Finnish death metal 3-piece, Fearmonger, has released its debut album, Singularity. Listen on Spotify, here. The band combines old-school HM-2 type filth with modern death metal, adding elements of grindcore and deathcore on top.


Fearmonger is a Helsinki-based trio consisting of Eetu Vehkaoja (bass, vocals) Roope Hokkanen (drums) and Atte Karm (guitar, vocals). The band was formed at the beginning of 2020, and the debut EP Ikaros was released in June 2020. Ikaros revolved around Covid-19 lyrically, while Singularity is thematically based around the rise of machines and artificial intelligence, as well as the impending doom of mankind, which have become more timely subjects than the band even anticipated when setting out to make this record with ChatGPT making its way to the mainstream and ChaosGPT gaining interest in wiping out humanity.


The EP was closer to the grindcore the band set out to make in the beginning, but for the debut album, baritone guitars and guttural vocals turned the boat around in a bit different direction, while still keeping some of the grindier style, perhaps most apparent on the track “Measures”, clocking in at 32 seconds.




“The bulk of the songs were composed fairly quickly, but the last year was spent on replacing the weakest songs to make the album more cohesive. We thought we stumbled upon something special with the sound of the album, so we wanted to make sure it’s the best it can be. The slammier direction and filthy breakdowns really opened some doors and allowed us to drop the more basic tracks completely from the record. The worst thing the album could have been was boring, so at less than 22 minutes, it checks all the marks we wanted to check." - Atte Karm


Singularity was made completely in-house, so to speak, with Atte Karm recording, mixing and mastering the self-released album and Eetu Vehkaoja directing and editing both music videos released this far. The album will be available on CD and cassette, in addition to streaming services. The physical releases can be pre-ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Zenith Of Existence"
"Mechanic Convergence"
"Open The Gates"
"Measures"
"Mobilize"
"The Final Frontier"
"The King"
"The Colossal Price Of Hubris"


"Zenith Of Existence" video:





"The Colossal Price Of Hubris" video:

Creepshow have released their debut album to all major platforms. Uncle Death and his Creepettes are pleased to bring the eponymous Creepshow I to a graveyard near you!


Creepshow is a five-piece horror themed metal band based in Chicago, IL. Founded by vocalist Uncle Death, this cult of terror delivers catchy tunes from beyond the unholy grave, starring FunerAlice (Bass Guitar), CemeTerry (Rhythm Guitar), CadaVeronica (Lead Guitar), and NecroNancy (Drums).


Though they are timeworn cadavers, Creepshow emerged on October 31, 2018 with their blend of atmospheric black metal, crossover thrash, and spooky synth pop. Creepshow channels the dark rantings of Ghoul, GWAR, Carpathian Forest, Mortuary Drape, Carpenter Brut, Gost and many more inspirations for their ghastly concoction.




Enjoy a wide range of terrifying tales spanning across the (un)life and times of Uncle Death and his Creepettes, creature-features galore, and a gloriously ghoulish chronicling of any and all things that go bump in the night!


Freshly exhumed vocalist, Uncle Death, says, “It truly excites and brings me untold pleasure to be able to bring Creepshow I to audiences worldwide. I think I speak for all my Creepettes when I say Creepshow I is an anthology we are proud to call our most varied effort yet.”





Tracklisting:


"Midnight Hour"
"Blackstone Keep"
"Wicked Tome" (Feat. Professor Pizza)
"Hexed By The Dead"
"Geheimnisnacht"
"Reign Of The Goblin King"
"Mausoleum"
"Ossuary Waltz"
"Voodoo Magick" (Feat. Mike Hochins)
"Creepshow" (Feat. Ghoul)


Creepshow I by Creepshow

The hard rock alternative band, Reach NYC, has announced its return with a worldwide signing on German powerhouse label AFM Records! Featuring special appearances by Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, Kiiara, Sonny & Marcos from P.O.D, Joey Santiago from The Pixies and Sendog from Cypress Hill, Reach NYC is currently gearing up for the release of their long-awaited, sophomore studio album.

Nils Wasko, Senior A&R Director of AFM Records, says: “Right from the start of our discussions with René Mata and REACH NYC, creativity and teamwork were the key words. We A&R'ed the whole album together and chose the best engineers and producers available. AFM is here to make sure everyone feels supported in every way. Getting to know René Mata has been such a pleasure and together we will propel their artistry even further on a global Hard Rock stage.”


Reach NYC was formed on Long Island in 1996. The band was active on the New York scene, frequently rocking infamous haunts like CBGB’s alongside the heavy hitting Papa Roach and System of a Down, and festivals like Vans Warped Tour. Originally named Reach 454, they caught a break when Lava/Atlantic president Jason Flom signed them after a strong performance at a label showcase. The band entered the studio in 2002 with producer Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Evanescence), and emerged in the summer of 2003 with their self-titled debut. The album showcased Reach 454's dynamic melodic shifts and riff-heavy guitar work. The band fell on hard times in 2004 and took an indefinite hiatus.

Throughout the years, Chester Bennington, one of the closest friends of Reach NYC vocalist Rene Mata, expressed to Rene how important it was for him to keep playing music. The last time Rene and Chester were together in NYC, they hosted a dinner hang with Jacoby, Tobin, and Tony from Papa Roach, Matt Sorum, Marcos of P.O.D., and Rob from Volbeat. While enjoying their dinner, Chester presented the idea of wanting to put together a tour for the following year with Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Deftones, System of a Down, Papa Roach and wanted Reach to open. Disastrously, Chester passed away that same July of 2017, and Rene fell into a dark depression.



Reach NYC has just premiered a music video for new single "Killing Time" on Revolver Magazine, and Rene reveals "The song is about my internal fight with myself after after losing a close friend. I had relapsed after 25 years of sobriety & had fallen into a massive depression after Chester passed away.


The video is the chaos in my subconscious in relapse & depression. A full on war in my heart, head and soul. Without Recovery, Family, Friends I wouldn’t have made it out alive. I know the band conveyed it in there playing and recording of the song."


The new Reach NYC video for "Killing Time" is now streaming below.

“Riffs Galore Powerful song what more do you want?” Asks Joey Santiago of The Pixies, while John Temptesta of The Cult agrees, “My NY bros Reach NYC knock it out of the park with their new single, Killing Time! Song is very catchy with great hooks and melodies. Excellent production!“



“This new REACH NYC tune Killing Time is as infectious as an OG case of Covid……absolutely sick af”, says Will Hunt (Evanescence), Marcos Curiel of P.O.D. comments: “‘Killing Time’ delivers that east coast gasoline. Definitely ignition for the soul to fire your ass up. I had the pleasure of performing on this record. I hope everyone enjoys listening to it, as much as I did guesting on it! Do yourself a favor. Turn this up to 11. Enjoy that east-coast Rock n roll.“



"I'm really happy these guys are back! Been following them since the start. The guys have always been hard working w their heart on there sleeves. Back from the dead is vibrant and exciting with outstanding vocals from Rene & Jacoby from Papa Roach a must listen. The video is visually stunning. The feeling of lost and alone is captivating."- SenDog - Cypress Hill, Powerflo

In 2019, Reach NYC drummer Dante and Marcos Curiel encouraged Rene to put the band back together and open for P.O.D. in NYC. It was the band's first show since 2004, and it quickly rekindled their friendship and their love of music. Their love for creating music, as well as the importance of friends and family, renewed their dedication to keep the project going.

On October 9th 2020, Reach NYC returned to the airwaves with a new EP titled, “Back From the Dead”, their first release in 17 years, also featuring Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach. The EP was mixed by Jay Baumgardner and mastered by Howie Weinberg in Los Angeles. The newly titled Reach NYC is featuring Rene Mata on vocals, Dante Renzi on drums, Nick Cavagnaro (guitars, vocals) and more recently adding young guns AJ Chiarella on guitars and vocals as well as bassist Tim Robbins. The band quickly got back to the stage, and returned to the New York scene performing with longtime friends Quicksand at the Bowery, and made an appearance at Danny Wimmer’s historic “Welcome to Rockville” festival in Daytona, FL in 2021. Most recently, Reach NYC signed a new international deal with AFM Records and is currently recording their sophomore album that is set to release in 2023, with special appearances by Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, Kiiara, Sonny & Marcos from P.O.D, Joey Santiago from The Pixies & Sendog of Cypress Hill and Powerflo.

Craft Recordings celebrates the enduring career of FINGER ELEVEN with the band's first collection of hit singles. Spanning over two decades, the "Greatest Hits" album highlights the group's diverse range with fan favorites, including multi-platinum hit "Paralyzer" and Juno-nominated "One Thing", plus chart toppers like "Falling On" and "Living In A Dream". As a bonus, the 12-track set also offers a previously unreleased cover of PINK FLOYD's "Welcome To The Machine" (a longtime live staple) as well as the band's first new single in more than seven years, "Together Right". The single is available to stream/download today.

"'Together Right' is about unity," explains frontman Scott Anderson. "It's about the bonds between people and how far that bond can extend before it's broken. The song has an optimistic-sounding chorus but it's really a desperate plea from one party to another asking please stick around, let's go down with this ship together." Recorded in Toronto last year with drummer/producer Steve Molella, the song packs a punch with anthemic guitar-driven hooks and high-energy handclaps.

"Greatest Hits" arrives on CD and digitally June 16, while the vinyl edition (the band's first-ever vinyl release) will follow on August 25. A limited-edition Blue Smoke pressing will be available exclusively via the band's web site and CraftRecordings.com, and indie record stores will carry an exclusive Yellow Marble variant. Meanwhile, fans can pick up a collectible version of the CD featuring unique packaging at Walmart, along with a Walmart-exclusive Purple Smoke LP. All formats are available to pre-order today.

Speaking to the band's first-ever retrospective, Anderson reflects: "After six albums and 20-plus years of being together, FINGER ELEVEN is beyond excited to finally release a greatest-hits album. As with all things F11, the band obsessed over the song choices, running order, and vinyl version to go along with the beautiful new art that James [Black] created."

One of Canada's best-selling bands, Juno Award-winning rockers FINGER ELEVEN have built a long-lasting legacy with their genre-defying sound (spanning cathartic metal and alt-rock balladry to danceable funk, power pop, and beyond) that continues to keep fans on their toes. The band's story begins in 1990, when Scott Anderson (vocals),Rick Jackett (guitar),James Black (vocals, guitar),Sean Anderson (bass) and drummer Rob Gommerman (later replaced by Rich Beddoe) began playing together in high school. In 1995, the Burlington, Ontario five-piece released their debut, "Letters From Chutney", under the moniker RAINBOW BUTT MONKEYS, before recording their first LP as FINGER ELEVEN, "Tip". The album, which was produced by Arnold Lanni (OUR LADY PEACE, SIMPLE PLAN),caught the attention of Wind-up Records, who signed the band in 1997 and re-released "Tip" a year later.

Non-stop touring with bands like CREED and FUEL, as well as a spot on the Vans Warped Tour helped the band break into the U.S. market with singles like "Above", a Top 40 hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. The band continued the momentum with "The Greyest Of Blue Skies" (2000). Featuring the singles "First Time" and "Drag You Down", the album landed at No.17 on the Canadian chart, where it was certified gold. It would be their self-titled follow-up, however, that would make FINGER ELEVEN international stars.

Produced by Johnny K. (DISTURBED, PLAIN WHITE T'S, MEGADETH),2003's "Finger Eleven" marked a new era for the band. Praised by AllMusic as their "most confident and sincere statement to date," the album found the band exploring a variety of new styles, including anthemic melodies ("Good Times") and introspective, acoustic-driven balladry ("One Thing"). In addition to breaking into the Billboard 200, "Finger Eleven" peaked at No. 4 in Canada and topped Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. The Juno-nominated "One Thing", meanwhile, was a Top 20 hit in the U.S. and landed in Canada's Top 30. As a testament to the song's broad appeal, it also peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Adult Top 40, No. 11 on Mainstream Top 40, and No. 5 on Alternative Airplay.

FINGER ELEVEN returned to the studio with Jonny K. for their fourth album, "Them Vs. You Vs. Me". Released in 2007, it would become their most successful release to date, earning the band a Juno Award for "Rock Album Of The Year" and peaking at No. 2 in Canada. The funk-forward single "Paralyzer" also earned the band a Juno nod and multi-platinum sales on both sides of the border, hitting No. 3 in Canada and peaking at No. 6 after spending 52 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, a unique feat for a rock band. The single would go on to enjoy massive airplay setting a record for most consecutive weeks at No. 1 by a Canadian band on the Canadian rock charts. Other favorites from the album included the chart-topping power-pop track "Falling On" and the break-up anthem "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague". The band snagged another Juno nomination with 2010's "Life Turns Electric", which featured the hit "Living In A Dream". The song, which topped the Canadian rock chart, also landed at No. 13 on Billboard's Hot Rock Airplay and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts, thanks in part to its use as the official theme song for 2011's "WWE Royal Rumble".

In addition to the above-mentioned fan favorites, "Greatest Hits" includes "Slow Chemical" — a 2002 cover and remix of wrestler Kane's entrance theme. The song was played during Kane's appearances on "WrestleMania", as well as in the video game "WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008" and the 2004 Marvel film "The Punisher". The album also features a previously unreleased cover of PINK FLOYD's 1975 song "Welcome To The Machine". Speaking to the recording, Scott Anderson shares, "PINK FLOYD is a band that's always been near and dear to FINGER ELEVEN and we're proud to share our version of 'Welcome To The Machine' with everyone. The song found its way into our live show, even opening with it sometimes. There are few songs that fill me with equal parts dread and excitement. This one really does it for me."

FINGER ELEVEN, which currently includes original members Scott Anderson, Sean Anderson, James Black and Rick Jackett, plus drummer Steve Molella (who joined the band in 2013),released their critically acclaimed seventh studio album, "Five Crooked Lines", in 2015. Since then, they have remained active on the road and enjoyed their legacy as one of Canada's biggest bands. Between 1995 and 2016, FINGER ELEVEN was among the top 75 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 25 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada — as evidenced by "Greatest Hits". Today, they show no signs of slowing down. This summer, they will appear at a variety of festivals across North America.

Photo credit: Jesse Milns

Having recently obliterated three venues during its almost instantly sold-out introductory U.K. headline tour, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, the extreme metal band founded by Simon Neil (BIFFY CLYRO) and Mike Vennart (BIFFY CLYRO live guitarist and solo artist, ex-OCEANSIZE),has shared a new music video for its debut track "Harvest". Directed by Nick Suchak, the clip features electrifying live footage from all three shows on the tour and captures the band's visceral and unpredictable onslaught.

EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, which recently signed with Roadrunner Records, also features the legendary Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE) on drums, with Naomi Macleod (BITCH FALCON) rounding out the live lineup on bass.

Bursting with aggression, "Harvest" sees Vennart's inventive, barbed riffs complementing Neil's feral vocal attack, with Lombardo's battering ram rhythms anchoring it all.

Commenting on the release, the band exclaimed: "Empires fall, States rise, Bastards sing…it's 'Harvest' time, motherfuckers!"

The idea behind EMPIRE STATE BASTARD emerged when Simon and Mike would spend downtime on tour sitting at the back of the bus sharing the heaviest, most avant-garde or the most sickeningly confrontational music they could find. When thoughts turned to making their own sonic wasteland, Simon already had the band name in mind, leaving Mike with a particularly grotesque challenge: what music could he write that would live up to the name?

It took around a decade to find both the time and ferocity to make it happen. With Mike writing the songs and recording all guitars, and Simon focused on vocals and lyrics, they eventually emerged with a collection of songs which adventurously probes almost every dark crevice imaginable from the myriad sounds of metal and genre-adjacent extremity.

EMPIRE STATE BASTARD's terrifying tourist trail visits slamming hardcore in the vein of SIEGE; frenetic, visceral thrash in SLAYER's ballpark; the claustrophobic sludge of MELVINS; the freeform vocal dexterity of Mike Patton; and the gargantuan stoner riffs of SLEEP. It's a band that’s rooted in the tradition of metal's forefathers, but informed by more recent waves of leftfield aggression.

Up next, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD is slated for a run of festival sets confirmed for this spring and summer at U.K.'s Download (June 9),France's Hellfest (June 18),U.K.'s 2000trees (July 7),Norway's Malakoff (July 21) and U.K.'s ArcTanGent (August 17).

Neil previously told NME that working on other projects, including EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, got him "through not touring — just knowing I can spend the year making new music."

He added: "I like putting myself in these positions where I'm like, 'I should never be doing this, so this is what I'm going to do.' I don't just want to do the same shit. Every time between records, I want to do something that's fucked up and off the wall. It brings me back to BIFFY, and I'm more in love with it now than I've ever been."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Photo credit: Paul Harries

In a new interview with Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen weighed in on MÖTLEY CRÜE's decision to hire John 5 to replace Mick Mars, the group's founding guitarist, who announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE last October as a result of worsening health issues. Collen, whose band toured with MÖTLEY CRÜE last summer as part of "The Stadium Tour" and recently launched "The World Tour" with CRÜE, said: "The thing with MÖTLEY CRÜE, Mick Mars was really in pain. We'd done the American tour with him, and he has physical issues. So it was great that John 5 had come out. John 5 is just a wonderful human being and plays great and everything, so he fits in. And he really helped the band out, because Mick couldn't really do that. Traveling is the problem; he was having trouble [with all the travel]. It just was painful. It worked out great."

This past February, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen spoke about Mars's retirement from touring during an appearance on the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast. He said: "It was Mick's decision to really move on and just get to the next part of his life. And we all know that Mick has suffered terribly, terribly with pain; you see it on his face all the time. And I think the only time I ever saw him truly in his element [was] when he was up on stage playing with the band. It was more his decision. That must have been a super hard decision. I mean, it would have been different if the guy was being thrown out of the band, but it wasn't like that at all. It was a personal choice that he made. And you can't say that that's wrong. It was right for him at the time.

"Over the months — well, actually years — that I've known him, I really started to talk to him," Rick continued. "So unassuming. Such a soft, gentle soul. And when I first met him years ago, I was actually quite afraid, you know. [Laughs] But he's the exact opposite of that — just a really sweet, generous person. So it must have been a very difficult decision for everybody to have to go through that."

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, bassist Nikki Sixx 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.

DISTURBED has shared the official music video for the song "Unstoppable". The track is taken from the band's eighth full-length album, "Divisive", which arrived last November via Reprise.

About "Divisive", DISTURBED singer David Draiman noted: "Partisan tribal warfare has become a part of our regular existence nowadays. It's one big battle of the cliques. The whole idea of the record is to be a wakeup call for everyone. Our society has become addicted to outrage. Music is the best cure for what ails us though. If only everyone reached out and used it. There's no better environment to forget about all of this shit than live music. We can be together and realize we have more in common than not. Recognize what's happening and let's make a change for the better."

Guitarist Dan Donegan added: "Whatever it takes, we've got to pull it together. We've always tried to take negative topics and spin them in a positive light. From touring around the world, we've seen the power of music as the universal language to bring everyone together from all walks of life. We can still play songs to unite people, and it's a pretty powerful feeling."

"Unstoppable" storms out of the gate on a jackhammer guitar riff, pummeling drums, and the band's signature staccato vocal phrasing in lockstep with a pulsating rhythm. This barrage crashes into a skyscraping stadium-ready refrain, "There's no escape. I am unstoppable."

Draiman elaborated: "'Unstoppable' is definitely one of the heavier tracks on the record. The groove builds into a bombastic animal. It's truly the fight song."

"We always have a big rock anthem on every album," Donegan commented. "We love to write empowering songs for motivation. We're avid sports fans, and that's definitely part of it. It's an in-your-face track, for sure."

"Divisive" pulls no punches as a precise, pummeling, and powerful hard rock opus. In early 2022, the quartet cut these ten tracks with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee. After Donegan shared initial ideas with the rest of the group, they locked in like never before with the groove as the backbone. Drummer Mike Wengren bolted down some of the strongest and boldest rhythms of their career punctuated by John Moyer's punchy bass. Together, the musicians collectively conjured the focus and fire of their seminal early output augmented by airtight songcraft and a heightened level of musical chemistry that could only be forged by years of writing and touring together.

As a result, "Divisive" finds DISTURBED at their most dynamic, defiant, and dangerous. Breaking ground, it also notably marks the first time the band included a guest feature on an album, boasting the epic emotionally charged duet "Don't Tell Me" with HEART's Ann Wilson. Meanwhile, the likes of "Bad Man" and "Divisive" rank amongst the band's heaviest material. At the same time, they infuse the likes of "Won't Back Down" with uplifting melodies.

DISTURBED initially set the stage for the record with "Hey You", which came out in July 2022. The song spread like wildfire across airwaves, emerging as their 15th No. 1 single at rock radio.

The DISTURBED members subconsciously rallied around a shared vision for what would become "Divisive". After a period of dormancy in the midst of the global pandemic, the group finally congregated in early 2022. Dealing with the same frustrations for nearly two years, the guys followed a collective muse without question.

"We wanted to get heavy again," exclaimed Dan. "We'll always be melodic, but there's more attitude now. We're showcasing David's animalistic side again. It touches on our early days with modern elements."

David added: "After 25 years, we've begun to anticipate each other's direction. We were all hankering to get back to chunky goodness," he laughed.

In order to do so, the band tapped Fulk as producer. With members based around the country, they chose Nashville to record, cutting ten tracks in spring 2022.

"Once we finally did get in a room together, it felt so good," Dan recalled. "It was nice to get the ball rolling and have that outlet in the studio again. Throughout our lives, music has been our therapy — as it is for most people."

Fittingly, the group kicked off this phase with the opener "Hey You". Powered by menacing electronics, a bone-crushing riff, and undeniable chorus, it marked their 15th No. 1 hit at radio, completing their quickest rise to the top and setting the tone for what was to come.

"It's the quintessential rallying cry," noted David. "It's like, 'Hey you, do you realize what you're doing? Do you see you're your own worst enemy? How are we making mountains out of mole hills everywhere we go and looking for enemies where there are none?' It was the perfect way to start."

Then, there's "Bad Man". Ominous string orchestration echoes around a jagged riff as the verses snake into an incisively infectious chant. Pressing down on the whammy pedal, Dan rips a screeching cinematic guitar lead rife with razor-sharp shredding.

"From a lyrical perspective, says David. "There's no shortage of evil maniacs on the planet who take advantage of their positions of power and have unchecked narcissism and egomania that fuels their decisions though. There was damn sure plenty of inspiration in current world events."

On "Don't Tell Me", DISTURBED joins forces with none other than Wilson for an epic duet. In two decades, it breaks ground as the first-ever guest collaboration on a DISTURBED record. Clean guitar soundtracks the story of a long-term relationship in the middle of its last gasp. David and Ann engage in a call-and-response before locking into a skyscraping harmony as the solo reaches for the heavens.

"It was very personal to me," admitted Dan. "I was going through my divorce, and I wanted to touch on the fact I was in a very long marriage to a wonderful woman. She's a great mother to my kids. We were together for 18 years. Even though the marriage was in a tough spot, it was hard to leg go, because we'd invested so much into each other. I felt like listeners could relate to it."

"In my humble opinion, I think Ann is probably the greatest female rock voice of all time," David stated. "She's untouchable. We had connected on Twitter, and I sent her the song. She agreed to jump on it, and it was humbling to work with her. She was totally pro. Her vocals are mind-blowing. It was a gift. Out of ten tracks, we needed to take at least one left turn," he smiled.

The album reaches its cathartic conclusion with a final knockout blow on "Won't Back Down". As the guitars toss and turn, the chorus assures, "I won't back down from this fight."

They've never backed down though. Instead, DISTURBED has dominated hard rock on its own terms. Thus far, they have notched five consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200, occupying rarified air alongside METALLICA — the only other hard rock group to accomplish this feat. Since their influential five-times-platinum debut "The Sickness" in 2000, they have built a bulletproof catalog highlighted by a procession of smashes, including the platinum "Stupify", "Inside The Fire" and "Land Of Confusion", two-times-platinum "Stricken", six-times-platinum "Down With The Sickness" and seven-times-platinum "The Sound Of Silence", to name a few. The latter notably received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of "Best Rock Performance" as the band earned "Best Rock Artist" at the 2017 iHeartRadioMusic Awards.

In the end, DISTURBED still wields the power to unite.

"We have a lot left in us," concluded Dan. "I know for certain I'm not done. We're always going to need an outlet for our personal sanity. I feel inspired every time we do a record. We bring the best out of one another. I'm just excited for what the future holds."

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

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

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

DISTURBED's 36-date "Take Back Your Life" spring/summer 2023 North American tour will kick off at Montreal's Bell Centre on April 27. The tour, produced by Live Nation, will feature support from THEORY OF A DEADMAN in Canada and very special guests BREAKING BENJAMIN and JINJER in select markets in the United States. "Take Back Your Life" will be DISTURBED's first full tour since 2018.

MOTÖRHEAD will release "We Play Rock 'N' Roll: Live At Montreux Jazz Festival '07" on June 16.

MOTÖRHEAD loved playing live and never ever judged their audiences. Everyone was encouraged, all were welcome. And that included people who like jazz! So when the Montreux Jazz Festival called requesting them, it made perfect sense in its own, unique way.

'Tis worth noting, too, that the Montreux Jazz Festival has always been about stepping beyond the boundaries of that "J" word, and embracing unique artists of all genres, styles and sensibilities, the only true consistent requirement being that they represent the best and most adventurous of their ilks. It is why, in the "artists played" list, alongside a Dexter Gordon you'll find a DEEP PURPLE or a ZZ TOP, and it's why the festival continues to attract a diverse roster of artists to its stage annually. The recordings of seminal performances such as these, were all given UNESCO heritage status in 2013, such is their value to the arts.

Recorded during the band's "Kiss Of Death" tour at the legendary Auditorium Stravinski on July 7, 2007 during that year's 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. The set also includes the first official release of their cover of THIN LIZZY's "Rosalie". Watch the video below.

"We Play Rock 'N' Roll: Live At Montreux Jazz Festival '07" will be released on double LP, double CD and digital.

Track listing:

01. Snaggletooth
02. Stay Clean
03. Be My Baby
04. Killers
05. Metropolis
06. Over The Top
07. One Night Stand
08. I Got Mine
09. In The Name Of Tragedy
10. Sword Of Glory
11. Rosalie
12. Sacrifice
13. Just 'Cos You Got The Power
14. Going To Brazil
15. Killed By Death
16. Iron Fist
17. Whorehouse Blues
18. Ace Of Spades
19. Overkill

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete the aforementioned European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Cloak have released a video for "The Holy Dark", the new single from their upcoming album, Black Flame Eternal, out May 26 via Season Of Mist. Pre-order on Bandcamp, and watch the new clip below.


In an era that is designed to beat down and weaken the individual, Black Flame Eternal is an album that represents strength, empowerment, and total opposition. With mounting pressure to engage in modern societal tribalism, Cloak invokes a spiritual rebellion that exists beyond good and evil with album number three.


“All of our albums are created with a spiritual focus, dealing with how we see life, death, and everything in between. I think the earlier records dealt more with the mysteries that surrounded delving deeper into the world of dark spirituality, whereas the new material has taken what we’ve learned and used it to move forward with force,” says Cloak frontman Scott Taysom of the record’s underlying philosophy. “Black Flame Eternal is a statement of spiritual empowerment in every sense. For the first time we want people to grasp on to this sentiment, instead of keeping it completely personal within our world of Cloak. The themes and the sheer power can be felt much more within the songs that this album contains.”




“Our goal is complete spiritual liberation, which is where true power and freedom exists,” he adds. “We’ve reached a point in history where people are forced to pick a side or to join a team, so to speak. Cloak stands in complete opposition to this. We aim to be a giant middle finger in the face of the empty modern world.”





Tracklisting:


"Ethereal Fire"
"With Fury And Allegiance"
"Shadowlands"
"Invictus"
"Seven Thunders"
"Eye Of The Abyss"
"The Holy Dark"
"Heavenless"
"Black Flame Eternal"


"The Holy Dark" video:





"Invictus" video:





"Seven Thunders" lyric video:





While Cloak might rage against societal conventions, the Atlanta quartet embraces the rebellious and time-tested traditions of heavy metal. Whether it be the conjuring the chaotic spirit of Swedish black metal purveyors Watain and Dissection, summoning the deep, dark and sensual groove of Danzig, or evoking the raw speed and raucous energy of Motörhead, the influence of metal’s founding fathers is deep within Cloak’s DNA. Cloak’s charm, however, does not merely lie within its romanticism of the past, but rather is the way each of these genres has shaped Cloak’s own personal identity. And with Black Flame Eternal, the record sees Cloak continue to strengthen its own unique established sound.


Cloak is:


Scott Taysom - vocals/guitar
Max Brigham - guitar
Billy C. Robinson - bass
Sean Bruneau - drums

Trivium have released a new 2023 tour recap video, this time focusing on their time in Singapore. Watch below:





Trivium will return to the UK this summer, for the Goblins And Wizards Tour - a baker's dozen of intimate shows including venues the band haven't played in over 15 years. Special guests will be Bleed From Within and Orbit Culture.




Bassist Paolo Gregoletto comments: "Since the first UK headline tour in 2005 we’d made it a point to do our best to get out of the big cities and play other ones that might get overlooked or skipped. We looked at old Maiden and Motörhead posters and let that inspire the way we routed this one. Bleed From Within and Orbit Culture are two of our favourite new bands and we are honoured to have them join us. This is going to be the biggest and best metal show to hit your town this summer guaranteed!"


Order tickets here or at Trivium.org.





Goblins And Wizards dates are as follows:


August
23 - Cambridge, UK - Corn Exchange
24 - Norwich, UK - UEA
25 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
26 - Oxford, UK - O2 Academy
28 - Stone, UK - Victoria Hall
29 - Liverpool, UK - O2 Academy
30 - Sheffield, UK - O2 Academy
31 - Newcastle, UK - NX


September
2 - Edinburgh, UK - O2 Academy
3 - Leeds, UK - Stylus
4 - Bristol, UK - Academy
6 - Folkestone, UK - Leas Cliff Hall
7 - Southampton O2, UK - Guildhall

German speed metal outfit, Knif,e have inked a worldwide contract with Napalm Records. The quartet hailing from Marburg (Hessen) have finished recording their second album of speed metal spiced up with black metal and punk influences - set to be released in 2023.


Formed in 2019, the up-and-coming band released their self-titled debut album, Knife, in 2021 after putting out two demo tapes, and EP Sounds of Sacrifice swiftly followed in 2022. Knife have already established their standing in the scene with their acclaimed first releases and energetic live performances. Currently, the band’s packed live schedule features an impressive list of metal festivals - including German metal institution Wacken Open Air, as well as Rock Hard Festival.


Knife comments on the signing: “Bangers. We are proud to announce that we’ve joined forces with the Austrian metal fanatics at Napalm Records. The deal is done, signed and sealed in blood. The new album will be unleashed this year, bringing you an overdose of skull splitting METAL. Together we will take the world by storm. Be prepared – we will strike.”




Sebastian Münch, A&R, Napalm Records states: "We are super happy to partner with such a talented speed metal band from Marburg (Hessen), Germany. After listening to the new studio album, I am convinced the band will surprise and delight all heavy metal fans. I would like to thank Florian Grill of Dying Victims Productions for discovering such a talented band and the partnership with us."      


Stay tuned for a first taste of Knife’s sophomore album.


Knife are:


Vince Nihil - Vocals
Laz Cultro - Guitar
Gypsy Danger - Bass
Ferli Coltello - Drums


(Photo - Samira Chiara Tax)

In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, SAVATAGE frontman Jon Oliva, who is also well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill, spoke about his plans to eventually retire from recording music and touring. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wanna do the [new] SAVA [studio] album and do one final tour and then I'm packing it in. I'm done with this whole shit. Everybody I know is dead. My wife died. My son died. My father died. I'm on probation. I can't drive. And they're trying to fuck me because I'm a supposed rock star. They keep trying to, like, catch me. And I'm, like, 'Dude, I'm not doing anything. I can't go anywhere. Leave me alone.'"

Regarding his son's passing, Jon said: "He died in January. He was actually my stepson, but I was more like a father to him than anybody. And I was very close with him. And he died. He O.D.ed on January, I think it was 23rd."

Oliva also opened up about his wife's death, saying: "Me and my son Nicholas, we knew it. We were just watching my wife. And I remember telling Nick, I said, 'Dude, I'm terrified. 'Cause I'm gonna come home one day from the studio, and she's gonna be dead on the floor.' And that's exactly what happened… My stepson dies, and then my wife dies, and then my father dies. It's, like, I'm looking up and heaven, going, 'Is that all you've got, motherfuckers?' It's, like, 'Come on, man. Enough already.'

"People don't realize what I have gone through on a personal [level]," Jon continued. "They don't know. It's hard. It's really hard. And I've had to deal with a lot of shit. 'Why aren't you making any music?' Well, fuck you. Why don't you try? Everybody I know is dead. And [people say], 'Why aren't you making any music?' Well, fuck you. You come and try."

Jon also talked about his September 2021 arrest on the west central coast of Florida for driving under the influence as well as possession of a controlled substance. Police charged Oliva with possession of cocaine, which is a felony, and DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Asked if his charges will make it difficult for him to travel and do tours, he said: "No, because when I went to court, before the TSO tour, and I went in front of this judge. And I found out she was a TSO fan. She had gone to, like, 10 [shows over the years]. And this has never happened before. She sat there and she goes. 'Wow. It looks like you have a good job. By the way, you're very talented. I love your music. And I'm gonna suspend your probation so you go out on tour.' And when I went to the probation office and I told the probation officer, I go, 'She suspended [my probation].' He goes, 'This is unheard of. This never happens.' I handed him the paper from the judge, and he goes, 'I have a problem with this.' I went, 'Why?' Because I had one mistake in 63 years. I didn't hurt anybody, except I wrecked my truck. Okay, yeah, perish the thought — I had drugs on me. You probably do more drugs than I did. It's, like, I didn't hurt anybody. So why don't you guys just get off of my back? And then I have this friend of mine that works for the probation department in Pasco County, Florida, and she goes, 'Oh, we've had meetings about you.' 'What do you mean meetings about me?' She goes, 'They're gonna try to make an example out of you. They're gonna try to trip you up and catch you and then put you in jail.' I'm, like, 'Thanks a lot for fucking telling me.' 'You're a celebrity, Jon Oliva.' I'm, like, 'I'm not a celebrity.' I'm not."

According to a Florida Highway Patrol arrest report, police and EMS responded to a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Hwy 41 (SR-45) shortly before 1:00 a.m. local time on September 30, 2021 in Pasco County, Florida. In his report, the responding officer wrote: "When I arrived on scene the driver of the vehicle was out and away from his pickup truck being checked by EMS. I observed a pickup truck with severe damage to the front right of the vehicle. The passenger side door had been ripped off the collision with the tree that the vehicle had struck. Mr. Oliva was the driver of the vehicle. On scene Mr. Oliva fainted and hit the ground while EMS was checking on him. Due to this reason Mr. Oliva was flown off the scene and taken to [the hospital]."

The responding officer later spoke to Oliva at the hospital and said that Jon "stated he did have a couple orange juice and vodkas" earlier that day. But when the officer told Oliva that he found a bag of white powder substance that tested positive for cocaine, Oliva claimed that someone gave him that for his birthday. Asked if he used cocaine, Oliva replied: "I dabble around with it." Meanwhile, Oliva stated to numerous nurses at the hospital that the cocaine was his, according to the police report, and the nurses at hospital listened as Oliva "yelled at his wife on the phone about the cocaine being in his car," the officer wrote. When the officer searched Oliva's property, another clear plastic bag containing residue of a white substance was found in a pack of cigarettes in Oliva's bag.

Back in 2016, Jon announced on social media that he suffered a stroke in April of that year. At the time, he said: "It was not as serious as it could have been, but it did leave me with some physical recovery challenges often associated with strokes."

Despite his health issues, Jon said that he didn't regret the way he had lived his life. He wrote: "I lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle since I was 18. It's all I knew and I enjoyed the ride very much. But there comes a time in everyone's life where you have to step back and make some life-changing decisions... which I have."

Shortly after SAVATAGE's reunion performance at the 2015 Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, Oliva claimed that he felt better than he had in 20 years because he had "stopped drinking and eating" in preparation for the concert. He explained: "It's my voice that's freaking me out, because, even when I was in my late 20s, early 30s, doing songs like '24 Hours Ago' were always really hard to do. And, of course, I didn't realize that it was all the drugs and alcohol I was doing. But, after doing that, getting my act together and stuff, singing '24 Hours Ago', it's actually easy now. [Laughs]"

In the past, Oliva has spoken openly about going a "little too far" during SAVATAGE's 1988 tour with MEGADETH and living the "rock 'n' roll life" that eventually forced him to seek treatment at a chemical rehabilitation center. As a result, SAVATAGE had to cancel a scheduled tour, including European dates.

In 2012, Oliva told Metal Blast about his early problems with drugs and alcohol: "We were crazy, but we were having so much fun. We were all in our prime, just loving to have a great time. Back then, you just got caught up in it; before you even realized you had a drug problem, it was already too late, because everywhere you went people were giving you pot, coke, a drink… I mean, I never went anywhere from 1984 to 2001 when someone hadn't tried to give me drugs or alcohol."

Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.

Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.

Booking photo courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Behemoth has won a Fryderyk Award (Polish Grammy, named after one of the world’s greatest musicians - Fryderyk Chopin) in their native country of Poland. Behemoth's 2022 album, Opvs Contra Natvram, was named "Metal Album Of The Year", beating out four other nominees: Decapitated, Black River, Luxtorpedy and Nocny Kochanek.


Adam Nergal Darski, frontman for Behemoth, has since commented: "I’ve mentioned that on many occasions: NO awards have ever been a driving force to start and maintain Behemoth for me.


But I’d be a liar if I said it was not touching, emotional and very much rewarding to be standing there with Inferno, Orion and Seth when receiving Fryderyk award for our latest album Opvs Contra Natvram. But what’s even more meaningful was the fact that Behemoth played LIVE on stage on a national TV with full force artillery making NO artistic compromise. 'Malaria Vvlgata', its lyrics and violent sonic nature is a perfect statement of WHO we are and what we stand for.




Hereby I’d love to express my deepest gratitude to legions worldwide for being integral part of this success. Michal Wardzala from @mysticproduction for having balls to be consequently supporting Behemoth ever since. In the meantime, we’ll keep on being one of the most hard working bands on the planet playing our own game.


Hail Satan."








Opvs Contra Natvram is the twelfth studio album from Behemoth, released on September 16, 2022 via Nuclear Blast.








Tracklisting:


"Post-God Nirvana"
"Malaria Vvlgata"
"The Deathless Sun"
"Ov My Herculean Exile"
"Neo-Spartacvs"
"Disinheritance"
"Off To War!"
"Once Upon A Pale Horse"
"Thy Becoming Eternal"
"Versvs Christvs"


"Thy Becoming Eternal" video:





"The Deathless Sun" video:





"Off To War!" video:





"Ov My Herculean Exile" video:





 

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth spoke about the realities of post-pandemic touring, including increased travel expenses — gas, tour buses, hotels and flight costs. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Things have changed, obviously. From a personal perspective, you have to be ready for anything. But on a daily perspective of getting ready for the tour, I try to push that as much out of my head as I can, that it's been handled prior. We know that we're taking a risk when it comes to this. The logistics are different financially. It could be a tough situation, just based on regular costs, just the fact that transportation is that much more expensive at this point. And people don't wanna go into their pocket and pay for your transportation; they wanna pay for the concert ticket. So I get it. But I'm not gonna let those logistics be something that have us overthink something as simple as fucking touring."

He continued: "It's becoming complicated behind the scenes; it's not complicated on the stage. The stage is what the stage is. So I think if I use that as my motivation, all the other stuff just — I'm not gonna say 'falls into place', but for sure you figure out ways to work it out. You put good people around you. I have a great tour manager, I have a great booking agent, and she is all over this insurance and taxes and increased costs and making everything happen. 'Cause we still wanna present ourselves as OVERKILL. This is something that for years we've not just shown up with an amplifier and everybody with one guitar. We've shown up with drum risers and huge backdrops and big backlines and light shows. And this is still important to us. So we wanna present ourselves at the highest level. And the only way to do that is to go for it but also surround yourself with good people."

Asked if he thinks three-month tours are a thing of the past and bands like OVERKILL will concentrate on shorter runs covering smaller geographical regions, Blitz said: "We've been doing that for a long time anyway, because it is more cost effective. We've been doing three-week-to-month blocks now for at least a decade. And it works for us that way. Because, to some degree, there's less risk if it falls apart. If it falls apart on a three-month tour, there's expenses that go all the way through that three-month period. But if you're doing three weeks to a month, if you're doing it in a consolidated area, you can maximize, for instance, your revenue, but you can minimize your loss if something happens that's unforeseen, something that you don't know. It's easier to survive 10 shows when somebody gets sick at the tenth show and there's only 10 more than surviving 40 shows after that, where tickets have to be given back and buses have been paid for down the road and you sign contracts for three-month periods."

Last October, SHINEDOWN canceled its previously announced fall 2022 dates in continental Europe due to "economic and logistical side of touring". ANTHRAX also canceled shows in continental Europe as part of its fall 2022 touring activities, citing "ongoing logistical issues" and "costs that are out of our control."

OVERKILL's twentieth studio album, "Scorched", was released on April 14 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Predatory Void have released a video for “Funerary Vision”, featured on their debut album, Seven Keys To The Discomfort Of Being, out now via Century Media Records. Watch below:





Predatory Void came to be when guitarist Lennart Bossu (Amenra, Oathbreaker) found himself writing material that wasn't really suited for Amenra. Lennart gathered a group of likeminded people living in the area of Ghent (BE) - including the versatile vocalist and tattoo artist Lina R - and soon after, the band was born, with Tim De Gieter (bass; Amenra, Doodseskader, Much Luv Studio), Thijs De Cloedt (guitar; Cobra The Impaler, ex-Aborted), and Vincent Verstrepen (drums). Predatory Void played their first show at the renowned Soulcrusher Festival (NL) alongside artists such as Ihsahn, Envy, Cave In and Heriot, creating a buzz within the scene. With an album's worth of material already written, they signed to Century Media Records for their worldwide debut.




With their signing announcement, Predatory Void also revealed their plans to perform said debut record - Seven Keys To The Discomfort Of Being - in full at Roadburn Festival 2023. The band comments: "We feel privileged to be granted the opportunity to present our debut album, 'Seven Keys to the Discomfort of Being', in its entirety at Roadburn, one of the institutions that set the standard in the world of underground heavy music. The album contains some things that will be difficult to recreate live elsewhere, so this will definitely be a unique occasion. It will also be one of our very first live shows ever, so we can't imagine a better and more exciting start for a new band."


Order the album here.





Tracklisting:


“Grovel”
“*(struggling..)”
“Endless Return To The Kingdom Of Sleep”
“Seeds Of Frustration”
“The Well Within”
“Shedding Weathered Skin”
“Funerary Vision”


“Endless Return To The Kingdom Of Sleep” video:





Lineup:


Lina R - vocals
Lennart Bossu - guitar
Tim De Gieter - bass
Thijs De Cloedt - guitar
Vincent Verstrepen - drums

"Lonely Is The Night", the new single from Rising Wings, is available now. Stream the single here, and watch a lyric video below.


Rising Wings was founded in 2006 by Florian “Flo” Bauer in Schrobenhausen in the Ingolstadt region, as a melodic rock one-man-band. Florian Bauer has been playing in various rock formations for years, such as the AOR band Youringa and the hard rock cover band, Saviors Cry.


In 2006 the first steps were taken with the 3-track EP, Rising Wings. The second 5-track EP, Higher, followed in 2008. Both releases received consistently positive feedback. Since then, various singles have been released.







In fall 2023, Rising Wings will release the first full-length album, Reach, via Pride & Joy Music. The album features Florian Bauer on vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards and Franz Raßhofer (Joe Leila), Falco Münch (Reload), Markus Herzinger (2nd East) and Bobby Santiago (Bloodwork) on drums.


The album was recorded by Ray Balconis at Studio Ray Recording in Queens, New York, by Rolf Beyer and Peter Hillinger at Klangwasserstudios Halsbach, Germany and by Chris Lausmann at MS Productions Studio in Poing, Munich.


Reach was produced by Florian Bauer with Chris Lausmann (Bonfire, Voices Of Rock) co-producing and mixing the album at MS Production Studio. The album was mastered by Rolf Beyer (CD & digital) and Ludwig Maier (Vinyl).


Reach will be released on September 22 on CD, LP & digital.

Van Halen singer, David Lee Roth, included a cover of Wilson Pickett's "She's Looking Good" on his Diamond Dave album, released in 2003. The song was written by Carlton W Collins and Justin Dickens.


Today, Roth shares the video below, performing a little dance routine to his version of the song. Watch below:







Roth previously released the somewhat bizarre video below, soundtracked by Garth Brooks' #1 country hit from 1990, "Friends In Low Places".





Dave recently launched a new season of his podcast, The Roth Show. Listen to the latest episode below. You can also listen via Apple, Spotify and all good podast networks, or at davidleeroth.com.

The Defiants recently announced their return with a new album, their third overall, Drive, on June 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch a video for the new single, "19 Summertime", below, and pre-order / save the new album here.


Formed by Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel, and Rob Marcello, who are all current or former members of beloved rockers Danger Danger, The Defiants' latest opus is yet another impeccable slice of melodic hard rock.


Best known for being the D2 vocalist on four studio albums over the course of 12 years, Paul Laine came back to work with his former bandmates Bruno Ravel and Rob Marcello, who are the other two pillars of The Defiants, for the band’s self-titled debut in 2015.




The guys reunited at the suggestion of Frontiers' President & Head of A&R, Serafino Perugino, who really wanted these current and former Danger Danger members to offer fans of that band some new music. The resulting album was pleasing not only to the D2 fans, but also to ALL the fans out there who are into the classic sound of the era from which D2 emerged.


The Defiants' debut album was greeted with a great acclaim as a glorious return to the “in your face” melodic hard rock that enraptured millions of fans back in the '80s and '90s and is currently enjoying a renaissance here in the 21st century. Within the first two weeks of its release, the album entered Billboard's Heatseekers Chart in the Top 50. Also that same year, the album claimed the #1 position on Classic Rock Magazine’s ranking of best AOR albums of the year.


Their follow up album, Zokusho, was released to critical acclaim in 2019 and needless to say, it had all the ingredients to continue to thrill The Defiants' fans. A big melodic rock album with huge choruses, hooks, and soaring guitars and vocals.


Now, after another four year wait between albums, The Defiants return with Drive, perhaps their greatest musical achievement... so far.





Tracklisting:


"Hey Life"
"Go Big Or Go Home"
"19 Summertime"
"What Are We Waiting For"
"Miracle"
"Against The Grain"
"So Good"
"Love Doesn’t Live Here Anymore"
"Another Time, Another Place"
"The Night To Remember"
"Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now"


"19 Summertime" video:





"Hey Life" lyric video:





The Defiants are:


Paul Laine: Vocals
Rob Marcello: Guitar
Bruno Ravel: Bass
Van Romaine: Drums


- Written by Paul Laine and Bruno Ravel
- Produced by: Bruno Ravel

In a new interview with Uruguay's El Lado Oscuro TV, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy confirmed that he and his bandmates have commenced writing material for the follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation" album.

"We're working on a new record now," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "So it's time to put that one behind us and make another one."

Asked if the next TESTAMENT LP will arrive in 2024, Chuck said: "I think so. We didn't really book a lot of shows this year. We're doing Latin America and then we're doing Europe, and that's it, and then Japan, a couple of shows. But we're leaving a lot of the schedule open so we can get a lot of the music done. And hopefully by the end of the year we'll get into the studio and start recording, so we'll have a release hopefully early next year."

Regarding his relationship with TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson, who — like Chuck — has been involved with all of the band's albums so far, Billy said: "Well, I mean, at this point he's like my little brother. We argue and fight like brothers. [Laughs] But I think I'm very fortunate and lucky to have Eric as a writing partner for so many years because Eric really is the heart of TESTAMENT as far as song creation goes, because Eric doesn't listen to a lot of other bands, like modern stuff; he listens to his black or some older-style stuff. So when he writes music, he really writes just what he wants, and I think that's what always gave TESTAMENT our own sound, because Eric's never strayed away from what he does. And he's always took it a step further and created better songs. And it makes it easier for me, and I think after working for so many years, we have a good relationship as far as songwriters; he'll write something and know what I can do and I'll have a suggestion knowing what he can do and what works. So I think, at this point, our songwriting is a lot easier and better now."

He added: "The 'Brotherhood Of The Snake' [2016] was a difficult record. That took two years. So it all depends how Eric's feeling or if he's got ideas, which that record took, like two years. 'Titans Of Creation' worked a lot faster; he had much more ideas. So it's really on how much inspired Eric is to create the new stuff, 'cause we all have to wait for that. So if Eric's excited and inspired, then it comes quick."

Earlier in the month, drummer Dave Lombardo revealed in an interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET that he would sit out the remainder of TESTAMENT's 2023 shows, with no guarantee that he will return to the band.

Lombardo, who was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT's 1999 studio album "The Gathering", formally joined the long-running San Francisco Bay Area act last year. The former SLAYER drummer is currently a member of the MISFITS, MR. BUNGLE, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD and SATANIC PLANET, among others. He also played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES from 2016 up until 2020.

TESTAMENT is currently touring South America with drummer Chris Dovas (SEVEN SPIRES),who previously filled in for Lombardo on the first six dates of TESTAMENT's summer/fall 2022 leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour". Lombardo was unable to make those gigs due to a scheduling conflict with the MISFITS.

TESTAMENT's "Klash Of The Titans" tour of Latin America with KREATOR kicked off on April 19 in Lima, Peru and will run through May 9 in San Salvador, El Salvador.

In an new interview with Jason Bailey of "The Bailey Show" on Sacramento's 98 Rock radio station, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows spoke about the fan response to the band's latest single, "Nobody", an epic, heady tale of existentialism full of dark intensity and sprawling over six minutes. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I remember when we first wrote it, there was definitely [a feeling of], 'This is different.' Day one, when this thing released, watching some of the YouTube reacts sort of things, people were just, like, 'All right. Ready for this banger.' And they put it on, and you see their faces kind of drop, like, 'What is this? What's going on here?' And so we were actually sending those around to each other, just cracking up, like, 'Give it a couple of days. People are gonna understand it.' But it was really fun to kind of get smacked in the face with reality of how people were gonna take this right off the bat."

Asked if it's easier to deal with the negative feedback more than 20 years into AVENGED SEVENFOLD's career, M. Shadows said: "I don't care about the feedback. My worldview now is to make bold art and put it out there and let it exist. And it just is what it is. And if you feel it, there will always be somebody out there that feels it. It doesn't necessarily mean that the fan of the last record or the record from 2001 or [200]5 is gonna necessarily be the right audience for what you're doing now. So artists, or musicians, can go one of two ways: you can write for a certain sort of success and kind of chase the ambulance, as people would say, and just kind of say, 'Well, what's happening now?' and 'What are people gonna love?, or you write what you want, and if that happens to be what that is, then do that. But we're just trying to write things that we feel are unique, that we feel we haven't heard before, that we feel a weightiness to it and something that is meaningful [as it pertains to] what we're going through in our lives at 41. And then you put it out there, and at that point, who cares? It's, like, it's out there. This is how we feel. There will be people that react to it in positive ways and negative ways. It's okay."

The singer went on to elaborate on the mindset he and his bandmates had while working on their eighth studio album, "Life Is But A Dream...", which will arrive on June 2 via Warner. He said: "I think sometimes you get this audience capture sort of problem as well where… I mean, if you look at it… Let's take the political landscape, where there's people that have built their persona up on being one side or the other, and you get all these people that are kind of sycophants that will sit there and they're, like, 'Anything this guy says is right,' and it's very tribal. You get the same sort of thing with a band. People build you up and they love you and they want you to do more of the thing they really like. And it takes sometimes, we can call it balls, or whatever you wanna call it, to go, 'No. We're gonna go over here. And we know that even people that love us are gonna be mad at us. And even the people that never liked us 'cause of record X, Y and Z, they're still not gonna like us.' So that takes this sort of taking off the training wheels and just going out there and deciding what kind of road you're gonna take. And I think on this record we just took the road of just pure audio form of what we wanna hear, what excited us. There's a lot of left turns, a lot of rules broken. But anyone that knows our career of 20 years, we know the rules. But once you know the rules, you can break 'em a little better. So that's kind of what we did on this record. And I think people will react to it just fine. I think it will take a little bit of time and people will have to get used to it. And then we'll do another record, and they'll be mad that it's not more of this."

Earlier in the month, AVENGED SEVENFOLD announced the second leg of its extensive "Life is But A Dream…" North American tour featuring support from FALLING IN REVERSE. Produced by Live Nation, leg two includes stops in Nashville, Denver, Austin, and more before concluding at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena on October 15. Fans will have the opportunity to hear the group's first single in seven years, "Nobody", and their new album "Life Is But A Dream…" for the first time live during the 30-show outing.

The first leg with support from ALEXISONFIRE includes thirteen cities across the U.S. and Canada, such as Mansfield, Québec City, Tinley Park, Calgary, and more. The group kicks off their 2023 solo touring run with two unique one-night-only arena shows in New York and Los Angeles this June.

To date, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King") to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio. The band is equally known for their spectacular live shows, selling out arenas and headlining the world's most prestigious rock festivals.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has canceled its April 29 appearance at the Johan Cruijf Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands as the support act for METALLICA. Replacing the Las Vegas-based act on the bill will be NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen, who will play a set in support of her recently released solo album "Paragon".

Earlier today (Monday, April 24),FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released the following statement via social media: "As many of you know, [FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] Ivan [Moody] recently had surgery to correct an acute hernia injury. The recovery proved more challenging than initially thought and on the advice of his doctors, Ivan and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will not be able to perform the show in Amsterdam with METALLICA. 5FDP will perform ALL subsequent scheduled dates. See you in Paris [on May 17]!"

METALLICA's "M72" world tour will feature two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature 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. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, 2022's "AfterLife". Upon its release last August, "AfterLife" immediately shot to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Top 100 Album, the Rock and Metal charts in the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany (where it also debuted at No. 3 on the official album chart),Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Poland. "AfterLife" also debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Rock and Metal charts and No. 2 on the iTunes Top 100 charts in the U.K., France, Netherlands, Sweden and Hungary. Additionally, "AfterLife" hit Top 10 on the iTunes Top 100 in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Belgium. It entered as No. 1 Rock Album on the UK Official Rock and Metal Album charts and debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200. Most notably, with "AfterLife" the band broke the record for most No. 1 albums in the history of Billboard's Hard Rock chart.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has amassed 28 top 10 hit singles and 15 No. 1 singles. Having become one of the most recognizable names in music, 5FDP frequently play all major festivals and sell out arenas around the world. Since their debut album, "The Way Of The Fist", came out in 2007, the band has released eight consecutive albums, seven of which were certified gold or platinum by the RIAA, as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, 5FDP has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed only upon Elvis Presley before them.

As many of you know, Ivan recently had surgery to correct an acute hernia injury. The recovery proved more challenging...

Posted by Five Finger Death Punch on Monday, April 24, 2023
Due to unforeseen circumstances, @FFDP cannot join us Saturday in Amsterdam... stepping in for them will be @FloorJansen_ from @NightwishBand performing a solo set in support of her album, "Paragon." Thanks for joining us, Floor - can't wait to see your set! pic.twitter.com/oPjeJCpQDU

— Metallica (@Metallica) April 24, 2023

JETHRO TULL has just released its 23rd studio album, "RökFlöte", via InsideOut Music. Following 2022's "The Zealot Gene", the group's first LP in two decades, Ian Anderson and his bandmates are returning with a 12-track record based on the characters and roles of some of the principal gods of the old Norse paganism, and at the same time exploring the "RökFlöte" — rock flute — which JETHRO TULL has made iconic.

Speaking to Finland's Chaoszine about the use of the umlauts in "RökFlöte"Ian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If you're going to bring an umlaut into the world in a rock album — not just one but two in the title alone — then you've gotta be sure of your ground. And it's, to me, kind of important that there's a real reason for those umlauts, partly because 'Rök', in old Icelandic is spelled with an umlaut, a word meaning 'destiny', and 'Flöte' in the German language has an umlaut over the 'O'. So they are legitimate; they are correct — unlike MOTÖRHEAD or MÖTLEY CRÜE. There are those sort of use of the umlaut which is suggestive of something that has to do with an era of history that I think we should put behind us. We shouldn't forget it, but we shouldn't be, in some way, showing any infatuation with that world today.

" [Late MOTÖRHEAD leader] Lemmy once referred to the umlaut in MOTÖRHEAD, he referred to it as the 'Nazi dots.' I mean he that many years ago — obviously, when he was alive — but if he was to do that today, he'd probably be finding himself vilified for some fascination with that Nazi era."

Anderson added: "Lemmy, in his simple way, was a bit of a historian about aspects of militaria and warfare, but it might have bordered on the unhealthy side of normal. [Laughs]"

Earlier this month, Anderson told Germany's Radio Bob! about the use of the umlauts in "RökFlöte" and how he would like people to pronounce the title of the new JETHRO TULL LP: "Well, I would probably prefer to stick with the typical Germanic-language pronunciation, but it's also the pronunciation in Icelandic from which I derived some of the ideas on the album, coming from the Poetic Edda of old Icelandic literature and the first attempt to write down the mythology and the beliefs of the old Norse world of paganism, adventure and so on and so forth. So it began, before I started work on the album, it had a working title of 'Rock Flute', in English, because I thought, 'I'm gonna make a rock album and it'll have a lot of flute on it.' So that was what was at the top of my page when I started work on January the 1st of 2022. And during the course of the day, I narrowed down my thoughts about the subject matter to deciding that I would write — focusing, really, on some of the Gods from Norse paganism, the polytheistic beliefs in Norse religion. And in a fanciful way I decided that perhaps the title should become not 'Rock' but 'Rök', which in old Icelandic means 'destiny', and 'Flöte', which is the German- and other Germanic-language pronunciation and spelling of flute, the instrument I play. So that's what it became. And I changed the heading at the top of my page of notes to reflect that and did a lot of research about the identity, characters and the roles of Norse Gods with a view to writing about them in, not in humorous way but in a light-hearted way to describe their characters and their personalities. And then, in the final 40 percent of each set of lyrics, the final two stanzas are bringing those characters and those roles into a context, into a parallel context of the world that I know today, or since I was born. And that was really the focus for the album, for all the tracks, partly looking at the historical, analytical side of it and partly creating a parallel set of analogies in the present day."

He added: "The umlauts are there for a legitimate reason because they are correct in the linguistic spelling, whereas the misappropriation of the umlaut at the hands of, for instance, MÖTLEY CRÜE or MOTÖRHEAD ought to make you either laugh or get angry, depending on your point of view."

MOTÖRHEAD leader Lemmy had said that he "pinched" the idea for putting the umlaut on the second O of the band's name from his friends in BLUE ÖYSTER CULT. He later said that he "only put it there to look mean".

As for how the members of MÖTLEY CRÜE decided to add the umlauts to their name, singer Vince Neil recounted: "I can remember it like it was yesterday. We were drinking Löwenbräu, and when we decided to call ourselves MÖTLEY CRÜE, we put some umlauts in there because we thought it made us look European. We had no idea that it was a pronunciation thing. When we finally went to Germany, the crowds were chanting, 'Mutley Cruh! Mutley Cruh!' We couldn't figure out why the fuck they were doing that."

"RökFlöte" is available on several different formats, including two limited deluxe formats that include bonus demo material, extensive liner notes and a Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound, alternative stereo mixes by Bruce Soord (THE PINEAPPLE THIEF),as well as a bonus track and in-depth interview with Anderson. The album will also be available digitally in the spatial audio formats Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 RA.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson is taking part in a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates. The concerts are being performed by a symphony orchestra consisting of more than 80 instrumentalists conducted by Paul Mann, a close friend of Jon's, and assembled especially for the occasion with members of OSESP (Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo) and some of the country's main symphony groups. They are appearing alongside Kaitner Z Doka (JON LORD, IAN PAICE, DON AIREY) on guitar, Bernhard Welz (JON LORD, DON AIREY) on drums, John O'Hara (JETHRO TULL) on keyboards, Tanya O'Callaghan (WHITESNAKE) on bass and Mario Argandonia (SCORPIONS) on percussion.

Fan-filmed video of Dickinson performing a cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Burn" during the April 15 concert at Vibra São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil can be seen below.

In a video announcing the "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" shows, Dickinson said: "So I'm really excited to be doing this Concerto For Group And Orchestra all around the place — around Europe and in Brazil.

"Well, what is it exactly? Well, it's about a 45-minute piece of classical music that was written by Jon Lord from DEEP PURPLE involving a group; in this case, it was DEEP PURPLE," he explained. "And it's like a meeting of minds between a rock and roll band and an orchestra, and they play slightly separately, they play together. I'm basically just the singer in the part of the Concerto that is the singing part; that's basically part one of the show. Part two, we kind of really let our hair down a bit. There's a couple of more classical interactions between the band that's more instrumental, and then we do five PURPLE songs with the orchestra and the band, so 'Perfect Strangers', 'When A Blind Man Cries', obviously, 'Smoke On The Water', 'Hush' and 'Pictures Of Home', which is a rarity and it's amazing with the orchestra. And then we're also gonna do something a little bit special. We've done an orchestral arrangement of my version of 'Jerusalem' and also 'Tears Of The Dragon' with the orchestra and the band. So, those two are gonna be in there at end — no particular order at the moment. So it's a really good, amazing evening of fantastic playing by incredible musicians. And that's what it is — it's music."

Bruce previously performed "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in November 2021 in Győr, Hungary with DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover and the Győr Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, he performed at the 50th-anniversary celebration of "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in November 2019 at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

When the Quebec City concert was first announced, Dickinson said: "As many people know, DEEP PURPLE have been a major, ongoing influence in my life since I was a teenager, and down the years, I have been fortunate enough to become good friends with all of the band, most especially in my collaborations with Jon Lord."

Added Mann: "My long collaboration with Jon Lord, and in particular his innovative, genre-defying 'Concerto', has been one of the greatest joys of my musical life. Jon's spirit will definitely be with us."

During a September 2018 spoken-word gig in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dickinson talked about his friendship with Lord. He said: "Jon Lord was a wonderful gentleman, and we were close friends. And he sadly died of… He had pancreatic cancer, but he survived for a year and a half — much against what everybody had said would happen. And actually, at the end, he didn't die of pancreatic cancer — he died, unfortunately, of some terrible blood collapse that happened with him, possibly as a result of treatment. But we had all kinds of crazy plans, including me going out on tour with him, singing DEEP PURPLE songs with an orchestra, which he was planning to do; that was one of the things we were planning to do. But it all got interrupted and canceled, and [it was] obviously very sad. He was a wonderful man."

Lord died on July 16, 2012 at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he worked primarily in the classical field.

The concertsrock YouTube channel has uploaded video of THE PRETTY RECKLESS's April 22 performance at Earthday Birthday 2023 at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando, Florida. Check out the clips below.

Last November, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new collection of music, "Other Worlds", via Fearless Records. The effort saw the group delivering its first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers and other reimaginings.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS dressed down this favorite from the band's latest album, "Death By Rock And Roll", to its bare essence with a stirring and striking acoustic performance.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS formed in 2009 and consists of singer Taylor Momsen, guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.

In 2021, Momsen — who rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."

"I think that that's something that we can all use a little bit more of, especially right now," she said. "We could always use a little more hope, and we could always use a little more rock and roll."