Tragedy - one of New York City’s most famous tribute bands and the undisputed inventors of “disco metal” - recently announced their new, upcoming full-length album, I Am Woman, out March 3 via Napalm Records. Flipping the script on sleaze rock tropes, I Am Woman pays tribute to the most powerful force in the band's lives, celebrating womanhood in all forms on 14 newly-reinvented disco and soft rock anthems.


Today, following their latest cover of legendary track "Venus", the band showcases their heavy metal take on The Pointer Sisters' classic anthem, "I'm So Excited". Follow the band in the Cara Maria O'Shea-directed music video to their Halftime Show performance at the Big Bank SuperDuper Dome - you won't be able to contain yourself as you rock out to a metallized version of this iconic track with half-timed grooves, squealing solos and energetic vocals.


Frontman Mo'Royce Peterson says about "I'm So Excited": "Anita Pointer sadly passed away very recently, and this is our tribute to her and her sisters' impact on music, as well as, of course, their everlasting and unbridled enthusiasm for 'pleasures in the night' on this track.  The song is about the building, burning anticipation of impending carnal satisfaction. The heart races, hormones surge - gratification is imminent! In the video, the "excited" band members pack themselves into the family minivan, then play the Halftime Show at the Big Bank SuperDuper Dome - an event viewed live by over 700 Billion people worldwide!"







Having introduced their raucous trademark stage show to audiences in the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland and beyond, and releasing several albums of metalized disco, soft rock and pop covers before even tasting their first viral hit, Tragedy proved early on that they were never just your everyday satirical cover band. These six warriors of wacky fully embody the soul of the original and reimagine it from the top down, infusing the tracks with an undeniably infectious energy that can be felt both on stage or on wax.


And while their 80s hair metal image would imply that plenty of misbehavior is to be seen on the surface, one only need witness Tragedy live a single time to understand that the band’s true overarching message is one of carefree joy, humanity, acceptance and the simple pursuit of a damn good time.


On I Am Woman, Tragedy turn the energy up to 11 with recharged dancehall favorites like “Le Freak”, “Respect” (featuring soul powerhouse Marcy Harriell) and “I’m So Excited”, and double down on the drama with heavy, recomposed covers of belt-worthy classics “Memory” (featuring legendary drag performer, singer and guitarist Mrs. Smith), “Goldfinger” and “Roar”. Tracks like “I Will Survive” evoke the spirit of Queen with choral harmonies and blazing solos, while unabashed anthems like “She Bop” and “Venus” fully convince with authentic 80s hair metal flavor. Power metal reigns on the band’s opus-like version of “Flashdance… What A Feeling” and the theatrical Maiden-meets-Meatloaf-esque “Lay All Your Love On Me”. I Am Woman is bolstered by a retro production aura that allows the intricacy of each rearrangement decision to shine, as blistering guitar work, classic drumlines and dynamic vocal performances cascade throughout each track. With I Am Woman, Tragedy truly embody the spirit of metal classics while providing a fresh take on some of the world’s most timeless classics of empowerment, independence and self-love - important messages that resonate now more than ever.


Pre-order the album here.





I Am Woman tracklisting:


"Le Freak"
"I Will Survive"
"She Bop"
"Memory"
"Lay All Your Love On Me"
"Venus"
"Goldfinger"
"Respect"
"Flashdance... What A Feeling"
"I’m So Excited"
"Here You Come Again"
"All I Wanna Do"
"I Am Woman"
"Roar"


"Venus" video:





Tragedy is set to tour the world in 2023! First, the band will provide support to Steel Panther and Crobot on their newly announced US tour, beginning February 24 in Las Vegas, NV. Tickets for the US tour go on sale this Friday, December 9 at 10 AM, local time. About a week later, Tragedy will kick off a co-headline European tour with fellow comedy metal icons and labelmates Nanowar Of Steel, beginning April 18 in Southampton, UK. Tickets for the UK & European tour are on sale now. See below for all tour dates and check local venue listings for more information.








Lineup:


Disco Mountain Man - vocals, keys
Mo'Royce Peterson - vocals, guitar
Andy Gibbous Waning - bass, vocals
Gibbon Ass Freehly - guitar, vocals, horns
The Infernal Demigibb - drums
The Lord Gibbeth - drums


(Photo - ireallyhopeyouwin)

Michael Sweet of openly Christian rockers STRYPER has once again urged his fellow believers to hold on to faith through disappointment, tragedy and loss, explaining that "God is not a genie in the sky waiting on every command from every human being."

The 59-year-old musician, whose first wife Kyle Rae Sweet passed away in March 2009 after a two-year battle with ovarian cancer, addressed the age-old question of "If there is a good and all-powerful God, then why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?" in a social media post on Friday (January 13). He wrote: "It's interesting how we often blame God for good things that happen to us and for bad things that happen to us.

"My view is that God is not a genie in the sky waiting on every command from every human being. We treat God like that many times. All of us.

"I Believe that God wants nothing but the best for us yet protects us from our own foolishness," he continued. "We can't just pray or snap our fingers and ask for something and expect it to be done. It just doesn't work that way.

"So often we praise him when we're blessed then curse him when we're not. And sometimes we even hate God.

"I cursed God when Kyle passed," Michael admitted. "Believe me. I was extremely pissed at God. Then as time went by, I realized that God had nothing to do with it. It was simply life and what happens in life. Life brings joy and life brings tragedy. Through the good and the bad we become stronger and more resilient. At least I'd like to think so.

"We have free will and God respects that. He doesn't control us like robots. We're not puppets and God is not pulling the strings.

"Let's all give God a break".

Sweet previously tackled the same topic in a July 2021 installment of his "coffee talk" where he offered his opinion on various topics related to his personal and professional life. At the time, he wrote: "Why is it that we as humans often praise God when things are going well yet curse God when things are going bad? We give God glory when something good happens but we also give God grief when something bad happens. I've always found that to be quite interesting. I've done it myself and do it myself.

"God isn't (IMO) a puppeteer on a cloud pulling our strings and deciding to make our days good or bad. That's up to us. The choices we make and how we handle the outcome of those choices is ours. God has given us all free will and with that comes responsibility. Taking responsibility for our own actions.

"Often we blame God if we don't get that new car, or that new home, or that new job," he continued. "We blame God if someone close to us is sick or if we lose a loved one. We blame God for the state of our country, the state of our world. At the same time we'll praise God when we get some unexpected cash in the mail or when we get a discount on a new toy or when someone we love is sick and they get better.

"Being human is an emotional and spiritual roller coaster ride and we all have an 'unlimited' day pass to ride. That's life. I don't believe however that God is pulling the strings as much as we think. I do believe that there are many things that determine how our lives turn out. From what we eat or don't eat to how we manage our own bodies. For example, my cholesterol is on the higher side these days and that's on me, not God. I'm doing something about it but I'm not waking up every day and praying for God to lower my cholesterol. He has nothing to do with it. If I have heart disease based on my diet that's not Gods fault. That's my fault.

"What's my point? Let's not blame God for every bad thing that happens to us. Let's take responsibility for our own actions and be realistic about our expectations from God. He's there, He cares and He's obviously in control of the universe but there are also many circumstances that have nothing to do with God. They have everything to do with us.

"I certainly could have turned my back on God when Kyle died," Michael added, referencing his late wife. "We devoted our lives to Him yet she was stricken with cancer. I had two choices — to either blame God and be bitter for the rest of my life or to realize that life is about tests and tribulations. Faith is about tests and tribulations. We live in a world that is imperfect and because of that we will all face adversity. The sooner we realize that it's not Gods fault but part of the plan itself, the better off we'll all be.

"I thank God for all that I have, all that I've done and all that comes my way".

Formed 40 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

In a 2018 interview with the Detroit Free Press, Michael said that STRYPER was never fully embraced by the heavy metal and hard rock communities, largely because of the band's Christian lyrics.

"We've never been accepted by either side," he said. "The secular side, the mainstream, they've never accepted us to this day. We're probably that band that everyone's going to go to whenever there's a time to mock. We'll be the band used for that in most cases. Now on the Christian side, we've never really had the full support of the Christian side because we don't fit into their little club. We're not wearing suits and ties and going to every church and preaching."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", the aforementioned "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "Even The Devil Believes" and the band's latest effort, "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitars) and Perry Richardson (bass).

It’s interesting how we often blame God for good things that happen to us and for bad things that happen to us.

My...

Posted by Michael Sweet on Friday, January 13, 2023

During a recent appearance on the "Create Your Own Life" show, ALL THAT REMAINS vocalist Phil Labonte spoke about the relative absence of abrasive rock groups who challenge all the norms and offend parents, but are still adored by young fans. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that the rebellious nature of music, a lot of times, historically, has come with the fact that the right kind of had cultural dominance in the United States, and I think since probably the mid-'90s, that has been changing, or has changed, so now the left having the cultural dominance and also having political dominance — because essentially the left really sets the tone for the U.S. and the right in the U.S. kind of responds… But because of that, I think that musicians have had less to rage against. I think musicians tend to feel like they align on the left more than they align on the right. And part of that's because of, I think, the narrative that surrounds the two. So a lot of people that are musicians that are on the left are kind of happy with the things that are being asserted assertively by government."

Labonte, who says he is "very pro individual liberty" and admits to liking the libertarian party "sometimes", also talked about how some ALL THAT REMAINS fans may be put off by his outspoken nature when it comes to his political views.

"Well, one thing is I never do any political stuff from the ALL THAT REMAINS page or anything," Labonte explained to host Jeremy Ryan Slate. "And I don't do any talking politically from stage. I think I've worn an actual political shirt on stage one time; I wore a Ron Paul shirt. So that right there helps. I don't make overt political statements or anything when it comes to ALL THAT REMAINS. ALL THAT REMAINS doesn't endorse candidates, endorse anything. ALL THAT REMAINS as a band, I think, did endorse decriminalizing marijuana; I think we officially said that. But I think that's a small thing."

He continued: "Now, there are definitely people that say, 'I don't like that guy, so I don't want to support the band' and stuff. And you get that no matter what you do. Especially today… Not that I think that ALL THAT REMAINS would get that, but you look at… If you're at a certain level of success, people start writing think pieces: 'Why hasn't this person said this?' or 'Why haven't they done that?' Now, I don't expect that to really happen particularly with a band, say, ALL THAT REMAINS size, but it's not that it couldn't happen.

"It's tough to abstain from that kind of stuff nowadays," Labonte added. "People will make assumptions about what you think and what you don't think. And even if I wasn't openly a libertarian kind of leaning guy, I would put up pictures of me shooting guns and people would make assumptions right there. It's, like, 'Oh, he owns guns. Blah blah blah. There you go.' Done deal. So I might as well articulate my positions in a way that people can make aspersions, if they'd like, but there are places where my opinions are consistently at least recorded. So you can say I don't think this or do think that, but I probably tweeted some crap about it on Twitter."

Two years ago, Labonte condemned the shutdown of then-president Donald Trump's social media accounts by Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms, claiming he was railing against "censorship" and the precedent that banning the president of the United States from social media may set moving forward. Labonte went so far as to pen a letter to his governor, saying that while he was "not a supporter of President Trump" and he "did not vote for [Trump], this looming threat of censorship is far bigger than one president's Twitter account. I believe, and fear, that the violence that occurred in Washington D.C. on January 6th is only a taste of what is likely to come in our country. The suppression of opinions deemed unacceptable and the efforts to censor are indicative of, what seem me to be, irreconcilable differences — and I worry that it could further add fuel to the fire."

In a 2012 interview with Noisecreep, Labonte said that he has never been afraid to state his opinion. "You get what you get," he said. "I hate when lead singers and people in bands are so afraid of offending their fans that they don't say how they really feel so they don't bum people out. Well, everything you do might bum someone out, so simply be yourself. I don't like rock stars. I didn't start playing in bands to get chicks. When I started playing music, there were no chicks to be seen. It was a sea of virgins. I'm not afraid to say this is my opinion. If you don't like, hit the road. What's the big deal? If I have an opinion, it's one individual opinion out of six and a half billion people on Earth. What does it mean? Absolutely nothing. So what if I said something that you don't like. It's not going to change the world one iota."

In a new interview with the "Mark 2.0" podcast, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall spoke about Brett Carlisle, who was officially named the band's new vocalist in October. Brett joined the group as the replacement for Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE),who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.

Kendall said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Brett's] got a range from A to Z. He was [initially] just filling in [for a show in Las Vegas], because… Andrew, [he's] a wonderful singer [and] a kickass dude — I love him — but he's in [another] band. He's a part owner of the name. They just made a record. They're touring. It's hard for a band like us to have a singer that's in other bands too. 'Oh, who's your singer?' 'The guy from LAST IN LINE.' So this was just a fill-in thing. I almost didn't wanna do it. We had to audition some guy from George Lynch and another guy from SONS OF something; I don't even know. And then we heard this kid — 25 years old — sing on a couple of tracks. We gave him just the music and he overdubbed his vocal. I go, 'Well, this guy is at least singing close.' I go, 'But I'm not doing it if we can't rehearse. We've gotta at least rehearse once.' And so we rehearsed in Las Vegas, and I felt a little better but still nervous. [I thought], 'This could be career ending.' And it ended up being completely the opposite of what I felt; he went out there and just totally killed it. We're doing, like, 'Stick It', and he's singing it verbatim — I mean, hittin' all those notes. And it is high; that stuff is up there. And some of the songs, like 'Lady Red Light', are very difficult to sing. It's in that FOREIGNER range — the real upper midrange that hits a part of your voice that's very difficult. Everybody that tried to sing it always struggled. The kid nailed it — I mean, just absolutely… I didn't have to say anything — just one, two, three, four, go. So it was really good."

Kendall went on to say that he was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response to Carlisle's addition to GREAT WHITE. "It was world news," he said. "I'm seeing stuff on the Internet from Italy, Germany, the U.K. And even some of the more online dirt-seeking-type entities that normally are just huntin' for the headline to say, 'He said his singer sucks'. That's the article. That's the way it starts. These guys actually said good things and posted some of the [fan-filmed videos]. They're cellphone cameras, so the quality probably isn't… But you can hear it. You need to sing great."

Last October, Carlisle was asked in an interview with AL.com about his approach to singing the band's classic songs. He said: "I just want to do the songs justice, because that's what people expect to hear. They want to go to the shows and hear the songs the way they remember them, the way they know them. It's not about me and how many high notes I can hit or anything like that. I just want to do the give the people, and the band, what they want."

Brett went on to say that he is honored to be singing for a band whose songs — including "Save Your Love", "Rock Me" and "Lady Red Light" — he had previously covered with his other band ALL OR NOTHING.

"I just want to learn from them," Carlisle said of his new bandmates "It's just really cool to be included in what I've grown up listening to, like looking at the CDs and everything. And then now people are coming up after the shows asking me to sign like original GREAT WHITE cassettes and stuff. And I'm sitting here feeling like I'm not worthy. Because I didn't record that. But I'm like, I just sang with them, so, sure, if you want me to."

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Brett, he felt welcomed by his new bandmates and the GREAT WHITE fans from the get-go.

"After meeting [the GREAT WHITE guys], they're all super-cool dudes," he told Kevin McKay of the 99 Rock WKSM FM radio station. "In Vegas, we had a rehearsal the day before, and I already knew half the songs well enough to be able to do it. So I wanted to do the best that I could on 'em. But after we hung out, everybody was cool and stuff. I mean, it's a big crowd. I love big crowds; they're fun."

Last fall, before Carlisle's addition to GREAT WHITE was officially announced, Kendall addressed Freeman's Facebook comment that the singer "wouldn't give a fuck if" GREAT WHITE threatened to fire him over his touring commitments with LAST IN LINE. Mark said: "That's okay. I still have respect for him because of his loyalty to his band. There's gotta be something to say about that. If he made a comment that was kind of rude, I'm sure it was just to kind of save face or something. He's a great guy, and man, he can sing too. He was a joy to be around. I was really sad that he did multiple projects.

"If we were a different situation that we were used to just having random singers every gig… It's just too much work to do that, because when somebody has to cancel a show, then we've gotta audition people," Kendall added. "And we don't wanna go out there with a different singer every time. But I thought Andrew was really gonna work out, and then, all of a sudden [LAST IN LINE] get this tour. And then I don't know what's gonna happen in the future. We were really in a tough spot. And we're really happy that things worked out with Brett, 'cause he's dynamite, man."

Asked about GREAT WHITE's approach when making changes in the singer department, Mark said: "I'd like to say that we always kind of settled. People would just get the songs close, and we'd go, 'It's probably not gonna get better than that.' Then there was… I won't go into any details because I have nothing bad to say about any of [the singers we've worked with in the past], but there were some other issues, like things that today, to me, are… We're so past any kind of ego trips or whatever; we're just happy to wake up in the morning and start a new day and say, 'Woah. Everything's great.' That's good enough for us. And try to make the best music we can. But when there's some kind of a — I don't know if it's insecurity or ego or what, when there's anything drama-related, it just turns me off personally. So I'd rather just concentrate on the music, make that the most important thing, and just have fun and enjoy ourselves. And Brett really seems like he's that type; he's very enjoyable to be around. He's just at ease. He loves singing. And he sings our songs perfect; it's quite incredible. And his range is from A to Z. This guy has a full voice in every note. So it's pretty incredible to find somebody like that; they don't grow on trees."

Carlisle has been playing guitar and singing since the age of eight and counts bands like VAN HALEN, SKID ROW and METALLICA as his main influences.

Last May, GREAT WHITE announced that it had parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy and had replaced him with Freeman. Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell.

Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, OVERKILL) was among the guests who performed with YYNOT, considered one of the premier RUSH tribute bands, at this year's "Bubba Bash 2023", a charity concert in celebration of RUSH's late drummer Neil Peart on the third anniversary of his passing. Proceeds from the show, which was held on January 7 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania, will go to benefit Cedars Sinai Hospital in memory of Neil.

Drum-cam video of Bittner performing the RUSH classic "Natural Science" with YYNOT can be seen below.

In a 2013 interview with Music Radar, Bittner picked RUSH's "Exit… Stage Left" as one of his essential drum choice and stated about his choice: "The reason why I picked 'Exit… Stage Left' is because it’s impossible to pick just one RUSH studio album. RUSH are my favorite band, and Neil Peart is my favorite drummer. I can't possibly sum up the band in one record, but I can say that 'Exit… Stage Left' epitomizes a period in time when Neil was most influential in my life.

"When I was a freshman and sophomore in high school, I would come home every day and play along to this record — at least to the best of my ability. I set up drums up so they were just like Neil's, having everything as exact as I could — the same everything. It was that important to me.

"I could go on about how awesome the record is. The drum solo is still one of my favorites ever — ever. It's definitely my favorite Neil Peart solo. The actual drum sound on the record is amazing, too, which is saying something because sometimes the sound on live records can be lacking.

"Okay, if I had to pick a favorite studio album of RUSH's, it would be 'Moving Pictures'. That's a brilliant album all the way around. The 'Permanent Waves'/'Moving Pictures' period is my favorite RUSH time."

RUSH announced Peart's passing on January 10, 2020, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Thanks to everyone who came out in support of our first annual Bubba Bash tonight at The Keswick Theatre! We had a blast…

Posted by YYNOT on Saturday, January 7, 2023

Happening right now! The signing of the #BubbaBash2023 Evan’s Drumhead! Up for auction!! We’re backstage at @...

Posted by YYNOT on Saturday, January 7, 2023
It’s going to be an evening of Rush music and all proceeds will be going to Cedars-Sinai in Neil’s name 🙏 #BubbaBash2023 Jan 7th at the Keswick Theater in Glenside PA…Some tickets are still available, so get em while you can: https://t.co/DofiRlQDK4pic.twitter.com/Ge4YAGIiBU

— Mike Portnoy 🤘 (@MikePortnoy) December 28, 2022

Frontiers Music Srl announces the signing of Demons Down, a new band featuring two talented up-and-coming musicians, vocalist James Robledo (Sinner's Blood) and guitarist Francesco Savino (False Memories), along with hard rock scene veterans - guitarist Jimi Bell (House Of Lords, Autograph), drummer Ken Mary (ex-House Of Lords, Alice Cooper, Fifth Angel, etc.), and bassist Chuck Wright (ex-Quiet Riot, House Of Lords, etc.).


Their debut album, I Stand, slated for release on March 10, sees this gathering of young performers and established skill players delivering a quintessential classic hard rock album.


A single and video for the title track is out today. Watch the music video below, and pre-order/save I Stand here.




Demons Down traffic in a hard rock sound that references the late '80s/early '90s movement where massive hooks, huge melodies, and lush keyboards were the order of the day. But this is no simple exercise in paying tribute to yesteryear as the music rocks hard to compliment the vocal talents of Robledo (who has, sonically, been compared to the likes of Jorn Lande and Russell Allen). Fans of early House Of Lords material and their sonic peers from that time period as well as Robledo's debut solo album, 'Wanted Man', will have much to enjoy here.





James Robledo is a Chilean vocalist who comes from a family of musicians with prominent places in the history of Chilean music, with both national and international success. In his youth, he began his foray into metal and rock, but in 2016, James took part in the popular TV show The Voice Chile 2, where his participation generated a stir thanks to his outstanding vocal performances. Since then, he has become a more active member of the larger hard rock/metal community and, with Frontiers, he has released one solo album, Wanted Man and an album, The Mirror Star, with Chilean metal band Sinner's Blood, who are also currently preparing their second album for release.


Francesco Savino is an Italian guitarist and songwriter who founded the up-and-coming gothic metal band False Memories in 2015. That band's latest release, The Last Night Of Fall (2021), was met with praise from both fans and metal media alike. The band also released a covers EP, Echoes Of A Reflection and a live EP, Live Until The Twilight since the release of their last studio album. With his songwriting partner Rossella Moscatello (who is the lead vocalist for False Memories), Franceso has also been contributing songs to Frontiers and is working on the next False Memories album.


Jimi Bell is an established hard rock guitarist who is currently a member of both House Of Lords and Autograph, and, of course, Demons Down. Bell, a Connecticut native, was inducted into the New England Music Hall in 2020. In addition to his work with various bands over the years, he has done a wealth of studio work for sports outlets like ESPN, WWE, Impact Wrestling, and NASCAR. Bell is an official endorser of Roberts Guitar, Viper Guitars, Charvel Guitars, PVX Guitar, Funk Guitars, Ovation Guitars, GHS Strings, Rocktron, Randall, Marshall Amps (Europe), and KickAss Cables. He is also the inventor of the Shredneck.


Chuck Wright is best known as a long-time member of multi-platinum rockers Quiet Riot playing bass and singing on Metal Health which was the first "metal" album to go to #1 on the Billboard charts, selling over 10 million copies. Wright was also a founding member of House Of Lords and Giuffria and has worked alongside such rock music luminaries as Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, and members of Guns 'N Roses and KISS, just to name a few.


Drummer Ken Mary’s lengthy career in music has seen him play in a wide variety of genres that showcased his wide ranging skills at the instrument. In addition to being a drummer, Ken is also an engineer, writer, vocalist, and award winning producer. He has sold a combined 5 million (plus) albums globally over the entirety of his body of work. His drumming can be heard on albums from Alice Cooper, Jordan Rudess, Northern Light Orchestra, Kip Winger, House of Lords, The Beach Boys, Impelliterri, Don Dokken, Fifth Angel, Bonfire, and many more, and of course, very soon, Demons Down.





I Stand tracklisting:


"I Stand"
"Disappear"
"Down In A Hole"
"On My Way To You"
"Where Will Our Tears Fall?"
"Book Of Love"
"Stranded In The Middle Of Nowhere"
"Follow Me"
"To The Edge Of The World"
"Search Over The Horizon"
"Only The Brave"


"I Stand" video:





Demons Down are:


James Robledo - Vocals
Jimi Bell - Guitars
Francesco Savino - Guitars
Chuck Wright - Bass
Ken Mary - Drums


Additional Musicians:


Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards, Guitars, Backing Vocals


- Produced by: Alessandro Del Vecchio
- Executive Producer/A&R: Serafino Perugino

Swedish bashers Amaranthe have checked in with a new update:


"Seven. It is with massive enthusiasm and excitement that we now announce that we have entered Jacob Hansen studios to record our seventh, yet untitled album! Expect updates, video clips, pictures and more soon, stay tuned!" 




 

 
 

 


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On November 11th, 2022 Amaranthe played the second last show on their European co-headlining tour with Beyond The Black, featuring Butcher Babies and Ad Infinitum as support, in their home town of Gothenburg, Sweden at Pustervik. During their set, they invited original growler Andy Solveström on stage to perform the hit, "Amaranthine". Fan-filmed video is available below.


Solveström was with Amaranthe from 2008 - 2013 and sang on the original recorded version of "Amaranthine", featured on the band's self-titled debut released in 2011.

Neal Schon now says that JOURNEY co-founder Gregg Rolie won't take part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour, which kicks off next month.

A couple of weeks ago, JOURNEY's co-founding guitarist hinted that Rolie would make an appearance on the band's upcoming trek, presumably in the place of longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, with whom Neal has been publicly feuding. But Cain later said that he would be hitting the road with JOURNEY despite Schon's suggestions to the contrary.

Neal set the record straight on Rolie's possible participation in the tour in a tweet over the weekend. After New York radio station Q104.3 said that it removed a JOURNEY article from its web site that erroneously suggested Cain welcomed Rolie's return to JOURNEY, a fan asked Neal if that means that Rolie won't be on the tour now. Schon responded: "Not at this moment. Both Gregg and I intend to shed some real light on the subject matter very soon."

Earlier this month, before the latest turn of events, Schon was seemingly much more certain about Rolie's participation in JOURNEY's upcoming run of dates. After Neal shared a graphic for JOURNEY's 50th anniversary on his Facebook page, a fan commented: "I am SO looking forward to this. Please tell me Gregg Rollie is coming along for the ride! He's the better keyboard player and a co-founder it only seems right. Timing couldn't be better either!!!!" In response, Neal wrote: "you'll be seeing him".

Last month, Cain fired back at Schon when the JOURNEY guitarist called him a "hypocrite" for performing the band's 1981 hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. Cain, whose wife, Paula White-Cain, is the former president's self-styled spiritual adviser, played the track in November with a backup chorus of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

"Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the JOURNEY brand," Cain said in a statement. "I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his — and his wife's — bizarre behavior."

An attorney for Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cain after he performed at Trump's Florida estate.

The latest legal move came a few weeks after Schon filed a lawsuit against Cain in California state court, alleging that Cain set up an American Express card without telling Schon and that "millions of JOURNEY funds have flowed through it." Cain, for his part, accused Schon of misusing the card, citing his "excessive spending and extravagant lifestyle."

A month earlier, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry took legal action against both Schon and Cain, asking them to stop registering federal trademarks on the names of many of the band's hits.

Rolie was JOURNEY's first singer, though his role quickly diminished when Perry arrived in 1977. Gregg left JOURNEY in 1980, just before the band achieved its commercial heights.

JOURNEY's tour with TOTO will kick off on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Presented by AEG Presents, the "Freedom Tour 2023" will make stops in Austin, Montreal and Memphis before wrapping April 25 at the brand-new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

The 2023 run includes rescheduled dates in Washington, D.C., plus Hartford, Toronto and Quebec, which were postponed last year due to the coronavirus.

Two members of JOURNEY are adamantly against the return of the band's co-founder Gregg Rolie for the upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, according to guitarist Neal Schon's wife.

Earlier this month, Schon hinted that Rolie would make an appearance on the band's upcoming trek, presumably in the place of longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, with whom Neal has been publicly feuding.

However, Michaele Schon says that not every member of JOURNEY is on board with the lineup change. On Thursday (January 12),she took to social media to let fans know that she and her husband were looking forward to "seeing everyone soon on tour" and noted that legendary guitarist Jeff Beck's recent passing "has shown us that along with so many who are in Heaven now we see how very precious time is." She then added: "TWO BAND MEMBERS are 'adamant 'NO ' fighting against Gregg Rolie to return .

"Life is so precious Neal and Gregg agree , who wants to have that feeling , truly sad . Music is for inspiration and joy!

"Everyone LOVES you Gregg ROLIE and respects who you are and ALL You have been and are to JOURNEY, for without YOU picking up Neal Schön from school , JOURNEY would not exist .

"Neal Schön and Gregg ROLIE will be somewhere Together at least one time this Year in Honor of what they began in 1972.

"Faith . Let's ask God to find a way for them. Let's pray for forgiveness for those who hurt Gregg ROLIE and hope they learn what spirituality is someday."

On Tuesday (January 10),Cain said that he will be hitting the road with JOURNEY next month despite Schon's suggestions to the contrary.

Less than two weeks ago, Schon addressed Rolie's participation in JOURNEY's upcoming run of dates in a social media post. After Neal shared a graphic for JOURNEY's 50th anniversary on his Facebook page, a fan commented: "I am SO looking forward to this. Please tell me Gregg Rollie is coming along for the ride! He's the better keyboard player and a co-founder it only seems right. Timing couldn't be better either!!!!" In response, Neal wrote: "you'll be seeing him".

Last month, Cain fired back at Schon when the JOURNEY guitarist called him a "hypocrite" for performing the band's 1981 hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. Cain, whose wife, Paula White-Cain, is the former president's self-styled spiritual adviser, played the track in November with a backup chorus of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

"Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the JOURNEY brand," Cain said in a statement. "I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his — and his wife's — bizarre behavior."

An attorney for Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cain after he performed at Trump's Florida estate.

The latest legal move came a few weeks after Schon filed a lawsuit against Cain in California state court, alleging that Cain set up an American Express card without telling Schon and that "millions of JOURNEY funds have flowed through it." Cain, for his part, accused Schon of misusing the card, citing his "excessive spending and extravagant lifestyle."

A month earlier, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry took legal action against both Schon and Cain, asking them to stop registering federal trademarks on the names of many of the band's hits.

Rolie was JOURNEY's first singer, though his role quickly diminished when Perry arrived in 1977. Gregg left JOURNEY in 1980, just before the band achieved its commercial heights.

JOURNEY's tour with TOTO will kick off on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Presented by AEG Presents, the "Freedom Tour 2023" will make stops in Austin, Montreal and Memphis before wrapping April 25 at the brand-new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

The 2023 run includes rescheduled dates in Washington, D.C., plus Hartford, Toronto and Quebec, which were postponed last year due to the coronavirus.



Repost from @nealandmichaeleschon
•
Life is Precious ✝️💜🙏🏻 Jeff Beck has shown us that along with so many who are in Heaven now we see how very precious time is . We look forward to seeing everyone soon on Tour !! NEAL SCHÖN & JOURNEY 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour !! OF A LIFETIME TOUR !! 50 !!

TWO BAND MEMBERS of the Journey current LINE UP ARE “adamant “NO against
Gregg Rolie to return .

Life is so precious Neal and Gregg agree .
Who wants to have that feeling , truly sad .

Music is for inspiration and joy! Everyone LOVES you Gregg ROLIE and respects who you are and ALL You have been and are to Journey, for without YOU picking up Neal Schön from school , Journey would not exist . Neal Schön and Gregg ROLIE will be somewhere Together at least one time this Year in Honor of what they began in 1972 . Faith ✝️ let’s ask God to find a way for them 🙏🏻 let’s pray for forgiveness for those who hurt Gregg ROLIE and hope they learn what spirituality is someday .We all love you !! ❤️🎼♾️ #untilwemeetagain❤️ @greggrolie @nealschon @journeyofficial @nealandmichaeleschon #love #light #journey #faith @nealandmichaeleschon @carlossantana #amen #respect #fullcircle

Posted by Neal & Michaele Schon on Thursday, January 12, 2023

British hard rock legends and progenitors, Uriah Heep, will release their 25th studio album, Chaos & Colour, on January 27 via Silver Lining Music. In the new video below, guitarist/vocalist Mick Box unveils the vinyl edition of the new record:





Chaos & Colour is an album which bristles with explosive classic rock guitars, supreme harmonies, and Heep’s famously generous keyboard foundation . It is, unsurprisingly, an album that found its extra thrust during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was as bizarre for Uriah Heep as it was for humanity in general.




“The album title reflects that we were in chaotic times with being locked down, tours being cancelled, businesses folding, and all the chaos that was thrown into the world,” explains Box, “and as far as I could see it, the only colour people had was through music. It helped so many people get through those difficult years, using that strength and power which music has, to make those bad times not quite so bad.”


There were still the looming spectre of protocols and rules to follow in the middle of 2021, as the world tried to find its feet. Heep slowly found their way into Chapel Studios in London during the summer of 2021 as restrictions were tentatively lifted, working once again with Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Corey Taylor, Black Star Riders).


“Jay was completely on board with what we are trying to achieve in the studio,” says Box. “We’re a band that has a fantastic heritage and to carry on that tradition it was vitally important that the band recorded in the studio all playing at the same time. Jay understood that and he pulled out the best of us as a band, as well as individual players, while getting us some amazing sounds.”


Led by Box, it is no surprise that themes of light, love and, ultimately, positivity are constant through the album eleven tracks. “One Nation, One Sun” is a journey of soaring balladic contemplation, “Fly Like An Eagle” takes the listener on a journey of meditation, whilst “Closer To Your Dreams” is a battle cry for all rockers to get out there and do it, with Shaw imploring that “So many have tried but slipped away/Now it’s time for you to have your say.” During the entire album, Bernie Shaw’s timeless vocals sit expertly beside the band’s phenomenal artistry (Mick Box – guitar, Phil Lanzon – keyboard, Russell Gilbrook – drums, Dave Rimmer – bass), rounding out exceptional performances throughout.


Produced by Jay Ruston, and engineered by Pieter Rietkerk, Chaos & Colour is a superb album of quality hard rock from the pioneers of the genre who continue to create top class material. Old fans will be reinvigorated whilst new fans will surely find Chaos & Colour an exceptional discovery.


Chaos & Colour will be available in black and coloured vinyl configurations, as a standard CD digipak, a deluxe CD packaged in a hardcover book with Uriah Heep’s Chaos & Colour signature patch and in digital formats. Pre-order here.





Chaos & Colour tracklisting:


"Save Me Tonight"
"Silver Sunlight"
"Hail The Sunrise"
"Age Of Changes" *
"Hurricane"
"One Nation, One Sun"
"Golden Light"
"You’ll Never Be Alone"
"Fly Like An Eagle"
"Freedom To Be Free"
"Closer To Your Dreams" *
"Save Me Tonight" (Demo)**


* CD and Digital only
** Deluxe CD only


"Save Me Tonight" video:





Album credits:


- Produced by Jay Ruston
- Engineered by Pieter Kietkerk
- Recorded at Chapel Studios UK
- Mixed by Jay Ruston at TRS West, Sherman Oaks, California
- Additional Engineering by John Douglass
- Mastered by Paul Logus


Following the intense disruption to live music caused by the pandemic, the band are ecstatic to be back on the road and continue to bring their live show across Europe this winter. For a full list of confirmed dates, tickets, and additional information, head here.


Lineup:


Mick Box - Lead Guitar / Vocals
Phil Lanzon - Keyboards / Vocals
Bernie Shaw - Lead Vocals
Dave Rimmer - Bass Guitar / Vocals
Russell Gilbrook - Drums & Percussion

Belgium's Cobra The Impaler have released a video for "Spirit Of Lyssa", featured on debut album, Colossal Gods, released last year via Listenable. Watch below.


While Colossal Gods was mostly made and finalized in the band's home country and mastered by Jens Bogren in Sweden, the drums were recorded at Northwood Sound Studios in Los Angeles displaying the stunning work of drummer extraordinaire Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth).


Taking strong cues from the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, Cobra The Impaler forges together larger-than-life grooves and spirited guitar leads with enchanting clean vocal harmonies and razor-sharp screams. Effortlessly flowing from breakneck riffs to tasteful melodic breaks, the band makes strong use of stylistic elements from groove, thrash, and classic heavy metal. Colossal Gods is an exercise in empowerment as well as a show of subtle restraint, proving themselves as masters of melody as well as destruction.




The band comments: "In what can be considered a sequel, or mirror image, to the dark ritual magic seen in the video for 'Mountains', 'Spirit Of Lyssa' this time tells the story of another mortal being, cleansing herself in preparation to be reborn, at peace with herself and her fate. Rather than being consumed with pain and torment, she is at peace, headstrong and determined for a new start, in a new world."





Colossal Gods tracklisting:


"Colossal Gods"
"Blood Eye"
"Tempest Rising"
"Spirit Of Lyssa"
"Scorched Earth"
"Spawn Of The Forgotten"
"Demigods"
"Mountains"


"Spirit Of Lyssa" video:





"Mountains" video:





Lineup:


Guitars: Thijs De Cloedt
Drums: Dirk Verbeuren
Bass / Vocals: Michele De Feudis
Vocals: Manuel Remmerie
Guitars: James Falck

Former HIM frontman Ville Valo played his first solo concert under the VV banner Friday night (January 13) at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland. Joining Ville on stage as part of his backing band were Mikko Virta on guitar, Risto Rikala on drums, Sampo Sundström on guitar and Juho Vehmanen on bass.

VV's setlist was as follows:

01. Echolocate Your Love
02. The Funeral Of Hearts (HIM song)
03. Neon Noir
04. Right Here In My Arms (HIM song)
05. Loveletting
06. Buried Alive By Love (HIM song)
07. In Trenodia
08. Wings Of A Butterfly (HIM song)
09. Heartful Of Ghosts
10. Join Me In Death (HIM song)
11. The Foreverlost
12. The Kiss Of Dawn (HIM song)
13. Run Away From The Sun
14. When Love And Death Embrace (HIM song)

Encore:

15. Soul On Fire (HIM song)
16. Salute The Sanguine
17. Poison Girl (HIM song)
18. Saturnine Saturnalia

VV's debut album, "Neon Noir", was made available on January 13 via Heartagram Records, distributed by UMG/Spinefarm.

Last April, Valo released the first single from "Neon Noir", a song called "Loveletting", which marked his first new music in over two years, following the release of the three-track "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" EP, also released under the VV banner, in March 2020.

Like "Neon Noir", "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" bore a strong musical resemblance to HIM and featured the tracks "Salute The Sanguine", "Run Away From The Sun" and "Saturnine Saturnalia".

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Neon Noir", Ville told Kerrang! magazine: "I wouldn't call it 'suicidal', but most of the stuff was written during the pandemic, and there weren't many rays of sun hitting me. Everybody was in the mental gutter. Times were tough. This album was the kind of like the lifebuoy for me. It gave me a reason to wake up every morning and work on something else and try to shut the world outside. When I was working on the music, maybe it was selfish to a certain extent, but also it was a matter of survival."

He added: "It seems that mankind needs a bit of a breather from all this shit, myself included. So I tried to put all that frustration onto paper. And if it's love and darkness, and all sorts of things like that, that's probably because it's my vocabulary. Hopefully, the words have been rearranged in a fresh order this time around. But me trying to do something completely different, just because, that doesn't make any sense to me at all."

Back in April 2022, Ville told Metal Hammer that "Loveletting" was one of the more mellow songs on "Neon Noir". Ville said: "I've always been shit with picking singles — I'm always wrong, so I let the label choose that and everybody was smiling when they heard it the first time, so they suggested it. I'm hoping the next one will be a lot more rock 'n' roll, harder hitting."

Regarding the musical direction of "Neon Noir", Ville told Metal Hammer: "The new stuff definitely does sound like HIM. But I did write most of the songs, so… I'm to blame for that. It's a continuous journey from HIM for me. A lot of people when they move on to solo projects want to distance themselves from the past, burn bridges and start their solo career. It's different for me. VV is me building a bridge between HIM and the future. That's what 'Neon Noir' is."

Ville spoke to Spotify about why it has taken him so long to complete "Neon Noir". "Since the pandemic hit, I started working on the album," he explained. "I actually learned how to record — I learned how to record drums and bass and guitar because I wasn't able to get any musicians; I had to do it solo — literally solo. So I'm really sorry but it did take me two and a half years to get the album done. 'Loveletting' is the first single. It's kind of what I normally do — it's a loud love song; it's a very sad and melancholy wistful one, but sort of maybe light at the end of the tunnel which is hopefully not the oncoming train.

"So there's not much new under the sun of VV, but I love it. [Laughs]"

VV's headline tour dates will take place this year across Europe and North America. The 2023 extensive run reaches the U.K. in March before heading to America come April.

HIM completed a farewell tour in 2017, closing the final chapter on the band's 26-year career. At the time, Ville explained to Kerrang! magazine why the band decided to call it a day. "We were tired of the same shit," he said. "When you've done it for a long time, at some point it doesn't taste good anymore. We started working on some stuff, it didn't sound good enough, and we didn't get the teenage buzz you're supposed get."

Formed in 1991 by Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström and bassist Mikko "Migé" Paananen, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as "love metal" (also the title of their fourth album).

HIM in 2015 parted ways with its longtime drummer, Mika Kristian Karppinen (a.k.a. Gas Lipstick),and replaced him with Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger (formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET).

Four years ago, Valo teamed up with guitar legend Esa Pulliainen to record an album based on songs by the late, legendary Finnish singer Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki. The self-titled album by VILLE VALO & AGENTS was released in February 2019 and was followed by a short tour.

SEVENDUST co-founder, guitarist and vocalist Clint Lowery will release a new solo EP, titled "Ghostwriter", on February 17 via Dark Blanket Records. The five-track effort will be the follow-up to his debut solo album, "God Bless The Renegades", which came out in January 2020 via Rise Records.

Clint produced and engineered "Ghostwriter", which was mixed by Richard Wicander of FIRE FROM THE GODS. SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose laid down the drums during the sessions.

The official JT Ibanez-directed music video for the "Ghostwriter" opening track "Devil Leather" can be seen below.

"Ghostwriter" track listing:

01. Devil Leather
02. In This Together
03. I Mean This
04. Invited
05. What Should I Live For?

Regarding his decision to record an EP this time around, Lowery said back in August: "I have debated on doing a full length but considering the fact that [SEVENDUST] downtime will not be as long as I originally planned, I think the better play is to do [an] EP to release sooner than later.

"It's been nearly 3 years since I recorded 'God Bless The Renegades' and really want to try some new directions as a writer.

"I do these releases as a labor of love and because it's an opportunity to explore some new ground."

On December 7, Clint offered an update on the EP sessions, writing on his social media: "Around a week or so go I completed recording an EP of 5 songs. Most of which was recorded in my basement and a make shift vocal booth.

"This is the first time I've attempted to track most everything myself and was an amazing experience and challenge to say the least.

"I haven't released any music since early 2020 and want to start releasing songs regularly. I'm at a place where I feel like it doesn't make sense to just sit on ideas. I cherish the process of writing and have written over 100 ideas over last few years. Our new [SEVENDUST] record will also be dropping in 2023 which is another reason I wanted to release something sooner than later.

"I'm excited about the songs for this EP and proud that I was able to do it mainly myself.

"After this I plan on releasing another EP in the fall. Also concentrating on writing for other artist, collaborating with writers and supporting the new [SEVENDUST]."

Lowery recorded "God Bless The Renegades" with producer and co-writer Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, ALTER BRIDGE) at Studio Barbarosa in Florida. The drums on the disc were laid down by former VAN HALEN bassist and current MAMMOTH WVH frontman Wolfgang Van Halen.

In addition to SEVENDUST, Lowery has been a member of, written, recorded, or performed with CALL ME NO ONE, DARK NEW DAY, KORN, RED, Tommy Lee's METHODS OF MAYHEM, SNOT, 10 YEARS and DIGITAL SUMMER, among others.

Dutch singer Sharon Kovacs has released her third album, Child Of Sin, which features Rammstein frontman Till Linemann guesting on the title track. It is a piano ballad and features Lindemann singing in English rather than his native German. Check it out below.


"Child Of Sin" was written by  Sharon Kovacs, Till Lindemann and Jonathan Quarmby.







Back in 2021, Till Lindemann teamed up with French singer / songwriter Isabelle Geffroy, known professionally as Zaz, for the single "Le Jardin Des Larmes". The song, performed in French and a smattering of German, is a romantic love story that ends with a twist, as people have come to expect from Lindemann.


The video was shot in Uzbekistan and was directed by Zoran Bihać, who has worked previously with Rammstein and Lindemann. 


"Le Jardin Des Larmes" is taken from Zaz's latest album, Isa, released in October 2021.





 Photos credits - Till Lindemann: Jens Koch / Sharon Kovacs: Wolf Recordings

Former Elegy vocalist Ian Parry has checked in with the following update:


"Hope it's not too late to wish you all a Happy New Year. Another wish has come true to make a video for 'Innocent Minds'. A combination of gothic rock, melodic metal to symphonic progressive rock, and with the incredible support of Italian guitarist Luca Sellitto, here's the video. I hope you like it. Now I wish that some of your dreams come true in 2023."







"Innocent Minds" is taken from Ian Parry's fourth solo album, Visions. A combination of gothic rock, melodic metal to symphonic progressive rock, Visions was first released in 2006 in Europe via Escape music UK and in Mexico via Scarecrow records, then later released in Brazil via Dynamo records in 2007. During a promo trip to Toronto, Visions received much acclaim. Back in Europe, the journalists obviously appreciated the diverse style of songs Ian recorded for Visions being more modern, more commercial rock and symphonic metal, included performances from Casey Grillo (Kamelot), Ivar de Graaf (former Within Temptation) and Vanden Plas guitarist Stephan Lill, and gave the album the best reviews Ian has received during his career.


Check out Visions via Spotify here.





Tracklist:


"Innocent Minds"
"Anything So Easily"
"Fools Don't Cry"
"Angels"
"(For) Another Day"
"Fallin'"
"Smiley People"
"Slip Away"
"Lovin' a Stranger"
"No Mans Land"
"Visions"
"How Far Will You Go" (Bonus Track)


 

Dutch death metal institution Bodyfarm has unveiled their new video, "The Swamp". Directed and edited by Sebastiaan Spijker for Multi Media Music Video Production, the clip is the third to be revealed from the band's fifth album, Ultimate Abomination, set for international release on February 24th via Edged Circle Productions.





Lyrically, Ultimate Abomination focuses on psychological warfare. “Views from a violent and devastating psychological sight from the dark depths of our minds and human behavior,” expounds founding guitarist Bram Hilhorst. “You can parallel it to ‘wars in the battlefield of life itself.’ The songs are all stories in themselves, but all relate to this subject.” Thus, the title Ultimate Abomination is an apt summary of all the lyrics written by de Boer for the album. 




Part and parcel with Bodyfarm's stellar songwriting across Ultimate Abomination is the album’s absolutely crushing production: very “live” and full-blooded, but polished just enough to exude maximum professionalism. Recording-wise, the drums for Ultimate Abomination were recorded by J.B. van der Wal at Soundlodge Studios, and the other instruments and vocals by the band at Studio Hilhorst. Mixing and mastering was done by Project Zero studios Belgium.  


“We listen to different kinds of music in our genre, and this is also recognizable in the new songs,” Hilhorst continues. “The diversity of tempos and atmosphere is quite big. Old-school death ‘n’ roll to blackened death riffing, it’s all there, and we think the combination of it makes a unique sound.”


Cover by Daemorph Art: 





Tracklisting:


"Torment" 
"Symbolical Warfare" 
"The Wicked Red" 
"Blasting Tyranny" 
"The Swamp" 
"Carving Repentance" 
"Empire Of Iniquity" 
"Soul Damnation" 
"Sacrilege Of The Fallen" 
"Charlatan Messiah"








(Photo: Stefan Schipper)


 

Back in August 2022, Lamb Of God performed upon the Ronnie James Dio Stage at the Bloodstock Open Air 2022, at Catton Hall and Gardens in Walton-on-Trent, England. Newly released pro-shot video of the band performing "Redneck" can be viewed below.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Memento Mori"
"Ruin"
"Walk With Me In Hell"
"Resurrection Man"
"Nevermore"
"Now You've Got Something To Die For"
"Contractor"
"Omerta"
"11th Hour"
"Omens"
"Hourglass"
"512"
"Ghost Walking"




Encore:
"Vigil"
"Laid To Rest"
"Redneck"





Germany’s Kreator will be laying waste to Europe on the State Of Unrest Tour with Lamb Of God and Municipal Waste. Check out a tour trailer below:





Says Kreator: "If you have an existing ticket for any of these it remains valid - and if you don't, tickets for all shows are on sale now. Hail to the Hordes!"

The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame YouTube channel has shared an "Inductee Insights" video focusing on British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST, who were inducted into the Hall at last year's ceremony. The five-minute clip, which was shown at the November 5 event at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, can be seen below.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at last year's Rock Hall, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The JUDAS PRIEST members who got inducted include current members Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar),Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined by Binks, Downing and current PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner for a three-song medley consisting of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

In a December 2022 interview with Metal Talk, Downing reflected on his reunion with his former bandmates at the Rock Hall induction. The 71-year-old guitarist, who sat at the same table at the induction ceremony as the other PRIEST musicians at the event, said that he had a chat with Travis and was able to "break bread" with Halford and Hill. He also exchanged some pleasantries with Tipton, with whom he had shared a stage for decades, and Faulkner, who replaced him in 2011.

Regarding what it was like to speak and play with Faulkner, Downing said: "Yes, I managed to have a chat with him, and we shared the stage and even jammed together. It could have been awkward, but it wasn't. I've nothing but respect for him, and I know he's working on other projects outside PRIEST, and I wish him well." He laughingly added: "The only potentially awkward moments were because I like a lot of room and have always raced around the stage, and we had to avoid each other."

Last month, JUDAS PRIEST's longtime manager Jayne Andrewstold the "Gabbing With Girlfriends" podcast that PRIEST's reunion with Downing "was a bit strange" because K.K. "just kept himself to himself. Even when he got on stage with the band [to perform at the Rock Hall], he didn't really communicate much with anybody," she said.

Andrews went on to say that Downing missed an opportunity "to try and build bridges" with his former bandmates, adding that K.K. "could have stuck his head around the door" in the dressing room "and said, 'Thank you for inviting me on stage with you.'" She also said that he K.K. "seemed a little bit nervous and almost out of his depth" during the Rock Hall performance.

In November, Halford was asked in an interview with the San Antonio Current if performing with Downing at the Rock Hall ceremony helped put aside some of the acrimony that K.K. has shown about not being in band for these last few tours. Halford responded: "I think we should let the music speak for itself, really, because as you'll see from the performance, you'll see that all of that other stuff is irrelevant. All the things that have been said and suggested just float off into the air. What matters is what's going down on that stage at that time you're performing together. And there he is on my right-hand side. It just felt like he was always there. Look behind me and there's [Les], and the memories just are overwhelming. But, more than that, you're focusing on the moment that you're back together again and playing live. It was really a whirlwind. We were in each other's company for a very, very short space of time. We had very little time to communicate. But for the purpose of the induction of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame together, it was absolutely crucial that K.K. and Les were there. They were inducted, they needed to be in the room. And more than that, we were thrilled that they took the opportunity to say, 'Yeah, we'll come and jam on stage again with you guys.'"

In a separate interview with Lauren "Lern" Elwell of the KSHE radio station, Halford said it was "good" performing with Downing and Binks at the Rock Hall. He added: "We hadn't seen [Downing] forever. And I've still yet to watch footage of that. All I remember is my brief interactions with K.K., because I'm always running around the stage like a mad drag queen. My interactions with Ken and with Les, it was great. It felt wonderful to have that moment together after such a long time. And that just shows you the power, the weight, the vibe that the Rock Hall suggests you try to attempt. Try and recapture something of the essence that it really part of why you're here, why you're being inducted. I was just so happy that Ken and Les showed up, because they needed to be there. It was entirely their choice, but I said it makes absolute sense if you're in the room and we're playing together. And we did, and it was magical."

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year's class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

Finnish heavy metallers Oceanhoarse are gearing up for the release of the band's sophomore full-length record, entitled Heads Will Roll, which will be coming out on February 17th via Noble Demon. In support of the new album, the band has released a video for the new single "Brick". Check it out below.


Guitarist Ben Varon comments.


"'Brick' is what it sounds like to lose your sanity. This is the musical equivalent to a high-speed chase, or a 2-minute 45-second long nightmare. The main riff actually started as this crazy C-part of another song, but then we thought, 'Why not just build a whole song around this fucked up riff?!' I can definitely hear the influence of late 80’s Megadeth here. Helmets on boys and girls!"







Heads Will Roll is available for pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


“Fall Like Dominoes”
“Help Is On The Way”
“Pryopen”
“Brick”
“Smoke Signals”
"Waves"
“Dead Zone”
“Heads Will Roll”
“Adrift”
“Nail”
“Carved In Stone”


“Help Is On The Way” lyric video:





(Photo - Pete Inkinen / Guilty Visuals)

Boundary pushing instrumental trio, Animals As Leaders, have released an official video for "Red Miso", taken from their latest album, Parrhesia. It was released in March 2022.





Animals As Leaders have regretfully postponed their European Parrhesia headline dates, including 4 UK shows, due to take place this month.




The band shared the following statement on their social media, "To our fans in Europe & the UK. We are very sorry, but we will be postponing the January Parrhesia tour. We would like to apologise to everyone who has purchased tickets to see the tour and for the short notice of this news. We will be announcing the rescheduled dates in the coming weeks. All tickets purchased will still be valid for new dates."





An announcement with details of the rescheduled dates will be made in due course. All tickets will remain valid for the rearranged shows.

Legendary German guitarist Uli Jon Roth has paid tribute to British guitar legend Jeff Beck following his death on Tuesday (January 10).

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, who rose to prominence with THE YARDBIRDS, died "suddenly" after contracting bacterial meningitis, his representative said.

Uli took to his social media on Thursday (January 12) to write: "We are all shocked to read that Jeff Beck has passed away. Very sad news! The electric guitar has lost one of its all-time greatest! What a shame. What a loss for the world of music. He was a genius maverick and a complete one-off in every sense of the word. An irreplaceable artist!

"Words fail me to describe how very special his playing was and his beautiful musicianship. He was always great; I shall always remember seeing him live in 1972 with an incredible guitar sound - and in 1975, his 'Blow By Blow' album had a strong impact on me. Then, years later, his rendition of 'Nadja' blew me away. And just very recently, during his live shows he played better than ever.

"I only got to meet him once, unfortunately, at Birmingham Symphony Hall in 2014, but he was perfectly friendly to me and a very pleasant person.

"Rest in peace, Sir Jeff."

Having cultivated one of the most influential careers in rock history, Beck was universally acknowledged as one of the most talented and significant guitarists in the world, and has played alongside some of the greatest artists of rock, blues and jazz.

Over the course of his distinguished 50-plus-year music career, he had earned an incredible eight Grammy Awards, been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time," and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice — once as a member of THE YARDBIRDS and again as a solo artist. In the summer of 2016, the guitar virtuoso celebrated his five decades of music with an extraordinary concert at the famous Hollywood Bowl.

Speaking when he was inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the second time in 2009, Beck said: "I play the way I do because it allows me to come up with the sickest sounds possible. That's the point now, isn't it? I don't care about the rules. In fact, if I don't break the rules at least 10 times in every song, then I'm not doing my job properly."

Beck famously replaced Eric Clapton as THE YARDBIRDS' lead guitarist in 1965 and later went on to form THE JEFF BECK GROUP, which featured Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass. Their two albums — "Truth" (1968) and "Beck-Ola" (1969) — would become musical touchstones for hard rockers in the years to come.

The constantly evolving Beck's next move — a power trio with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, which released "Beck, Bogert And Appice" (1973),once again shattered people's preconceptions of what a rock guitarist was supposed to sound like.

1985's "Flash" kept Beck in the spotlight as he earned the "Best Rock Instrumental" Grammy for the song "Escape". A second Grammy came with Jeff Beck's "Guitar Shop" with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas, and a third for "Dirty Mind" from the "You Had It Coming" album in 2001. 2009 saw the release of the platinum-selling "Performing This Week… Live at Ronnie Scott's", which earned a Grammy for "A Day In The Life".

Beck's astonishing 2010 solo album, "Emotion & Commotion", brought about two additional Grammy Awards; Beck was nominated in five categories before bringing home three: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for "Hammerhead" and "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" for "Nessun Dorma", both from "Emotion & Commotion", and "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals" for "Imagine", his collaboration with Herbie Hancock.

His "Rock 'N' Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul)" album was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". In 2016 he released "Loud Hailer" and in 2017 "Jeff Beck: Live At The Hollywood Bowl" was released, both to widespread critical acclaim.

The eight-time Grammy winner is survived by his wife Sandra.

We are all shocked to read that Jeff Beck has passed away. Very sad news! The electric guitar has lost one of its...

Posted by Uli Jon Roth on Thursday, January 12, 2023

In a new interview with Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've been working on a record for fucking three years now. It's embarrassing to even say that. I feel like DEF LEPPARD."

According to Benante, who is also sitting behind the kit for the reformed PANTERA, ANTHRAX is planning to enter the studio sometime this spring to begin recording the new LP.

"Between the PANTERA [tour dates in 2023], we're gonna be working on this record, this ANTHRAX record," he said. "We're hoping to have it finished before PANTERA go to Europe [in late May]. I have a little window after that, before [PANTERA's stadium tour with] METALLICA starts. At least if I get my drum tracks done, then the other guys can continue to work on it.

"That's the plan," he added. "Unless something else happens, but hopefully nothing will happen."

Last November, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told SiriusXM that the band is "not in a rush" to record the new album. "We wanna make sure it's the right record," he explained. "We can't just throw out something that's not ready. So we're gonna really make sure it's the right record and live with it for a little bit. We have some brutal stuff and some cool stuff coming up — very heavy — we've been working on. Everybody can say that when they're working on a record. But the proof is in the pudding. I'm pretty proud of what we've come up with so far."

In August, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian praised the production quality on some of the band's recent albums, including 2011's "Worship Music" and "For All Kings". He said: [On] 'Worship [Music]' and 'For All Kings', for me, we've really kind of found our sound. We've got this base level where we're at right now with [producer] Jay Ruston where we know it's gonna be great, and then we could push it even further. Especially with the songwriting that we have right now, going into what will eventually be a new ANTHRAX album, it just lends itself to even a more aggressive production which I think we will have no problem accomplishing."

In April 2022, Scott confirmed to Metal Injection that ANTHRAX had a few songs already written for the upcoming LP. "All I can say is we will get in the studio when we're ready," he said. "I think we're getting there. I think we have great songs. I think people will be very happy.

"Not to make a weird comparison, but it's our third record back together with [singer] Joey [Belladonna]. Actually, it's an odd comparison. I should just say it's our third album since our kind of our reboot in 2010 and our third album back in the day was 'Among The Living'. I'm not saying that this is [like that album], because it's not 'Among The Living II' in any sense, but I just think we have some great songs and there's like a fucking mountain of great riffs. I think people are going to be very happy."

Ian previously discussed ANTHRAX's upcoming LP during a July 2021 appearance on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "We've been at it for a little while now. We actually started writing in '19 — pre-COVID — and kind of stepped away from things when COVID happened. We were all separate and apart and we would kind of revisit some of the demos, but we weren't actively working on it.

"Yeah, it's the same as it's always been," he said. "I would have to think by the time we get to the other side of the writing process and we decide we're ready to go record it, I would have to assume it's certainly going to represent this time in our lives. And the world having gone through a pandemic, I would imagine certainly that's in some way, shape or form going to come out through this next record. I can't tell you how yet, but I would have to think it's going to."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Later this month, ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will head back on the road for a 24-date tour, making stops in all new markets, with both bands playing headline sets. Joining ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY as special guest on this run will be EXODUS. The trek will launch on January 17 at the Revolution Concert House in Boise, Idaho and wrapping in Oakland, California at the Fox Theatre on February 18.