Extreme industrial metal pioneers FEAR FACTORY have re-signed with Nuclear Blast Records. Initially signed to the label in 2013, the band has released the albums "Genexus", "Aggression Continuum" and "Recoded" through the long-running record company.

FEAR FACTORY guitarist and founder Dino Cazares comments: "This is a new year and a new chapter for FEAR FACTORY. We are off to a great start because we have re-signed with Nuclear Blast Records and our A&R legend Monte Conner, who originally signed the band in 1992. It is a great feeling to be with a label that gets us and who has always had our backs, especially when we needed them the most. Prepare for the future of FEAR FACTORY."

Nuclear Blast A&R Monte Conner states: "Working with FEAR FACTORY right from the start of their amazing career has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my own career. I was thrilled to be reunited with them when I signed FEAR FACTORY to Nuclear Blast in 2013, and to be able to continue that journey once again for round #3 feels incredibly satisfying. I have believed in Dino Cazares from day one, and I know he is going to deliver a killer new album with all the trademarks that have made and still make FEAR FACTORY one of the most pioneering and unique sounding metal bands of all time."

Next month, FEAR FACTORY will hit the road with headliner STATIC-X on the "Rise Of The Machine" North American tour. The 42-date trek will also feature DOPE as well as select dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID.

Last year, the band released "Recoded" via Nuclear Blast. Like the innovative one-two punch of "Demanufacture" and "Remanufacture", "Recoded" brilliantly reimagines the songs from 2021's landmark "Aggression Continuum" with diverse ferocity. The remixes stand as a mesmerizing counterpart to the band's tenth album. Produced by Cazares and mixed/mastered by Damien Rainaud (DRAGONFORCE, ONCE HUMAN),"Recoded" boasts new interpretations of "Aggression Continuum" songs. "Recoded" features longtime collaborators Rhys Fulber, Zardonic, Tyrant Of Death, Rob GEE, BLUSH_RESPONSE and Dualized. The album is the fourth FEAR FACTORY LP with artwork by Anthony Clarkson.

In a recent interview with the "Everblack" podcast, Cazares once again opened up about FEAR FACTORY's search for a new vocalist following the departure of Burton C. Bell more than two years ago. Regarding the decision to keep the new singer's identity a secret for so long, he said: "The thing about it is everybody's expecting it to be this massive rock star dude coming in. But it's not that at all. The guy is basically kind of unknown. There are some FEAR FACTORY fans that kind of know who it is, but they don't really know yet. He's a super-talented guy. He sounds like the classic Burton from the 'Demanufacture'/'Obsolete' era. He's a younger guy — 36 years old. Compared to me, he's younger."

In a separate chat with the "Fantasm" podcast, Dino reflected on the FEAR FACTORY singer search, saying: "It's very challenging to try to find somebody. It took me a year. People think that the minute that [Burton] was out of the band that I found somebody right away. No — it took a good year or so to find somebody. And I auditioned a lot of people. A lot of people submitted their vocals, video tryouts for me to check out. There was a lot of great singers, there was a lot of good guys, so it was hard to find somebody… Very challenging. And I know there's gonna be a lot of challenges coming up. It always is that way. But, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I think we found a really good guy. I can't wait for the world to see who he is and move forward."

In November, Dino told the "Everblack" podcast about the qualities he was looking for in the new FEAR FACTORY singer: "You want a person who's gonna be able to respect the legacy that we started 32 years ago. And so you want that person to be able to sing those parts as they were meant to be. But moving forward with newer stuff, he's gotta somewhat have his own identity."

Cazares also confirmed that he and the new FEAR FACTORY vocalist have begun work on material for the follow-up to 2021's "Aggression Continuum" album.

"It's going great," he said. "We just started pre-production, so we just started writing. We're about four songs in. So it's great. Everything's flowing really good. We've been working on it for about two and a half weeks. This writing so far has been pretty exciting. The four tracks that we do have… I don't know how to say it — it's classic stuff."

In September, Cazares told "The Jasta Show" that FEAR FACTORY fans will have to wait a few more months to find out the identity of his band's new singer.

"FEAR FACTORY singer and music will be coming just before the [group's North American] tour with STATIC-X," he said. "End of February is the first show, so just before that we'll be releasing the single and the singer. And then boom — right on the road."

In February 2022, former NIGHTRAGE singer Antony Hämäläinen, who unsuccessfully auditioned for the vocalist slot in FEAR FACTORY, claimed in an interview that the new FF frontman is "a person from Italy."

In April 2022, Dino told "The Garza Podcast" that the new FEAR FACTORY singer is emotionally ready to handle the inevitable pushback from some fans that he will get once his identity has been revealed. "I think that they're ready," he said. "When it comes to talent, they're very ready. But 'tour ready' is completely different. Let's hope that… Well, the person that we have has done some touring, but not touring like we do touring. Like, a full U.S. tour can be anywhere from four weeks to six weeks to whatever, then you fly over to Europe and do another four to five weeks, come back to the States, do another tour, then you go to South America and do another few weeks there, then you go to Australia and do another few weeks there, and then you plan for next year. I think one of the other things, too, is when this person is announced, they're gonna have to be able to handle all the criticism. That's gonna be the hard part. 'Well, it didn't sound like Burt.' Well, of course not. I want this person… They do actually sound like Burt — they can handle all the old stuff like Burt — but as far as moving forward, I would like them to have their own identity. We're still gonna have the formula of what makes FEAR FACTORY — for sure — but I want this person to somewhat have his own identity as well."

Dino also addressed his statement from 2021 that he wanted to give an "unknown guy a shot" at fronting FEAR FACTORY. He said: "Well, it wasn't like I was only looking for somebody that nobody knew. I was looking for all different [types of singers]. Sure, if the guy turned out to be, or the girl turned out to be, someone that nobody knew and I gave 'em that shot, yeah, great. I was open to all of it, is what I'm saying. Male, female, whatever, known, unknown — I was open to all of that."

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

"Aggression Continuum" was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside drummer Mike Heller.

Drumeo has shared a video of WHITESNAKE's now-72-year-old drummer Tommy Aldridge breaking down the band's classic song "Here I Go Again". Check it out below.

Aldridge is on his third stint playing drums with WHITESNAKE. Before, during and in between his time with the David Coverdale-fronted outfit, Aldridge has also performed and recorded with OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK OAK ARKANSAS, THIN LIZZY and Ted Nugent, among other artists.

Aldridge's latest studio release with WHITESNAKE is "Flesh & Blood", which came out in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Back in May 2021, "Here I Go Again" debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. The track saw a renewed interest following the death of actress Julie E. "Tawny" Kitaen, who appeared in the song's video. Kitaen passed away at her home in Newport Beach on May 7, 2021 at the age of 59.

While WHITESNAKE was working on it 1987 self-titled album, the band's lead singer David Coverdale started dating Kitaen, who had recently starred opposite Tom Hanks in the movie "Bachelor Party". Kitaen soon appeared in several of WHITESNAKE's music videos, including those for "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love" and "Still Of The Night". Footage of Kitaen writhing around on the hood of a Jaguar in the "Here I Go Again" clip has been called one of the most iconic — and sexiest — video moments ever filmed.

Coverdale and Kitaen tied the knot in 1989 but the union only lasted two years.

One of the Jaguars from the "Here I Go Again" video was dusted off for WHITESNAKE's clip for "Shut Up & Kiss Me", from "Flesh & Blood".

Fan-filmed video of ACCEPT's January 22 concert at Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Spain can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Zombie Apocalypse
02. Symphony Of Pain
03. Restless And Wild
04. London Leatherboys
05. The Abyss
06. No Shelter
07. Overnight Sensation
08. Demon's Night / Starlight / Losers And Winners / Flash Rockin' Man
09. Breaker
10. The Undertaker
11. Shadow Soldiers
12. Princess Of The Dawn
13. Fast As A Shark
14. Metal Heart
15. Teutonic Terror
16. Pandemic

Encore:

17. Hung, Drawn And Quartered
18. Balls To The Wall
19. I'm A Rebel

In a recent interview with Made In Metal, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their classic album "Balls To The Wall". He responded: "We've always stayed away from it in the past because we've always been so busy with working a current album or a new album. Five minutes ago [in this interview] you asked me about a new album [from ACCEPT], and now you ask me about [celebrating an] anniversary [of a previous LP]. So I can't do both. I have to [make] a decision [which way to go forward]. And usually we've gone with, 'Hey, let's make a new album. It's time for a new album.' And then we tour this album. So there's never been enough time to do all these anniversary tours so far. But that doesn't mean we won't do 'em one day."

Hoffmann previously dismissed the idea of performing a classic album like "Restless And Wild" or "Balls To The Wall" in its entirety, telling Metal Eye Witness in a 2018 interview: "Probably not. I mean, I've never been a huge fan of this whole idea. It seems to me like a marketing gimmick more than anything. Because in our age, we could have an anniversary every year. 'Cause it was 35 years [ago that] 'Restless And Wild' [was released], 40 years ago this, 30 years that — every year would be another anniversary — and, to be honest, we're so busy with promoting our current stuff that we don't really feel the need to do all that nostalgia stuff. Every year we have a new album, or every other year, and we've made four albums and a live album, so that's five, and I made a solo album — that's six releases in eight years. So I don't think we need to bother with any anniversary stuff at the moment. Maybe one day when we have nothing else, no other ideas. And we've done, actually, one show once where we played a complete album, and it was okay. But, quite honestly, I think we have a perfect setlist of old songs and new songs. I wouldn't rule it out, but at the moment, I've always said, why bother?"

Controversial at the time for its cover and some of the album's themes, "Balls To The Wall" was also ACCEPT's greatest commercial success, reaching No. 75 on the U.S. Billboard chart. "Balls To The Wall" was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for shipments in excess of half a million copies, partly off the back of the heavy rotation the title track's video received on MTV.

Taking much of its inspiration from the likes of fellow German hard rockers the SCORPIONS, as well as a debt to U.K. metal legends JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT at the time was fronted by the inimitable Udo Dirkschneider on vocals, backed by lead guitar heroes Hoffmann and Herman Frank and the backbone of bassist Peter Baltes and drummer Stefan Kaufmann.

Hoffmann is the sole remaining original member of ACCEPT, which he formed in 1976 in the town of Solingen, Germany with Dirkschneider and Baltes.

ACCEPT's latest studio album, "Too Mean To Die", was released in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

PANTERA's appearances at two rock festivals in Germany this spring have been canceled following an outcry over singer Philip Anselmo's previous racist remarks.

The reformed band — featuring PANTERA's surviving members Anselmo and Rex Brown (bass) along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — was scheduled to appear at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, two simultaneous rock festivals, which will take place June 2-4 in Nürburgring and Nürnberg, respectively. However, after intensive discussions with artists, partners and fans, the festival promoters decided to remove PANTERA from the bill.

"The band PANTERA will not perform at Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring 2023 as announced," said the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park organizers on Monday evening (January 23) on Twitter in identical statements.

Most of the backlash stemmed over 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 asked the organizer, Argo Konzerte GmbH, to reconsider its invitation to PANTERA and call off the band's performances at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, which are usually regarded as one event with almost identical lineup. It is considered to be the largest annual music festival in Germany and one of the largest in the world.

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.
Die Band Pantera wird nicht wie angekündigt bei Rock am Ring und Rock im Park 2023 auftreten. pic.twitter.com/oMNrWo8HT6

— Rock am Ring (@rockamring) January 23, 2023


Die Band Pantera wird nicht wie angekündigt bei Rock im Park und Rock am Ring 2023 auftreten. pic.twitter.com/prCE2PyRjs

— Rock im Park (@rockimpark_com) January 23, 2023

Veteran thrashers OVERKILL will release a new single, "The Surgeon", on January 27. The track will appear on OVERKILL's 20th studio album, "Scorched", tentatively due this spring.

OVERKILL performed another new song, "Wicked Place", which will also appear on "Scorched", during its December 9 concert at the Ruhrpott Metal Meeting in Oberhausen, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

The name of the upcoming OVERKILL LP was revealed last month by drummer Jason Bittner in a social media post. He shared a few photos of the band's appearance at Ruhrpott Metal Meeting and included the following message: "Last one of the year!!!! See you in 2023 with 'Scorched' - the 20th album in the OVERKILL catalog!"

This past August, OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth told Neuborn Open Air Festival about the band's upcoming LP: "Well, I wrote the record three times — my end of the record, I wrote it three times — and I destroyed the first two of them, because it was being influenced by the pandemic, and I don't think we've ever been those type of people. I started listening and I said… I'm not the most upbeat person when it comes to the presentation of music, but I think that if you compare OVERKILL to other bands in this scene, we don't always take the negative road; we try to take the positive road for things. And the pandemic led me to go on a different path, and I didn't wanna do that. So I tore the whole record down and rewrote it once I saw that stuff was opening… But it made me feel more comfortable with the fact that, okay, this is fresh, it's current. It's not something that was written in 2020. It was written in fucking '22, and it's gonna be recorded in '22. So it's a good feeling right now."

Earlier in the year, OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni told Hardrock Haven about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's 20th studio album. He said: "I had almost all of it written when we went out on the tour before COVID, 'cause that's where we were in our cycle. So I had to have my part — the music for the record — pretty much done. I had two songs left that I had to do when I got back home. 'Cause that's where we needed to be, 'cause the record was supposed to come out in the fall of that year or whenever. But then we were, like, 'We've got a little extra time.' And then we had more extra time."

He continued: "It was funny, because usually I'll kind of demo up everything at home, all the songs, and I'll send it out to the guys, and then they'll learn the stuff from the demo and then we'll get together and play. [And then we'll decide] 'Maybe it should be faster or slower' — we kind of noodle around till it feels good in the room. But we weren't able to do that 'cause of COVID. But now that it's taken so long, we could have done that. So, I don't know exactly… This one's still gonna be a bit of an odd record 'cause it was kind of done all remotely — everything. We're gonna put out a record of songs that we've not one single time stood in a room and played together."

As for the musical direction of the new OVERKILL material, Verni said: "Compared to the other ones… It's hard to say. It's maybe got a little bit more SABBATH-y kind of parts in it, a little bit more doomy.

"I know Colin Richardson's gonna mix it," he added. "Poor Colin. We thought we were gonna do it, and then we pushed him off, and then we pushed him off again, and then we pushed him off again. An we said, 'You know what? We'll call you when we're ready.' So whenever that's gonna be, we'll call him again. But we're psyched about that 'cause he's just great. He's a great mixer and a great producer. So if nothing else, it'll sound great."

Richardson previously worked with OVERKILL on 1997's "From The Underground And Below", 2000's "Bloodletting" and 2003's "Killbox 13".

Ellsworth previously told 69 Faces Of Rock that the band's new album was tentatively scheduled for an April 2023 release, "followed by a European tour."

Regarding the sound of the new OVERKILL material, Blitz said: "It's gonna be hard to figure it out for me until it actually takes shape. It seems a little bit more eclectic for us. It's riff driven, not rhythm driven. The songs will contain two or three different riffs throughout it — the main [riff] and then two that are kind of secondary riffs, which I think is a little bit unique for us, to be singing over something like that. Heavy, of course. I mean, there's some sledgehammer stuff on it — that kind of big, thick groove. I think the other side of it is that it shows kind of experienced speed, would be the word. Some of them just take off."

In June 2020, Ellsworth told A&P Reacts that the band's new songs were "a natural progression from 'The Grinding Wheel' [2017] and 'The Wings Of War' [2019]. I think when we had done the 'Ironbound' record [2010], it almost became like a trilogy in there — it was kind of like 'Ironbound', 'The Electric Age' [2012] and 'White Devil Armory' [2014], and they seemed to be the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost kind of a thing," he said. "I think we kind of broke the mold a little bit with 'The Grinding Wheel', and then I think a little bit more with 'The Wings Of War'. And on this one, I see it way more. And what I mean by that is that we've used other tools from our toolshed in the past, and that's the slow grind that is coupled with that fast gallop. So it feels like a natural progression, but maybe two records ahead of what 'The Wings Of War' is. And that's probably as objective as I can be."

OVERKILL spent most of 2019 and early 2020 touring in support of its 19th studio LP, "The Wings Of War", which was released four years ago. The disc was recorded at Gear Recording Studio in New Jersey, SKH Studio in Florida and Jrod Productions with engineering handled by Verni and guitarist Dave Linsk. The album was produced by the band while Chris "Zeuss" Harris took care of the mixing and mastering. Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH) was again enlisted to create the artwork for the album.

"The Wings Of War" marked OVERKILL's recording debut with Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM),who joined the band in 2017.

Two years after releasing their doom metal opus, Rome’s Shores Of Null is preparing to wash listeners away with another wave of dreary, melancholic doom metal. The Loss Of Beauty once again ties thunderous music and ethereal vocals together in a sound that is as grief-stricken as it is cathartic. The second single, presented in video form is “The Last Flower”, which vocalist Davide Straccione comments on:


“This song has, in my opinion, one of the best choruses of the album, and I also feel very connected to the lyrics. I pictured a future where everything is dying and there’s but a flower left alive in this world that must be saved at all costs, even with our own life if it means saving our future. It’s a metaphor that encloses the main theme in The Loss Of Beauty, which is preserving beauty no matter what. It is a reminder that everything is ephemeral.”







Straccione goes on to explain that amongst all the doom metal bands around, what sets them apart is the way they approach the melody, especially the vocals. They don’t just growl over the music but try to interact with it, with both clean and harmonized vocals, and harsh ones too. They try to recreate the vocal harmonies live too with the rest of the band pitching in to accentuate the choruses. They put emphasis on visuals as well, something that can be seen in the music videos accompanying and at times influencing the upcoming singles.


Shores Of Null can be overwhelmingly heavy and soothing at the same time, trading off between gothic-doom vibes and blackened aggression. Their music stands out for its melancholic yet majestic vibe, made of choral-like guitar textures exploiting their full range, sustained by a powerful rhythmic section and punctuated by a refined brew of clean and growled vocals, with a large use of vocal harmonies which have become one of the band’s trademarks through the years. 


The Loss Of Beauty artwork and tracklisting:





"Transitory" 
"Destination Woe"
"The Last Flower" 
"Darkness Won't Take Me" 
"Nothing Left To Burn" 
"Old Scars" 
"The First Son" 
"A Nature In Disguise" 
"My Darkest Years"
"Fading As One" 
"A New Death Is Born"


Bonus Tracks (CD and Digital only)
"Underwater Oddity" 
"Blazing Sunlight" 


"Nothing Left To Burn" video:





The Loss Of Beauty will be released on March 24th via Spikerot Records. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.


 

Dark Tranquillity performed "Atoma", the title track of their 2016 album, during their set at Bloodstock Open Air Metal Festival 2022. Professionally-filmed video can be viewed below:





Dark Tranquillity vocalist, Mikael Stanne, sat down with Bloodstock TV’s Oran O’Beirne to talk about their return to Bloodstock, the legendary Gothenburg scene, and his manic schedule between DT and The Halo Effect. Watch below:







 

With their 2021 breakthrough debut album, Within Each Lies The Other, British metal act, As Everything Unfolds, garnered over 20 million streams, international media acclaim and legions of fans alike. Just two years later, the band marks their return as they officially announce the release of their upcoming sophomore full-length, entitled Ultraviolet, out April 21 via Long Branch Records.





In conjunction with this announcement, today, the band released the album’s title track alongside a brand new video - marking the third track released off Ultraviolet - following 2022 singles “Felt Like Home” and “Blossom”.




Singer Charlie Rolfe comments: "This song is about taking back control, and that internal power you feel in taking back the control. Using the overarching concept of ultraviolet light, it’s a great metaphor for how there’s now a new perspective on life in this new version of ourselves."


Watch the new official video for "Ultraviolet" below, and pre-order the album here.





Ultraviolet tracklisting:


"Ultraviolet"
"Felt Like Home"
"Slow Down"
"Saint Or Rogue"
"Blossom"
"Infrared"
"Flip Side"
"Twilight"
"Rose Bouquets"
"Daylight"
"All I've Ever Known"


"Ultraviolet" video:





"Felt Like Home" video:





"Blossom" visualizer:





Singer Charlie Rolfe adds: “The new album Ultraviolet is an open work on the thoughts and feelings surrounding us at the time. The anger, the frustration, the progress, everything on show, nothing to hide. Darkroom practice is something that has been a large part of my creative path, finding links between the emotion in music, putting everything on display for all to listen and exposing a colour photograph, putting it on display for all to see. Only when you are exposed to Ultraviolet light can you see life in full colour.”


Ignoring traditional genre boundaries with their distinctive sound, As Everything Unfolds have aspired to create a unique listening experience, combining a multitude of genres within the alternative realm and beyond. With over 20 million streams of their debut album to date, their craft does not go unnoticed.


As Everything Unfolds have been nominated for a Heavy Music Award and have appeared at European festivals including Download Festival, Graspop, Rock For People, Full Force, and shared stages with Enter Shikari, Wargasm, Holding Absence and many more.


With the release of their new album and many more tours and festivals in the pipeline, 2023 promises to be a huge year for As Everything Unfolds.


As Everything Unfolds is:


Charlie Rolfe - Vocals
Adam Kerr - Guitar
George Hunt - Bass
Jon Cassidy - Synth
Jamie Gowers - Drums

Three-time Grammy-nominated hard rock quartet, Nothing More, have released a lyric video for "The Other F Word", featured on the band's latest album, Spirits, released last October via Better Noise Music.





Spirits’ 13 tracks consist of the band’s most focused, adventurous, and intense music, uniting introspective philosophical lyrics with unapologetically massive anthems. Order here.







Tracklisting:


“Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)”
“Tired Of Winning”
“Ships In The Night”
“You Don’t Know What Love Means”
“Don’t Look Back”
“The Other F Word”
“Face It”
“Best Times”
“Déjà Vu”
“Dream With Me”
“Neverland”
“Valhalla (Too Young To See)”
“Spirits”


"Valhalla (Too Young To See)" lyric video:





"Dream With Me" lyric video:





“Déjà Vu” lyric video:





"Don't Look Back" lyric video:





“Best Times” video:





"You Don't Know What Love Means" video:





“Tired Of Winning” / “Ships In The Night” video:





“Turn It Up Like (Stand In The Fire)”:





“Spirits”:





(Photo - Jody Domingue)

2023 is shaping up to be a very busy year for Savage Existence, as their new single, “Steady Blows To The Head,” was issued on January 9 (watch the new music video below, listen to the single here), they will be touring Europe with Ross The Boss from in April-May (on the Kings of Metal 35th Anniversary tour; dates below), and will be issuing their self-titled LP on April 27 (recorded by Logan Mader).


“Savage Existence is extremely excited to be going on tour in Europe,” says the group. “It’s actually an honor for us to be sharing stage with Ross the Boss, celebrating one of the best metal albums of all times by Manowar ‘Kings of Metal’ and at the same time to share our music with European crowds for the very first time. Every show will be special for us, we will be bringing our full power of groove metal and leaving blood and sweat on each show. Get ready for Savage Existence. We are definitely coming to get you!


“Some say it's great for caffeinated workouts, smashing punching bags and driving fast, Savage Existence recent single 'Steady Blows To The Head' is certainly getting attention, opening the road to the new album release and we are very happy by quickly reaching at least +40,000 people in just a couple of days on our Spotify account, streams are really flying fast. Strap in for the ride because it’s just getting started, more singles to come soon!”




“Raise your cups and rock out with Savage Existence in this fiery, savage and loud official music video for their recent single ‘Steady Blows To The Head’! The band is definitely fighting with all the sonic force through the media noise and gaining more and more attention by people all around the globe. This first official video single presents a definitive band's evolution in its sound, taking it to another level and creating a real groovy momentum for headbanging. Straight forward metal, real honest musical expression so much needed today for real metalheads. This is just the first single from the upcoming self-titled album, more to come soon.


“Our new self titled album represents the band's evolution, encompasses a wide range of styles including groovy death metal with hints of southern hard rock, offering this fresh feeling of collision between old school and the new. This album is a serious statement and delivers groovy savage riffs, ripping solos, insane vocals, catchy melodies, wild rhythms and stellar special guest appearance by Gary Holt (ex-Slayer, Exodus).”


Formed in Costa Rica by Daniel Cleland (guitars) and Jesse Radford (drums), both entrepreneurs from Canada, and singer and songwriter Anton Darusso, they are joined by Daniel Ramos (bass) and Andreas Castro (guitars).


“Savage Existence revisits old school groove metal with elements of American metal, death metal, and southern rock, with lyrics that speak about real life issues and relevant concerns of the modern day.”


And with the arrival of their new single/video, upcoming tour and album, rock fans worldwide will soon discover the metallic might of Savage Existence.





Tracklisting:


"Still Life"
"Steady Blows To The Head"
"Cull"
"Dumpster Water"
"Leap Of Faith"
"All On You"
"Independence Day"
"Enigma"
"Standing In Flames"
"Matricide"


"Steady Blows To The Head" video:





Savage Existence tour dates with Ross The Boss:


April
28 - Remchingen, Germany - No Playback Festival
29 - Vorselaar, Belgium - De Dreef
30 - Lingen, Germany - Alter Schlachthof
 
May
2 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
3 - Magdeburg, Germany - Factory
4 - Kassel, Germany - Goldgrube
5 - Andernach, Germany - Andernacher Metal Days
6 - Gladbeck, Gladbeck Metal Bash Open Air
7 - Drachten, Netherlands - Iduna
9 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg
10 - Oldenburg, Germany - Amadeus
11 - Odense, Denmark - Kansas City
12 - Hademarschen, Germany - Hademarscher Hof
13 - Hamburg Neu-Wulmstorf, Germany - Metal Bash

African metallists, Skinflint, return on Friday, February 17 with their sixth release overall, Hate Spell, which will be immediately supported by almost a month’s worth of live dates in the US = when the trio tours with Soulfly. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Giuseppe Sbrana, bassist Kebonye Nkoloso, and drummer Cosmos Modisaemang, Skinflint’s latest album will be issued via Into Records, and retains the raw sound and inspiration from African Mythology that has come to define Skinflint. And to kick things off is the just-issued video for the standout track, “Sasabonsam,” which can be viewed below.


“We wanted to stay as honest and true as possible to the source material,” explains Sbrana about the new album. "We are not fans of overproduced records. The rawness and grittiness, the imperfections of the human touch, gives a lot of personality to a recording. Above all we trusted the process, and allowed ourselves to be in the moment, it's more about heart and character than perfection. I think we can be proud of this work."


“This album to me is aggressive but also therapeutic in the sense that it blows away tension, and I hope to inspire others too,” adds Modisaemang. “As for me, metal has been a way to release aggression and tension in a non-violent way.” And Nkoloso also shares his thoughts, “This album carries the signature sound of Skinflint inspired by African methodology. Can’t forget the sleepless nights of music writing and studio rehearsals during the peak of the pandemic. I don’t get tired of listening to the songs and I bet our fans are gonna have a blast too! ROCK ON!”




From start to finish, the album is simply ferocious, including such standouts as “Sasabonsam” (“In the song it's a story about a figure that replicates your deepest fantasies in your mind, but her true form is a bat like creature with giant wings and a snake tail”), “Blood Dripping From Torso To Toes” (“About a serial killer”), “Bloody Quills” (“The hole a porcupine digs is said to be a portal to the spirit world in many African myths”), “Eloko” (“Dwarf-like evil spirits who rise from graves”), and “Juju King” (“Madness and more madness!”).


And much of these hard-hitting, headbanging tracks will soon be performed live on stage in the US, when the trio supports Soulfly on the road. Sbrana: “We can feel the fire in our veins, the band is hungry and ready to kick some ass. See you on stage!” Nkoloso: “It’s really gonna be hard to select the setlist for our show because all songs are extremely lethal.” Modisaemang: “I am very excited for the tour, ready to get back on the road, ready to get back Infront of the fans and ready to play some absolute HEAVY METAL.”





Hate Spell tracklisting:


"Intro"
"Bloody Quills"
"Sasabonsam"
"Hate Spell"
"Blood Dripping From Torso to Toes"
"Shape Shifter"
"Mankind Creation"
"Eloko"
"Witch Haunting"
"Spirit Board"
"Conquest"
"Juju King"


"Sasabonsam" video:





Skinflint/Soulfly tour dates:
 
February
17 - Teaneck, NJ - Debonair Music Hall
18 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
19 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom
20 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
21 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
23 - Syracuse, NY - The Lost Horizon
24 - Buffalo, NY - Rec Room
25 - Mechanicsburg, PA - Lovedrafts
26 - Pittsburgh, PA - Crafthouse
28 - Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner


March
1 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
2 - Battle Creek, MI - The Music Factory
3 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
4 - Belvidere, IL - The Apollo Theatre
5 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club


(Photo - IK Laurent)

Texas quintet Judiciary Jake Collinson [vocals], Kyle Calfin [bass], Austin Looney [drums], Jimmy LaDue [guitar], and Israel Garza [guitar] will drop their sophomore album, Flesh + Blood, via Closed Casket Activities on March 10. Pre-order it here. Today, the band has shared the video for "Engulfed". Watch below.


Grinding full force since 2013, the band unleashed the EP The Axis of Equality in 2016, a split EP with Mortality Rate in 2017, and finally, their first full-length record Surface Noise with Closed Casket Actitives in 2019. Along the way, they also shared stages with a wide variety of bands, including Vein, Power Trip, The Acacia Strain, Exhumed, and Gatecreeper, to name a few.


Citing influences such as Slayer's God Hates Us All and Chimaira's The Impossibility Of Reason as well as "a ton of Machine Head," their vision crystallized in 2021. They recorded what would become Flesh + Blood with producer Arthur Rizk [Power Trip, Cavalera Conspiracy] in August of 2021 before Will Putney [Body Count, Vein] handled mixing and mastering.




In the end, Judiciary rule a world of their own now and forever. "We want this music to take you to the world that we’ve built with it," Kyle says. "To feel it, visualize it, see it how we see it — to us, there would be nothing better."





Tracklisting:


"Flesh"    
"Blood"    
"Engulfed"    
"Paradigm Piercer"    
"Knife in the Dirt"    
"Stare into the Sun"    
"Cobalt"    
"Steel Hand God"    
"Obsidian"    
"Eschatos Hemera"


"Engulfed" video:

From their earliest shows playing to several hundred at London's famed Marquee Club in 1973 to more recent concerts performed to over 70,000 in Sydney, Australia, the one constant in QUEEN's performing history has been the band's commitment to what they consider the most crucial aspect of a successful QUEEN performance: the rehearsals.

Now in its triumphant second year, the mightily popular YouTube video series "Queen The Greatest" return this Friday, January 20. This first episode of 2023 kick-starts a twelve-month, 50-video schedule that will bring fans more rare archive live footage, contemporary performances, and behind-the-scenes interviews from across QUEEN's five decades. Complemented by the meticulously assembled visuals of longtime multimedia collaborator Simon Lupton, "Queen The Greatest Live" promises to continue to inform and delight the most hardcore fan, many of whom might be thrilled to spot that the return of the series now boasts a new opening theme tune — fashioned specially by Brian May from "We Are The Champions".

From Live Aid to Rock In Rio, QUEEN's fabled concerts have always been the climax of months of painstaking preparation. As Brian and Roger Taylor explain in Episode 1, the rehearsal and soundcheck process is a vital part of the nightly magic that happens on the stage, not only helping QUEEN sculpt their famously epic sound but also tighten tricky musical gearshifts and even dust off songs that have rarely appeared on the setlist. "And if it works out well in soundcheck," notes Brian, "you put it in the next night."

Interspersed with the new interviews, Episode 1 also offers behind-the-scenes footage from QUEEN tours past and present. In modern times, we see Roger put his kit through its paces and frontman Adam Lambert testing the stadium acoustics. But this latest video dives deep into the vaults, too, bringing us "News Of The World"-era soundcheck footage, with Freddie Mercury singing "Tie Your Mother Down" to rows of empty seats while Brian wrangles his pedalboard.

Our journey starts with a new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor to discover the importance of the first crucial aspect of any successful QUEEN tour: the rehearsals.

May: "Rehearsing before tour is always a bit of a surprise because you don't know how much you're going to remember, and you don't know if it's still going to feel the same. But it's surprising how stuff does flow back into you, into your veins, once you start kicking stuff around."

Taylor: "Normally, we play a song through and see if it works, if we think it's going to work live, and they don't always work live. Some of them just, they're not suited really for an exciting or involving, engaging performance, a live performance. So we probably, there's quite a few songs we've never played live that have been on albums and probably for good reason."

May: "We'll try a lot of stuff out, and then very often we'll go, 'Oh, well, we did this last time. Well, maybe we'll do that,' and you put a rough set together very quickly. It's about a lot of things. It's also about looking at the sound and making sure that everything's in place out front for the for the people out front. It's about looking at the monitor system, making sure that we can be heard between each other like I can hear Rog, he can hear me, etc., etc. … It's also about the lights, the whole production. So you have an awful lot to do in that rehearsal period. And it's easy for things to, I guess, be unfinished. So you know you're going to go out on tour on the first night and it won't be finished. There will be work in progress, but that's the nature of the game. You can't be perfect. You can't hit the ground perfect. You hit the ground, okay? And you evolve to the place where you hopefully want to be. So by the time you get to the end of the tour, you're really good."

To ensure this evolution continues throughout a QUEEN tour, a precious few hours on each show day becomes vitally important.

May: "Soundchecking is the real kind of baseline of touring, really. If you don't soundcheck while you're in the process of touring, you're static, and you're kind of dead. That's my feeling. I know it's Roger's feeling, too."

Taylor: "We just wouldn't feel happy unless we felt we knew exactly where everything was — the setup, the sound — even if we're doing several nights in one place. You want to go in the next day and kind of make sure everything's sounding right. It's tuned right. Everything's in the right… And there might have been something you weren't happy with the night before. You want to correct it, you know. And then we might just change a song, and so we'll rehearse a new song to put in and just try things out, really. But I think Brian and I certainly not happy with just going on cold. We like to know that everything's right and that hopefully, nothing's going to go wrong.

"The soundcheck. Normally at 4 o'clock, I go first in the secure knowledge that Brian is going to take ages, so I can do mine fairly quickly. And then I'll vacate the stage and the other guys will be in there, rhythm, bass, keys and they'll be running through stuff, technically, harmonies, stuff like that. And then Brian will come on to get his sound and then we'll get together as a unit and play ensemble. Yeah, that's the way it normally works. Yeah."

May: "We call it a soundcheck, but part of it is to check the sound, and it's always necessary, but the rest of it is to just try stuff out, even if it's only a few bars. Like, 'What happened last night? Oh, that happened. What if we do this?' And you gradually, gradually evolving the show, finding out little bits that didn't work as well as they could. Maybe they could be improved. 'Oh, let's try. We didn't try this song for ages. Maybe we try this?' And if it works out well in soundcheck, you put it in the next night. But it can be all sorts of little, small, tiny, little things. Like 'if I do this, you know, generally you do that which conflicts, you know, so maybe we.. Oh yeah, okay I'll do this.' And you adjust those little things which, which improve. They call it Kaizen in Japan and you improve tiny little things all along the way and suddenly the whole shows an improvement. And that's why the show is so good, I think. I mean, I hope it is good. People say it's good."

Norwegian progressive metal pioneer Ihsahn (EMPEROR) will release a new EP, "Fascination Street Sessions", on March 24 via Candlelight Records.

The first single from the effort, "Contorted Monuments", can be streamed below.

Known as a constantly evolving artist who loves to transcend boundaries, Ihsahn's musical journey has been relentlessly fascinating and frequently revelatory. With his penchant for collaborative projects and fascination with production, this new three-track EP, featuring two new original songs and one cover version, is the direct result of Ihsahn joining forces with URM Academy's online educational program for music production, and producer/engineer Jens Bogren (OPETH, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY, POWERWOLF) of Fascination Street Studios.

Comments Ihsahn: "I've been working with Jens and his team for mixing and mastering for over a decade, but this course spans from pre-production to final master, so I wrote some demos and had Jens be involved from the very start."

Joining Ihsahn on this project was his longtime drummer Tobias Ørnes Andersen and keyboardist Øystein Aadland, who spent 10 intense days at Fascination Street Studios recording the songs. Aadland also adds warm and gentle lead vocals for the track "The Observer". while Jonas Renske of KATATONIA recorded guest vocals to the song "Dom Andra", a cover of a track by Swedish band KENT.

Throughout the whole experience, the URM Academy team captured everything on video, with Jens Bogren adding commentary to the production techniques used, with detail on mic placements, preamps, drumhead tunings, sharing his methodology and drilling down into what goes into a recording such as this.

Ihsahn adds: "The idea was to capture high-end recordings of real instruments in great rooms, and we had an amazing setup for drums, guitars, bass, and even a vintage Hammond organ with Leslie, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, etc., recorded through Fender combos and analogue pedals etc."

He continues: "This was an amazing experience, and very educational, as I love everything related to music production. Both the Fascination Street and URM teams were incredible, and I believe everyone involved had a great time, in spite of 14–16-hour workdays. I'm very happy with how everything came together and for those interested in the technical aspects of how it was made, there will be a thorough course coming soon at URM Academy."

"Fascination Street Sessions" EP track listing:

01. The Observer (feat. Øystein H. Aadland)
02. Contorted Monuments
03. Dom Andrea (KENT cover, feat. Jonas Renske)

Since 1991, Ihsahn has defied expectations and pushed boundaries. Launching his solo career in 2006 with "The Adversary", he has sought to maintain the black metal blueprint that he helped devise with the world-shattering EMPEROR, while mischievously exploring progressive dreamscapes, avant-garde jazz, electronica, darkwave, ear-crushing tech-metal and ambient meditations. Each full-length album has had an element of surprise and delight, where the architect plays out his creative vision by building on an unwavering zeal for the shock and awe that keeps his listeners on their toes.

Photo credit: Bjørn Tore Moen

The song "Crimson Tears" from VENAMORIS, the project featuring legendary extreme metal drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTÔMAS, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DEAD CROSS) and his wife Paula, can be streamed below.

"Crimson Tears" is taken from VENAMORIS's debut album, "Drown In Emotion", which will be released on February 10. The LP was recorded and produced at Ritmo Studio by Dave Lombardo. Drum overdubs were recorded at Studio 606. It was mixed at Ritmo Studio by David A. Lombardo and mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering.

"Drown In Emotion" features guest appearances by Tyler Bates (JERRY CANTRELL, MARILYN MANSON),Roberto "Ra" Díaz (KORN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES),Jack Gibson (EXODUS),George Pajon (BLACK EYED PEAS, CAIRO KNIFE FIGHT) and Tim Stewart (LADY GAGA, DAMNAGE).

Track listing:

01. Let Me Be
02. We Fall
03. This Is Me
04. Crimson Tears
05. Misguided
06. Drowning Emotion
07. I Love It
08. In My Silence
09. It's Gone
10. Tell Me How You Know
11. Oceans
12. So Good

Founded in 2021 by what can only be called, astral influence, VENAMORIS was launched a result of some persistent persuasion on Dave's part. The 57-year-old musician, who is in charge of drums and production on the record, explains: "Several months after meeting Paula in 2010, she hesitantly shared with me her past decade-long career as the lead backup singer for Wayne Newton. She later played me some of the demos she recorded throughout the years, and I was floored by her sonically soothing, rich tone and natural, instinctive ability to harmonize. I was determined to persuade her to return to her creative self. It's been a deeply gratifying journey witnessing this music come to life."

Canadian-born singer/songwriter Paula Lombardo, who performs vocals and piano for this project, bursts with vulnerability and intimacy, addressing a broad scope of emotion: anger, healing, pain, hope. It's evident that VENAMORIS was founded out of love, passion, communication, respect, and trust. One person thriving in music encouraged the other, who had abandoned music to find their way back. It is the result of many late nights with too much wine, and even more truth laid bare: an aural couple's journaling generously shared with the world.

Last month, Dave collaborated with his wife on a "love song" called "The Gift". On December 19, the Cuban-born musician shared an Andy Wallis-created video for the track via his YouTube channel, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "A romantic love song for the holiday season, written by my wife and I."

"The Gift" was written and recorded by Paula and Dave Lombardo and was mastered by John Golden of Golden Mastering.

During a recent question-and-answer session with the readers of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Lombardo was asked if he would have joined SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's new band had he been approached about it. He responded: "I knew that was coming. I am, right now, working on too many other projects and I wouldn't be able to accept. New DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE… the pandemic put a lot of stuff on hold, so we need to play some catch-up there. Besides that, he's got Paul Bostaph [playing with him], and I don't think he would have the need to ask me."

Lombardo was also asked if he would play with SLAYER again if the band reunited and wanted him to be part of the lineup. He said: "I don't think that's ever going to happen. But, yeah, I'd listen to whatever it is they had to say. That's it. You can't go any further than that."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.

SLAYER played its last-ever show in November 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Lombardo rejoined TESTAMENT last year.

Two-time-Grammy-nominated band RIVAL SONS have shared their new single "Rapture", which is available today on all streaming platforms. It stands out as the latest anthem to be unveiled from the group's anxiously awaited new full-length album, "Darkfighter", now due on June 2, 2023. Additionally, they have unlocked the pre-order for the limited-edition vinyl of "Darkfighter" also arriving worldwide on June 2.

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

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

"Darkfighter" is led by the explosive single "Nobody Wants To Die" which is joined by the Eli Sokhn-directed music video streaming on RIVAL SONS' YouTube channel. Thus far, "Nobody Wants To Die" has tallied over one million streams and counting. Right out of the gate, Rolling Stone hailed it as "hard-charging" and proclaimed, "the video has 'Kill Bill' grindhouse vibes for days and is a literal blast." Guitar World applauded, "It would be cliché to say it's been worth the wait, but the phrase applies: 'Nobody Wants To Die' has enough high-gain riffage and classic rock fretboard throwdowns to more than make up for RIVAL SONS' absence."

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

In support of their forthcoming album, RIVAL SONS will embark on a run of North American tour dates alongside WHISKEY MYERS next month which are set kickoff February 16 in Knoxville, Tennessee at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Furthermore, RIVAL SONS will join GREAT VAN FLEET for a handful dates beginning March 26 at the Tucson Arena in Tucson, Arizona and perform at Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 20 and Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio on May 27.

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

"Darkfighter" track listing:

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

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

Photo credit: Pamela Littky

Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman will release his new concept album, "A Gallery Of The Imagination", on February 24, 2023 on Madfish Music.

The initial idea for "A Gallery Of The Imagination" stems from Rick's first piano teacher, Mrs Symes, with whom he studied from the age five until his time at the Royal College of Music. She taught him that music was like painting pictures: that when you play, you are painting pictures through music, an important lesson that Rick never forgot.

Having written a vast array of new music recently, all of different styles, Rick recalled the advice of his beloved teacher and decided to present the tracks for the new album as if they were pictures in a gallery. Just as there are many different styles in an art gallery, so there are many different musical styles on "A Gallery Of The Imagination". It contains many clear prog influences, especially in the Moog solos and there are also two solo piano numbers, which reflect Rick's classical roots and show influences from the Romantic period. Equally important is the strong song and melodic influence on "A Gallery Of The Imagination" with eight unconventional vocal tracks, with Rick's distinctive descriptive music carefully arranged around the lyrics.

Examples of the variety contained within the album are the fun yet wistful elements in "A Day Spent On The Pier", a track describing time spent at the seaside, written in Southwold and evoked by Rick's own memories of happy childhood days spent on the helter skelters in Brighton and Clacton and on the pier in Southsea. Rick wrote "The Eyes Of A Child" with his thirteen grandchildren in mind, aware of the responsibility of trying to fix the world for following generations whereas "Cuban Carnival" celebrates the light-hearted fun times Rick spent in Cuba with his band, THE ENGLISH ROCK ENSEMBLE. As listeners take a musical walk through Rick's "Gallery", they will find more than enough to fire the imagination and come up with their own mind paintings whilst listening to his new album. Fans can get a taste of what's to come with the first single "The Dinner Party" available on streaming services.

Says Rick: "One of my great loves is going to museums and art galleries and seeing all the different types of art, so I thought, why not a music gallery... the Gallery Of The Imagination? People can paint their own mind pictures to the different types of music that are on the album. It is very diverse and for me it works very well because the concept holds it all together".

One of the ideas Rick would like to pursue around album release is for listeners to draw or paint their own pictures or even create sculptures to the music which, in turn, could be displayed. "It is a very tactile album," Rick explains. "I'd like to feel that people can actually touch the music."

The lineup on "A Gallery Of The Imagination", as with Rick's previous album "The Red Planet", features THE ENGLISH ROCK ENSEMBLE: bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Ash Soan and on vocals Hayley Sanderson, famous for her work as a vocalist on "Strictly Come Dancing", with each artist recording their individual parts in their own studios. Join Rick for a stroll around "A Gallery Of The Imagination" — as he says: "A gallery that belongs to everyone".

"A Gallery Of The Imagination" track listing:

01. Hidden Depths
02. The Man In The Moon
03. A Mirage In The Clouds
04. The Creek
05. My Moonlight Dream
06. Only When I Cry
07. Cuban Carnival
08. Just A Memory
09. The Dinner Party
10. A Day Spent On The Pier
11. The Visitation
12. The Eyes Of A Child

In a new interview with Yahoo! entertainment music editor Lyndsey Parker, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to do anything special to celebrate their 50th anniversary. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The fact that we still not only survived but thrived is special enough. There's nothing special to do. I'm thrilled that we're still here. I'm thrilled that the fans are still here. The fans seem thrilled that we're still here.

"We're coming to the end of this [farewell tour], so to speak. We pretty much know when we're ending and where we're ending. And that's it."

Stanley also touched upon the fact that the "End Of The Road" tour was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to at least late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

"This tour, interestingly, seems to go on forever," Paul said. "That's because we lost two years to COVID. People go, 'Oh my God. This tour…' Well, yeah, there's two years that didn't count. And it's a big world. So, there've been some countries that I thought we were finished with, and the fans and the promoters wanted us to come back. So we have shows to do.

"The end is in sight — more so than some people know," Stanley confirmed. "But we'll have an announcement about that in the not-too-distant future."

Asked if the KISS farewell tour will end with the band's July 15 performance in Norway, which is the last listed tour date on the official KISS web site, Paul said, "It would only make sense for us to play the States, and I think it would make sense that we would end where we started," strongly hinting that the final concert will take place in New York City.

As for whether he thinks it will be emotional for him to play the final KISS show, Paul said: "More so than I know. There's gonna be some tears shed, for sure.

"You've gotta remember that Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] and I started this together when I was 17 and he was 20, 21. It's 50 years later. We've lived pretty interesting lives, and we have families and children and huge sales in terms of albums and concerts. So it's a big part of who we are; it's a big part of our lives. So, that final show, yeah, that's momentous. And it's gonna hit harder than I think we know. And we know it's gonna hit hard."

Asked whether the last concert of KISS's "End Of The Road" tour will truly mark the band's final performance or if there is a chance of one-off shows or a Las Vegas residency in the future, Stanley said: "I really can't say. But it is the last of any kind of regular shows or touring.

"It's just time," he explained. "And in the same way, it's time consuming. And physically, it's grueling to do what we do. Hell, if I could go out on stage in my jeans and a t-shirt, give us another 10, 15 years easily. But what we do is a whole different sport. I mean, we're athletes; we're running around on stage with 30, 40, pounds of gear, and it's not possible to do it that much longer. So we're not like other bands.

"So, will we do more shows or one-offs? I really have no idea," Paul admitted. "But this is a real clear mindset that the touring days and doing those kind of shows, that's over."

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.