Sizzling, soulful and bewitching, Witchrot is gearing up for their latest offering Witchrot: Live In The Hammer, due out for its international release March 10, 2023. The band has just revealed the latest single from the album, "Colder Hands". The video can be streamed below. 


The band comments: "Our new single, 'Colder Hands', is about that feeling of being completely fearless, of devouring the heart of your enemy and relishing it... It's from our latest album Witchrot: Live In The Hammer and it features a guest performance by Laura C. Bates of Volür. Her wicked violin and awesome vocals really helped us realize our goal of making music that is simultaneously putrid and beautiful."







All sleaze and psych, Live In The Hammer has the fuzz fueled quartet playing in the grease trap of Ontario. Smoky vocals overtop mesmeric psychedelic doom fill the room to the brim. Pre-orders for Live In The Hammer are available here.


The bubbling cauldron that is Live In The Hammer, serves as a bridge between Hollow and the band’s forthcoming next album, currently in the works. There’s no escaping the strange web of Witchrot. Fall into the chasm and embrace the dark. 





Tracklisting:


"Medley - Druid Smoke Part 1 (The Keeper) / Crypt Reaper / Burn Me Down"    
"Dug Your Grave / Strega"    
"Acedia"    
"Who Scared You"    
"Colder Hands"    
"Million Shattered Swords"





Shortly after the release of Live In The Hammer, Witchrot will hit the road in Canada in support of the album. A complete list of dates follows. Tickets can be found HERE or purchased at the door of each venue.


March 
31 - Ottawa, ON - House Of Targ


April 
1 - Sherbrooke, QC - Murdoch
2 - Montreal, QC - Turbohaus
13 - London, ON - Richmond Tavern
14 - Sarnia, ON - Mauds
15 - Hamilton, ON - Casbah


May 
11 - Toronto, ON - Hardluck
12 - Barrie, ON - Infinity Zero
13 - Sudbury, ON - Townhouse Tavern


 

Gates Of Hell Records hsa announced the signing of Philadelphia-based blackened thrash metal outfit Wild Beyond. The band’s self-titled debut will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats April 14th.


The album features cover art from Adam Burke (Angel Witch, Eternal Champion, Temple Of Void). Wild Beyond features guitarist /vocalist Edward Gonet (Daeva, Infernal Stronghold), drummer Evan Madden (Woe, Woods Of Ypres) and bassist / keyboardist/guitarist Jimmy Viola.


The idea for Wild Beyond was born in the middle of the Covid lockdown of 2020, when Gonet impulse-purchased a Randy Rhodes Flying V guitar and started composing after five years of not playing. A year later, with songs and riffs under his belt, Gonet was introduced to Viola and Madden through Sonja drummer Grzesiek Czapla. The trio set forth to compose a full-length album pulsing with destructive cosmic majesty and street metal overtones.




“Back in the day, I used to hang flyers around the city to find musicians to play with, and you never knew who would show up at your house,” says Gonet. “There are fucking mutants all over Philadelphia. I didn’t have to do that this time. The band came together rather effortlessly.”


It wasn’t long, either, that the band fell onto the radar of Gates Of Hell Records.


Wild Beyond’s sound is influenced by the second wave of Norwegian black metal (Darkthrone, Immortal) and early thrash (Slayer, Sodom), with Vader and Bathory thrown in for good measure.


“Black metal’s mysteriousness and the allure of darkness and evil made it an easy choice to pair with our love of thrash,” the band says. “We wanted to create a classic black metal record, but we also tend to play like speed demons.”


Wild Beyond’s full-length embodies the hyperactive imaginations, anxieties and aggressions of its personnel. This debut will inspire the metal legions to bang their heads, light ceremonial candles in seance, and summon malevolent forces from Beyond.


“Wild Beyond speaks to our classic inspirations, but I hope this record sounds like ‘us’ above all,” says Viola. “Eddie’s vocal venom and lyrics are one of a kind. Evan blasts like a battering ram, yet his drum parts are meticulously crafted. And the bass punches through like a frost-covered fist.”





Tracklisting:


"In The Footsteps Of Mars"
"Detonation Of Secret Works"
"Frenzied At The Skull"
"Arctic Stargate"
"Sculpting The Abyss"
"Antichrist Coronation"
"Radio Burst Dark Origins"
"Exit Wounds"


Pre-orders can be placed now at this location. Stream "In The Footsteps Of Mars" below.





(Photo credit: Matthew Decker)


 

Former THUNDERMOTHER singer Guernica Mancini has described her time with the band was "a very bumpy" and "beautiful ride."

Two weeks ago, it was announced that Mancini, drummer Emlee Johansson and bassist Mona Lindgren were exiting the acclaimed Swedish all-girl act and would form a new band together. At the same time, guitarist Filippa Nässil revealed that she would continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup featuring singer Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES) and returning bassist Majsan Lindberg.

Mancini, who joined THUNDERMOTHER in 2017, reflected on her split with the band in a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. Asked when she first had a feeling that things were not as they should be within THUNDERMOTHER, Guernica said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a tough question to answer. I would say like this, that it's never been great for me. And it's been six tough years. But regardless of that, I don't regret anything. I still had amazing experiences with the band. And I wouldn't take anything back, 'cause I've grown and I've become the singer that I am. And there are so many positives to that. So even though it has been a very bumpy ride, I still think that it's been a beautiful ride. Because it does teach you a lot about yourself, and you grow as a human."

She added: "When you go through something that's tough and hard for you, you can either choose to learn from it and try to do something positive with it. And that's kind of what I'm aiming to do for myself."

When asked by host Jimmy Kay if she is saying that she was unhappy for six years, Mancini replied: "Not a hundred percent unhappy. It's been [up and down]. Definitely I've questioned how my dream of doing music and everything that I love so much and hold so dear had to be so tough. But in my mind I've always thought that it's probably the price you pay for getting these experiences or whatever. But I think that it doesn't necessarily have to be that. But like anything in life, nothing is gonna be happy and roses all the time. You go through things. It's normal."

Guernica also addressed the fact that Emlee and Mona both voluntarily left THUNDERMOTHER, once they found out Mancini was being kicked out of the group.

"It does make me feel [good], but I also felt really guilty… I felt guilty because I knew the opportunities that they were giving up because of this, but they had their own reasons," she said. "They did this completely on their own. And the problems that we've had in the band, they're not just something that is between [Filippa] and I; it's something that's been brewing and been there always. So when this happened, they also felt that it was very disrespectful towards them, being that they believed that we were a democracy and that we had a say in these things. She more or less [told] them, 'I wanna do this, and I've already found a new singer.' And that's when Emlee just said, 'I don't wanna play with another singer. And if you're gonna go ahead and do this, I'm gonna leave the band.' And that's what she did. And Mona felt the same way."

Guernica added: "I love [Emlee and Mona], and I'm forever grateful. I wouldn't have expected anything, but I also feel like I'm so blessed. Honestly, I'm so incredibly grateful that they are my new band. And they are the two that I enjoyed working with. And I have so much fun with them. And we already had two songwriting days, and we had just so much fun. And it was drama free. It was just a dream. And it's just, like, this is what a band is supposed to be."

Mancini then clarified: "We've had our differences. If you don't fight with your family and friends, that's kind of weird in itself. And we have. But we always… we say 'sorry', and we move past it. And our relationships always grow stronger and stronger and stronger. And that's, I think, the testament of a real, solid, healthy relationship. And that's how it is with them. So I'm really grateful that we have something and we get to continue playing together."

Guernica previously discussed her departure from THUNDERMOTHER earlier in the month in an interview with the "Rock And Roll Geek Show". Regarding how she found out she was being fired from THUNDERMOTHER, Guernica said: "I was blindsided. It's almost like I'm in an episode of fucking 'Survivor'. [Laughs]

"I got an e-mail [letting me know that I was no longer in the band]. I had a feeling it was coming because the week prior, [Filippa] had taken me off all our social media accounts. And I thought we had gotten hacked. I wrote to the group; I was, like, 'Girls, I think we're getting hacked. I can't get into our e-mail or Instagram — none of the accounts.'"

Asked if Filippa had any issues with Guernica's live performance or what she was doing on stage, Mancini said: "No, that's not something that I've… no information that I've received. I think that there's nothing you can complain about my performance or my singing, 'cause I've always brought my 'A game.' And if you have problems with that, I think that's strange, considering that's something that people really enjoy and respect the band for. So I think that would be weird."

Clarifying that the reasons for the split were "a hundred percent personal", Guernica revealed that "a lot of things happened behind my back, and I was the last one to know… Like there were meetings behind my back, trying to convince my fellow bandmates that I'm an awful person, I'm all these things that I'm not."

When interviewer Michael Butler noted that all the girls in THUNDERMOTHER looked like they were getting "along really well" when they were supporting the SCORPIONS on a tour of North America last fall, Guernica said: "I deserve an Oscar nomination for my acting. [Laughs]"

According to Mancini, she is still "really close" to Emlee and Mona. "We're actually really good friends, and that's the best part of my time in THUNDERMOTHER," she said. "Me and Emlee, she's legitimately one of my best friends. And Mona has become a really good friend as well. And we have a mutual respect and similar work ethic and we want the same things. We just work together. I just feel like, if anything, it's really lovely and positive that we have each other and that we all feel the same way and we all have had the same experiences and the reasoning behind not feeling great in the band as it was."

Asked how Emlee and Mona found out Guernica was being fired from THUNDERMOTHER, Mancini said: "[Filippa] had a secret meeting behind my back. She just told the girls, 'I wanna fire Guernica, and I already have a new singer.' And the girls were, like, 'Woah. Hold up. Wait a second. We did not sign up for that. And we thought we were a democracy in this band,' because that's something that we'd been told and that's how we've done everything.' So they were shocked."

Guernica went on to say that Mona will play guitar in their new band and that a bassist for the project will be added once it is time to play live shows.

On February 2, Nässil released the following statement via social media: "The last year has been full of adventures, new impressions and we have made memories that will last forever. Unfortunately our journey ends in the constellation known to you until today and a new chapter will be written for THUNDERMOTHER with both old familiar and new faces and for sure a lot more adventures and memories to come.

"After seven years of being together, we unfortunately came to the decision that our paths lead in different directions. Guernica, Mona and Emlee will focus on their own careers and I wish them nothing but the best of luck.

"I am thrilled to announce that our bass player Majsan who left for studies 1,5 years ago has finished and will rejoin!

"I am happy to announce that THUNDERMOTHER could win Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES) with her incredible power, her extraordinary voice and her charming manners as a new singer for THUNDERMOTHER!

"We are beyond excited and looking forward to the future filled with a new positive energy and with these girls by my side the future is going to fucking rock.

"Let's show the world that there is so much female talent out there and let's give the girls a heart-melting warm welcome to THUNDERMOTHER! Rock must live on!"

Guernica, Emlee and Mona also released a joint statement regarding their departures from THUNDERMOTHER. "It's with a heavy heart that we are writing this," they said. "Filippa has made the decision that Guernica's time in THUNDERMOTHER is over. Because of this, and the lack of agreement regarding the decision-making process in the band, Emlee and Mona have decided to leave THUNDERMOTHER.

"Filippa will continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup. Guernica, Emlee and Mona will continue playing music together and are forming a new band.

"To all the people who have been a part of this journey; Guernica, Emlee and Mona want to say thank you for the support, we love you all. We are so grateful for everything that we've experienced with THUNDERMOTHER, and hope you all will support our separate journeys.

"We understand how hard it is to read this. This is by far one of the toughest situations we've had to go through and right now we are mourning the loss of a big part of our lives. We humbly ask you to be kind and respectful. Thank you for your understanding."

Following the release of their latest album, "Black And Gold", last summer and countless live shows alongside an extensive tour with iconic SCORPIONS in North America last fall, THUNDERMOTHER recently announced plans to team up with SCORPIONS for more European live dates, as well as headline gigs on the "Black And Gold" tour 2023. It is not clear if any of those shows will be affected by the latest lineup changes.

"Black And Gold" was recorded at Baggpipe Studios in Stockholm, and was mixed and mastered by Søren Andersen at Medley Studios in Copenhagen.

Last November, Mancini released her first solo single "Inception" via Golden Robot Records.

In 2018, The New Black guitarist Fabian "Fabs" Schwarz took a bold step out of his comfort zone by launching a solo project dubbed Who Brought The Dog. The independently released debut album, Welcome To The Man Cave, was a far cry from anything he had recorded before in that he consciously kept his metal roots locked away while experimenting with a rock sound that found its way into the realms of indie, blues, alternative, funk, jazz, punk and even pop. 


In addition to Fabian Schwarz, the band also includes Frank Stimpfig (ex-Number Nine / bass), Markus "Fludid" Hammer (The New Black / vocals), Philipp Klinger (The New Black / drums), and Benjamin Haupt (guitar). With its unique sound and talented lineup, Who Brought The Dog is quickly gaining recognition as an exciting and innovative new band in the electronic rock scene.


Check out the new single and video, "Close To Burning", the title track from the new album.




"Close To Burning"





"Live, Love And Struggle"

FLYLEAF, which recently reunited with singer Lacey Sturm, has completed its first week of rehearsals for its upcoming shows.

On Friday (February 10),FLYLEAF took to its social media to share a photo from the studio, and it included the following caption: "First week of practice with the full band was beautiful. #flyleaffamily"

FLYLEAF, which hasn't performed live since 2015, will make a number of festival appearances this year, including at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in September in Alton, Virginia and at the Sick New World festival in May in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sturm left FLYLEAF in October 2012. She was replaced by Kristen May, who recorded one album with the group, 2014's "Between The Stars", before exiting.

Lacey opened up about her reasons for her departure from FLYLEAF in a video promoting her 2014 memoir "The Reason: How I Discovered A Life Worth Living". At the time, she said: "We were on our second album when I got married. And the album was called 'Memento Mori'. And 'memento mori' means remember you're mortal, remember that you'll die and remember that your life is short and precious and so are the lives of those around you.

"For two years, I toured with my husband and it was really amazing, and then after those two years, we ended up getting pregnant with my son," she continued. "And I recognized that my priorities were gonna change even more and that message of 'memento mori' and remembering how short your life is was really weighing on my heart.

"We toured for ten years. I mean, we weren't home for more than a month, probably, a year. So, for me, I just felt really blessed to be pregnant and to be in a place where I could stay home if I wanted to, and really ask that question: how is this gonna change my priorities? How is this gonna look? We had a few things happen that really brought that message home, but the one that hit the hardest was the death of our sound engineer [Rich Caldwell]. We did one last show with FLYLEAF as a benefit for his wife Katy and their son Kirby. And it was really hard to do a show without him, and it was really hard to think it could be our last show. So I remember looking at my son after Rich had passed and just wondering to myself, if this was the last year I had with my son, how would I spend it?

"It was really amazing to recognize this season changing in my life and the freedom that I was gonna be able to focus on my family. And I'm so thankful for that time. And although it was really hard, I'm thankful. And that's the reason I stepped down from FLYLEAF."

Back in 2016, Sturm was asked in an interview with RockRevolt Magazine if there was chance that she could reunite with her former bandmates after they had parted ways with May. She responded: "Well, you know, I feel like I'm the kind of person that I think so much happened that I never in a million years thought would happen, so I've learned to quit saying 'never.' But at the same time, I'm a really present person."

She added at the time: "I don't have any plans for that, but then again, you never know. I don't know… [Laughs] They haven't called me. And I don't have any plans [to go back]."

At several shows last year, Sturm joined SEETHER on stage to perform the FLYLEAF song "I'm So Sick".

In December 2021, Sturm released the official music video for her latest solo single, "Awaken Love". The track followed the previously released "The Decree" and "State Of Me".

First week of practice with the full band was beautiful. 🖤 #flyleaffamily

Posted by Flyleaf on Friday, February 10, 2023

EXTREME guitarist Nuno Bettencourt shared the stage with Rihanna when the Grammy Award-winning R&B artist took the stage in Phoenix Sunday (February 12) for her 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance.

Rihanna opened her highly anticipated Super Bowl show with "Bitch Better Have My Money" and also performed her hits "Run This Town" and "Umbrella". She also used the platform to indirectly make a big announcement. After the show, Rihanna's representative confirmed that she is pregnant with her second child. She and rapper A$AP Rocky are the parents of a 9-month-old boy.

Back in 2014, Nuno spoke to Guitar Interactive magazine about how he landed his gig as the guitarist in Rihanna's band four years earlier. "I've never done another gig where I was kind of, like… not my own, actually, really," he said. "And I'd been asked through the years to do stuff, even with not just necessarily pop artists but with other rock bands, and I've always declined.

"We had just finished an EXTREME tour and a friend of mine, who is a musical director, Tony Bruno, he hit me up. He goes, 'I know I've asked you ten times already, but I know you're in L.A., we're in L.A. Ri saw some of your videos. Would you consider doing…?' He just said 'three months' of this promo. And I was, like, you know what?! I'm in my forties, I've been sticking to my guns for so long and not doing anything else. 'Cause at first I said, 'No. Why would I wanna do it? There's really no guitar in that stuff.' And he said, 'Well, that's the thing. She wants it to be a lot heavier live.' And I'm, like, 'So I get to do what I do.' And he goes, 'Completely. Your rig…' [And I said], 'I get to ruin every one of her songs?' And he was, like, 'Yeah.' So I thought that would be fun."

He continued: "It's interesting. Anybody who's come to see that show, even from the perspective of journalists or magazines, whether it be in Germany or in the States, they come and interview me, but they don't plan on staying for the show. And I always say, 'Just stay. Just stay for a couple of songs.' Then they stay for the night and then they always end up sending me a text or an e-mail message apologizing, [saying that] they didn't know that there was that much musicianship going on. The drummer's from Stevie Wonder. It's, like, it's a real band, and nothing's on playback. We take the songs and we really play them; they're nothing like [they are on] the album.

"When people ask me, 'Why would you do something that you can do with your eyes closed?' And it's a difficult gig. The hats that you have to wear, feel-wise… You go from a basic pop song like 'Umbrella' to to reggae song to a club track to even, like, a punk song and R&B stuff. So the amount of different textures and feels, and to have to play along with these incredible musicians who hear everything, it's definitely not a punch-in-the-clock-type situation for me. Live, it keeps you busy. It's one thing doing your own thing, it's your own shit… It sounds crazy, but it's really challenging. It really is."

Nuno added: "Whatever people's perceptions are of whatever Rihanna is, it's definitely a different animal live — completely different. At first, even when I went to work with her, I was, like, 'Can she really sing?' A lot of times with the singers you hear now, there's a lot of that Auto-Tune element and you don't know who can really sing. But when I went to rehearsal, I could not believe how well she sang, and I could not believe how well she sings live.

THE STRUTS lead vocalist Luke Spiller and THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen dueted on THE BEACH BOYS classics "Surfin' USA" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" at "A Grammy Salute To The Beach Boys", a special tribute concert honoring the legendary Grammy-nominated music icons THE BEACH BOYS. The live concert special, which took place this past Wednesday, February 8, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, featured a star-studded performer lineup that also included Grammy-winning artists and past and current Grammy nominees, including Beck, Brandi Carlile, FALL OUT BOY, Andy Grammer, HANSON, Norah Jones, LADY A, John Legend, LITTLE BIG TOWN, Michael McDonald, MUMFORD & SONS, MY MORNING JACKET, PENTATONIX, Charlie Puth, LeAnn Rimes, St. Vincent, TAKE 6 and WEEZER, who all celebrated and honored THE BEACH BOYS' everlasting music and impactful career.

"A Grammy Salute To The Beach Boys" will air on the CBS television network and will be available live and on demand on Paramount+ at a later date.

On Thursday (February 9),Taylor shared a few photos from the event and included the following caption: "I guess the cat's out of the bag…last night it was an honor to perform at the Grammy's tribute to @thebeachboys with my new found friend @lukestruts amongst so many great artists…it was a blast. Stay tuned for broadcast date and time on @cbstv and @paramountplus".

Last year, THE BEACH BOYS celebrated their 60th anniversary on their "Sixty Years Of The Sounds Of Summer" 2022 tour. In June 2022, they released a newly remastered and expanded edition of THE BEACH BOYS' career-spanning greatest hits collection "Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys". The expanded "Sounds Of Summer" features 24 new mixes including two first-time stereo mixes, plus 22 improved stereo mixes enhanced by today's digital stereo extraction technology. The collection is available now in a variety of formats, including a super-deluxe version and a remastered single disc that boasts the original 2003 release.

Since the band's co-founder, lead-singer and chief lyricist Mike Love penned the lyrics to THE BEACH BOYS' first hit "Surfin'" (1961),dozens of the bands chart toppers have become eternal anthems of American youth: "Surfin' USA", "Surfer Girl", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around", "California Girls", "Help Me Rhonda", "Barbara Ann", "Good Vibrations", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Rock And Roll Music" And "Kokomo".

THE BEACH BOYS have sold over 100 million records worldwide and have received more than 33 RIAA platinum and gold record awards. The Rock And Roll Hall of Famers were also honored at the 2001 Grammy Awards with the "Lifetime Achievement" award.

With more than five decades of touring under their belts, THE BEACH BOYS have performed more concerts than any major rock band in history. "Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys", Capitol/EMI's 30-track collection of the band's biggest hits, has achieved triple-platinum success with sales of more than three million copies in the U.S. since its release.

THE BEACH BOYS are led by Mike Love, who, along with longtime member Bruce Johnston, musical director Scott Totten, Brian Eichenberger, Christian Love, Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill, Keith Hubacher and Randy Leago, continue the legacy of the iconic band.

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Dave Mustaine has confirmed to Rolling Stone that former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman will join the band at its first-ever gig at Tokyo's famed Budokan later this month. Friedman will come up on stage for three songs during the show's encore.

The Budokan concert, which will be livestreamed on February 27 and available on demand for a couple of days after, marks the first time in more than two decades Friedman has shared a stage with the group.

"When Marty said, 'Hey, I can play at this gig,' I thought, 'This is so magnificent,'" Mustaine told Rolling Stone. "It's gonna be so much fun to get Kiko [Loureiro, current MEGADETH guitarist] and Marty together, because they're both geniuses on guitar. So this is like a gigantic birthday and Christmas present for me."

"It has been a long time — 23 years to be exact since I've been on the same stage with Dave Mustaine making music," Friedman said in a statement. "We've both taken drastically different paths since then. That doesn't change the fact that I'm extremely proud of the part that I played in MEGADETH's history and legacy. I'm also very, very proud of the band's many great achievements and continued success in my absence. For right now, I just feel immense joy and some serious adrenaline. I am looking forward to playing with MEGADETH at this very cool place, the Budokan."

"We haven't been to Japan in a long time," Mustaine added. "I thought that inviting Marty was just a very thoughtful thing to do. MEGADETH has not been a band has had a lot of guest appearances from other players. We are not a jam band. I asked Kiko how he felt about this, and Kiko is completely confident in his guitar playing.

"This is not like when THE POLICE handed their instruments to U2 to pass the torch," he continued. "This is doing something really grateful to the Japanese audience. We want it to be a gift. So everybody who bought that ticket before today, you're welcome. … I'm really looking forward to this moment. It's gonna be great."

Three years ago, Friedman admitted that money was a major motivator for him when he was approached about taking part in a reunion of MEGADETH's "Rust In Peace" lineup.

Friedman had met with Mustaine and then-bassist David Ellefson at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California to discuss the reunion, which would have seen him and drummer Nick Menza back in the mix.

Friedman opened up about his reasons for turning down the MEGADETH reunion in Mustaine's latest book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", which details the making of the iconic record "Rust In Peace".

"My main thing was I'd be happy to do it, but I'm not going to take less money than I'm already making to do it," Marty said in part.

"I'd been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.

"Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go," he said. "But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn't seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn't heard anything that they've done in a long time. I didn't know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn't like MEGADETH was on the tip of people's tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan."

According to Friedman, part of the reason he turned down the MEGADETH reunion is the fact that the group is largely seen as Mustaine's solo project, with members coming and going every couple of albums.

"Had it been more of a band situation and not such a one-man, Dave Mustaine-main-man party, I might have considered doing it for a little less," Marty said. "But, at the end of the day, MEGADETH is so much Mustaine because that's the way he engineered it. I didn't feel that kind of camaraderie, the four-man diamond, THE BEATLES, KISS, METALLICA. I felt like I would be going out there and tour and it was going to be Mustaine's big success. If I'm going to do that, I'm certainly not going to lose money to do that; I was doing great on my own in Japan."

Mustaine told Loudwire that he was put off by Friedman's financial demands when the topic of a "Rust In Peace" reunion was broached.

"Marty has a really successful career in Japan where he makes quite a lot of money," Dave said. "And this is the part where I thought it was a little weird, where he said he said that he has to pay all his team while he's gone instead of just himself. 'Cause I thought we'll pay you what you're making so that's switching horses in the middle of the river — it's no big deal unless you fall off. And then when we found out that he wanted to sell his merch, his this, his that, his this, his that, then he wanted this crazy amount of money and he wanted to fly first class everywhere. I said to our management, 'I can't deal with this.'"

In a 2016 interview with the "Eddie Trunk Podcast", Mustaine confirmed that MEGADETH didn't hold any rehearsals with Friedman while attempting a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup.

"Marty had sent some e-mails saying, 'Oh, man, you know, the fans have this self-inflated importance of 'Rust In Peace' beyond what it really is. And I was, like, 'Huh?'" Dave said. 'So I didn't know if that was a backhand to the face of the fans or not, but he had basically said that if we were gonna do anything, it had to be better than 'Rust In Peace'. And he sent me over some links to some songs that he thought should be the direction that we were going in, and one of it was this J-Pop band with some Japanese girl singing, and I was, like, 'Uh-uh. This ain't gonna work.' More power to [Marty for being into that stuff]. Do what you want, Marty. He's a great guitar player. But I'm not gonna sing like a Japanese girl."

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who was named Japan Heritage ambassador in 2016, has shared his video for the Japan Heritage official theme song.

Marty announced the video's release via social media, writing in an accompanying message: Says Marty: "Many people outside of Japan relegate their image of Japan to anime/cosplay conventions, Harajuku fashion, futuristic neon signs and Samurai warriors. This is an incredible shame because as uniquely Japanese as all those things are, that isn't even the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

"I always wanted to do a spectacular video showing the rich yet completely understated beauty of Japan, to show people a side of the country rarely seen outside of Japan.

"Most bands from overseas come to Japan and play in 3 cities - Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. If they are lucky, they come again and add Sendai, Fukuoka, maybe Kyoto. Since I was constantly touring all over Japan, I was fortunate to play also in Akita, Nobeoka, Hiroshima, Tottori, Kagawa, Sapporo, Kobe, Nagaoka, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Yonago, Okinawa, Nagasaki and so many other wonderful places. I wanted to make a video to show these rarely seen locations and unique artistic customs, and just share some of the wonder that I was lucky to experience over the time I lived in Japan.
Well, that was an ambitious dream, and it didn't soon materialize.

"I did a video for 'Undertow' which was good for what it was and had a very Japanese theme, but nowhere near the extravagant picturesque video I had in mind.

"A video was made for 'Inferno' which also had a very Japanese theme, but many people outside Japan saw it and just thought I was a nutcase. Even the American director who made the video had no idea what I was talking about.

"The first thing I thought of after I finished composing the Japan Heritage Theme Song for the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra was, 'This is going to be perfect for the video I always wanted to make. I'm going to guide all my friends from around the world through visions of Japan that will make them want to visit more than ever.' I was filled with the excitement of the prospect.

"Of course then Covid pretty much wiped out the idea of anyone coming into the country for what seemed to be an indefinite period of time. Before I could even get started on any kind of music video for the song, it got put onto the back burner.

"As soon as I saw things starting to lean towards re-opening the borders, I pushed the idea of making this video to the powers that be (and there are many whenever you are doing anything even remotely government related) with an urgency, knowing that really soon, people from all around the world will want to discover this mysterious place. It's a bucket list destination for sure, and I knew that I wanted to play even a tiny part in making a few dreams come true.

"So now the video is finally done, and I am ecstatic about how it came out. Japan is a small country with so much cool stuff packed tightly in it, it is truly a feast for your imagination. Every culture has its own beautiful traits and Japan is certainly no exception. I am excited to show you my musical interpretation of Japan as a foreigner who has been here quite some time. If it resonates with you even a tiny bit, I'll be thrilled."

Earlier today (Monday, February 13),Marty spoke and performed at the Japan Heritage Symposium.

When he first announced his Japan Heritage Symposium appearance on Saturday (February 11),Marty took to his social media to write: "It's a great honor to be an Ambassador of Japan Heritage. Occasionally I will be requested to speak or perform at events related to Japan Heritage. I'll be doing both of those things at the Japan Heritage Symposium on Feb. 13.

"The date, 'February 13', if you translate it to numeric Japanese, would be ni (2) I (1) san (3). This becomes a play on words as 'ni' is short for 'Nihon' which is the Japanese word for Japan and 'isan' which is the Japanese word for heritage, hence the Japan Heritage event taking place on that day each year.

"Of all the places I get to play guitar, this has got to be the farthest from what I envisioned as a little kid!"

In July 1999, Friedman was onstage performing at Woodstock '99 in front of a sea of fans as the lead guitarist for MEGADETH. Since joining the band in 1990, Marty played a crucial role in their rise to stardom with his unorthodox style of virtuoso guitar playing, selling millions of records worldwide, and being nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. Just six months after Woodstock, in an unexpected move that shocked his friends, family, and especially his bandmates, despite platinum albums and sold-out tours, for reasons unknown, he suddenly quit the band and walked away from it all. Unbeknownst to his U.S. fans, Marty moved to Tokyo to pursue his love of Japanese pop music, and in the process, reinvented himself as a wildly successful Japanese TV celebrity! Marty has appeared on 700-plus television programs, commercials and motion pictures since then, and become was dubbed "the Ryan Seacrest of Japan" by Billboard magazine in the USA.

Friedman in 2014 spoke to Wondering Sound about his decision to leave MEGADETH in order to make the kind of music that he was passionate about: Japanese pop music, or J-Pop, which Friedman calls "embarrassingly happy."

"I found myself touring with MEGADETH, and in my hotel room I'd be blasting this Japanese music all the time. What's wrong with this picture?" he said.

As his interest in J-pop grew, Friedman started enjoying MEGADETH less. "I thought I was doing myself a disservice just playing the same old stuff and not really enjoying it," he told Wondering Sound. "Making money from fans who want to see you play when you're not into it didn't really sit right with me."

According to Marty, he simply outgrew metal, explaining that MEGADETH's music began to bore him, and he singled out the band's popular ballad "A Tout Le Monde" as an example.

"The melody's like duh duh duh duh, duh duh duh duh. It's kind of the same thing over and over again," he told NPR in a separate interview. "I'd go play the show at night with MEGADETH. And I'd be like, you know, what what I'm listening to is just so much more exciting than what I'm playing as my gig."

Friedman told his MEGADETH bandmates that he would leave the group at the conclusion of a 16-month-long tour, but "only stayed three more months." He explained to Wondering Sound: "It was just too much. I'm the kind of guy who can't fake it that well. It wasn't very nice, but I just couldn't go on anymore."

Focusing on the J-Pop genre, Friedman noted that going for the opposite of metal was the whole point.

"There's not a whole lot of happy music going on," he told NPR. "Especially in the heavy metal world, where everybody's just trying to out-lame each other, you know, with darkness and monsters and crap like that."

Marty was recently announced as direct support on the upcoming QUEENSRŸCHE tour. Marty is confirmed to perform on 31 dates with QUEENSRŸCHE, kicking off on March 3 in Orlando, Florida and running through April 16, where is wraps up in St. Petersburg, Florida. Along the way, the tour will make stops in Dallas, Texas (March 11); Anaheim, California (March 19); Chicago, Illinois (March 31),New York City (April 10) and Nashville, Tennessee (April 14),to name a few. Also, Marty recently announced two headline shows on his own: March 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Counts Vampd and March 18 in Los Angeles, California at the Whisky A Go Go. The tour marks Marty's first time performing in the U.S. since 2019.

Marty's latest album, "Tokyo Jukebox 3", came out in April 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover.

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King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, are back in the kitchen serving up another Sunday Lunch. This time out they "perform" Toyah's song, "Dance In The Hurricane"





A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:

Skid Row vocalist Erik Grönwall has shared a new cover video, this time taking on the Bon Jovi ballad "Always".





Grönwall recently shared a cover of the Iron Maiden classic "Run To The Hills". Check it out below.







Grönwall (ex-H.E.A.T.), who is a cancer survivor, recently spoke with Metal Roos about how his battle with cancer affected his life moving forward, and joining the band in the aftermath.


Grönwall: "It was a big risk for the guys to ask me if I wanted to become the singer without ever meeting me or being in the same room as me," Erik told Metal-Roos. I told Rachel (Bolan / bass) and he told me that, 'Well, you took four risks with us; Rachel, Scotti (Hill / guitar), Snake (Dave Sabo / guitar) and Rob (Hammersmith / drums).' I guess there's some truth to that, but... first of all, this is an opportunity that you can't say no to. I told myself that, well, if this doesn't work, if they don't like me and I don't like them, well, at least I was the singer of Skid Row for a week or two, and that's something I will always have with me. So that was the mindset I had going into this, but, luckily, we have a really good time together, and we really connected, so it's all good."





Skid Row's new album, The Gang's All Here, can be ordered here.





The Gang's All Here tracklisting:


"Hell Or High Water"
"The Gang's All Here"
"Not Dead Yet"
"Time Bomb"
"Resurrected"
"Nowhere Fast"
"When The Lights Come On"
"Tear It Down"
"October's Song"
"World's On Fire"


"Time Bomb" video:





"Tear It Down" video:





"The Gang's All Here: (Official Fan Video):

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his solo cover of TNT's "Tell No Tales" from the 1987 album of the same name. Check out the video below. 





Johansson previously covered TNT's 1987 classic "10,000 Lovers (In One)".

Swiss multi-talent Seraina Telli has released the new single, "Modern Warrior" (Acoustic - Live From the Cave). The official video for the song can be viewed below.


The original version of the song appears on Seraina's solo debut album, Simple Talk, released in October 2022 via Metalville Records.







The former frontwoman of Burning Witches combines everything that the modern rock world urgently needs: great songwriting, vocal power, musical versatility, artistic depth, and a really strong attitude. Coupled with her authenticity, Seraina Telli is the ideal mixture of power woman and promising artist.


The charismatic Swiss singer leaves a lasting impression, visually and musically. Her music is as colorful and varied as her hair colors, one of her typical distinguishing features. The multi-talent is reluctant to be tied to one style, as her previous musical career shows. As the former frontwoman of the Swiss heavy metal band Burning Witches, she shook the stages of major rock festivals such as Bang your Head and Leyendas del Rock for four years.


Now the time is ripe for her solo project under her own name.


"I am what I am, and that's just right!" This message is very important to Seraina Telli. She wants to motivate other women in particular to believe in themselves, to be completely with themselves and, above all, to stay that way.


Colorful, loud, different, and above all, unique With a style of music that "straight in your face rock" couldn't describe better.





Tracklist:


"Modern Warrior"
"I’m Not Sorry"
"Take Care"
"I Dare To"
"Remedy"
"Soldier Of Fortune"
"G.E.B."
"Dreamer"
"Not One Of Your Kind"
"Fever"
"Remember You"
"Medusa"


"I Dare To"





"Modern Warrior"

Nekrogoblikon performed on the Sophie Lancaster Stage at Bloodstock Open Air 2022. Professionally-filmed footage of the band's entire show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"The Many Faces of Dr. Hubert Malbec"
"Golden Future"
"Yin"
"Darkness"
"Dressed as Goblins"
"Going to Die"
"The Magic Spider"
"No One Survives"
"This Is It"
"Powercore"

Japanese supergroup THE LAST ROCKSTARS played a sold-out concert last night (Friday, February 10) at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below (courtesy of the Faith WestYouTube channel.

The Los Angeles show took place more than a month after THE LAST ROCKSTARS released its debut single, "The Last Rockstars (Paris Mix)". The track was made available via the quartet's global distribution deal with Ingrooves, which is part of Universal Music Group's Virgin Music Group.

THE LAST ROCKSTARS — which consists of Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo and Miyavi, four major forces from Japan's rock scene — played two shows in New York City last week, on February 3 and February 4 at Hammerstein Ballroom.

On January 20, just a few days before their sold-out arena shows in Tokyo, THE LAST ROCKSTARS released the music video for their first single, "The Last Rockstars (Paris Mix)". The track landed at No. 1 on the iTunes Rock chart and All Genres chart in Japan and reached the Top 10 in eight international territories (Finland, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, Macau, New Zealand, Norway, and Taiwan).

"We've come together to start this challenge for the world out of Japan," Yoshiki said.

"This may be our last chance at this challenge," Sugizo said. "We want to put what's left of our lives on the line to make the world rock with our music."

Yoshiki has several monumental accomplishments under his belt both as the leader of X JAPAN and as an accomplished solo artist. He has been named "one of the most influential musicians and composers in Japanese history" by Consequence Of Sound and has composed Hollywood film soundtracks, a concerto for the Emperor of Japan, and the official theme song for the Golden Globe Awards. He has performed at the world's greatest stages, including Madison Square Garden, Wembley Arena, Coachella music festival, and Carnegie Hall. In addition to his music, Yoshiki has been internationally recognized for his philanthropy, and was awarded a Medal Of Honor by the Japanese government.

Hyde is internationally recognized as the vocalist for L'ARC-EN-CIEL, VAMPS and as a successful solo artist. L'ARC-EN-CIEL has sold over 40 million albums worldwide, headlined Madison Square Garden, and were also the first rock band to headline Japan National Stadium. Hyde has also had great success touring internationally as a solo artist.

Sugizo has worked and performed globally as a member of LUNA SEA, X JAPAN, and U.K.'s JUNO REACTOR, a group credited with creating psychedelic trance. As a solo artist he has been pursuing his unique style of electronic music while creating for multiple movie and theater soundtracks.

Miyavi "The Samurai Guitarist" has enthralled the world with his transcendent unconventional "slap style" of playing his guitar, which has taken him around the world nine times to tour in over 30 countries. In 2014 he made his debut as a Hollywood actor in "Unbroken". He was the first Japanese public figure to be featured in Gucci's global campaign, and has been appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNCHR, providing support for refugees.

With their illustrious experience in Japan's most influential rock bands, remarkable sales records individually, and hit collaborations with global artists, these four musicians coming together is a monumental occurrence. THE LAST ROCKSTARS are here to usher in a new legendary era of rock.

Fantasy symphonic power metal band France's Avaland will be releasing their sophomore full-length The Legend Of The Storyteller due out on March 31, 2023 via Rockshots Records following their 2021 debut Theater Of Sorcery. In addition to the album's upcoming unveiling, the band will be supporting Rhapsody oOf Fire from April 1 to 23 on their Glory For Salvation Tour.


Avaland has shared their second single "Betrayers" featuring guest vocals from Madie (ex-Nightmare/Faith In Agony).


“BOOM!” That was my first reaction while listening for the first time to the final mix of ‘Betrayers’. This song is the more bombastic one of the album. This song is a real speed power metal one, with a tragic chorus, Jeff sings like a god on it, especially when the final comes, he shows all the spectrum of his incredible voice. It’s the first song for Avaland I built around the guitar parts instead of the keyboards, and I must admit my mates sublimated it so well!" says Adrien G. Gzagg (Autor/Composer/Lead Singer/Synths and Orchestrations).




Compared to its predecessor, The Legend Of The Storyteller is heavier and is a much more epic power metal record full of anthems upon anthems for fans to chant to as they are taken on a journey over twelve theatric tracks. The record also hears double vocal duties from Adrien G. Gzagg and Jeff Kanji, along with album guests that include Zak Stevens (Savatage / TSO), Madie (Nightmare / Faith In Agony), Pierre “Cara” Carabalona (Eltharia), Ivan Castelli (Lionsoul), Angèle Macabiès, Jens Ludwig (Edguy) and Bruno Ramos (Sortilège / Manigance).


Lead by Adrien G. Gzagg (autor / composer / lead singer / synths and orchestrations), the album's storyline is aprequel to the band's first album Theater Of Sorcery, as he explains further:


"This album, as the first one, is a journey, a trip out of our world, into the universe of Avaland. We enjoy seeing Avaland as a great saga, as a movie, or series. We feel like listening to Avaland is like watching Game Of Thrones, The Lord Of The Rings, or reading comics, it’s an escape from everyday life. For this album, we took a lot of inspiration from Game Of Thrones and Arthurian Myths. We love fantasy and mythologies and we also find ourselves having a great fascination for alchemy and esoterism. Time is also a great subject, it's mystical… in fact, time will be at the center of this saga. This new opus is showing a heavier and darker atmosphere of Avaland’s theatrical universe. Are you ready to be part of The Legend Of The Storyteller?"


Avaland's first single in support of The Legend Of The Storyteller is entitled "Crimson Tyranny" (feat. Cara, Madie & Zak Stevens).


“This song is the first one I composed for this album. It defines the atmosphere for this new album: darker than Theater Of Sorcery, but also more epic, especially with its mighty chorus (with some Blind Guardian influences). It’s a mind-sticking song, beware of this infernal hook 'Crimson! Tyranny!'. The title of the song is a tribute to 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' by King Crimson." adds Adrien G. Gzagg.


The Legend Of The Storyteller artwork and tracklisting:





"The Vision" 
"Crimson Tyranny" 
"Insurrection" 
"To Be The King" 
"Secret Night" 
"Kingslayer" 
"The Gift" 
"Out Of The Fog" 
"Betrayers" 
"Madness Of The Wise" 
"You’ll Be The Legend" 
"Lies" 
"La Folie Du Sage" (Bonus Track)


"Betrayers" video:





"Crimson Tyranny" lyric video:





Pre-save The Legend Of The Storyteller on your favorite digital platform now at this location; or pre-order a physical copy here.

Cello metallers Apocalyptica have uploaded their performance of “Ashes Of The Modern World” from Tuska Utopia 2020. The track is taken from their 2020 album Cell-0.





In December 2022, Apocalyptica released their single, "Rise Again", featuring Epica vocalist, Simone Simons. The clip below features Simons performing the song with Apocalyptica in Manchester, UK on The Epic Apocalypse Tour on February 3rd. It is only the second time they have performed the song together live.










Apocalyptica issued the following statement when the single was released last year:


"Surprise! We just dropped 'Rise Again' our 'new' song with Epica's incredible frontwoman, Simone Simons! Why is 'new' in quotes you ask? Because this song features Simone singing over "Rise", a track from Cell-0!


Eicca says: "It was so great to make 'Rise Again' with Simone Simons! When we were putting the Epic Apocalypse-tour together we were thinking of making this collaboration with Epica even deeper by releasing a song together. 'Rise' from Cell-0 album had the beauty and feel which we felt could fit perfectly for Simone’s unique voice. We are so happy for the song and really excited about this tour with Epica as it will be something really special and amazing!!!"

Swedish metal band Narnia release the single "Rebel", which is the opening track on the upcoming record Ghost Town, the band's ninth studio album.


"Rebel" showcases a seasoned and still hungry five-some that musically gives a nod to the band's earliest influences, and should appeal to longtime fans. A follow-up tour is planned, and Narnia is ready for huge steps into a new, exciting chapter.


While waiting for Swedish metal band Narnia’s ninth studio-album, Ghost Town, (which will be released on March 17) the first single "Rebel", is released on all major digital platforms in cooperation with Sound Pollution Distribution. The song is the opening track on the upcoming album and is an up-tempo track with a sound that has been associated with the band for their 27 years to date.




This single release begins the countdown to a new major venture with Narnia, which means additional single releases, an album release in March and subsequent worldwide tours.


Lyrics that make you reflect combined with the broad musical breadth the band possesses, along with a solid production, is Narnia’s musical trademark which runs throughout the entire album. If the latest studio album From Darkness To Light from 2019 marked the way, Ghost Town is a more than worthy sequel with a life of its own.


Ghost Town is produced by CJ Grimmark, mixed by the band"s sound engineer Viktor Stenquist, and mastered by Thomas Piec Johansson. It will be available on all digital platforms, CD, and vinyl on March 10, in collaboration with Sound Pollution Distribution.


Pre-save / pre-order Ghost Town here.





Tracklisting:


"Rebel"
"Thief"
"Hold On"
"Glory Daze"
"Descension"
"Ghost Town"
"Alive"
"Modern Day Pharisees"
"Out Of The Silence"
"Wake Up Call"


"Rebel":





Lineup:


Christian Liljegren: Vocals
CJ Grimmark: Guitars, backing vocals
Jonatan Samuelsson: Bass, backing vocals
Martin Härenstam: Keyboards
Andreas “Habo” Johansson: Drums


(Photo - Mats Vassfjord)

With the release of their third studio album Stereo Typical just two weeks away, California rockers Roxanne have released another music video from the album scheduled for worldwide release on February 24. The video for “Only A Call Away” featuring dUg Pinnick is now available and showcases the softer side of the quartet comprised of Jamie Brown (Vocals, Guitar), John Butler (Guitar), Joe Infante (Bass) and Dave Landry (Drums). 


The video is set in a diner as vocalist Jamie Brown sings the lyrics of a pair that is separated but can be back together in just one phone call. King’s X front man and bassist dUg Pinnick offers his vocal talents and appears in the music video directed by Joel K Rodgers and Jamie Brown. The song is also available via all digital service providers and fans that pre-ordered the album digitally will receive the song instantly. The video for “Only A Call Away” featuring dUg Pinnick can be seen below.


"This song is about friendship and the importance of spending time with the ones who matter the most, while you can," explains Jamie Brown.




Originally formed in the late ‘80s, Roxanne garnered commercial success with their 1988 self-titled debut album which was well received with two songs charting on rock radio; “Cherry Bay” and “Sweet Maria”, as well as a cover of Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.” The band is back with their first album of new material in five years and second for Rat Pak Records. Stereo Typical features ten brand new songs from the quartet comprised of Jamie Brown (Vocals, Guitar), John Butler (Guitar), Joe Infante (Bass) and Dave Landry (Drums). From the driving intro of album opener “Stereotypical” to the anthemic outro of “Without A Rope,” Roxanne is back with their signature sound of rock-n-roll that garnered them a legion of fans in the late 80’s and continue to support them today. Tracks like “Gotta Live,” “The Cost Of Living” and “Until They Do” are chock full of memorable hooks and melodies. Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert adds a blistering solo to the piano ballad “Looks Like Rain” and King’s X front man dUg Pinnick offers his vocal talents to the catchy “Only A Call Away.”


Stereo Typical is now available in various bundle configurations including CD, vinyl and cassette at ratpakrecordsamerica.com.





Tracklisting:


“Stereotypical”
“Looks Like Rain” (feat. Paul Gilbert)
“Gotta Live”
“Only A Call Away” (feat. Dug Pinnick)
“The Cost Of Living”
“Open Book”
“Waiting For Laura”
“Keep On Keepin’ On” (feat. Jeff Scott Soto)
“Until They Do”
“Without A Rope”
“Nothing To Lose” (Bonus track)


"Only A Call Away" video:





“Keep On Keepin’ On” video:

Swedish progressive death metallers, Scar Symmetry, have announced reissues for four of their classic albums. Pitch Black Progress (2006), Holographic Universe(2008), Dark Matter Dimensions (2009), and The Unseen Empire (2011) will all be available on vinyl for the first time ever on April 14, with pre-orders available here.





The albums will be available in the following variants:




Pitch Black Progress (2006)
- 1000 2LP Gold Vinyl
- 500 2LP Gold/Black Splatter Vinyl (Mail Order exclusive)


Holographic Universe (2008)
- 1000 2LP White Vinyl
- 500 2LP White/Dark Blue Splatter Vinyl (Mail Order exclusive)


Dark Matter Dimensions (2009)
- 1000 2LP Grey Vinyl
- 500 2LP Grey/Black Splatter Vinyl (Mail Order exclusive)


The Unseen Empire (2011)
- 1000 Clear Vinyl
- 500 Clear/Black Splatter Vinyl (Mail Order exclusive)


Scar Symmetry have completed work on their seventh full-length album, The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph), the long-awaited follow-up to 2014's The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity). Stay tuned for updates.


Scar Symmetry is:


Roberth Karlsson - Vocals
Lars Palmqvist - Vocals
Per Nilsson - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Benjamin Ellis - Guitars
Henrik Olsson - Drums

Queen recently launched the new video series, “Queen The Greatest: Live”, a year-long celebration of Queen Live. A 50-week YouTube series going behind the scenes to reveal what goes into creating a Queen show featuring moments from iconic performances and demonstrating why the band is regarded as the ultimate live act. The latest episode can be found below.


"To wrap up our behind-the-scenes look at Queen's rehearsal process, this rare footage of Brian and Roger at a sound check in Kyiv reveals how those precious few hours at a venue before the show, are key."







Queen have announced that The Official 77th Freddie Mercury Birthday Party is scheduled for September 2 at Casino Barriere in Montreux, Switzerland. Tickets are on sale now, here.


A message from Queen states: "The live entertainment this year will come from the UK's Live Killers, who will be performing Queen's 1973 debut album in its entirety, plus deep cuts and classic hits. All those who purchase a ticket will be entered into a draw to win a personalized framed presentation disc of Queen's 1973 debut album signed by Roger Taylor and Brian May. All profits from the event go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust - Fighting AIDS Worldwide.


"From August 31 - September 3, further free activities and live music will be organized near the statue by Montreux Celebration. More information at montreuxcelebration.com."

One of the most iconic and influential albums ever, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon continues to find new audiences globally. This year, to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, a new deluxe box set will be released on March 24. Pre-order here, and listen to "The Great Gig In The Sky" (2023 Remaster) below.





It includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions.  The set also includes additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix, plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’, a 160-page hardback photo book, a music book, replica 7” singles and memorabilia.  For full details see full listing via the pre-order link above.




The box set includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album, and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes an additional new Blu-ray disc of a Dolby Atmos mix plus a CD and LP of The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974. There's also a 76-page music book, replicas of two 7" singles, posters, stickers, a replica invite to the press preview of the album at London Planetarium in February 1973, and Thames & Hudson's 160-page hardback book with rare and previously unseen photographs from the 1972-1975 tours taken by Jill Furmanovsky, Peter Christopherson, Aubrey Powell, and Storm Thorgerson.





Simultaneously, on March 24, the CD and first ever vinyl issue of The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974 will be released independently of the box set. It was originally recorded in November 1974 as part of the band's winter tour and this is the first time it will be available as a stand-alone album, with artwork featuring an original 1973 line-drawn cover by George Hardie.





Thames & Hudson's book Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary will also be published separately from the box set on the same day - March 24. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky and art directed by Hipgnosis co-founder Aubrey Powell, this LP-sized book was created with the involvement of the band members.


The 50th Anniversary release will also be celebrated as Pink Floyd invite a new generation of animators to enter a competition to create music videos for any of the album's 10 songs. Pink Floyd has a rich history of collaborating with animators from the beginnings of the band (Ian Emes, Gerald Scarfe etc.), and in some cases the visuals that accompany the songs have become synonymous with the music itself. The 50th Anniversary will be no exception. The band would like to give all animators an opportunity to present a fresh take on these timeless aural works. Animators can enter up to 10 videos, one per song on the album. A winner will be selected from a panel of experts which will include Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Aubrey 'Po' Powell (Pink Floyd's creative director) and the BFI (British Film Institute). The deadline for submissions is November 30th 2023. Please see the separate post with Nick Mason talking about the competition.


On February 27 1973, EMI Records held a press conference for the debut presentation of Pink Floyd’s new album The Dark Side Of The Moon at the London Planetarium. 50 years on, in recognition of the iconic album and with the help of huge strides in technology, an official full dome experience with stunning visuals of the solar system and beyond and played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon, will be released in Planetariums around the world in March. Contact your local Planetarium for any screening details.


For further information, head to PinkFloyd.com.

Einar Solberg - frontman of Norwegian rock mavericks Leprous - is pleased to announce the release of his debut solo album, 16, on June 2. Wildly diverse, but spiritually rooted in Einar’s well-established musical world, 16 is an album that brims with surprises and spinning curveballs and features a collection of intimate but extravagant collaborations.


Today sees the release of "Grotto", the first single to be taken from the album, a track written alongside Magnus Børmark, best known as a member of Norwegian alt-folk troupe Gåte. It also features Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco) on drums, Tor Egil Kreken on bass, Raphael Weinroth-Browne (Leprous touring member) on cello & Chris Baum (Bent Knee) on violin. Watch the video below.


Einar Solberg is as renowned for the tender honesty of his lyrics as he is for the eccentric majesty of Leprous’ music. But even by his usual standards, 16 is an extremely emotional and dynamic piece of work. Einar describes the record as “the closest I’ve ever come to writing a concept album” and explains that the new songs are about a very specific and transformational period in the musician’s life. This is the sound of a restless spirit in his absolute element.




“It’s called 16 because that’s when the first really, really bad things started happening to me in life. From 16 to 19, there were a lot of very life-defining moments that happened to me, and that changed me,” he says. “That’s when I kind of lost my innocence and I started realising that life is serious and bad shit can happen. A lot of pretty drastic things happened within those three years. But this album is not only about the bad things. It’s also about some of the career-defining moments, like the moment I started playing with the band and began to find a community to belong to. Emotionally, I’m a bit of everything, so it covers the entire emotional spectrum!”


16 finds Einar collaborating with everyone from modern prog contemporaries like Bent Knee’s Ben Levin and Agent Fresco’s Toti Gudnason, to experimental cellist (and regular Leprous live musician) Raphael Weinroth-Browne and Magnus Børmark, best known as a member of Norwegian alt-folk troupe Gåte. He also once again collaborates with Ihsahn and Star Of Ash amongst many others. The record was mixed by mixed by Adam Noble (Placebo, Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves) and mastered by Robin Schmidt (The 1975, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, etc.).


16 will be released on Ltd CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet & Digitally, and is now available to pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"16" (feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne)
"Remember Me"
"A Beautiful Life"
"Where All The Twigs Broke" (feat. Star Of Ash)
"Metacognitive" (feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne)
"Home" (feat. Ben Levin)
"Blue Light" (feat. Asger Mygind)
"Grotto" (feat. Magnus Børmark)
"Splitting The Soul" (feat. Ihsahn)
"Over The Top"
"The Glass Is Empty" (feat. Tóti Guðnason)


"Grotto" video:





Einar will debut his solo material live with two exclusive shows at the Eindhoven & London editions of Prognosis Festival (15th & 22nd April respectively). You can find more details here.

After twelve years of band history, it's time to take the power metal hope Winterstorm to a new level. The band‘s fifth studio album, entitled Everfrost, will be their first offering since 2016 and their debut on AFM Records.


"Winter" stands for nordic viking and folk metal, "Storm" for fast-paced power metal, combined with epic and orchestral metal facets, Winterstorm shines in a new splendour as the brand new single, "To The End Of All Known“, proves.


The band comments:  "While our new single 'To The End Of All Known' is about uncertain future times driven by technical progress, we as a band are looking forward positively to play our next shows for our fans and hope they enjoy the newest song and our upcoming album."




Watch the video for "To The End Of All Known" below.





It’s the melodic grandeur, that clearly marks the foreground of Winterstorm, reflected in heavily catchy choruses and colossal, polyphonic vocals. Striking elements of different metal styles merge with each other and get a completely new impression, that Winterstorm’s forthcoming record may be their most versatile and powerful album to date; one that does not have to hide behind proven genre colleagues such as Blind Guardian or Rhapsody Of Fire.


Everfrost will be available as CD Digipak, limited clear blue vinyl and boxset on July 14 through AFM Records. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Origin"
"To The End Of All Known"
"The Phoenix Died (Remember)"
"Circle Of Greed"
"Future Times"
"Everfrost"
"Final Journey"
"Fate Of The Atlanteans"
"Crusade"
"Overcome The Fear"
"Silence"


"To The End Of All Known" video:

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy has blasted bands who rely heavily on backing tracks during their concerts, calling it "bullshit" and insisting that he loves "the real shit."

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Pearcy addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' StanleyYouTube channel. Asked for his opinion on "singers who lip sync", Stephen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, there's artists who need that — the Taylor Swifts and all these other people, maybe. Maybe not even her; she's a real kind of gal.

"I think it's bullshit, really," he continued. "And my peers are doing that shit.

"I love my guys in MÖTLEY [CRÜE], but when that shit [is] everywhere — on stage, and your bass is piped in — that kind of stuff kind of eats me. But it's not my gig. I don't do it. I wouldn't do it. I'm old school — new minded, but old school… I love the real shit. But, you know, it is what it is."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's used of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

KISS lead singer Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

Earlier this month, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

DIEHUMANE, the new "avant garde alt-metal" band featuring Rick Hunolt (EXODUS) on guitar, Garret West on lead vocals, Sal Abruscato (TYPE O NEGATIVE, LIFE OF AGONY) on drums, Joshua Vargas on rhythm guitar, bass, piano, programming and Greg Hilligiest Jr. on keyboards, samples, additional guitar, will release its debut album, "The Grotesque", on May 5 in partnership with producer Ulrich Wild's label WURMgroup and The Oracle Management, the management company of COAL CHAMBER and DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara. The LP was produced and mixed by Wild.

"The Grotesque" track listing:

01. The Executively Dysfunctional
02. King Of Nothing (The Bruiser)
03. Standing At The Edge Of Forever
04. Shell Shock
05. The Death Knell
06. Epitaph
07. Oblivion
08. The Vanishing
09. Ghosts
10. Aphasia
11. Nevermind
12. Crossroads
13. The Descent
14. The Devil Sings
15. Sparrows
16. Skeletons
17. Stardust Blues

The second single, "Shell Shock", can be streamed below.

DIEHUMANE was founded in Galveston, Texas at the end of 2020 by Vargas and Hilligiest as a way to deal with the loss and isolation of that year. From there it snowballed into something massive, with West, Hunolt and Abruscato all joining the fold.

DIEHUMANE is a band that swims about as far away from the other fish as it gets. It combines elements of doom metal, jazz, industrial, blues and prog. Imagine if CELTIC FROST got into a car crash with A PERFECT CIRCLE, NINE INCH NAILS and TYPE O NEGATIVE while listening to PINK FLOYD on the radio. DIEHUMANE is heavily rooted in mood and atmosphere, from the brooding to the cathartic, from the hopeless to hopeful. Love them or hate them, it's a musical ride that you can only get from them.

Wild said: "I'm incredibly excited and honored to be part of DIEHUMANE's debut album. I'm always interested in artists who create their own genre-defying brand of music, and DIEHUMANE did just that with 'The Grotesque'. Their music is incredibly dynamic, and goes from hauntingly beautiful to absolute destruction with everything in between. A true musical journey."

Fafara added: "When I heard the record for the first time, I immediately restarted it for the second time. This is one of the most unique musical offerings in metal at this point — completely its own sound, lush and unforgiving in artistry. There will be big things on the horizon once the public gets attached to this band! Oracle is proud to represent DIEHUMANE."

Said Hunolt: "To be honest, being in a band wasn't even on my mind at the time a dear friend called me and said, 'Hey, I know these guys looking for a guitar player.' He sent me some raw tracks, and I listened for about a month before I replied, and it was the music that I was looking for. It gave me the ability to express myself musically and, even more important, was radically different than anything I have ever played. Music needs 'different' in order to evolve. [There's] so much talent in this band, and I can't wait for you to experience DIEHUMANE."

Added Abruscato: "I am looking forward to the release of this very different and unique album I had the pleasure writing/performing the drum tracks for. It's different from what I have done in the past and it's been fantastic to be a part of it with everyone in the band, Ulrich Wild/WURMgroup and The Oracle Management. I feel folks will be blown away."

Stated West: "I grew up listening to Sal and Rick. Then Dez took us into his flock with The Oracle and Ulrich (a powerhouse responsible for many of my favorite records) made it his mission to make us sound pristine. What we have here is something special. I just hope people find it as special as we do."

Said Hilligiest: "I want to thank Ulrich and Dez both for taking interest in us and helping us get it out there. I'm just happy to finally get it out to people's ears. We've been hearing this album in many different forms for two years now, it's time to let everybody else in the world hear it as it is meant to be heard. I hope you all like it as much as we do."

Commented Vargas: "Typically the formation of a project and subsequent creation of an album marks the beginning of something, whereas this one starts with the end, and actually ends with the beginning of something. All of these songs began as a way of dealing with complete and total isolation in 2020 and the loss of what life was before that year, and ends marking the beginning of something awesome, and the album sounds like exactly that. Recording began in a dingy townhome in Galveston, Texas and ended in fucking Hollywood. The musical journey we all took on this album is something I wouldn't trade for world. Big thanks to Ulrich Wild (WURMgroup) and Dez Fafara (The Oracle Management) for going on this crazy journey with us. I'm so happy with this album that I don't even care if anyone hates it."

Hunolt — the other half of the famed EXODUS "H-Team" who is on every studio recording from 1985 through 2004 and co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs such as "A Lesson In Violence" and "Deliver Us To Evil" — left EXODUS after the band's highly acclaimed 2004 reunion album, "Tempo Of The Damned". Following his departure, Hunolt was replaced by HEATHEN guitarist Lee Altus.

Rick discussed his exit from EXODUS during a November 2021 appearance on "Put Up Your Dukes", the podcast hosted by ex-EXODUS singer Rob Dukes. He said: "During the recording of 'Tempo', Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist] had just gotten clean a little while prior to that, and I was still using. But I've gotta say, Gary Holt — my hat's off to the man for… He never sweated me. Not once did Gary say, 'Dude, you're a piece of shit. I'm gonna fire you from the band if you don't get your shit together.' He never said nothing. He let it take its course, you know what I mean?

"I was a mess," Rick continued. "We all were, but everybody got better, and I didn't. I fell down the rabbit hole even worse, I think, because I was just so depressed. I couldn't stop. I don't know what was up… To the point where I was gonna lose my position in the band I'd been in for over 20 years — my best friends, my life. Yeah, it was dark as fuck.

"One day, after spending my life, giving everything that I had and the whole world to EXODUS, one day I woke up and I wasn't in EXODUS anymore," Hunolt added. "And that morning was, like… Dude, I can't even describe the emotions that I [was feeling]. I woke up and I wasn't in EXODUS anymore, dude. It damn near took me out, bro."

Rick revealed that he went through a particularly difficult period after splitting with EXODUS. "I had to reinvent myself at 40-plus years old, [with] two little kids," he said. "I ended up moving out of Oakland. I had to get the fuck out of there, 'cause we were living at the studio; it was bad. And then we moved in with my wife's mom and I got a job at the [discount chain] Dollar Tree and I ended up working there for, like, two or three years. I mean, I can go on and on and on. But long story short, I met a guy who knew who I was and offered me a job on his ranch. And the rest is history. He taught me how to live my life and make money."

Hunolt makes a guest appearance on EXODUS's latest studio album, "Persona Non Grata", which was released in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Photo credit: Anthem In Art Photography

BUTCHER BABIES have released the official music video for their new single, "Beaver Cage". The track is taken from the band's upcoming fourth studio album which was recently completed with producer Josh Schroeder (LORNA SHORE, KING 810).

Last month, BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Heidi Shepherd told the "BREWtally Speaking" podcast about the band's musical evolution: "We've been a band for nearly 15 years, so when we started we were angry kids — very angry. We had a lot to be angry about. And as success started coming around and we started leaving our families and leaving our friends behind, our second more [about] loneliness and emotion in that, and then the third album was just kind of a culmination of all that. And then, all of a sudden, we're angry again, because our shit was taken away from us for years [because of the coronavirus pandemic]. We're angry again. We go to Michigan in the middle of the winter. And I feel almost like we reverted to our first album — those emotions you can really hear on our fourth album because we're kind of going through those same emotions.

"That's what's awesome about bands putting out albums," she continued. "It's a snapshot of time. It's a snapshot of what they were going through at the time, or what they felt like they wanted to explore."

Heidi went on to say that "evolution is necessary as an artist." She added: "We need to evolve; we need to try out all these different things. We don't do it for our fans; we do it for us. Of course we love when they like it and they wanna hear certain things, but I need to be able to put my emotions on to an album as well. This is my therapy. [Laughs] This is my very expensive therapy. So it's important for us."

Circling back to the upcoming BUTCHER BABIES LP, Heidi said: "I'm so excited for people to be able to hear this because a lot of this stuff was written right in the studio, so you're gonna hear a lot of what we were going through in those six weeks that we wrote and recorded this album. Weird emotions within the band 'cause some of us hadn't seen each other in over a year. Weird emotions about not being able to tour, not being able to go play these songs. Weird emotions about everything. And I think that we were all going through those type of emotions. So it's gonna be really awesome for people to hear that from us."

Added guitarist Henry Flury: "I think it's gonna be really shocking when people hear the other songs compared to our first single, because they're gonna these expectations of, like, 'Oh, it's gonna be this kind of album.' Get ready for a curveball, because it's coming."

Last October, BUTCHER BABIES shared the official music video for their cover version of rapper Saweetie's chart-topping single "Best Friend". The clip was directed by Dale "Rage" Resteghini and was filmed at the Bare Den adult entertainment club in Newton, New Jersey.

BUTCHER BABIES have been performing their cover of "Best Friend" at their recent live shows.

Speaking to Spain's EMP about BUTCHER BABIES decision to cover "Best Friend", Shepherd said: "It's basically a song about [me and fellow BUTCHER BABIES singer Carla Harvey]. 'Cause we've been best friends for so long. We were a band together prior to BUTCHER BABIES. It's a cover, and we figured we can't think of two better people to cover this song besides us. So it's fun."

Asked by Metalshop why it's better to release singles than a full-length album in 2022 and 2023, Carla said: "I think we live in a time where people want things right now; they want new stuff all the time. And I also think that when you release a single, people have a chance to digest that song, fall in love with that song before they skip to the next one and the next one and the next one. We really like developing a song on its own, making a video for that song, telling the story of that song, because every song is special to us."

Added Heidi: "We put our heart and soul into every single song that goes on the album. We don't just half-ass any of the songs, and so we want to make sure that it gets the life and the attention it deserves. And so I think we're just gonna continue this way and just leak it a little bit at a time and keep it going."

In a separate interview with Bloodstock TV, Carla stated about the recording process for the new BUTCHER BABIES LP: "It was a really cool experience. We got to sit together for about six weeks in the middle of nowhere — a very, very small town in Michigan — and just create together. And we had an Airbnb with animal skulls all over the place. And we just sat there in the snow and created probably our best album to date. So it was a great bonding experience."

When Oran O'Beirne of Bloodstock TV suggested that some BUTCHER BABIES fans might object to such a diverse combination of musical styles, Carla said: "We haven't changed at all, because some of our earliest songs were similar. We've always run the gamut throughout our music; we've never stayed with one style. Most people love about BUTCHER BABIES that we have a death metal song and a thrash metal song and then a poppy radio song, and whatever mood they're in, we've got a song for them."

Added Heidi: "What I love about being in a band like this and being around musicians that we all see eye to eye is that we can do different things; we're not pigeonholed to one certain sound. Sometimes we wanna get up and we wanna scream and we wanna be angry bitches, and then sometimes we wanna sing and we want people to hear what we feel from our hearts. And I think that that's important as an artist, to be able to do both."

Carla continued: "And judging by the audience reaction when we go from one very, very heavy song to one lighter song, they love it. They have literally the same energy for both kinds of music. They want it too. People want the freedom to be able to like different types of music."

BUTCHER BABIES' latest album, 2017's "Lilith", was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked the band's recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.

In 2021, BUTCHER BABIES embarked on a headlining tour, "Butcher Babies Vs. Goliath", which saw the band performing its debut album, "Goliath" — released in 2013 via Century Media Records — in its entirety along with recent hit singles and new material.

Hailing from the City of Angels, BUTCHER BABIES have released two Eps and three albums to date, with "Lilith", debuting at #1 on iTunes Metal chart and #7 on iTunes Rock chart. The band kicked off 2021 by independently releasing a handful of newly energized singles produced and co-written by Matt Good (FROM FIRST TO LAST),including "Bottom Of A Bottle", "Sleeping With The Enemy", "Yorktown", "Last Dance" and "It's Killin' Time, Baby!" The latter was inspired by the DC Comics character Lobo, a heavy metal bounty hunter.

Legendary Canadian band THE GUESS WHO will release a new studio album, "Plein D'Amour", later in the year through its new partnership with Deko Entertainment. The official music video for the LP's first single, "The King", can be seen below.

THE GUESS WHO enjoyed chart-topping hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s with an impressive catalogue of songs, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "No Time". During the course of its career, the band has released 11 studio albums, all of which charted in Canada and the United States. THE GUESS WHO is best known internationally for its 1970 album "American Woman", which hit No. 1 in Canada and No. 9 in the United States, with five other albums also hitting the Top 10 in Canada. All in all, THE GUESS WHO boasts 14 Top 40 singles in the United States and more than 30 in Canada.

Following its critically acclaimed 2018 recording "The Future IS What It Used To Be", THE GUESS WHO is currently gearing up to release its latest creation, "Plein D'Amour". Bandmembers Derek Sharp, Michael Staertow, Leonard Shaw, Michael Devin and founding member Garry Peterson have crafted a collection of songs that raises the bar and continues to take things up a notch both musically and sonically.

THE GUESS WHO is primed to take its stunning new music to even greater heights with its spectacular live show. The band is ready to start the newest chapter of its illustrious career in partnership with Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group) commencing with the forthcoming release of "Plein D'Amour".

Staertow said: "We couldn't think of a better time to introduce the world to an exceptional collection of songs that exude positivity and cohesive energy, a much-needed cultural antidote. Now we ARE love — 'Plein D'Amour'!"

Peterson added: "After recording this album, and living with it for a while, I believe this is the best album that I have played on."

Deko Entertainment president Bruce Pucciarello said: "This new song collection is a progressive-pop blend of well-written material and the musicianship is over the top. Decades later, this band still blows me away."

Sharp said: "'The King' is a nod to 'all the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again' … however, loving kindness is a universal balm, which can not only put Humpty together again, but turn him into a Prince!"

In addition to "The King", "Plein D'Amour" includes seven more new tracks. The LP was recorded at Villa Sound in Singhampton, Ontario, Canada with Adam Fair.