Canadian sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD will celebrate 40 eventful years of existence in 2023 with a special anniversary studio album titled "Morgöth Tales", to be released on July 21 via Century Media Records.

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, "Morgöth Tales" includes fresh studio re-recordings by the band's current lineup of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band's hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song and the album's title track, "Morgöth Tales".

VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin comments: "'Morgöth Tales' covers 40 years of space exploration.

"It was really exciting for us to revisit a more obscure part of the VOIVOD catalogue, from thrash-punk to prog-metal.

"The title track is a new song, which we started writing on the tour bus and hotels during the OPETH European tour in November/December 2022. It has the vibe of the experimental music we are doing nowadays, with a new twist I think. We also had the great thrill of getting Eric [Forrest] and Jason [Newsted] involved on this album.

"I hope you'll dig it. Chewy, Rocky, Snake and I certainly had a blast recording it. All aboard and ready for take off!"

"Morgöth Tales" track listing:

01. Condemned To The Gallows (2023 Version) [originally on "Metal Massacre V" compilation, 1984]
02. Thrashing Rage (2023 Version) [originally on "Rrröööaaarrr", 1986]
03. Killing Technology (2023 Version) [originally on "Killing Technology", 1987]
04. Macrosolutions To Megaproblems (2023 Version) [originally on "Dimension Hatröss", 1988]
05. Pre-Ignition (2023 Version) [originally on "Nothingface", 1989]
06. Nuage Fractal (2023 Version) [originally on "Angel Rat", 1991]
07. Fix My Heart (2023 Version) [originally on "The Outer Limits", 1993]
08. Rise (2023 Version, feat. Eric Forrest) [originally on "Phobos", 1997]
09. Rebel Robot (2023 Version, feat. Jason Newsted) [originally on "Voivod", 2003]
10. Morgöth Tales [New Song]

VOIVOD vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger spoke about "Morgöth Tales" in a recent interview with Agoraphobic News. He said: "It was a really fun thing to do. It was like a time capsule, going back in time [to] revisit these old songs, especially one in particular, which was first song we ever recorded ['Condemned To The Gallows']; that was for 'Metal Massacre V' [1984] on Metal Blade Records back in the day, before our first album. And the funny thing about it was there was no lyric sheet in the compilation itself. It was us, including many other bands. And the way it was recorded, it was really hard to figure out the lyrics; I couldn't remember what I was singing. So we're looking everywhere on the Internet, if someone has it or whatever. And it was nowhere [to be] found. And then I said to myself, 'Maybe mom has it in the attic somewhere.' And then I called my sister: 'Can you check at mom's place? Maybe she put it somewhere.' And she went, and my mom classified — everything is in order with mom. And she was, like, 'Yeah, yeah, I have it. File number six.' And then she pulls out the only copy of the lyrics in the world of that song.' And we were, like, 'Yeah!' 'Cause [music for] the song was already recorded. And we were, like, 'Oh my God. What are we gonna do?'"

Circling back to the upcoming 40th-anniversary album, Snake said that it will contain a song "not [from] every album, but mostly the period from 'Rrröööaaarrr', 'Killing Technology', 'Dimension Hatröss', 'Nothingface'; we revisit one song from each [album]. And it's in a chronological [order]. So it's very fun. It was fun to do."

He added: "It was really — like I said — like a time capsule, going back. And I'm trying to sing these songs like I used to."

As previously reported, VOIVOD will return to the USA with a run of shows this spring. Featuring IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT as support, this trek will be part one of VOIVOD's "40 Years Of Morgöth Tales" tour.

Before "40 Years Of Morgöth Tales" part one, VOIVOD will make select appearances across the U.K. and Netherlands in April; then, the group will return to Europe in May for a tour with TESTAMENT and EXODUS, with festivals to follow in the summer.

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

VOIVOD released a new EP, "Ultraman", last November via Century Media Records. The effort features a highly original tribute to the "Ultraman" TV series theme as well as previously unreleased bonus live cuts, available both as a 12-inch vinyl EP or as a digital EP.

VOIVOD's 15th studio album, "Synchro Anarchy", was released in February 2022 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2018's "The Wake" was produced by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio and features cover artwork created by drummer Michel Langevin (a.k.a. Away).

Photo credit: Francis Perron

Ahead of the release of their album "Atum" and North American "The World Is A Vampire" tour, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS have shared the official music video for "Empires". Watch it below.

The video comes as "Empires" continues to make waves at radio, being the No. 1 most added song to Active Rock. "Spellbinding" is also currently the No. 1 most added to Alternative Rock.

"Atum" is set for release on May 5 and is the sequel to 1995's "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" and 2000's "Machina/Machine Of God". Featuring 33 tracks in three acts, "Atum" was written and produced by frontman Billy Corgan over the past over years. 22 tracks have been released to date, with "Beguiled" continuing to climb at both Active Rock (peaked at No. 6) and Alternative Radio Charts (No. 12). Act 3 will come with a special edition boxset featuring all 33 album tracks plus 10 additional previously unreleased songs.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS recently announced their 26-date North American "The World Is A Vampire" tour. Produced by Live Nation, the tour is set to start on Friday, July 28 at The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. It will feature special guests INTERPOL, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and RIVAL SONS as support on various dates, as well as some of the world’s biggest champions from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA),who will be competing in most cities. "The World Is A Vampire" has already sold out 30,000-plus-capacity shows in Mexico City this year, as well in cities across Australia this spring, and is set to expand to more countries in the future.

Corgan said: "I grew up in a world where I needed to know bands like SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES and THE CURE existed, it meant there was a place for people like me to hang out and belong. That's what 'The World Is A Vampire' is about. Bringing back that sense of community. If you don't fit in, you belong here. It's about having a shared experience and respecting others, but ultimately having fun. A true alternative festival, where all the self-proclaimed weirdos and outsiders of the world can get together and have a party."

This week, Disney+ revealed special guests for the upcoming mockumentary series "The Muppets Mayhem", which includes Corgan. The entire first season will be available to stream on Wednesday, May 10.

In other news, Corgan's popular podcast series "Thirty-Three With William Patrick Corgan" continues to quench the thirst of dedicated PUMPKINS fans all over the world, offering listeners the chance to hear never-before-released "Atum" tracks, as well as diving into various aspects of the band’s illustrious history. "Thirty-Three With William Patrick Corgan" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

Photo credit: Paul Elledge

THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the Brazilian band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz, will release "Prelude To Blasphemy" on May 12.

Upon completing three years of existence last March, THE TROOPS OF DOOM had the idea of recording two new songs to celebrate this important milestone in the history of the band formed by Alex Kafer (vocals and bass),Guedz, Marcelo Vasco (guitar) and Alexandre Oliveira (drums).

"Prelude To Blasphemy" will feature two brand new tracks and the first two EPs, "The Rise Of Heresy" (2020) and "The Absence Of Light" (2021),as a bonus. The material will be released on CD digipack through Alma Mater Records, on CD slipcase via Voice Music in Brazil, while digital distribution will be handled by Blood Blast, the digital subsidiary of the German label Nuclear Blast. The cover art was painted by Maramgoni.

"The amazing Maramgoni did a fantastic job! He was also the author of the cover art of our EP 'The Absence Of Light'," says Vasco.

Mixing and mastering were handled by Leonardo Pagani.

"Pagani did an incredible job, bringing a lot of quality to the sound, but without losing that old-school tone and the Low-fi touch that we're always looking for in our productions", comments Kafer.

About one of the unpublished tracks, "1666", Guedz explains that the theme deals with the great fire of London. "The track '1666' was inspired by the great fire of London, one of the greatest England's catastrophes, which caused deaths, thousands of people homeless, countless public buildings destroyed and almost 90 churches burned," he says. "There were dark times since in this period was happening the last bubonic plague epidemic in England. The cover art portrays a bit of all of that and, obviously, we still maintained that aesthetic connection with my era with SEPULTURA".

According to Oliveira, "God's Orphanage" and "1666" are not leftovers from the studio, but had already been worked on by the band for some time. "Both are songs that we already had the riffs and a basic song structure at the time of the first EPs, in 2020 and 2021," he explains. "However, they ended up not being finished on time and that's why they weren't recorded. When we made 'Antichrist Reborn' we kind forgot about them and now, finally, these songs had their purpose. They both are heavy, with a lot of energy and synthesize what THE TROOPS OF DOOM is about very well."

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Jairo joined the group the following year and played on the band's first two releases, 1985's "Bestial Devastation" EP and their 1986 full-length debut, "Morbid Visions". He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987's "Schizophrenia".

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Andreas Kisser.

On April 12, 2018, Austin City Council and Mayor Steve Adler officially proclaimed April 12 to be “Black Heart Saints Day!” What better day to release their latest single "Human Xstacy" to radio.


In addition, the band has released the “Human Xstacy” lyric video that can be seen below.


Black Heart Saints, consisting of Josh LeBlanc (Vocals), Mark Sean (Guitar), Nathan Flores (Drums), and Ian C.G. (Bass), announced the release of their new single "Human Xstacy" on January 20th with legendary label Cleopatra Records. The song was produced by Geno Lenardo (Filter, Device) and mixed/mastered by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns 'N Roses, Sons of Apollo, Asia).







Black Heart Saints exploded onto the scene with a distinct groove steeped in classic rock and a modern intensity, and a bravado that is clearly backed by talent. With endorsements by some of the most respected rock personalities and critics such as Eddie Trunk, Lou Brutus, and Jose Mangin from SiriusXM Octane, Black Heart Saints stands atop the "new wave of classic rock" pantheon and is destined for a bright future. In recent years, the studio singles “Reach The End”, “Lines”, and “Misery” topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Radio Charts, paving the way for appearances at SXSW Festival, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and serving as the support act for national artists such as Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, Ace Frehley, Sevendust, Steel Panther, Pop Evil, Buckcherry, Dirty Honey, and more.


“We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Cleopatra Records and welcome them to our all-star team. 2023 is the year that Black Heart Saints becomes a household name,” says guitarist, Mark Sean.

In a new interview with Joe Rock of Long Island, New York's 102.3 WBAB radio station, AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry was asked if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think that… I don't know if I'm not supposed to announce it or not, but we are gonna announce the tour, and it's gonna start in September and will go into next year. And being one of the guys who votes on this kind of thing, it looks like we're gonna do it. [Laughs]"

As for the possibility of the upcoming tour featuring the return of drummer Joey Kramer, who announced in March 2022 that he would sit out AEROSMITH's concerts last year so he could "focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times," Perry said: "That's probably one of the hardest things. I've gotta say drumming is probably one of the most athletic parts of playing in a band. So it's really hard. It's been mostly because he just physically [has been] just beating himself up over the last 50 years. So I don't know. I mean, he's still officially a member of the band, but I don't think he's gonna be sitting behind the drums, at least for this next run. Other than that, I really can't say."

Elsewhere in the chat, Joe talked about the likelihood of new music from AEROSMITH. The legendary Boston rockers haven't released a new studio album since 2012's "Music From Another Dimension!" That effort was released when AEROSMITH's label, Columbia Records, was reportedly going through a leadership change, and it ended up becoming a commercial disappointment.

"At this point, I can't say," Joe said about the prospect of a new AEROSMITH song or album. "I really don't know. But I know that we have a pile of material that hasn't been released. So I think we're focusing on that right now. But the main thing is just getting this tour up and running."

For the past year, AEROSMITH's longtime drum tech John Douglas has been filling in on drums for Kramer, whose wife, Linda Gail Kramer, died last June at the age of 55. No cause of death has been revealed.

AEROSMITH played its first concert in more than two and a half years on September 4, 2022 in Bangor, Maine.

Prior to the show at Maine Savings Amphitheater, the band's last live performance took place in February 2020 in Las Vegas as part of AEROSMITH's "Deuces Are Wild" residency.

In May 2022, AEROSMITH announced that singer Steven Tyler had entered a treatment program following a relapse, prompting the band to put their Las Vegas residency on a temporary hold.

Tyler had been struggling with drug and alcohol addiction since the mid-1980s. Over the course of the last four decades, he had relapsed several times, including in the early 2000s and 2009.

Joey has had his own health difficulties in recent years. Kramer suffered a health scare back in 2014, which was initially reported to be "heart-related complications".

MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx has confirmed that the band is writing new music. Less than two weeks after tweeting that he and MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 had spent some time "writing random riffs", the bassist returned to the social media platform to share an image of him, drummer Tommy Lee and John 5 playing and recording in a studio, along with the caption, "Another killer songwriting day with Tommy Lee and John 5." He offered more information in a follow-up tweet, writing: "We are writing. The creative process of songwriting has always been the heartbeat of our band. We're gonna go in the big studio next week and record a few off the floor and see where it goes. We don't have a definitive plan at this point. Just letting the songs guide us."

John 5 joined CRÜE as the replacement for founding guitarist Mick Mars, who announced last October he would no longer tour with the legendary rock act because of his long struggles with degenerative disease ankylosing spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time, according to the National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases.

In October, Sixx praised John 5, saying he "checks all the boxes" as Mars's replacement following the latter's decision to retire from touring. Sixx commented on John 5's addition to CRÜE while answering fan questions on Twitter. Asked why the band chose John 5, who is one of the credited co-writers on the three original songs on the soundtrack to MÖTLEY CRÜE's biopic "The Dirt", based on CRÜE's 2001 New York Times bestselling autobiography, Sixx said: "He checks all the boxes. He's a insane player. Has respect for our music, is funny as fuck and has history with us and we've written some pretty big hits together."

In addition to co-writing the three songs on "The Dirt", John 5 collaborated with Sixx and Desmond Child on Meat Loaf's "The Monster Is Loose". In 2021, Sixx and John 5 launched the L.A. RATS supergroup in which they were joined by Rob Zombie and drummer Tommy Clufetos.

A year ago, John 5, who previously played with MARILYN MANSON and ROB ZOMBIE, said that he was "so proud" of his involvement with "The Dirt" soundtrack. He said: "Me and Nikki wrote on that. And dude, I fucking MÖTLEY CRÜE, and it was so cool for it to come to fruition. And to hear Vince [Neil, vocals] and Tommy and Mick and, of course, Nikki doing that… I think that song really gave me a real excitement of collaborating with someone. And seeing the video and the history of it, it was really pretty incredible."

John 5 previously discussed his contribution to "The Dirt" soundtrack in a December 2019 interview with Milwaukee's 102.9 The Hog radio station. At the time, he said: "Me and Nikki are like two 15-year-olds who are just on the phone twenty thousand times a day and we hang out all the time. We'll go to the mall and we'll go ride bikes and we'll do ridiculous stuff like that. And so, of course, we like to play music together, and yeah, that's how that came about — writing music for 'The Dirt'. And those songs are killer."

He continued: "I'm so proud to be a part of MÖTLEY CRÜE history… And also, I wanna say, those guys — Mick and Nikki and Tommy and Vince — they just killed it in the studio too; it was, like, one or two takes. It's pretty incredible, it's pretty astounding what true professionals they are. It was really incredible."

Three years ago, John 5 was full of praise for Sixx, whom he called his "best friend." The guitarist told Outburn: "We love each other. He has inspired me and taught me so much about life in general. He's a phenomenal songwriter, lyricist, author, everything. He's always telling me to listen to this audio book or see this movie. He has a happy marriage, a happy life, a successful band he started from the ground up. He's one of the most inspiring people. He'll text me all the time to read something or try something. It's wonderful. He's a phenomenal photographer as well. I remember him telling me that he's going to take bass lessons again and get into playing with his fingers. He was so dedicated."

"The Dirt Soundtrack" featured four new MÖTLEY CRÜE songs, including the single "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)", and CRÜE's unlikely cover of Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

Earlier this month, Mars filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE, alleging his bandmates are trying to kick him out of the group and reduce his ownership stakes because of his debilitating illness.
pic.twitter.com/9tSWNAnbGX

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) April 13, 2023


We are writing.The creative process of songwriting has always been the heartbeat of our band. We’re gonna go in the big studio next week and record a few off the floor and see where it goes. We don’t have a definitive plan at this point.Just letting the songs guide us.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) April 13, 2023

The undisputed kings of balls-out rock ’n’ roll, Danko Jones have announced the release of their eleventh studio album, entitled Electric Sounds, via AFM Records on September 15. The three-man squad, dedicated to the noble art of riffs, melodies, and life-affirming rock anthems, return to provide maximum satisfaction and serve up all the Electric Sounds you could possibly need!


With Electric Sounds, Toronto’s archbishops of amplification prove that even a global pandemic couldn’t stop Danko Jones. As first album single "Guess Who's Back" showcases, it's just made them even more unstoppable. "Guess Who’s Back is not only the lead-off track to our new album, Electric Sounds, it’s also the imperative sentence everyone is begging to answer - Danko Jones!" quips charismatic frontman Danko.


Get the new Danko Jones song on all digital services here, and watch a lyric video for "Guess Who's Back" below.




“Not working for two years really felt like touring rock bands were being put out to pasture,” recalls Danko. “But I guess that only made us try harder. We were still able to record and release an album during the pandemic (Power Trio, 2021). We toured as soon as we were allowed. Now that Electric Sounds is getting released, it doesn’t feel like we missed a beat. During the pandemic, we moved away from each other. JC lives in Finland and Rich lives in Prince Edward Island. So the writing for this band has changed. We used to bash out ideas in our rehearsal place, day after day, but it’s more about sending files back and forth now. However, last summer, while on tour, we did manage to jam out ideas in a rehearsal room in Berlin for a few days. Out of those jams came the nubs for five songs...”


Five songs have since been expanded to eleven new Danko Jones songs, and Electric Sounds promises to have the instant sound and feel of a classic. With no need to reinvent the wheel, the group have further honed and refined their craft - always at full volume - although Electric Sounds is a deceptively diverse affair. No band has ever sounded more ready to hit the road than the pumped-up threesome showcased on the hell-for-leather ragers featured on their forthcoming album.


Electric Sounds was produced by Eric Ratz, and features guest spots from Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies), Damian Abraham (Fucked Up) and guitarist Daniel Dekay (from Canadian thrash legends Exciter).


Pre-order the album here.





Electric Sounds tracklisting:


"Guess Who's Back"
"Good Time"
"Electric Sounds"
"Get High?"
"Stiff Competition"
"She's My Baby"
"Eye For An Eye"
"I Like It"
"Let's Make Out"
"What Goes Around"
"Shake Your City"


"Guess Who's Back" lyric video:





These road dogs have a few new miles to put on the tour bus yet. Stay tuned for hot tour news from Danko Jones very soon!


Danko Jones is:


Danko Jones - Vocals/Guitar
John Calabrese - Bass
Rich Knox - Drums


(Photo - Daniel Berbig)

In a brand new interview with U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine, METALLICA's Kirk Hammett dismissed the idea that his solo on "Lux Æterna" is bad because it isn't hard to play. "Yeah, my fucking friends down the street could probably play a better solo than 'Lux Æterna' — but what's the point?" he said. "For me, what's appropriate is playing for the song and playing in the moment."

Kirk's "Lux Æterna" solo was criticized by some as his "worst solo", while some YouTubers even performed their own "improved" versions. Hammett acknowledged that he saw some of the online hate, saying: "I was just laughing the whole time. I could string together like six or seven three-octave arpeggios in 16th notes, sit there every day and practice it and go, 'Hey, look what I can do!' but where am I gonna put it? That won't work in any METALLICA song. Arpeggios? Come on! In a guitar solo, mapped out like a lot of people do, four or five chords with a different arpeggio over each one? It sounds like an exercise. I don't want to listen to exercises and warm-ups every time I hear a song."

Hammett added: "The only guys out there who I think convincingly play arpeggios as a means of expression are Joe Satriani, Yngwie [Malmsteen] and Paul Gilbert."

Kirk went on to say that he soloing style has changed as METALLICA's music has evolved.

"I know my modes, Hungarian scales, symmetrical scales, I know all that shit. Is it appropriate? Maybe earlier in our time, but not now," he said. "What's more appropriate is coming up with melodies that are more like vocal melodies. And guess what? The best scale for mimicking vocal melodies is the pentatonic."

Hammett also pushed back against the suggestion that he does not appreciate technique, saying: "I love from-the-heart playing, and I've heard real technical playing that's from the heart. Allan Holdsworth, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Yngwie — they all play from the heart, but for a lot of guys it's just like sports or the Olympics. Music is to reflect beauty, creativity, feeling, life. There is a place and there's an audience for all that stuff, but I feel there comes a time when people just get tired of that.

"Today, you know, people are doing really interesting stuff with technique," Hammett concluded. "Technique is reaching new boundaries and I love that, but I have to stress it's important to play for the song. If you do that, your music will have that much more integrity and lasting power."

Back in 2010, WINGER/WHITESNAKE guitarist Reb Beach told the "Decades Of Distortion" radio show about Hammett's guitar playing: "I don't know the guy [Kirk], but I think he's one of the worst guitar players I've ever heard in my life. I've never heard a solo from that guy that was any good. . . This guy is out of tune, and his vibration... what is it? Vibrato. Oh my god. It sounds like a beginner."

He continued, "Back in the '80s, he was always voted best guitar player, and I'm like, 'What?! That guy is terrible.' I hate to say that because I might meet him one day.

"What's he play in? MEGADETH? METALLICA? Is he in METALLICA?" Reb added. "Oh, then I have no problem doing that because in their biggest video, 'Nothing Else Matters', when they threw darts at a poster of Kip Winger, and then they showed it live — 20,000 people every night laughing at WINGER — I don't mind saying that Kirk Hammett sucks."

"Lux Æterna" is the lead single from METALLICA's upcoming album, "72 Seasons", which will be released April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

LED ZEPPELIN's classic "Stairway To Heaven" is among the newly named songs being added to the registry by the Library Of Congress.

On Wednesday, Librarian Of Congress Carla Hayden named 25 recordings to the list "as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation's recorded sound heritage."

The description that comes with the National Recording Registry's entry for "Stairway To Heaven" reads as follows: "The familiarity of 'Stairway To Heaven' can obscure the fact that it is a carefully crafted song. Jimmy Page, LED ZEPPELIN's guitarist and producer, was responsible for much of the song's structure and feel. Early in his career as a studio musician, Page had learned that one of the cardinal rules of studio work was to keep an even tempo and resist the urge to speed up at all costs. Ironically, 'Stairway To Heaven' violates this rule to masterful effect, as it gradually increases speed, while adding instruments one at a time. First, we hear a lone acoustic guitar, soon a recorder enters, and, as the sound broadens, we hear vocals, a 12-string guitar and bass. Remarkably, the drums don't enter until half way through the eight-minute song. As it gains momentum, the acoustic instruments fall away and we find ourselves listening to a fully electric hard-rock band. Bassist John Paul Jones contributed the recorder melody, lending a medieval feel to the song's early measures. He and drummer John Bonham's rhythm activities build to their usual huge and thunderous level. Few can imitate Robert Plant's singing, and his lyrics, most of which were written during the band's rehearsals, have appealed to a wide range of fans, while proving open to a bewildering number of interpretations. Finally, Page recorded one of the most tasteful solos in rock music."

"The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation's diverse culture," Hayden said. "The national library is proud to help ensure these recordings are preserved for generations to come, and we welcome the public's input on what songs, speeches, podcasts or recorded sounds we should preserve next. We received more than 1,100 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry."

The recordings selected for the National Recording Registry bring the number of titles on the registry to 625, representing a small portion of the national library's vast recorded sound collection of nearly four million items.

The latest selections named to the registry span from 1908 to 2012. They range from the first recordings of mariachi music and early sounds of the blues to radio journalism leading up to World War II, and iconic sounds from pop, country, rock, R&B, jazz, rap, and classical music.

NPR's "1A" will host several features in the series "The Sounds Of America" on this year's selections for the National Recording Registry, including interviews with Hayden and several featured artists in the weeks ahead. Follow the conversation about the registry on Twitter and Instagram @librarycongress and #NatRecRegistry.

Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian Of Congress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects 25 titles each year that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.

Some registry titles have already been preserved by the copyright holders, artists or other archives. In cases where a selected title has not already been preserved, the Library Of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center works to ensure that the recording will be preserved by some entity and available for future generations. This can be through the Library's recorded-sound preservation program or through collaborative ventures with other archives, studios and independent producers.

The national library maintains a state-of-the-art facility where it acquires, preserves and provides access to the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (loc.gov/avconservation/). It is home to more than 9 million collection items.

The Library of Congress is the world's largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

National Recording Registry 2023 Selections (chronological order):

* "The Very First Mariachi Recordings" - Cuarteto Coculense (1908-1909)
* "St. Louis Blues" - Handy's Memphis Blues Band (1922)
* "Sugar Foot Stomp" - Fletcher Henderson (1926)
* Dorothy Thompson: Commentary and Analysis of the European Situation for NBC Radio (Aug. 23-Sept. 6, 1939)
* "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" - The Fairfield Four (1947)
* "Sherry" - The Four Seasons (1962)
* "What the World Needs Now is Love" - Jackie DeShannon (1965)
* "Wang Dang Doodle" - Koko Taylor (1966)
* "Ode to Billie Joe" - Bobbie Gentry (1967)
* "Déjà Vu" - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970)
* "Imagine" - John Lennon (1971)
* "Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zeppelin (1971)
* "Take Me Home, Country Roads" - John Denver (1971)
* "Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffett (1977)
* "Flashdance…What a Feeling" - Irene Cara (1983)
* "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" - Eurythmics (1983)
* "Synchronicity" - The Police (1983)
* "Like a Virgin" - Madonna (1984)
* "Black Codes (From the Underground)" - Wynton Marsalis (1985)
* Super Mario Bros. theme - Koji Kondo, composer (1985)
* "All Hail the Queen" - Queen Latifah (1989)
* "All I Want for Christmas is You" - Mariah Carey (1994)
* "Pale Blue Dot" - Carl Sagan (1994)
* "Gasolina" - Daddy Yankee (2004)
* "Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra" - Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, composer (2012)

With impressive, powerful vocals and sweeping, exhilarating riffs, Sovereign Council have received tons of attention in their home country of Canada and even more internationally. Comprised of five members, this band lineup lends a noteworthy blend of male and female vocals, which is particularly unique to the metal scene. The band’s third studio effort, World On Fire, is on its way and leading up to that is the single “Breathe You In”, the band shares their excitement:


“This is the oldest song from this release. The first versions of this song were actually written and recorded in early 2018. It has gone through various stages of development before we settled on the final version. Our fans may be surprised by our new sound and lineup change. We feel it’s a step in the right direction and hope that our fans agree.”







Since 2012, Sovereign Council has continued to evolve, their sound is maturing and becoming more accessible, relatable, and marketable. Going from gothic melodic metal to now, more modern metal, they are recommended for fans of Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil, and Evergrey.


World On Fire is due out May 5, 2023 and available for pre-order at this location.





Tracklisting:


“World On Fire”
“The Wait”
“Aberration”
“Breathe You In”
“Of The Ashes”





(Photo: Dark Moon Productions)


 

Revocation vocalist / guitarist Dave Davidson has provided details of an unfortunate injury he suffered during a concert earlier this month. His statement reads:


"As many of you have noticed, I haven’t been playing guitar the past few nights on tour. I took a gnarly fall while performing on stage in Cincinnati when I tripped over a cable. I fell backwards and instinctively threw my wrist back to break my fall, but unfortunately I broke my wrist in the process. I could tell something was wrong as soon as I stood up but I ended up finishing the set and was hoping it was just a sprain. Got checked out the next day and the x ray showed I did in fact break my wrist, doctor said I won’t be able to play for the next 6-8 weeks which is a total bummer but I’ve decided to soldier on, pull a Hetfield and finish the rest of the tour on vocals. Come out to the rest of the dates and dust off your air guitars, I could use a hand with the solos."







Remaining Revocation tour dates:


April
14 - Empire Live - Albany, NY
15 - Palladium - Worchester, MA
16 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
18 - The Concourse - Knoxville, TN
19 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
21 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
22 - Culture Room - Fort Lauderdale, FL


(Band photo - Alex Morgan)