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)

Ghosts Of Sunset recently returned with their latest fix of melodic hard rock, Breathe. The band’s duo of singer-songwriters John Merchant (former Dutch Henry frontman) and multi-instrumentalist Todd Long (previously with the Verve Pipe) had last drawn attention to themselves in 2020 with their debut EP, Headed West, and 2022 follow-up LP, No Saints In The City.


Ghosts Of Sunset not only pays homage to the 1980s hair metal scene they grew up on (Quiet Riot, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, Warrant, Faster Pussycat, GNR, etc.), but for music fans whose tastes run deep, Breathe touches upon post-punk aggression, melodic rock choruses and a quirky Cheap Trick spin on top of it all. From the lead-off track, “Afterthought,” to the straight rocker “Move Along,” and pop rocker “Gettin’ Over You” they cover it all on their latest release. The album made the Top 100 Amazon list while lead track, “Afterthought”, has been getting spins on rock radio.


The writing and recording process for Breathe was a bit unconventional, and at the same time par for the course with 21st century technology. "We did all our recording via file sharing,” says Long. “First, one of us will have an idea, and then we just start sending mp3s back and forth while building the track up. After a basic track was completed, we’d then seek out who we feel might be right to put a guitar solo on it. If they like the track, then we proceed. If they don't, then that's fine too. We just hoped they feel connected enough to the track to want to contribute."




Merchant continues, “The opportunity to make a follow up full-length album was an absolute blessing and a daunting task. Unlike some writers, we’re always hoping our influences are noticeable, but we want them to be surprising and revealing as well. With this set of songs, we wanted to keep the door open for anything that moved us. They tell you where they want to go and we are open to whatever gets them to their destination. These songs take listeners from such sweeping landscapes as an Asian spy adventure, to something as internal and personal as the struggle of loving someone battling addiction. The musical compositions are as important as the lyrics to tell the stories that need to be told.”


Deko Entertainment president, Bruce Pucciarello, states on signing the band, “Todd and John offer up a wonderful collection of new tunes on their new album, Breathe.  Every entry is extremely well written and performed…definitely going to be listening to this one for a long time!"


You can order Breathe and limited bundles here. Stream the album here.





Tracklisting:


"Afterthought"
"Hide Her Heart"
"Move Along"
"Cocaine Kisses"
"Two Tickets To Tokyo"
"Gettin Over You"
"Mine Tonight"
"Don't Blame Love"
"Nobody's Baby"
"Never Go Back"


"Afterthought" video:

Stardust is back with a new album! The up-and-coming melodic rockers have announced the forthcoming release of their second studio album, Kingdom Of Illusion, on June 16. The new album once again is a stunning showcase of the band's talents in the melodic rock / AOR genre, while simultaneously introducing their ability to effortlessly delve into a more hard rocking sound.


The first single from the album, "The Fire" is out today. Watch a music video for the track below, and pre-order/save Kingdom Of Illusion here.


Hungary's Stardust are one of the hottest new melodic rock bands to come out of the underground European scene in recent years. Their independently released self-titled debut EP stirred up quite a buzz in the underground melodic rock scene, which ultimately led to their signing to Frontiers Music Srl after some ardent fans of the band put them to the attention of label staff during one of the Frontiers Rock Festivals. The band released their debut full-length, Highway To Heartbreak, in October 2020 to great critical acclaim, proving that the early buzz generated by their EP was more than warranted.




Founded in 2015, Stardust's style is an amalgam of the classic melodic hard rock and AOR genres, with hooky choruses, beautiful keyboards, vocal harmonies, and loud guitars in the style of their favourite mid-80's bands, bringing to life this well beloved music in the 21st century. After the great reception to their debut album, Kingdom Of Illusion sees these ambitious rockers further developing and enhancing their sound for another truly delightful release.





Kingdom Of Illusion tracklisting:


"War"
"The Fire"
"Losing Me"
"Sacrifice"
"Love Sells"
"Heroes"
"One First Kiss"
"Make Me Feel Your Love"
"Ain’t No Woman"
"Sarah"
"Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)"


"The Fire" video:





Lineup:


Adam Stewart - Vocals
Facey - Guitars
Ben Martin - Bass
Dave Legrant - Keyboards
Peter Horn - Drums

KEMIKALFIRE, the side project of HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale and LIT drummer Taylor Carroll, has released its debut single, "Dead And Gone". The official music video for the track, which was shot by Alex Bemis of Bemis Creative at KEMIKALFIRE's first-ever live performance, which took place on January 19, 2023 at the Knitting Factory in North Hollywood, California, can be seen below.

During an appearance on "The Itch Rock Podcast", Hale stated about KEMIKALFIRE's first single: "I think that 'Dead And Gone' is one that just wrote itself. It was something that Taylor and I had been holding on to but were maybe too afraid to touch on when we got in a creative songwriting space. 'Cause we were just, like, 'Well that sounds kind of conceited.' But no, that's a real human thought. 'How am I gonna be remembered when I die, and am I gonna die satisfied?' It's the most beautiful experience when you start writing a song and the song starts writing itself and you're just chasing it. And that's what that song felt like."

"[Producer and co-writer Scott Stevens] and Arejay and myself wrote 'Dead And Gone'," added Carroll. "And the way we [write] is that one of us has a concept and Scott helps us put together the puzzle pieces. He coaches us where we need to go, like, 'Do you really mean that, what you're saying?' And we'll challenge each other on that too. It's kind of a cool process that we have."

Hale noted that this additional focus is crucial to their songwriting. He explained: "When we first started, we were like, 'We need a line that means this and rhymes with this, how about this?' 'Okay, sure.' Now … you have to peel back the layers, like, 'Is that particular word really saying what we're trying to say?' I think you can feel that, when something is just a placeholder. The songs we're writing now, we're finally at a really scrutinous level. And Scott is a huge help, because he's the same way."

"I feel sorry for Scott when we go into the studio," Carroll laughed. "Imagine that you're trying to produce and create something for this new band and this tornado just comes running up your stairs."

Hale quickly agreed. "It's like in the movie 'Twister'. Like, 'We got sisters!' Two tornadoes swirling around him all day. 'Another cow!'"

"I guarantee you that guy has to boil three pots of coffee every morning just to work with us," Carroll joked. "Another cool thing about Arejay and Scott and myself working together is … we're still high school dorks, clinging to each other at our cafeteria table creating this music together. We all understand what it's like to be the underdog. And I, from the beginning, wanted to write music for the underdog. Especially for people who think that they can't, or that they're too old or broken or stuck or stagnant or addicted … We just wanted to be those people who say, 'Hey, dude, we're the same exact way, but check this out: you can still create your own outlet.'" "And this song we just wrote this week is touching on a really personal thing in our relationships, in our love lives," Hale added.

Carroll said: "There's a song that we haven't released that we eventually will that's about relationship stuff … like when you're heading down a bad path and then somebody comes into your life and helps you see where you're at and how destructive it can be. It's called 'Grave'. It'll see the light of day eventually, after a couple songs. That's another one I'm super proud of."

In a recent interview with the "Thunder Underground" podcast, Arejay stated about how KEMIKALFIRE came together: "[Taylor and I are] old friends. I've known him back when he was playing drums for a band called PILLAR. And we met at the Mall Of America in Minnesota when he was in his bus and we were in our R.V. And he just came over and knocked on the bus and he was, like, 'Hey, you guys are in a band?' And we were, like, 'Yeah. You guys are in a band too? Cool. Come on in. Have a beer. Let's hang out.' And we just never lost touch. We both lived in L.A. for a little bit, so we would hang out there. And then the pandemic hit and we got back in touch and we just wrote… Honestly, we were just looking for anyone that wanted to write with us. We had to stay busy, so a lot of Zoom writing sessions with other writers. And we just realized, 'Man, we have a really good chemistry writing music together,' and we both kind of pick up where each other lacks, in a sense; we have a great creative partnership. And not only that, but he's also a really talented producer as well — and multi-instrumentalist. So, as a songwriter, I just felt really glad that I could just put on my creative hat and let him do more of the mechanical work with the song ideas that I would present to him."

As for KEMIKALFIRE's musical direction, Arejay said: "It's different. It's much more aggressive than HALESTORM. I'm doing a lot more singing and a lot more crazy drumming. It kind of throws back to our punk roots; there's punk elements in there… There's moments where it's heavier; there's also moments where it's a little bit more melodic, a little more soaring. And there's moments where it has really stark punk roots start to kind of show through, which is kind of what Taylor and I were raised on. We love punk drummers, so when we're writing the stuff, a lot of that comes out just because that's just kind of really fun stuff to write for us.

"Yeah, it's different than HALESTORM, but it's also easily digestible," he clarified. "I think the average HALESTORM fan could hear it and be, like, 'Oh, okay. I get it. This works.' 'Cause obviously your personal writing style seeps into everything that you're a part of, so you'll probably hear HALESTORM elements in there as well, from my end."

Asked which instruments he and Taylor are handing in KEMIKALFIRE, Arejay said: "He's playing guitar and singing, and I'm playing drums and singing. But we're thinking maybe… We both can play both, so we're, like, 'Maybe we should trade off and do some…' He's also an insane drummer; he plays with LIT now, the band LIT, and we love LIT. But we also have a couple of songs where he was, like, 'Hey, you wanna play piano?' And I'm [like], 'Sure. Why not?' So we might switch some things up for our live show, which we're excited about. That's the dream.'"

When Arejay and Taylor first announced KEMIKALFIRE's formation last year, they wrote in a statement: "We are KEMIKALFIRE! You may know us from HALESTORM and LIT, but we're also 2 drummers, singers, songwriters, producers and long-time friends. We've finally joined our creative strengths, seizing our opportunity to create pure, honest and unbridled music for nobody but ourselves in hopes of helping anyone get through their own life obstacles. It feels good to finally share this project with you guys, and it’s going to feel even better to get going. We have some great stuff coming your way, stay tuned."

Photo credit: Kevin Baldes Photography

Nuclear Blast has announced the signing of CAVALERA, the project featuring SEPULTURA's founding members Max Cavalera (guitar, vocals) and Igor "Iggor" Cavalera (drums). The first release under the deal with be a re-recording of SEPULTURA's first EP "Bestial Devastation" (originally released in 1985) and debut full-length album "Morbid Visions" (1986).

Max comments: "As we get harder year after year, sometimes you've got to go back to where it all started! We re-recorded 'Bestial Devastation' and 'Morbid Visions' with the amazing sound of NOW, but with its raw and timeless spirit. The artwork reflects the times we're living in right now…. Apocalyptic as hell! We also have two new tracks with riffs from those days, remembered by heart."

Igor states: "I always felt like the recordings of our earlier work didn't do justice to the way we performed the songs. So, this is a very special moment in our lives that we are very proud to show you real fans our true representation of the amazing records 'Bestial Devastation' and 'Morbid Visions' with an insane visual identity… Enjoy and see you all in the pit."

"Morbid Visions" and "Bestial Devastation" were re-recorded at The Platinum Underground. The albums were produced by Max Cavalera and Igor Cavalera while John Aquilino handled the engineering. Arthur Rizk was responsible for the mixing and mastering of both albums. CAVALERA enlisted Eliran Kantor to create the artwork for both albums.

"Morbid Visions" track listing:

01. Morbid Visions
02. Mayhem
03. Troops Of Doom
04. War
05. Crucifixion
06. Show Me The Wrath
07. Funeral Rites
08. Empire Of The Damned
09. Burn The Dead

"Bestial Devastation" track listing:

01. The Curse
02. Bestial Devastation
03. Antichrist
04. Necromancer
05. Warriors Of Death
06. Sexta Feira 13

CAVALERA has also announced the "Morbid Devastation" fall 2023 tour. The 40-date trek will kick off in Albuquerque and will make its way to Chicago, Houston and Baltimore and Denver before concluding on October 18 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Accompanying the brothers on stage will be Igor Amadeus Cavalera (HEALING MAGIC, GO AHEAD AND DIE) on bass and Travis Stone (PIG DESTROYER, DESOLUS) on lead guitar. EXHUMED and INCITE will opening the tour package each night.

Tickets for the tour will go on sale next Friday, April 21 at 10 a.m. local time.

Confirmed dates for the CAVALERA tour are as follows:

Aug. 29 - Albuquerque, NM @ Revel
Aug. 31 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
Sep. 01 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
Sep. 02 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
Sep. 03 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Sep. 05 - Covington, KY @ Madison Theatre
Sep. 06 - Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse
Sep. 07 - Danville, VA @ Blue Ridge Rock Fest
Sep. 08 - Columbus, OH @ The KING of CLUBS
Sep. 09 - Cave-In-Rock, IL @ Full Terror Open Air
Sep. 10 - St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
Sep. 12 - Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater
Sep. 14 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
Sep. 15 - Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
Sep. 16 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Sep. 18 - El Paso, TX @ RockHouse Bar & Grill
Sep. 19 - San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
Sep. 20 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Sep. 21 - Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
Sep. 22 - Orlando, FL @ Beacham Theater
Sep. 23 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Sep. 25 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
Sep. 26 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Sep. 27 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Sep. 28 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Sep. 29 - Reading, PA @ Reverb
Sep. 30 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
Oct. 01 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Oct. 02 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
Oct. 05 - Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's
Oct. 06 - Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
Oct. 07 - Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
Oct. 08 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
Oct. 10 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Oct. 11 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall
Oct. 12 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Oct. 14 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Oct. 15 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Oct. 17 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
Oct. 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

SEPULTURA apart in 1996 with the exit of Max after the rest of the band split with the vocalist/guitarist's wife Gloria as their manager. Igor stuck around with the group for another ten years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's nearly four-decade history, Max-era albums "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

Igor and Max have spent much of the last seven years celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" albums on tour all over the world.

Max addressed the possibility of the classic SEPULTURA lineup reunion in a February 2023 interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series. He said: "I'm very, very busy right now with all the projects, 'cause I've got so many — SOULFLY being my main band, but also GO AHEAD AND DIE with my son Igor, and KILLER BE KILLED. And I'm already playing a lot of the old stuff with my brother; that, to me, right there, it fills the void anyway.

"So, yeah, I don't think about that at all," Max said in regard to a SEPULTURA reunion. "At this moment, I don't need to do anything like that. I think at this moment I'm so busy with the stuff that I have in front of me, and the fans love all the stuff that I've been doing anyway. There's no point, really. 'Cause I haven't even thought of that idea in a long time. But I think that my main thing right now is SOULFLY… And I love the fact that SOULFLY just keeps getting stronger and stronger with every record. And I look forward to the time to write the next one. It'll be another challenge and another chance to make something good again."

Last summer Igor told the "Mike Nelson Show" about the possibility of him and Max returning to SEPULTURA: "I have to be honest with you, man. The reunion, in my opinion, it's me and my brother — that's the person that I wanna be united with. So, for me, if the other stuff, it doesn't happen, I can't really be too bummed about it. Of course, it would be amazing, but the real reunion for me is just me and my brother being together. That's what makes me happy."

The official Lief Thomason-directed music video for "Do Or Die", the second single from ELEGANT WEAPONS, the new project featuring guitarist Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST) and singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG),can be seen below. The track is taken from ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", which will be released on May 26 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

"'Do Or Die' is a rip-roaring track about taking the opportunity and giving it your all," explains Faulkner. "Take the shot, play the game and do it to the best of your ability. It's the fastest track on the record and is a blast to play!"

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

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

Tour dates:

June 12 - Czech Republic, Prague - O2 Arena (with PANTERA)
June 13 - Germany, Berlin - Verti (With Pantera)
June 16 - France, Clisson - Hellfest
June 18 - Belgium, Dessel - Graspop Metal Meeting
June 20 - The Netherlands, Amsterdam - Afas (with PANTERA)
June 21 - Germany, Hamburg - Edel Optics (with PANTERA)
June 23 - Switzerland, Zurich - Komplex
June 25 - Spain, Murcia - Rock Imperium Festival
June 26 - Spain, Madrid - Mon Club
June 28 - Portugal, Lisbon - Evil Live Festival
June 29 - Spain, Viveiro - Resurrection Festival
July 02 - Italy, Bologna - Return Of The Gods Festival
July 30 - UK, Ebbw Vale - Steelhouse Festival

"Horns For A Halo" track listing:

01. Dead Man Walking
02. Do Or Die
03. Blind Leading The Blind
04. Ghost Of You
05. Bitter Pill
06. Lights Out
07. Horns For A Halo
08. Dirty Pig
09. White Horse
10. Downfall Rising

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Matt Owent

Demonic Resurrection frontman, Demsontealer, recently released his new album, The Propaganda Machine, via all digital music platforms, as well as exclusively via Black Lion Records as CD, Vinyl, and Tape. Order the album here, and find a full album audio stream below.


The artwork for the new album was created by Daemorph Art, and the album was been mixed and mastered at Hertz Studio in Poland.







Tracklisting and guest musicians:
"The Fear Campaign" (Hannes Grossmann, Dominic 'Forest' Lapointe, Anabelle Iratni & Dean Paul Arnold)
"Monolith Of Hate" (James Payne, Martino Garattoni & Anabelle Iratni)
"The Propaganda Machine" (Ken Bedene, Stian Gundersen & Anabelle Iratni)
"The Art Of Disinformation" (Sebastian Lanser, Kilian Duarte, Alex Baillie & Anabelle Iratni)
"Screams Of Those Dying" (Hannes Grossmann, Dominic 'Forest' Lapointe & Anabelle Iratni)
"The Great Dictator" (James Payne, Martino Garattoni & Anabelle Iratni)
"The Anti-National" (Sebastian Lanser, Kilian Duarte & Anabelle Iratni)
"Crushing The Iron Fist" (Ken Bedene, Stian Gundersen, Sanjay Kumar & Anabelle Iratni)


Album stream:





"The Art Of Disinformation" visualizer:





"The Fear Campaign" lyric video:





"Monolith Of Hate" visualizer:

"Ocean" is a track taken from Unborn Prophecy's upcoming album, Waking Our Ancient Memories, due for release on April, 28th, 2023 via Wormholedeath.


Inspired by the apocalyptic prophecies of ancient cultures and their ancestral wisdom, as well as the aboriginal roots of the band members, Waking Our Ancient Memories is a conceptual album that features Unborn Prophecy's original sound. With a sound heavily influenced by technical and roove metal bands like Opeth, Obscura, Gojira, and Decapitated, the band aims to capture the fury of nature and their ancient roots.


Check out the official lyric video for "Ocean" below.







Unborn Prophecy was founded in 2018 by lead guitarist David González and drummer Juan Carlos Suárez, both from a previous project that played covers from several metal bands. After that period they began working on their own material. Their unique sound has made them one of the most anticipated bands in the Costa Rica metal scene.


The lineup for Unborn Prophecy consists of David Gonzalez on lead guitar, Juan Carlos Suarez on drums, Paulo Matarrita on bass guitar, Jeancarlo Murillo on rhythm guitar, and Sley Martinez on vocals.

2023 marks the final chapter in the long history of Germany’s legendary thrash metal act, Holy Moses, celebrated with the band's new studio album, Invisible Queen, released today (April 14th) and a last run of live shows.


Today, the band releases the new single / lyric video "Alternative Reality", which you can view below.







Sabina Classen comments:"Musically, this is a homage to the time of The New Machine Of Liechtenstein. The song is very catchy and in this way also a typical Hol Moses title. It contains crazy increases and hidden rhythms, in a special speed, paired with a mega solo by Pete. 'Alternative Reality' is a catchy thrash bomb."





Invisible Queen is available in the following formats:


- 1CD Jewelcase
- 2CD Digipak incl. 12-Track Bonus CD "Invincible Friends"
- 1LP in red/black marbled (lt. 500 pieces) and white/black marbled (ltd. 500 pieces)
- Digital


At the Atomic Fire Records webshop you can get a strictly limited (200 pieces) boxset including the 2CD digipak, a flag with the cover art, logo-patch, lanyard and a signed foto-card by all members. Get your version here:


On the CD bonus album, Invincible Friends, you get all album tracks in special versions, featuring various well-known guest singers.





Tracklisting (bonus album guests in brackets):


"Downfall Of Mankind" (Feat. Marloes Voskuil – Haliphron)
"Cult Of The Machine" (Feat. Bobby Ellsworth – Overkill)
"Order Out Of Chaos" (Feat. Diva Satanica – ex-Nervosa / Bloodhunter)
"Invisible Queen" (Feat. Ingo Bajonczak – Assassin / Bonded)
"Alternative Reality" (Feat. Tom Angelripper – Sodom)
"The New Norm" (Feat. Chris Staubach – Courageous)
"Visions In Red" (Feat. Rægina – Dæmonesq)
"Outcasts" (Feat. Leif Jensen – Dew-Scented)
"Forces Great And Hidden" (Feat. Gerre – Tankard)
"Too Far Gone" (Feat. Jens Kidman – Meshuggah)
"Depersonalized" (Feat. Daniela Karrer – Headshot)
"Through The Veils Of Sleep" (Feat. Ryker’s)


"Cult Of The Machine"





"Invisible Queen" video:





"My farewell album for the Final Reign Tour contains everything that made Holy Moses special in the past 43 years. Vocally, I was overflowing with energy and felt like I was transported back to the 80s. We have always written songs that we ourselves like and never compromised on trends or conceded to wrong expectations, especially with this final album. We aren’t out to please everyone; we are our own brand and have our own sound, which includes odd meters, technically demanding passages, and unusual chord structures as well as interesting lyrics that deal with the dark side of humanity and the human psyche", comments Sabina Classen.


Tour dates:


April
28-29 - Kirchdorf, Germany - No Playback Festival


May
19-20 - Kirchdorf, Germany - Bavarian Battle Open Air
20-21 - Ostend, Belgium - Huginns Awakening Fest VII
26-28 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Rock Hard Festival


June
8-10 - Frýdek-Místek, Czech Republic - HellPdays Festival 2023
8-10 - Büßfeld, Germany - M:O:A - M.I.S.E. Open Air
15-18 - Clisson, France - Hellfest


July
5-9 - Trutnov, Czech Republic - Obscene Extreme Festival
13-15 - Torgau / Entenfang, Germany - In Flammen Open Air
25-29 - Tolmin, Slovenia - Tolminator


August
2-5 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
11-13 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival
15-20 - Kiel, Germany - Full Metal Cruise X Part I


November
18 - Zwickau, Germany - Club Seilerstraße


December
8-9 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Eindhoven Metal Meeting
16 - Übach-Palenberg, Germany - Rockfabrik Club
27 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle (final show)


(Photo - Axel Jusseit)

In a new interview with Chile's iRock.CL, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy was asked what it was like to play with Dave Lombardo again after the drummer rejoined the San Francisco thrash metal outfit early last year. An original member of thrash metal legends SLAYER, Lombardo was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT's 1999 studio album "The Gathering", which also marked the first time the band worked with then-up-and-coming British producer/engineer Andy Sneap. Chuck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it was like old friends meeting together again, when we got to get back on the road together. It was really like old times. It felt like a normal family, I guess. It was great having him back. He came at a right time when Gene [Hoglan, longtime TESTAMENT drummer] wasn't available due to scheduling problems, and Dave had a lot of open time. So the timing worked. I know Dave's a busy man, so he has other projects too, and it's not TESTAMENT. So I imagine that'll… We can't really control all that. But it was very fun, those tours we did. He added his Lombardo-isms to the old TESTAMENT songs. So it was good."

Although it hasn't been officially announced, recent photos posted by TESTAMENT bassist Steve DiGiorgio on his Instagram show that the band has been rehearsing for its upcoming South American tour 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.

During the iRock.CL chat, Billy was also asked when fans can expect to hear some new music from TESTAMENT as a follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation" album. He said: "It's gonna be quite some time. We didn't get as much done right now before we come to South America. So after that we'll get back on it and keep trying to get it done. We wanna get a record… We want to get into the studio this year. So it depends. Maybe Alex [Skolnick, TESTAMENT guitarist] and Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] come back from the writing and they have a whole record ready. I don't know. So we'll see."

Regarding how the songwriting process works in TESTAMENT, Chuck said: "It'll mostly be Alex and Eric starting the riff, and I think once they introduce them to the whole band, that's kind of when the drums and the bass and everybody has a little more input; it'll kind of make a little change again there. We just kind of start with the structure and just try to feel it out and maybe get a vocal idea and then kind of see where it goes."

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

In March 2022, Billy told the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station that he didn't expect Lombardo to focus only on TESTAMENT in the coming months. "I'm not holding my breath that Dave just is in TESTAMENT only but we're gonna have to kind of maneuver around what happens," he said. "But then again, this is the beginning of the relationship. We might be busy enough and he might just be happy enough just working with us and it works out. So we're just kind of taking it one day at a time, one tour at a time. We know he's gonna be with us for the next three tours — we know that for sure — so we'll see what happens after that."

"Titans Of Creation" was released in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The long-awaited follow-up to 2016 album "Brotherhood Of The Snake" was produced by Billy and Peterson while Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios handled co-producing, recording and engineering. Sneap was responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album. Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create the artwork for the cover of this release.

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CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth spoke to Metal Injection about the status of his band's much-anticipated collaboration with pop megastar Ed Sheeran. He said: "Well, aside from my contribution, everything's done. The bass was the last thing to go on. Ed did his stuff before Christmas, laid down acoustic guitar and his vocals. It's a collaborative single, but for charity, because we wanted to use the opportunity of working with one of the world's biggest artists for a good cause, really. And we also didn't want to give people cause to think that we were jumping on the bandwagon and trying to do it for our own benefit financially. And I think we've got a very good cause we wanted to donate to; he's got a great cause he wants to donate to. And I think it would just garner more attention and seem less of a novelty if it's something that is done for charity."

Regarding what the track sounds like, Dani said: "It's not like an Ed Sheeran song, and it also doesn't sound like a CRADLE OF FILTH song. It's got acoustic guitars, it's got clean vocals, but it also has got a blast beat and unclean vocals and a very long scream of mine. So yes, I'd like to say it's a marriage made in hell, but it's probably a marriage made in heaven, actually. And hopefully, once I finish it, once it gets mixed, then it goes to his management and our management to decide how the thing's going to be tackled. Because, obviously, you talk about two record companies here and it has to be scheduled in. All that guff that the musicians don't usually get dealt with. So we're hoping for a summer release. That would be perfect because it would definitely benefit the charities that we were doing it for."

Dani also spoke in more general terms about CRADLE OF FILTH collaborating with someone like Sheeran. He said: "I think opposites attract. I like a marriage of weirdness. I like people to go how the fuck would that work? What the hell? And the fact that CRADLE OF FILTH and Ed Sheeran, when we found out that he'd grown up being a fan of the band and by a fucking hair breadth we hadn't met in the past, we started getting in contact, and I've been emailing him on and off for about two years now. So we became sort of penpal friends, and then the idea just came about. I think he just wants to expand his musical horizons so people don't just think, 'Oh, well, that's Ed Sheeran. I know what he's like, I imagine.'"

Filth added: "I think this is a very bold move for him because, attributing himself with a band like CRADLE OF FILTH could go either way. You know, people might go, 'oh my God, what the fuck? This is the band that had a 'Jesus Is A Cunt' shirt!' But at the same time I think it's a very cool move for him."

Filth originally broke the news about potentially working with the 32-year-old singer/songwriter, who is one of the most successful musicians on the planet, during an interview with Kerrang! Radio"Breakfast Show" at the 2021 Bloodstock Open Air festival in the U.K. At the time, Dani said: "I've actually been e-mailing with [Ed]… He actually touched base with me. I've been invited up to his place. Well, he said he could come down to mine, but I pointed out to him that I don't own my own bar or village, and it'd be better if I went there.

"He said he'd do anything," he added. "Quite literally. He said he's a massive fan. He seems like a genuinely very nice guy actually."

Filth went on to say the prospect of collaborating with someone like Sheeran is not as far fetched as one might think. "We've always been like that," he explained. 'If someone tells us not to do something, then we'll do it. That's been our prerogative the whole time. I did this rap song with this band called TWIZTID in America. It's actually turned out more like RAMMSTEIN and BEASTIE BOYS than full-on rap. So, in that respect, I think it the Ed Sheeran collaboration would be great fun. I think it'd be great if we did it for charity, because at least it would bring a bit of credibility to it. Because obviously to his public, it'd be, like, Oh my god, he's got this weird comical guy,' and to my public it'd be, like, 'Oh my god, this is a bit weird, isn't it? But I think that sort of thing nowadays works."

In July 2021, Sheeran floated the possibility of exploring a more extreme musical path while speaking to The Sun. He said: "I was really into death metal as a kid. I listened to CRADLE OF FILTH and SLIPKNOT and all that stuff. I'm not saying I could ever step into that world. I learnt all those riffs on guitar as a kid. That's something I've never thought about doing — but something I would not be opposed to creating."

Sheeran had previously dabbled in a variety of genres, including rock, dance, rap and reggae.

After The Sun published Sheeran's comments, Filth posted a screenshot of an article headlined "Ed Sheeran is open to recording a death metal album after spending his youth listening to CRADLE OF FILTH" and wrote in an accompanying caption, "I'll believe it when I see it. Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end. 'Dracula's Castle On The Hill' anyone?"

Sheeran previously admitted to his love of SLIPKNOT in a 2017 interview with Gist. Speaking about the inspiration for his then-brand new album "Divide", Ed said: "I've had the concept for 'Divide' since 2010. I wanted the whole album to feel a bit schizophrenic. My first sort of music that I got into that wasn't from my parents was rap, metal, punk… I went one day listening to 'lowa' [from] SLIPKNOT and the next day listening to Damien Rice's 'O'. It was quite a switch."

As it turns out, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor is also a Sheeran admirer, as he made clear in a 2017 interview with NME. Speaking about Ed's massive commercial success, Corey said at the time: "I'm stoked for people like Ed Sheeran — that kid worked his ass off, so why shouldn't he get the recognition?"

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The Royal Albert Hall is Eric Clapton's home away from home in London. Since his debut at the historic venue with THE YARDBIRDS in 1964, Clapton has performed there over 200 times (and counting),more than any other artist. He also holds the record for the longest run of concerts at the venue. He set it in 1990 with 18 shows, then broke it the following year with 24 concerts. They were some of the most ambitious shows of Clapton's career. Each night featured him performing a career-spanning set with one of three lineups — a rock band, a blues band, or an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen. Kamen previously worked with Clapton on the "Lethal Weapon" soundtracks, plus the TV show "Edge Of Darkness". Before his untimely passing in 2003, Kamen had become a leading film and TV composer, with "X-Men", "Die Hard" and "Band Of Brothers" among his many credits.

To commemorate that record-setting run, Clapton released "24 Nights" in October 1991. The double live album and home video delivered great performances but only covered a fraction of what was filmed and recorded. That's about to change.

Warner is giving the concerts the release they deserve this summer with "The Definitive 24 Nights". This limited-edition boxed set includes nearly six hours of live music, and 35 unreleased performances. The collection distills Clapton's 1990-91 Albert Hall residencies using the best performances from the rock, blues, and orchestral nights to create full concerts for each genre.

All the audio and video included in "The Definitive 24 Nights" was painstakingly restored and upgraded by Clapton's team of Simon Climie (audio production and mixing),producer Peter Worsley ("Slowhand At 70" and "The Lady In The Balcony") and director David Barnard ("The Lady In The Balcony").

"The Definitive 24 Nights" will be available on limited edition boxed sets as either 6-CDs ($139.98) or 8-LPs ($199.98) on June 23. Both versions come with three Blu-ray discs for the video content, a hardbound book, and an individually numbered lithograph featuring a photograph of Clapton by Carl Studna. Each are limited-edition versions and available now to pre-order.

Standalone versions of the individual concerts — "24 Nights: Rock", "24 Nights: Blues" and "24 Nights: Orchestral" — will be released the same day in 2-CD/DVD ($29.98) and 3-LP (Rock and Orchestral) ($49.98) and 2-LP (Blues) ($39.98) configurations.

Clapton's previously unreleased 1991 orchestral performance of "Layla" is available now digitally.

Clapton surrounded himself with superlative musicians for the performances on "The Definitive 24 Nights". The roster includes greats like Johnnie Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, Chuck Leavell, Phil Collins, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Ferrone, Ray Cooper and Jerry Portnoy.

For the rock concert, Clapton played many of his classic songs, including "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Can't Find My Way Home", "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight". Covers of "Crossroads" and a reggae version of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" with Phil Collins on drums are highlights. Clapton also featured several tracks from his then-most recent studio album (1989's "Journeyman"),including the hits "Pretending", "Running On Faith" and "Bad Love".

With Clapton aided by special guests Buddy Guy, Albert Colins and Robert Cray, the blues concert delivered a master class in the genre with ripping versions of standards like "Key To The Highway", "Sweet Home Chicago", "Black Cat Bone" and "Reconsider Baby".

The orchestral concert is the most unique of the collection. For those performances, Clapton's nine-piece band was joined by the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by legendary composer Michael Kamen. The collaboration resulted in stunning arrangements for "Layla", "White Room", "Bell Bottom Blues", "I Shot The Sheriff", "Lay Down Sally" and more.

The biggest highlight from the orchestral concert — and possibly the entire boxed set — is the previously unreleased 30-minute epic "Concerto For Guitar". Kamen composed the piece especially for Clapton, which made its live debut at Albert Hall. In the set's liner notes, music journalist David Fricke writes about the version included in the collection: "Near the halfway mark in this 1991 reading, [Clapton] takes off on guitar as if he has the rest of CREAM at his heels — at once precisely melodic and jubilantly unhinged — as Kamen echoes that ferment in the strings and brass."

Eric Clapton fans will also now have the opportunity to experience the excitement of the legendary Royal Albert Hall concerts on the big screen as Unique X and Iconic Events present the "Across 24 Nights" cinema event globally on May 17, with encore screenings from May 21. Edited from the original footage and remastered in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Surround Sound, "Across 24 Nights" will bring fans together to celebrate the ultimate musical event cinema experience.

"The Definitive 24 Nights" track listing

"24 Nights: Rock"

01. Pretending
02. Running On Faith
03. Breaking Point *
04. I Shot The Sheriff *
05. White Room
06. Can't Find My Way Home *(Feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
07. Bad Love
08. Before You Accuse Me *
09. Lay Down Sally *
10. Knockin' On Heaven's Door *
11. Old Love *
12. No Alibis *
13. Tearing Us Apart *
14. Cocaine *
15. Wonderful Tonight
16. Layla *
17. Crossroads *
18. Sunshine Of Your Love *

"24 Nights: Blues"

01. Key To The Highway *
02. Worried Life Blues
03. Watch Yourself
04. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
05. Everything's Gonna Be Alright *
06. Something On Your Mind *
07. All Your Love (I Miss Loving) *
08. It's My Life Baby *
09. Johnnie's Boogie *
10. Black Cat Bone *
11. Reconsider Baby *
12. My Time After A While *
13. Sweet Home Chicago *
14. Watch Yourself (Reprise) *

"24 Nights: Orchestral"

01. Crossroads *
02. Bell Bottom Blues
03. Lay Down Sally *
04. Holy Mother *
05. I Shot The Sheriff *
06. Hard Times
07. Can't Find My Way Home * (Feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
08. Edge Of Darkness
09. Old Love *
10. Wonderful Tonight *
11. White Room *
12. Concerto For Electric Guitar *(composed by Michael Kamen)
13. A Remark You Made *(A tribute to Jaco Pastorius)
14. Layla *
15. Sunshine Of Your Love *

* Previously unreleased