Nightwish have shared pro-shot live video along with the following message:


"Nightwish's epic performance of 'The Phantom Of The Opera' featuring Henk Poort is finally here! This marks the first time in 17 years that the band has performed the song live, and it's also the premiere performance with both Floor Jansen and Henk Poort on stage. After a viral Beste Zangers performance and a three year wait due to Covid, don't miss out on this historic moment as Henk Poort joins the Nightwish family on stage at the sold out Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. Welcome to the family, Henk!" 







Floor Jansen comments: "It all started when Henk, who performed as the phantom in the Dutch version of the production, and I met on Beste Zangers in 2019. He said he'd only perform the song with me if we could do it with Nightwish, and both Nightwish and me said yes!


It was a dream come true to make it happen and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to perform with Henk at a sold-out Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. Thank you to everyone who made this possible and to all the fans who have supported us along the way."


The performance is also available via digital platforms found here.

Pitch Black Records has announced the return of Greek heavy metal veterans Marauder. The band’s new album, titled Metal Constructions VII, is out March 10, on CD and Digital.


This 12 track, semi-conceptual opus will be sure to please long-time followers and newcomers alike with the classic Marauder blend of muscular heavy/power metal, melodic finesse and fist-pumping anthems – all channeled into what is arguably the band’s most heartfelt musical statement since 2000’s masterpiece 1821.


Having enjoyed a joint career spanning over 30 years, guitarist duo Andreas Tsaousis and George Sofronas have shown a remarkable ability to successfully steer Marauder through a variety of times and settings. By staying true to their roots? Definitely, but also by refining their craft and by adding new tricks to the table, so to speak. Metal Constructions VII is no exception. 




For any lover of traditional Heavy Metal guitarwork, it is pure joy to behold the melodic and harmonic interplay that permeates the new Marauder material. Most easily notable this time around is of course the recruitment of Greek Metal scene strongmen Tassos Krokodilos (vocals) and Nick “Yngve” Samios (drums). With his soaring voice having just recently graced the latest album by Hellenic old school act Spitfire, the securement of Tassos Krokodilos as the band’s new vocalist keeps Marauder’s tradition of fine, charismatic frontmen alive. Moreover, the act of pairing the ever-reliable (and seemingly indefatigable!) Nick Samios with long-standing bassist Thodoris Paralis have resulted in what is arguably the strongest rhythmic backbone for the band so far.


What further adds to the gravitas of Metal Constructions VII – much like it did on 1821, although in a different conceptual area – are the lyrical themes and how they relate to the music at hand. Tackling themes of hardship and despair that surely anyone alive in 2022 can relate to and presenting them in a way that brings to the listener a sense of strength and hope rather than apathy should be enough to earn Marauder a medal of honor. An endearing testament to the deep-seated powers of man to not only ride-out, but overcome and eventually learn something from times of great distress, Metal Constructions VII both resonates with its times and boldly points towards a brighter future.





Tracklisting:


“Intro”
“Strike Back Again”
“Shout It Out”
“Under Her Spell”
“Nightfall”
“Erase”
“Rock Fighters”
“The Iron Mask”
“Holy Bible”
“Never Die”
“The Son Of God”
“Father”


“Strike Back Again”:


Metal Constructions VII by MARAUDER

Ripio has released a new 3D video clip of the song –“Agua y aceite”- (Water And oil) from the 2019 album -La Furia Que Hay En Mi - (The Anger That Is In Me).





Meanwhile, the solo artist Eduardo Costanzo (Ripio) from Buenos Aires - Argentina, continues with the production of what will be his seventh album, which will be called Enfrentando A Un Viejo Rival (Facing An Old Rival) and will feature ten new songs, in the vein of hard rock and heavy metal.

Hailing from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley in Canada, Odinfist is a high-flying, guitar-playing, crowd-chanting traditional heavy metal band that’s been around for 16 years, bringing elements of power metal, thrash metal, and the new wave of British heavy metal together. They’ve already amassed seven albums and now they are adding Remade In Steel to their impressive discography. The second single is “Metalmancer”. Drenched in classic ‘80s metal riffs with some hair metal influences in the verses, the lyrics describe a protagonist as they’re being exposed to new ideas and how they can forge a new path in life. 


The guitar solos are fucking sick, boys, Odinfist explains, they continue:


“This one is unique because it has completely different riffs for the first verse and second verse, and both riffs make a reappearance at the end of the song. The chorus is a pretty simple, but driving riff, with one of Justin’s patented melodies over top. There’s a big, stompy, half-time feel breakdown in the middle that leads into a gnarly solo section. While the song structure isn’t totally conventional, it’s still a catchy, rockin’ tune with a melodic, shout-along chorus.”




The band continues to share that over the course of their musical careers, they’ve always prioritized making music that they enjoy and want to listen to first. Each album is a snapshot of where they were mentally, creatively, and socially– but they’ve always wanted to explore new spaces within the genre and try to push into places they hadn’t been before. “Remade in Steel” is true to Odinfist’s roots in traditional heavy metal, offering its listeners the same energy and sound that they’ve come to expect from the band, but still shows off the band’s love for discovery.


Saucy, melodic, and barbaric. Get ready to take a roller coaster ride through the twists and turns of traditional heavy metal. Odinfist is recommended for fans of Savatage, Riot City, and Eternal Champion.


Remade In Steel is due out on March 10 and can be preordered on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Riffmaster”
“Metalmancer”
“Remade In Steel”
“Allfather”
“Deadline”
“Masquerade”


"Metalmancer":





"Riffmaster":

Frenzy will release Of Hoods and Masks on April 20, 2023 via Fighter Records in CD and LP formats. The Japanese import version will be available through Bickee Music.


Of Hoods and Masks, the second full-length by the heavy metal and comic book fanatics band, will contain nine tracks, including a conceptual story in seven songs inspired by the Watchmen graphic novel.


The album artwork includes 16 pages of full original illustrations made by comic artist Mike Mora (Megadeth’s death by design, Heavy Metal Magazine, The Con-Job).




The album was recorded during 2020 and put on hold for 2021 because of the traffic accident suffered by guitar player, Luis Pinedo, who is now ready to come back to his shredding duties and tour supporting this fantastic album. Of Hoods And Masks is also the final run of Alex Gabasa (Leather Heart) in Frenzy, who had to leave the band after a great job recording the album, being replaced by Billy Banzai.





Tracklisting:


“One Minute Closer To…”
“The Doomsday”
“Where Is The Joke”
“Spectre Of Love”
“Uncompromised”
“Betrayal In Cold Blood”
“Fear The Hood”
“Living In Oz” (Rick Springfield cover)
“Give Me Shred (Or Give Me Death)”


“The Doomsday” video:

Coheed And Cambria have announced details of a massive North American trek deemed “Neverender: No World For A Waking Mind” tour which is set to get underway this spring. The upcoming dates will see the band performing their seminal album No World For Tomorrow in full, along with a strong mix of songs from their most recent album Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind.


Special guests Deafheaven will feature as support across the tour which begins April 28 at The NorVa in Norfolk, VA and continues through late May with a second leg picking up on September 6 at the Fillmore Charlotte in Charlotte, NC and wrapping up at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA on October 7.


Pre-sale tickets for the tour will be available beginning tomorrow, January 25 at 10 AM, local with public on sale starting Friday, January 27th at 10 AM, local. For tickets and more information on Coheed and Cambria’s upcoming live dates, visit coheedandcambria.com/tour.




To celebrate the forthcoming tour, the band has also shared an official music video for their single “Beautiful Losers,” which can be viewed below. Filmed while the band was on tour in Germany, the live performance clip illustrates the bond between the band and their fans around the world. The track itself depicts the plight of Vaxis II’s main characters Nea and Nostrand, two underdogs battling an evil empire and while the song’s title also serves as an allusion to Coheed and Cambria’s beginnings – frontman Claudio Sanchez and guitarist Travis Stever had briefly been in a band called Beautiful Loser, named after a Leonard Cohen novel.





This past summer Coheed And Cambria released their new album and the latest chapter of “The Amory Wars” saga with Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind. The 13-song collection landed at #1 on Billboard’s “Top Hard Rock Albums” chart marking the band’s fourth #1 on the tally. Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind is available on all streaming platforms along with a deeply immersive Deluxe Box Set available in Coheed and Cambria’s official store. Furthermore, the band will have tour exclusive vinyl variants of both No World For Tomorrow and Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind vinyl available at the upcoming shows.





Tour dates:


April
28 - The NorVa - Norfolk, VA
30 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA


May
1 - The Fillmore Silver Spring - Silver Spring, MD
3 - The Rooftop at Pier 17 - New York, NY
4 - Roadrunner - Boston, MA
5 - Corona Theatre - Montreal, QC
7 - History - Toronto, ON
9 - Kemba Live! - Columbus, OH
10 - Agora Theater - Cleveland, OH
12 - The Cotillion Ballroom - Wichita, KS
14 - The Criterion - Oklahoma City, OK
15 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
17 - Stubb's - Austin, TX
18 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
20 - Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
21 - Welcome To Rockville - Daytona Beach, FL*
23 - Live Oak Bank Pavilion - Wilmington, NC^
24 - Township Auditorium - Columbia, SC^
26 - Arkansas Music Pavilion - Rogers, AR^


June
15-18 - Hellfest - Clisson, FR*


September
6 - The Fillmore Charlotte - Charlotte, NC
9 - Avondale Brewing Company - Birmingham, AL
10 - The Fillmore New Orleans - New Orleans, LA
11 - The Aztec Theatre - San Antonio, TX
13 - The Admiral - Omaha, NE
15 - Palace Theatre - Saint Paul, MN
16 - The Sylvee - Madison, WI
18 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI
19 - Riviera Theater - Chicago, IL
23 - The Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO
24 - The Union Event Center - Salt Lake City, UT
26 - Knitting Factory Boise - Boise, ID
27 - The Wilma - Missoula, MT
29 - Knitting Factory Spokane - Spokane, WA
30 - The Palace Theatre - Calgary, AB


October
2 - Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC
3 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
4 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR
7 - Hollywood Palladium - Los Angeles, CA
23-27 - S.S. Neverender - Miami, FL*


* Festival Date
^ with Incubus


(Photo - Alexandra Gavillet)

Swedish rockers GHOST have just released a new version of their song "Spillways" featuring a guest appearance by DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott. You can check it out below.

"Spillways" is taken from GHOST's fifth album, "Impera", which was released in March 2022.

Last year, GHOST mainman Tobias Forge told Metal Hammer magazine that he thought DEF LEPPARD was "great" and added that "going into ['Impera'], I thought I would see if I could do it a little more like DEF LEPPARD did it."

For his part, Elliott told Metal Hammer in April 2022 that he was introduced to GHOST's music through DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen. "He said, 'Here, have you heard about this band GHOST? It's like this kind of Scando goth-metal but with brilliant melodies.' I went, 'Well, that's an oxymoron, 'cause it's usually [makes unintelligible singing noise like someone vomiting in a bucket].' But he played me something — a couple of minutes each of a few songs. I was really intrigued, so I asked him to Dropbox me the new album. I listened to it all, and I thought it was absolutely stunning. It's like a whole new genre of music — it's way more TOTO than death metal or any of that stuff. It's like the song 'Spillways'. It starts off like 'Hold The Line' by TOTO or 'Jane' by JEFFERSON STARSHIP — one of those classic '70s songs that begin on the piano before these big, chunky chords come in."

At the time, Joe said that "Impera" had been his "go-to album" for at least a couple of weeks. I've got it downloaded on to my Apple Watch so I can march away and listen to it. I've only got a few albums on there, and GHOST are one of them."

Asked if he had been approached by GHOST for a collaboration, Joe said: "Not yet. Maybe they will. We've got [country singer] Alison Krauss on our new album, we did stuff with Taylor Swift 10 years ago. We're not scared of collaborating with anybody."

"Impera" sold 70,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked the third top 10 album — and fifth top 40-charting set — for the Swedish act. The 12-song effort was produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace.

"Impera" landed at position No. 1 in Germany and Sweden, No. 2 in the U.K., Netherlands, Belgium and Norway, No. 3 in Australia, No. 5 in France and Ireland, and No. 20 in Italy.

Forge worked on the follow-up to 2018's "Prequelle" with Åhlund and Swedish co-writers Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, whose credits include Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Tobias told Metal Hammer magazine about "Spillways": "This is an elegy for the darkness that most people have inside. When you have a dam, spillways are the run-offs so the dam won't overflow. That darkness inside us needs to find its way out."

Ozzy Osbourne and Joan Jett are among the musicians who will appear in a Super Bowl commercial for Workday, a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources.

In a clip from the commercial featuring Ozzy, the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer can be seen sporting a shirt and a tie as he interacts with his confused co-workers.

The spot was directed by Jim Jenkins and developed by ad agency Ogilvy and is said to be "Workday's attempt to raise awareness of how it can help businesses succeed in these modern times," according to Variety.

"No matter what's going on in the world, organizations can count on Workday's enterprise management cloud to adapt and thrive in a changing world," Workdaywrites in a blog announcing its foray into Super Bowl commercial world.

"More than 50% of the Fortune 500 rely on Workday every day to manage their two most important assets — their people and their money. We are the digital backbone for businesses and are mission critical in helping organizations transform and succeed. Put simply, at Workday we are shaping the new world of work."

Pete Schlampp, Workday chief marketing and strategy officer, adds: "This ad reflects the evolution of our brand over the past 17 years to where we are today, and supports the next stage of our growth. With more than 60 million people using our products, we are a household name. We see being part of the Big Game as an immense opportunity to show up for and entertain new and diverse audiences."

Workday helps customers adapt and thrive in a changing world. Workday applications for financial management, human resources, planning, spend management, and analytics have been adopted by thousands of organizations around the world and across industries.

Image courtesy of Workday

Eclectic hard rock band THE LUCID, which features former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE),actor/guitarist Drew Fortier and drummer/producer Mike Heller, has once again joined forces with legendary underground rap icon Violent J (INSANE CLOWN POSSE) for a re-imagining of FAITH NO MORE's "Epic", titled "Sweet Toof".

"Sweet Toof" is the fourth and final single from THE LUCID's upcoming EP, "Saddle Up And Ride", due out digitally January 27 from SpoilerHead Records. CD, vinyl and signed copies are available via limited-edition pre-order bundles that will ship at a later date.

Violent J states: "Man, quit playin'! It's been an absolute honor and a privilege working with THE LUCID! Being included among such monster talented and unbelievably cool people has been easily one of the highlights of my career so far. That's the absolute truth. Listen to it! Who the fuck can deny THE BEASTLY results? We KING KONG 'em!"

Fortier adds: "It has been such a fun, creative, and organic journey getting to this point with THE LUCID. We are all very proud of what we have created together, especially with it being a completely independent endeavor."

Fortier continues: "We love the FAITH NO MORE guys and their body of work and knew the perfect way to cap off our EP was doing a re-imagining of 'Epic' along with Vinnie and Violent J's twisted, and wonderful approach."

From the ferocious vitriolic sonic assault of the title track, "Saddle Up And Ride", to the epic off-the-wall and out-of-left-field "Sweet Toof", "Saddle Up And Ride" showcases THE LUCID feeding into their eccentric tastes spanning across thrash, country, rap, radio rock, metal, and funk.

Violent J, one half of the legendary rap duo INSANE CLOWN POSSE, is featured on the EP's title track, "Saddle Up And Ride" as well as "Sweet Toof". Violent J has a solo album titled "Bloody Sunday" due out in 2023.

Ellefson confirmed last year that THE LUCID was working on new material as a follow-up to THE LUCID's self-titled debut album, which was released in October 2021 via SpoilerHead Records.

"The Lucid" was also produced by Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert.

Photo credit: Kevin Williams

During the question-and-answer portion of his January 19 spoken-word appearance at Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki, Finland, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was asked when fans will finally get to hear his long-awaited new solo album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Soon. Obviously, there's gonna be a MAIDEN tour in between me finishing the album and then you hearing it later. I won't tell you when. It'll be a surprise. Not really. But there's been a lot of things around this particular record; it's been a long time."

He continued: "The record itself is, I think… I'm very proud of it. I think it's gonna be quite special. I think you'll really dig it. There's some other stuff that I'm doing around it that's hopefully gonna be quite interesting as well. So I've got a lot of things I'm gonna be doing and be busy doing this year preparing it all. That's all I can tell you at the moment. And there will be a tour. And we will be coming, I hope, to Helsinki."

Last March, Bruce told Consequence about his next solo album: "I've been working on it, on and off, since [2005's] 'Tyranny Of Souls'. But between lockdowns and albums and MAIDEN tours and everything else, I'm looking for a clear space to actually nail and say, 'Okay, this is what it's gonna be,' and get [Bruce's longtime collaborator Roy ['Z' Ramirez] to put some backing tracks down. And then we can do it. So we're at the point now where we've already got — I don't know — anywhere between 50 and 70 percent of the material for the album, depend[ing] on what we pick, from things we've already got. And I think we'd like to tweak it a little bit."

Back in December 2017, Dickinson said that his next solo LP would likely include a reworked version of "If Eternity Should Fail", the opening track on IRON MAIDEN's 2015 disc "The Book Of Souls". At the time, he said that he had about "half" of his seventh record already written and he also confirmed that "If Eternity Should Fail" was originally penned as a Dickinson solo track.

He told Finland's Kaaos TV that the original plan was for his next solo record to be "a whole concept album, which was gonna be called 'If Eternity Should Fail'. And 'If Eternity Should Fail' was the title track to my new solo album," he said. "And a bit like [Dickinson's 1989 solo song] 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter' [laughs], it got commandeered for IRON MAIDEN. So if I did do another solo album, which I think I will, I might just stick to my original plan and have that as the title track. I mean, I did write it — it was the first track that I wrote for it. So, yeah, I'd probably still include that song. But it would be… the feel would be slightly different — not very much, though — from the MAIDEN version."

In 2015, Dickinson told France's Hard Force magazine that "If Eternity Should Fail" ended up being used by IRON MAIDEN after bassist Steve Harris heard the demos that Bruce was working on for what was supposed to be his next solo album. "And [Steve] went, 'That's a really cool song. Can we use that? That's gonna be the opening song on the album,'" he recalled. "And I went, 'Yeah, okay.' And he was already writing, I think… He was already thinking of 'The Book Of Souls' as being the title, so he told me about the Mayan thing. And I'm, like, 'Yeah, that's cool. Okay. Yeah, I see where you're going.' But in my case, that song was written as part of a story. So the spoken word at the end is the beginning of a story that goes through the whole album. And one of the characters is Dr. Necropolis; he's the bad guy. And the good guy is Professor Lazarus; he raises people from the dead. So that introduces Necropolis in the spoken-word thing. And I asked Steve… I said, 'Look. Okay. I get having the song…' 'Cause it opens up with, 'Here is the soul of a man.' 'Yup. Get that. But what about the end?' I said, 'Will people understand what this is about? Because this is nothing to do with the Mayans or anything. This is to do with… I'd come up with a concept album that doesn't happen.' [Laughs] And he [went], 'No, no, no. It's just talking about souls and everything, and it sounds great.' I went, 'Okay.' [Laughs]"

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith. Since then, Dickinson has only released one more solo album (the aforementioned "Tyranny Of Souls") but has previously said that his solo career is not over.

In a new interview with Metal Express Radio, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about what fans can expect to hear on the band's upcoming follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you're in a band, you're always trying to better yourself; you're always trying to say, 'This is the best album we've ever made.' It's just a natural thing to do. And I'm aware of the great success and love that was given to 'Firepower'. And so how do you deal with that? Well, firstly, you have to let that go. You have to let that go, because it's like you're chasing after something that's elusive. What's the point of trying to emulate something that you've already done? We've just gotta do like we've always done with PRIEST, the way that every album has its own concept, every album has its own thing. 'British Steel' isn't 'Painkiller'; 'Painkiller' isn't 'Point Of Entry'; 'Point Of Entry' isn't 'Nostradamus'. So this album is shaping up to be its own thing."

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

Regarding the progress of the recording sessions for the next PRIEST LP, Halford said: "As I've been saying in these recent Zooms [interviews], they're all waiting for me, because all the music is done. I've got the album here in front of me, on my laptop, and it sounds fucking amazing, which you expect every musician to say. But I've really gotta do my work now and make sure that what I do relates to the great work that the guys have done.

"So, it's coming together," he continued. "It'll be ready when it's ready. But we're trying to stick on a timeline. We're hoping to do this Ozzy [Osbourne] tour [of Europe in May]. Please, Ozzy, be well enough; I think he will be. Once we do the Ozzy tour, then we're gonna really get into the back end of finishing the record and then probably being ready to release that. I'm saying now… I did say '23. It looks like it's '24 — which isn't that far away. It's already almost February in 2023.

"I think if you look back at all the work that we've done — apart from that time in the '80s when we were making an album and a world tour literally year in and year out for three or four years… You can do that when you're in that mindset at that point in your life and in the band when things are just roaring. This far on, when you've done so much work and you are aware of what you've achieved, then I think naturally you take your time more."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are celebrating the 28th anniversary of Van Halen's tenth studio album, Balance, released on January 24, 1995 via Warner Bros. Records. They've shared video of VH performing "Amsterdam" live on The Jon Stewart Show that same year.


Balance is the last of the band's four studio albums to feature vocalist Hagar, and the final Van Halen album to feature bassist Michael Anthony in its entirety.


Says Sammy: "The Balance record was such a great record, but it was during hard times for the band, and a very hard record to make. A lot of painful dark images, bickering amongst the band, health issues, but this live performance of 'Amsterdam' on the Jon Stewart show shows how great this band was live. Wow & that's a TV performance."




Adds Michael: "By the time the Balance record came out, there was lots of tension within the band, personally, and professionally. One thing that was understood though was that the music was the important thing, and when we got together to play live we kicked ass, be it in concert or guesting on a TV show. This clip of us on Jon Stewart shows we were still delivering the goods!!!"

Colorado-based death/thrash outfit Necropanther will release their long-awaited fourth full-length, Betrayal, March 3, today unveiling the record’s artwork, track listing, and first single.


The metal genre-manipulating band from Denver has always crafted their full-length releases around cult sci-fi/dystopian future cinema. Betrayal intertwines the movie The Warriors with the Greek story of Anabasis by Xenophon (on which The Warriors is based).


The eleven-track album features the rigorous musicianship and energetic riffs that Necropanther fans have come to expect, with the addition of experimental executions and techniques that put the band in fresh territory. “These are areas we’ve never explored before, like backwards guitar, Marcus using a screwdriver on a bass track, and harmonized whammy leads,” notes guitarist Joe Johnson. Betrayal sees the addition of guitar solos from vocalist/guitarist Paul Anop and deeper vocals from bassist Marcus Corich to complement Anop’s signature rasp.




“This is the first album where I have guitar solos,” states Anop, “It definitely challenged me and helped me grow as a musician.” Corich echoes these sentiments, “Testing the limits of my bass performance, playing with atypical sounds and taking on vocals was both massively challenging and rewarding.” Adds Johnson, “It was a lot of fun trading solos with Paul and to have that new lead voice. Combining that with Marcus’s vocals adds dimension to our orchestration and sound that helps make this the richest record we’ve ever done.”


This musical progress was born from the pandemic-imposed hiatus from live shows, leaving the band to focus on practicing, writing, and developing material in the practice space. “Everyone in the band composes songs, but everyone has different styles and influences. Continuing to elevate these collaborative voices is what stimulates our growth and exploration as musicians, and makes Necropanther unique,” says drummer Haakon Sjogren.


When it came time for Betrayal’s technical production, Necropanther knew the right partner was critical. They enlisted the mixing talents of metal legend David Castillo (Carcass, Kreator, Katatonia) of Ghost Ward Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. “This record has more lead guitar than any we’ve ever done, and based on his incredible past work, we knew Castillo could help us reach our goals,” elaborates Anop. Adds Johnson, “His catalog speaks for itself. Our sound is a combination of different metal subgenres, sometimes in rapid succession. He was able to present those details with clarity so our listeners can enjoy that variety in its correct context.”


From a technical aspect, Castillo was a good fit. Explains Corich, “His hybrid workflow, with a mixture of analog and outboard reverbs, compression and console summing, fit this production perfectly.” And there was another benefit. “We got the added bonus of visiting Scandinavia,” Sjogren points out, “I’m from Norway, so we visited Oslo before going to the studio in Sweden. It was really cool to introduce the band to my origins, both personal and musical.”


Adds Castillo, "I loved working with these guys. Their music and performances are so pure and raw in a very good way. You can hear that each one of them put their heart into the music and the delivery is outstanding. They need the cred that they deserve, and I wish them the best of luck!"


Necropanther chose The Warriors as subject matter for Betrayal after exploring the history of the movie. “The Warriors is based on the ancient Greek war story of Anabasis. The tales are parallel: A small group is betrayed and isolated in dangerous enemy territory and must fight their way back home,” states Johnson. Adds Sjogren, “Much like The Warriors, we explored new territory on this album and often found ourselves in unfamiliar places but working together to make it ‘home.’ Also, it’s just a great, fun movie with wisdom that’s still relevant in today’s world.”


In advance of the release of Betrayal, the band is pleased to unveil first single “One And Only.” Notes Johnson of the track, "‘One And Only’ is a melodic thrash song with some twists and turns featuring extended performance techniques on guitar and bass and introduces Marcus Corich's low vocals for the first time. This is the third album in a row opening with a song written by Haakon Sjogren. He has a great thrash sensibility and it made sense for us to establish that we're developing artistically but not reformatting on this record.”


Betrayal, which comes adorned in the cover art of Max Sherman, will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. Preorder on Bandcamp.


Necropanther will play a special record release show on April 8th in Denver joining metal legends Vader, Krisiun, and Decrepit Birth with additional live performances to be announced in the weeks to come.





Tracklisting:


“One And Only”
“Covenant”
“Breathe Evil”
“If You Can Count”
“Into Danger”
“Revenants”
“Wanderers”
“Furies”
“Don’t Stop For Death”
“Out To The Sand”
“Betrayal”


“One And Only”:


Betrayal by Necropanther

MOTÖRHEAD, the iconic Godfathers of heavy metal, have unleashed a brand new video for the previously unreleased track "Greedy Bastards", taken from the upcoming release "Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic".

"Greedy Bastards" is the second rare gem found in the recording session vaults for the 23rd (and final) studio album, "Bad Magic", in 2015. Instantly hailed as one of the best albums the beloved trio had recorded in many years, "Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic" is the ultimate bumper reissue, including the only recently released stomper "Bullet In Your Brain", as well as a snarling, fangs-out live performance from the "Bad Magic" tour at the giant Mt Fuji Festival in Japan in 2015.

Fans will also get "War, Love, Death And Injustice", an audio interview with Lemmy conducted by MOTÖRHEAD expert Robert Kiewik during the tour, and should the desire to have a chat with Lem or anyone beyond this mortal coil arise, the box-set will exclusively contain a "Murder One" ouija board (complete with the "Ace Of Spades" planchette to spell out the conversation).

Kicking off with a raw spoken-word intro from Lemmy, "Greedy Bastards" profound message is as relevant today as ever, while delivered with the classic MOTÖRHEAD rip-roaring, swagger.

"Another beauty from the 'Bad Magic' sessions," comments guitarist Phil Campbell, "with Lem's lyrics hitting our times bang on the head."

The new animated video for "Greedy Bastards" can be watched below (video by Natalia Jonderko Śmiechowicz).

At the time of its release back in 2015, "Bad Magic" arrived as a massive kick in the teeth for anyone who believed MOTÖRHEAD were going to amble along into a peaceful little pasture containing fluffy little lambs, folk music and perhaps the odd medieval lute here and there. Big-rig head crushers such as "Thunder & Lightning" and "Teach Them How To Bleed" brought such people to their knees begging for forgiveness, as the album unfurled into their toughest, leanest, meanest and most uncompromising album in aeons. Much of this came down to long-time producer Cameron Webb getting the band to record live at NRG North Hollywood, Maple Studios and Grandmaster in California together for the first time in the Kilmister/Campbell/Dee era, and from the crackling punk energy of "Electricity" to Brian May of QUEEN's scintillating guest-appearance on "The Devil", a vast wealth of aggression, attitude, and excellent songwriting was cultivated in that furious working environment. Phil Campbell didn't just record possibly his finest guitars, he threw down most certainly his best solos for decades, while Mikkey Dee's drumming found new tribal resonance with the MOTÖRHEAD sound he had helped nurture. There was also one of Lemmy's rawest lyrical life reflections on "Till The End", and a cover of THE ROLLING STONES' "Sympathy For The Devil" which made the song feel like one of their own. One of the hidden gold-dust additions to "Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic" is MOTÖRHEAD's famous, and internationally acclaimed, version of David Bowie's classic "Heroes". Originally slated for inclusion on the last release only to be withdrawn at the last minute, it was a cover version which Lemmy had a great affection for, and as such its inclusion here is both fitting and just.

Due on February 24, 2023, "Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic" will be released on double 12-inch vinyl, CD digipak with bonus disc, limited-edition boxset, digital download and streaming.

"Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic" track listing:

01. Victory Or Die
02. Thunder & Lightning
03. Fire Storm Hotel
04. Shoot Out All Of Your Lights
05. The Devil
06. Electricity
07. Evil Eye
08. Teach Them How To Bleed
09. Till The End
10. Tell Me Who To Kill
11. Choking On Your Screams
12. When The Sky Comes Looking For You
13. Sympathy For The Devil
14. Heroes
15. Bullet In Your Brain
16. Greedy Bastards

Live at Mt Fuji Rock Festival 2015 – Sayonara Folks! track listing:

01. We Are Motörhead
02. Damage Case
03. Stay Clean
04. Metropolis
05. Over The Top
06. String Theory
07. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
08. Rock It
09. Lost Woman Blues
10. Doctor Rock
11. Just ‘Cos You Got The Power
12. Going To Brazil
13. Ace Of Spades
14. Overkill

Two years after the release of Queen Takes Kin", The Rainbird's latest album, the band's new single, entitled "Little Dreamer", is about to be released. The song, which will be released on February 10 on all digital platforms, will introduce their new concept album, titled Devil's Smile.


The story, written by drummer Steve Foglia, is set in Florence in the glorious period of the Renaissance where a very young Leonardo meets a mysterious woman called Monnalisa. With the release of each single you will be transported into the history of the concept, making you more and more curious, step by step.


“Unlike Queen takes King, for this album we had a very different approach to pre-production,” says drummer Steve, “after developing the story of the concept, I took care of writing all the lyrics of the songs that Fabrizio set to music with his unmistakable style, trying to vary the pieces as much as possible. Once the songs were ready we met in the rehearsal room to try them trying to put our own on each song and I must say that the result is really noticeable!”




Devil's Smile will be the third album from the band formed in 1998, as well as the second with the legendary Michael Vescera (former lead singer of Loudness and guitar hero Yngwie J. Malmsteen) on vocals.


Stay tuned for further details.

The Rainbird lineup:


Mike Vescera – Vocals
Bonalien – Guitar
Valerio Matafu’ – Guitar
Steve Foglia - Drum
Davide Galletti – Bass

Former HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe has released the video for the high-octane title track of his latest solo album, "I Live Too Fast To Die Young", out now via Silver Lining Music.

"I Live Too Fast To Die Young" is quintessential Monroe, playing with words and concepts in a playfully irreverent way and wrapping it all up in some proper kick-in-the-balls rock 'n' roll.

"This one started life as just a song title — a tongue-in-cheek nod to Vivienne Westwood's 'Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die' t-shirts after I had been gifted one by a fan in Japan," guitarist Rich Jones explains. "It's a reference to Michael's seemingly boundless energy and the fact that he's still kicking ass after all these years."

"I love reinventing old clichés," Monroe laughs. "The whole 'live fast, die young' cliché is so boring, so I live too fast to die young! It takes more to survive and be here today than to self-destruct and die young!"

A close friend of Monroe, Slash from GUNS N' ROSES, throws down some lead guitar on the track.

"Slash is one of the nicest guys that I know and one of rock's greatest guitarists as he's maintained the spontaneity, the human touch and the heartfelt kick-ass attitude in his playing," Monroe enthuses. "I figured this would be a good one for him to play a solo on, he said he loved the song and that it's super catchy."

"Having Slash play an absolutely ripping guitar solo on it was a real honor and it's since become a fan favorite in our live shows," adds Jones.

Recorded at Inkfish Studios in Helsinki, Finland between November and December 2021 and produced by the band with engineer Erno Laitinen, the album features Monroe on lead vocals and harmonica, Steve Conte (guitars and vocals),Rich Jones (guitar, vocals),Karl Rockfist (drums) and Sami Yaffa (bass/vocals/guitar).

Regarding the musical direction of "I Live Too Fast To Die Young", Monroe previously said: "The punk is always gonna be there — it's part of my thing and our sound — and overall I think we've really renewed the band's sound in the best possible way without getting away from who and what we are."

He continued: "I always wanted to maintain the excitement and curiosity of life, to keep that mind of a child and excitement about stuff and not get complacent, not get tired. Of course, I can be cynical and I'm sarcastic, and I haven't had the best of luck, but then again who does? And I still have a lot of things to be happy about. It doesn't take much for me to be happy. To be able to do what I love doing the most, and make a living out of it, that's a gift."

Monroe and his band are getting ready to join BLACK STAR RIDERS on their 2023 UK tour along with MOTÖRHEAD's Phil Campbell and the BASTARD SONS. The tour will kick off on February 13 at Nottingham's Rock City and conclude on February 26 at London's 02 Shepherds Bush Empire.