German rock legends, Scorpions, performed at Monsters Of Rock 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 22nd at Allianz Parque. Fan-filmed video of their entire set is available below. 


The setlist was as follows:


"Gas In The Tank"
"Make It Real"
"The Zoo"
"Coast To Coast"
"Seventh Sun"
"Peacemaker"
"Bad Boys Running Wild"
"Delicate Dance"
"Send Me An Angel"
"Wind of Change"
"Tease Me, Please Me"
"Rock Believer"
"Blackout"
"Big City Nights"




Encore:
"Still Loving You"
"Rock You Like A Hurricane"





Photo taken from the official Scorpions Facebook page

Sammy Hagar, who, along with fellow ex-VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth, spent the summer of 2002 co-headlining the laboriously titled "Sammy Hagar And David Lee Roth Tour 2002: Song For Song, The Heavyweight Champs Of Rock And Roll", is once again dissing Diamond Dave's oversize ego and deteriorating singing voice.

Hagar reflected on the 2002 run of shows during a recent appearance on Steve-O's "Wild Ride!" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At that time [Roth] didn't have a solo career, really. I mean, he did, but he wasn't selling out. I was selling out arenas. I was selling out amphitheaters as Sammy Hagar with the WABOS. And I had a solo career.

"Ask Mick Jagger. Ask Robert Plant. You can be the biggest band in the world and you can't necessarily have a solo career," he continued. "But I had a solo career. So when I joined the big band, I went back to my solo career, I'm good. I still sell a lot of tickets. Dave, he had that sort of a big album, one kind of a big album, but he didn't have a solo career. He was playing small places. So when he came in with me, he was making, like, 25 grand a night, I was making 150 grand a night, and they said, 'Oh, you guys are gonna make the same money. Dave gets to make 150.' I said, 'He ain't fucking made 150 in his life except in VAN HALEN.' But I said, 'I've gotta do this.' So I bent over backwards. And he still always tried to fuck with the rules. He's not a fun guy. He doesn't play well with others. I'm not sure what his problem is… He just always is about, 'How can I make this guy look bad?' And not just me — in life. He's a chest-beating motherfucker. And God bless him, 'cause the early stuff is frickin' great. I personally, I've tried to say… [I thought] he'd be a fun guy to know. But he ain't like that. He ain't like his persona. When you get around him, he ain't that guy. He's some other cat. [Laughs]"

Hagar went on to praise Roth's skills as an entertainer, saying: "He's a showman. Hey, listen, I'm a showman too. But that's his gig. He doesn't care about singing. If he did, he'd take care of his voice or he'd take voice lessons and get warmed up and do something. 'Cause the guy sang so bad last time he was doing shows, it was embarrassing… But he's a showman. Everything's show, show, show, show, show, show, show. And he doesn't care about his voice, which drives me nuts, man. I care more about my voice than I do my dick. If my dick didn't work a couple of times, I'd be okay with it — I'd be bummed out — but if my voice fucks up onstage, I'm fucking bummed, man."

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — "5150", "OU812", "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance" — all of which topped the U.S. chart. The highest-charting Roth-led VAN HALEN album was a No. 2, and it took until "1984" to achieve that. (2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth" also landed at No. 2.)

Back in October 2021, Hagar said that he had "no problem" with Roth, telling "The Mike & Carla Morning Show" on the 96.3 KKLZ radio station: "Him and I don't even have a feud. To be honest with you, I have no problem with Dave. I don't know what he's got going with me, but I think he always feels competitive. I think he feels like he has to raise his flag, like, 'I'm VAN HALEN.' 'Cause I had a solo career before VAN HALEN. I was in MONTROSE before VAN HALEN. I've had CHICKENFOOT. Dave has got VAN HALEN, so I think he has to hold on to that kind of tight. But I don't care about that. If someone said, 'Oh, I never knew you [were] in VAN HALEN,' I'd say, 'Eh…'"

In June 2021, Hagar blasted Roth, saying his voice "hasn't aged well" and describing the original VAN HALEN singer's onstage persona as "totally bullshit." He told Brazil's "Inside With Paulo Baron" Internet show: "[David is] a real character. He's a showman. He's all show. I enjoy him. But you talk about cringing. I can't imagine how he feels when he looks at some of them old videos, the way he was dancing and moving, and the way he was singing live sometimes. I don't know how he feels about all that, but I don't think he cares. The difference between him and I [is] I sincerely care — I care about everything I do and I care how it affects people and I care what they think. I care that it touches them and it makes them happy. And what is important to me is enlightening and elevating people spiritually and making them happy and making them have big dreams, making them want to be better themselves. And that's my goal with everything I do — is to bring that to people and change their life, if I can. I don't think he cares about anything like that. And that's the difference between our presence. He's very much into himself, very much into being a showman and doesn't really care. I don't know what he cares about; I really don't. I don't know him. I have no idea who that guy is; I don't think anyone does. But he entertains me. I enjoy watching him do stupid shit."

Asked what he thinks when he sees the way David presents himself to the public, Sammy said: "Well, the first thing I'd say is I look at him and I think, 'Wow. He's a strange person. He's a strange character.' He's not what he's saying he is; he's pretending. He's totally bullshit. Everything he does is thought up and it's an image. It's nothing to do with who he is; he's not exposing who and what he is. And I know this for a fact. I knew that the first time I saw him. I said, 'This guy, he's putting on an image, putting on a show.' He goes back home and goes in his house, and he's a whole different guy — nothing to do with that guy [you see on stage]. He's not honest about his image and his performance. That's what I see when I see him; that's how I feel. But I tried to be friends."

Referring to the time when he and Roth teamed up for the co-headlining tour in 2002, Sammy continued: "When we did our together, I thought it was gonna be so much fun. I thought, 'If he's anything like he claims to be, we're gonna have a good time.' But he wasn't. He was the worst guy to be around. He wasn't ever around. He hides out. You never see him. He puts on this whole big front and comes out, 'I'm here. David Lee Roth is here,' and then he goes and hides again. I don't think he's happy. He's never been married; never had a relationship; never had children. It's, like, man, how do you live like that? I don't know. I'm a family man. And I love women — I love women and children… He hasn't aged well — his voice. [Laughs] I don't know. It's hard."

According to Hagar, he has tried a number of times to be respectful to Roth, particularly because of David's immeasurable contribution to VAN HALEN's legacy.

"I used to not wanna cause trouble," he said. "First, in the old days, before I was in VAN HALEN, I ripped him through the fucking coals when I [did] the press, before I ever was in that band. And then when I joined the band, I tried to be nice. And then when I left the band, I tried to be nice about him. And then we did our together, and then I fucking said, 'Fuck this guy. He's an asshole. You can't get along with him. He's no fun. He's full of shit.' And then now, after [VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie's [Van Halen] death, I feel, once again, he's part of the VAN HALEN legacy and he's important. So I wouldn't wanna ruin anything to do with what he brought to that legacy. I want VAN HALEN to go down as one of the greatest rock bands of all time — but not just my [era]; Dave's era [as well]. I want Eddie to be the legend and get the respect that he deserves, and the only way to preserve that is by being kind about the past. And, like in my [2011's autobiography, 'Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock'], like I said, that's the only thing I would probably [change in the book if I was writing it now is I would] soften it up [as it relates to Eddie]. But it's too late — it is what it is. And it's honest. So I'm not lying, I'm not backpedaling — nope, nope. It's all true. But God rest his soul. He brought a lot to this planet, to this business of rock and roll, Eddie Van Halen did. And Dave was a part of it. It's too bad what he's become. [Laughs] But that's different. It's not VAN HALEN anymore."

In November 2020, Eddie's son Wolfgang revealed that his father had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included classic-era bassist Michael Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Hagar and Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with VAN HALEN on one poorly received album, 1998's "Van Halen III".

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Sammy Hagar photo credit: Leah Steiger

According to Billboard, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor has signed a "global recordings agreement" with BMG to release his second solo album, "CMF2", will arrive later in 2023. The follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" will arrive later this year via Taylor's label imprint Decibel Cooper.

"I wanted to work with BMG because they came in super hot wanting to work with me, and they've been keeping the fires burning for rock, punk and metal over the last few years," Taylor told Billboard.

"We are thrilled to welcome Corey Taylor to the BMG family," executive VP of New York/senior VP of international marketing Jason Hradil said in a statement. "His new album is an extension of the incredible body of work he's assembled over his career, and we can't wait for fans around the world to hear it later this year."

Thomas Scherer, BMG president of repertoire and marketing, Los Angeles and New York, added, "We were completely blown away after hearing Corey's new album. His music is absolutely brilliant with the marketing skills to match. It is an honor to be the partner for such an inspiring artist and entrepreneur like Corey Taylor and amplify his vision globally."

Taylor told Billboard that he will also use his label to release music from other artists, explaining: "Decibel Cooper will not only allow me to release my own music and art worldwide, but it also gives me a solid way to help bolster any rad new acts I want to put on the roster. BMG is going to help me put my money where my mouth is — giving a boost to the next generation."

Taylor began tracking "CMF2" in January at an undisclosed studio with longtime producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with STEEL PANTHER and ANTHRAX, among others. Corey stated about the musical direction of his new material: "I mean, everything's just bigger this time, man. Everything sounds better; everything's running better; everything's running hot. Instead of where I came from, this is where I'm going. Musically, it's harder, it's faster, but there's still tons of stuff from the first album. So, there's elements of SLIPKNOT, there's elements of STONE SOUR, there's elements of 'CMFT'; there's elements of the stuff that I've been doing for years — just, like, cover-wise or whatever, just all the stuff that I've always wanted to do, we're doing that. We're just cranking it up and it all sounds so fucking good that I can't even describe to you how stoked I am."

Last August, Corey discussed his plans for his second solo album during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "We're gonna go in and bang it out and get it ready. And then once I'm done touring with SLIPKNOT, I'm gonna throw together a really rad, 'rock is back' kind of tour for the solo stuff and start bringing out some of the younger — maybe not even some of the younger rock bands, but just some of the bands that don't get the chance or just don't get the looks that are afforded to either pop bands and hip-hop bands or people like me who are kind of grandfathered in. So I'm gonna try and really kind of fly the rock flag and give some opportunities to some of the younger bands and maybe even just the mid-level bands that just haven't had a shot. 'Cause there's so many great bands out there."

Taylor went on to say that he had written about 15 songs for his follow-up to "CMFT". "It's one of those cool things where some of it's older stuff that I've written over the years," he revealed. "There's actually a couple of songs that some of the fans know because I debuted them live when I was doing the JBKB [COREY TAYOR & THE JUNK BEER KIDNAP BAND] thing. So there's a song like 'Beyond' and a song like 'Breath Of Fresh Smoke' — both of those songs are getting recorded and released finally after… God, how many goddamn years would it be? Probably about 14 years, 16 years. But then a bunch of newer stuff. And there's definitely a darker edge to it. It's still very melodic, but I'm definitely starting to kind of bring together the things that I'm known for. And it's less an homage of the stuff that I grew up on and more of what people are used to hearing from me — but still a solo album. So there's still great rock and roll on it. There's some heavier stuff, but there's some really great slower stuff. It's gonna be really rad."

In February 2022, Corey released a solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled "CMFB…Sides", via Roadrunner Records. The collection comprised nine previously unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions.

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

"CMFT" was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with Ruston and Christian Martucci (guitar),Zach Throne (guitar),Jason Christopher (bass),and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums).

"CMFT" had been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. The album was highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie),and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped".

In 2021, Taylor made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" garnered widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best-sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."

Photo credit: Ashley Osborn

On June 9, 2023, Basque Country melodic death metallers Rise To Fall will release their new album The Fifth Dimension via Noble Demon. Today, the band releases the second single from the upcoming album, entitled "Hierophant". The track is accompanied by a brand new music video.


Rise To Fall comments: "‘Hierophant’ is a very Rise To Fall song, a fast, direct and very dynamic song, with rhythm changes, a lot of atmosphere and a memorable chorus. As always with a very melodic solo and a break full of synthesizers. ‘Hierophant’ has it all for Rise To Fall fans and for those who don't know us it's a very good way to know what Rise To Fall is all about."


Formed in 2006 in Bilbao (Basque Country) in northern Spain, Rise To Fall have established their well-deserved place within the metal scene over the past seventeen years. With a constant output and numerous live shows and festival appearances, Rise To Fall have become known for delivering music of the highest level and their devastating live shows. With the release of four studio albums, the band has kept raising the bar, leading not only to numerous tours across Europe, but also headlining tours in Japan and China, as well as touring alongside Soilwork.




A tour that should still unite both bands in the future - With the track "Intruder" Rise To Fall have now released the first single of the upcoming album, on which none other than Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork / The Night Flight Orchestra ) has taken over as a guest vocalist.





Tracklisting:


“Rising Sun”
“Hierophant”
“Intruder”
“Test Of Time”
“Empty Ward”
“Infinite Crossroad”
“What Lies Beneath”
“Heroes”
“The Great Chain”
“Beam Of Light”
“Black Ocean”


"Hierophant" video:





“Intruder”:





Rise To Fall are:


Alain “Dalay Tarda” Gutiérrez - Vocals
Hugo Markaida - Guitar
Dann Hoyos - Bass
Javier Martín - Bass
Xabier Del Val - Drums

Germany’s Stormage has released "The Spirit Never Dies", the second single from the new album Ashes Of Doom and prove once again their flair for catchy choruses wrapped in dark power metal.


Ashes Of Doom is out on May 26 via El Puerto Records. Album presale is available on the El Puerto Records webshop.


Bassist Dirk Heggemann on the album: "The idea behind it is to address the things that are currently going out of control worldwide. The character stands as a representation for all of humanity, hoping for a helping hand through a broken window to turn everything around. That helping hand could be any one of us."




In the 20 years of their existence, the quartet from the German Sauerland has continuously honed their own style. For the upcoming fourth album Ashes Of Doom has Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann (Orden Ogan) co-producer. The result is a multifaceted, cleverly arranged power metal album, but just a touch "darker" than the rest.


Cover art by Harley Velasquez / cover layout by Nina Heggemann:





Tracklisting:


“Overture Of The Abyss”
“Beyond The Horizon”
“Deniers Of Reality”
“Fierce As A Dragon”
“Slide On Your Knees”
“Our Latest Endeavor”
“Ashes Of My Doom”
“The Spirit Never Dies”
“Blood Shot Eyes”
“Put The Hammer Down”
“Son Of Hatred”
“The Wind Will Take Us Home”


"The Spirit Never Dies" lyric video:





"Deniers Of Reality":

THE QUIREBOYS singer Spike (a.k.a. Jonathan Gray) has announced plans to record a new album featuring the last songs he co-wrote and recorded with the band's original guitarist Guy Bailey. Bailey died earlier this month after an illness. No cause of death was revealed.

On Wednesday (April 26),Spike took to his social media to write: "As QUIREBOYS founder, frontman and songwriter I'm delighted to announce that the original band are going into the studio next month to record a new QUIREBOYS album, featuring the last songs that I co-wrote and recorded with Guy Bailey.

"This news follows the return of the original QUIREBOYS line-up last year, with the physical release of an official QUIREBOYS Christmas single and a sell-out London show promoted by Live Nation with me, Nigel Mogg, Chris Johnstone and Rudy Richman. That night, we were joined on stage by Guy Bailey for what was to be his last public appearance before his tragic death on 6 April 2023.

"Following the split with recent band members last Spring, I immediately reassured you the fans that I have never left the band, I hold the trademark and that I would reform the original QUIREBOYS band. Last summer I wrote songs with Guy Bailey and demo'd them for a new album — as, one by one, Nigel Mogg, Chris Johnstone and Rudy Richman announced their return to QUIREBOYS.

"Guy Bailey was deeply upset by events of last year and he wanted to respond by writing new songs with the return of the signature QUIREBOYS sound. The writing between us was just like the early days, spontaneous and natural. It was his wish that the music we wrote together last summer was recorded and completed in its entirety, so the band will return to the studio to finish the new album. We have one of the greatest producers in the world and a few very special friends joining us who adored Guy.

"The new QUIREBOYS album will be dedicated to Guy Bailey, my best friend and a musical genius. Without him there wouldn't have been any QUIREBOYS hits that live on to this day.

"I promised Guy Bailey I would record this album, and so with his blessing, I will take his music legacy forward with not only this album, but future albums to come, along with live international tours and shows, as that was and always has been his wish. So we're keeping rock 'n' roll alive in his name for years to come.

"God bless, Spike, x"

Bailey and Spike formed THE QUIREBOYS in 1984 and were responsible for writing many of the band's signature songs, including "Hey You", "7 O'Clock", "I Don't Love You Anymore" and "There She Goes Again" from THE QUIREBOYS' classic debut album "A Bit of What You Fancy". After THE QUIREBOYS split in 1993, Bailey was part of the British band's brief reunion in 1995 but wasn't included in THE QUIREBOYS' lineup when the group reformed in 2001.

Last May, Spike and Bailey announced that they had reunited and were writing a new album together which they said would be released under THE QUIREBOYS name.

The reunion between Spike and Bailey came just weeks after THE QUIREBOYS announced they had parted ways with Spike. In response, the singer said that he was fired via a letter signed by three bandmembers and he accused his former bandmates of trying to "re-cast events". He also vowed to continue recording and touring under THE QUIREBOYS name.
Spike announces new Quireboys album featuring final songs written with Guy Bailey

Image credit: Bianca Cecilia pic.twitter.com/gHJtAIoypP

— The Quireboys Spike Official (@SpikeQuireboys) April 26, 2023

In a new interview with SiriusXM host Tommy London on SiriusXM's Hair Nation, legendary rocker Alice Cooper spoke about his upcoming follow-up to 2021's "Detroit Stories" LP, saying: "The album that's gonna be coming out very soon [features] the touring band — [guitarist Ryan] Roxie and [drummer] Glen [Sobel] — you know, all the guys — [guitarist] Tommy [Henriksen] and [bassist] Chuck [Garric] and [guitarist] Nita [Strauss]. I said, 'I wanna show this band off.' So we did an album in the studio, and very, very, very few overdubs in it, because the band's so tight. And I wanted them to all do the writing with me. I said, 'Everybody, bring in songs, 'cause I want everything in-house.' And [Alice's longtime producer Bob] Ezrin produced it. I mean, it's a great guitar-driven rock and roll album. I'm very, very proud of this album. And it's coming… It'll be out this year."

Regarding a possible title for the new Cooper album, Alice said: "I think it's gonna be called 'Road'. Because this is the band that's on the road, and most of the songs are about the road.

"There's a lot of funny stuff on there," he revealed. "There's a couple of heartbreakers. I think when you hear the album, you get a feeling of what it's like to be on the road."

Cooper also once again confirmed that he is working on a second new album, but added that he "can't talk about" it right now. "I promised I wouldn't talk about it," he explained.

Alice previously spoke about his upcoming LP last month during an episode of his "Nights With Alice Cooper" radio show on Planet Rock. At the time he said: "There's another album coming out that's really gonna knock you out. Everybody really likes it, the people that have heard it so far. It's just a rocking rock and roll album."

Last year, Cooper spoke to Germany's Rolling Stone about how he ended up working on two new albums with Ezrin. "A lot of those were born during the plague," he said. "We couldn't go touring for 18 months, so what's a musician gonna do? Well, they're going to write songs. Everybody has a studio in their house. So we were writing songs and doing demos. And at the end of this whole thing, I got in touch with Bob and said, 'Here's 30 songs.' And we decided, 'Okay, let's do two albums.' But the two albums are definitely two different angles of coming in to Alice Cooper. One is very hard rock; the other one is hard rock but it's twisted. And that's all I can say about it right now, because there's a couple of really important things about both albums."

Back in January 2022, Cooper told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his new music: "I'm working on two albums right now, actually — two studio albums. They're two entirely different kinds of albums, but they're Alice Cooper pure rock and roll albums. The two albums will really be hard rock albums."

At the time, the now-75-year-old singer expressed hope that the first of his new LPs would arrive later that year. "It's kind of like the old days when you're touring and putting out records at the same time," Alice explained. "It kind of takes me back to when you're doing 'Love It To Death' and then you tour for 'Love It To Death'. While you're doing 'Love It To Death', you're writing 'Killer'. When 'Love It To Death' is over, 'Killer' comes out and then you go support that. And while you're doing 'Killer', you're writing 'School's Out'. So we're kind of piggybacking everything. And I kind of like that. It keeps everything moving. I don't like those big chunks of time when there's nothing going on."

Released in February 2021, "Detroit Stories" was recorded with Ezrin, mostly in Royal Oak with Detroit musicians and featuring a mix of original material alongside covers of songs by Bob Seger, the MC5, Mitch Ryder's DETROIT and OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY.

In 2018, Cooper issued "A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris", a recording of his December 7, 2017 concert at the world-renowned Olympia venue in France.

Alice also released two albums with HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, 2015's "Hollywood Vampires" and 2019's "Rise".

Impressively, Saskatoon, Canada’s Despite The Reverence has been together writing and performing for over 10 years now with the same lineup and as of this year, has produced five full-length albums. The most recent addition to their catalog is Stress Of Evolution, a 12 track, neck-breaking monster of an album that builds on all of their previous work. The latest video out is “War Machine”, five minutes of thundering drums, wild solos, and groovy riffs.


The band details:


““War Machine” is another heavy rocker and packs a lot of energy. The song comes in with a roar and pounding guitars, bass, and drums. The verses quiet down but only for a moment and really to give more emphasis to the rest of the song. By the time the bridge hits in the middle, the song is full steam ahead. A ripping solo followed by a halftime but heavy-beaten ending wraps the song up. The lyrics are powerful and strong and the outro has a ring to it with the feeling of royalty.”




Despite The Reverence wanted the album to be dynamic from heavy to melodic and accomplished that with a mixture of tempos, styles, and instrumentation. They cite that variety is the spice of life and they tried to bring everything under one roof creating unique and interesting compositions which flow together under a common concept.


When playing live, they are very professional and love putting on a big live show including lights, smoke, and stage backdrops. They write the set to flow together and generally do not take a lot of pauses or chit-chat. They figure the fans are there to hear the music so they keep the songs flowing as they play with high energy and intensity. They are recommended listening for fans of Pantera, Tool, and Black Sabbath.


Stress Of Evolution is available on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


"Cyborg"
"Khali Yuga"
"Surprise Kill Vanish"
"Primate Centurion"
"Killing Plebs"
"Fears Of Our Fathers"
"Stress Of Evolution"
"Human Obsolete"
"Thinning The Herd"
"War Machine"
"At My Door Knocks Death"
"Disco Death Tech"


"War Machine" video:





"Cyborg" video:





"Primate Centurion" video:

ATTILA, Atlanta's most notorious dealers of metalcore brutality, have released a brand new single, "Bite Your Tongue". In what will be an exciting surprise for fans, a large portion of the track features clean vocals from frontman Chris "Fronz" Fronzak for the first time on an ATTILA release.

While pushing the boundaries of what has come before, the new song is still an undeniable ATTILA-level banger, maintaining their unique brand of powerful, intricate riffing, driving, ten-ton-heavy drumming and of course, it's fair share of Fronz's signature screaming.

Speaking on the new track, Fronzak shares: "'Bite Your Tongue' is about standing up for yourself and standing up for what you believe in. People will try to push you around but we will never back down. There are some people in this world that spew bullshit and say things that aren't true to please others. Not me though. If I say it, I mean it."

ATTILA will hit the road next month for a series of tour dates, including shows at Bamboozle, Welcome To Rockville, Sonic Temple and Blue Ridge festivals. Full dates below.

"Bite Your Tongue" heralds the dawning of a whole new chapter for ATTILA and their multitude of fans. Keep it locked for more exciting announcements coming from the band soon.

ATTILA members Fronzak, Chris Linck (guitar) and Kalan Adam (bass) have been churning out metalcore anthems for nearly two decades, shaping and defining the genre as they go.

Formed in Atlanta in 2005, ATTILA has released eight studio albums, including the band's infamous 2013 smash hit "About That Life" which debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 22. The band is best known for its uniquely aggressive heaviness, incendiary, high-energy live shows and tongue-in-cheek attitude. Their music has amassed over 265 million streams and nearly 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

ATTILA has continued to thrive and evolve over the years, cementing their status as one of the most influential bands in the modern metalcore genre. The release of "Bite Your Tongue" is just another step in their evolution, with plenty more to come, including a few surprises.

Photo credit: Lauren Robey

Legendary drummer Carl Palmer is recovering from a heart procedure.

The 73-year-old musician underwent an atrial fibrillation ablation, a treatment for an irregular and chaotic heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. The procedure uses heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart to block the faulty electrical signals and restore a typical heartbeat.

On Wednesday (April 26),the following message was shared via Palmer's social media: "This morning, Carl underwent a successful Ablation procedure to restore sinus rhythm as he was previously in Atrial Fibrillation.

"Carl would to thank his Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Tushar Salukhe, who performed the procedure, and all the wonderful attending staff on the Sir Reginald Wilson Ward at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London who have been looking after him today."

Palmer, who was voted by Rolling Stone as one of the 10 greatest drummers of all time, is a founding member of both EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER and ASIA. Since he began in the business in the 1960s, Palmer has sold over 50 million records. In 2011 he began working with a three-piece power trio. In 2019, the group added vocals from guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and Palmer.

Earlier in the month, Palmer, in association with the estates of his EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER bandmates Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, announced "The Return Of Emerson, Lake & Palmer" 2023 summer tour. Launching its second U.S .tour in July, the shows will actually again reunite ELP live on stage through modern technology.

The tour continues the successful run of show which began in November and December 2022. After exploring the idea of a hologram tour in detail, Palmer (with the estates of Emerson and Lake) opted for what they felt was a more honest approach using live footage of Keith and Greg on massive video walls alongside Carl (and his band) playing live on stage. The voice and instrumentation of Greg Lake and the unmistakable keyboard mastery of Keith Emerson will be mixed with Palmer's onstage live drumming to magically reunite ELP once again.

Emerson and Lake passed away nine months apart in 2016, leaving Palmer to carry on the band's enormous musical legacy.

Says Palmer: "The film ELP made of its sold-out run at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1992 had everything we needed to make these tours happen. We were able to use just the camera shots of Keith and Greg, with the sterling audio tracks of their performances resulting in a combination of film and onstage performance of my band that brings back the magic of ELP."

After establishing themselves in bands such as THE NICE, KING CRIMSON and THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN, ELP was formed in early 1970 as one of rock's first (and biggest) supergroups. With record sales of over 50 million and decades of sold-out tours through the 1970s and again in the 1990s, EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER has remained one of the best-selling classic rock bands of all time. The band's complete recorded catalog, now under the direction and distribution of BMG, continues to be a steady force on the international music scene. The tour will coincide with the new BMG box set of classic ELP hit singles pressed on vinyl with reproductions of the original picture sleeves.

The tour is being launched with the full approval of the Emerson and Lake estates, as well as the various managers who have represented the members of the band. "Welcome Back My Friends - The Return Of Emerson, Lake & Palmer" will be focused on the U.S. and Canada through the rest of 2023, and eventually play all over the world where ELP toured throughout its career.

This morning, Carl underwent a successful Ablation procedure to restore sinus rhythm as he was previously in Atrial...

Posted by Carl Palmer on Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Loosegroove Records recording artists, Seattle-based band, BRAD, are proud to announce the release today of their new song and the title track from the upcoming LP, In The Moment That You’re Born. Listen here, watch a video below.


SPIN exclusively premiered the video with Jonathan Cohen who noted, "The title track is one of the heavier Brad songs ever, with Smith singing in a lower register than usual atop Gossard and Keith Lowe’s swirling guitar attack. Hagar says the song comes from a weekend recording session about five years ago and that Smith’s vocal offers almost a gospel vibe. Sonically, it harkens back to Smith and Hagar’s other project Satchel, which was often active in parallel with Brad in the ’90s."







The song is the first new music from BRAD in over a decade and is being released 30 years to the day since their critically acclaimed debut album Shame was released in 1993. Shame featured original music that stood as a counterpoint to the music that was coming out of Seattle during that time. To further mark the anniversary of that landmark LP, pre-orders have begun for limited-edition vinyl reissues of the music. The vinyl will be available in various packaging configurations and released on July 28. Pre-order here.


The new single perfectly encapsulates the band's ability to craft songs that skirt around the boundaries of genre creating a unique sound. The late Shawn Smith’s vocals, croon over impressive instrumentation from guitarist and Loosegroove Records founders Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) and drummer Regan Hagar (BRAD, Satchel, Malfunkshun), along with bassist Keith Lowe.


The loss of Shawn in 2019 was a blow to the band and the musical community that he played such an intrinsic role in. This song and the subsequent release of the new LP stand as a celebration of Shawn’s immense talent.


Stone says, “Shawn's lyric from years ago about it never fails. ‘You always return to the scene of the crime.’ Well, BRAD has always been good at looking back and returning as well. Cherishing those times in the past, where we allowed ourselves to experience the magic of creation together, with all the sense of adventure, fear and fearlessness, insecurity and bravado.”


Regan Hagar, who is the drummer in the band as well as a founder and creative director for Loosegroove adds, “I’m moved by Shawn Smith once again. And Stone's guitar work on this track kills me every time I listen.”


The LP, In The Moment That You're Born features 10 new self-produced recordings with vocals recorded by Shawn Smith in recording sessions prior to his 2019 passing. The tracks include a new version of “Stars N’ You”; written by the late Seattle musician Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone, Malfunkshun). The song was originally recorded for the 1986 “Deep Six” compilation by Malfunkshun and also featured BRAD drummer/Loosegroove co-founder Regan Hagar.


In The Moment That You're Born was recorded and mixed by Floyd Reitsma at Studio Litho in Seattle (except for the title track, which was mixed by Josh Evans). The artwork was created by Hagar and includes photos taken by famed Seattle photographer Lance Mercer.


(Photo - Daniel Zetterstrom)

Professionally-filmed footage of Guns N' Roses performing "Patience" live at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, on September 3, 2017 is available for streaming below. The show was part of the band's Not In This Lifetime tour.





Guns N' Roses are featured in Billboard's recently released  recap of the 10 highest grossing tours in Billboard Boxscore's archives.




"Over nearly four decades, Billboard Boxscore has charted the biggest tours in the world. From Whitney Houston and Billy Joel in the ‘80s to SZA and Post Malone in 2023, artists have topped Boxscore charts in Vegas theaters, international stadiums, and everything in between."


The list of the 10 highest grossing tours in the Boxscore archives is ranked by total earnings, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All 10 have grossed more than $400 million.


#9: AC/DC - Black Ice World Tour (2008-10)


Gross: $442 million
Attendance: 2.8 million
Shows: 107


"The Black Ice World Tour was something of a comeback for the hard rock legends. The tour and its namesake album were the first for the band in eight years. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the time away worked, pushing AC/DC to an all-time high of $2.4 million and 26,000 tickets per show."





#4: Guns N' Roses - Not In This Lifetime... Tour (2016-19)


Gross: $584 million
Attendance: 5.4 million
Shows: 158


"The title of GnR’s comeback tour was apt, as the band shocked the world by reuniting most of its classic ‘80s lineup, getting Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan back together. The reinstated lineup paid dividends, first conquering the Americas in 2016, then Australia and Europe in 2017, and then all over again in 2018-19."


View the full list, and find out who lands on top, at Billboard.com.

Last year saw the release of The Arrival, the debut studio album from Swedish metal supergroup Dampf, which features members of Hammerfall, Crowne, and Dynasty. Propelled by singles like “The Other Side” and “Who Am I?”, the band performed at several festivals in Finland and Sweden on the strength of their first LP.





Now, Dampf are back with the first single off their yet-to-be-announced follow up to 'he Arrival. The new song, “No Angels Alive”, describes a world full of evil forces and adversity.




“It's finally time to write Chapter 2 in Dampf's history, and first up is ‘No Angels Alive’,” says Martin “E-Type” Erikson. “In reality, the work on the new album is just an extension of the first record. We simply continued to write, produce, and develop Dampf's sound and melodies, and suddenly, in that process, we were finished with our second album. What's new and exciting is that we are now a group with permanent members where everyone has been able to contribute and thereby put their own signature and expression on the songs. The expression ‘No Angels Alive’ means that evil survives in this world for no reason and the good die young.”





Watch the music vdeo for "No Angels Alive" below, stream the track here.





Dampf are:


Martin Eriksson - vocals
Jona Tee - keyboard
Love Magnussen- guitar
Pontus Edberg - bass
David Wallin - drums
Olivia Thorn - backing vocals
Björn Åkesson - vocals
Sam Söderlindh - guitar

With over 50,000 albums sold, 700,000+ monthly Spotify listeners, and more than 100 million streams, American hard rock experts, Throw The Fight, have already developed impressive numbers throughout their band history.


Three years after the release of their latest album, Settle Your Sins, the band marks their return with the upcoming full-length, Strangeworld, out June 30 via Long Branch Records. Produced by Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen (As I Lay Dying, Bad Wolves, Light The Torch, Upon A Burning Body), the record is a potent distillation of the strengths of their catalog and a huge step forward to the future.


Today, the band release their new single, "Obey", alongside a music video - marking the third track released off Strangeworld - following the singles "Cover Your Tracks" and "Hourglass".




Singer Kade Katz comments: "‘Obey‘ is about feeling like you are stagnating. It's the sense of being dissociated from life as it moves around you - the feeling of forced complacency.“





With a diehard audience earned the old-school way, and modern rock anthems suited for the digital age, Throw The Fight celebrates two decades of passion and perseverance. Mixing soaring melodicism and heavy bombast without ever sacrificing hooks, this Minnesota outfit was built to last.





Strangeworld will be released as LP Edition incl. transparent vinyl with blue streaks, CD Edition, Stream and Download. Exclusive T-Shirt+CD/LP Bundles are available for pre-order at the Long Branch Records Shop. Pre-order Strangeworld here:





Strangeworld tracklisting:


"Cover Your Tracks"
"Obey"
"Lost Without You"
"Sorry, Not Sorry"
"Hourglass"
"Shadow Self"
"Lost In The Lies"
"Snake Mountain"
"Wake Up!"


"Hourglass" video:





"Cover Your Tracks" video:








Throw The Fight are:


Kade Kastelitz - Vocals
Ryan Baustert - Guitar/Vocals
Kris Weiser - Guitar
Jeff Baustert - Drums


(Photo - Rick Fisher)

Greek black metal legends, Rotting Christ, have released an official anniversary video for "The Opposite Bank", featured on their 1996 album, Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers. Watch below.


Says the band: "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers becomes 27 years today and we celebrate this by creating this little video for you. Hope you will enjoy."







Rotting Christ performed at at The Gramercy Theatre in New York, NY on March 10 as part of their Under Our Black Cult tour. The band have released a recap video, directed by Guilherme Henriques. Watch below:





In late 2022, Rotting Christ dropped a surprise EP, The Apocryphal Spells Vol. I, via Century Media Records. This first volume of songs is a collection of studio and live bonus tracks that were previously only available on select physical products; now, fans can stream these rarities for the first time online here.


Sakis Tolis (vocals, guitars) commented: "My dear friends, I can proudly announce a compilation of rare Rotting Christ tracks that have never been released on digital platforms before. We have now the opportunity to release them via the first part of a compilation: The Apocryphal Spells. Thanks for your attention, and I hope you will enjoy them, as we also did, recording them back in the days. Spirit Up!"





The Apocryphal Spells Vol. I tracklisting:


"Astral Embodiment"
"Moonlight"
"Phobia"
"Tormentor" (Kreator cover)
"Flag Of Hate/Pleasure to Kill" (Kreator cover)


Rotting Christ was founded by Sakis Tolis (vocals, guitars) and his brother Themis Tolis (drums) in 1987. Starting out as death/grind, the Greeks embarked on a darker musical journey by the time their debut full-length, Thy Mighty Contract (1993), was released.


On the following seven albums [spanning a ten-year period from Non Serviam (1994) to Sanctus Diavolos (2004)], Rotting Christ steadily defined their own distinct style by experimenting with elements from death, heavy, and gothic metal without betraying their black roots. At the same time, the band went from underground heroes to headliner status.


With their highly acclaimed ninth album, Theogonia (2007), the Greek stalwarts added an unmistakable native element to their sound, which has remained with them as a signature trademark ever since.

In a brand new interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked what he needs at this point in his life to feel completely satisfied and fulfilled. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I meditate. And I meditate a lot. I meditate sometimes a couple of hours a day. I've been meditating for about 25 years now."

He continued: "My beliefs and my outlook on meditation is pretty extreme, I would say. I've come to believe that meditation is what we are, and when we're not meditating, that is, like, the dream. [Laughs] And I've come to the conclusion that meditation is pure consciousness, and everything is pure consciousness. And I also believe in unity of being, which means that we're all connected. But even more than that, we're all the same being. I believe that, and I believe that with my heart. It really dictates how I am day to day and how I treat people. Because if I believe that we're all connected and we are all one, then when I talk to you, I'm basically talking to myself. And when you look at me and into my eyes, you're seeing a version of yourself back. That's how deep I believe it is. And I also believe that consciousness, what people believe is our soul or spirit, it's energy, and energy is never destroyed; it just changes. And so I believe that consciousness is everything and eternal. And being in present and in the moment contains all the possibilities that are available in life."

Hammett added: "That's what I believe. And if people want to find out more, there's a name for what I believe, and it's call non-duality or idealism. It's a relatively new school of thinking that's based on teachings that go back two thousand years or so. But non-duality today says that you don't need to go into a cave for 30 years and meditate; you can do it, if you have the right guidance, in 10 minutes. And that is huge."

Kirk went on to say that he really loves talking about spirituality, adding that "I know my spirituality can be very, very challenging for people. And some people will just [go], like, 'Huh?' But if you're saying 'Huh?' and you're curious, it's worth looking into."

Asked if there are any good books that he recommends, Kirk said: "Oh, yes. 'The Direct Path' by Rupert Spira. The book changed my life."

METALLICA's eleventh studio album, "72 Seasons", was released on Friday (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 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Hammett released his first solo EP, "Portals", in April 2022. The all-instrumental four-song effort was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris, and Oahu and was produced by Hammett, who drew inspiration for the songs from horror movies, classical music, and the work of Ennio Morricone, whose "The Ecstasy Of Gold" has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

In a new interview with Belgian Jasper, Michael Kiske spoke about his personal chemistry with the other members of HELLOWEEN before and after the initial "Pumpkins United" tour, which saw the band reunite with Kiske and guitarist Kai Hansen. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At first I thought the idea [was just to do a tour with the classic lineup]. At first I thought, without firing [Kiske's replacement] Andi [Deris] or anything, they just wanted to make a 'Keeper [Of The Seven Keys]' tour or something like that. But I realized it doesn't make sense because you create another HELLOWEEN that is sort of in competition with the HELLOWEEN of the last 20 years. And it was pretty quickly clear to me, 'It doesn't make sense. I agree.' Jan [Bayati, HELLOWEEN's manager] was putting that to me that it doesn't work: 'You guys have to do it together.'

"It's so great now," Kiske continued. "It has so many benefits. I get along with everybody. I have a special relationship with each individual. It's normal [because] everybody is different. I have a different relationship with Kai. We meet on a specific level, like we always have. That hasn't changed. My relationship with Weiki [HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath] is completely different to how it was, because Weiki is completely different. I'm different too, but he has changed completely. He used to be a troublemaker; he used to be someone [who would play] games behind your back. He's not at all like that anymore. The only thing he cares about is smoking a cigarette and having a good time. And he sticks out of all arguments and fights, and that has completely changed. He's like the most easygoing person ever. And Markus [Grosskopf, HELLOWEEN bassist] is pretty much the same; he's just matured. He can express himself a lot better than he used to. When he was young, he wasn't able to put [his feelings] into words. But now he can. But he grew up too; he has matured too.

"The most important thing for me is that I get along with Andi so well," Kiske noted. "We even hang out privately. When we rehearse, for instance, we always sit together eating something, or somewhere outside or drink something or have a coffee or whatever. And that's perfect. And so you function on stage too, because all that works out. And that is something that I'm really happy with. If it wouldn't have been that way, I don't think we would still do it.

"We only made contracts for until after the first tour. We only made contracts for the 'Pumpkins United' tour. I think it was ending in 2018 or something, and the contracts were over. So if anybody wouldn't be up for it anymore, you would be free to leave. But since everything went down so well… we kind of thought, 'Well, how about a record?'"

Kiske's first album back with HELLOWEEN, 2021's self-titled effort, landed in the Top 10 in more than 10 countries, including Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria. The cover artwork for the LP was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the latest HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

"Helloween" saw the legendary German power metallers going "back to the roots," with the band recording fully analogue and Daniel Löble playing the drum kit previously used by HELLOWEEN's original drummer, the late Ingo Schwichtenberg, on the legendary "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" recordings.

The "Pumpkins United" tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including "Kids Of The Century", "Rise And Fall" and "Livin' Ain't No Crime". Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including "Ride The Sky", "Judas", "Starlight" and "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)".

HELLOWEEN will return to the U.S. and Canada this spring as part of the "United Forces" world tour alongside supporting special guests HAMMERFALL. The trek will commence on May 13 in Dallas, Texas and wind its way through a total of 13 cities, the journey drawing to a close on June 3 in San Francisco, California.

Swollen Teeth - the rapidly ascending four-piece straight from the bowels of hell - are back to detonate another explosion of brutality with new single “EMPTY” today. Their latest offering comes with a new music video featuring live performance footage capturing the raw energy and intensity of their live shows.


The band, who have been steadily making waves within the heavy music scene since the release of their debut single, “SWOLLENTEETH” have repeatedly taken things to the next level with each release from their upcoming, self-titled EP produced by Slipknot's Sid Wilson. Today, the band have also launched their brand new merch store, featuring a range of exclusive designs that fans won't want to miss (available here) and vinyl preorders for the EP here.







In the words of the band themselves,


“‘EMPTY’ HAS LANDED. With heavy respect we can’t wait to throw our horns down with you. This one is “FOR THE FA/W\ILY”. - /W\  


Swollen Teeth are gearing up for a string of headline dates across the US, on their FOR THE FA/W\ILY Tour, including a highly anticipated set at Bonnaroo. Tickets for all shows are available now from the band's official website.


“EMPTY” follows previously released singles “LETHAL” “CAR CRASH” and “SWOLLENTEETH”, which was released back in January.


Since their release, the tracks have clocked up nearly 200,000 Spotify streams and 140,000 YouTube views and have been included on Spotify's All New Metal and New Blood Playlists, Apple's Breaking Hard Rock, Fresh Blood and Breaking Metal Playlists and Deezer's Metal Radar playlist.


The collective will release their debut, self-titled EP, a brutal, visceral, roundhouse kick to the gut of the modern heavy music landscape, produced by Slipknot's Sid Wilson, on Wednesday, May 9. It will be the first release to come out on Blowed Out Records, the new label venture between legendary producer, Ross Robinson (Korn, The Cure, Slipknot, Glassjaw, At The Drive In and countless others), artist Ghostemane and Bill Armstrong (SideOneDummy).


Commenting on his excitement about the project, Sid Wilson shares, “After all these years, when I thought I’d never find another group of humans outside of Slipknot that knew the formula to transparency thru frequencies, and not thru appearance, I discovered Swollen Teeth. This is trü-Metal!” 


Ross Robinson adds, "Sid and I listening to roughs in Iowa, emotions ran high - I found myself getting chills throughout my body to that familiar molten metal pulse I love so much - this time that force is known as ‘Swollen Teeth’ - hunger + talent have that vibration I can’t ignore - Bill, Eric, and I (‘Blowed Out Records’) are totally committed to rip it out there for the long haul..”





Tracklisting:


“EMPTY”
“CAR CRASH”
“BIKE RIDE”
“SWOLLENTEETH”
“LETHAL”


"EMPTY" video:





“LETHAL” video:





(Photo: Hallway)

Blessed Curse has released the new single and lyric video for “Throne Of Bones,” the second sampling of the Nor Cal group’s new album. Recognized for their deadly thrash metal the trio strike back with another ruthless outing filled with crunchy guitars, bellowing vocals and hammering drums complimented by a lyric video created by Raf Orteaga at Ecliptic Visions (Ayreon, The Absence, Hecate Enthroned) which can be viewed below, while the digital single is on all streaming/download platforms.


“‘Throne Of Bones’ is a malicious track about an individual who meets with a witch that teaches you how to change your physical form into something sinister to get away with brutal murders,” explains guitarist/vocalist Tyler Satterlee. “With this power this person literally constructs a throne of bones of his enemies deep in the woods, gleefully sitting upon a bloody chair of vengeance.”


“‘Throne Of Bones’ is one of those tracks that has a great end cap feel to it,” furthers drummer Derek Bean. “Finalizing the album, it definitely brings an intense closure to an intense record. Loaded with all the dark imagery, heavy riffing and pounding double bass that the band is known for I couldn’t be happier with how the song delivers on all of the B.C. strong points. All the while it is still pushing the boundaries of what we do to keep progressing with heavy music without abandoning what we’re all about.”




“Throne Of Bones” follows up “Street Freaks,” the first self-released song the Sacramento-based outfit issued last year as work began on what eventually became the anticipated new full-length, Pray For Armageddon. Anticipated because it’s been 6 long years since Blessed Curse released the Beware Of The Night EP, and 11 since the group’s full-length self-titled debut. Productivity and output hasn’t been the band’s forte, but their core metal belief and dedication is and the band has played all over Northern California plying their trade and fans continue to support and anxiously await more new music.


That reality is becoming clearer as today we launch pre-orders for Pray For Armageddon featuring ten new songs planned for an August 11 international release on CD and Digital, and for the first time on vinyl with 300 transparent orange copies being pressed. Preorder here.


“Pray For Armageddon is about sadistic religious impatience caused by sorcery. A shortcut to Judgement Day, three lycanthropic prophets invoke a global curse causing all people to commit horrific sin instantly everywhere. Triggering the maker’s wrathful punishment, our world is quickly ‘cleansed’ by sky-high waves of flame and destruction,” eerily adds Tyler.


Pray For Armageddon was produced by the band and recorded, mixed and mastered by Joe Johnston at Sacramento’s Pus Cavern Studios (Will Haven, Silversun Pickups, Dance Gavin Dance) and once again features the cover art of Marc Sasso (Dio, Morbid Angel, Halford).


“We were very fortunate to once again work with the amazing Marc Sasso, who also did our 2012 debut album artwork,” furthers Tyler. “Once again featuring the BC Beast ‘Larry.’ He was able to bring our apocalyptic vision to life showcasing three beast prophets overlooking a major city being obliterated after their wicked spell angers the Almighty… Btw, Larry is named after the Universal Monster character Larry Talbot, who tragically becomes cursed in the 1941 classic ‘The Wolf Man.’"


More information on Blessed Curse, their forthcoming album, and additional live shows will be revealed in the months to come by M-Theory Audio.





Tracklisting:


“Pray For Armageddon”
“Beheader”
“Subspecies”
“Lock Me Up”
“Skinned Alive”
“Street Freaks”
“Into The Dark”
“Aftermath”
“Graveyard World”
“Throne Of Bones”


“Throne Of Bones” lyric video:





“Street Freaks”:

In a new interview with Wyatt of U.K.'s Planet Rock, Nikki Sixx spoke about MÖTLEY CRÜE 's decision to hire John 5 to replace Mick Mars, the group's founding guitarist, who announced his retirement from touring with the group last October as a result of worsening health issues.

"I've been friends with John forever and I would make jokes, 'As long as you're a 5, I feel good being a Sixx.' Y'know, stupid best buddy jokes.

"Me and that guy have been either hanging out at each other's houses, writing songs… he plays (guitar) all day long. So, he comes over here and he grabs one of my guitars or brings his own and we just sit around and play and talk about the '70s and how great LYNYRD SKYNYRD and 'Scooby Doo' was."

He continued: "My wife just said that when Mick told us he was leaving the band and I told her I'd talked to Tommy [Lee, CRÜE drummer] and Vince [Neil, CRÜE singer], and everybody feels that John would be a great fit, and I hadn't called John yet because you had to be sure we were doing everything correctly. My wife said, 'Well, that's great.' I said, 'What do you mean by that?' She goes, 'Well, you'll be going on stage and you'll be on the phone to John.' And they're, like, 'You gotta go on stage!', and he'll be like 'Okay, call me back in an hour and a half.'

"So we're always chatting and jamming and the friendship is so wonderful. Him and Tommy are really close. Vince loves him. He's just a great guy and a great musician and he gives us a great opportunity as a three-piece so to speak to really lock in. He's just such a great guitar player."

Comparing CRÜE 's current musicianship to how it was while Mick was still in the band, Nikki added: "It's nothing against any other musician that you play with, just that when you play with new musicians you play differently. We're still playing the same songs that people wanna hear but it kind of like re-inspires you. And I'm sure the same thing would happen if they got a new bass player. They're like 'oh wow, he's attacking it differently.' So it's never about how bad anybody was.

"It's a nice time [for MÖTLEY CRÜE] and it's kind of inspired us to write a little bit," he added. "We love our history, we're very proud of everything we've done. We've always been really supportive of Mick no matter what Mick was going through. We're just happy with where we're at right now."

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, earlier this month the 71-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting. Specifically, Mars claims he was asked to sign a severance agreement that would divest him of his 25 percent stake in the band's various business interests in return for a 5 percent stake in the band's 2023 tour. This stake, the lawsuit alleges, would be reduced to 0 percent for future tours. Mick claims CRÜE's management later upped the offer from 5 percent to a 7.5 percent stake in the band's 2023 tour, which would remain contingent on Mars divesting himself from the band and their businesses. When Mars refused to sign the papers, the band took the dispute to arbitration "rather than a public lawsuit so that the public would not be aware of the deplorable manner in which they treated their 'brother' of 41 years," Mick claims in the lawsuit.

Regarding Mick 's lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE, Nikki told Planet Rock: "If a member of a band tells you that they can't tour because of health reasons, you have two choices. You can quit as a band [after] 42 years of work. Or we could look at each other and go 'are we done yet?!' We're really peaking and we understand [Mick 's] health issues.

"We wish him the best and we know that he's a little bit confused and being misled by representatives right now. But we still have to stay focused on why we're here."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE last summer that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

In his lawsuit, Mars also alleged that he was the only band member to play 100 percent live on their most recent tour, claiming Sixx "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

After Mars filed his lawsuit, Sixx responded on Twitter, writing: "Sad day for us and we don't deserve this considering how many years we've been propping him up. We still wish him the best and hope he find's [sic] lawyers and managers who aren't damaging him. We love you Mick."

According to Variety, Mars's attorney said he was warned by the band's lawyers that "if your client rejects the severance package that was graciously offered to him by the band, he will get next to nothing. I suggest you think about the repercussions of this decision… There is undisputed legal cause here for Mick's removal. Mick is unable to perform as a full-fledged band member. Among other things, as demonstrated during the last tour, he repeatedly forgets his chords, does not play the right song, plays chords of a different song while on stage, and so on."

Mick's filing claimed that MÖTLEY CRÜE filed an arbitration case against him in February, "essentially suing him" to prove that it had the right to fire him from the band.

"They clearly commenced an arbitration, rather than a public lawsuit, so that the public would not be aware of the deplorable manner in which they treated their 'brother' of 41 years," lawyers for Mars wrote in the petition.

Mick is suing MÖTLEY CRÜE so he can go over all the financial books and determine if he's getting what he feels he deserves.