Finnish melodic metal band Dark The Suns released a new single and music video, "Raven". The track features Paavo Laapotti (Before The Dawn & Defiled Serenity) on vocals and is taken from the upcoming fifth studio album, Raven And The Nightsky, which is released later this year via Inverse Records. 
  
Comments from the band: 
 
Mikko: "'Raven' is the fourth single from our upcoming Raven And The Nightsky album. In the 'Raven' single we have a special guest vocalist, Paavo Laapotti. He has an amazing voice, and it brought really beautiful and melancholic athmosphere for the single! Jani also played acoustic guitar for the song, so we got more good new elements. I'm really proud of the results!"


Inka: "We had talked with Paavo about making a song together, and when one night I played the piano and made the chorus to this song, I immediately thought that this would sound great with Paavo’s vocals. He is super talented and he has such a great voice. The result sounds exactly like what I thought at the time. I thought about the single cover for a long time and made many sketches of ravens and black wings to catch the right feeling; in the end it felt like all the pieces fell into place, melodies and words, Jani’s acoustic guitar, painting, video... this was a really great project with a great team, and I am so happy for the results."


Paavo: "Making of this song was very easy with seamless teamwork and a great, clear concept. I really like the song and it has the great distinctive sound of Dark The Suns but with a twist. It was an honor to be a part of this release and I think we succeeded in bringing the nordic feel to the listeners around the world."




Jani: "As usual, working with Mikko and Inka was at the same time professional and easy-going, it is always a pleasure to spend time with them. The new song, 'Raven', is super catchy with beautiful melodies in it, and the vocals by Paavo are outstanding. I was honored to be involved in this one."
 
The single is available via digital platforms found here.


 


In 2005 Dark the Suns was founded by Mikko Ojala. In 2006 the band grew when three new members (bass player Inka, Juha on the keyboards and drummer Markus) joined the band, which signed with Firebox Records that same year.
 
During 2007-2010 Firebox Records released the band’s three full-length albums (In Darkness Comes Beauty, All Ends in Silence and Sleepwalking in a Nightmare). The band performed many live shows during these years.
 
There have been some changes in the line-up over the years, but Mikko and Inka have been continuously together, making music. The band was inactive for 2013-2020 but in 2020 Mikko and Inka decided to resume making music together. It was a really natural way to continue the band as a duo, because they have written almost all the band’s music and lyrics during all these years.


In 2020 and 2021 Inverse Records released four singles from the band’s 4th album Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä. The album includes ten songs of melancholic and melodic Finnish metal music. The band has always described their music as "beautiful piano melodies and dark vocals."


Jani Moilanen joined the band in March 2023. Their fifth studio album is set to be released later in 2023 via Inverse Records.
 

Following the release of the anthemic single "Joy", Northern Irish rock outfit, Therapy? drop their hard-hitting new track "Poundland Of Hope And Glory". The track is taken from their new album, Hard Cold Fire, which is set for release May 5th 2023 via Marshall Records.


Therapy?’s latest opus drips with the confident and regal essence of alternative rock royalty, while simultaneously delivering a sharp and contemporary bite that leaves a lasting impression. The band use their unique sense of socio-political satire to shed light on the dangers of living in an era rife with misinformation. The lyrics are strewn with bleak imagery, serving as a poignant reminder of the pitfalls that await those who blindly accept the narratives fed to them.


“This track started out as a hard take on how people lose themselves in narratives to the point that the myth takes on greater importance than the fact,” vocalist / guitarist Andy Cairns exclaims. “Just like the old adage about the liar repeating the lie so much that they eventually believe it themselves, the culture around us is bursting with fairy stories we tell ourselves.”




“Metaphor and hagiography surround us, but in a post-truth world, the Walter Mitty character is no longer a harmless fantasist but an incendiary zealot using misinformation and chaos to achieve their goals.” Cairns continues adding, “It’s easy to smirk at middle class parents whose Harry Potter loving kids are sent to private school because of the Hogwarts style uniforms, and easy to eye roll at adults who actually play Quidditch, a fictional sport from a novel written for children, but it’s not so easy to stomach the less savoury reinvention of colonialism as a lost paradise to which we should return.”





As Therapy?’s fourth decade finally gets underway in earnest, sixteenth album Hard Cold Fire, written and pre-produced during an unprecedented time for music, is hefty, compact, and accessible, a distillation of everything that has made them what they are - hewn from County Antrim basalt, still possessed of their stoicism, but casting a renewed focus on catharsis and healing.


“One thing we did decide when we were eventually able to rehearse, was that we didn't want to make a lockdown record,” says vocalist and guitarist Andy Cairns, “because people have been through enough.”


“When we began to rehearse the songs, we realised there was an empathetic quality to them. We wanted to make something that was a bit more relatable, and less standoffish and claustrophobic - which we have a history of, and it stands in places - but we wanted to make something more approachable and open.”


“We wanted this album to be one that felt good to play live, almost a release after this period of stasis, but then also not dwelling on the whole situation - we’re moving forward, and we wanted that energy to be there,” adds bassist Michael McKeegan.


The serrated, chugging riffage, churning low-end and propulsive rhythms that are hallmarks of the band’s sound are all present and correct, but met with a new-found sense of resolution and release, as most readily displayed on the one-two punch of their first single, "Joy".





Working once more with renowned producer Chris Sheldon (Feeder, Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters), a consistent good-luck charm for Therapy? dating back to 1994’s breakout album Troublegum, the band decamped to the newly opened Marshall Studios in Milton Keynes toward the end of 2021, working furiously to put the album down in its final form.


“We know Chris. We've got a similar mindset, a similar outlook in life, a similar sense of humour,” McKeegan says. “It works well, and it's a very easy, collaborative environment. There's no agenda to making the album, apart from 'let's make this absolutely brilliant'.”


While Hard Cold Fire represents the next milestone in the band’s ongoing journey, it sits at the front of a long body of work, veering between noise-rock, discord and sparse, groovy experimentation, and million-selling, mainstream-friendly pop and noirish, cinematic vistas.


For long-time fans, this new offering will reward an attentive ear in terms of musical flourishes and Cairns’ trademark lyrical substance, but as a finished product, the band has set out to create something that stands alone, and Hard Cold Fire achieves just that.


“There's a reinvigorated feel to the band, as though things are moving forward,” adds drummer Neil Cooper. “I'm very excited about people hearing this. It's not just about turning up and performing. Everyone's so invested... we're unbelievably lucky, some bands don't get that privilege, and I appreciate that. We're in a fantastic place.”


Hard Cold Fire will be released May 5th 2023 via Marshall Records. Pre-save / pre-order limited edition bundles here.





Hard Cold Fire tracklisting:


"They Shoot The Terrible Master"
"Woe"
"Joy"
"Bewildered Herd"
"Two Wounded Animals"
"To Disappear"
"Mongrel"
"Poundland Of Hope And Glory"
"Ugly"
"Days Kollaps"


Therapy? will play a run of intimate UK in-store dates coinciding with the album’s release. Find information for in-store tickets at this location.





(Photo credit: Tom Hoad)


 

Australian doom cultists Oceanlord are now releasing the sinister video clip for “Come Home”, the second track taken from their forthcoming new album Kingdom Cold. The unfathomable debut full-length is slated for release on May 26, 2023 via Magnetic Eye Records. Find preorder options here.


Oceanlord comment: "The song 'Come Home' was written as a haunted tragedy, prompted by the thought that if ‘home is where the heart is’, where is home when my heart has died?" guitarist and vocalist Peter Willmott asks. "The swirling psychedelic guitar and crushing riffs follow a journey from love to guilt to grief and death. Perhaps a morbid reminder to come home while you still can, or a thought that all separated roads will join eventually as we all find our home in the final darkness."







Tracklisting:


“Kingdom”
“2340”
“Siren”
“Isle Of The Dead”
“So Cold”
“Come Home”


Lineup:
Peter Willmott – guitar, vocals
Jason Ker – bass
Jon May – drums

Renowned Grammy-nominated band GOV'T MULE will release a new studio album, "Peace… Like A River", this spring. The LP's first single "Dreaming Out Loud", featuring Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster, can be streamed below. For the stirring new song, Grammy Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, guitar legend, and producer Warren Haynes wove together inspirational quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert and John Kennedy, and the late civil rights leader and U.S. representative John Lewis.

"Peace… Like A River", GOV'T MULE's 12th studio album and follow-up to the chart-topping, Grammy-nominated blues LP "Heavy Load Blues", will be released on June 16 via Fantasy Records. The 12-song rock collection also features guest appearances from Billy Bob Thornton, Celisse and Billy F Gibbons, the latter of whom performed with Haynes this past Sunday night at the CMT Music Awards for an incredible tribute to LYNYRD SKYNYRD.

"Peace… Like A River" is available to pre-order and pre-save on DSPs. Each digital pre-save will include an instant download of "Dreaming Out Loud". In addition, the "Peace… Like A River" deluxe edition (available on CD only) includes the original 12-track album plus the special five-track "Time Of The Signs" bonus EP, which features four brand-new, unreleased tracks and an alternate version of the album track "The River Only Flows One Way", with Warren taking lead vocals.

"'Peace… Like A River' is very ambitious from a musical arrangement standpoint in the way that a lot of the songs take twists and turns that is not common in today's pop music world," shares Haynes. "At the same time, it's very much a song record and covers a lot of ground, stylistically speaking. Song for song maybe my favorite one."

The tracks on "Peace…Like A River" explore the many sides of GOV'T MULE and bring together all the qualities that have earned the four-piece — Haynes (guitar, vocals),Matt Abts (drums),Danny Louis (keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals) and Jorgen Carlsson (bass) — the beloved stature they enjoy today. Concise songcraft coexists seamlessly with the band's trademark instrumental journeys. Songs longer than pop convention are somehow still compact: they're explorative but never meandering; the tunes are at once both wide-ranging and tightly focused. Thematically, the new album explores the seismic changes the world has gone through over the past few years. Influenced both in his songwriting and playing by what Haynes calls "the golden era of rock, soul, jazz and blues," GOV'T MULE combines the best and most enduring qualities from all those musical strains to create a timeless piece of art on "Peace… Like A River" that could have easily come out in the 1970s.

"Peace… Like A River" was recorded during the same sessions as "Heavy Load Blues" at The Power Station New England with co-producer John Paterno (ELVIS COSTELLO, BONNIE RAITT, LOS LOBOS) alongside Haynes. The albums, however, were created in different rooms, with no shared gear or instruments, keeping the two concurrent projects with their own unique identity and character.

One distinguishing difference on "Peace… Like A River" is the presence of talented friends in important guest roles. Billy F Gibbons's trademark vocals underscore the tasty ZZ TOP textures that inform the humor-infused "Shake Our Way Out", while Billy Bob Thornton adds his distinctive vocals to "The River Only Flows One Way". For introductory track "Dreaming Out Loud", Haynes wanted a SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE vocal style where different singers take different sections of the song, so he called upon previous collaborators blues great Ruthie Foster, whose backing vocals graced MULE's 2006 album "High & Mighty", and longtime friend, New Orleans soul legend Ivan Neville. Lastly, rising soul artist Celisse adds her incredible vocals to "Just Across The River".

GOV'T MULE will be out on the road this year in support of "Peace… Like A River". First up, the band heads out on a 10-date spring headlining tour, which kicks off May 5 in New Orleans during Jazz Fest, stops at the Ryman in Nashville on May 12 and wraps in Haynes's hometown of Asheville, North Carolina with back-to-back shows at Salvage Station's Outdoor Stage on May 19 and May 20. Then, this summer, GOV'T MULE is bringing back their extremely rare PINK FLOYD tribute "Dark Side Of The Mule" for a 12-date summer amphitheater tour that includes a stop at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 7. The "Dark Side Of The Mule" tour, produced by Live Nation, will feature a full GOV'T MULE set leading into "Dark Side Of The Mule", as well as special guest JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING, and will mark the final time MULE will perform the acclaimed set, which first debuted in 2008 and has only been performed live 10 times in total. Additionally, GOV'T MULE will perform select dates with THE AVETT BROTHERS and on Willie Nelson's "Outlaw Music Festival" tour this summer as well as various festival appearances. The band's New Year's run from last year has also been rescheduled for December 29 in Philadelphia and December 30 and December 31 in New York City.

"Peace… Like A River" track listing:

01. Same As It Ever Was
02. Shake Our Way Out (ft. Billy F Gibbons)
03. Made My Peace
04. Peace I Need
05. Your Only Friend
06. Dreaming Out Loud (ft. Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster)
07. Head Full Of Thunder
08. The River Only Flows One Way (ft. Billy Bob Thornton)
09. After The Storm
10. Just Across The River (ft. Celisse)
11. Long Time Coming
12. Gone Too Long

Deluxe edition (CD Only) - "Time Of The Signs" EP track listing:

01. Stumblebum
02. Under The Tent
03. Time Stands Still
04. Blue, Blue Wind
05. The River Only Flows One Way (WH vocals)

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Fall Of Earth, hailing from Edmonton, Canada is a myriad of different styles that all come together in a creative and approachable form of modern, thrashing melo-death and progressive metal. Collectively, each of the four members possesses the highest levels of musicianship while never forgetting to put on the exceptional live show they have become known for delivering. They have a new album coming out this year, their second, and From The Ashes promises to be more cohesive and refined than the previous one. While fans wait for this release, they are offering their next single “Purgatory”. 


They share the story behind the track:


"A recently passed man observes how quickly he is forgotten in the world of the living. With his memory fading from existence and the ones he thought loved him continuing their lives effortlessly, he must wander in a state of limbo. Not being able to accept the harsh truth, the man is left to explore purgatory for eternity without passing on to a heavenly afterlife. Musically, we start off this track with a melancholy bass intro, in a strange time signature of 13/8. The song builds off of this section piece by piece, becoming fuller up until the verse where it takes off and comes together. There is an interesting mix of despair and realization within this composition, highlighted by the contrast between sections. I personally think the pinnacle of this song is the first bridge section, where we lay down a heart-pounding, groovy ‘Gojira’ style riff, and eventually bring it back to an alternate chorus to tie all these dynamics together."




Compared to their debut, the band believes that their sophomore record From The Ashes is a coherent next step. Although their previous album was far more experimental, they strongly feel like fans will find that they are taking these audio experiments and solidifying them into their signature “thing”. They are confident that listeners will be happy with this transition from songs with cool sections, into compositions with intent and purpose.


With a writing process that is seamless and tracks that come together organically, each song is created in a different way. Sometimes it starts with lyrics, sometimes a guitar riff, they’ve even based it off of drum patterns a few times. In the end, the team effort between the four of them ties together the structure and the result is melodic, and thought-provoking. Their music is recommended for fans of Gojira, Dream Theatre, and Periphery.


From The Ashes is due out on April 21; preorder/pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


“Medusa”
“The Dead And Soon To Be”
“Block Out The Sun”
“Path To Self Destruction
“Crossroads”
“From The Ashes”
“Shores Of War”
“Purgatory”
“Into The Woods”


"Purgatory":





“Block Out The Sun” lyric video:





Fall Of Earth live:


April
8 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room


August
6 – Drumheller, AB – Loud As Hell Festival 


(Photo: Christopher Wood)

JETHRO TULL will release its 23rd studio album, "RökFlöte", on April 21 via InsideOut Music. Following 2022's "The Zealot Gene", the group's first LP in two decades, Ian Anderson and his bandmates are returning with a 12-track record based on the characters and roles of some of the principal gods of the old Norse paganism, and at the same time exploring the "RökFlöte" — rock flute — which JETHRO TULL has made iconic.

Today the band has launched the third single from the album, "Hammer On Hammer". The track takes inspiration from the god Thor, a loyal and honorable warrior who wears a powerful symbolic belt and wields a hammer. His mortal enemy and nemesis was Jormungand, the sea serpent.

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

"RökFlöte" track listing:

01. Voluspo
02. Ginnungagap
03. Allfather
04. The Feathered Consort
05. Hammer On Hammer
06. Wolf Unchained
07. The Perfect One
08. Trickster (And The Mistletoe)
09. Cornucopia
10. The Navigators
11. Guardian's Watch
12. Ithavoll

Ian explains the album's title and theme in more detail: "The title of this offering went through a little change or two along the way. I started with the idea of a predominantly instrumental album for rock flute — as in rock music. When the subject material of the album presented itself, I was drawn to the term Ragnarök from Norse mythology — their version of apocalyptic end times or Biblical Armageddon. The 'final showdown' scenario is ubiquitous and inherent in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, for example. Ragnarök translates as 'destiny of the Gods', the rök part meaning destiny, course, direction. With umlaut firmly in place, courtesy of the Germanic origins of Old Norse, Flute became Flöte in keeping with the spelling. With me so far? I just can't miss the glorious opportunity for a good and legitimate umlaut."

"The Zealot Gene", released in January 2022, was JETHRO TULL's 22nd studio album and it garnered critical acclaim across the board. Reaching No. 9 in the U.K. album charts, a feat the band hadn't reached since 1972, it also debuted at No. 4 in Germany, No. 3 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Austria, No. 8 in Finland, as well as top 10 in the U.S. album charts, Current Album charts and Rock Album charts.

With more than 30 albums to their credit and sales totaling more than 50 million, JETHRO TULL are one of the most successful rock bands of all-time with a catalog that contains classics that still resonate today. Led by Anderson, TULL continue to tour throughout the world, entertaining audiences of all ages.

The band consists of:

Ian Anderson - Concert and Alto flutes, Flute d'Amour, Irish whistle and vocals
David Goodier - Bass
John O'Hara - Piano, keyboards and Hammond Organ
Scott Hammond - Drums
Joe Parrish-James - Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin

Two-time-Grammy-nominated band RIVAL SONS has shared the official music video for its latest single, "Bird In The Hand". It stands out as the latest anthem to be unveiled from the group's upcoming full-length album, "Darkfighter", set for release on June 2.

"Bird In The Hand", directed by Kurt Kubicek, continues the narrative featured in the previously released companion videos for the explosive singles "Nobody Wants To Die" (directed by Eli Sokhn) and "Rapture" (directed by Kurt Kubicek).

"The saga continues with another prequel in our new video," says guitarist Scott Holiday. "Jay and I teamed up to write and produce this one again, as well as working with our pal Kurt Kubicek. All shot in our backyard in the Hollywood Hills… right off the Sunset Strip! Right up the street from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go, actually! We found this incredible time capsule mid-century home that sets the scene for most of the video. It's been incredible making these little vignettes. Really fun. All created on pretty tiny budgets. But the limitations force us to get ultra creative and focused. We've been extremely blessed to have such talented friends/crew/and collaborators working with us that see these videos as passion projects… which is the only way they come together. I think when you watch the series of videos you can feel the love that's gone into them."

Vocalist Jay Buchanan adds: "'Rapture' was a prequel to 'Nobody Wants To Die' and 'Bird In The Hand' is a prequel to 'Rapture'. Same cast of characters, different part of the story. It's been a great time writing and producing these videos along with great directors and crew. With video production we're really at that sweet spot where we don't know the rules so we're not afraid of breaking them. We'll see where it goes from here."

Buchannan previously stated about "Bird In The Hand": "There's a lyric in there, 'Let's go down to the river where the water runs still and deep, to scatter the ashes of the mess I used to be.' You can burn through a whole lot of time just trying to find your lane, your realized intention. At some point you accept reincarnation as a waking process. Build, refine and burn again and again and the lyric, 'A bird in the hand, now that's a miracle I can believe' is the immersive commitment to the present."

In support of new LP, RIVAL SONS will embark on an extensive five-week North American headline run dubbed "The Darkfighter Tour" which will feature support from THE BLACK ANGELS, THE RECORD COMPANY and STARCRAWLER on select dates. The trek kicks off on May 11 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the Diamond Ballroom, visits major markets across the country, and concludes on June 18 in Denver, Colorado at the Ogden Theatre. In between, the band will perform at a handful of festivals such as Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 20 and Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio on May 27.

Heightening excitement for this next chapter of RIVAL SONS, the band has also shared details of a companion album titled "Lightbringer" — due out in late 2023.

Expanding on the two-album set, Buchanan commented: "In comparison to our previous records, we certainly took our time both writing and recording this collection. When we set out, the intention was mostly to dig as deep as possible. Even in the beginning before the body had formed, we agreed to throw the map away and chop our way through the woods to make a new path. Then lockdown hit and it felt like the whole damn country decided to throw the map away too. For myself, 2022 was like an eight-stage rocket of life changing events, so every time I thought I was finished writing, a new bull would come tearing through the clothesline and I'd have to illustrate it in some way. By the end, there were really two different sides to the same story being told. On one side, you're fighting the darkness and, on the other, you're bringing your own light to where there is none. One side in a corner, on the ropes, and the other advancing, cleaning the ring. Without an intermission, a refractory period, the collection would be too big a bite, so splitting it in two was the only way to do it."

"Darkfighter" and "Lightbringer" were both produced by longtime collaborator and multi-Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb. These albums mark the first new music from RIVAL SONS since the release of 2019's "Feral Roots", which earned the band two Grammy Award nominations.

In 2021, RIVAL SONS celebrated the 10th anniversary of their 2011 album, "Pressure And Time", by performing the landmark longplayer live in its entirety on the "Pressure And Time" tour for the first time. They also lit up Southern California with a two-night livestream event, "Rival Sons: Pair Of Aces", live from the historic Catalina Casino on Santa Catalina Island. They performed their debut LP, "Before The Fire" (2009),in its entirety on the first night and their self-titled EP, "Rival Sons" (2010),on the second.

"Darkfighter" track listing:

01. Mirrors
02. Nobody Wants To Die
03. Bird In The Hand
04. Bright Light
05. Rapture
06. Guillotine
07. Horses Breath
08. Darkside

RIVAL SONS is Jay Buchanan (vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar),Scott Holiday (lead guitar),Mike Miley (drums) and Dave Beste (bass).

Photo credit: Pamela Littky

After the recent death of original founding member Gary Rossington, the Lynyrd Skynyrd band members and estates have been in discussion on what was next for the group and the music that is celebrating 50 years of generational history in American Rock and Roll.


The current members, led by Johnny Van Zant, the singer for the past 36 years, was unsure if they would continue following Gary’s untimely passing. After much discussion with the band, the families of Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, and Dale Rossington, the collective has reached unified support, and feel that continuing to perform live, and keeping the music alive, is in the best interest of the fans and everyone involved.


Dale Rossington shares, “I recently lost my husband and partner of over 41 years. He was an amazing father, grandfather, brother and friend, but most importantly was a world class musician and songwriter. It’s been my honor and privilege to share the stage with him for all these years. His music touched so many millions of people around The World, and Gary was always the first to say how, ‘Skynyrd’s music is bigger than me or any one person.’ Gary made it known at every chance to express how timeless the music was, and it was always his goal to keep the music alive for his brothers because that was always their dream. He spent his entire life trying to carry on that dream for Ronnie, Allen, Steve and all the others over the years. While he was not able to physically be on stage with the current lineup over the last couple years, he supported them in every way. His dream will continue thanks to Johnny, Rickey and the rest of our band mates to continue to carry his legacy and music on for future generations.”




Johnny Van Zant adds, “Gary was not only my brother, bandmate and friend. I think he loved me as much as I loved him. We would do anything for each other. We laughed, we fell, we cried and made up, and shared the stage for the last 36 years. Gary, along with my brother Ronnie and Allen started this band and left us all a legacy of music that has stood the test of time, and crossed three generations of fans. The music they created, and the music we created, together since 1987, was always meant to be experienced live. We have come together with the founding band member estates, and everyone involved, and feel the music should continue for everyone to love and enjoy. So we will continue to perform for the Skynyrd Nation.”


Judy Van Zant Jenness adds, “Lynyrd Skynyrd has been a part of my life for 50+ years. The journey has been filled with love, joy, friendship and tragedy. Ronnie, Gary and Allen’s dream was to write music that would connect with people and to play that music live. I cannot say with certainty what those who have passed on would want us to do, but I do know what Gary wanted. And I know what the fans want. To show our undying love for those who are no longer with us and to pay tribute to them, the music will continue. The Lynyrd Skynyrd family is unified in this decision.”


In June, Encore will present Lynyrd Skynyrd’s performance filmed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN on November 13, 2022. The concert film captures the final public performance of Gary Rossington, and will be exhibited on big screens in movie theaters across the U.S. It will then be broadcast in August on PBS. The CMT Music Awards presented an all-star tribute live on CBS from Austin’s Moody Center on April 2, honoring original founding member Gary Rossington featuring Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Slash, and Warren Haynes with LeAnn Rimes and Wynonna Judd joining as “The Honkettes.” Recently, Lynyrd Skynyrd was honored by Spotify for reaching the milestone achievement of 1 billion streams for “Sweet Home Alabama.”


The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour, the first co-headlining tour featuring ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd will stage performances in twenty-five cities in North America this summer, with special guest Uncle Kracker. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on Friday, July 21 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL, and wraps in Camden, NJ at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Sunday, September 17.





Tour dates:


July
21 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
23 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
28 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
29 - Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena
30 - Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman


August
7 - Denver, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre*
10 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
11 - Wheatland, CA - Toyota Amphitheatre
13 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
17 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
19 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
20 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
25 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
26 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
27 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage


September
1 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
2 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
3 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake
8 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
9 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium
10 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
15 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
17 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion


* Not A Live Nation Date


Additional Lynyrd Skynyrd dates:


April
29 - Brandon, MS Jubilee Days - Brandon Amphitheater


May
5 - West Panama City Beach, FL - Thunder Beach at Frank Brown Park
19 - Bushkill, PA - Lost Highway Motorcycle Show & Concert 2023
20 - Cleveland, OH - Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
27 - Laughlin, NV - Laughlin Event Center


June
16 - Santa Rosa, CA - Country Summer Music Festival
17 - Del Mar, CA - Toyota Summer Concert Series


July
14 - Prior Lake, MN - Lakefront Music Fest 2023
15 - West Fargo, ND - Red River Valley Fair


August
4 - Sweet Home, OR - Oregon Jamboree Music Festival 2023
6 - Sturgis, SD - Sturgis Buffalo Chip


Lynyrd Skynyrd will return to Brazil in September.

METALLICA has shared the official lyric videos for the title track of the band's 12th studio album, "72 Seasons", in eight different languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Korean. Check them out below.

The official music video for "72 Seasons", which was released late last month, was directed by Tim Saccenti and was filmed in Los Angeles, California on February 12.

The "72 Seasons" LP will be released April 14 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer 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". The album will be released in formats, including 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD and digital.

METALLICA and Trafalgar Releasing will hold a worldwide "72 Seasons" listening party. For one night only on Thursday, April 13, "72 Seasons" will be played in full in pummeling surround sound, exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide — with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band. The result will offer fans an unforgettable night as they experience "72 Seasons" first and fully on the eve of its April 14 release date.

The "72 Seasons" global premiere sees METALLICA and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of "S&M²", which documented METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original "S&M" (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.

In a recently released behind-the-scenes look at the making of "72 Seasons", Hetfield stated about the LP's first single, "Lux Æterna": "'Lux Æterna' is an upbeat, kind of fast and joyous song, I would say — really indicative of New Wave Of British [Heavy] Metal stuff, so kind of a harkening-back-to-'80s kind of riff. It's just fun and makes me move. It was fun making the video, fun recording a song that comes out really easy, that was a real easy song to write and to perform, like I said, very much like the early '80s for us."

As for the inspiration for the "72 Seasons" album title, Hetfield said: "'72 Seasons' came out of a book I was reading about childhood, basically, and sorting out childhood as an adult. And 72 seasons is basically the first 18 years of your life. How do you evolve and grow and mature and develop your own ideas and identity of self after those first 72 seasons? Some things are more difficult than others — you know, some things you can't unsee and they're with you for the rest of your life, and other things you're able to rewind the tape and make a new tape in your life. So that's the real interesting part for me, is how you're able to address those situations as an adult and mature."

He continued: "There's been a lot of darkness in my life and in our career and things that have happened with us, but always having a sense of hope, always having the light that is in that darkness… Without darkness, there is no light, and being able to focus a little more on the light in life instead of all of the… how it used to be and how horrible it is... There's a lot of good things going on in life — focusing on that instead, and it helps to balance out my life. And there's no one meaning to it — everyone has some sense of hope or light in their life, and, obviously, music is mine. And the song specifically talks about gathering of people at a concert and [being] able to see the joy and the life and the love that comes out of music and the family and the kinship in that, and just a sense of uplifting."

In November, METALLICA released the Tim Saccenti-directed music video for "Lux Æterna", along with details about the album's accompanying "M72" world tour featuring two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.

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

In a new interview with Metal Pilgrim, SAXON frontman Biff Byford spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we're just demoing tracks at the moment. It'll sound fantastic. What can I say? But we're demoing tracks at the moment. We're working on the music. I'm asking the guys to push themselves and come up with some great riffs and things. And that's what we're doing, really. So we're just putting the music together now. It'll be maybe a couple of weeks before I start singing on the demos. And then once that's done, it's pretty straightforward then; the recording process is pretty straightforward. There are no surprises. We know what we're doing."

Asked about the musical direction of SAXON's upcoming LP, Biff said: "It'll be like [2022's] 'Carpe Diem' and [2018's] 'Thunderbolt'. It'll be a great SAXON album."

SAXON guitarist Paul Quinn recently announced that he was stepping back from touring with the band. As a result of his decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

SAXON's latest release, "More Inspirations", arrived on March 24 via Silver Lining Music. Following the release of "Inspirations" in 2021, "More Inspirations" is the second "deep dish" serving of the influences which have fed SAXON's immensely successful 40-plus-year career.

Produced by Biff, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann, "More Inspirations" includes takes on RAINBOW, ZZ TOP and CREAM, as well as "Razamanaz" by NAZARETH, THE WHO's "Substitute", and URIAH HEEP's "Gypsy".

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke to former Scorpions drummer, James Kottak, about his time in the Scorpions and in Kingdom Come. Watch the interview below.


Asked if he had any idea he was going to be replaced, and if he knew his replacement was Mikkey Dee, Kottak said, "Honestly, no, but if you're going to replace me, get somebody really good. Mikkey is a great drummer. I met him when he was starting with Don Dokken and he's a great guy. I've seen him play with King Diamond. Over the years we have been running into each other. I was in Antigua at the thing (Eric Clapton's Crossroads rehab in 2016) and I talked to the guys about once a week or so, but I never had any indication that anything was going to change. And that there was only a handful of shows booked for the whole year, it was only like maybe 10 shows (left). So they got some kid from Greece to fill in and then they kept going, man you've got to stay there (at rehab) stay there all you want, so I'm like, 'oh okay', so I did and everything seemed cool. Then once I came back to L.A. in July and we didn't talk about splitting ways until November or something, so I was actually really surprised about that. They're smart guys man they got their business to run. And as they would say, they're in their twilight years so to speak and they just didn't want to take any chances on any trouble and I don't blame them. I was really surprised and taken off guard. I think we were on the phone that day for like two and a half hours going back and forth, back and forth and stuff - but they were so good to me. "







In a recent interview with Robert Cavuoto for Metal-Rules.com, Mikkey Dee discussed stepping in for James Kottack... and then replacing him.


Said Mikkey: "He knew that there was "a" drummer, not who it was." He then added, "I wasn't there to snag his seat."


Watch the interview below:

Kid Rock has blasted Anheuser-Busch for its decision to enlist trans activist and influencer Dylan Mulvaney as a Bud Light brand influencer.

The TikTok star with more than 10 million followers posted a video advertising the beer company's March Madness contest offering customers a chance to win $15,000. This caused a number of conservatives to share their apparent anger over the partnership, including Kid Rock, who posted a video of him using a semi-automatic rifle to shoot a rapid fire of bullets at several cases of Bud Light which had been placed on top of a table by a river.

"Grandpa is feeling a little frisky today. Let me tell you as clear and concise as possible," the 52-year-old rocker said before shooting up the beer. He then raised his middle finger and shouted: "Fuck Bud Light and fuck Anheuser-Busch."

Mulvaney revealed on Sunday to her Instagram followers that Bud Light had sent her a personalized can with her face on it to commemorate 365 days since she began her gender transition.

However, Anheuser-Busch said the cans with Mulvaney's face on them were a personal gift to her and that she is one of hundreds of influencers the company partners with.

"Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points," a spokesperson for the company told Fox News. "From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public."

Kid Rock's latest album, "Bad Reputation", came out in March 2022.

"Bad Reputation" includes the three songs Kid Rock released in January 2022 — "We The People", "The Last Dance" and "Rockin'" — as well as his November 2021 single "Don't Tell Me How To Live", which was recorded with Canadian hard rockers MONSTER TRUCK.

"We The People" features the chorus of "Let's go, Brandon," conservative code for "Fuck Joe Biden" (born when a NASCAR reporter misheard a crowd, reporting that they chanted in support of racer Brandon Brown when they were actually chanting expletives toward the U.S. president),and also takes aim at the mainstream media, CNN, TMZ, Twitter and Facebook, as well as mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.

"We the people in all we do reserve the right to scream, 'Fuck you!" Kid shouts in the song. "Wear your mask. Take your pills. Now a whole generation is mentally ill," he adds.

Elsewhere in the song, he raps: "COVID's near. It's coming to town. We gotta act quick, shut our borders down. Joe Biden does, the media embraces. Big Don does it, and they call him racist.

"Inflation's up like the minimum wage. So it's all the same. Not a damn thing changed," he exclaims.

He then calls for politically polarized Americans to come together, saying: "We gotta keep fighting for right to be free. And every human being doesn't have to agree. We all bleed red, brother, listen to me. It's time for love and unity."

The track concludes with sampled crowd chanting, "Let's go, Brandon."

In a Facebook video announcing the three tracks in January 2022, Kid Rock described "We The People" as a "hard rock-rap tune."

"[It's] about, well, all the craziness going on in our world in the last few years and the politics and the polarization and social justice," he said. "You know, constantly for just being a Trump fan attacked in the media day in day out."

He added: "I don't mind taking a punch, but I hit back, motherfucker, and I hit hard."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kid Rock (@kidrock)

Finnish melodic death/doom/gothic metallers Hanging Garden released their new album, The Garden, on March 24th via Agonia Records. Check out the official lyric video for new single, "The Construct", below.





Hanging Garden formed in 2004, starting out as a heavy, doom-oriented project. Roughly two decades, seven albums and a couple of line-up shuffles later, the band shifted to a more melodic, contemporary sound, surrounded by a veil of melancholy.




The compositions are dark, atmospheric & emotional, and concomitantly lean towards open-minded and playful musicality. While entrenched in metal's doom, gothic and melodeath branches, Hanging Garden displays a versatile, many-layered style of playing, packs female & male vocals, and draws influence & inspiration from music and art, far and wide.


The new album - The Garden - dives deep into atmospheres both "tender and harsh, devilish and serene" and "embarks upon a journey to mankind's spiritual roots, contemplating the fragility of our technological society" - as poetically described by the band. "There is a kind of energy in the songs that there wasn’t before," introspects Toni Hatakka of Hanging Garden. "A feel of hope to contrast our old friend the despair, a strong notion of action against the familiar melancholy, or maybe a light amidst the comfortable gloom..."


Read Toni's full comment below.


"After almost two decades of dwelling in the musical and lyrical thematics of despair, loss and melancholy, I had the feeling that our next release could have some room for hope and light as well - of course not forgetting our trademark-ish somber aesthetic. The approach we decided to take was to weave a story of how humanity would still thrive, still find meaning, after the world as we know it has finally met its end."


"Exploring the rituals, belief systems, connection to nature, finding purpose in just being and surviving were the cornerstones of how The Garden came to be. Another strong theme is that of dreams; since childhood, I’ve had this recurring dream world with a silent feel of stagnation, colossal constructs of rust, the action of journeying to the unknown, and lush nature. This is where I also draw a lot of what ended up on the album. The lyrics written by Riikka also amalgamated into this aesthetic perfectly. Even the name was given to me in a dream. Back in spring, I had a dream where our keyboardist Nino and I had a talk about this being our Magnum Opus and that we should call it The Garden. Such a powerful notion could not be left unheeded, and so the album had its name. The Garden is at the same time familiar and atypical for us. There is a kind of energy in the songs that there wasn’t before, a feel of hope to contrast our old friend the despair, a strong notion of action against the familiar melancholy, or maybe a light amidst the comfortable gloom. But in the end, this is us."


The Garden, the follow-up to Skeleton Lake (2021), was produced by Jussi Hämäläinen (vocals, guitars) and Jarno Hänninen. The album was mixed and mastered by the latter at D-studio (Beherit, Shape of Despair). Cover artwork and new band photos are by Finnish artist Kalle Pyyhtinen. "The Garden" marks the return of new-old drummer Antti Ruokola, last seen in Hanging Garden seven years ago.





Tracklist:


"The Garden"
"The Four Winds"
"The Construct"
"The Song of Spring"
"The Fire at First Dawn"
"The Nightfall"
"The Stolen Fire"
"The Journey"
"The Derelict Bay"
"The Fireside"
"The Resolute"


"The Four Winds"





"The Fireside"





Line-up:
Mikko Kolari - guitars
Jussi Hämäläinen - guitars, vocals
Toni Hatakka - vocals
Riikka Hatakka - vocals
Nino Hynninen - keyboards
Jussi Kirves - bass
Antti Ruokola - drums

Revealed by James Gunn on Monday (April 3),the track listing for "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" is a collection of 17 songs and is set for release on CD and digital download May 3. The soundtrack will also be available on 12-inch two-LP vinyl on May 5 and will be followed by the cassette version on July 7. The "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Original Score" digital album featuring music by composer John Murphy ("The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special", "Suicide Squad") will be released on May 3.

"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" track listing:

01. "Creep" (Acoustic Version) - Performed by RADIOHEAD
02. "Crazy On You" - Performed by HEART
03. "Since You Been Gone" - Performed by RAINBOW
04. "In The Meantime" - Performed by SPACEHOG
05. "Reasons" - Performed by EARTH, WIND AND FIRE
06. "Do You Realize??" - Performed by THE FLAMING LIPS
07. "We Care a Lot" - Performed by FAITH NO MORE
08. "Koinu No Carnival" (From "Minute Waltz") - Performed by EHAMIC
09. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" - Performed by ALICE COOPER
10. "San Francisco" - Performed by THE MOWGLI'S
11. "Poor Girl" - Performed by X
12. "This Is The Day" - Performed by THE THE
13. "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" - Performed by BEASTIE BOYS
14. "Dog Days Are Over" - Performed by FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
15. "Badlands" - Performed by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
16. "I Will Dare" - Performed by THE REPLACEMENTS
17. "Come And Get Your Love" - Performed by REDBONE

In Marvel Studios' "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3", our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn't long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket's turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket's life — a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

The film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova.

James Gunn is the director and also wrote the screenplay. Kevin Feige produces, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Sara Smith and Simon Hatt serving as executive producers.

"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" opens in U.S. theaters on May 5.

Three of the people who were injured when the roof collapsed at a theater hosting a MORBID ANGEL concert in Belvidere, Illinois last Friday night (March 31) spoke to ABC 7 Chicago about their experience.

Dylan Crone, whose injuries are still visible, said from his hospital bed: "I don't even know how I made it out. As soon as I felt pain and started yelling for help, I said there was still a chance that I can make it through this. I was in front left center of the stage, so right where the main part of the building fell, I was right there. It just immediately crashed on me, and I was out like light."

Paul Rojas, who was standing near Fred Livingston, Jr., the only fatality from the disaster, and Fred's son, recalled: "I feel the whole, heavy things in my body, my legs, my head. When you realize days after, and see that, man, he was next to me."

Victoria Bella, who was also in the front row, said: "I remember going to turn to run away and something hit me in the head, and the next thing I knew I was unconscious. And, the last thing I remember was a paramedic scooping me up and taking me to an ambulance."

Some of the concertgoers at the Apollo Theater have returned to the venue for the first time since the roof collapsed, trying to identify the belongings they left behind in the rubble.

"You could hear screaming, I didn't know if the world was ending, or it was a tornado," Violet Munoz, who attended the show on Friday, told WTVO. "The next second, I was buried alive. I was pulled from the rubble by my boyfriend, Eric Biel. He's a hero. And everyone in there."

Although the concert was reportedly sold out, the Belvidere Police Department said only 260 people were at the Apollo Theater on March 31 when the collapse occurred as a heavy storm rolled through the area. The capacity of the theater is around 1,500.

In total, 28 people were taken to local hospitals by paramedics and another 48 people sought treatment on their own.

Officials were notified by the National Weather Service of a tornado warning at 7:45 p.m. CT. The roof collapsed ten minutes later, according to Belvidere Fire Department chief Shawn Schadle.

Livingston's sister Deanna Hicks told ABC7 Chicago he was attending the concert at the theatre with his son Alex, who Hicks said is "OK."

Belvidere police chief Shane Woody described the scene when police arrived as "chaos. Absolute chaos. When officers are first on the scene, when the fire department and first responders get here, they do the best they can to control the chaos as much as possible," he said. "But ultimately, we go in, and ultimately try and find people, and save as many people as we possibly can — and bring them to safety as best as we can."

One person who was inside the theater when the collapse happened told Rockford Scanner: "It was in between sets. The first band had just played. People were going outside to smoke. And then all the people came running back in, 'cause the rain started coming down real heavy. Then all of a sudden the door that they came out of was swinging back and forth, slamming super hard. All the power went out in the building and the entire ceiling collapsed on everybody in the front area — right at the stage, on the stage, the people behind the stage; that sector of the building. When it came down, it blew me out towards the exit door. I crawled out a hole through the door and I escaped without a scratch; I don't know how I did. But there's definitely casualties and 50 wounded — severely. It's horrible."

"Initially, I was confused because it felt like an earthquake, and I was thinking, 'Why would there be an earthquake right now?'" an audience member at the concert who narrowly escaped injury told The New York Times. "As soon as that happened. I watched as the entire roof collapsed on everybody, basically right where we were standing."

The concert was part of MORBID ANGEL's 2023 U.S. tour, featuring support acts CRYPTA, SKELETAL REMAINS and REVOCATION.

According to the venue's official Facebook page, doors were scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m., with CRYPTA set to perform at 7 p.m., SKELETAL REMAINS at 7:45 p.m., REVOCATION at 8:40 p.m. and MORBID ANGEL at 9:40 p.m.

The collapse was reported as severe storms with 90 mph winds blew through the area.

According to local reports, at least 20 ambulances were dispatched to the theater, which is located roughly 14 miles outside of the city of Rockford.

Photos and video taken at the venue showed that the theater's marquee and façade had crashed on to the street, with debris littering the area as first responders worked to help the injured.

Belvidere is located in Boone County, about 72 miles from Chicago.

The Apollo Theatre opened in 1921 as a stage play, movie, and vaudeville venue.

In a new interview with Metal Covenant, Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, spoke about how he manages to have a safe and stable home life away from the lifestyle of rock and roll. He said: "Yeah, I spend time with my wife and our four cats, and we just enjoy life back in Greece whenever I'm not touring.

"I'm at a very happy place right now, because I've achieved all the things that I ever wanted in the music industry, so I have no regrets; I have no hang-ups; I'm not bitter about anything. I still have visions and things I wanna do, of course, but I'm really comfortable within life. I'm not in a struggling place in life. It has been good. Yeah, I have a good family with my wife, we're enjoying it, and we live in a nice place. It's all good. And I still do what I love. I make a good living out of that. I can't complain, really. I guess I belong in, like, maybe that little one or two percent of musicians who are able to do that. And times are not easy; times are not easy."

Gus added: "Yeah, we try to navigate. That has always been my philosophy about this. I try to navigate through the good and bad things, and the years are more and more difficult. And, you know, we're not, like, total rock stars that are millionaires or anything. We try to navigate and we still try to do what we love. That is happiness to me."

Gus has had an amazing rise within the scene and amassed an incredible body of work, both on the studio-album and worldwide touring fronts, starting with his early international work with the groups DREAM EVIL (Sweden),MYSTIC PROPHECY (Germany) and NIGHTRAGE (Greece). However, it was mainly the restless activity with his own band FIREWIND as well as his invitation to join Ozzy's band ranks for the Grammy-nominated "Scream" album release from 2010 and its consequent worldwide touring that fully boosted Gus's reputation and profile to be now considered one of the leading guitarists in the current metal/rock scene. Gus served as Ozzy's lead guitarist from 2009 to 2017, while also establishing himself as an acclaimed solo artist with albums like "I Am The Fire" and "Fearless".

In October 2021, Gus released his critically acclaimed solo affair titled "Quantum Leap" via AFM Records. Following an impressive music career of more than 20 years, nine record releases with FIREWIND, as well as recording and touring with the aforementioned acts, "Quantum Leap" was Gus's fourth and entirely instrumental solo album, featuring 10 tracks that both showcase the distinctive playing style Gus is known for yet taking fans into new territory.

Photo credit: Gustavo Sazes / AFM Records

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash joined DOROTHY on stage this past Friday (March 31) at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California to perform the song "Gifts From The Holy Ghost". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

DOROTHY is the band led by Hungarian-born vocalist/writer Dorothy Martin.

"Gifts From The Holy Ghost" is the title track of DOROTHY's latest album, which was released in April 2022 via Roc Nation.

"Gifts From The Holy Ghost" was described in a press release as Dorothy's "most bombastic and gloriously, victorious rock and roll work yet."

Martin's life changed forever when she was forced to face death on her tour bus some four years ago. After her guitar technician had taken an overdose, Dorothy instinctively began praying for his survival. While he may have temporarily died, the technician was astonishingly, miraculously restored back to life. It was this moment that seemed to bring Dorothy to life too. It was this divine intervention that caused a radical and spiritual awakening in the singer, the result of which can be heard on "Gifts From The Holy Ghost", Dorothy's third studio album as front person for DOROTHY.

While the band's first, irreverently named album "Rockisdead", was made on a combination of whiskey and heartbreak — inspiring Rolling Stone to name them one of rock's most exciting new acts, and Jay-Z to sign them to his label Roc Nation — "Gifts" was built on recovery, health, and holiness, in a way that reverses the clichéd "good girl gone bad" narrative.

With the combined powers of Keith Wallen, Jason Hook, Scott Stevens, Phil X, Trevor Lukather, Joel Hamilton and the legendary ear of producer Chris Lord Alge, "Gifts From The Holy Ghost" is made from a musical palette which seems to encompass each of the musicians' influences, as well as many of the essential sounds of rock music's history — from swampy blues to '90s alternative — in a way that makes the case for rock and roll itself.

Dorothy has always been an instinctual writer and artist. Throughout her life, she's been asking the big questions, both in and outside her art: "What's the meaning of life? Why are we here? How are we here?" When she couldn't find the answers to those questions, she'd numb out the empty uncertainty with drugs and alcohol. She was eventually admitted to rehab and a new chapter was opened in her spiritual journey.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝖉 𝖔 𝖗 𝖔 𝖙 𝖍 𝖞 (@dorothy)



Good lookin’ bunch of peeps right here 🐥 last night was purdy sweet. Thanks @slash

Posted by Dorothy on Saturday, April 1, 2023

Finnish progressive metallers Damnation Plan is gearing up to release the first single, "Under The Veil Of Sea", from their forthcoming album, The New Horizon, due out later this year via Inverse Records. Check out the official lyric video below.


Drummer /songwriter / lyricist Jarkko Lunnas comments: "'Under The Veil Of Sea' is an 8 minute progressive metal single that takes you on a journey through a wide range of emotions, from the intense metal all the way to the mellow hypnotic mood painting of the song's midpart. For this album we shifted from our earlier two-vocalist combo to single vocalist, so 99% of the vocals are this time clean by Asim Searah with his wide vocal reportoire presented also in this song. The lyrics of the song deal with the yet undiscovered parts of our past that continue to re-shape the understanding of ourselves and our past as human species."


Pre-order the new album from the band's IndieGoGo pre-order campaign here.




'Under The Veil Of Sea' will be released on digital streaming / download platforms on April 14th.

Canadian death metal band Ocular Trauma, from Niagara Falls, Ontario has signed with Wormholedeath Records for the release of their EP, The Dissection of Tragedy. The EP is due to be released on April 28th.


The band's music is rooted in old-school death metal with thrash, doom, and technical aspects. The unique combination of influences and styles each member brings to the band is reflected in their music, making it a reflection of their endless fascination with creating music from the subject of nightmares that plague the realm of sleep as well as real-world horrors.


The band comments: "We in Ocular Trauma are unbelievably ecstatic to be a part of the Wormholedeath family, working together to bring our passion to life through our new EP! This label is a perfect home for us not only musically, but also in our mutual desire for delivering light into the lives of many through the majestically devastating weight of death metal."




The Dissection of Tragedy is a 25-minute long piece, crafted by the band to explore the theme of tragedy in ways they haven't explored in any of their other material. The band's main inspiration for the album was to let the music and words come to life as naturally as possible and converge as one seamlessly.


"We wanted to leave something in our body of work that is unique from all others. This is something we strive to accomplish as a band, and this endeavor we took on together for this album has helped us to open doors to exploring more styles of writing," added the band.


Ocular Trauma was founded in 2016 as a solo project by Tim Anger, who later asked longtime friends Chris Popoli (Guitar) and Jacob Gigliotti (Drums) to play on the first album entitled Night Mara. In the process, they realized that they were on to something special that they all spiritually connected with and decided to form Ocular Trauma as a band. John Neadow later joined as the perfect fit for the band.


With so many stories to tell and much anguish to expel, Ocular Trauma hopes to reach out to the world with their aural darkness.





Tracklist:


"I - A Somber Recollection"
"II - Shattered Remedy"
"III - Rot Before Broken Eyes"
"IV - Embrace the Torment"





 

Australian hard rockers Big Red Fire Truck have released a video for "Trouble In Paradise". The song, which is the title track from their upcoming EP, kicks off with high-energy guitar riffs, driving rhythms and dynamic drums. It's a modern take on a classic hard rock sound filled with vocal harmonies and it packs a punch with heavy momentum.





Big Red Fire Truck began in 2016 as a project by lead vocalist / guitarist Digby to write some fun heavy metal and hard rock songs and fulfil his need to hear new music in the style of his beloved bands. Taking inspiration from the likes of Van Halen, Reckless Love, The Darkness, Aerosmith, Sum 41, and Crazy Lixx, the quartet pay homage to previous generations of hard rock while delivering their own distinctive character.  




Trouble In Paradise artwork and tracklisting:





"Neon Sunsets"
"Trouble In Paradise"
"Love Bite"
"Psychotropic Thunder"
"Miami Skies"
"Hot Summer Nights" 


For further details, visit Big Red Fire Truck on Facebook.


 

Leviathan Project is a powerful new metal ensemble, featuring Bobby Koeble (Death), Matt Nardo (producer), Tom Kay (Britny Fox, Gun Shy) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest, Yngwie J. Malmsteen) exploring the ongoing study of our human condition through music, writings, and visual communication.


The result is an aggressive and captivating sound that combines traditional heavy metal with catchy melodies, haunting vocals and other worldly guitars. They are currently working on a new record which will add Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio, Last In Line) to the mix.


Check out the newly released video from Leviathan Project for the song "Falling Apart", from the EP: Phantoms Vol. 1.







For further details, visit Leviathan Project on Facebook.





 

North Carolina's favorite purveyors of thrashing black ‘n' roll, All Hell, emerge from the mist with their All Hail The Night EP, set for release April 14th via Terminus Hate City Records.


Recorded and mixed by Chris “Scary” Adams (Black Tusk) and mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust), All Hail The Night contains six tracks: three completely new songs featuring a guest solo and additional vocals by Nate Garnette of American metal legends Skeletonwitch and three re-imagined, re-invigorated songs from the band's earliest days.


Comments All Hell vocalist / guitarist Jacob Curwen, “We're glad to finally be able to share this new material with you all! Written and recorded during the pandemic, we wanted this release to represent the liminal space in which it was conceived. We decided to approach the brand-new material with an air of urgency and directness akin to our early sound, while also resurrecting the older material and reinterpreting it through the lens of experience and the evolution of our style. The addition of our longtime friend Nate Garnette as a guest on several tracks elevated the record immensely, and we can't thank him enough.”




In advance of the record’s release, the band has unleashed first single, “Black Leather Wings,” featuring Garnette. Stream the track now via Bandcamp, and enjoy it via the YouTube clip below.





All Hail The Night will be available on CD, cassette, and digital formats. Find pre-orders at the Terminus Hate City Records webshop.


Spawned in the dark hills of Asheville, North Carolina and influenced by a wide array of genres from punk to thrash to first wave black metal to ‘80s deathrock and beyond, All Hell has relentlessly churned out their stygian works while spreading their volatile live show to eager audiences. All Hail The Night marks their first release since 2019's full-length, The Witch's Grail.


All Hail The Night paints an ominously dystopian portrait of a world shrouded in darkness and violence infusing their signature thrash-tinged black ‘n' roll style with new elements, providing some of the band's darkest and most memorable songs to date.


Tracklisting:


"Black Leather Wings"
"Neon Babylon"
"Let The Night Run Red"
"Suffer For Me"
"Breaker"
"Devilwolf"


For further details, visit All Hell on Facebook.


(Photo by Lauren D'Rosario)


 

In a brand new interview with The Classic Rock Interviews, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Me and [album co-producer and PRIEST touring guitarist] Andy Sneap flew out to Phoenix a few weeks ago and worked with Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] on the vocals. And they're sounding stellar, as only The Metal God can do. They're not quite finished yet, so once we've done the vocals, it needs to be mixed and mastered, and then we need to do the artwork and stuff. Recording-wise, there's only the vocals to go, but as we know, there's quite a process in putting a record package together. But it's not that far off, I don't think. We'll see a PRIEST record in the future very soon."

Last month, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice that the songs for the new PRIEST LP were "almost complete. The songs have been around for a little while now. We didn't have the ability to get together and record them, because of the COVID pandemic. And when that lifted, we would then get out on the road. So then we had to record the stuff around being on the road. But we did it. So we'd do a tour leg and I'd come back and do the guitars and then we'd done the drums. And then [we] went back out on the road. And we'd done things around the touring cycle. Now Rob's doing the vocals. So they're almost finished."

Regarding the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Richie said: "I've said this before, and the Internet — the sharks got hold of it… I would definitely say, and Rob said it as well, I said the word 'progressive', and the Internet tore me apart. But they haven't heard it. When I said 'progressive', I'd say it's a little bit… instead of, let's say, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, finish, it might do verse, musical part, musical section, bridge, chorus, musical section, back into the verse. It doesn't stay on the path; sometimes it goes off and plays it a little… Like the old '70s PRIEST used to, like the 'Sinner' and stuff like that; it used to go on a bit more of a musical journey. Which I think is great — it's interesting.

"So that's what I can say. I've said it before: it's a little bit more progressive; it's a little bit more musically, not experimental, but it's got a few more riffs in there," he explained. "[There's more] intricacies, there's more solos, there's more riffs, which, I don't think that's a bad thing, as a guitar player."

In February, Halford spoke to the SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard host Mark Strigl about PRIEST's musical evolution on the band's upcoming album. He said: "That's what we love about PRIEST, isn't it? I've always said we're the band that can kind of rip the skin off your face with 'Painkiller', and then the next second we can be your 'turbo lover', or we can go and 'break the law' or we can become 'the sentinel'.

"We've always had so much fun and adventure with not only the albums, but the songs within the albums," he continued. "It's part of who we are. And making these little microcosms of our personalities within the songs especially, all those names that I've referenced just, they've each got like a little mini-movie going on in your head when you think of the lyrics and the message, and then it's all supported by incredible music working together.

"That 'Firepower' record was a real pure effort on our part to do a little bit of reflection and reinforce a lot of the things that we've loved about PRIEST from day one," Halford explained. "That's not to say we went, 'Okay, let's get a bit of a vibe from 'Rocka Rolla' here.' And then, 'How about some 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'?' And 'Don't forget 'Point Of Entry'.' It was none of that. It was just really this overall umbrella of things that we've achieved in metal, and just using that in the back of our minds as we went through from song to song to song. And I wanna say it made it a little bit easier. And what I mean by that is when you have a focus and a direction and a template on which to work from, then you can keep going back to that and going, 'Okay, this is where we're focusing the ideas and the creativity,' and so on and so forth. So that's how 'Firepower' came together like it did. That album, to me, as a PRIEST fan, is as important as, say, 'Painkiller' was in reaffirming this band, and also what 'British Steel' was in reaffirming this band. And what I mean by reaffirmation is that it's like a football team or a basketball team. That team has been there forever, but you're bringing these ideas, you're bringing these moves, and then you go, 'Yeah, these are the things that make that band great.' 'These are the things that make this team great.' And because I overthink everything, that was my thought philosophy behind 'Firepower'. So you've got that in the back of your mind when you're trying to write this current album. And it can be a mind game."

Rob added: "You always wanna do better when you're in a band. Every band goes, 'This is the greatest record we've ever made,' as you should say, because that should be your logic behind whatever you're doing at that given moment in time, giving it a thousand percent so you stand by that statement: 'This is the best thing we've ever done, as of right now.'

"So what's what we're trying to do with this next one. And the substance of it is great, man. I mean, again, you've got all the things that you need from this band. And it's so difficult to talk about music, isn't it? All I can say is — you can tell by the way I'm expressing myself — there's a tremendous amount of belief and love and thought and power and riffs and crazy drums and screams. Man, it's just roaring again. But it's also got those familiar elements of some of the previous material. That's not to say that we're doing 'Firepower' Mark 2 — we're not. But we're in the home stretch. It feels wonderful. I listen to it every day. I've still got a lot of work to do myself, but the foundations of all the instrumentation are so thrilling to listen to. And it feels good.

"We wrote so many songs, like we always do — we overwrite, overwrite, overwrite — and then we curate the best things that we need to work with. So we have an album-plus worth of material, and it's roaring; it's roaring, man. It's on fire."

Halford previously about what fans can expect to hear on the band's upcoming LP in January in an interview with Metal Express Radio. At the time he said: "When you're in a band, you're always trying to better yourself; you're always trying to say, 'This is the best album we've ever made.' It's just a natural thing to do. And I'm aware of the great success and love that was given to 'Firepower'. And so how do you deal with that? Well, firstly, you have to let that go. You have to let that go, because it's like you're chasing after something that's elusive. What's the point of trying to emulate something that you've already done? We've just gotta do like we've always done with PRIEST, the way that every album has its own concept, every album has its own thing. 'British Steel' isn't 'Painkiller'; 'Painkiller' isn't 'Point Of Entry'; 'Point Of Entry' isn't 'Nostradamus'. So this album is shaping up to be its own thing."

He added: "It's great. It's a really good album, and I know our fans are gonna love it."

Last November, Faulkner told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules about the musical direction of PRIEST's upcoming LP: "You know what? The Internet seems to know everything these days about what the new album's going to sound like based on a couple of words that [we've] put out there [in previous interviews]. I think we've used the word 'progressive', and everyone thinks it's gonna become 'Nostradamus' [PRIEST's controversial 2008 symphonic heavy metal concept double album about Nostradamus], or RUSH, which is two different things. I've definitely used the word 'progressive' [to describe the new PRIEST material in previous interviews], purely because it's got a few musical turnarounds that 'Firepower' doesn't have. But that doesn't make it a RUSH record. It just makes it — instead of, like, a verse into a bridge into a chorus, there might be a couple of more musical passages in there to make it a bit more… interesting; might be the wrong word. I don't know. You've gotta be careful with the words you use these days. So it's not 'Firepower 2', but it's the same band a few years later, so there's obvious connections to the last record. But it's not 'Firepower 2' by any means."

Richie continued: "No PRIEST records have sounded the same, but it's got a common DNA. And you always try and make the next one sound a bit better — or whatever 'better' may be; 'better' is subjective. So, is it better written? Are the lyrics better? Does it sound better? And 'better' is always subjective. So it's hard to pinpoint, really. But it's a bit more of a musical adventure than the last one, I'd say. But then again someone might listen to it, when it does come out, and have a totally different interpretation of what it is. So it's always tough to sum up your own music without sounding up your own butt."

Asked if longtime PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease nine years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier, will play on the band's album, Richie said: "He will be, yeah. I don't think he's recorded his guitar parts yet, but he's definitely involved in the writing of it. Obviously, we're all aware of his challenges with Parkinson's, so we were adamant that if he couldn't play that particular day that he was involved in the writing. He'd share his ideas with me and I'd kind of be his… he would share his ideas through me."

In October, Halford told AXS TV's Katie Daryl about what PRIEST fans can expect from the upcoming LP: "The same energy, the same vitality, the same determination, and it really is, again, another affirmation of what you love about JUDAS PRIEST. If you listen to any album from PRIEST from 'Rocka Rolla' in the '70s up to the 2000s with 'Firepower' and everything that went on between there, whether it was 'Turbo Lover' or whether it was the 'Painkiller' or '[You've Got] Another Thing Comin'', all of these pinpoints connect the dots of this great 50 years of metal, this journey that we're on. And it ain't over yet, folks, because that means another album and another tour. And we can't wait to keep pouring out the metal, 'cause that turbo power isn't gonna get turned off anytime soon."

In February 2022, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

Also in February, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."

Two years ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album would see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has admitted to Metal Hammer magazine that he occasionally reads social media comments about his band's music.

The METALLICA co-founder said that he found himself checking out what fans were saying about the group's surprise comeback single "Lux Æterna" when it arrived late last year.

"If you decide to go down into the comment sections, at least for me, you have to prepare yourself for not taking any of it overly personally," Lars said. "You have to kind of remove yourself from it. But I'd like to challenge anybody in a band to say they don't look at comments.

"I mean, I'm not sitting up until four o'clock in the morning scrolling through every one," he added. "But when you haven't put any music out in five or six years and you dump something like 'Lux Æterna' on an unsuspecting world, you're going to want to see what the feedback is."

Lars's METALLICA bandmate James Hetfield previously discussed the prospect of reading online comments from METALLICA fans during a 2017 interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3. At the time, the guitarist/vocalist said: "I've got tons of friends that are either musicians or artists or someone who are creative and putting stuff out there. I just tell 'em, 'Don't read the comments. I mean, just don't. Unless you're feeling a little more secure in yourself these days.' 'Cause most of us artists are pretty fragile, insecure people, and we get up there and the music makes us feel strong and good. But other times when people… you know, someone says something about the lyrics, and it's just, like, 'Ouch! That went right in my heart, dude!' So I tell you, when you read that stuff, you can't believe it — you just can't. Most people… It's really easy just to hit 'send' [on your phone or computer] — I know that. But we also do get a lot of great comments out there that kind of work themselves out. It's like throwing a couple of pitbulls in a room — they work it out. You don't have to… Especially on the METALLICA site, they have people… it goes back and forth. And as long as there's passion, that's all that matters, really."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett touched upon his views on reading online comments from the band's fans during a 2016 interview with the 93X radio station. Asked about the response to "Hardwired", the lead single from METALLICA's last album, "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct", Kirk said: "I kind of feel the excitement. I can kind of feel the energy in the air. I mean, we all kind of are picking up on it. I'm getting a tremendous amount of texts from friends, saying, 'Great song. Wonderful song.' But as soon as I go on to my computer and turn it on, and think to myself, 'Should I read what other people are saying?' or 'Should I read some comments [on whatever web site]?' I instantly say to myself, 'Don't go there,' because I'll just get, first, angry, then frustrated, then confused, and then wanna just write it all off as just fucking useless bullshit, and why did I even waste my time."

METALLICA's 12th studio album, "72 Seasons", will be released April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield and 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". The album will be released in formats, including 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD and digital.

METALLICA and Trafalgar Releasing will hold a worldwide "72 Seasons" listening party. For one night only on Thursday, April 13, "72 Seasons" will be played in full in pummeling surround sound, exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide — with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band. The result will offer fans an unforgettable night as they experience "72 Seasons" first and fully on the eve of its April 14 release date.

The "72 Seasons" global premiere sees METALLICA and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of "S&M²", which documented METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original "S&M" (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.

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