METAL CHURCH has officially enlisted ROSS THE BOSS and LET US PREY vocalist Marc Lopes to sing for the band following the passing of Mike Howe less than two years ago.

Earlier today (Thursday, February 2),METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof shared a photo of Lopes on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Yes, the rumors are true, it's official! Please welcome vocalist Marc Lopes to the congregation!

"We auditioned a handful of vocalists and while they were all great, Marc quickly became the clear choice.

"Both David Wayne and Mike Howe had a very unique, irreplaceable quality to their voices, so we were not looking for a clone of either. We wanted someone new, who could embrace the past, and also bring something fresh and exciting to the mix.

"Marc brings a very classic yet modern feel to the songs and we are looking forward to getting this new album out to you later this year!

"Thank you for your continued support of METAL CHURCH!

"Love & respect, Kurdt Vanderhoof".

On January 26, METAL CHURCH shared an audio snippet of some of the new music — complete with a singer who sounded uncannily like Lopes — the group had been working on in recent months, with plans to release its sometime this spring via Rat Pak Records.

Howe was found dead at his home in Eureka, California in July 2021. According to TMZ, Howe's official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Dept. told the site authorities are calling it a suicide. He was only 55 years old.

Last September, Kurdt told Metal-Rules that he really hadn't processed Howe's death yet. "I can't," he said. "I can't imagine what it must feel like to feel that suicide is your only option. And because he was like my brother and to find out he was in such pain and it's too late to try and help is just something I cannot get my head around."

Kurdt went on to say that there will be a new METAL CHURCH album in 2023. "I had written a new record and Mike and I had just begun the process before he passed," he explained. "So I had a lot of material on hand. I also wanted to complete the album in honor of him. I have written a batch of additional material and it's going in a more aggressive direction."

At the time, Kurdt said that he and his METAL CHURCH bandmates were "keeping a lid" on the identity of their new singer. However, he revealed: "We didn't choose a Mike Howe clone or David Wayne clone. We decided to approach the future as a 'new' chapter in the band's career. I think the fans will really dig it."

When Mike's death was first announced, TMZ stated that cops in Eureka got a call just after 10 a.m. on July 26, 2021 reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found Howe dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Four days after Howe's death, the surviving members of METAL CHURCH shared a statement on social media in which they blamed his suicide on the fact that he "was victimized by a failing health-care system and subsequently poisoned by the venom of Big Pharma," a term which refers collectively to the global pharmaceutical industry. "In short and in essence, he fell prey to the real 'Fake Healer'."

METAL CHURCH's statement was quickly met with criticism from some of the band's fans who felt that the long-running metal act was using Howe's death as a platform to assert its political views. As a result, METAL CHUCH pulled its original post from social media and replaced it with a revised version, in which the musicians said they were "in no way, shape or form referring to anything in relation to vaccinations, COVID or politics. We were saying our brother was hurting and while he was seeking medical care for it, the treatments he was utilizing did not protect him," they wrote. "Otherwise, he would still be with us today."

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, 2016's "XI" was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the '80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH's latest release was "From The Vault", which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band's fan favorite classic "Conductor".

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH's first two classic offerings (1984's "Metal Church" and 1986's "The Dark") before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.

Photo credit: Jeremy Belinfante / M-Theory Audio / Secret Service Publicity

Yes, the rumors are true, it's official! Please welcome vocalist Marc Lopes to the congregation! We auditioned a handful...

Posted by Metal Church on Thursday, February 2, 2023

New Metal Church Coming Spring 2023

No one ever thought that we would have to move forward without our beloved Mike Howe....but we know he would want us to continue....so, new Metal Church music is on the way. I hope you will join us for this next chapter! Love & Respect, Kurdt \m/

#MetalChurch #NewMusic #Spring2023 #TestPressings #RatPakRecords #ReaperEntertainmentEurope #Vinyl #NewAlbum #NewSinger #ForEverMetal

Posted by Metal Church on Thursday, January 26, 2023

In a new interview with Guitar World, Zakk Wylde was asked if he had a reaction to the PANTERA concert cancelations in Germany and Austria this spring following an outcry over singer Philip Anselmo's previous racist remarks. He said: "There's nothing I can do about that, you know what I mean? In terms of my role, it's always a case of being ready for whatever – as in seeing if the fellas want to add any more songs or anything like that while we're out rolling together on this tour. If I get a call from Phil or Rex [Brown, PANTERA bassist] and they want to change up the set or do whatever, I'm usually just in the back lounge working on more songs."

The longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist also talked about his approach to playing the guitar leads originally performed by PANTERA's founding axeman, the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He said: "It's inevitable I will end up sounding like me. If Dime was playing with Ozz and doing my stuff, it would sound like Dime playing the solo to 'No More Tears' or 'Mama, I'm Coming Home'. It would be Dime's vibrato, Dime's tone. It would sound like him playing my stuff. Even if he did it note-for-note, it would sound like him because that's his sound, you know what I mean?

"So yeah, we're having a blast out there playing these songs. I'm just honored I get a chance to pay tribute to the brothers. It's a pretty special thing that's happening right now. I can't say I have a favorite song or solo, though. Just like when I'm playing with Ozz, I enjoy the whole thing. I love all of it and any of it, from the first note we play to the last note we play. It's all awesome."

The reformed band — featuring PANTERA's surviving members Anselmo and Brown along with Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — was scheduled to appear at Gasometer in Vienna on May 31 and at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals in Germany in early June as part of its spring/summer 2023 European tour. However, late last month, promoters released separate statements on social media saying that the shows were scrapped.

Most of the backlash that led to the concert cancelations stemmed from the fact that Anselmo made a Nazi-style salute when he performed at the January 2016 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood in honor of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He also appeared to say "white power" as he made the gesture, but later claimed he was joking about drinking white wine backstage and was reacting to the audience members up front who he says were taunting him.

There was additional criticism with regard to the fact that Rock Am Ring takes place in Nürnberg (known in its English form as Nuremberg),where Hitler supporters held a series of mass Nazi party rallies between 1933 and 1938.

In calling for Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park organizers to cancel PANTERA's appearances at the festivals, the German Green Party said in the Nürnberg city council that Anselmo "repeatedly and deliberately made Nazi gestures and yelled racist slogans." Réka Lörincz, the spokeswoman for the Greens against racism and right-wing extremism, added that "the former Nazi party premises" were "being deliberately misused for the staging and reproduction of racist and inhuman ideology." The Green Party rep told Germany's Stern magazine that Anselmo's apology for his white power outburst was "not credible enough" and that hosting the band on the former Nazi Party rally grounds "clearly exceeds the limit of what is bearable."

“We are relieved about the organizer's decision not to offer the band PANTERA a stage. Their singer Phil Anselmo had repeatedly attracted attention with anti-Semitic and racist incidents," Lörincz wrote in a statement on the Green Party's web site. "Therefore, a performance was unimaginable for us — especially on the former Nazi party rally grounds."

In the days leading up to the Vienna concert cancelation, the Green party in Vienna demanded that this performance also be scrapped.

"Due to its National Socialist past, Vienna in particular has a special historical responsibility to oppose any form of right-wing extremism. The appearance of PANTERA is completely incompatible with this responsibility," they said in a statement. "Therefore, it can only mean for Vienna: No stage for a Hitler salute, no stage for PANTERA!"

Back in May 2019, Anselmo was asked by U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine if he feels the "Dimebash" debate is something he has moved past. He responded: "I feel like it's ridiculous. I made an off-color joke and 'Boom!' — it's like I'm literally Hitler! I'm not. I take each individual one at a time, in the way that any logical individual will. I have love in my heart. Over the years, I've learned to take the first step with love and to put good faith first. I get along with everybody. If there's any doubt about my political leanings, people should get it out of their heads. I was raised amongst a dazzling [cast of characters] from the theatre, from the mental hospital, from all walks of life — all colors, creeds and kinds. It's absurd to me that anyone in this day and age would judge anyone by the color of their skin, their heritage or their religion. I'm a harmless guy. I'm a reactionary, not a troublemaker."

In the days following the "Dimebash" incident, MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn — who played PANTERA songs with Anselmo at the event — released an eleven-minute response video in which he denounced Anselmo as a "big bully" and a racist. He concluded by saying that he would never play another PANTERA song again. ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, who is Jewish, released a statement on his official web site saying, "Philip's actions were vile" and invited Anselmo to make a donation to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who hadn't spoken to Anselmo since the band's split in 2003, was dismissive when asked for a comment on the singer's white-power salute. "I can't speak for him," Vinnie said in a 2016 interview. "He's done a lot of things that tarnish the image of what PANTERA was back then and what it stood for and what it was all about. And it's sad."

In 2017, Anselmo blasted "false journalism in the metal community" for suggesting he was racist because of his actions at "Dimebash".

In the weeks after the "Dimebash" incident, Anselmo's DOWN project canceled a number of shows, including at France's Hellfest, Dutch festival FortaRock and U.K.'s Download. The singer wrote an open letter to the Hellfest organizers in which he said it was not the right time for DOWN to tour. He also revealed that he was suffering from a recurring knee injury and needed rehabilitation.

Ozzy Osbourne's longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde says that he will take the stage again with the Prince Of Darkness whenever the legendary heavy metal singer is "ready to roll."

Earlier this week, Ozzy released a statement in which he said that he would have to cancel his tour because of a spinal injury he suffered four years ago and other health problems.

Wylde, who rejoined to Ozzy's touring band in 2017, shared words of support for his longtime bandmate and "hero" while reacting to the news that Osbourne was no longer going to be doing any touring. The guitarist wrote on his social media: "Oz – keep hitting the iron, staying strong & positive. Everybody is praying & rooting for you – your strength, resilience & heart of a lion is just one of the many reasons you're a hero to me & millions around the world – when you are ready to roll – we roll. I love you Oz. Zakk XOXO."

Osbourne was due to embark on a tour of Europe later this year, but in the statement said that he has "come to the realization that I'm not physically capable … as I know I couldn't deal with the travel required.

"This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to share with my loyal fans," the 74-year-old musician continued. "As you may all know, four years ago this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine. My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) treatment, my body is still physically weak.

"Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know," he wrote. "Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way."

In the statement, Osbourne added that he was looking into "ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country", and thanked his fans for "their endless dedication, loyalty and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have".

Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled this week. The trek was scheduled to begin in Helsinki, Finland, on May 3, and include gigs in Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin and London, before finishing in his original hometown of Birmingham on June 14.

Ozzy has had extensive spinal surgery and other treatment over the past four years, after a fall at home in 2019 aggravated injuries he suffered in a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. But despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in recent months, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last August and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game last September.

Ozzy and Zakk first teamed up 36 years ago when Zakk (whom Ozzy describes as "a fucking absolutely amazing guitar player") joined Ozzy's band in 1987; they last recorded in 2022 on Ozzy's acclaimed new album "Patient Number 9".

In a new interview with Riff Crew, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about his recording plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A couple of years ago I started doing an album with a group of Italian artists called SWEET OBLIVION. And we've done two albums, and we're about to begin work on our third album. It should be out sometime this year, I guess. And I also have a solo album that's almost finished; it should be out later this year as well. And I have another project that I'm kind of tinkering around with as well. So, yeah, I have three different things on the horizon that I'm playing with right now."

Tate has released two solo albums so far, 2002's "Geoff Tate" and 2012's "Kings & Thieves".

The second album from SWEET OBLIVION, "Relentless", came out in April 2021 via Frontiers Music Srl. While the production and main songwriting on 2019's "Sweet Oblivion" were handled by Simone Mularoni of DGM, this time the production was instead overseen by his fellow Italian metal maestro Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, ARCHON ANGEL).

Geoff has also released three albums under the OPERATION: MINDCRIME banner: "The Key" (2015),"Resurrection" (2016) and "The New Reality" (2017).

Tate, who celebrated his 64th birthday on January 14 during his concert at Amaturo Theater in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, underwent an aortic valve replacement last summer.

Tate's "Big Rock Show Hits" tour kicked off on December 1. Tate and his international band — featuring guitarists Kieran Robertson from Scotland, James Brown from Ireland and Alex Hart from Boston along with bass player Jack Ross from Scotland, drummer Danny Laverde from Cincinnati and keyboardist Jason Ames — hit 28 cities across the United States, including Cleveland, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver and Nashville, on an initial tour leg that culminated on Geoff's birthday.

Just five days after their last U.S. show in January, the band embarked on the "Empire" 30th-anniversary trek that began in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on January 19, then heads off to Europe for two weeks, quickly followed by three shows in Australia. After "the land down under," they'll return to Europe for a variety of shows that will last through mid-March. They'll return in early June for another extensive European tour.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff will embark on a tour later this year to celebrate the 35th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's classic album "Operation: Mindcrime".

US thrashers Blessed Curse have extended their relationship with M-Theory Audio and plan for this summer’s comeback album, Pray For Armageddon. It will be 6 years from the Sacramento-based trio’s last recording, the Beware The Night EP, but fans can expect more of their thrash with a deadly edge. The first sample is “Street Freaks,” now on all streaming/download platforms with a lyric video.





“Blessed Curse is extremely excited, humbled, and honored to have our next album Pray For Armageddon released with Marco Barbieri and the M-Theory Audio team!” proclaims frontman Tyler Satterlee. Drummer Derek Bean adds “These guys live, breath, and support all things heavy 24/7 so we couldn’t be happier having them help the BC Beast unleash our newest savage offering. Stay tuned headbangers and as always, beware of the night…”




Blessed Curse is a cornerstone of the label, with band members Derek Bean and Tyler Satterlee, being friends with label founder Marco Barbieri going back 15 years. Marco handled their music publishing administration and shopped their demos for a record deal, landing the group one with European label Cyclone Empire. When the label had no US partner Marco activated M-Theory Audio as a way for the band to sell a CD domestically, resulting in the self-titled album in 2012.


Blessed Curse is part of this century’s ushering in of a new generation raised on classic ‘80s thrash and metal. Tired and uninspired by nu music but having access to the Internet and a treasure trove of legacy, band members eventually from outfits like Warbringer, Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste, Fueled By Fire, Bonded By Blood, Havok, Merciless Death, Hatchet and yes, Blessed Curse (then known as Devastator) all began young bands at the same time period influenced by past heroes and creating original music of their own. Releasing demos and playing shows up and down CA, the group gained traction as part of this wave leading to the eventual debut album release and a US tour.


While band members have matured from reckless teens to functioning adults Blessed Curse continue to play live and stick to their ideals creating ruthless attacks of vicious thrash metal. This will be brought to the fore when Pray For Armageddon releases this summer. Produced by the band and recorded, mixed and mastered by Joe Johnston at Sacramento’s Pus Cavern Studios (Will Haven, Silversun Pickups, Dance Gavin Dance) the trio is anxious to get a full album of ten new songs out to the masses.


Blessed Curse live:


February
11 – Penryn, CA – The Valencia Club
18 – Nevada City, CA – Ribald Brewing
25 – Sacramento, CA – On The Y Sacramento 

To celebrate KISS's unique contribution to the world of rock over the past 50 years, the latest issue of Rock Candy magazine brings you a massive 20-page KISS special including major new and exclusive interviews with both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Both founder members go deep on all aspects of KISS's career, with Gene in particular opening up about the often-fractious relationship he and Paul had with guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss.

"On one occasion Ace said, 'I can't come down today guys. I've got a card game,'" Simmons told Rock Candy writer Andrew Daly. "What were we supposed to do? The answer was we had to get other people. And like Ace, Peter had his demons. We all understand or at least suspect what drugs and alcohol can do to you. But you'd like to think that the people around you will prevent you from going down that route. Or at least will prevent you from doing a lot of it. That just didn't happen with Peter. We held out as long as we could, but it got to the point where he was sabotaging the band. The three of us — me, Paul, and Ace — voted to remove Peter from KISS."

The band recruited drummer Eric Carr to replace Criss for 1981's concept album "Music From The Elder", but this radical musical departure backfired and was a commercial failure.

"To Ace's credit, the entire time he said that making a record like 'Music From The Elder' was not a good idea," admits Simmons. "He kept saying, 'Look, I don't want to do this other stuff. We should stay being a rock band.' In retrospect, Ace was exactly right. But Ace's biggest problem was the monkey on his back of drugs and alcohol. By that point he was gone. There were too many drugs and there was too much alcohol, and it drove Ace to the point of no return. The idea that Ace left KISS purely because of 'The Elder' isn't true."

You can read the 20-page KISS special, together with many other fascinating stories about UFO, LOVERBOY, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Rick Wakeman in issue 36 of Rock Candy.

For more details, visit www.rockcandymag.com.

Rock Candy is a 100-page, full-color bi-monthly rock mag, created in the U.K. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the '70s and '80s. it is the brainchild of respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era.

Progressive rock trio Black Orchid Empire will be releasing a brand new full-length, Tempus Veritas, on April 14, 2023. The cover artwork, tracklist, and details can be found below. In conjunction with this announcement, the band is now sharing the energetic first single, "Deny the Sun." The song can be found along with an official music video, which was created by Alina Gordienco, can be seen below.


"'Deny The Sun' is the first song we wrote for Tempus Veritas and we love how hard the riff goes!" exclaims vocalist/guitarist Paul Visser about the new single. "We’ve been pushing more and more into the technical side of our music for this album and this track is a great example of that. Lyrically, it deals with Galileo’s ideas about the central nature of the sun and the clash with religious views at the time, written from the point of view of his friend Pope Urban VIII who found himself in an impossible position and ended up condemning the astronomer. Our friend and long-time collaborator Alina Gordienco made the amazing video in LA, starring the wonderful Irina Dudyk as the sun goddess.  Her work is consistently inspired and we love what she did for this song!"


Regarding the album, the Black Orchid Empire explains: "Interwoven with the fabric of our history as a species are countless opportunities for stories. Little pieces of imagined narrative, set within events we all collectively know as historical, that seek to explore what it means to be human - this is the idea behind Tempus Veritas. Whereas Semaphore looked to the future, this record reinvents the past, wondering what it was like to be inside the mind of a person living through times of consequence. Musically, we continue to seek the boundary between the savagely technical and the undeniably beautiful and attempt to push it as far as possible. We poured our entire creative beings into making this album - we sincerely hope you enjoy it."




Preorder at the Season Of Mist webshop.


Cover art by Black Orchid Empire and Ines Hernandez:





Tracklisting:


“Tempus Veritas”
“Hydrogen”
“The Raven”
“Last Ronin”
“Scarlet Haze”
“Deny The Sun”
“Glory To The King”
“Summit”
“Weakness”
“Vesuvius”
“Latimer” 


“Deny The Sun” video:

SLIPKNOT has shared "Bone Church", a surprise standalone single available today on all streaming platforms. The new song arrives with a M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan-directed video piece titled "Yen – Director's Cut (Bone Church)", which finds the multidisciplinary artist and founding member refreshing footage from the band's "Yen" music video.

Says Clown about the new track: "On the road, we have a 'jam room' set up backstage at every show, where we play, practice, warm up and sometimes try out new ideas. 'Bone Church' started life in a jam room on the '.5: The Gray Chapter' tour. We've been bringing it closer and closer to life ever since, and finally, here it is. This one is for the fans — a further vision deeper into SLIPKNOT's history, which is still being written. Enjoy."

Having recently wrapped the third leg of their enormously popular sold-out "Knotfest Roadshow" tour, SLIPKNOT is set to embark on a run of headlining global festival dates beginning this March, which will include their own Knotfest Australia, Japan and Italy festivals.

SLIPKNOT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "The End, So Far", which was released on September 30 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

Five months ago, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor once again shot down the rumor that the band would break up after the release of "The End, So Far".

Ever since SLIPKNOT announced the title of its new LP in July, speculation had been rife that the name is a reference to the fact that the LP will mark the end of the band's recording career.

Taylor, who turned 49 in December, addressed the rumor during an appearance on an episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "People have been talking about the end of SLIPKNOT since 2003, so it doesn't really matter. If I had a nickel for every time I've had to straighten fans out, I'd have a shit-ton of nickels, let's put it that way.

"Nothing sells albums like drama, let's put it that way, and even drama that doesn't even come from us; it just comes from the fans," he continued. "But at the same time, I kind of started saying onstage… explaining what the title is. It's the fact that it's… It's the end so far, which just means it's the end of one era and the start of the next.

"If you look at all of our favorite bands — [IRON] MAIDEN, METALLICA, [BLACK] SABBATH; you can even talk about JUDAS PRIEST; all these bands that we grew up on, loving; and our friends in ANTHRAX as well — every one of those bands has had different eras in their career; it's never been a straight line," Taylor explained. "There's no through line except for the members. And every era comes to a natural end and then it's the next one. So that's what the title reflects."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if he believes that each era in a band's trajectory usually corresponds to a major lineup change, Corey responded: "I do, but at the same time, you can still have the end of one era and the beginning of another with the same bandmembers. So, to me, it can be a reflection of the fact that you have different members or you're just moving in a different direction. For me, it's more about just letting the fans know that we will be back and to remind them that you just never know what you're gonna get with us."

Taylor continued: "I mean, every album has always felt different; it's always sounded different. And to me, I feel like this era is more about us dealing with the grief that we've had to deal with and now kind of getting to the point where we can now move on comfortably into the future, and it's not about that. It's a part of our history now; it's not our narrative. And now we can kind of move on and kind of see what the future holds for SLIPKNOT, musically where we can go now. Because of the way we've done things, we've set it up so we can go in any direction we want, and as long as it comes from the heart, it doesn't matter. So that's kind of the era, I think, that's being set up now. The next era will definitely be more of like a 'gloves off, let's just see what happens and go for it.'"

Photo credit: Anthony Scanga

Ledfoot & Ronni Le Tekrø will release their second album together, Limited Edition Lava Lamp, on March 24 via TBC Records. It’s the sequel to the critically acclaimed A Death Divne album from 2021.


Fans can pre-order the album, as well as a limited edition 180g vinyl gatefold in lava lamp color, here. Listen to the song, “The Ego In The Coffin”, below.


For Limited Edition Lava Lamp, the duo has received reinforcements and the upcoming album is in many ways far more commercially available than its predecessor. One shining example is the bluesy cover of “Sister,” from the movie The Color Purple.




“I was singing this song live in my own show, and wrote a new intro and slight rearrangement for the new album,” says Ronni Le Tekrø. “The very last sentence of the lyrics had to be altered to make it be from a man to a woman. I loved the movie The Color Purple. It has such a strong message that I’ve always cherished and felt it could be rerecorded with a male singer. It is a gesture of love to all Sisters everywhere. You’re not alone, your brothers are here.”


The album was produced by veteran and Americana connoisseur HP Gundersen with mastering master Winter Lazerus (Donald Fagen, Michael Jackson, Tom Waits, Pink Floyd), and they have brought along a solid, to put it mildly, group of musicians, including Anders Odden (bass: Order, Cadaver, Magenta, Satyricon), Markus O Klyve (keyboards: Ronni Le Tekrø, Exit), Trond Augland (drums: Hellbillies, Vidar Busk), and HP Gundersen (guitars and keyboards). With HP Gundersen at the helm, the musical expression has changed. The songs are more accessible and will reach a wider audience than its predecessor.


The actual recording was done during eight magical days in Studio Studio Nyhagen, the studio of Ronni Le Tekrø, and the result testifies to some very inspired days, the songs are in a sort of American soundscape, and move uncomplicatedly between references to everything from the Beatles to David Bowie, The White Stripes and a whole host of other greats.


Ledfoot, aka Tim Scott McConnell, has never sung better and with greater empathy than this time, while Ronni Le Tekrø's unique guitar playing finds its completely natural place far (but not too far), forward in the soundscape.


As Ledfoot explains, “After our debut album together, Ronni and I decided it was time to get serious and put a band together… AND WHAT A BAND! The result is Limited Edition Lava Lamp…get ready for a wild ride!”


Ronni Le Tekrø agrees, “On our second album, we have been digging deeper. Exploring and uniting our different styles. With the help of our band, The Sailors, we had a great time recording this album during eight days. Engineer/coproducer Kjartan Hesthagen and producer HP Gundersen pushed the production into landscapes we’ve never been. Look out for the Limited Edition Lava Lamp. It will take you to Twin Peaks. Let your ears take you above and below.”





Tracklisting:


"Little Rosie"
"Crying"
"The Ego In The Coffin"
"You Should Know How Hard It Is"
"Never Use Your Eyes"
"Sailor"
"Limited Edition Lava Lamp"
"Sister"
"This Hurtful Game"


"The Ego In The Coffin”:





(Photo - Cecilie Leganger)

Multinational all-star death metal kings, Siege Of Power, have set February 17 as release date for their new full-length, This Is Tomorrow. The band has now released the second single of the album. Check out the visualizer for "The Devil's Grasp" below.


Siege Of Power consists of Chris Reifert (Autopsy) on vocals, Paul Baayens (Asphyx) on guitars, Theo van Eekelen (ex-Hail Of Bullets) on bass and Bob Bagchus (ex-Asphyx) on drums.


"We still like the debut Warning Blast a lot but after a few years we started talking about doing another album and then we realized we had to be more serious. So we started writing 11 songs - all killers, no fillers!", comments drummer Bob Bagchus. "Most of our inspiration on this album came from old school bands like Venom, Bathory, Slayer and even Black Sabbath. Combined with our own personal style we have for decades, of course."




This Is Tomorrow is a tad darker than Warning Blast and that's not all. Chris Reifert's vocals are a lot more diverse giving each song it's own identity. It's a straight forward, rough metal album with good, old 80s vibes and reflects the dark times we are living in these days.


The album was recorded at Toneshed studios and mixed/mastered by Erwin Hermsen. The stunning artwork was created by Roberto Toderico.


Siege Of Power started in 2013 -under the moniker First Class Elite - as a project without any expectations. Shortly after releasing a split album it was left for dead, buried and almost forgotten until the rotten corpse was exhumed in 2017. This resulted in 19 no-nonsense extreme metal tracks mixed with several doomdozers and the debut album Warning Blast.





This Is Tomorrow can also be pre-ordered here in the following formats:


- jewelcase-CD
- clear / blood red splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- red with black & white splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)


Cover art by Roberto Toderico.





This Is Tomorrow tracklisting:


"Force Fed Fear"
"Sinister Christians"
"Scavengers"
"Zero Containment"
"Ghosts of Humanity"
"As the World Crumbles"
"Oblivion"
"Deeper Wounds"
"The Devil's Grasp"
"No Salvation"
"This Is Tomorrow"


"The Devil's Grasp" visualizer:





"Force Fed Fear" visualizer: