LINKIN PARK's music video for "Numb" has surpassed two billion views on YouTube. The clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in March of 2007, was directed by band DJ Joe Hahn and was shot on location at Prague's Charles Bridge, with interior shots at Gymnázium Jana Keplera. The video's narrative follows a young artistic female student who is ridiculed and ostracized by her classmates.

Back in November 2018, the music video for "Numb" surpassed one billion views on YouTube. Following the death of singer Chester Bennington in July 2017, fans of the group launched an unofficial campaign to get the "Numb" video to that milestone, a mission that was completed nearly a year and a half later.

"Numb" is taken from LINKIN PARK's 2003 sophomore album "Meteora". It was the 13th and final song on the LP and was released as the third single from the record. It topped the Alternative chart for 12 weeks and the Rock chart for three. The video, directed by band DJ Joe Hahn, is the oldest uploaded clip on YouTube to cross the one-billion mark.

The song was remixed as "Numb/Encore", a collaboration between the band and rapper Jay-Z. Featured on the album "Collision Course", it was a massive hit for both artists and earned them the Grammy Award for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration."

LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda recalled a while back that "Numb/Encore" was one of the first things he came up with when the band was first approached to work with Jay-Z. "I was on the road at the time," he said. "I immediately opened up my laptop and went to the store and bought his a capellas, and I made basically the single and the B-side, I made 'Numb/Encore' and sent them to him. So we were off to a good start and we basically just started this kind of working relationship from there."

LINKIN PARK has not performed together in public since October 2017, when the surviving members staged a tribute concert in Los Angeles to Bennington. The band has not officially announced whether it intends to carry on following the death of Bennington, who committed suicide in July 2017 at the age of 41.

Italian metal titans LACUNA COIL have unleashed their recently announced single "Never Dawn". "Never Dawn" showcases LACUNA COIL's signature sound with its haunting melodies, powerful guitar riffs, and the mesmerizing vocal harmonies of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. The song delves into the depths of the human spirit, exploring themes of resilience, inner strength, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

For "Never Dawn", LACUNA COIL partnered with CMON, the renowned board game publisher behind the popular game "Zombicide". "Never Dawn" is a notable addition to CMON's latest Kickstarter project, "Zombicide: White Death", and was initially used as an instrumental version in a campaign trailer. The game introduces new characters, mechanics, and challenges for players to overcome, and the upcoming "White Death" version features five LACUNA COIL limited-edition survivor tokens.

Cristina comments on the new song: "First presented, in its instrumental version, in the trailer for Zombicide White Death game, and then in its live version, during our last sold-out show in L.A., we're so incredibly thrilled to finally unveil the full version of 'Never Dawn'! This song is a fierce survival journey throughout grotesque and frozen lands, where the power within is the main weapon. Ignite the fire in your heart and enjoy the listening!"

Designed by Nicolas Raoult, one of the designers of the original "Zombicide", along with Jean-Baptiste Lullien and Raphaël Guiton, "Zombicide: White Death" is a sequel to the fantasy spinoff version of "Zombicide" with a new wintery theme. The third installment in this series, it follows "Zombicide: Black Plague", which introduced the concept in 2016, and "Zombicide Green Horde", which came out in 2018.

LACUNA COIL has spent the last few months promoting "Comalies XX", the recently released "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies".

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14, 2022 via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on October 15, 2022 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

LACUNA COIL played its first show in front of an audience in more than two years on April 7, 2022 as the support act for APOCALYPTICA at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to the Atlanta concert, the last time LACUNA COIL played together was at the group's special September 2020 livestream event where the bandmembers performed their latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety with no audience in attendance at the Alcatraz Club in Milan, Italy. That show was released as a live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", via Century Media.

LACUNA COIL hadn't played in front of a crowd since the completion of the band's South American tour in February 2020.

Photo credit: Cunene

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON have surprised fans with a new track, "AmEN!", featuring acclaimed rapper Lil Uzi Vert and hardcore legend Daryl Palumbo of GLASSJAW, out now via RCA.

Prior to "AmEN!"'s arrival, BRING ME THE HORIZON released the "LosT" single in May. Singer Oliver Sykes stated about the track: "I think ['LosT'] encapsulates exactly how I imagine this next album, or EP or whatever you want to call it, is going to sound like." He added that it feels like a "really good representation of how I imagine this record to be."

BRING ME THE HORIZON has reportedly been working on new music in a studio built into the back of the band's tour bus with producer Zakk Cervini, who previously helmed "Post Human: Survival Horror".

"AmEN!" arrives in advance of BRING ME THE HORIZON's U.S. tour with FALL OUT BOY, which begins June 27 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, Texas. The trek will take them to amphitheaters and pavilions across the States, with what is sure to be huge moments over two nights at BMO Area in Los Angeles July 2 and July 3 and at Boston's Fenway Park on August 2.

Prior to heading to the U.S., BRING ME THE HORIZON will make a very special headline appearance at Download festival on Friday, June 9.

BRING ME THE HORIZON has had an exhilarating few years — selling over five million albums globally to date, playing sold-out shows in over 50 countries, including two sold-out nights at London's O2, a night at The Forum in Los Angeles, wowing a traditionally non-rock crowd at Glastonbury Festival in 2016 and 2018 and a headline slot at 2022's Reading and Leeds festivals. They kicked off their "Post Human" era in 2020 with the release of the first of four EPs aptly titled "Post Human: Survival Horror". The critically acclaimed release debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Album chart. 2022 saw them appear at the BRIT Awards where they joined Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran for an electrifying performance of "Bad Habits". The group released its gold-certified sixth studio album, "Amo", in 2019, which debuted at No. 1 in 17 markets and was named "one of the most anticipated albums of 2019" by Billboard, it also garnered the band their second Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Album", after the LP's first single "Mantra" earned them a nod for "Best Rock Song" in 2018. The Sheffield five-piece also received its first BRIT Award nomination for "Best Group" in 2021. They have now also amassed over one billion video views on YouTube and are in the top 500 most streamed artists globally on Spotify.

BRING ME THE HORIZON is Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Mat Nicholls, and keyboardist Jordan Fish.

Photo credit: Jonti Wild

In a new interview with Headbangers News, guitarist Dino Cazares was asked when fans can expect to hear the first new music from FEAR FACTORY featuring the band's latest addition, singer Milo Silvestro. He responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That will not be until — a full album not till next year. But this year we're just trying to get a single out… You're gonna have to be patient. Right now we're doing a lot of touring. We're getting asked to do a lot of tours."

An early instrumental version of a new FEAR FACTORY song called "Roboticist" was made available in March to promote Toneforge Disruptor, a virtual guitar rig plugin and standalone app that simplifies guitar tone and provides all the necessary tools for guitarists, mixers, and producers to create detailed metal tones. Developed in collaboration with Cazares, it is the first virtual rig to offer DI Match Technology, String/Tuning Mode calibrations, and AI-matched Dino Cazares tones using a Neural Network algorithm. The plugin also includes an Autonomous Dynamic System, a built-In Dynamic EQ, three Amp Channels, a redesigned Cab Room, and a complete suite of effects pedals.

Cazares told BLABBERMOUTH.NET about "Roboticist", which was mixed by longtime FEAR FACTORY collaborator Damien Rainaud: "Initially it was just going to be a instrumental for the plugin, but it came out so good that I decided to make it a song for the new album. Maybe the album will be called the 'Roboticist'. It fits so well with our concept."

FEAR FACTORY's next LP will be the band's first with Silvestro, whose addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in late February.

The Italian-born Silvestro joined FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for the band's original singer Burton C. Bell.

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber on May 5 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

FEAR FACTORY's recently completed "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X marked the Cazares-led outfit's first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.

Webber is filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who is unable to play with the band due to "scheduling conflicts."

The 42-date "Rise Of The Machine" North American trek also featured DOPE as well as select dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID.

FEAR FACTORY will embark on a European tour this fall. The 44-date trek will mark the band's first European shows since 2016. Joining them on this run are BUTCHER BABIES from the USA and IGNEA from Ukraine.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside Heller.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Progressive metal band Drott, consisting of Arve Isdal (Enslaved), Ivar Thormodsæter (Ulver) and Matias Monsen, have released a music video for the song "Det Ser". The track is taken from their new album, Troll, which was released on May 19 via By Norse Music.


The band comments: "'Det Ser' is about defying the ties laid upon the trolls. A bombastic and uncompromising track built on tight guitar and cello riffs with Norwegian lyrics; “Si at vi har tenkt å bli!”, “Say we´re here to stay!”, capturing the manifestation of the hidden world of the forest night."







Troll is available on vinyl, CD, and digital at bynorsestore.com.





Tracklisting:


“Troldhaug”
“Allting”
“Våkenatt”
“Til Stein”
“Det Ser”
“Solskodde”
“Mara”
“Troll”
“Nattas Blot”
“Sabbat”
“Fornjots Born”
“Grotten”
“Natt”


“Våkenatt” video:





Album stream:

In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover addressed the recent rumors that the band has been in talks with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore about reuniting for one final run before they call it quits. Asked if there is a chance of something like that happening, Glover responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not a chance. The rumors don't come from us, that's for sure. I mean, why on earth would we do that? I have the utmost regard for Ritchie as part of the band, and he was obviously an integral part of the band and what the band has become. But that's moving backwards. We don't move backwards; we move forwards."

The 77-year-old Glover was also asked about whether DEEP PURPLE would announce its eventual final show and whether such a concert would include some of the artists the band had previously performed with. "No, I don't think that's a great idea," he replied. "I've never liked that idea. In fact, I don't even like the idea of announcing the last show: 'And here they are. This is their last show.' I mean, the stress involved in that would be ridiculous. Where would it be? When would it be? For me, the ideal ending for PURPLE is that we just carry on until it stops. No announcement. We're not gonna announce, 'This is the last one.' People would buy tickets: 'Oh, this is the last one.' It's an exercise in making money. It's not very good. I've never liked it. I'd rather go and play and play and play and play, and one day when something happens and one of us drops dead or gets really ill or whatever, [we say], 'Well, that's that.' And leave it at that."

Blackmore, who celebrated his 78th birthday on April 14, is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable guitar riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 exit. Steve Morse effectively took over Blackmore's slot in 1994 and was in the group for 28 years — longer than Ritchie — before being officially replaced by Simon McBride in July 2022.

DEEP PURPLE frontman Ian Gillan most recently addressed the possibility of a Blackmore return in a November 2022 interview with Spain's RockFM. The 77-year-old singer said: "Look, DEEP PURPLE is a family that's been together before I joined. In '68, it was Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Nick Simper and Rod Evans. Roger Glover and I joined in '69. And in the intervening periods, there's been David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes and a couple of other guys. And then, when we grew up, when we settled down and the human chemistry was okay, we were getting on fine. We had the reunion with 'Perfect Strangers', but everything was slightly different. Ritchie was different, and I think we all were. Ritchie used to be my roommate in DEEP PURPLE; we used to party together. And I don't like to think of the negatives. I just have lots of fantastic memories of Ritchie as a great guitar player [with] a wicked sense of humor — and I mean wicked — and a professional, a real good guy, in that sense. But something changed in Ritchie when we got back together, and we'd all changed, and the human chemistry wasn't quite the same. So it became difficult. And in the end, there was this antagonism. And I got fired from the band because I wanted to do more touring, and Ritchie wanted to do less touring. And we had a meeting one day, and I said, 'Why don't we go to South America? Why don't we go to Russia? Why don't we go all over the world? We're a live band.' And the next day Ritchie went to the management and said, 'Well, it's him or me.' So they chose him. And that was fine. And then they made a record with — another singer; I can't remember his name. And the record label said, 'Either you get Ian back in the band or we're tearing up the contract.' So I went back in DEEP PURPLE, and Ritchie went crazy. He didn't like it. So eventually he walked out. So, in normal terms, in a family or something like that, because we are a family, you'd think it was like a divorce — something like that. He walked out; he's gone. But he wanted to keep control of the band after having walked out. And he's been a pain in the ass ever since. [Laughs] But we are getting on much better these days. I think his manager has got a lot to do with it, the problem that exists. So it's one of those things that you cope with."

Ian added: "I think the idea of a call for a grand reunion or something like that, it would be utterly disrespectful to the living, breathing DEEP PURPLE. It would be awful. The atmosphere would be terrible. It would be artificial. It would be only for money — nothing else. Because there's no love there. There's no affinity.

"Twenty-five percent of the essence of DEEP PURPLE is improvisation, and we've got a musician now that is absolutely unbelievable. And I don't know how much Ritchie has been practicing or anything like that.

"I could go on for a long time, but the simple answer is no. It's the ex-wife. We do not want to get back together again."

Gillan also spoke about his longstanding feud with Blackmore in a September 2021 interview with Vikram Chandrasekar of Tales From The Road. Asked if he was still in contact with Ritchie and whether there was any chance at all of the guitarist ever sharing the stage with DEEP PURPLE again, Ian said: "No. The answer to your question is yes, we are in touch. Tensions eased quite a lot after we got hold of our business affairs and sorted everything out. There were previous managers from the past who had not done things exactly as you would like. I didn't get paid for 10 years when I was with DEEP PURPLE — in the big years — and goodness knows what happened to all that. And there were other tensions too. And needless to say, it was all pretty nasty when we finished and Ritchie walked out. But we're too old for that now. We've both written some pleasant notes via our managers. I can't write to Ritchie or phone him because he doesn't have a telephone, he doesn't have a computer. He lives in a world of greensleeves — he lives in a medieval world, and he has messages given to him and that sort of thing. But he's sent some pleasant words to me, and I've sent some pleasant words to him. There are still issues; there are still bones of contention. I've seen a lot of rubbish being spoken — it's not worth even rising to the occasion — but I hear [former DEEP PURPLE singer] David Coverdale and others talking about what happened at the Rock And Roll Of Fame. Well, we were very kind to everybody, the current band. And we did invite Ritchie to play 'Smoke On The Water' with us at the ceremony, but he declined. So, [those] are just opportunistic remarks from the others.

"We've never had any antagonism towards Ritchie," Ian clarified. "He has his own interpretations, and the rest of us have our interpretations, so it's really not worth being fired up about it. But I think probably this late in our career, and with things moving along so pleasantly for the band, it would naturally enough — we discussed this years and years ago when it was first talked about — it would be a circus and it would be a distraction to everything we're doing, to be honest. It would be no fun at all, because we don't work that way anymore."

Blackmore previously suggested that PURPLE's manager had blocked him from joining his former bandmates onstage during the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, and he used that as an excuse for not attending the event.

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

In late 2020, Coverdale expressed his exasperation at DEEP PURPLE for how he and Glenn Hughes were treated by their former band ahead of their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. The singer, who played with DEEP PURPLE along with Hughes from 1973 to 1976, said: "Once it had been announced that we were officially being inducted into it, the current DEEP PURPLE refused to go if Ritchie Blackmore was going to be there. And this was, like, 72 hours before, when I was ready to fly with my family. And this cost me, like, $75,000 [or] $85,000, because you have to pay for all the tables apart from the one you're on, and I had my daughter fly in from Germany, my son came out of college. It was a family affair."

He continued: "Suddenly, Glenn Hughes and I were told, 'Well, we don't want you singing with us.' Initially, I'd spoken to Ian [Gillan] about coming up and singing the backgrounds of 'Smoke On The Water', because originally they were going to close the show. So, that suddenly was pulled, the plug. They tried to stop us doing speeches, and my wife was fucking furious, apart from the fact she spent a fortune on posh dresses. [Laughs] And I said, 'Fuck it! Nobody's going to keep us off.' I got in touch with Carole, Ritchie's manager, and I said, 'Tell him to come with me. Nobody's going to fucking touch him. Tell him to come with me,' and he didn't want to do it."

Coverdale added: "The first thing I said when I was up there, was, 'None of us would have been standing here without Ritchie Blackmore,' and I made sure of that point. Steve Morse and Don Airey [current DEEP PURPLE keyboardist] were more complimentary to Glenn and I than the other guys. We had a blast; we had a fucking great time. I'm very happy that I am who I am, and I just talked to Glenn the other day about it: 'What the fuck was up their ass?!'"

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing has reflected on the band's appearance at the US Festival exactly four decades ago.

Sponsored by Steve Wozniak, formerly of Apple computer, the US Festival (US is an acronym for "Unite Us In Song"),held on Memorial Day of 1983, was a massive three-day celebration of technology and culture, with a temporary stage and open-air venue paid for by Wozniak himself just for the purposes of the festival. The event featured "Heavy Metal Day" on May 29, 1983 with the aforementioned JUDAS PRIEST along with the following stellar lineup: MÖTLEY CRÜE, OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, TRIUMPH, SCORPIONS and VAN HALEN.

The festivals included large air-conditioned tents featuring the US Festival Technology Exposition, a dazzling display of then-cutting-edge computers, software, and electronic music devices. Also making a debut were installations of "outdoor rain," perforated PVC nozzles that sprayed water to fight the fierce hundred-degree heat.

Despite the historical value of the performances, the festival was a failure, with two reported deaths at the 1983 festival and Wozniak and promoters losing some $24 million. Setbacks aside, the performances remain a worthy footnote in rock history.

In an audio message sent to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Downing looked back fondly on PRIEST's participation at US Festival, saying: "Hi there everyone. This is K.K. Downing just stopping wishing US, the US Festival a very happy 40th anniversary. And I must say, what a cherished memory that was for me and the band. Undoubtedly the biggest audience and biggest festival we ever certainly played or probably ever will play. Surely a one-off spectacular event.

"I remember, I recall well flying in to the festival and out of the festival via a helicopter," he continued. "They were saying that the crowd was so big that the best way to get in and out was that way, which was fantastic, obviously. Flying in to the festival, looking down through the helicopter windows, it was an astonishing sight.

"Yeah, I would love to do that all over again. A fantastic lineup, obviously, with so many people — Ozzy, ourselves and QUIET RIOT, VAN HALEN and TRIUMPH. It was just a fantastic experience. A difficult gig — it was probably 110 [degrees Fahrenheit] in the shade. But, yeah, we were certainly up for it and well oiled. I think we were on tour at the time, which was great.

"But, yeah, [it was] a wonderful experience," Downing added. "And a big hello to everyone that was there on either side of the barriers, working the stage, playing or, obviously, in the audience. It would be great if we could experience that again at some point in our lives. Until then, I wish you all good health and travel safe. And thank you all for keeping metal alive. And I hope to see you all out there on the road again very soon."

As previously reported, Downing's new band KK'S PRIEST will make its live debut on July 6 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. KK'S PRIEST will also make a couple of European festival appearances this summer, including the Time To Rock festival, set to take place July 8-10 in Knislinge, Sweden, and the Alcatraz open air hard rock and heavy metal festival, which will be held August 11-13 in Kortrijk, Belgium.

Downing is joined in KK'S PRIEST by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST will perform tracks from the band's debut album, 2021's "Sermons Of The Sinner", plus new material from KK'S PRIEST as-yet-unreleased second LP, plus many a PRIEST classic thrown in for good measure.

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

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

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

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

Singer Ronnie Romero has confirmed in an interview with Rafabasa.com that he is no longer Michael Schenker's singer.


Romero: “You told me that we were going to talk about Michael Schenker, and the truth is that on Sunday I did my last concert with Michael. That's right, on Sunday I did my last concert at a festival in Germany, the Hard Rock Festival, and the next day I told Michael and his management that I was not going to continue in the band.”


Rafabasa.com: "Obviously there are things that shouldn't be told, that stay inside, but I imagine that the differences between you and Michael Schenker's direction have been determining factors for you to leave the band? Can we say that?"




Romero: “Yeah, in part, but it is a sum of things. It's been a long time since I recorded my solo album with original songs, it's a very special album for me because, as I've said, it's the first time that I'm totally involved in the composition, in the production. Andy and I have been in charge of the mix, production and everything, it was a special album and I wanted to give it some space and do my job to stop being the singer of... obviously it was good for my career and I'm very grateful to everyone, starting with Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker and many others, but I think it was time to see if I could walk on my own. But also there was certain discomforts because one considers that the treatment should be different at certain times, and because of that you get frustrated, disappointed, and it was time to leave. Apart from that, everything is fine, I don't have any bad feelings, we have a very good relationship, maybe he is the musician who has inspired me the most, but the time has come to make a decision and stop being someone else’s vocalist.”


Listen to the interview at Rafabasa.com.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, bassist Mike Levine of legendary Canadian rockers TRIUMPH was asked about a possible reunion of the band's classic lineup. He responded: "I don't think we're physically able to do that. We did three songs for the ['Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine'] documentary, and it was rough tooling up, 'cause Gil [Moore, drums] and I hadn't played in a while. But Rik [Emmett, guitar/vocals] is always playing; he's on the road a lot. So he had good patience, while we were hacking around. I was trying to figure out, 'Where is my hand going there?' And Gil's going, 'What's a drum?' [Laughs] But Rik had good patience. And after three or four rehearsals, we started to find a groove. And then when we actually did the gig for the fans for the documentary, [after] three songs we were [exhausted]… So the idea of a whole show… I don't think so. Rik can't really hit those notes like before. Even when you drop the key a bit, it's still not easy… So it's really tough, as you're getting older."

A year ago, Levine was asked by San Antonio Current what would have to happen to get the three members of the band to reunite for a full tour. He responded: "We would need to have the best medical people around us. [Laughs] All the ails of 70-year-olds that have been on the road to rock 'n' roll — playing loud music, sucking in flash powder smoke and dry ice smoke for years — to try to get us well enough to do 30 shows.

"In 2008, we had 30 shows done in Canada. That were already booked. And there were like 40 shows booked in America at that point. And then the recession hit. And it lasted through 2008, 2009 and most of 2010. When 2011 came, Live Nation called and the individual promoters said, 'What do you think?' We went, 'Eh, probably not.' We're now three and a half years older. We've got whatever ailments we've got, and it was never about the money. It was always about the legacy more than anything. Could we have made a bunch of money? Yes. But it would've been embarrassing if we only did half houses with the recession, with the Rust Belt in the Midwest, even San Antonio. You name it, everyone was hurting. No one can afford to go to concerts when they've lost their jobs. It's horrible. So, we just went, 'Let's take if off the table.' And every year the offers would come in to go do some stadium shows. And it's way too much work to do that, to get a crew, rehearse, to go out and do four shows. And it wouldn't be our show. We'd just be part of a package. It would be like doing another US Festival or something. The fans would want to see us indoors, with the big show, and if we didn't do it that way, then there's no point."

Levine previously touched upon TRIUMPH's aborted reunion tour in 2021 in an interview with Rock History Music. At the time he said: "Well, we [reunited for] a couple of [shows] — in the 2000s. In 2008, we played over in Sweden — we did a festival there — and a show in Oklahoma, I think called Rocklahoma. And we were gonna go on the road, and then the recession came. There was plans, there was buildings on hold, everything was starting to fall into place. And then when the recession [came], we talked to the promoters, and everybody just said, 'For you guys, it would be embarrassing if you go out and do three quarters of a house instead of selling out.' It was horrible. Concerts were dying everywhere. You couldn't sell a ticket in the Midwest. It didn't matter who you were. THE BEATLES would have had trouble selling tickets. So we just [put it on hold]. And then the recession lasted a couple of years. And then we decide, you know what? We're a couple of years older. Maybe we can't do it — the idea of a big tour. 'Cause we were looking at maybe doing 60, 70 dates over the course of a year and a half or so. And the investment and the production and all that, to put it all together, and the time — just rehearsal time and everything else. So we decided, you know what? It's probably not in the best interest in all of us. It's not like everybody was going, 'Yeah, we've gotta do it.' We all just went, 'Not a good idea anymore.'"

Released a year ago, "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine", produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning Banger Films (ALICE COOPER, IRON MAIDEN, RUSH and ZZ TOP),covers TRIUMPH's humble beginnings as staples of the GTA circuit in the mid-'70s to their heyday as touring juggernauts, selling out arenas and stadiums all across North America with their legendary spectacular live shows — and way beyond.

Moore, Levine, and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

Swedish death metal pioneers, Dismember, have announced the upcoming release of the Historia Mortis 12LP box set, strictly limited to 1,000 copies.





Set for release on July 21, the pre-sale starts June 2 at midnight, CET, at dismember.merchants.se, and 11 AM, CEST nblast.de/DismemberShopInt.




In addition to the Historia Mortis box set, standalone physical re-issues of the Dismember catalog will be available on CD and vinyl throughout 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records.


Stay tuned for further details.

The second track to be revealed from the forthcoming Motörhead - Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival '07 release is "I Got Mine". Originally released as a single in June 1983, preceding the album, Another Perfect Day, it feels fitting that this powerful live rendition from 2007 is aired in celebration of it’s 40th anniversary.





Recorded during the band’s Kiss Of Death tour at the legendary Auditorium Stravinski on July 7 during the 2007 edition of the world renowned, Montreux Jazz Festival this show is such a tremendous statement of just how potent and perfect a trio Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee were, with not just one of the more diverse set-lists of their decades together, but individual performances which prove how top of the tree each was in their own class.







A special, previously unreleased concert - Motörhead - Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival ’07 will be issued on double LP, double CD and digital on June 16, 2023. Secure your copy here.





Tracklisting:


"Snaggletooth"
"Stay Clean"
"Be My Baby"
"Killers"
"Metropolis"
"Over The Top"
"One Night Stand"
"I Got Mine"
"In The Name Of Tragedy"
"Sword Of Glory"
"Rosalie"
"Sacrifice"
"Just ‘Cos You Got The Power"
"Going To Brazil"
"Killed By Death"
"Iron Fist"
"Whorehouse Blues"
"Ace Of Spades"
"Overkill"


"Rosalie" live video:





(Photo - Lionel Flusin)

Aortha, featuring members of the international metal scene, will be releasing the new album, Monolit, on September 1. A music video for the single, "Last Of Our Kind", can be viewed below.

The album was mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street.

Tracklisting:

"Symposium"
"Those That Should Not Exist"
"Last Of Our Kind"
"Forging The Locus"
"Keep The Dream"
"Maximus Metallus"
"Divine Future"
"When All Around You Is Madness"
"Timeless Soul Cure"
"She"


"Last Of Our Kind" video:





Aortha lineup:


Kyle Thomas - vocals (Exhorder)
Diego Valdez - vocals (Dream Child)
Denis "Snake" Belanger - vocals (Voivod)
Alessia Scolletti - vocals (Temperance, Era)
Netta Laurenne - vocals (Smackbound)
Christian Älvestam - vocals (Scar Symmetry)
Predrag Glogovac - lead & rhythm guitar (Monolit)
Igor Paspalj - lead guitar
Jacob Umansky - bass (Intervals)
Hannes Grossmann - drums (Triptykon, Alkaloid)

Finnish heavy metallers Oceanhoarse have checked in with the following message and new music:


"A little tip that we took from Metallica is to start the recording session for a new album with a cover song. It's less stressful than trying to immediately nail one of your originals, and it's a great, fun way to dial in the sounds while getting familiar with the room. This one was recorded during the session of our latest album, Heads Will Roll, and we think it turned out quite cool! We hope Het & the guys approve!"







Oceanhoarse recently released their highly anticipated sophomore studio album, Heads Will Roll, via Noble Demon. With eleven brand new tracks, the album seamlessly picks up where its predecessor, Dead Reckoning (2021), left off and even goes one step further.





Tracklisting:


“Fall Like Dominoes”
“Help Is On The Way”
“Pryopen”
“Brick”
“Smoke Signals”
"Waves"
“Dead Zone”
“Heads Will Roll”
“Adrift”
“Nail”
“Carved In Stone”


“Help Is On The Way” lyric video:





(Band Photo - Pete Inkinen / Guilty Visuals)

They started it all 34 years ago...


The Dreamspace lineup of Stratovarius has reformed, returning under the moniker Timo Tolkki's Strato. Featuring Timo Tolkki (vocals, guitar), Tuomo Lassila (drums), and Antti Ikonen (keyboards), these members recorded the classic Fright Night, Twilight Time, Dreamspace and Fourth Dimension albums. Released in 1994, Dreamspace was the last Stratovarius album to have Timo Tolkki on lead vocals and includes such fan favorites as "Chasing Shadows", "Hold On To Your Dream", "We Are The Future" and "Wings Of Tomorrow". Tolkki recorded his vocals for the Fourth Dimension album demos before deciding to focus on guitar only and recruited Timo Kotipelto as vocalist. Fourth Dimension included a number of standout tracks including "Against The Wind", "Distant Skies", "Galaxies" and "Twilight Symphony".
 
In the summer 2022, Timo Tolkki, Tuomo Lassila and Antti Ikonen met to discuss ideas to reform the original line up, deciding to call themselves Timo Tolkki’s Strato. In all secrecy, they have rehearsed in Tuomo’s garage (real back to the roots!) since January 2023.This reconstituted lineup has signed a deal with Warner Music Japan, and is currently recording their debut album titled Return To Dreamspace to be released on October 27th, 2023 preceded by the single “(Is This The) Brave New World?". 


A Japanese Tour is planned for spring 2024, and Timo Tolkki will visit Japan in November 2023 to promote the album -- his first time there since 2007. Tours of Latin America and Europe are also in the works. In concert the band will be performing songs from Return To Dreamspace, as well as from the Stratovarius albums, Fright Night,Twilight Time, and Dreamspace.




Eric Cerda, the manager of Timo Tolkki, describes the music as "sounding like the classic Dreamspace era, but updated for the 2020's. Fans of melodic power metal - a genre that these guys pretty much defined - will love the new songs of Timo Tolkki's Strato, with fans of early Stratovarius being especially pleased.”





Tuomo Lassila formed Stratovarius in Helsinki 1984, and is responsible together with the original guitar player Staffan Stråhlman for the band's name Stratovarius. One year later Timo Tolkki joined the band. Stratovarius released their debut album Fright Night through CBS Finland. From that started one of the biggest success stories in the history of melodic metal. They defined what is currently known as power metal with albums like Fright Night (1989), Twilight Time (1993), Dreamspace (1994) and Fourth Dimension (1995).


Timo Tolkki wrote more than 100 songs for the band before leaving the group to embark on a successful solo career back in 2008, and is responsible for writing such Power Metal anthems like “Black Diamond”, “Hunting High and Low”, “Speed of Light”, “Paradise”, “Forever” and “Destiny”. More than 4 million copies of Tolkki-era Stratovarius  albums have been sold.


Check out the original Dreamspace album below.





 

Eternal Death will release Black Sorcery's debut album, Deciphering Torment Through Malediction, on vinyl LP format.


Rooted in two decades of Rhode Island black metal lineage - with members hailing from past bands Bog Of The Infidel, Sangus, Nefarious, and Sorcery - America's Black Sorcery emerged out of the plague days of early 2020. Fittingly for such origins, the quartet play a consciously regressive style of music that rejects the bloated aesthetics of most modern American black metal and embraces the arcane forms of the past. Whether it's the paradigmatic early days of Gorgoroth or the contemporaneous turn-of-the-millennium work of Behexen and Satanic Warmaster serving as the aesthetic foundation, Black Sorcery truly sound like they do not belong to this decade nor this country.


Crude and rude but not without a sense of regal refinement, the band's Deciphering Torment Through Malediction debut album storms right out of the gate and leaves little to the imagination: this is all-caps Black Metal forged in the fires of old and tempered with the patience of longtime zealots. Each song of this 40-minute work combines cold, somber melodies with raw, visceral aggression in an unapologetic homage to the early waves of black metal. No matter the tempo - rippingly fast, folklorish downshift, hypnotic pulse - Black Sorcery keep proceedings orkish and medieval, such as they were back in the glorious times of Sombre, A.M.S.G., and Drakkar Productions. Form meeting content, their lyrical expression revolves around the themes of torment and mutually-assured destruction in the form of curses wrung from a severe disdain towards all human life, and butchered rituals performed in the heat of pure resentment, resulting in one's own self-destruction: the ouroboros of esoteric failure and abysmal ruin. And all these ripped-raw tones are rendered all the more powerful with mastering courtesy of Enormous Door.




No more but definitely no less, Black Sorcery's Deciphering Torment Through Malediction is pure black metal for pure black metal people. Preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Intro”
“Gasping For Light Under A Petrine Cross”
“Final Meditations On Despair”
“Erinyes Slough”
“Gomorran Virtue”
“Sordid Rote”
“Heinous Rites”
“(Endgame Thought Process)”
“Seven Veils” 


“Erinyes Slough”:


Deciphering Torment Through Malediction by Black Sorcery

Tegmentum is a cosmic progressive metal project with Michael Ball producing the music and playing guitar, Chelsea Murphy (Dawn Of Ouroboros, Cailleach Calling) on vocals, Kenji Tsunami (Ontogeny, Narcotic Wasteland) on bass, and Andrew Baird (Fallujah) on drums. This project is formed with the intent of crossing over progressive metal styles with more extreme elements typically found in technical death metal bands.


"Tegmentum is humbled to be accepted into the M-Theory Audio family. The recognition they've given our unique sound means a lot, and we're immensely grateful for the chance to be featured among their roster of killer bands,” states Michael Ball.


“I was immediately struck by the names involved in Tegmentum,” explains M-Theory founder Marco Barbieri. “I already have a huge respect for the talents of Chelsea and Kenji, who I both know personally, and obviously recognize the popularity of Andrew’s work with Fallujah, but was sold after speaking to Michael and discovering the vision, professionalism and attention to detail given this new band. We’re excited to help Tegmentum present their music to the world.”




Today marks the debut of the awaited first sample of the band’s intense and progressive sound – check out “Accolades” (featuring guest Yvette Young (Covet) on violin) on all streaming/download platforms, and ensure you watch the beautiful and captivating music video created by bassist Kenji Tsunami below.


Additionally, preorders launch for the jewelcase CD and limited-edition (300 copies) golden grimace purple splatter colored vinyl (w/ insert and digital download code). Head here to preorder.


“The cosmic theme of our concept album Evolvement is an allegory for self-discovery that boldly explores an emotional spectrum of euphoric highs and very deep lows,” notes Michael Ball. “It represents a struggle with seemingly unknowable cosmic forces to create an emotional balance where light and dark elements can coexist.
 
We hope to create a captivating sound that pushes the progressive metal genre in a meaningful way. The extreme musical overtones give this project a unique edge while containing the hallmarks of top-tier progressive metal acts."





Tracklisting:


“Innocuous”
“Moments Ago”
“Accolades”
“Amygdala”
“Emergent Propeerties”
“Genetic Assimilation”
“I Remain”
“Gospel Of Sand”


“Accolades” video:





(Photo – Wyman Choy)

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Drew Stone of Stone Films NYC has shared professionally filmed video of the first reunion show of original lineup of BIOHAZARD — guitarist/vocalist Billy Gradziadei, guitarist Bobby Hambel, drummer Danny Schuler and bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld — which took place on Friday, May 26 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Featured tracks:

* Urban Discipline
* Down For Life
* Tales From The Hardside
* Wrong Side Of The Tracks
* Hold My Own

The band's full setlist was as follows:

01. Urban Discipline
02. Down For Life
03. Tales From The Hard Side
04. Black And White And Red All Over
05. Wrong Side Of The Tracks
06. Shades Of Grey
07. Five Blocks To The Subway
08. Howard Beach
09. How It Is
10. Tears Of Blood
11. Scarred For Life
12. Love Denied
13. We're Only Gonna Die (BAD RELIGION cover)
14. Punishment
15. Hold My Own

BIOHAZARD has announced a number of other appearances throughout 2023, including multiple international festivals in the summer, as well as select appearances 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.

Image/video credit: Drew Stone of Stone Films NYC

Northeastern US melodic metal band, Severed Angel, has released their new music video for the song "A New Beginning", from their self-titled debut album, which was self-released by the band on CD and digital formats on May 2.





Severed Angel comments: “'A New Beginning' is the third single and video (directed by drummer Wayne Noon) from Severed Angel’s self-titled debut release. The song makes up the second part of the “Severed Angel Suite,” which includes the title-track (part 1) and 'With Wings Anew' (part 3)."




Guitarist Lou Mavs explains that the songwriting process for this song was like nothing he experienced before. “I had this riff that I had written about 20 years ago that I was never able to do anything with until I modified it and brought it to the band. Wayne made the suggestion to base the song around the riff. Sometimes, the easiest solution is the best solution, and he was right. The music then started to write itself. For me, writing this album was a process - I had to work through grief, and this song was the culmination of taking those feelings and transferring it into something positive. It meant a lot that George (Dimitri, bassist), Marc (Muchnik, keyboardist), and Alex (Repetti, vocalist / guitarist) were on board from the get-go, and their performances give the song added gravitas.”


“In a way, the Severed Angel Suite is really an exploration of the “Hero’s Journey” through the 5 stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It’s very easy to get bogged down in the negativity of life if you are surrounded by it. All it takes is one thing to help get you out of it, and it could be anything, including an artistic endeavor, a friend, a family member, etc. I do believe that there are muses or angels to help guide us in life to give us hope.”


Guest vocalist Gail Bourque adds gorgeous harmonies to Alex’s vocal melody. Equal parts ballad and anthem, “A New Beginning” is Severed Angel’s statement to the world.





Severed Angel band lineup:


Alex Repetti - Vocals, Guitar (Infinite Spectrum / Tension Rising)
Lou Mavs - Guitar, Vocals
George Dimitri - Bass (Timeless Haunt)
Marc Muchnik - Keyboards (The Nightmare Stage)
Wayne Noon - Drums (Project Resurrect / ex-Phoenix Reign)

Back on April 28, UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records continued the comprehensive Rush 40th anniversary album series with new and expanded editions of the band’s decade-defining 1982 release, Signals, an album that signified how the band was in no way detached and subdivided from the ever-shifting 1980s musical landscape.


Today, AXS TV released the video below, stating: "We surprised one of our favorite rockers, Sebastian Bach, with Rush's Signals (40th Anniversary) vinyl boxset! Watch as he unwraps iconic exclusives from Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart and reflects on their incredible chemistry. If you love vinyl as much as we do, check out Vinyl Obsession, airing Sundays at 8:30/7:30c on AXS TV."







Signals-40th Anniversary is available to fans in three distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) one-LP Picture Disc Edition, and (3) Dolby Atmos Digital Edition. There is also be a limited edition Super Deluxe box featuring eight lithographs of Neil Peart’s original hand-drawn lyrics for each song on Signals only available through the official Rush online store.


All configurations can be ordered and saved, here.





Signals, Rush’s ninth studio album, was originally released in September 1982, and its technology-embracing riffs and rhythms, continued the forward-thinking trajectory of the acclaimed Canadian trio as it continued to chart the demands of a new decade. The album’s eight songs built upon Rush’s penchant for adapting to the flow of the times without compromising its flair for melding long-established progressive roots with radio-friendly song arrangements. Signals, co-produced by Rush with longtime band confidant Terry Brown and engineered by Paul Northfield, was the third of numerous Rush recording sessions held at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec. The band’s synergistic recording process at Le Studio had been well-established during sessions for the aforementioned Moving Pictures, as well as the sessions for that album’s predecessor, January 1980’s Permanent Waves.

When Queen took a break for the first part of 1983, Brian May put his time to good use. Waking up one morning in Los Angeles, he decided to phone a few friends and invite them to collaborate on some tracks in California’s famous Record Plant studios. The resulting collaboration was a great success, and Brian would later mould the recordings into a unique mini-album, Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Project.


Pre-order Star Fleet Project here, and listen to "Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix) here and below.







This third release in the “Brian May Gold Series” offers an extensively revisited and expanded box set edition of these now legendary sessions. The set is a complete document of the two days, April 21 and 22, 1983 that May spent in the Record Plant, Los Angeles accompanied by top rock music luminaries Edward Van Halen (guitar), Alan Gratzer (drums), Phil Chen (bass) and Fred Mandel (keyboards). The box set includes a spectacular 23-track CD filled with previously unreleased material.


Containing 2 CDs, 1 vinyl LP, and a vinyl single, as well as other collectors items, Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Sessions will be launched as a Deluxe Edition box set, worldwide on July 14.  


A separate exclusive 7” double A side single, also available on CD comes same day, July 14, featuring newly mixed single versions of “Star Fleet” and “Let Me Out”. A special red vinyl version will be available exclusively through the official Queen Online store and is available to pre-order here.


The July 14 box set release is ushered in with a special stand alone digital single, “Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version) which becomes available to coincide with today’s, June 1, box set announcement. The single digital track is available immediately for digital download and streaming.  


As May writes in his introductory sleeve notes in the box set: “We are going to give you everything. Every take of every song. The things that went wrong, the laughing, the finding new things to do. But it won’t be just a remaster – we’ve rescued everything from the original multitracks, every detail magnificently remixed, and more! You’ll hear every take from the historic 1983 sessions plus fragments of conversations, out-takes and musical experimentation.”


The original 3-track mini album, released October 31,1983, featured a full-length take of “Star Fleet”, May’s hard rock re-imagining of the signature tune from the Japanese-made kids science fiction series of the same name. The programme was compulsive regular viewing for Brian and his 4-year-old son Jimmy on Saturday morning TV, inspiring Brian’s attachment to its title song, written by English musician Paul Bliss. The album also featured "Let Me Out", including extensive opportunities for May and Van Halen to solo, and "Blues Breaker" a 13-minute piece of completely spontaneous improvisation from all members of this  ‘supergroup’ of musicians.


May says: “If Paul hadn’t written a very catchy song as the theme tune for that kid’s TV science fiction drama series, things would have been different. The signature tune began to stick in my head, and I could hear my own arrangement of the tune developing in my mind. But how to record it?”


“So, one morning, I woke up in Los Angeles, on a break from activities with Queen, and made some phone calls. I’ve told the story of what happened next in the material you will find in this box. The outcome was something I will forever treasure.”


“We did a little preparation, on the phone and at home with tiny Rockman amps and earphones. Then we went in. The tapes rolled. My LA neighbour Alan Gratzer beat the Hell out of his kit with the fattest, heaviest drum sticks I had ever seen. Phil Chen, a friend I had met when he played with Rod Stewart, brought his unusual style of funk-orientated rock playing to the party, along with his sunny Caribbean energy and humour. And Fred Mandel, one of the classiest keyboard players I have ever met, tickled both the ivories and some very technical synth patches to bring the spacey riffs to life.  Ed (I can still never call him “Eddie Van Halen” because he more than once told me he found it annoying!) played the guitar as if it were a piano … tapping and snapping, and sliding and skipping around the fingerboard like an electric sprite - always with a cheeky smile. If anything he did was difficult for him, he never showed it.  A total original. Pure joy. What an everlasting privilege to play with him.”


A superlative show of back-to-basics passion and purpose, Star Fleet brims with the freedom of an off-the-cuff break from the day jobs for all involved.


The record emerged on October 20, 1983 as a set of blistering guitar work, rock’n’roll spontaneity and vibrant melody, infused with a palpable chemistry and respect between the players. Spawning a single in the title-track, the mini-album reached No 1 in the British ‘Kerrang’ rock charts.


Now, of course, the record stands in part as a celebration of those we’ve lost: a chance to reconvene with great, much-missed talents. As Brian puts it, “It’s been very exciting to open up the vault to find these tapes where, in the blink of an eye, I’m trading licks with my friends, including the fantastic Ed Van Halen. It’s highly emotional, especially since Ed is sadly no longer around. We have since also lost Phil - so the rest of us cherish these fleeting moments together.”


The troupe also worked on an earlier May song, the bluesy “Let Me Out”, while the set closes with the titanic “Blues Breaker”, almost 13 minutes of scorching guitar interplay between Brian and Edward: not so much duelling as sharing ideas and passions. As Brian explains, “It was inspired by John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, the album with Eric Clapton reading The Beano on the front cover. Edward said, ‘This is great for me, I haven’t played like this in years.  This is where I come from! I didn’t come up doing tapping and all the fireworks. I grew up doing blues, wanting to be like Eric Clapton and do something melodic.”


If that sense of liberation rings out, so does a spirit of shared adventure. “There was a lot of ebullience, a lot of exploration, discovery and astonishment,” says Brian. “And some truly magical moments when everything gelled together - a fusion of energies!”


Across two CDs, a 12” vinyl LP, a 7” vinyl single, the ‘Star Fleet Sessions’ box set houses the proof. Presented in 180g transparent red vinyl, the original LP issue has been treated to a full new mix, executed by Queen sound engineers Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson under Brian’s direction at his Surrey studio from the original multitrack tapes and, says Brian, “cut at half-speed for maximum fidelity”. The single features two tracks. The A-side is an edited version of “Star Fleet”, with brand-new intro guitar harmonies from Brian. The B-side mirrors the original B-side “Son of Star Fleet” which Brian explains “was a way of including the rest of the original long version of the recording on a 7” record; effectively the whole recording is split between the two sides.”


CD1 Star Fleet Project + Beyond features the single version of the title track alongside full-length album versions of “Let Me Out” and “Blues Breaker”. Also included is an interview with Cynthia Fox conducted on Los Angeles radio station KMET in October 1983, on the day of the single release, and a Rockline interview with Bob Coburn. A live version of “Let Me Out” from the Palace Theatre in LA follows, segueing into “We Will Rock You” and a reworking of the same song’s adored fast rendition. The line-up of May, powerhouse drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Neil Murray, guitarist Jamie Moses, keyboardist Spike Edney and backing singers Cathy Porter & Shelley Preston finds The Brian May Band on fire. Finally, CD1 closes with the full LP version of “Star Fleet”, “just as the day it happened,” says Brian, “as if we were in the room.”


CD2 Star Fleet - The Complete Sessions features 23 tracks that go deeper into that room. The disc boasts a newly-created mix from the entire original analogue session tapes, featuring songs in the process of evolution (some with guide vocals) plus discussion, banter, laughs and, says Brian, “some ‘mistakes’, if there are such things”. Amps blow, mics break, strings snap – the results take you as close as it is possible to get to the Record Plant in April 1983.





And Van Halen fans, take note: the “Star Fleet” takes feature eight Edward guitar solos, “never quite treading the same path twice,” says Brian. “Ed was a wonderful soul. Listening to him and me, I feel completely outclassed by him in the studio. But in a very pleasant way – what a joy for me to be around a guy who could do all that. Such a privilege."


“So, you’ll hear us in the studio trading licks,” adds May. “We’ve cleaned up the mix and now EVH’s sound is larger than life. You’ll hear the development of his solo, which I always thought was one of the greatest things he did… a real immortal classic of Ed Van Halen pieces.”


A badge and a booklet featuring extensive liner notes complete the box set. A poster will be exclusive to box set orders placed via QueenOnline.com, where 180g black vinyl, cassette and picture-disc vinyl albums will also be available.


Complete with a digital recreation of the original 1983 source material’s artwork, Star Fleet Sessions doesn’t just gleam anew. Across 136 minutes of audio, the box set takes you behind the curtain, highlighting the electricity that made the project such a special chapter in Brian’s life and career.


“It’s all here. ALL of it ! Every note we played on those two unforgettable, exhilarating days is right here, on show for the first time. Hearing these sessions, especially through the new restoration and mixes we’ve now produced, still sends shivers up my spine,” he says. A time capsule of an unrepeatable moment, this much-anticipated, lovingly curated box set proves why.





Tracklistings:


Star Fleet Sessions Box Set | Format: 2CD + LP (Red Vinyl) + 7” (Black Vinyl)


CD1: Star Fleet Project + Beyond:
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)
Cynthia Fox Release Day Interview 1983
Bob Coburn Rockline Interview 1984
"Let Me Out" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" - Fast (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"Star Fleet" (Complete Version / 2023 Mix)


CD2: Star Fleet The Complete Sessions:
"Star Fleet" (Take 1)
"Star Fleet" (Take 2)
"Star Fleet" (Take 3)
"Star Fleet" (Take 4)
"Star Fleet" (Take 5)
Solo Jam
"Star Fleet" (Take 7)
"Star Fleet" (Take 8)
"Star Fleet" (Take 10)
"Star Fleet" (Take 11)
"Star Fleet" (Alternative Overdub EVH Solo)
Jam
"Let Me Out" (Rehearsal 1)
"Let Me Out" (Rehearsal 2)
Boogie Woogie Jam
"Let Me Out" (Take 1)
"Jazz Police"
"Let Me Out" (Take 3)
"Let Me Out" (Take 4)
Jam (Let's Do The Show Right Here)
"Let Me Out" (Take 6)
Funky Jam
"Let Me Out" (Take 7 False Start)


LP: Star Fleet Project (180g Red Vinyl):
"Star Fleet" (2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)


7” Single "Star Fleet":
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Son Of Star Fleet" (2023 Mix) – Exclusive to the box set 7”


Star Fleet Project + Beyond CD:
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)
Cynthia Fox Release Day Interview 1983
Bob Coburn Rockline Interview 1984
"Let Me Out" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" - Fast (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"Star Fleet" (Complete Version / 2023 Mix)


Star Fleet Project / LP 180g black vinyl / LP picture disc / Cassette:
"Star Fleet" (2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)





"Star Fleet" / "Let Me Out" - Double A Side Single (7” Vinyl (Red) / CD Single):
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (Single Edit / 2023 Mix) – Only available physically on this 7” Vinyl & CD single





Credits:


- Content supervised by Kris Fredriksson.
- Mixed by Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson, Allerton Hill Studio.
- Mastered by Adam Ayan, Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine.
- Half Speed vinyl mastering by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios.
- Artwork by Richard Gray and Brian May.
- Photography by Phil Chen, James “Motor” Merritt, Elizabeth “Lizard” Frye, Brian May, Ron Galella / Getty Images.

During an appearance on the "Beer Rum & Rock N Roll" podcast with host Randy Legault, drummer Gil Moore of legendary Canadian rockers TRIUMPH weighed in on a debate about people using AI (artificial intelligence) to create fake tracks and artist voices. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love technology. That's why I'm involved with a software company now, but it's music based. And so everybody in the music space is kind of up in arms about AI, and I get why. And here's my take on it.

"First of all, AI is inevitable," he continued. "Even though Woz [Apple co-founder and US Festival organizer Steve Wozniak] is part of the group that said we should hold back development for six months, and I applaud him; I wish that was possible. Maybe I'm more cynical than he is, but I don't think you can hold it back, because the bad actors will not participate in any kind of holdback. So all you'd be doing is holding back the people that are responsible versus the ones that are irresponsible.

"Number two, I think AI could be a creative tool for musicians to harness in the same way that mathematicians use calculators, but when you get into creating fake tracks and when you get into criminal activity, it's a set of burglar keys for a smart producer, or even not a smart producer but a smart crook who understands a little tiny bit about music, to try to scam streaming royalties, which is what's going on with fake tracks. And not just using AI; there's other ways to do it. People will cheat, unfortunately. So I think it's terrible."

Moore added: "Last week, I know I was talking with my buddy Noel, and he was talking about the fact that there was, I guess, a fake Drake track out there, or more than one, and a fake track from The Weeknd. It's horrible. Why would they shrug it off and go, 'oh, I don't care'? It's offensive. You wouldn't wanna see that happen with art in our world. Imagine if you had AI doing all the paintings and there were no more great artists in any area.

"I'm just saying I think there's two sides to the argument," Gil explained. "We're not gonna be able to hold back technology, so we might as well go, 'Okay, whether we like it or not, it's here to stay.' What we really can hope is that companies that are ethnical… So, ChatGPT, which is the big gun right now, is developed by Microsoft. I believe Microsoft to be an ethical company. I believe that they will do their best to try and see that the uses are for good. We've gotta try to keep it out of the hands of the bad actors and being used for purposes for which it's not intended."

This past April, Universal Music had a song called "Heart On My Sleeve", which used deep-faked vocals from their artists Drake and The Weeknd, removed from the streaming services, claiming in a statement that "the training of generative AI using our artists' music" was "a violation of copyright law".

Last month, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows said that he "would love to" have his voice cloned using artificial intelligence in order to create new songs. The singer, whose real name is Matt Sanders, was also enthused about the possibilities, saying that "AI can be incredibly useful" for songwriters. M. Shadows went on to say that AI gives fans the opportunity to use the work of their favorite acts as a machine learning library to create their own songs.

Pop singer Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher, recently said she would "split 50% royalties on any successful AI-generated song that uses my voice".

"Same deal as I would with any artist I collab[orate] with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty," she tweeted.

Fresh off their US tour with Megadeth and Bullet For My Valentine, Canadian progressive metal luminaries, Oni, have returned with a ferocious new single, "Silence In A Room Of Lies", featuring Jared Dines. The track is a volatile, metallic anthem with a torrential onslaught of groove-laden riffs, threaded with infectious melody.





Commenting on the new single, Jake Oni states: "I’m super stoked to share my new song 'Silence In A Room Of Lies'! This track is the first step in a new direction for Oni musically. This is just a taste of what’s to come and I hope my fans enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. Writing with Jared Dines was an absolute pleasure and his contributions brought this song to a whole new level."




Jared Dines is equally thrilled, commenting: "I am very proud of the song we were able to write together, and I'm excited that the world can finally hear it! Jake is the coolest dude and working with him was an absolute pleasure!"


Watch the video for "Silence In A Room Of Lies" below. Stream the track here.





Formed in 2014 by vocalist Jake Oni, Oni quickly became one of Canada's most promising new bands with their distinct amalgam of experimental progressive songwriting, brute metalcore savagery and cathartic melody. The five-piece roared to life with the release of their 2016 debut album, Ironshore (Metal Blade Records), which was produced by Josh Wilbur (Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Dillinger Escape Plan) and featured guest vocals by Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe on the song, "The Only Cure".


Oni followed up with the monstrous Alone EP in 2019, and returned with their critically lauded second full-length, Loathing Light in 2022, which boasted guests Iggy Pop and Blythe on the song, "Secrets".


Alongside their rise in the metal scene, the band has shared the stage with the likes of Gojira, Children Of Bodom, Rob Zombie, Death Angel and The Devin Townsend Project.


(Photo - Travis Shinn)

As the assault on the world keeps coming, so does ripe new material from 3Teeth. Today, the modern industrial act provides another taste of their hotly anticipated new album via the release of "Slum Planet," featuring production from DOOM composer Mick Gordon. It’s featured alongside a gripping new video from one of Hollywood’s leading video directors, Matteo Santoro (who grew up with 3Teeth frontman Alexis Mincolla).


Repeating the anthemically charged chorus, “I don’t care if you live or you die, as long as you’re willing to buy,” the song takes aim at the ills of a sick planet obsessed with over-consumption at all costs, further admonished in an attention-grabbing mid-track diatribe from frontman and creative lead, Alexis Mincolla. 







Mincolla explains the track,


“An ecosystem? More like an ego-system. ‘Slum Planet’ is a monument to the hubris of mankind, to the ruthless exploitation of nature in the name of progress, to the willful blindness of those who chose profits over preservation.”


'Slum Planet' continues 3Teeth’s series of monthly teases leading up to their hotly anticipated fourth album coming late summer via Century Media Records (more details to be announced soon). 





It follows the May 3 release of their explosive return with “Merchant Of The Void”.


To lay the foundation for the new material, 3Teeth migrated to the deserted quiet of Joshua Tree, escaping from the palpable anxiety of their hometown of Los Angeles for fresh new perspective. The material is currently being wrapped up with a solid extended team including the accomplished sound designer Mick Gordon (best known for his work on the gaming phenomenon DOOM) who produced several of the tracks along with producer Nick Rowe and mixer Sean Beavan (NIN), bringing in another dimension to the band’s unmistakable sound.


Says Gordon, “3Teeth are one of my favorite acts. They proudly fly their own unique flag. The new album charts a course through the next stage of our vanity-led evolution as a species, and by that I mean the album is a world unto itself. I’m just stoked that these guys have allowed me along for the ride.”


Stay tuned for more 3Teeth news soon.

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "If Darkness Had A Son" at the fourth show of the band's "M72" world tour on May 19 at Stade De France in Paris, France can be seen below.

The trek, which launched in late April in Amsterdam, sees the band playing two nights in every city it visits — with each "No Repeat Weekend" featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour features a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age.

METALLICA launched the second Paris show with "Creeping Death". The group's 16-song set also included three new songs from the "72 Seasons" album: the title track, the aforementioned "If Darkness Had A Son" and "You Must Burn!".

The setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Harvester Of Sorrow
03. Cyanide (tour debut)
04. King Nothing
05. 72 Seasons
06. If Darkness Had A Son
07. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
08. You Must Burn!
09. The Call Of Ktulu
10. The Unforgiven
11. Wherever I May Roam
12. Moth Into Flame
13. Battery
14. Whiskey In The Jar
15. One
16. Enter Sandman

Opening acts include Floor Jansen, EPICA, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

METALLICA promises fans who purchase a two-day ticket that they won't see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs spanning the band's 40-plus-year career.

Each weekend offers a variety of "Enhanced Experiences", ranging from access to a meet-and-greet, production and stage tour, food and beverage in the "Black Box" lounge to early entry into the venue and the Snake Pit. The very popular "Black Laminate" is back, now known as the "I Disappear Ticket", and is the ultimate pass for the fan who wants to run away with METALLICA for multiple weekends.

A single "I Disappear" ticket purchase gives you access to as many of METALLICA's 46 headlining tour dates across Europe and North America in 2023 and 2024 as you choose. You decide how many shows you'd like to attend around the world, and for how long, and METALLICA will make it as easy as possible.

According to Billboard, "72 Seasons" sold 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marks the band's 12th Top 10-charting album, of which eight have reached the top two.

"72 Seasons" had the biggest week for any rock or hard rock album since TOOL's "Fear Inoculum" arrived in September 2019 with 270,000 equivalent album units.

"72 Seasons" was released on April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, it is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Speaking of the album-making process, Ulrich explained: "It's one of the only things that hasn't changed in 40 years. There'll be a whole slew of riffs and jams and sound checks, then it falls into my lap to go through them and identify, 'That one's great, that one's good, maybe there's a song over here.'"

Regarding the fact that guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo were given writing credits on more than half of "72 Seasons", Hetfield told the Associated Press: "All four guys were on the floor when we were writing, which is new for us. Usually it's just Lars and I sitting out there hashing it out. It felt really great to have the energy of all four. There's a lot more democracy on this album. Lars and I gave up the steering wheel a little more than usual."

Hammett agreed, saying: "It was much more collaborative. The attitude was just more open. There is less limitations on everyone's creativity and I think that shows."

In the seven years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".
🇫🇷 TONIGHT IN PARIS 🇫🇷

The second & final night of the #M72 World Tour “No Repeat Weekend” in Paris!

Remember! No songs from Wednesday will be repeated.

Both show posters, created by @Munk_One, are only available for purchase at the venue.#Metallica#M72Paris#MetOnTourpic.twitter.com/mtUG8qjUAp

— Metallica (@Metallica) May 19, 2023

U.S. heavy metal giants Armored Saint will be Inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame during the Metal Hall of Fame Summer Showcase, at the Whisky A Go Go, July 13, 2023.  The ceremony will feature 95.5 KLOS DJ Marci Wiser as host. Performances also include top local artists Sergio Michel, Deconstruct, surprise guest appearances, and an All-Star Jam. The event is sponsored by Rocavaka, The Vaka That Rocks!!


"Armored Saint have been delivering great metal for decades and we look forwarding to giving them a proper salute this summer, on their home turf of Southern California, at the Whisky A Go Go,” said Metal Hall of Fame Founder/CEO Pat Gesualdo."  Marci Wiser commented, “Once they unleashed the crushing riff and vocals of ‘Can U Deliver’ in the ‘80s, I instantly knew they’d be hall of famers.  I’m honored to host the event and I’ll have my horns way up.”


"We were honored and excited to be notified about the Armored Saint Metal Hall of Fame Induction. They have been rocking and kicking ass for 40 years. Cheers to all of their success," says J. Buttermark of FM Music Management.







As one of the leaders of the Los Angeles heavy metal scene, Armored Saint have amassed a worldwide audience and achieved success and critical acclaim through several albums, including March Of The Saint, Delirious Nomad, and Raising Fear. To date, the band has released eight studio albums, one EP, two live albums and one compilation album.


The Metal Hall of Fame is dedicated to forever enshrining the iconic musicians and music industry executives responsible for making Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they continue to inspire fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.


The Annual Metal Hall of Fame Celebrity Gala is held every January in C.A. As a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit organization, all proceeds from Metal Hall of Fame and D.A.D. events bring free music programs to help special needs children and wounded veterans.


The Metal Hall of Fame Voting Process is derived by fans of all genres of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, along with the Metal Hall of Fame voting committee. Fans can cast their vote all year round for their favorite artists, bands, producers, and music industry executives via the Metal Hall of Fame website.


For more information, please contact info@themetalhalloffame.org, or call 973-263-0420.


Armored Saint are:


John Bush - vocals
Jeff Duncan - guitars
Phil Sandoval - guitars
Joey Vera - bass
Gonzo Sandoval - drums


(Photo - Travis Shinn)

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.

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" 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.

WARMEN will present this legacy live at select events, including a release show at this year's Summer Breeze festival. Stand by for further info on "Here For None", including preorders, to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

"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.

Photo by Marek Sabogal