'm so gracious for your overwhelming support for our family. I will be seeing you all at our shows in July. See you soon and hail SLIPKNOT."

Earlier in the month, Crahan also missed some of SLIPKNOT's shows to be with his wife. But he was able to rejoin his bandmates in time for their appearance at last weekend's Download festival and several other ensuing dates.

In a 2005 interview with the Des Moines Register, Shawn talked about his wife's ongoing battle with Crohn's disease (a chronic inflammatory bowel disease) and her hospitalization which forced him at the time to skip the first SLIPKNOT gigs of his career.

"That's the thing I fight for most in this biz, is family," he said. "Family can and is being incorporated into rock 'n' roll. You can have a wife, you can have a child or children and be a rock 'n' roller."

"Right now has definitely been the hardest time in my life," said the father of four children.

Crahan said that "health is the most important thing you have on this planet if you're gonna have a successful life," and so he knows it's ironic that as his wife battles daily for normalcy, he's slamming his body around the stage each night.

"The older you get, the wiser you get on how to benefit from taking care of yourself in your performance," Crahan said. "But my performance is to feel uncomfortable, so I'm kind of screwed any way you look at it."

Last October, Shawn reflected on the loss of his daughter in an interview with U.K.'s Independent, saying it is one of the most horrific pains any parent can go through. Losing a child isn't something you get over," he said. "That's all I can say. It changes you — and that's it."

Gabrielle Crahan died in May 2019 in Los Angeles, with Shawn announcing the death the following day. The 22-year-old was one of four children Shawn had with his wife, Chantel, whom he married in June 1992.

SLIPKNOT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "The End, So Far", which was released last September via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

Hello to all of our fans. Unfortunately I had to return back home to be with my wife due to her medical situation. Thank...

Posted by Slipknot on Sunday, June 18, 2023

DIETH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, Swedish guitarist/vocalist Guilherme Miranda (formerly of ENTOMBED A.D.) and drummer Michał Łysejko (ex-DECAPITATED), performed on June 12 at Motor Rock Pub in Słupsk, Poland. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

DIETH released its debut album, "To Hell And Back", on June 2 via Napalm Records. The LP includes the song "Walk With Me Forever", featuring the first-ever solo lead vocal performance of Ellefson's career. The track's haunting accompanying music video shows Ellefson narrating a story of love and loss, directed by Oskar Szramka and starring notable Polish actors Jan Napieralski and Agnieszka Goździewicz.

Produced by DIETH, with mixing and mastering by Tomasz Zed Zalewski at Zed Studios in Chechło, Poland, the LP represents new beginnings — musically, lyrically and for the band members themselves. Weaving a sinister thread of unrelenting tech-steeped death metal and rapid thrash bangers, the members of DIETH have pushed beyond the stereotypes of their former genres to create an unexpected yet charismatic and dynamic new sonic footprint.

DIETH dropped its debut single, "In The Hall Of The Hanging Serpents", in mid-2022. Met with acclaim from both fans and media alike, the surprise track marked the exciting resurgence of these three renowned musicians, coming together as a new musical force after years of silence.

Opening with an entrancing acoustic introduction, first track "To Hell And Back" quickly slams in with a punishing death metal attack. Tracks like "Dead Inside" and "Don't Get Mad … Get Even!" showcase the thrash-infused side of DIETH, while death metal anthems such as "Wicked Disdain" and "The Mark Of Cain" lean diabolical with hair-raising solos and breakneck paced rhythms backed by crushing walls of aggression. Standout "Free Us All" flirts with the record's pace by blending winding passages and aggression with throwback bass-driven interludes with psychedelic production, followed by "Heavy Is The Crown" — a slow-and-low grinder featuring stoner metal groove, a swaying chorus and a blues-infused solo. Pensive, powerful ballad "Walk With Me Forever" showcases Ellefson's lead vocal performance debut, singing about the intense loss of a loved one and their memory providing the strength to carry on.

Ending with intensely beautiful "Severance", "To Hell And Back" proves that DIETH isn't just another side project or "supergroup", but rather the collective reincarnation of three renowned heavy metal forces who, by harnessing their own pain and conflict, have delivered an exciting next chapter no metal fan will want to miss!

Ellefson says about the new album: "This album has been a terrific collaboration, building upon our past as we created a new sound together... we're looking forward to unleashing the fury!"

DIETH is:

Guilherme Miranda - Vocals, Guitar
David Ellefson - Vocals, Bass
Michał Łysejko – Drums

Do koncertu DIETH + Devour Universe / 12.06.2023/ Motor Rock Pub, Słupsk pozostał niecały tydzień. Słuchaliście już...

Posted by Motor Rock Pub on Tuesday, June 6, 2023

The reunited original lineup of BIOHAZARD — guitarist/vocalist Billy Gradziadei, guitarist Bobby Hambel, drummer Danny Schuler and bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld — played its first New York City concert in more than 12 years Friday night (June 16) at the Irving Plaza. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

The first reunion gig from Gradziadei, Hambel, Schuler and Seinfeld took place on May 26 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On June 7, Seinfeld shared a couple of photos of the reunited original lineup of BIOHAZARD on Instagram, and he included the following message: "Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Reuniting with BIOHAZARD after 12 years and seeing what we have all accomplished on our own, many incredible things and now so hopeful optimistic and excited for this new chapter where once again all things are possible if you believe.

"We are going to write a new album, released a documentary film with our brother at @stonefilmsnyc ,create a new branded line of merchandise and of course tour of the world. The only thing constant in life is change.

"At one point in my life I had closed the chapter on BIOHAZARD thinking there was nothing left for me to do or accomplish and now I see so many possibilities because the energy when the four of us are together is boundless. Four kids from Brooklyn who went from the street corner to festival main stages Arenas and stadiums. BIOHAZARD sold millions of albums and played thousands of concerts in 100 countries around the world. This was my life education to see the entire world as an ambassador of positivity with my music in our metal hard-core and even hip-hop styles. All of the incredible human connections I made and all of the emotions I've experienced have helped shape me into who I am today.

"What I realize today is that every day is a new beginning and if you ever feel stuck in your life just know that you are one second away from completely changing your life believing in something new putting your heart and passion and your soul into something you care about or sometimes even just loving someone or yourself. When we carry around resentments it's almost always an over reaction of our ego. Resentment is the number one offender it only hurts us.

"Life is a gift and I'm full of gratitude today for BIOHAZARD our incredible management team our incredible agencies worldwide.

"This shoot is so special to me my guy @trusttheshooter @jeremydeputat absolutely captured the many sides of BIOHAZARD in a long day at our first [email protected] 12 years.

"See you all in the pit… somewhere!

"Grateful for my brothers Billy Bobby and Danny. We can do incredible things as a team LFG!"

BIOHAZARD will make a number of other appearances throughout 2023, including at multiple international festivals in the summer, and will play select gigs in America.

This past January, Schuler told Dan Shinder of Drum Talk TV, Schuler about how BIOHAZARD came back together: "We haven't toured in about seven years, almost eight years. In about 2015, [that] was the last year of touring. We wrapped it up after that. We went in the studio to go do a record and things just kind of imploded; everybody's a bunch of crazy personalities. In the ensuing years, we didn't do anything as BIOHAZARD. And then about a year and a half ago, my brother, who lives in Torrance, California, was flying back home to New York to come see everybody. And he gets to the airport here, and he says to me, 'You won't believe who I saw at the airport.' And I said, 'Who was that?' And he goes, 'I saw Evan,' the bass player from BIOHAZARD, Evan Seinfeld, who I hadn't spoken to in 10 years. And they had a good conversation, and it was cordial. And he basically sent a message through my brother, 'Tell Danny I said hi.' So a week later, I'm going on vacation. I'm feeling good. I'm going down to the beach house here in [New] Jersey with my wife and my kids, and I said to my wife, 'Maybe I should call him' — you know, just bury the hatchet. Who cares anymore? Like everybody, COVID and all these people dying and all this stuff, it's, like, who the hell cares about all that old stuff that made you mad. So my wife was, like, 'Yeah, why don't you give him a call? Don't be an asshole. Call him.'

"Anyway, long story short, I did call him and we spoke," he continued. "And we just kind of buried the hatchet. And the other guys in the band, Bobby and Billy, had been speaking, and we've been speaking, and everybody just kind of started talking a little bit. And unfortunately, our former manager, Scott Koenig, who was out in Los Angeles, he passed away. And that was a real moment where it was, like, 'Wow.' Scott was with us from the beginning, and he was like a fifth member of the band. … That was in October of '21. … I got that call. And the same week, Ir friend of ours from a band called DOG EAT DOG, our friend Sean Kilkenny passed away the same day as Scott. So it was two phone calls, two brothers, two great, close friends, like family, both passed at the same time. And for me, that was kind of one of those things where it's just, like, who cares about all the negative bullshit in the past? Who cares? We're still here. We did great stuff together. We created something cool. We should all be friends. And that was my thinking. And everyone kind of felt the same way. And that kind of was the beginning of how it started, getting the band together."

As for the possibility of a new BIOHAZARD album, Schuler said: "Making new music wasn't really something I was really thinking about too much, but it's come up so much in the last few months since we've been talking about all this stuff. So we'll see how it goes. There's definitely interest there for us to do it. I just hope we can do it. I wanna be able to do it at the level we always did it at.

"I write a lot of music on my own, of course, but I'm very much into collaboration," he explained. "I've always needed a partner, or partners, to really bring the best out of me, to challenge myself. And I always loved getting in a room with these guys. We've always come up with great stuff when we're in the right mindset to do it. So I'm excited to get in a room with them and just let shit fly. I have the energy for it, I'm ready and I'm excited to do it, and I think they are too. So I'm hopeful that we're gonna make something really cool and different and innovative."

In addition to touring, BIOHAZARD has a 35th-anniversary documentary in the works containing previously unreleased footage spanning four decades.

"BIOHAZARD is an iconic band that ripped it up on the streets of New York when I lived there in the late '80s and early '90s, so I'm excited to be working with them to bring their pioneering hardcore sound to a new generation," said Andy Gould (ROB ZOMBIE, PANTERA, TYPE O NEGATIVE). The band is managed by Gould and Paul Gargano and booked by Jim Morewood at the K2 Agency internationally, and Steve Sokol at Pinnacle in North America.

Stated Graziadei: "Over the years, we made some great music together and had so many incredible shows on some pretty amazing tours. After spending so much time and focus on POWERFLO and my solo project BILLYBIO, things just fell in place at the right time and I decided it was the time to recapture that energy and go kick ass again with the original lineup of BIOHAZARD with DannyBobby, and Evan!"

Added Hambel: "I'm honored to perform with the band again. I can't wait to get onstage with the guys and do what we do! I'm looking forward to traveling and playing live. See you out there!"

Stated Seinfeld: "It's been ten years since we all played together, and I'm in a huge place of gratitude for the opportunity to get back to the roots of BIOHAZARD and not only reconnect with the other guys, but also the fans. We've been through decades of madness, and it feels like the fantastic four are back together."

Last year, Graziadei said in an interview that there had been "talk" about putting BIOHAZARD back together.

The group, which is acknowledged as one of the earliest outfits to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop, had been out of the public eye since Scott Roberts left the band seven years ago.

Roberts, who played guitar on BIOHAZARD's 2005 album "Means To An End", rejoined the group in June 2011 as the replacement for Seinfeld. Scott fronted BIOHAZARD for nearly five years before exiting the band in February 2016.

In an August 2020 interview with the "Aftershocks" podcast, Roberts said that he left BIOHAZARD because he "wasn't happy" anymore. "There was one guy that I wasn't getting along with very well, and it made touring not fun anymore for me," he said. "My reason to stick around was to make a new record that was great and I'd be proud of and all that stuff, and then it became kind of clear that wasn't gonna happen, so I was, like, 'What am I doing it for?' So I quit."

Seinfeld made his last recorded appearance with BIOHAZARD on 2012's "Reborn In Defiance" album, which marked the first LP featuring the band's original lineup in 18 years.

Graziadei is currently a member of POWERFLO, which also features former FEAR FACTORY bassist/guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers, Sen Dog from CYPRESS HILL, and Rogelio Lozano from DOWNSET.

Billy's solo project, BILLYBIO, released a new album, "Leaders And Liars", in March 2022 via AFM Records.

Biohazard NYC June 16 Irving Plaza
BlacknBlue Productions

Posted by Ralph Renna on Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Fan-filmed video of ATHEIST's June 14 concert at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California can be seen below.

ATHEIST's "Focus And Presence" North American tour with fellow progressive metal pioneers CYNIC, which kicked off on June 10 in Austin, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Kelly Shaefer-fronted act's "Piece Of Time", "Unquestionable Presence" and "Elements" releases.

When the tour was first announced earlier this year, Shaefer said in a statement: "This tour has been something that Paul (Masvidal, CYNIC frontman) and I have been talking about in some capacity since we were in our early 20s. It's surreal to share a 30-year milestone together, and this tour will showcase for us a chance to play songs from our first three records as a special trilogy anniversary set, including songs not performed live in decades. Two titans of technical progressive metal coming together for a unicorn of a tour....one you will not want to miss!

"I'm also excited to announce that joining me on this tour and beyond will be an all-new lineup of ATHEIST! These four straight killers of musicians will be alongside me as ATHEIST heads out with CYNIC to celebrate 30 years of our first three albums 'Piece Of Time', 'Unquestionable Presence' and turning 30 this year 1993's 'Elements'! We'll be playing tracks from those three albums exclusively in one of the longest sets we've ever done! The set will include several songs that have not been played live in three decades.

"Joining returning bassist Yoav-Ruiz Feingold (GRAVITON) and myself to round out ATHEIST are Dylan Marks (FERMENTOR/BEEKEEPER) on drums, Alex Hadaad (ARKAIK/DESSIDERIUM) on guitar and Jerry Witunsky (ANCIENT DEATH) on guitar.

"I couldn't be more excited to perform this special set with such talented players. They have shown tremendous respect for the music and the attention to detail needed to pull off these songs live. Talk is cheap, right? So be sure to secure your tickets early to the 'Focus And Presence' North American tour 2023 to see for yourself and help us celebrate alongside our brothers in CYNIC who will be performing a special 30th-anniversary set for their release 'Focus' as well.

"See you on the road!!"

Earlier this year, ATHEIST re-released its entire discography, comprised of four albums that span the band's 30-year career, on all streaming services worldwide. The return to digital platforms was the first phase of a comprehensive reissue campaign. The second phase offers their albums in various physical formats with all-new revised layouts. All four studio albums will be available on CD and vinyl on July 14 via Nuclear Blast.

Shaefer commented: We are proud to bring the musical catalog of ATHEIST to the mighty Nuclear Blast. We couldn't ask for a better place to land the musical creations of ATHEIST that now span over 30 years. It's exciting to know that our music will be made available on all formats by the biggest metal label on EARTH!"

Professionally filmed video of MACHINE HEAD's June 16 performance at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium can be seen below.

Featured songs:

01. Aesthetics Of Hate
02. Old
03. My Hands Are Empty

For the Graspop Metal Meeting performance, MACHINE HEAD was rejoined by Polish guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED). Vogg missed MACHINE HEAD's appearance at the Milwaukee Metal Fest last month and was replaced by HAVOK's Reece Alan Scruggs. Scruggs previously played with MACHINE HEAD on the "Electric Happy Hour (Live)" fall 2022 tour. Reece was filling in for Vogg (DECAPITATED),who was unable to make the fall 2022 trek due to his touring commitments with his longtime band DECAPITATED.

In April, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced spring 2023 U.S. tour "due to work visa issues," explaining that "half the band, as well as a handful of key crew members, reside outside of the U.S."

The 18-date "The Electric Happy Hour (Live)" trek was scheduled to kick off on May 15 in Ventura, California and make its way to Des Moines, Fort Wayne, and Detroit before ending in Los Angeles on June 9.

MACHINE HEAD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Of Kingdom And Crown", which came out last August. The follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis" includes the three songs that were featured on the 2021 "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single: "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky". Much of the new MACHINE HEAD album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer/producer Zack Ohren.

In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

TheRealConcertKing YouTube channel has uploaded video of CYNIC's June 14 concert at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California. Check out the clips below.

CYNIC's "Focus And Presence" North American tour with fellow progressive metal pioneers ATHEIST, which kicked off on June 10 in Austin, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Paul Masvidal-fronted act's debut album, "Focus". CYNIC is performing the seminal LP in its entirety while also paying homage to late members Sean Reinert and Sean Malone.

Later in the year, CYNIC will perform at the illustrious ProgPower USA festival on September 6 in Atlanta, Georgia.

CYNIC's touring lineup features Masvidal on vocals and guitars, Max Phelps (EXIST, DEATH TO ALL) on additional guitars and vocals, Brandon Giffin (THE FACELESS, THE ZENITH PASSAGE) on bass, Matt Lynch (NOVA COLLECTIVE, INTRONAUT) on drums and percussion, and Zeke Kaplan on the keyboard. Lynch has been drumming with CYNIC since 2015 and appeared on the band's latest full-length, "Ascension Codes", as well as the 2018 single "Humanoid". Additionally, Phelps, having also appeared on "Ascension Codes", and Giffin have previously toured with CYNIC during the band's "Carbon Based Anatomy" and "Kindly Bent To Free Us" tours.

Released in 1993, "Focus" is a certified classic. Although that era ended with transformation into the short-lived PORTAL, and then a further splinter toward AEON SPOKE, CYNIC's reunion-era has found them embraced in a way that proves how ahead of the times they were in the '90s. Through monuments such as the "Traced In Air" (2008) and "Kindly Bent To Free Us" (2014) albums, the "Carbon-Based Anatomy" and "Re-Traced" EPs, and a surprising rebirth with the "Humanoid" single of 2018, the CYNIC legacy remains untarnished.

The year 2020 will go down in history as a tremendously difficult time for the global human population. For the CYNIC family, the struggle was not restricted to a pandemic. It was two utterly senseless losses that threw the band's immediate concerns into the background: the premature deaths of drummer Sean Reinert in January, at age 48, and bassist Sean Malone in December, at age 50, were shocking and unthinkable.

Reinert, a founding CYNIC member since formation in 1988, was highly influential to a multitude of young drummers. His work on "Focus" and DEATH's watershed 1991 album "Human" found him sculpting extreme technical metal with a jazz fusion-inspired approach. Now taken for granted, that approach to the instrument and the genre was undoubtedly pioneered in large part by Reinert. Though parting with CYNIC in 2015, his imprint on CYNIC is inescapable.

The death of Sean Malone dealt another horrible layer of tragedy to CYNIC's 2020. In his many years with the band, Malone's virtuoso playing meshed intuitively with Reinert's. Together they formed a nucleus of kinetic, highly capable rhythmic dexterity that fueled CYNIC's celestial aims.

Skid Row vocalist Erik Grönwall has shared a new solo cover, this time taking on the Journey classic, "Faithfully". All ijstruments were performed by Jona Tee. 





Grönwall recently checked in with the following update:




"If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me to release an album with the covers on my YouTube channel I would be able to buy all of the copies of Eriksplanations Vol. 1, but I can’t because they sold out in less than a month. ⠀


If you missed your shot at grabbing a signed vinyl, you don’t have to worry. The album is out on all digital platforms as well."





Side A ⠀
"Rainbow In The Dark" ⠀
"Headless Cross"
"Dreams"
"Hallowed Be Thy Name" ⠀


Side B⠀
"Trouble"⠀
"Love Gun" ⠀
"Chandelier" ⠀
"Separate Ways"⠀

Tempo Music is launching a Limited Edition Deluxe 2LP vinyl of Korn’s 2007-released, RIAA Gold-certified album Untitled.


The vinyl features bonus tracks "Sing Sorrow" and "Overture or Obituary," new artwork from the album's original artist Richard Kirk, and a glow-in-the-dark vinyl jacket. The vinyl arrives on July 28. The digital deluxe version will land on DSPs the same day. 


The vinyl release follows the celebration of the album's 15-year anniversary. The deluxe vinyl will be limited to 10,000 copies, in two very limited colors.




Tempo acquired a majority stake in the master recordings and compositions of both Untitled and See You On The Other Side in 2021. The company also acquired the perpetual license for the band's MTV Unplugged album, which features many of their best known songs performed acoustically.


Untitled was the band's eighth studio album, featuring songs such as "Evolution," "Hold On," and "Kiss." The original box set featured "Sing Sorrow" on the Deluxe CD, while "Overture or Obituary" was only available as an iTunes bonus track. 


The album was originally released via EMI/Virgin on July 31, 2007. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart and at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.


Tempo Music continues to partner with its artists to expand the reach of its catalog. Most recently, Tempo collaborated with Warner Chappell Music Beat Broker, Taylor Gang Entertainment, and Asylum Records to issue an exclusive 30-song Wiz Khalifa playlist [pitch.wmg.com] for artists, producers, and songwriters to sample and interpolate.


"It is an honor to partner with our artists to find new and engaging ways for their fans to consume their iconic back catalogs," says Kyle Bartelman of Tempo Music. "I am excited Korn fans will experience Untitled in this limited edition vinyl format, and new and old fans alike will be able to stream 'Sing Sorrow' and 'Overture or Obituary' for the first time since the album's 2007 release."





Tracklisting:


“Intro”
“Starting Over”
“Bitch We Got A Problem”
“Evolution”
“Hold On”
“Kiss”
“Do What They Say”
“Ever Be”
“Love And Luxury”
“Innocent Bystander”
“Killing”
“Hushabye”
“I Will Protect You”
“Sing Sorrow” (Bonus Track)
“Overture Or Obituary” (Bonus Track)

Japanese metallers Nemophila have released the official live video for “Revive”, the opening and title track from their 2021 full-length debut. The video is featured on their 2022 Blu-ray release Revive (It’s Sooooo Nice To Finally Meet You!!!!!). 





Nemophila recently released “Night Flight,” a new song, and its accompanying video.







“This is a song we’ve been playing live for some time, but have not recorded or released it until now,” explains singer/Nemophila founder Mayu of the new track. “Please take a look at the video as well, as it does a great job capturing the spirit of the song.” In March, preceding the band’s SXSW show, Nemophila released the single, “Rise”.


The arrival of “Night Flight” coincides with the release of Seize The Fate, a concert film featuring Nemophila’s February performance from Tokyo’s Zepp DiverCity.


Nemophila formed in 2019, playing their first live show in August of the same year, supporting Loudness and Hammerfall at Tokyo’s Metal Weekend 2019. The band have released two albums: Seize The Fate (2022) and Revive (2021). Nemophila is Mayu (vocals), Saki (guitar), Hazuki (guitar), Haraguchi-san (bass) and Tamu Murata (drums).





(Photo – Michael Nambu)

Portland-based dark rock duo, Hoaxed, have released the official video for “For Love”, from their debut album Two Shadows. Watch below:





Comprised of vocalist / guitarist Kat Keo and drummer Kim Coffel, Hoaxed's superlative blend of styles - heavy melodic rock with captivating hooks, gothic undertones, undeniable metal, and tinges of Americana - pave the way for a singular expression that’s entirely their own.




Two Shadows is out on LP/CD/CS/Digital. Physical orders are available via Relapse.com. Digital downloads/streaming here.


Two Shadows is as unique as it is memorable and catchy. The record thrusts, retreats, and beguiles across its melody-powered and hook-driven expanse, with earworms “The Call,” “Guilty Ones,” and “The Knowing” serving as the album’s crucial lighthouses.





Tracklisting:


"Two Shadows"
"The Call"
"The Knowing"
"For Love"
"Grand Illusions"
"High Seas"
"Guilty Ones"
"Where Good Won’t Go"
"Forsaken"


Album stream:





"The Knowing" video:





"The Call" video:





"Guilty Ones" video:





(Photo - Shimon Karmel)

Global superstar and recent Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Dolly Parton has released two new tracks from her forthcoming "Rockstar" album, arriving November 17. The original song "Bygones (feat. Rob Halford)" with special guests Nikki Sixx and John 5 of MÖTLEY CRÜE and a personalized cover of the rock classic "Magic Man (Carl Version) (feat. Ann Wilson)" with special guest Howard Leese are available now. The second and third tracks follow the release of Parton's self-penned lead single "World On Fire", which became a No. 1 song on the Billboard Rock Digital Songs chart upon release last month.

Dolly says: "'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."

She adds: "I've always wanted a reason to sing 'Magic Man' by HEART and it was one of my first choices for the album. I was so happy that Ann Wilson agreed to sing it with me. Nobody can outsing Ann, but I gave it my darndest, and we added a few lines that were not in the original. We wanted to have a few things that made it seem like ours. Hope I]ve made you proud. I think it's magic!"

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.