Theogonia Records, the bastion of darkness and purveyor of extreme music has announced the debut album from the Greek black metal powerhouse Temple Of Katharsis. Prepare to descend into the depths of the abyss as Macabre Ritual is set to be unleashed on August 4, 2023.


Temple Of Katharsis, known for their unyielding intensity and uncompromising vision, has crafted a sonic opus that captures the essence of their infernal artistry. Macabre Ritual delves deep into the realm of Satanism, anti-religion, death, darkness, and war, leaving no soul untouched by its malevolent power.


This monumental release will be available in both digital format and a striking jewel case CD edition, featuring a meticulously crafted 12-page booklet that transports listeners into the twisted realms envisioned by Temple Of Katharsis. The artwork, a haunting representation of the macabre, perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of the album, leaving an indelible impression upon the beholder.




With Macabre Ritual, Temple Of Katharsis beckons the brave to immerse themselves in the abyss. This abyssal odyssey features eight unholy hymns that will cast a malevolent spell upon all who dare to listen. From the chilling and atmospheric depths of “Abyssal Cold Void” to the relentless assault of “The Burning Flood of Antichrist“, and the occultic incantations of “Inside the Medieval Crypt” each track immerses the listener in a macabre world of sinister rituals and sinister narratives.


With bass and vocals recorded at the renowned H12 Audio in Thessaloniki, and guitars recorded at the enigmatic “Dark Templar H/Studio” in Kalamata, the production quality of Macabre Ritual is a testament to the dedication and expertise that Temple Of Katharsis brings to their craft.


Produced by Major and meticulously mixed and mastered at H12 Audio, the album emerges with an uncompromising sonic force, capturing every bone-chilling detail and enhancing the immersive experience. The collaboration between Temple Of Katharsis and these studios has resulted in a meticulously crafted sonic journey that will envelop listeners in a world of darkness and despair.


The band has y crafted this album to transport fans into a world consumed by darkness and despair. Theogonia Records’ manager expressed their excitement, stating, “We are honored to bring Temple Of Katharsis Macabre Ritual to the forefront of the black metal realm. This album is a testament to the band’s unwavering dedication to their craft, and we are confident that it will leave an indelible mark on the genre.”





Tracklisting:


“Abyssal Cold Void (Intro)”
“The Burning Flood Of Antichrist”
“Erasure Of Religious Existence”
“In The Dungeons With The Rats”
“Ο Αρχιερεύς Των Λύκων (The Archpriest Of The Wolves)”
“Inside The Medieval Crypt”
“The Kingdom Of Hades”
“Macabre Ritual”


“The Burning Flood Of Antichrist”:





(Photo – Mia Kiriaidou / WP Productions Dimitra)

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the new album from Massachusetts death metal destroyers Exsanguination. Burial Rites is up now for preorder and will be released July 14 on CD and Digital formats along with merch. 


Following up on Spectral Hymns released in 2021, Exsanguination present eight HM-2 drenched death metal offerings on their most focused release to date. These veterans of the Massachusetts underground metal scene are comprised of former members of Beyond The Sixth Seal and Sevenday Curse, and continue their unholy mission to convert all under one banner. Burial Rites deals with lyrical themes of murder and madness, while also exploring horrors beyond the veil. These musical incantations were captured at Waldron Recordings and the Black Cathedral, with other séances captured at New Alliance. 


Exsanguination once again recruited Chris Johnson (Cave In, Cult Leader, Deafheaven) at the helm delivering a tight buzzsaw mix and master.







Tracklisting:


“Reborn In A Casket”
“Coffin Dweller”
“As The Acolytes Burn”
“The Pleasure To End All Pleasures”
“Berserker”
“Into The Abyss”
“The Void”
“Devastated By Black” 


“The Pleasure To End All Pleasures”:

Here’s Johnny! Not quite, but Ottawa, Canada’s Rockin’ Engine pays tribute to the classic film with their latest single “Room 185” featuring guest vocals from Stef Jomphe (Insurrection) off their upcoming third studio recording Altered By Evil. Besides playing high-energy rock complemented with screaming guitar solos, the quartet is also all horror fanatics and it was only a matter of time before they started writing a horror concept EP. While trying not to replicate what’s already out there, vocalist Steve O Leff started writing lyrics inspired by certain details in his favourite movies. 


He comments on how this single came to be:


“Jack Torrance, the character played by Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, has to be my favourite horror movie character of all time. That performance is what made me addicted to horror movies. I wanted to write a song about this movie as an homage to this masterpiece. When we started to work together on this song, we soon realized that this would be our heaviest composition to date, and we needed someone to help us express this emotion in order to be satisfied with our work. After doing some research, we approached Insurrection’s lead vocalist Stef Jomphe in an attempt to have his voice on the track, just to make it that much better! We were absolutely honoured and excited when he accepted the project and headed straight to the studio. This song hits you in a way that you have no choice but to headbang!”




Leff says that he always does a lot of research before writing to get the stories straight, and he was quite surprised with the depth of knowledge and historical facts that are put into these inspiring motion pictures. At some point, their musical composition is inspired by the lyrics, and the lyrics are inspired by the music. For them, it’s a really fun writing process and it’s a recipe they intend to use for future musical projects.


Heavy, punchy, and charismatic, Altered By Evil is by far their best work yet, and look forward to raising Hell wherever they set foot. If Gojira, Lamb Of God, and Rob Zombie made a baby, Rockin’ Engine would be their bastard son. Their fusion of hard rock and thrash metal will set fire to any stage and leave everyone with a bad case of whiplash.


Watch and listen to lyric video for “Room 185” featuring guest vocals from Stef Jomphe (Insurrection).


Preorder Altered By Evil on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Carnival Of Evil”
“Day Of Wrath”
“Liber Ex-Mortis”
“Monsters Under Your Bed”
“Psycho Path”
“Room 185” feat Steph Jomphe (Insurrection)


“Room 185” lyric video:





“Monsters Under Your Bed”:

Swedish psychedelic doom masters Domkraft have released the relentless new track “Slowburner” as the first single from their fourth album Sonic Moons, which is slated for release September 8.


"The theme of Sonic Moons is not as much space as the title might suggest, it is essentially all about escapism", singer and bass player Martin Wegeland writes. "To find that spot in your head and body where you can feel liberated and, if only briefly, escape the constant flood of burden that is life in the real world. Think of Sonic Moons as a pill blister pack, where each song has its own active ingredient. Or an imaginary solar system where each track is its own planet. A galaxy of tunes, with different gravity, different temperatures. A riff- and rhythm-fueled exploration of inner and outer space. It's about longing, hope, frustration, relief, and some plain old mindfucking. All by means of heavy rock."


Preorder here.




"Of all the songs on the new album, 'Slowburner' is probably the most straightforward, as it revolves around a grinding yet kind of catchy riff", Martin Wegeland continues. "It's a straight-up heavy rock song about suddenly realizing that you're drifting into an expanding black hole, be it in a physical or spiritual sense. It could be a fragmented stream of thoughts from someone who is in and out of consciousness, adrift in a galactic escape pod, or it could be what keeps an insomniac earthling awake, given the state of everything."





Tracklisting:


“Whispers”
“Stellar Winds”
“Magnetism”
“Slowburner”
“Downpour”
“Black Moon Rising”
“The Big Chill”


“Slowburner”:





Lineup:
Martin Wegeland – vocals, bass
Martin Widholm – guitars
Anders Dahlgren – drums

According to a recent report by DW News, allegations of sexual misconduct have been levelled against Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann. Following the claims by one Shelby Lynn that were made public earlier, a new investigation by German reporters shows that the case could by part of a systematic process to satisfy Lindemann's sexual requests.


A report from the UK's BBC, published June 15th, reveals German police have opened an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Lindemann. A number of women have now alleged they were recruited for sex at concerts. Shelby Lynn, from Northern Ireland, recently told the BBC she believed her drink had been spiked and she had been "groomed for sex."


Lindemann has denied the allegations, with his lawyers calling the claims "without exception untrue".




In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Berlin public prosecution's office said: "Preliminary proceedings have been initiated against Till Lindemann on allegations relating to sexual offences and the distribution of narcotics."


Prosecutors opened the investigation on their own initiative as well as "on the basis of several criminal complaints filed by third parties," referring to people not directly involved in the alleged incidents, according to the AFP news agency.


Read the complete report here. Check out the initial DW news report below.





Rammstein recently issued a statement regarding the allegations via Instagram. It reads as follows (translated from German):


"The reports over the last few days have caused irritation and raised questions among the public and especially among our fans. The allegations hit us all very hard and we take them extremely seriously.


We say to our fans: It is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows - in front of and behind the stage.


We condemn any kind of abuse and ask you: do not engage in public prejudice of any kind against those who have made allegations. You have a right to your point of view.


But we, the band, also have a right – namely not to be prejudiced either."




 

 
 

 


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A post shared by Rammstein (@rammsteinofficial)

STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok talked to Matt Bingham of the Z93 radio station in Saginaw, Michigan about the band's upcoming album, "Confessions Of The Fallen", which will arrive in September via Alchemy Recordings/BMG. STAIND's first new LP album since 2011 was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, BLACK VEIL BRIDES).

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

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

STAIND recently released the DJay Brawner-directed music video for the first single from "Confessions Of The Fallen", a song called "Lowest In Me".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chilean heavy metal project, Cathalepsy, have released the official video for their first single, “We Are The Warriors”, featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens. Watch below. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming album, Blood And Steel, out July 14.


Cathalepsy is in the process of bringing all the power of their music to the heavy metal fans! Luigi Ansaldi (Composer, Writer and Drummer) along with Fabian Valdés (Guitar and Bass), the main members of the project, managed to gather for Blood And Steel a plethora of first class metal musicians.


Guest vocalists: Tim “Ripper” Owens (KK Priest, ex-Judas Priest), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer, ex-Riot), Herbie Langhans (Avantasia, Firewind), Frank Beck (Gamma Ray), Giacomo Voli (Rhapsody Of Fire), Ivan Giannini (Vision Divine), Thiago Bianchi (Shaman, Noturnall), David Readman (PinkCream 69, Voodoo Circle),




Guest solo guitarists: Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween), Ross The Boss (ex-Manowar), Glen Drover (ex-Megadeth, King Diamond, Testament), Pontus Norgren (Hammerfall), Thobbe Englund (ex-Sabaton), Jens Ludwig (Edguy), Danilo Bar (WhiteSkull), Sigurd Fylling (Legend Of Valley Doom), keyboardists: Scott Warren (Dio, Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath), Oliver Palotai (Kamelot).


Blood And Steel will be released on July 14 on Digipack CD, black vinyl limited to 200 copies world-wide and digital streaming / download. Pre-order at roar.gr.





Tracklisting:


“We Are The Warriors”
“Heavy Metal Faith”
“Hammer Heart”
“Blood And Steel”
“Emptiness”
“Rockstar”
“The Final Battle”
“Song Of Ice And Fire”
“Hammer Heart (Orchestral Version)”


"We Are The Warriors" video:

Hungarian avant-garde metal act, Thy Catafalque, will release the new album Alföld, tomorrow, Friday, June 16, via Season Of Mist. Listen  to the full album below.


Meaning “The Earth,” Alföld is grounded in the project’s heavy beginnings. While the record takes a cue from Thy Catafalque’s early days, mastermind Tamás Kátai’s modern progressive instincts shine through, elevating the record beyond the realm of metal as-you-know-it and once again creating a cutting-edge sound that’s far ahead of its time.


Pre-order here.







Tracklisting:


"A csend hegyei"
"Testen túl"
"A földdel egyenlo"
"Alföld"
"Folyondár"
"Csillagot görgeto"
"A felkelo hold országa"
"Szíriusz"
"Néma vermek"


Album stream:





“A Csend Hegyei” video:





“Néma Vermek” video:





(Photo - Orsolya Karancz)

Mitch Malloy has opened up about his departure from GREAT WHITE, explaining that being in the band "wasn't really fun anymore."

Malloy's exit from GREAT WHITE was announced in February 2022. He had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the dismissal of Terry Ilous. Mitch was initially replaced by Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE),who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months before Brett Carlisle became the band's latest vocalist.

Malloy discussed his split with GREAT WHITE in a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series. He said about his decision to leave (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I actually left a couple of times.

"It was a frustrating situation for me for a lot of different reasons that I don't need to really get into.

"It's too easy to talk about bad stuff. I just prefer not to do it," he explained.

"So, yeah, I wasn't happy. It wasn't really fun anymore. And it was a lot of work — hard work. One of the hardest jobs I've ever had, actually. People don't understand that, 'cause they see you on stage and they see all this wonderful… The crowd's there… They don't see what we had to do to get there. So it was a very difficult way to live. And I did not enjoy that aspect of it. It was just really, really hard."

Mitch continued: "It's kind of a long story, and I guess people are probably interested in hearing my version of it. But I don't know… I just don't really feel like that's needed. And I don't wanna hurt their fans as well by saying negative things.

"When you're in a band, it's a relationship, like the old cliché, and you don't always get along. It's five guys and different opinions. It was tough. It was time for me to go."

Malloy went on to say that "three" of the members of GREAT WHITE "are equal" partners and they call all the shots when it comes to the band's business affairs.

"I was always shocked when they asked me my opinion on anything," the 61-year-old Mitch said. "One time [drummer] Audie [Desbrow] asked me what I thought the color of the new backdrop should be, and I was shocked. [Laughs] And I gave him my opinion, but I was so shocked that he asked me.

"So I didn't really have anything to do with anything except for my performance leading that band on stage," he continued. "That was my job, that's how I saw it, and that's something that they couldn't mess with. That's what I did, and I was gonna do that how I do it. And that's the only way you can do it successfully, is if you do it how you do it. Then it's real. The crowd can tell it's real. They're, like, 'Wow, he's into it.' And I was. That was real. The shows were fantastic. That part was awesome."

Malloy added: "Oh, well. I'm appreciative of the time with them and loved aspects of it — loved."

In a June 2022 interview with Dr. Music, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall stated about Mitch's departure: "We were going in separate ways in the sense that he was always by himself; he didn't really talk to us much. He just kind of showed up… That's just not the way a band works, as far as we're concerned. He's a wonderful singer. I don't think he's used to him not being in full control of everything because he's been a solo artist for so many years. He's a sweet guy. I really liked him. I think a few of our songs are a little out of his range, so it's a little bit of a struggle. But nothing real heavy — no big, huge fights. Nothing ever came to fisticuffs, if you will. [Laughs] So it wasn't a case of that."

Malloy has just released a new solo album, "The Last Song".

In addition to being an artist, Mitch is no stranger to the studio, and has worked with a variety of artists, labels, and brands from Taylor Swift, Boys Like Girls, Kenny Loggins, Craig Morgan and Sony Music, to singer/songwriters Victoria Show, Gary Burr and Billy Falcon, and even voiceover work for Outdoor Channel, Field & Stream and many more. Mitch has even been the voice for Starburst candy.

Mitch is also an award-winning songwriter, and has written with legendary songwriters like Jim Weatherly, Richard Lee, Mike Reid, Desmond Child, Dennis Morgan, Victoria Shaw and Gray Burr. He's been signed to publishing deals with Warner Chappell and Chrysalis Music, but later launched his own publishing company to control his copyrights. Mitch loves the craft of songwriting — telling a story and resonating with his audience.

Mitch's voice has been highly sought after as a frontman for legendary acts as well as a guest vocalist on other artists' projects. In the mid-1990s, Mitch was asked to replace Sammy Hagar as lead singer for VAN HALEN. But after spending time and recording with the band, the collaboration ended.

In March 2023, Rivers of Nihil wrapped up a recording session that saw the now four-piece band birth a considerable amount of new music featuring their previous bassist/backup vocalist Adam Biggs as the new lead vocalist/bassist. This recording session also marked the first appearance of new guitarist Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate), whose vocals also play prominently in the music, as a member of Rivers of Nihil. These new singles are the first to showcase the band's new lineup in full-on collaboration, and demonstrates that while this is a new, brave sound with tons of potential, it also carries the band's classic energy.


The first new single, "The Sub-Orbital Blues", is available today on all digital platforms.







Here's what Biggs had to say about the new song; "This song is about the dichotomy of living in a 21st century society rife with scientific and technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and ever more sophisticated space travel, while also dealing with the increasing threat of old world problems like out of control governments and the looming threat of world war."





Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland of Atrium Audio engineered, mixed and mastered the new singles, with additional engineering by guitarist Brody Uttley.


The remaining three singles from the April 2023 recording session will be released leading up to the release of the band's next full-length studio album, which the band is eager to begin work on.


The band's magic remains and is best experienced in a live setting that shows how musically tight and visually enthralling Rivers of Nihil truly are. See for yourself when the band hits the road with Between the Buried and Me and Thank You Scientist, kicking off tomorrow in Charleston, SC and wrapping up on July 31 in Winston-Salem, NC.


Rivers Of Nihil with Between The Buried And Me and Thank You Scientist:


June
16 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
17 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
18 - Philadelphia, PA - Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia
20 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
21 - Albany, NY - Empire Live
22 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground *Rivers Of Nihil only
23 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
24 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda
25 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
27 - Millvale, PA - Mr Smalls Theatre
28 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic
29 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
30 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues


July
1 - Minneapolis, MN - The Lyric at Skyway Theatre
2 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman
3 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
5 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
6 - Billings, MT - Pub Station (Taproom) *Rivers of Nihil only
7 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall
8 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall
10 - Vancouver, BC - The Vogue Theatre
11 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
12 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
13 - Sacramento, CA - Ace Of Spades
14 - Bakersfield, CA - 1933 *Rivers Of Nihil only
15 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues
16 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory - North Park
17 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Theatre
19 - Odessa, TX - The Ector Theatre *Rivers Of Nihil only
20 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
21 - Dallas, TX The Factory in Deep Ellum
22 - Houston, TX Warehouse Live
23 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues
25 - St. Louis, MO - Red Flag
26 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
28 - St Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
29 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham
30 - Atlanta, GA - Heaven at The Masquerade
31 - Winston-Salem, NC - The Ramkat





Rivers of Nihil is:


Brody Uttley - guitars/keyboards
Adam Biggs - vocals/bass
Jared Klein - drums/vocals
Andy Thomas - rhythm guitar/vocals

British rock outfit ASKING ALEXANDRIA will release its eighth full-length studio album, "Where Do We Go From Here?", this fall via Better Noise Music. The LP's debut track, "Dark Void", was released in May and saw the band return to their metalcore beginnings has already amassed five million streams and one million video views to date. ASKING ALEXANDRIA has today (June 16) shared the album's electrified first official radio single "Psycho" along with the vindictive, heavy-hitting track "Bad Blood" across digital platforms.

"'Psycho' is one of those songs that is talking about when you feel trapped inside your own head, trapped by your own vices and your own downfalls," explains guitarist Ben Bruce. "Whether it's being stuck in a relationship that doesn't work for you, or feeling like you can't stop drinking or doing drugs, or maybe you're stuck in a job that you hate, and you're just battling yourself in your own head wondering 'why am I still here? Why do I keep doing these things?' Ultimately, at the end of the day we all feel a little bit crazy…a little bit like a psycho. It's just a fun song that we can all relate to, and stylistically we thought to ourselves 'how do we make a song that sounds like it could live on the 'Like A House On Fire' album, but also like it could live on the 'From Death To Destiny' album?'. So musically, from a writing standpoint, it was a really enjoyable experience to meld those two eras of ASKING ALEXANDRIA together and see what that might look like."

The name of the follow-up to 2021's "See What's On The Inside" was revealed by ASKING ALEXANDRIA vocalist Danny Worsnop in an interview with Guitar Interactive at last weekend's Download festival in the United Kingdom.

Speaking about the meaning of the new album title, Danny said: "I think it's an internal question we all have from time to time, especially for musicians and especially ones who have been doing it 15 years. There's always the 'What's next?' We kind of passed through a generation. The industry's different. The world's different. And we've gotta figure out, how the hell is this thing working now?"

Added drummer James Cassells: "Yeah, [we've gotta] find out place in it. We've kind of touched a lot of bases here. Over the years, over the albums, we've really covered a lot. So, it's, like, yeah, where do we see ourselves for the next [chapter]?"

Earlier this week ASKING ALEXANDRIA announced a co-headlining tour with THE HU, the acclaimed Mongolian rock sensation and Better Noise Music labelmates. The "Psycho Thunder" tour will kick off this fall and also includes BAD WOLVES and opening act ZERO 9:36. ASKING ALEXANDRIA will make three festival appearances in July — Rock Fest (Wisconsin),Inkcarceration Festival (Ohio) and Louder Than Life (Kentucky) — before the co-headlining tour commences August 30 in San Antonio, Texas. Throughout the trek, which ends October 8 in Los Angeles, ASKING ALEXANDRIA will appear on additional festival dates, including Rocklahoma (Oklahoma),Blue Ridge Rock Festival (Vrignia) and Louder Than Life (Kentucky).

Having joined Better Noise Music in 2021 with the release of their critically acclaimed album "See What's On The Inside", ASKING ALEXANDRIA subsequently achieved their first-ever No. 1 Active Rock radio single "Alone Again" and a follow-up Top 10 single with "Never Gonna Learn" (No. 6) in 2022 from their EP of the same name. The band has garnered over 1.4 billion combined streams to date across all platforms along with over 3.1 million monthly Spotify listeners. Their music videos have received over 700 million views.

WARMEN, the brainchild of former CHILDREN OF BODOM keyboardist Janne "Warman" Wirman, will release a new album, "Here For None", on August 18 via Reaper Entertainment. The LP's first single, "Warmen Are Here For None", is now available on all major streaming platforms. The lyric video for the song was created by René Berthiaume (EQUILIBRIUM) and can be seen below.

Janne states: "I am personally so fucking exited to finally release new music from our new lineup! This feels like a brand new era in the WARMEN saga and we can't wait to get the rest of the new album out there for you and to start playing these songs live!”

René adds: "It was an honor to create the lyric video for WARMEN because as a fan I know and respect the involved musicians for many years. I loved the idea behind the cover artwork and it was a lot of fun to translate it into a three-dimensional scenario."

"Here For None" heralds a new era. True to the motto "The king is dead, long live the king," WARMEN is not only headed towards heavier shores musically due to the band's updated lineup, but it can also be said with justification that WARMEN is taking on the musical legacy of Wirman's former band in a spectacular way.

"I will always be Janne from BODOM," Wirman says. "That's okay with me. I'm happy about it and I don't have to hide my past. I also see that as a positive thing for WARMEN."

Janne and his brother Antti Wirman and longtime friend Jyri Helko have recruited Seppo Tarvainen on drums as well as Petri Lindroos (ENSIFERUM) on vocals to make "Here For None" a true masterpiece of melodic death metal.

Comments Wirman: "Whether you know of WARMEN or are new to our music, you are in for a treat! We have put a lot of thought and energy into this release and the new album really represents what we are musically. A lot of melodic stuff and crazy soloing with brutal riffing and drumming."

"Here For None" track listing:

01. Warmen Are Here For None
02. The Driving Force
03. A World Of Pain
04. Too Much, Too Late
05. Night Terrors
06. Hell On Four Wheels
07. The End Of The Line
08. Death's On Its Way
09. The Cold Unknown
10. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes

WARMEN 2023 is:

Janne Wirman - keyboards
Petri Lindroos - vocals
Antti Wirman - guitar
Jyri Helko - bass
Seppo Tarvainen - drums

WARMEN started as a solo project of Wirman, and when the keyboardist wasn't traveling the world with CHILDREN OF BODOM, he was regularly recording albums with his brother, Helko (bass) and Mirka Rantanen (drums; KOTIPELTO, ex-HEVISAURUS). After the much-too-early end of CHILDREN OF BODOM and the tragic death of Alexi Laiho, Janne, together with Antti, found his way back to music through WARMEN.

Janne comments: "After the abrupt ending of CHILDREN OF BODOM, I wasn't sure if I'll ever make music again. We did a couple of song writing sessions last year with my brother and Jyri and I realized that I still have a lot of desire for music and together we wrote an album of exciting new stuff. We teamed up with Flori and Greg from the Reaper Entertainment, as I had worked with them before with great results, and knew they understood my past with BODOM and where we wanted to go next with WARMEN."

Flori from Reaper Entertainment adds: "After all, it's an open secret that our company name was a reference or tribute to CHILDREN OF BODOM. Greg and I were big fans and attended many of the band's concerts together. In the process, we developed a great friendship with the band — but especially with Janne. When we saw on Facebook that Janne and Antti were working on new WARMEN songs, we just had to offer them our help. It's a great honor for us that Janne accepted immediately and now we can eagerly wait for the new album."

WARMEN's last official album, "First Of The Five Elements", was initially released in 2014 via the crowdfunding platform PledgeMusic, which however ceased operations shortly thereafter. Since very few copies of the album hit the market, Reaper Entertainment re-released the album to shorten the wait for the new album. The direction of the material is classically inspired power metal, but, similar to CHILDREN OF BODOM, the focus of WARMEN is on the interplay of guitar and keyboard perfected by the Wirman brothers. In addition to ten original songs, cover versions of Madonna and Alice Cooper provide surprises, and for the vocals on "First Of The Five Elements", the quartet was able to secure Pasi Rantanen (THUNDERSTONE),Jonna Kosonen and Laiho as guest musicians.

MNRK Music Group has signed English band Turin to its Heavy roster in a new, worldwide deal.


MNRK SVP Scott Givens, says, “We are excited for Turin to join our Heavy roster. The band has consistently released uncompromising, powerful music, and fans will love their new project.”


Turin says, “This new partnership came from working with Lewis Johns on the production of our forthcoming single, ‘The Unforgiving Reality In Nothing,’ and he saw something unique and introduced us to the MNRK Heavy team. Since that introduction everything has changed for us, we've got an incredibly dedicated team behind us who have provided so much support and guidance over the last 12 months. We are so grateful to the MNRK Heavy team and can't wait to push this album out, hit the road and bring a whole new level of heavy metal to you all!"




Influenced by a diverse range of extreme music subgenres, Turin are known for their bludgeoning live shows, earning them Kerrang’s MCN Live Award.


Turin have appeared at some of the UK’s top festivals such as Bloodstock Open Air and Techfest. Their riveting live performances have led to support for acts like Martyr Defiled, Decapitated, Within Destruction, Hacktavist, Ingested, SikTh, Origin and Dragged Into Sunlight.


(Photo – JWA Creations)

Grammy-winning rock band GRETA VAN FLEET has released a performance video for its brand new track "Farewell For Now". It is the latest song to be unveiled from the band's upcoming third studio album, "Starcatcher", due July 21 on Lava/Republic/EMI.

"Starcatcher" was written and recorded by the band — lead singer Josh Kizska, guitarist Jake Kizska, bassist/keyboardist Sam Kizska and drummer Danny Wagner — alongside Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile). Recorded at the legendary RCA Studios in Nashville, the band utilized the large recording room to capture the pure energy of their world-renowned live performances.

"We didn't really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual," Jake says. "If anything, the record is our perspective, and sums up where we are as a group and individually as musicians."

Throughout the 10-song collection the band explores the duality of fantasy versus reality and the contrast between light and darkness. "We had this idea that we wanted to tell these stories to build a universe," says Wagner. "We wanted to introduce characters and motifs and these ideas that would come about here and there throughout our careers through this world."

GRETA VAN FLEET took multiple concepts from critically acclaimed second album "The Battle At Garden's Gate" and brought them into "Starcatcher", although Sam's take on the new record's big ideas hint instead at new beginnings.

"When I imagine the world of 'Starcatcher', I think of the cosmos," he says. "It makes me ask a lot of questions, like 'Where did we come from?' or 'What are we doing here?' But it's also questions like, 'What is this consciousness that we have, and where did it come from?'"

GRETA VAN FLEET is best known for its renowned live performances, selling over one million tickets worldwide. They sold out their entire 2022 arena tour, holding a special energy between them and their devoted fans. With "Starcatcher" the band aims to capture that energy in the recording studio.

"Starcatcher" follows GRETA VAN FLEET's album "The Battle At Garden's Gate", released in 2021 to extensive chart and critical success. In the US, the album debuted at No. 1 Billboard Rock Album, No. 1 Billboard Hard Rock Album, No. 1 Billboard Vinyl Album, No. 2 Billboard Top Album Sales and in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. It was a Top 10 album in the U.K. and a major hit around the world.

GRETA VAN FLEET's debut LP, "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army", was released in 2018 to countless accolades including No. 1 Billboard Rock Album and Top 3 on the Billboard 200. Their "From The Fires" EP, released in 2017, won "Best Rock Album" at the 61st Grammy Awards.

Formed in Frankenmuth, Michigan in 2012, GRETA VAN FLEET consists of three brothers — vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka and bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka — as well as drummer Danny Wagner. Together they have performed across multiple continents and sold over 3.5 million records worldwide.

"Starcatcher" track listing:

01. Fate Of The Faithful
02. Waited All Your Life
03. The Falling Sky
04. Sacred The Thread
05. Runway Blues
06. The Indigo Streak
07. Frozen Light
08. The Archer
09. Meeting The Master
10. Farewell For Now

ELEGANT WEAPONS, the new project featuring guitarist Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST) and singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG),played its second-ever concert last night (Tuesday, June 13) at the Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Germany at the as the support act for PANTERA. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released on May 26 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

ELEGANT WEAPONS, which is rounded out by Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums, will play shows in Europe through July. The trek will include additional performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining shows.

Richie said: "We are very much looking forward to touring and our first tour dates are taking place in Europe starting in June 2023. Fans can expect heavy songs with catchy melodies, great vocals and lots of riffs! We all live to play live, and can't wait to take the ELEGANT WEAPONS out onto the live stage."

In a recent interview with Pete Pardo of Sea Of Tranquility, Romero stated about ELEGANT WEAPONS: "That's something Richie [brought] to the table a couple of years ago. He call[ed] me and said, 'Listen…' If I remember correctly, he had the album recorded already, but he told me [at the time], 'We feel that doesn't work with the singer we have. So we're gonna try with another singer.' So I recorded a song, and then they loved it. And we ended up working together… And then we're gonna make some summer festivals around Europe. Then probably we'll go properly on tour, if everybody's okay. And probably we're gonna record a second album, and then we will see."

Romero went on to say that ELEGANT WEAPONS is "a very solid project," adding that "it's not something we will do once, and that's it. And also we're not doing it because of a contract that we need to fulfill. It's because we really want to do it together," he explained. "Richie is a cool guy; we are friends. And the rest of the guys also. Andy Sneap, [who did] the production, is a cool guy also. And we really want to see what happens with the band because we think people are gonna be very surprised about what they're gonna listen on the music side. It's not the typical thing Richie and I were doing for the last few years. It's a different thing. And I think the people are gonna like it. So we will see what happens. And we're gonna build the house from that point."

Regarding the ELEGANT WEAPONS band name, Faulkner said: "In almost any endeavor, the craftsman needs the right tools for the job. For a musician, those tools are things like their instruments, their voices and the emotions that the right combination of all those can bring to the surface. You can also consider it a reference to the instruments we play, because they're almost antiquities now. So yes, it references our instruments and also this kind of music, where we're carrying on the tradition of the greats like SABBATH and DIO but also bands the guys are connected to, like RAINBOW, PANTERA and PRIEST."

Richie and Rex have been friends for years, so when Richie was recording "Horns For A Halo" during the pandemic, he called on his friend to record the bass for the album.

"Well, Rex brings a sound, first of all, that is like no other bass sound," explained Richie. "The way he plays bass is instantly recognizable. But I got involved with Rex, you know, as with a lot of things that we do, as humans, really — we got involved as friends first. But Rex has got a great way of hearing the way the bass parts and the drums interact together. I mean, Rex's parts just breathe grit and life and dynamic into the songs. So it's a pleasure to have him on the record and it's a pleasure, obviously, to know him and have him as a friend — he's a legend."

As for Travis's involvement with the LP, Faulkner said: "I always wanted to make a record with Scott playing on it outside of PRIEST. His technique and style are legendary but also his groove."

When it comes to the live show, there was no other bass player even considered other than Rimmer. Davey and Richie go back over 20 years and they played the bars and pubs of London and England together, night in, night out for many years. Their musical relationship is almost telepathic in the way they communicate, from that early hard graft together on the circuit.

"Davey is an untouchable player," Richie said. "In sound, style and presence. A killer writer too, contributing great songs with URIAH HEEP. A great friend and a great musician."

When it came to choosing the drummer for the touring band, it was a no-brainer for Richie to enlist fellow Nashville resident and good friend Williams. Christopher had played and recorded the initial demos for the "Horns For A Halo" album, and was the obvious choice for the drum position. A phenomenal player, a great personality and a consummate professional.

And finally there's the new hotshot on the scene, Romero, Chilean-born, now living in Eastern Europe.

"Ronnie's got that heritage," says Richie, "and he nailed his parts in a week, which was a testament, really, to how good the guy is and how perfect he was for it. And he's just such a lovely guy, and, I think, one of a dying breed. There's not many people like him. There's good singers, like [Rob] Halford and [Ronnie James] Dio, but there's not many of them. He's really something special. When he sings with RAINBOW, he sounds obviously like Dio, but when he sings this stuff, there's something in there that comes out of him — he's his own monster, with his own trademark quality, which is an important thing to have."

Producing is PRIEST's touring guitarist of the past five years Sneap, who has been respectful of Richie's vision concerning a certain classic sound he wanted across the expanse of the record's 11 songs (ten originals plus a cover of UFO's "Lights Out"),and that is a signature Flying V through a Marshall Plexi amp.

"With the Marshall Plexi I've kind of gone back to the ‘70s, really," figured Faulkner. "And, you know, it's just one channel. And I've been using a prototype Flying V by Gibson, a blue Flying V with signature pickups, which I had been using on the PRIEST tour. I used it on the whole record, every track. So it's pretty straightforward technology-wise — the Flying V through a Marshall on 11."

As for the music, Richie described it as "a mix of Jimi Hendrix, PRIEST, SABBATH, solo Ozzy and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, but with a lot of melody, sort of old school and modern at once if that makes any sense, and actually down-tuned a whole step. The Marshall Plexi basically does one thing, but you've got to crank it to 11 for it to have that distorted sound. It hasn't got a lot of bells and whistles on it or different channels and effects. It basically does one thing and does it very well. But again down-tuning creates more of a modern sound, and by using the classic sound of the Marshall Plexi, you get that juxtaposition, that contrast. All told, there are a lot of guitar solos and the songs are on the heavier side. And even though there's a lot of melody, it's still going to shake your bones."

Specific to the songs, Richie explained that, "Me and acoustic don't really get along, so there's only one mellow song on it, a sort of smoky, haunted, New Orleans kind of tune called 'Ghost Of You', with de-tuned 1920s piano on it. That one is about a memory, or ghost of a lost love. But that's about as acoustic as it gets. I'm not really attracted to acoustic guitar in general. It's mainly kind of heavy and full-on, really. There's a song called 'White Horse', plus 'Horns For A Halo', which is like Tony Iommi crossed with ALICE IN CHAINS. That's about the way we justify the bad things we do. When we turn up on Judgement Day, will the angels kind of confuse our horns for halos, if you know what I mean. Then there's 'Rose Girl', which has a bit of a psychedelic '60s hippie vibe. It's about the rose girl who sells roses to the patrons at a strip club, and reflecting on what her life is all about."

Besides having these stories told, another mandate of the band is for Richie to propose more fully than he can across a PRIEST record, his own voice or style as it pertains to the guitar.

"Yes, everything that you do, without sounding pretentious, is trying to find your own voice and extension of your voice," he said. "I've been in cover bands all my life. Then you find yourself replacing K.K. Downing and it's, like, 'Now what am I gonna say?' I can't sound like K.K. Downing. I can't sound like Eddie Van Halen. I can't sound like Zakk Wylde. So it's refining and honing what your voice is, constantly fine-tuning what that voice is. And hopefully when people listen to it, they'll think, 'Oh, that's Richie.' In every song and every solo hopefully there's that sound, that narrative, that voice, and hopefully it stands the test of time."

But really, the over-arching mandate with ELEGANT WEAPONS is to perpetuate the rich legacy of the traditional proto-power metal invented by the heavy metal titans of the '70s and '80s, most pertinently JUDAS PRIEST.

"All four of us have got that original DNA in us, as does the new breed of traditional heavy metal fans," Richie said. "And so maybe a band like ELEGANT WEAPONS, hopefully we've got the credibility to make those original bands proud, because we were accepted by the members of those bands and by their fans. That's really the idea behind ELEGANT WEAPONS — to keep flying the flag for this style of timeless heavy metal."

Ex-VOLBEAT guitarist Rob Caggiano says that he is "extremely proud" of everything he and his former bandmates accomplished over the course of the last 10 years.

Caggiano's exit from VOLBEAT was officially announced on June 5. He has since been replaced on the road by Flemming C. Lund (THE ARCANE ORDER).

Earlier today (Monday, June 12),Rob — who played on VOLBEAT's last four studio albums: 2013's "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", 2016's "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie", 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" and 2021's "Servant Of The Mind" — released the following statement via social media: "Hello everyone. I'm sorry if this is a bit overdue but now that I've had ample time to process everything going on around me, I have a few things I'd like to say publicly...

"First off, I want to say thank you to everyone out there for all the amazing messages and support I've gotten over the last few days. It's been very powerful and humbling for me to say the least. It's reassurance that I'm on the right path and it means so much to me right now.

"To all the amazing fans and friends I've met all over the world throughout the years... I love and cherish each and every one of you. Thank you for sticking with me through hell or high water. The world seems to be getting weirder and weirder with each passing day and life never stops throwing twists and turns at us but you guys always keep me driven, focused and inspired to create music, follow my heart at all costs and chase my dreams wherever they may take me. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

"I also want to wish Michael, Jon, Kaspar, (Anders too) and the entire VOLBEAT camp the best of luck moving forward. I'm extremely proud of everything we accomplished together over the last 10 years.

"Sometimes relationships simply run their course. Sometimes certain obstacles, people or circumstances get in the way of the greater good. Sometimes people change and priorities shift. Sometimes it's unavoidable. We had a very special undeniable magic together as a band. It's not something that comes around too often in this life and it's not something to be taken lightly. I certainly do not. However, while this is really a very emotional time for me I'm also extremely excited about what lies ahead in the future. Lots of exciting things happening right now. I really couldn't be more fired up!! Stay tuned".

An acclaimed musician, songwriter and producer, Caggiano joined ANTHRAX as lead guitarist in 2001, appearing on 2003 album "We've Come For You All" and 2004's "The Greater Of Two Evils". He was onstage with the band during the famous 2010-2011 "Big Four" tour alongside SLAYER, MEGADETH and METALLICA, and he played on and produced ANTHRAX's 2011 critically acclaimed album "Worship Music".

Over the years, Caggiano has also garnered five Grammy nominations as a record producer/guitarist and has worked with a very wide range of artists including CRADLE OF FILTH, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT, THE DAMNED THINGS, H20, Jesse Malin and even Bruce Springsteen.

When Caggiano was enlisted as producer for Danish heavy rock quartet VOLBEAT in early 2013, the collaboration was so phenomenally successful that he was quickly invited to join the band as well. The resulting album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", achieved major chart success on both sides of the Atlantic, as did "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie".

In a 2022 interview with Metalshop TV, Caggiano spoke about how he went from his previous gig with ANTHRAX to producing the VOLBEAT album "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" to joining the Danish band as their guitarist. He said: "I decided to leave ANTHRAX back then because I kind of felt like… At that point I had been in the band for a long time, and I kind of felt like my role in the band ran its course, so to speak. And I just kind of felt like I was hitting my head up against a glass ceiling a long time. And it just felt like I needed a change. I wasn't feeling inspired. Don't get me wrong — I love those guys and I loved every minute of my time with them. It was such an amazing, wild ride. But I just felt like I needed to do something else at that time. And the VOLBEAT thing just happened, and it was organic, and it felt right. So, here I am."

Regarding what it was about VOLBEAT's music that appealed to him, Rob said" "I think for me, the thing with VOLBEAT, it's like a mixture of all the sounds that I like. [Laughs] It's a lot of stuff that I grew up listening to all wrapped into one package. When I first VOLBEAT, I heard the MISFITS, I heard METALLICA, I heard a little bit of the RAMONES… There's some SLAYER-vibe riffs. There's just a lot of different stuff. And it's all fun — it's a lot of fun; the music is a lot of fun. And it definitely connects with a lot of people. That's why I do it."

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

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Atomic Fire Records proudly welcome Melbourne alt-metal quintet GhostSeeker to their family. Emerging from the competitive Australian heavy music scene, GhostSeeker captured the ears of the masses with their infectious debut EP, Initium Novum, which amassed over half a million streams across major platforms since its release in 2022. Playing energetic shows across Australia, the band built a strong local fanbase, but now they are ready to conquer the world. And they will make it.


"We could not be more excited to announce that we have signed on with Atomic Fire Records. We have such immense respect for the entire team over there and can't wait to begin what we think will be an amazing partnership. It's hard to put into words how unexpected and amazing this all has been. We can't wait to experience everything this ride has to offer. This is the first step towards the life we all crave. You'll be hearing a lot more from GhostSeeker. Sooner than you think...," comment the band.


Markus Wosgien (Atomic Fire Records A&R) enthuses: "We are happy to welcome GhostSeeker to the Atomic Fire Records family; a modern metal band from the other side of the world, located all around Melbourne, Australia. The band convinced us with their first videos and their amazing EP, playing a freshly and unique mix of modern styles. We are looking forward to releasing the band's debut album and to spreading their music all around the globe.”




Originally formed by ex-Letters To Amara guitarist Tim Campey, vocalist Celeste Dudeson and guitarist Cory Walkeden, the band's lineup was completed by adding vocalist Daniel Breen (ex-Storm The Sky) and Daniel Gay (ex-Anyone Anyone) on drums.


Fans will be encapsulated by the unique aesthetic and soaring vocals provided by Dudeson married together with the harsh yet melodic flow offered by Breen. The group's sound greets a contrast that's sure to command attention. Guitarists Cory Walkeden and Tim Campey effortlessly feed off one another creating a feeling and atmosphere which resonates with all listeners alike, whilst the rhythm and bass that Gay provides behind the kit perfectly complements and leads what GhostSeeker are.


Destined to become one of heavy music's hottest bands, GhostSeeker are currently working on their debut album which will see the light of the day early next year.


GhostSeeker are:


Celeste Dudeson - vocals
Daniel Breen - vocals
Tim Campey - guitars
Cory Walkeden - guitars
Daniel Gay - drums


(Photo - Electrum Music Photography)

In a recent interview with Czech Republic's Backstage TV, EPICA frontwoman Simone Simons spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to 2021's "Omega" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "After this year, all the festivals, we're gonna start writing a new record… All the bandmembers start writing songs in their home studio by themselves, but I haven't heard any of those songs yet… When inspiration strikes, we just start writing. But we're gonna schedule writing sessions. And we're all excited to write a new record."

Regarding how the songwriting works in EPICA, Simone said: "Well, it's mostly that first they have some music, some demos, and then I start to come up with vocal lines for that. That is mostly how it goes. The guys start writing the songs and then they give me a listen so I can already come up with vocal lines and then they can continue writing the songs to support the vocal lines. Sometimes songs are written really fast; sometimes it takes long. And inspiration can strike at the weirdest times. So it's good that we always have the phone that we can quickly record melodies, whether it's for vocals or like a guitar riff or anything. Everybody has a home studio, so it's very practical to quickly record ideas. And then we get together. Because we live in four different countries; we don't live in the same village. And then we actually sit together and finish writing the songs."

EPICA played two shows as the support act for METALLICA — on May 17 at Stade De France in Paris, France and on May 28 at Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany. EPICA was added to the METALLICA bill as the replacement for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.

Last November, EPICA released "The Alchemy Project" through Atomic Fire Records. The EP was co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Niilo Sevänen (INSOMNIUM) and Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) along with melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT),keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) and Roel Van Helden (POWERWOLF) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur.

Just one day after the release of its anniversary reissues "We Still Take You With Us" and "Live At Paradiso", EPICA celebrated 20 years of existence live last September at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, the same place where they played their first show (supporting ANATHEMA) back in 2002.

EPICA was formed by composer Mark Jansen after leaving AFTER FOREVER in 2002, and the band quickly gained attention outside their home country, taking big steps towards becoming the leading symphonic metal superpower they have long proven to be. After their ambitious debut "The Phantom Agony" (2002) and the surprisingly eclectic sophomore work "Consign To Oblivion" (2005),the road took them to new heights via their first concept masterpiece "The Divine Conspiracy" (2007) and their global breakthrough "Design Your Universe" (2009). 2012's opus "Requiem For The Indifferent", 2014's bedazzling "The Quantum Enigma" and "The Holographic Principle" (2016),cemented their reputation as not only one of the hardest-working metal bands in the business but also as one of the best. With "Omega", the final part of the metaphysical trilogy they began with "The Quantum Enigma", they reclaimed the throne without so much as the blink of an eye, amassing three million-plus streams during the first week of the album's release.

Vocalist Fernando Ribeiro of Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL is undergoing tests at a Lisbon hospital after playing what he says was "the hardest gig" of his life at a Polish festival.

On Friday (June 9),Fernando took to social media to write: "I want both to say thanks and to apologize to the amazingly empathic crowd of Mystic Festival Gdańsk, Poland. Thanks for your support in the hardest gig of my life in 30 years of MOONSPELL.

"Life, lately, hasn't been kind on me. The pandemics, the comeback with 3 months on tour in harsh conditions, personal things, the ugly state of our world and some health problems have been piling up and yesterday I crushed under the weight in front of you. No other way to put it.
Apologies, because I feel it's my duty to be always on top vocal and physical shape to our fans who pay their hard-earned money to see our show. No excuses. Nevertheless, make no mistake: I gave you all I had (and beyond that) and made it through the whole show, leaving the stage standing and walking on my own feet. Nothing of this would be possible without the love of my band, crew and fans. I shall never forget!

"A word of gratitude to the paramedic team who assisted me after-show and fixed me, so I could travel back to Portugal.

"I am currently being watched and tested at a Lisbon hospital and I am pretty sure all will be fine in the end. My health problem is a stomach condition, nothing to do with drugs (that I don't use) or alcohol (I haven't been drinking lately),made worse by the feeling of exhaustion and (yes) depression striking me lately and that I shall overcome in time.

"In the meanwhile, I hope to see you in the remaining summer shows of MOONSPELL, before we take a small break from playing live to focus on our own personal matters and further MOONSPELL projects.

"Better times will come.

"Blessed be, thanks for reading!"

MOONSPELL recently completed the "American Full Moon" 30th-anniversary trek.

Last August, MOONSPELL canceled its summer 2022 North American tour due to "unsolvable logistic and transportation problems".

In September, MOONSPELL released a very special Blu-ray/DVD and album, a live performance of their latest studio album, "Hermitage" (2021),with "From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep" via Napalm Records.

MOONSPELL's 13th studio album, "Hermitage", was released in February 2021 via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, PRIMORDIAL, GHOST, SÓLSTAFIR) at the Orgone Studios in the U.K.

In 2020, MOONSPELL parted ways with original drummer Miguel "Mike" Gaspar and replaced him with Hugo Ribeiro (no relation to Fernando Ribeiro).



Moonspell - Mystic Festival 2023🤘🤘🤘

Posted by Rafal Ozarowski on Thursday, June 8, 2023

A message from Fernando:

I want both to say thanks and to apologize to the amazingly empathic crowd of Mystic Festival...

Posted by Moonspell on Friday, June 9, 2023

FOO FIGHTERS' brand new album, "But Here We Are", unanimously hailed as one of the band's strongest to date, has become its tenth album to break the Top 10 of the US Album chart. "But Here We Are" also marks FOO FIGHTERS' sixth U.K. No. 1, ninth Australian No. 1, with additional No. 1 spots in Switzerland and New Zealand, and Top 5 debuts in nearly a dozen more territories.

Released June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records, "But Here We Are" has landed at No. 8 in its first week on the Billboard 200, while entering at No. 1 on the Alternative and Hard Rock album sales charts. The new album's Top 10 debut continues a trend that began with the back to back Top 10 positions achieved by "The Colour And The Shape" (1997) and "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" (1999),and has since included the No. 1-charting "Wasting Light" (2011) and "Concrete And Gold" (2017),as well as the Top 3 placings of "One By One" (2002),"In Your Honor" (2005),"Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" (2007),"Sonic Highways" (2014) and "Medicine At Midnight" (2021).

Produced by Greg Kurstin and FOO FIGHTERS, "But Here We Are" has received the warmest of welcomes — from the capacity crowds singing along to every word of "Rescued" and "Under You" during the band's current tour, to a still growing torrent of acclaim for the album and its songs.

Following the recent announcement of stadium dates in Australia and New Zealand, FOO FIGHTERS resume their ongoing tour in support of "But Here We Are" this week, including a headlining set at Bonnaroo this weekend.

"Rescued" was the first single from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers' eleventh album. When it was first released, "Rescued" generated raves, including "driven by a fresh sense of pathos and urgency" (The New York Times),"FOO FIGHTERS have never sounded more vital" (Consequence)," "one of the FOOS' most immediate, emotional songs" (Vulture),"delivers everything fans have come to know and love" (Revolver) and more.

FOO FIGHTERS played their first official concert with new touring drummer Josh Freese on May 24 at Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire. The band launched the 21-song set with "Rescued" and performed three other cuts from the "But Here We Are" LP, "Under You", "Nothing At All" and the title track. The rest of the concert included the first performance of "Cold Day In The Sun" in five years, and frontman Dave Grohl's daughter Violet Grohl joining the band onstage for "Shame Shame".

FOO FIGHTERS will make a few other festival stops, including Festival D'Ete De Quebec in July, Outside Lands in August, the Ohana, also in August, and Chicago's Riot Fest in September.

Freese was most recently drumming for Danny Elfman but was recently replaced by Ilan Rubin. Freese was also touring with THE OFFSPRING up until last year, with former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES drummer Brandon Pertzborn stepping in to officially replace him a few weeks ago.

Freese replaces longtime FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, who tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Freese previously played with the FOO FIGHTERS at the tribute concerts to Hawkins in 2022.

Freese is a veteran session drummer who has performed with GUNS N' ROSES, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUDDLE OF MUDD, NINE INCH NAILS, WEEZER, PARAMORE, THE REPLACEMENTS, Sting and THE VANDALS, among many others. He has also played more than 300 recordings ranging in genres from pop to rock to country.

Swedish rockers Ghost headlined the Opus Stage at Download Festival in 2023. A 23-minute highlight reel and fan-filmed video from the show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows: 


"Kaisarion"
"Rats"
"Faith"
"Spillways"
"Cirice"
"Jesus He Knows Me" (Genesis cover)
"Watcher In The Sky"
"Year Zero"
"Mary On A Cross"
"Mummy Dust"
"Kiss The Go-Goat"
"Dance Macabre"
"Square Hammer"













Super7 recently announced the upcoming Ghost Ultimates! Papa Emeritus III Figure with the following message...


Hard rock's most mysterious band returns with Super7! Papa Emeritus III was the third leader of Ghost during the Meliora album and Popestar EP eras, during which time he took Ghost’s agenda to more glorious heights. Super7 is excited to take your collection to new heights with the Ghost Ultimates! Papa Emeritus III Figure!





Loaded with accessories, this 7” scale, highly articulated figure comes with an alternate mitre head, a plethora of interchangeable hands, a soft goods vestment robe, and more.





Papa Emeritus III achievements are the greatest the band has seen to date- let your greatest achievement be adding this made-to-order Ghost Ultimates! Papa Emeritus III Figure to your collection!


Pre-Order Ghost Ultimates! Wave 3, here.


Pre-orders close Friday, June 16 at 6 PM. The new figure is estimated to ship in February 2024.

This past Saturday, June 10th, Orange Goblin played the Freak Valley Festival in Germany. Their set was streamed live by Rockpalast, and can be enjoyed below.










Orange Goblin's set was comprised of the following 12 songs:


"Blue Snow"
"Solarisphere"
"Shine"
"The Man Who Invented Time"
"Diesel (Phunt)"
"Snail Hook"
"Nuclear Guru"
"Lunarville 7, Airlock 3"
"Time Travelling Blues"
"Scorpionica"
"Quincy The Pigboy"
"Red Tide Rising"





The next Orange Goblin show is Friday, June 16th at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium.