Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen recently revealed he has a new project in the works. Details are trickling out slowly, and he has checked in with the following update:


"WARNING! Grab your sunglasses! Here is the flashy front cover of the first album of my new band, Supersonic Revolution, with lots of '70s references. Made by Claudio Bergamin Art, photos by Lori A. Linstruth, layout by Élan López  and Roy Koch, and logo by some tall hippie. Hope you can handle it… hurts the eyes, huh?"







Lucassen has revealed Supersonic Revolution is not another one of his metal opera projects:


"And another piece of the teasing puzzle. Meet my new band Supersonic Revolution… so proud of these amazing musicians!"





Line-up:


Arjen Lucassen - bass
Jaycee - vocals
Joost van den Broek - Hammond (Ayreon, Star One ex-After Forever)
Timo Somers - guitar (ex-Delain)
Koen Herfst - drums (Anneke van Giersbergen, Vandenberg)


Stay tuned for more updates.

South Dakota metalcore band Earth Groans will release the Tongue Tied EP on March 3rd via Solid State Records. Pre-order it here. 


Today, the band has shared the video for "Overgrown". Watch the unsettling, yet thought-provoking clip for this ferocious new track below. "Sometimes our 'hell' is just the waiting room to prepare us for our 'heaven,'" the band says.







As the vision of frontman Jeremy Schaeffer, Earth Groans have tallied millions of streams and built a devout fanbase — and the project has truly found its voice with the forthcoming Tongue Tied  EP. The title holds a special significance for Schaeffer, as it tells his story quite literally.


"I was actually born tongue tied," he states. "I had skin all the way up to my teeth, and I couldn't move my tongue at all. They performed the surgery right away and freed my tongue completely. Throughout my life, it has been a metaphor. I've always had a hard time fitting into the community I'm in. This whole record refers to a person finding his or her voice. I found my voice through music. It's how I've been able to communicate what's in my heart and find my true calling. My dad always said, 'Ironically, you don't talk a whole lot, but your music is really loud.'"


Tongue Tied artwork and tracklisting:





"Tongue Tied"
"Overgrown"
"Over The Edge"
"Same Blood"
"Discordant Symphony"


Catch Earth Groans live in concert at the following shows:


February
24 — Club David — Sioux Falls, SD
25 — Reverb Lounge — Omaha, NE 
26 — Skylark — Rock Island, IL 
28 — The WC Social Club — West Chicago, IL


March
1 — The Strand — Fremont, OH
2 — The L — Horseheads, NY 
3 — The Webster — Hartford, CT 
4 — Fete — Providence, RI 
5 — Jewel — Manchester, NH 
6 — Blvd Bar & Grill — Elmwood Park, NJ
7 — The Crown — Baltimore, MD
8 — HMAC — Harrisburg, PA
9 — Legends — Cincinnati, OH
10 — CBGB — St. Louis, MO 
11 — Vivo Live Music — Kansas City, MO 


 

Modern symphonic metal icons KAMELOT have released "Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem)", the second single from their first full-length album in five years, "The Awakening", which will arrive on March 17 via Napalm Records. The track, which features a guest appearance by the Grammy-nominated, soundtrack-featured cellist Tina Guo, is an exciting thematic continuation of a story born on 2007's "Ghost Opera" LP, celebrating the healing impact music has on the human heart and mind.

KAMELOT vocalist Tommy Karevik states: "The music of KAMELOT has always carried the message of hope, light and a feeling of resolution. This story is a prime example of that. 'Opus Of The Night' honors the traditional dark and melodic sound of the band while bringing some new and exciting elements to the table."

Having reigned supreme with the release of internationally top-charting melodic metal pinnacles such as "The Fourth Legacy" (1999),"The Black Halo" (2005),"Silverthorn" (2012),"Haven" (2015) and most recently 2018's acclaimed "The Shadow Theory", "The Awakening" enters the KAMELOT legacy as their most massive and diverse offering yet — mixing symphonic, gothic, melodic, progressive and power metal styles while yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band's history.

KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood says: "With 'The Awakening', we have one of our most diverse albums in years. We've fused elements from progressive, power and gothic metal to symphonic and melodic metal on this one. Working with incredible guest artists from around the music industry and having producer Sascha Paeth and Jacob Hansen mixing gave us another step up on overall sound. This album offers everything to KAMELOT fans and also reaches beyond borders to new metal and hard rock legions."

KAMELOT is one of few bands in the symphonic genre to fully embrace the dark, but of course, there can be no light without it. Inspiring, engaging lyrical themes of determination, strength, overcoming personal battles and growth are abound on "The Awakening", provoked by extreme societal shifts and the overwhelming realization that we have such a brief time to be true to ourselves and live life to its fullest.

With crystal clear modern production helmed by the band and longtime producer Sascha Paeth, plus mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen of Hansen Studios, KAMELOT's score-like 13th studio album is accented by guest contributions from the likes of Melissa Bonny (AD INFINITUM) and renowned instrumentalists like violinist Florian Janoske and Guo.

Showcasing the incomparable, stage-seasoned vocal acrobatics of Karevik and increasingly airtight, renowned technical teamwork of Youngblood, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Oliver Palotai and bassist Sean Tibbetts, "The Awakening" embraces enlivening themes that every listener can relate to. KAMELOT's intense brand of ultramodern gothic and symphonic theatricality is amplified further and with more emotionality than ever on this inspiring, anticipated addition to the KAMELOT legacy.

Tracks honoring KAMELOT trademarks like cinematic "The Great Divide" and darkly hopeful eternal farewell to a loved one, "Eventide", prove that while "The Awakening" stays true to the aural foundations fans have embraced for decades, equally addictive outputs like "One More Flag In The Ground" — a radio-ready anthem about overcoming seemingly unbeatable illness and the mental challenges we all face, featuring additional vocal layers from Juno Award-winning musician and producer Brian Howes — showcase a band devoid of sonic stagnancy. Profound compositions are plentiful, like stage-ready, operatic "Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem)", which features a hair-raising dual solo from Youngblood and Guo, as well as epic, synth-laden "New Babylon", elevated by the dynamic vocal attack of Karevik and Bonny. Further balancing darkness with light, grooving, heartfelt "NightSky" and ode to conquering one's adversities "My Pantheon (Forevermore)" boast some of the album's heaviest moments and most complex guitar solos, while pensive hymns such as Celtic-infused "Midsummer's Eve" and ebbing-and-flowing hymn of cherished memories "Willow" provide necessary balance to an album fittingly primed for spectacular performances to come.

"The Awakening" track listing:

01. Overture (Intro)
02. The Great Divide
03. Eventide
04. One More Flag In The Ground
05. Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem)
06. Midsummer's Eve
07. Bloodmoon
08. Nightsky
09. The Looking Glass
10. New Babylon
11. Willow
12. My Pantheon (Forevermore)
13. Ephemera (Outro)

Photo credit: Nat Enemede

Australian metalcore trailblazers The Amity Affliction - Joel Birch [vocals], Ahren Stringer [vocals, bass], Dan Brown [lead guitar], and Jon Longobardi [drums] - have just dropped the video for their brutal new single, "I See Dead People", featuring late New Zealand rapper Louie Knuxx, who passed away in 2021. Watch below.


"I See Dead People" is easily one of the most blood-blistering songs in Amity's catalog. It will send chills up and down your spine. "The song is about the ongoing and nebulous struggle that comes with dealing with the pain of friends killing themselves while myself dealing with passive suicidal ideation," says Birch.

Chez Kane has announced the release of a brand new single, a cover of Ghost's "Mary On A Cross". The song is out today and available to stream/download on all digital music services here. Listen below.





“I’m so excited to have teamed up with Danny Rexon again to release our take on the amazing song by Ghost, 'Mary On A Cross'. Now remember guys… if your neighbours can’t hear it, it’s not loud enough!,” exclaims Chez.







This new single follows on the heels of the release of Chez's second studio album, Powerzone, which came out in October 2022. Chez is still touring in support of that album, dates include stops at Sweden Rock Festival and the Monsters Of Rock Cruise.


A talented, young vocalist who fronts, with her two sisters, the band Kane'd, Chez was first brought to the attention of the label after conversations with Danny Rexon of Crazy Lixx about the possibility of him scouting and producing some exciting new talent. Subsequently, Danny started working on some demos with Chez and the label did not pass up the opportunity to get involved with this incredible talent.


Chez's debut solo album embraced the melodic rock style that both she and Danny so admire, while adding a new twist to the current takes on the genre. Their second album together, Powerzone took that formula and made it bigger, better, and bolder.


Chez' star really rose, deservedly so, with the release of her self-titled debut album and with Powerzone'(October 2022), she's only rising higher and shining brighter. Armed with an incredible voice, a downright charming personality, a talented backing band, and the guiding hand of producer Danny Rexon, Powerzone was beyond a shadow of a doubt one of THE melodic rock albums of 2022.

There is no doubt about saying that the band from Goiás, Sunroad, is one of the most relevant names in the melodic hard rock/heavy metal scene in all of South America. After all, they have a 20-year career, eight albums released, concerts in various regions of Brazil and other countries in South America, alongside great artists such as Joe Lynn Turner, Petra, Stryper, L.A. Guns, Whitecross, Narnia, etc.


The band’s 8th studio album and first to feature Steph Honde (Scream Taker, Hollywood Monsters), Walking The Hemispheres, was nominated for the Dynamite Independent Music Award as one of the “Best Rock Albums of 2021”. Soon after the band started work on Sunesthesia. The album has a very fine and sophisticated melodic hard rock sound, such as UFO, Whitesnake, Michael Schenker Group to name a few. Artwork was created by Tristan Greatrex (UFO, MSG, Vinnie Moore, Lionheart, etc…), and the album features guests such as Ronnie Romero (MSG, Rainbow), Carl Dixon (Coney Hatch, The Guess Who, April Wine), Michael T. Ross (Hardline, Lita Ford).


The first single “Speed Warning #1” features vocals by Rainbow vocalist Ronnie Romero. Watch lyric video below.




As drummer Fred Mika states, “Speed Warning #1, as the name says, is one of the fastest and louder Sunroad songs ever, we wanted a very energetic song to be the album opening track, so we worked in a way to provoke something with such strong feeling from the listeners. I had an idea for classical intro and then, and then sudden fast riffs come, as well Steph composed the guitar harmonies and those fast, louder riffs and catchy choruses.”


The album has 12 tracks in total and features a host of guests to add to the core line up of Steph Honde - vocals, keyboards, guitars, Van Alexandre - lead guitars, JP Costa - rhythm guitars, vocals, Gui N Silva - bass guitars, and Fred Mika – drums.  


As Mika continues, “Also, we had the idea of contacting prominent artists everywhere to take part on this, as Chilian singer, Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Sunstorm, MSG), which divides vocals on duet with Steph. Also, American keyboardist Michael T Ross (Lita Ford, Raiding Rock Vault, Hardline), Canadian bassist Ronnie Robson (Hollywood Monsters) and Brazilian lead guitarist Rafael Milhomem (BaRok, ex-Sunroad). I guess with this all we got perfect timing on captive vibrations from many good musicians from everywhere.”


You can pre-order Sunesthesia and limited bundles here.


Bundle Includes:


- 1 (One) - Sunroad - "Sunesthesia" CD
- 1 (One) - Sunroad - Logo T-Shirt
- 1 (One) - Sunroad - Logo Sticker





Tracklisting:


Speed Warning #1
Long Ago
Scanning Skies
Drown
Sink Your Teeth Into Me
By Any Means
Pieces Of Fantasy
Screen Screw
Hit And Run
A.S.A.P. (I Might Not Come Tomorrow)
We Watch The Sparks Fly
Only My Soul


"Speed Warning #1" lyric video:

Former HammerFall bassist, Magnus Rosén, has revealed more details about the upcoming Magnus Rosén Band album, due April 21 on X-World / Sound Pollution.


Says Magnus: "I will thank HammerFall and all the fans for my 10 years with the band - 1997-2007. I take my hat off for this time. So how can we celebrate this moment better than with a HammerFall song on this album."


Entitled, It's Time To Rock The World Again, the new album will include 12 songs, plus five bonus tracks. Magnus describes the album as, "A firework of diversity from my journey through music life from the 60's until today."




Rosén adds: "Everything is marked in the perspective of hard rock and these wonderful rock titles that gild this musical style. There are many tones that are hidden in the structures of the songs that can be recognized more or less from the history of rock. We are also celebrating bands and artists for the great inspiration thought the music life with some riff, tones, feelings, songs or solos in new written material and also few old songs - Gary Moore, Scorpions, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Metallica, AC/DC, ABBA, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix - plus much more. New written songs and fresh interpretations of few old rock songs.”


Musicians featured on the album include:


Fabio Buitvidas - Drums
Raphael Mattos - Guitar
Mikael Erlandsson - Keyboard and vocals
Janne Schaffer - Guitar
Tony Martin - Vocals
Zenny Gram - Vocals
George Keczan - Piano and keyboard
Chitral Somapala - Vocals
Jonas Hansson - Guitar
Stefan Blomquist - Keyboard, piano
Elsa Li Jones - Vocals
Eric Galdyanz - Vocals
Ivan Martin's - Vocals
Jörgen Alnevall - Vocals
Magnus Rosén - Bass


Pre-order It's Time To Rock The World Again here





Tracklisting:


"The World And Times"
"Glitter And Blood"
"Something"
"Circus
"Heart On Fire"
"Terminator"
"Paperplane"
"Street Fighting Man"
"Sign Of The Time"
"The Winner Takes It All"
"Dressed To Kill"
"Aint No Sunshine When She's Gone"


Rosén comments, “The music picks up where the words end and here begins the rock that has influenced me throughout my musical life with recognition factors from musicians and bands I admired during my musical journey that have been inserted a little here and there in the newly written songs. There are also some nice interpretations of songs that mean a lot to us in the band. You could call the albums time machines!”


To follow up the full length, the band is releasing Outside The Rockbox , an instrumental mini-album of six songs celebrating some very famous artists by making a musical braid where fusion, rock, folk music and pop meet to make musical fireworks.


It all started after a Brazilian tour with Fabio Buitvidas (drums and producer), Raphael Mattos (guitar player) and Magnus Rosén (bass player). M.R.B is a rock band that can also adventure in the instrumental music world


The album features two fantastic guest musicians: rock guitarist Jonas Hansson from Silver Mountain and the famous concert piano player, George Keczan.


Available on May 26, Outside The Rock Box is a personal imprint with many beautiful shifts between musical styles. Pre-order Outside The Rock Box here.





Tracklisting:


"Terminator"
"Glory Days"
"Ack Värmeland Du Sköna"
"Automatic Different"
"Polkka Säkijärven"
"Visa Från Utanmyra"

Sabaton have released the new lyric video below, stating: "Do you enjoy listening to our Carolus Rex album in Swedish? Are you feeling particularly METAL today? 🤘 Well, we have another lyric video for you to end this week the RIGHT WAY, this time for 'Konungens Likfärd'!"





Spring 2023 will see Sabaton touring across Europe on the eagerly awaited re-scheduled tour: The Tour To End All Tours.




Starting in Leeds on April 14, the tour will bring Sabaton to 21 cities in 14 countries. They will present their biggest and most spectacular show to date in Europe's largest arenas. Fans can be assured that the band will write history with the ground-breaking live shows on The Tour To End All Tours.


The band also confirmed that Japanese dance metal sensation Babymetal will appear as very special guests, marking their first international shows in over three years. Finnish Eurovision winners Lordi will open all shows.


"We are extremely happy to welcome Babymetal to our already much anticipated tour in Europe 2023,” says bass player Pär Sundström. “The energy and power of this band will for sure make each night something special."


“If there ever was a band that would break all the rules, it’s Babymetal with the power and precision to deliver a full on heavy metal show!” echoes frontman Joakim Brodén. “It’s not our first rodeo together, expect nothing but excellence from Babymetal!”


Joakim participated as a guest on “Oh! Majinai (feat. Joakim Brodén)" on Babymetal’s third album, Metal Galaxy, released on October 11th, 2018. He also made a guest appearance at Babymetal’s headline show in October 2018, Babymetal World Tour 2018 in Japan Extra Show Dark Night Carnival.


Tickets for European shows are available here. Tickets for the UK shows on sale here.





Tour dates:


April
14 - Leeds, UK - First Direct Arena
15 - London, UK - OVO Arena Wembley
16 - Cardiff, UK - Motorpoint Arena
18 - Glasgow, UK - The OVO Hydro
21 - Paris, France - Zenith
24 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclays Arena
25 - Esch / Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal
28 - Stockholm, Sweden - Avicii Arena
29 - Oslo, Norway - Spektrum
30 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Royal Arena


May
2 - Hannover, Germany - ZAG Arena
3 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome
5 - Berlin, Germany - Mercedes Benz Arena
6 - Leipzig, Germany - Quarterback Immobilien Arena
7 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle
12 - Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena
13 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis
15 - Munich, Germany - Olympiahalle
18 - Tallinn, Estonia - Saku Arena
19 - Helsinki, Finland - Ice Hall
20 - Kuopio, Finland - Kuopio Hall

Black death metal force, Thulcandra, has announced the release of their new studio album. Hail The Abyss will be unleashed on May 19 via Napalm Records, and sees the band prove yet again why they’re atop death metal’s malefic vedette.


Thulcandra’s rise to power ignited when the Germany-based outfit unleashed their debut album, Fallen Angel’s Dominion, upon metaldom in 2010. The group, fronted by founding member and visionary Steffen Kummerer (also of Obscura fame), have tightened their hibernal grip on blackened death metal since. The desolate melodic emanations in follow-up studio records Under a Frozen Sun (2011), Ascension Lost (2015), and the chart-topping, 2021-album A Dying Wish, dedicated to late drummer Chris Kratzer, solidified Thulcandra as a superior force, expertly thrusting the magic and mystery of mid-’90s melodic black-death metal into the modern era.


Their fifth attack, Hail The Abyss, showcases the band‘s affinity for dark, aggressive and mellifluous metal while the album rips and terrorizes with the intensity of hell. As always, Thulcandra's about a vibe - there's always a unique "feel" that's distinctly old-school, but without the tired trappings of it.




Give ear, as in support of their upcoming record release, today, the four-piece not only continues to gear up for their first ever North American tour, but has just unleashed a video for their new, fierce album single, "As I Walk Through The Gateway".


Says band guitarist/vocalist Steffen Kummerer: "'As I Walk Through The Gateway' turned into a catchy, relentless and melodic exercise of black & death metal that blends the strengths of the band in a unique form. Catch the band on their first North American tour alongside Fleshgod Apocalypse, Obscura and Wolfheart to feel the blistering power behind this composition in a live setting." Watch the video below.


Cooperation with renowned producer Dan Swanö (Dissection, Opeth, Katatonia) was compulsory, as was the re-invitation to cover-master Lochner.


"With Hail The Abyss, we just count the 5th album within 20 years of Thulcandra“, Kummerer continues. "A banger, and a diverse record that shows a unique blend of black and death metal, combined with classic heavy metal twin guitars. The album turned out excellent and Dan Swanö delivered a splendid mix - raw, natural and showcasing each individual musician on the record. Hail The Abyss undoubtedly turned into a highlight of our long lasting career.“





Hail The Abyss will be available in the following formats:


- 1CD Digipak, incl. Bonustracks
- 1CD Jewel Case
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- 1LP Gatefold Silver
- Ltd. Die Hard Vinyl Boxset (contains several highly collectable items, all packed in wooden box)
- Digital Album
- CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle


Pre-order here.





Hail The Abyss tracklisting:


"In The Eye Of Heaven"
"Hail The Abyss"
"At Night"
"Velvet Damnation"
"On The Wings Of Cosmic Fire"
"Acheronian Cult"
"As I Walk Through The Gateway"
"Blood Of Slaves"
"In Darkness We Descend"
"The Final Closure"
"The Second Fall" - Live (CD Bonus Track)
1"Deliverance In Sin And Death" - Live (CD Bonus Track)


"As I Walk Through The Gateway" video:





Thulcandra is:


Steffen Kummerer - Guitars & Vocals
Mariano Delastik - Guitars
Carsten Schorn - Bass
Alessandro Delastik - Drums


(Photo - Grzegorz Golebiowski)

Perris Records announces the reissue of the Roxx Gang CD, The Voodoo You Love on February 17. This reissue features a bonus track "Magic Carpet Ride".


Roxx Gang first signed with indie label Perris Records in 1995 and released their much anticipated second CD entitled The Voodoo You Love. This CD leaned the band back toward it’s original blues-rock roots that were hinted at on songs like “Ball-N-Chain,” “Red Rose” and “Fastest Gun In Town” on “Thing You’ve Never Done Before.”


The Voodoo You Lov” went on to be one of the biggest selling CD in the history of Perris Records. The Sam Phillips family (Elvis, Johnny Cash) company Select-o-Hits in Memhis TN contacted Perris Records about this Roxx Gang release and started a long time distribution deal with hundreds of Perris Records artist that still carry's on 28 years later.




Kevin Steele, lead vocalist Roxx Gang, "The Voodoo You Love was the second Roxx Gang record. It was produced by the band with Carl Canedy (The Rods, Anthrax) and was mixed by Jon Mathias (Dickie Betts, Ian Hunter, Manowar). The reason for the time gap between the first Roxx Gang record and The Voodoo You Love was that Virgin offered to make a second record to be released on their Charisma label. The band opted out of that deal with Virgin and we signed with CBS/Epic which was bought by Sony shortly after we signed. Sony then fired the staff at Epic and released many of the bands on the Epic label including Roxx Gang. These events along with the onset of "Grunge" rock delayed the release of The Voodoo You Love until it found a home on Perris Records. The Voodoo You Love is my favorite Roxx Gang record as it was a move away from Things You've Never Done Before's more "Metal" sound to a classic "Rock-n-Roll '' sound that included piano, horns and saxophone on various cuts. What most people don't know about The Voodoo You Love is that the Things You've Never Done Before lineup recorded this record. Two songs, "Time Bomb" and "Thick As Thieves." were added afterwards and recorded by the now new lineup pictured on the album cover. The new reissue contains the bonus track "Magic Carpet Ride" (original song not the Steppenwolf classic) that was an outtake from The Voodoo You Love sessions. I can't for the life of me remember why we didn't include it on the record because it's a really cool song"


Order CDs via the following links:


- Perris Records
- WOWHD worldwide (Free Shipping)
- Germany





Tracklisting:


"Daddys' Farm"
"Stone Dead Drunk (Again)"
"Time Bomb"
"Hot For Love"
"Silver Train"
"Can't Catch Me"
"What You See"
"Be Your Man"
"Shame On Me"
"Hot 'Lanta"
"Thick As Thieves"
"Meanwhile Back At The Ranch"
"Magic Carpet Ride" (Bonus Track)








Lineup:


Kevin Steele - Vocals, harmonica
Stacey Blades -Guitar, vocals
Tommy Weder- Drums, vocals
Dorain Sage - Bass, vocal

Since the release of their debut album in 2020, rising modern symphonic metal stars Ad Infinitum have stirred up the scene. They have shared a new live video accompanied by the following message:


"We recorded another song featuring the great Nils Molin (Amaranthe) on our tour together with Amaranthe, Beyond the Black and Butcher Babies through Europe in the autumn of 2022."







Ad Infinitum are about to unveil their electrifying third studio album, Chapter III – Downfall, out March 31 via Napalm Records. Consisting of catchy anthems and heavy, modern riffs paired with the vicious vocal melodies of the incredibly talented Melissa Bonny, Ad Infinitum's unique sound has garnered them millions of video views to date on hits like “Marching On Versailles” and “Unstoppable”. This next mesmerizing offering provides another wave of proof of their breakout success.


With their powerful first single, “Upside Down“, the multinational band garnered over 250k views on YouTube within just a few days. Now, after returning from several sold out shows on their expanded European and UK tour with Amaranthe, Beyond The Black and Butcher Babies, they have unleashed their next appetizer, “Somewhere Better”.


The new track creates an ethereal, catchy soundscape with screaming guitars colliding with vocalist Melissa Bonny’s haunting, perfectly contrasting voice. Underlining the ballad’s captivating feeling, its video creates a perfect symbiosis both musically and visually, carrying the listener into the new world of Ad Infinitum.


Ad Infinitum on “Somewhere Better“: “After playing 'Somewhere Better' on tour and sharing fantastic and emotional moments with thousands of people all around Europe and the UK, we are thrilled to release this song, together with a video full of memories of our tour with Amaranthe, Beyond the Black and Butcher Babies. Warm greetings to all the people who will spot themselves in this video!”


Check out the video for “Somewhere Better“:





Chapter III - Downfall, bewitches with an innovative sound full of soaring melodic splendor juxtaposed against brooding, dark and even gothic heaviness. Exploring concepts of Ancient Egyptian history and mythology, Ad Infinitum melds a perfect balance of storytelling and technically sophisticated songwriting, spreading their wings in both areas of production and lyricism. Charging instrumentals, pounding drums, chunky, grooving riffs, mind-boggling solos and enchanting orchestrations build the band's unique world of sound as frontwoman-to-watch Melissa Bonny’s soul-stirring cleans and haunting growls put her incredible vocal range on display - dropping jaws with each line.


Produced by Ad Infinitum and Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Chapter III - Downfall showcases that this up-and-coming quartet can effortlessly turn the genre upside down, gracing it with contemporary vibes without forgoing their signature metal origins, and thrilling all metal fans as they rise to the top!


Ad Infinitum add: “The word is out, Chapter III - Downfall is on its way! For this album, we explored stories and legends of Ancient Egypt with, as star character and main inspiration, Cleopatra. We added some extra dimension and sounds to our signature Ad Infinitum sound to create an extra dimension, transporting the listener to mystical landscapes of another era. We are beyond excited to start to unveil this new record!“


Opening track “Eternal Rains” immediately catches your breath with a captivating chorus, followed by electric  “Upside Down” - defying all rules by combining epic melodies and demonic growls with finesse. “Seth” convinces with a resounding modern sound and eerie ambience that’ll have new fans turning heads, whereas “From The Ashes” impresses with reminiscence of artists like Meshuggah, proving that Ad Infinitum never fails to deliver surprises. “Somewhere Better” creates a perfect symbiosis of vicious vocals and ethereal soundscapes, carrying the listener far away with its wide range of infallible instrumentals. “Under The Burning Skies” directs its haunting vocals towards the horizon, unfolding into an intense mid-tempo ballad shortly after. As a special treat, Ad Infinitum welcomes Chrigel Glanzmann of Eluveitie, who provides his voice for the atmospheric monologue introduction on “Legends”, paving the way for a touch of Middle Eastern-inspired djent flavor.   





Chapter III - Downfall will be available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Digipak
- CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle
- 1 LP Gatefold CURACAO - limited to 300 copies worldwide
- 1 LP Gatefold Black
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Eternal Rains"
"Upside Down"
"Seth"
"From The Ashes"
"Somewhere Better"
"The Underworld"
"Ravenous"
"Under The Burning Skies"
"Architect Of Paradise"
"The Serpent's Downfall"
"New Dawn"
"Legends" (featuring Chrigel Glanzmann)


"Upside Down" video:





Lineup:


Melissa Bonny - Vocals
Adrian Thessenvitz - Guitars
Korbinian Benedict - Bass
Niklas Müller - Drums

In a new interview with Czech Republic's Backstage TV, former KAMELOT and current CONCEPTION singer Roy Khan spoke about his plans to eventually release a solo LP. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm still not entirely sure what it's gonna be. But it's starting to shape up. And I will release something — hopefully now this year with stuff that is already recorded.

"This first series that I'm gonna put out is gonna be a series of cover songs where the theme is 'my first.' So I'm gonna do covers of the first song that I heard, the first Norwegian song that I heard, the first musical song I did, the first Christian song I did, the first song I ever sang in a microphone. So that's gonna be the theme for this first round of streaming concerts. But I also have a ton of songs — original songs.

"When you work in a band like -CONCEPTION or KAMELOT, at least you have one or two other people that you can involve them to lean on when it comes to getting all the work done, 'cause there's a lot of work during the production," Roy explained. "If I'm doing the solo thing and have to do everything myself, or pay people to do it for me, it's a little bit overwhelming. So I'm hesitant to even start the process. But the songs are there. And I just need to get the inspiration to actually get it out."

The 52-year-old Norwegian singer announced his exit from KAMELOT in April 2011 after taking several months off to recover from a "burnout."

After his departure from KAMELOT, Khan, who is a devout Christian, joined a church in the coastal town of Moss, Norway.

Last August, Roy — whose full name is Roy Sætre Khantatat — told Chaoszine about his upcoming solo release: "The first thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna do a streaming-type gig, which is actually pre-recorded. And that's gonna be some sort of a kick-off to my solo thing, whatever that's gonna be. I have tons of songs that just need to be recorded. It's all about finding the time and inspiration, the right people and the energy…

"Making an album, a full album, is such a process," he explained. "When you're a band, we divide the work between us, but making a full album yourself, it's a lot of work and it really consumes you for such a long period of time. I mean, when you listen to a record, it's maybe an hour of music, maybe 45 minutes, but making those 45 minutes takes — if you count everything — maybe two or three years. And maybe you spend half a year in the studio, in and out, breaking things down, building them up again and changing things. It's a very energy-consuming and time-consuming process. So I guess I'm a little bit weary of eating myself up and ending up back where I was, where I left KAMELOT. Because part of it was it was just consuming my whole life. I was becoming this character that I was onstage. Even when I was home, I was Roy Khan. I'm not sure my wife and kids were too happy about that."

Khan reformed his pre-KAMELOT band CONCEPTION five years ago and released an EP, 2018's "My Dark Symphony", and a full-length album, 2020's "State Of Deception".

In April 2018, Khan released his first-ever solo song called "For All". The track, which was written by Khan, was recorded at Stable Studios in Oslo, Norway in March 2018 and featured Roy on vocals, piano and keyboards alongside Leif Johansen on fretless bass and Geir Olav Akselsen on all guitars.

KAMELOT officially announced Tommy Karevik as its new lead singer in June 2012. The Florida-based band has recorded three albums so far with the Swedish vocalist: 2012's "Silverthorn", 2015's "Haven" and 2018's "The Shadow Theory".

Asked if he has listened to any of KAMELOT's recent material with Karevik, Roy told Italy's SpazioRock back in 2018: "Yes I have. I really like some of their new stuff. Sounds classical KAMELOT in my ears, and Tommy is a great singer."

MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio says that he is looking forward to presenting his case in court in his dispute with the Hellfest organizers over the cancelation of the band's concert at the 2019 edition of the French heavy metal festival.

It was reported on June 21, 2019 that MANOWAR's performance at the annual event in Clisson was called off just hours before the veteran metal group was supposed to take the stage.

The Hellfest organizers later issued a statement saying that the MANOWAR members "decided to leave the site" and insisting that the cancelation was caused by "reasons beyond our will."

MANOWAR disputed Hellfest's version of the circumstances that led to the band's non-appearance at the event, claiming that the Hellfest organizers canceled the show after they "chose not to honor their contractual obligations."

In July 2019, DeMaio announced during MANOWAR's concert in Istanbul, Turkey that he and his bandmates had filed a lawsuit against the Hellfest organizers, explaining that "we don't fuck around. People try to fuck with our fans… Nobody's gonna push MANOWAR around," he said. "We're not gonna give our fans less than a hundred percent. We don't take shit from anybody. And yes, we would rather give a hundred percent or nothing."

DeMaio discussed the Hellfest legal dispute during a new appearance on Germany's "Metal Hammer Podcast". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think about it every day. I can't wait to get to court. I can't wait. And I hope all the people that were stupid enough to piss on me and the band and call me an asshole and say that I canceled, not one of them can find a cancelation on my web site. I never canceled. It's a fucking dream. It's a lie. They canceled — not me. Why would I show up in France with all my trucks and 50 people if I wasn't prepared to play and wanted to play?

"But don't worry — we're going to court, and on that day, it will be the day of deliverance," he promised. "People will find out what really goes on in this business. So I invite anybody who's out there, when the day comes, come and watch me in action when I get a chance to tell my story to the judge. And I hope everybody who condemned me will use that same energy to apologize. Not to me — I don't give a fuck — but apologize to the fans that believed in the band and stand behind us."

When DeMaio first announced MANOWAR's lawsuit against the Hellfest organizers, he said that he wanted "the world to know the fucking truth, exactly what happened over there. It was the promoters that caused every fucking problem — not MANOWAR."

He added: "I believe we will win this lawsuit, and when we do, we're gonna take some money and we're gonna find a country and we're gonna find a city in that country that will have us, and we're gonna play a free concert, and the whole fucking world is invited. You have my fucking word that that will happen… And don't listen to these fucking ass-kissing motherfuckers on the Internet talk shit about MANOWAR and their rumors. None of those fucking assholes were even there. Do they have a copy of our contract? Were they backstage? Did they see what happened? No. They've got nothing better to do than play with their fucking little dicks and type on the fucking Internet and talk shit about people. But we're the band that showed up there with eight fucking trucks, or however many we had, ready to play. And guess what? We never canceled. Yeah, that's right. The announcement came from them, on their site. But it was nice for people to say we canceled so they wouldn't have to listen to the fans bitch. So maybe those people should ask these fuckers some questions about what really happened."

MANOWAR has just released a new song called "Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell" dedicated to the band's loyal German fans. Check out the official lyric video below.

"Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell", which translates into "Loud And Hard Strong And Fast", is an anthemic mid-tempo hymn in the vein of MANOWAR's classic "Warriors Of The World United" that invites fans to sing along and raise their hands in celebration of their favorite genre and band.

"Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell" was first released digitally on February 10 on all major platforms and will be available during MANOWAR's German tour. The European retail release is scheduled for February 24.

Five months ago, MANOWAR announced that it had recruited Michael Angelo Batio, a veteran both in the studio and on stage, to play guitar for the band on its 2023 "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal" tour. The news came in the wake of guitarist Evandro "EV" Martel's announcement that he was taking a break from touring for a while for "personal reasons".

Although MANOWAR has released a couple of EPs in recent years — including "The Revenge Of Odysseus (Highlights)", which came out in June — the group hasn't issued a full-length effort since 2012's "The Lord Of Steel".

MANOWAR's two "secret" warm-up shows in June 2022 at Jovel Music Hall in Münster, Germany marked the band's debut live appearances with new drummer Dave Chedrick, who has previously played with RAVEN and KILL RITUAL, among others.

Chedrick joined MANOWAR as the replacement for Anders Johannson who announced that same month that he would be unable to join MANOWAR on the band's "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour '22/'23" due to "family commitments."

In a new interview with Knotfest.com, ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante revealed that he sought the advice of EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt before he played his first show with the newly reconfigured PANTERA. For nearly decade, Holt filled in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman, after the latter was unable to tour and eventually died.

"I felt Gary adapted so well [to SLAYER]," Benante said. "And more importantly, fans accepted him. Because he was Gary Holt. And it's fun to replace a member in a band that's been so established and people grew to love. And there's a certain style that goes with it. It's tough on the person coming in, of course, because you have to ask, 'Am I going to be accepted? Am I hitting these things right? How much of myself do I throw into this?' So it's a little bit of a struggle. You either have to go full-on, or you don't. I think Gary played a lot of Jeff's stuff like Jeff, but he also had Gary in there too. And for me doing the Vinnie [Paul Abbott, late PANTERA drummer] thing, I'm trying to do it as close to Vinnie as possible, because that is so much of that PANTERA sound. The aggressiveness of those drums, the way they're tuned: they cut through the rest of the instruments in the band."

Benante acknowledged that he and guitarist Zakk Wylde — who is also a member of the current incarnation of PANTERA — are resigned to the fact that they can't please everyone when it comes to filling the shoes of the late Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and "Dimebag" Darrell.

"There's one thing I noticed and it still makes me scratch my head," Benante said. "I don't think I've ever been so judged in my life by people. And I don't understand. People can be really rotten. I don't think they have the ears or the eyes that most people do, and they're so judgmental about it. It's like, man, let it go. You know what I mean? Don't personally attack me or Zakk for something that you have inside of you. You have a problem with something. And it's like you gotta find some way that is somewhat…"

He paused and continued: "I've been doing this for over 40 years. Don't fucking judge me. If I if I didn't do my homework, then fucking judge me. But I did my homework. And if something is off somewhere, is that the thing that you pick on? You don't pick on the 95 percent of the other stuff where pretty much I tried to stay as accurate as possible?"

Wylde and Benante, along with PANTERA's surviving members, vocalist Philip Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, are headlining a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the Abbott brothers.

Last December, Benante told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that Dimebag and Vinnie are a big part of the new PANTERA show.

"Before 'Planet Caravan' starts, we have this video that runs with a little piece of the song 'Cemetery Gates', and it's basically a tribute to Dime and Vinnie," he explained. "I mean, Dime and Vinnie are all over the place. They are on my drum kit. Zakk has patches with them. But even in spirit, they're there.

"Before we went on, Sterling Winfield, who was very close to Dime and Vinnie — he basically engineered the last three records that PANTERA did — he brought me a pair of Vinnie's old gloves, and he brought me one of Darrell's old wristbands that he wore," Benante added. "And I put the wristband on and I played the show with that wristband. And I put the gloves in my pocket. So I had both of them with me that night."

Regarding how he prepared for the PANTERA live performances, Charlie said: "When I talked to Philip back in — it was, like, the end of December [2021] about this, that day, I hung up the phone and I immediately started to get my head into PANTERA mode and just figure things out. Because I knew these songs, but I didn't know how to approach playing the songs, how I'm gonna do this. And the one thing I wanted to do is I just wanted to play it like Vinnie. When the fans hear it, when anybody heard it, I wanted them to be able to close their eyes and I wanted it to sound like Vinnie."

Charlie also talked about his musical chemistry with Rex, saying: "That's the thing. I didn't know how we would kind of come together and when we would make the connection. But I've gotta be honest with you, when I went down to New Orleans in September [for the first rehearsals] and it was just me, Rex and Philip. And after the first day, Rex and I, we had such a connection, and he said to me, he was, like, 'Dude, when I close my eyes, I feel like it's Vinnie up there.' So that made me feel so good when he said that. And Philip said the same thing too. So I was so happy about that. Because, honestly, I really did my homework. We're talking these tiny little nuances — things that maybe people wouldn't hear — I'm putting 'em in there because it's important to me to deliver it just like Vinnie would."

As for his drum setup for the PANTERA show, Benante said: "It's a totally different configuration [to what I play with ANTHRAX]. I'm playing more like Vinnie's kit, the way Vinnie played it. I wanted to play a kit like that because it gave me a bit more of a challenge. And I can't add more drums to it, because I just wanted to have the two toms in the front — floor toms — so I'm just sticking totally to the way he had it, and I wanna play it exactly like he had it and it sounds exactly how he had it too. So that's how I approach this."

Charlie went on to say that he doesn't understand all the negative comments that have been directed at him and the other members of PANTERA for trying to keep the band's legacy alive.

"This was never a reunion," he explained. "How can it be a reunion without Vinnie and Dime here? Sometimes people will send me something, and I see things online, and it's so disrespectful to both Darrell and Vinnie, and it's totally disrespectful to us too. And it's just, like, 'Man, if you don't wanna come, you don't have to come.'

"One of the first things I said to Philip on the phone, I said, 'This, to me, is more on an emotional level than any other level.' This means a lot to me personally, to go out there and represent those guys and represent the PANTERA name," he continued. "And that's all I'd ever want for me. I don't care about it financially and stuff like that; this, to me, I had to do this. I didn't wanna see anybody else playing these songs but me up there."

Reflecting on his initial conversation with Anselmo about taking part in the reformed PANTERA, Charlie said: "I was so excited about it. I said, 'Thank you for thinking of me.' And they were, like, 'There was nobody else.' And that made me feel really good. Because they knew my relationship with Darrell and they knew my relationship with Vinnie. And I loved those guys, and I love these two guys just as much."

MÖTLEY CRÜE played its second concert with guitarist John 5 Saturday night (February 11) at Atlantic City, New Jersey's 7,000-capacity Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena. The show also marked the second date of the band's 2023 "The World Tour" with DEF LEPPARD.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's setlist was as follows:

01. Wild Side
02. Shout At The Devil
03. Too Fast For Love
04. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
05. Saints Of Los Angeles
06. Live Wire
07. Looks That Kill
08. The Dirt (Est. 1981)
09. Rock And Roll, Part 2 / Smokin' In The Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy In The U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop
10. Home Sweet Home
11. Dr. Feelgood
12. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
13. Girls, Girls, Girls
14. Primal Scream
15. Kickstart My Heart

Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

After last night's concert, John 5 took to his Instagram to share a few photos of the first two gigs, as well as some of his friends and family members who attended the shows, and he wrote in an accompanying caption: "This is a weekend I will never forget for the rest of my life. I'm so happy I got it to spend it with friends and family my sister flew in my friend Jeff, my friend, Joe, and even [original KISS members] Ace [Frehley] and Peter [Criss] came to celebrate this new beginning and thank you to all of you for your love and support".

MÖTLEY CRÜE held its first rehearsal with the former ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON guitarist on January 23 in preparation for the band's shows with DEF LEPPARD. A short time later, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx took to his Twitter to write: "Well that was fucking epic.

"@john5guitarist walks into rehearsal and we just rip the set from top to bottom seamlessly. That took 90 minute's and then the next few hours we just laughed and told dumb rockstar war stories.

"@MotleyCrue DAY 1".

He followed that up with an Instagram Story post thanking the band's crew and gushing that "today sounded insane."

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

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

Sixx also addressed Mars's announcement that he was retiring from touring, saying: "He's been a soldier along with us for 4 decades. We will continue to carrying our legacy to Generations of fans and honor Micks request for us to keep touring as Motley Crue."

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

The 71-year-old Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

In his statement, Mick said that he had decided to step back from live shows due to his "ongoing painful struggle" with ankylosing spondylitis and while he will continue to be a member of the band, he cannot "handle the rigors" of touring life.

Speculation about John 5 replacing Mars gained strength after the longtime ROB ZOMBIE guitarist failed to appear with the shock rocker at last year's Aftershock festival in Sacramento. Rob was instead joined on stage by returning guitarist Mike Riggs for the first time since 2006.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After selling more than 1.3 million tickets in 2022, MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD and are going global in 2023 with their co-headline "The World Tour" along with special guest Alice Cooper. After the launch of European and Latin American dates, additional U.S. shows will take place in August.

Produced by Live Nation, the U.S. leg of the world tour kicks off on August 5 in Syracuse, New York. The bands will bring their electrifying stage shows across America throughout the month of August including being the first-ever show at the H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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In a new interview with Barry Robinson of Classic Album Review, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan spoke about what it was like for him and his bandmates to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their classic second album, "Slave To The Grind", by performing it in its entirety a couple of shows in 2021. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We did it, I think, two or three times, and it was fun. It was kind of weird, because it's a completely different energy. Especially with 'Slave To The Grind', because that album was basically the point where our demographic, live demographic, went from about 50-50 male to female to about 20-80 male. So now here we are 30 years later and we're playing the whole thing, and everyone that's in the crowd is just, like… You could see all the women asking their husbands, 'What song is that?' [Laughs]

"It was cool, though," Rachel continued. "It was really cool to dig out some of those songs. I think there was one or two that we never played live. So it was really cool to go and dig in and learn those songs again. It was fun. And we had the original backdrop in storage all these years. And I remember we spread it out on my front yard, and it took up the whole damn yard. [Laughs] So we had to pull it out into the street, and my neighbors had to drive around it to go up the driveway. But it was musty and smelly, and a lot of the paint chipped off. But we were, like, it's kind of cool. It kind of shows the age. And just to go out using the original backdrop was kind of a cool thing."

In the summer of 2020, Bolan told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he and his bandmates would embark on a "Slave To The Grind" 30th-anniversary tour in 2021. "We'll do the album in its entirety, and then we're gonna do a bunch of stuff to coincide with it," he said at the time. "We're pretty psyched, and the shows are booked. We're keeping our fingers crossed that everything is gonna come to pass… It'll be cool, to go out there and do 'Slave To The Grind' top to the bottom. That'll be fun."

Bolan went on to say that SKID ROW didn't celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album in 2019 because "the timing didn't really work out. We had so much other stuff planned, and then all of a sudden, boom, it was here," he explained. "Maybe down the road [we'll celebrate it]. Maybe [for the] 40th [anniversary]. [Laughs]"

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach also celebrated the "Slave To The Grind" 30th anniversary on a U.S. tour in the fall of 2021. He performed the LP in its entirety at all shows on the trek, which kicked off in October of that year.

Bach previously performed "Slave To The Grind" in its entirety in October 2019 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Earlier that fall, he completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's self-titled debut album.

In June 2019, Bach issued an "open invitation" to the other members of SKID ROW's classic lineup to "get onstage and jam" during the vocalist's last tour. A few days later, during an interview with Finland's Kaaos TV, guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo confirmed that he would not accept Bach's latest overture. "I'm working with my band," he said. "This is SKID ROW, and this is what I do."

Drummer Rob Affuso — who left SKID ROW in 1998 and claims to be "the only former member that keeps in contact with all former SKID ROW bandmates and is still good friends with them all" — subsequently joined Bach in September 2019 at Sony Hall in New York City to play the band's classic song "Makin' A Mess".

Asked by Rolling Stone if he thinks his former bandmates are offended that he put his invitation out there publicly, Bach said: "No. I think it's an ego thing. They don't like when I get attention, and they don't get attention. It's always been like that. I can already see them getting mad, because I'm selling out shows, and they're not part of the show, and blah, blah, blah."

Bach was the lead singer of SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of Bolan, guitarists Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Erik Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

SKID ROW's first album with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here", arrived last October via earMUSIC.

PARKWAY DRIVE singer Winston McCall spoke to Brian Aberback of The Aquarian Weekly about the band's recent decision to take six months off to reflect and reenergize. Asked what caused him and his bandmates to take a break, Winston said: "Basically, like 20 years of being in a band kind of took its toll, and I don't mean to say that like, 'Oh, we did this for 20 years and we're tired.' It was a case of you start something when you're 21 — and in our drummer's case, 16 — and you do something for 20 years, and you don't really take the time to grow as people. You just try and survive the grinding machine that is the music industry. You grow into some pretty toxic habits just out of survival and those habits just brew into dysfunction and resentment and a whole bunch of stuff we never really dealt with as friends.

"We dealt with everything to make the band work but we never really dealt with the personal stuff just for the sake of continuing on as a band… because you feel like you have to keep that full momentum going," he explained. "If it stops, you can't start it up again. It came to a point where everyone in the band loved the band but did not want to be around the people in the band. It's an ongoing process, basically catching up on 20 years of emotional growth, and the lack of emotional growth that has caused to all of us."

Asked if he feels a new sense of urgency and camaraderie now, Winston said: "100%. I feel as though I'm in a better place, and everyone else has said the same thing to me, which is really nice. It allowed a connection and a reconnection with my friends in this band that I've never had before. Instead of being at cross-paths and cross-purposes and a lack of understanding, once everyone is on the same page and is able to provide everyone that support and a common goal, the momentum surge was even more, which is really awesome. I'm glad we did [take a break] and I'm really stoked to be able to bring back a new and improved energy. To be able to have a resurgence of energy 20 years in is a really cool thing, because, honestly, when we started this, we didn't think the band would survive one year, let alone 20 years."

Read the entire interview at The Aquarian Weekly.

PARKWAY DRIVE recently kicked off its first U.S. tour support of the band's seventh album, "Darker Still". It marks the first time the band has toured the U.S. since April 2019.

"Darker Still" arrived last September via Epitaph. The LP explores the concept of the "dark night of the soul," which is "the idea of reaching a point in your life where you are faced with a reckoning of your structure of beliefs, your sense of self and your place in the world, to a point where it's irreconcilable with the way that you are as a person," as McCall describes.

Last September, McCall told NME that tensions came to a head between him and lead guitarist Jeff Ling in early 2022 during the recording sessions for "Darker Still". Winston said: "He was really broken at that stage, because of all the pressure he felt and being overworked in the studio, and he didn't know how to cope with it. Basically, the way he coped with it was by lashing out really badly — at various people, but mainly me. And it was one of those situations where it was, like, 'I don't have the tools to respond to this.' So I'd just kind of cop it and feel like shit afterwards."

Last April, the members of PARKWAY DRIVE began having weekly meetings with a professional mediator where they, according to NME, "meticulously deconstructed, analyzed and rebuilt the very foundations" of their band.

Image courtesy of Destructive Viper

"Punk Rock Vegan Movie", a new documentary written and directed by Moby, is now available to stream for free on all platforms via www.punkrockveganmovie.com. The documentary had its world premiere and was the opening night film for the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival last month.

The film, which is Moby's directorial debut, is a passionate and stylistically idiosyncratic look at the ongoing relationship between the worlds of punk rock and animal rights. It includes interviews with some of the biggest names in punk and rock history, like Ian Mackaye, HR, Dave Navarro, Ray Cappo, Andrew Hurley, Tony Kanal, Tim McIlrath, Water Schreifels, Dave Dictor, Derrick Green, Steve Ignorant, Theo Kogan, Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, Amy Lee and Captain Sensible.

Moby tells the story of how punk rock became such a fertile and surprising breeding ground for vegan activism. It's also a call to action, unapologetically reminding people that in a deeply broken world it's incumbent upon each of us to stand up and fight intelligently, passionately, and loudly against injustice.

"'Punk Rock Vegan Movie' was created to shine a light on the surprising and inspiring history of punk rock and animal rights, but also to remind people of the importance and desperate urgency of adopting the uncompromising ethics and actions of the original punk rock activists," said Moby. "After it makes its world premiere at Slamdance, it's yours. It's my goal to give the movie away, as I can't in good conscience try to profit from what is essentially a labor of love and activism."

Moby has been a vegan and vegan activist for 35 years. He grew up in and around New York City and played guitar with Connecticut and New York City hardcore band THE VATICAN COMMANDOS. He also sang with FLIPPER for two days, even though none of the remaining members of FLIPPER actually remember this. He loves making music, but his life's work is helping to create a world wherein animals and all sentient beings simply are free to live their own lives.

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci has commented on the cancelation of the band's concert in Oulu, Finland earlier in the month.

The February 3 show was called off just over half an hour before the first support band was supposed to take the stage at Oulun Energia Areena, with Ticketmaster telling ticketholders the show was being scrapped for "security reasons".

On Tuesday (February 7),Finland's Soundi published a statement from Petrucci regarding the Oulu concert. In the statement, the guitarist said (translated from Finnish): "We've never had this happen to us before... We've sometimes been in a situation where, for example, we've had to repair and fix stage structures at the last minute, so to speak, but we've never had to cancel these gigs completely. Now I got the impression that the stage structures or some related issues were not in accordance with safety regulations and it was not possible to fix the problems within the timeframe. In the end, nothing could be done, because safety simply cannot be compromised. The welfare of the band, the technicians and the fans is always paramount, and you can't take the slightest risk with these things. It goes without saying, however, that I am very, very sorry for the fans who turned up. For example, I met a DREAM THEATER fan at the airport who told me that he had come all the way to Oulu just for the gig, and then this happened. A very unfortunate incident."

Toni Peiju, CEO of the event production company All Things Live Finland Oy, which was responsible for organizing the concert, told Ilta-Sanomat that "the subcontractor company had made a stage that was not safe to perform on. The lighting and sound equipment are heavy, and the stage structures would not have been sufficient to support their weight. The lights would not have been allowed to hang. It was purely a security matter."

Peiju went on to say that the platform was supposed to withstand the weight of DREAM THEATER's equipment, but an on-the-spot check uncovered that it would not have been able to handle the load.

"There was no other option but to pull the plug on the show," he said. "I wouldn't have had time to do anything with the stage" before DREAM THEATER was scheduled to perform, Peiju said.

Peiju said that he had no choice but to return the ticket money to the customers.

"The band is moving on [with its tour], so organizing a replacement gig is almost impossible," he said.

"I want to emphasize that this was in no way the band's fault. I can only express my regret on behalf of the organizer."

DREAM THEATER is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "A View From The Top Of The World", which came out in October 2021. A track from the LP, "The Alien", landed the band its first-ever Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which was held in April 2022 in Las Vegas. DREAM THEATER's previous Grammy nominations were for the song "On The Backs Of Angels", from 2011's "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album, and the single "The Enemy Inside" from 2013's "Dream Theater".

"A View From The Top Of The World" was described in a press release as "DREAM THEATER at its musical finest, expanding on the sound they helped create while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe." The seven-song album also marked the second studio album with InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). "A View From The Top Of The World" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap.
Tonight's concert at Oulu's Energia-Areena has been cancelled due to unexpected safety reasons that the band or the organizer have not been able to influence. We apologize for the inconvenience to our Finnish fans.

Ticket buyers will be refunded via Ticketmaster.

— Dream Theater (@dreamtheaternet) February 3, 2023

In a new interview with the "Heavy Handed" podcast, STEEL PANTHER singer Michael Starr reflected on the band's recent search for a new bassist following the July 2021 exit of Lexxi Foxx. Reflecting on how Joe "Spyder" Lester ended up getting the gig, Michael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There was a over 500 submissions, and I would say that 30 percent of 'em were just people going, 'Hey, I don't know how to play bass, but I wanna be in your band, dude.'

"We went through every single submission twice, and then we decided… We picked our favorite 20 or 30, I believe, and then we let our fans pick from the last 10 or so. And we ended up choosing a dude, and we went out and toured with him, and it just didn't work out — bottom line. And we called the runner-up, and he was, like, 'Oh, dude, I already got another gig, and I can't split.' He just couldn't do it. And then, we were, like, 'Fuck. I guess we've gotta audition again.' So we auditioned a couple of other dudes. But while we were waiting to audition these other couple of dudes, we needed to go do our European tour. And I'm, like, 'Fuck. Who's gonna…? Joe will do it. Spyder will do it.' And Spyder was, like, 'Yeah, I'll do it. But I've got my other bands and shit.' And we were, like, 'Cool. Thank you for doing it.' So he went out and did it. And we were all sitting there, and we were playing, and we were, like, we've known each other — seriously — for 25 years. I was in a band with Spyder called the ATOMIC PUNKS, a VAN HALEN tribute band. Satchel [STEEL PANTHER guitarist] and I were in that together with Spyder. And we were just, like, 'Dude, are you sure you don't want…? You should fucking do this gig.' He was having a blast. And by the third or fourth show on our European tour, he was, like, 'Dude, if you guys will have me, I wanna fucking do it.' And we were, like, 'Fuck yes.' And that's really the genesis of Spyder becoming the bass player."

Elaborating on what STEEL PANTHER was looking for in a new bassist, Starr said: "There's things that people don't really understand when it comes to being in a band. What they see is the stage and us performing and then some Instagram shit and promo pictures and interviews. But that's an hour and a half of our day. The other 22 and a half hours, we're all together — either sleeping, hanging out, eating, soundchecking, working, interviews… all kinds of shit. So you have to be able to be together and fucking have a cool hang. So he's a cool hang, he's a good friend and we're all close and we're stoked. He's a fucking amazing bass player too.

"Lexxi Foxx is irreplaceable; nobody can replace him," Michael clarified. "So a lot of the submissions were trying to be Lexxi, which I understand; it makes sense. And we went with one guy who kind of looked like Lexxi. And we just thought, 'You know what? Let's do something different.' 'Cause Lexxi can't be replaced. He's one of a kind, and that's what made him so special. And we all miss him and we love him. But we're all happy for him, 'cause he's got a little baby and a wife. And he's fucking stoked, man. So everything is cool."

Spyder's addition to STEEL PANTHER was officially announced last September.

A year and a half ago, Lexxi — whose real name is Travis Haley — told Rocking With Jam Man that he hadn't spoken with his former bandmates since his exit. "I still talk to the singer a little bit; I have in the past," he said. "But I think that those scars and I think that the departure, the way that it went down, I think there's some sore spots. But that's tough for me to talk about.

"That was something that I'm very proud of — to be that character for such a long period of time, and to play with those cats," he continued. "They're all amazing musicians. And I just think that it is different to not have that [in my life] — I'd been in character for so long — but I have to say it's a little refreshing as well."

When STEEL PANTHER first announced Lexxi's exit in July 2021, the band jokingly said that Foxx "started his side business, 'Sexy Lexxi's Prettiest Pets,' to bring in money for Botox during the lockdown." After realizing that "his love for making pets pretty was greater than his love for being pretty himself," he chose "to hang up his mirror and focus on his newfound passion: making ugly dogs pretty," the group wrote in a statement.

Back in December 2018, Lexxi sat out a STEEL PANTHER tour after being admitted to "sex rehab." The real reason for his absence was never officially disclosed.

During an appearance on an episode of the "2020'd" podcast, Satchel stated about Lexxi's departure: "We didn't want him to quit. Nobody wanted him to quit, including a lot of fans. I'm sure a lot of fans are very sad that he left. But he's the guy who left the band. I think he's got his own things he's dealing with, and he just wanted to go and do that. So, I don't know… I can't answer for Lexxi Foxx. But we will all miss Lexxi Foxx, and we all wish him the best in everything that he does. But we didn't fire him; he quit the band. So we're gonna have to move on and get somebody else who's younger and foxier and doesn't need as much Botox," referencing the drug doctors have been using for years to treat wrinkles and facial creases.

Formed in 2000, STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Fifteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

STEEL PANTHER's sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", will be released on February 24.

Helsinki, Finland's longest-serving gothic rock vampires THE 69 EYES will release their new studio album, "Death Of Darkness", on April 21 via Atomic Fire Records worldwide, excluding Finland where it will be released by Vallila Music House. Physical versions will be available in the U.S. on May 5.

Comments THE 69 EYES frontman Jyrki 69: "We started to make this album single by single, releasing first singles then an EP and now eventually the whole album. The method kept everything fresh and us on our toes while recording and writing new music. Our main aim was to get THE 69 EYES back to the Finland's airwaves. Our music is still on the radio but over fifteen-year-old classics. How about new ones? The first single, 'Drive', made this happen and we hit the jackpot here in Finland by being a part of 'Sing Meinen Song – Das Tauschkonzert' mainstream TV music show format! Now THE 69 EYES are back in the spotlight and Finland's top rock band is playing sold-out shows."

"Death Of Darkness" was recorded and produced by Erno Laitinen at Inkfish Studios in Helsinki. Miles Walker took care of the mixing at Westside Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia alongside with Erno Laitinen while mastering duties were handled by Tom Baker. The artwork was created by the U.K. artist Adrian Baxter (PARADISE LOST, THE HALO EFFECT, MAYHEM, SCHAMMASCH).

"Death Of Darkness" will be available in the following the formats:

* Digipak CD
* Blue-Clear vinyl
* Blood Red Marbled vinyl
* Digital

"Death Of Darkness" track listing:

01. Death Of Darkness
02. Drive
03. Gotta Rock
04. This Murder Takes Two (feat. Kat Von D)
05. California
06. Call Me Snake
07. Dying In The Night
08. Something Real
09. Sundown
10. Outlaws

THE 69 EYES recently announced their upcoming "Gotta Rock" tour dates through Europe and the U.S. See all confirmed dates below.

THE 69 EYES have been haunting stages all over the world for 34 years and seem to be a truly immortal part of the dark rock/metal scene. Widely known as the Helsinki Vampires, the quintet gained several platinum albums with "Blessed Be" and "Paris Kills" and not only reached No. 1 of the single and album charts in their home country of Finland, but also plunged the world into a sinful cosmos of love, death, and melancholy, while outliving any other band emerging from the goth hype of the early 2000s. By developing their sound further into sleaze rock on "Devils" (2004) and "Angels" (2007) and not shying away from pitch black Elvis allusions in singer Jyrki 69's dark voice and unique onstage dance moves, the band has established a worldwide following. Over the course of over three decades, the band has toured relentlessly throughout Europe, America, Asia and Australia and released twelve full-length studio albums.

THE 69 EYES are:

Jyrki 69 - vocals
Bazie - guitars
Timo Timo - guitars
Archzie - bass
Jussi 69 - drums

Photo by Marek Sabogal

Valletta have announced the release of their forthcoming album, Come Alive, due out July 14th, 2023. Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina, in May 2022, the outfit deliver an impressive sound with a blackened rock 'n' roll foundation. Come Alive is the quartet's impressive debut unleashing a shadowy darkness with lashings of distortion. The new single "Saint" can be streamed below.


Of the single, the band comments: This song is about making a life-changing move to a new environment. It’s about the journey to try and find yourself. Sometimes you lose sight along the way and it can be confusing and difficult to sort your mind out - and the realization that we make mistakes."







Come Alive explores concepts of being both trapped in yourself, as well as being trapped within your environment and wider institutions / organizations. Across the album raucous guitars and catchy riffs join forces with dynamic percussion and demonic harsh vocals to produce a powerful impact. From the opener "Come Alive" to "Bringing The Worst", Valletta delve into a delicious smorgasbord of guitar tones, thunderous rhythms and melodic leads. The band delicately balance their intricate melodies against the heavy bass, ferocious rhythms and dark lyrics. "Saint" is about finding yourself, and the struggles of losing yourself on the journey. Musically the track combines sections of uplifted chord progressions with gloomier sections mirroring the ebbs and flows of the song's narrative. Becoming lost and left wandering in circles is the inspiration behind "Soot & Ash". Groove rhythms introduce a marching feel progressing the track along, only to be met with eerie dissonance as the path becomes less clear.


Valleteta succeed in crafting a polished release in Come Alive with catchy hooks all encompassed in a shadowy atmosphere. They delve into intense and emotive concepts which are aptly reflected across through their composition style. Come Alive is hard-hitting with a fierce and deeply engaging sound.





Tracklisting:


"Come Alive"    
"Serpents Of Solomon"    
"Saint"    
"Criminal"    
"Soot & Ash"    
"Bringing The Worst"





 

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."