METALLICA will release its 12th studio album, "72 Seasons", on April 14, 2023 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with METALLICA's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

In a newly released behind-the-scenes look at the making of "72 Seasons", Hetfield stated about the LP's first single, "Lux Æterna" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "'Lux Æterna' is an upbeat, kind of fast and joyous song, I would say — really indicative of New Wave Of British [Heavy] Metal stuff, so kind of a harkening-back-to-'80s kind of riff. It's just fun and makes me move. It was fun making the video, fun recording a song that comes out really easy, that was a real easy song to write and to perform, like I said, very much like the early '80s for us."

As for the inspiration for the "72 Seasons" album title, Hetfield said: "'72 Seasons' came out of a book I was reading about childhood, basically, and sorting out childhood as an adult. And 72 seasons is basically the first 18 years of your life. How do you evolve and grow and mature and develop your own ideas and identity of self after those first 72 seasons? Some things are more difficult than others — you know, some things you can't unsee and they're with you for the rest of your life, and other things you're able to rewind the tape and make a new tape in your life. So that's the real interesting part for me, is how you're able to address those situations as an adult and mature."

He continued: "There's been a lot of darkness in my life and in our career and things that have happened with us, but always having a sense of hope, always having the light that is in that darkness… Without darkness, there is no light, and being able to focus a little more on the light in life instead of all of the… how it used to be and how horrible it is... There's a lot of good things going on in life — focusing on that instead, and it helps to balance out my life. And there's no one meaning to it — everyone has some sense of hope or light in their life, and, obviously, music is mine. And the song specifically talks about gathering of people at a concert and [being] able to see the joy and the life and the love that comes out of music and the family and the kinship in that, and just a sense of uplifting."

Last week, METALLICA released the Tim Saccenti-directed music video for "Lux Æterna", along with details about the album's accompanying "M72" world tour featuring two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.

In the six years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".

Photo credit: Tim Saccenti

PANTERA's second live performance in over 20 years took place Tuesday night (December 6) at Monterrey Metal Fest at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. Surviving members Rex Brown (bass) and Philip Anselmo (vocals) are joined in PANTERA's reformed lineup by guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).

The setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. A New Level
02. Mouth For War
03. Strength Beyond Strength
04. Becoming
05. I'm Broken
06. 5 Minutes Alone
07. This Love
08. Fucking Hostile

Encore:

09. Planet Caravan (BLACK SABBATH cover)
10. Walk
11. Cowboys From Hell
12. Domination / Hollow

The new PANTERA lineup made its live debut last Friday (December 2) at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest.

Earlier on Tuesday, Benante reflected on the Hell & Heaven concert during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Basically, we get up there and there's a big kabuki curtain in front of us and the four of us just up there. And Philip came up to the drum riser and we just had this moment where we were shaking hands. We were so excited. And then I looked to Rex and I looked to Zakk, and the four of us just had this connection. And before I knew it — boom — we were right into playing 'A New Level'. And it was off from that point. And I was looking at the setlist, and I saw the next song coming up, and I was excited about that song. And then that song would finish, and I looked down, and I'm, like, 'Oh, I fucking love this song. Yeah!' It was that all night for me — just getting super hyped up about the next song and what was coming up. So I enjoyed myself."

He continued: "One thing I spoke to those guys about months ago, I said, 'Man, let's just try and be in the moment and just enjoy it.' And that's what we all did — we just kind of enjoyed it."

Speaking about how he and the members of PANTERA came up with the setlist for the Hell & Heaven performance, Charlie said: "Actually, Rex, myself and Philip, we were on a call and we basically came up with the setlist. And I remember saying to them, 'You guys are really close to this stuff. From my point of view, like a fan, man, these are the songs that, of course, must be played.' And, of course, they agreed with that. But then there were some deep cuts that we wanted to do too. And they were welcome to it. We even talked about adding more songs to the setlist for next year. So everybody's pretty much open. The way I kind of looked it is, 'Let's try and hit every record. Let's try and do a song from every record at least.' So that's what we're trying to do."

He added: "For this run here in South America, we're gonna keep [the setlist] as is, but next year I can see a song or two being dropped and replaced with another song. We already talked about that the other day."

It was first reported in July that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

The band will headline a number of other major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who last year said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

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

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

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

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

As for how he felt about his personal performance at Hell & Heaven, Benante said: "I felt good about it. There was a couple of things that I am going to just play a little differently. Not so much the parts, but I think we were all a little bit — the adrenaline was going, and I wanna just pull some songs back a bit. We're playing here [at Monterrey Metal Fest in Monterrey, Mexico] tonight, and I think I'm going to just kind of relax a little more and just kind of settle down. I mean, it was the first show, so it was expected. We're human. I'm not playing to a click track. So tonight I think I'm gonna lay back a little bit more."

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

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

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

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

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

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

Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.



Pantera en vivo en Monterrey Metal Fest (MMF) Oficial

La Terraza Del Rock #feryork

Posted by Somos Radiales on Tuesday, December 6, 2022



#monterreymetalfest2022 #monterreymetalfest #panteraband #pantera #monterrey #metal #craneodeperro

Posted by Cráneo de perro on Tuesday, December 6, 2022



#monterreymetalfest2022 #monterreymetalfest #pantera #panteraband #monterrey #craneodeperro #metal

Posted by Cráneo de perro on Tuesday, December 6, 2022



#monterreymetalfest2022 #monterreymetalfest #craneodeperro #panteraband #pantera #monterrey #metal

Posted by Cráneo de perro on Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Pantera in the house Monterrey Metal Fest (MMF) Oficial

Posted by Gori Hell Corleone on Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Monterrey Metal Fest (MMF) Oficial lo mejor de esto definitivamente fue Pantera no hay como describir el desmadre que se hizo

Posted by Eduardo Ramos on Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Vaya show de Pantera en el Monterrey Metal Fest (MMF) Oficial, el segundo tras su regreso. Sí, no están los hermanos...

Posted by MonterreyRock on Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Below is the official lyric video for "Warrior", taken from the 20th Anniversary re-issue of the band's debut album, album Between Heaven And Hell.





Firewind leader/guitarist, Gus G., recently released the video below, in which he and the band's original singer, Stephen Fredrick, look back on the band's debut album, Between Heaven And Hell, released in 2002 via Massacre Records in Europe, Leviathan Records in the US, EMI in Japan and Rock Brigade in South America.







In the video below, Gus G. reveals that Firewind are working on new material, and will release a new studio album in 2023. Find out what else Gus has in store below:

Modern rock band Wicked Love released their follow up single "Stay" to all major platforms. The single, which is a powerful ballad about heartbreak, is from their EP Wild Ride.





“Sometimes no matter how much you love someone, it’s not meant to last. ‘Stay' tells a story we’ve all experienced at some point in our lives,” says the band.







Coming in hot from Charleston, SC, Wicked Love is a hard hitting new rock band with old school flavor. Their music is a captivating and catchy blend of pop, metal, and rock ‘n’ roll. Wicked Love has opened for artist such as Five Finger Death Punch, Seether, and Hellyeah.





Wicked Love is:
Brendan Ferreira – Lead Vox
Austin Livingston – Lead Guitar/Backing Vox
Brad Krug – Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vox
Shane Dwyer – Bass/Backing Vox
Josh Proctor – Drums

In September, FOZZY postponed the remaining dates of its previously announced summer/fall 2022 "Save The World" tour due to a throat injury suffered by the band's lead singer, wrestling superstar Chris Jericho. According to FOZZY, Jericho sustained a bruised larynx in August at the AEW "Quake By The Lake" event in Minnesota where he squared off against Jon Moxley for the interim AEW world championship.

Earlier this month, Jericho offered an update on his recovery in an interview with Australia's "Everblack" podcast. He said about his voice (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I didn't need surgery, but I did have a bruised larynx, a bruised vocal cord. So I basically had to relearn how to sing, which gave me so much more endurance and power. And there's still certain notes that I'm not hitting yet, 'cause I'm still recovering; it takes a long time. It's such a sensitive area. If you break your arm, six to eight weeks, you're fine. This is not like that. But you just learn how to sing around it. And we have also four great singers in our band. So I also realize I don't have to sing every single note because [bassist] P.J. Farley can sing great, [guitarist] Billy Grey sings and [guitarist] Rich Ward sings. So it's almost more of a DEF LEPPARD approach where I don't have to do every single moment. So we really learned about our band vocally. And I think even though my voice isn't a thousand percent — it's probably nine hundred — the band sounds so much better because everybody's really singing well and getting more of a chance to sing. And I think in the long run it's gonna be beneficial to FOZZY that I bruised my larynx when I did."

Asked if it was scary after he first sustained his throat injury, Jericho said: "Yeah, it's scary because you don't really know what the hell's going on. And then you start hearing, well, it could be permanent. And what does that mean? What am I going through? And then you realize that it just takes time. And also too, if you — I don't know — if you're a baseball pitcher and you're used to throwing a hundred miles an hour, if you fuck up your shoulder, the first time you throw a ball [after that], it's not a hundred miles an hour. You've gotta start slow and work your way back up. And I didn't realize that. I basically had to, like I said, relearn how to sing, which I didn't know I'd have to. I figured, 'The larynx will get better and then I'll just be able to hit super-high notes again.' And it's like, eh, it doesn't work that way. You've gotta glide your way up there and figure it out. So it made me a better singer in the long run, for sure."

FOZZY played its first concert following Jericho's injury on November 4 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

FOZZY is continuing to tour in support of its eighth full-length studio album, "Boombox", which came out in May. The follow-up to 2017's "Judas" features FOZZY's anthemic single "I Still Burn", their newest Top 20 hit at Mainstream Rock radio. The official music video for "I Still Burn" recently eclipsed one million views. The 12-track collection, produced by Johnny Andrews, also features the Top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane".

In November 2020, FOZZY appeared in its first global live streaming event from Madison Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

This past January, FOZZY parted ways with longtime drummer Frank Fontsere and replaced him with Grant Brooks (THROUGH FIRE).

Fontsere was a founding member of FOZZY, having formed the group in 1999 with Jericho and Ward.

When FOZZY announced Fontsere's departure, the band said that he was "stepping down to focus on his family and other projects."

Boston legends Cave In have shared their BBC In Session At Maida Vale performance on The Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter. The session was recorded on October 24 and features songs from their critically acclaimed new album Heavy Pendulum. This episode of The Radio 1 Rock Show is available to listen to after the original airing at bbc.co.uk.


Cave In’s new album Heavy Pendulum is out now on 2xLP/CD/CS/Digital Physical Heavy Pendulum orders are available via Relapse.com here. Digital downloads/streaming here.


Heavy Pendulum just missed out on our BravePicks 2022 Top 30, coming in at #36.




 


Produced by Kurt Ballou at God City, Heavy Pendulum showcases everything that has long established Cave In as one of the best contemporary rock, hardcore, and metal bands since their monumental 1998 debut Until Your Heart Stops. From the driving tracks such as crushing opener "New Reality" to the metallic edge of "Blood Spiller", Heavy Pendulum sees the band look back at their discography and capture their most memorable, visceral, and forward-thinking moments to create a record that is all at once familiar and in true Cave In fashion, ahead of the mainstream.


(Photo - Jay Zucco)

Hot on the heels of a debut CD released at the height of the pandemic to critical acclaim Blood 2 Dust attempts to make sense of human frailty and mortality ("Blood 2 Dust", "Judgement Day"), the horrors of dementia and memory loss ("I Can’t Remember Your Name") while tackling the dark sides of social media and cancel culture ("Reality Check", "Truth in the Shadows"). The title track kicks things off in style with a powerful groove capably anchored by drummer Wes Hallam and bassist Amrit Prasad. The twin guitar attack of Ted Tosoff and Dave Groves swirls seamlessly throughout the song while keyboardist Mike Russel adds color and musicality to the mix with orchestral blasts. Vocalist Kevin Wright howls forlornly “When it’s over and done maybe that’s all….from blood to dust” questioning promises of an afterlife free from earthly burdens while encouraging listeners to live each day as if it were their last.


The dark and moody shuffle that propels"‘I Can’t Remember Your Name" takes us into the mind of an Alzheimers patient struggling to retain identity and sense of self in a confusing and rapidly shrinking world. The catchy chorus and uplifting keyboard lines juxtapose with the sad nature of the lyrical content. "I Can’t Remember Your Name" is dedicated to family members whose minds have been stolen by dementia and those who have had to deal with the aftermath .


Up-tempo rocker "Reality Check" critically examines the pitfalls of social media with a warning to users to “Watch your step, it’s over in a minute until there’s nothing else that is leff". Guitar and keyboard lines intertwine harmoniously throughout, building to a hard-hitting chorus before falling to an atmospheric breakdown where vocalist Kevin Wright laments that the online world has become“A candy-coated nightmare, everybody has a blank stare”. Well said Kevin!




Living through a pandemic has highlighted just how much of daily life humanitytakes for granted. Lyricist Ted Tosoff was suddenly bereft of any gigs or income but found enough inspiration in the repetitive banality of self-isolation to write the song "Judgement Day". “I was sitting in my room just staring into space while descending deeper into madness and the words just started to flow” claims Tosoff. ‘Tomorrow keeps on turning into the day that went before’ sings Kevin Wright summing up feelings of hopelessness before more optimistically declaring that he ‘Never, never know where I’m going I know there’s something more.’ A Zeppelin-esque and relentless power grind from Wes Hallam evokes memories of John Bonham while the retro riffing of Dave Groves and Ted Tosoff give the song aflavor of Jimmy Page. Spaghetti western saloon-style piano and keyboard work from Mike Russel completes the picture nicely.


Album closer "Truth In The Shadows" comments on the difficulty of determining fact from fiction in the digital age. The bluesy vocal delivery from Kevin Wright would be at home on any Whitesnake record while the big harmonies of the chorus line ‘Truth in the shadows, lies upon the street’ sound at home on any modern rock station. The song takes a left turn in the middle section with some tasty Queen-inspired guitar work from Dave Groves before building back to a vocal crescendo of epic proportions from the band as a whole.


Epic and timely, modern and retro. Do yourself a favor and get Mad Symphonys’ Blood 2 Dust today.


Purchase and stream Blood 2 Dust here.





Tracklisting:


"Blood 2 Dust"
"I Can’t Remember Your Name"
"Reality Check"
"Judgement Day"
"Truth In The Shadows"





Mad Symphony is:


Kevin Wright - Lead Vocals, Percussion
Dave Groves - Lead Guitar, BG Vocals
Ted Tosoff - Rhythm Guitar, BG Vocals
Mike Russell - Keyboards, BG Vocals
Amrit Prasad - Bass
Wes Hallam - Drums


(Photo - Asher Photography)

In a new interview with Heavy, singer Cristina Scabbia of Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL spoke about the band's plans for the follow-up to 2019's "Black Anima" album. She said: "We arrive home just in time to celebrate Christmas with our families and friends. I think that from January we will focus on new material. We already have some things, but not full songs. So we're gonna meet up and start working on new songs."

Last month, while promoting "Comalies XX", the recently released "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies", LACUNA COIL's Andrea Ferro told MetalSucks about possible new material from him and his bandmates: "We've been working on it a little bit, and we plan to go after it fully in early 2023. We have some very early versions and rough concepts of these songs that we're working on. We've looked at some ideas for album art and are kicking around titles, but it's still early, and nothing is final yet. And we've just had a meeting with the label recently, and we talked about it, but it's too early for us to put a release on it yet. We don't want to rush anything and want it to be a quality album. I can say that we plan to have tighter arrangements and that we don't want to make it overly long. So, in early 2023, we'll meet up, listen to everything we've collected, and see where we are. We'll work hard on the material and flesh it out to fully realized songs. But no hard release date, but maybe by the end of 2023, we'll see a new album from LACUNA COIL. It depends on how these sessions go; we'll see."

Three months ago, Scabbia told KNAC.COM that she and her LACUNA COIL bandmates "wrote a few songs" during the pandemic. "We have, like five [or] six songs that we're working on, but it was not time yet to release a full record," she said. "Also because we really base our inspiration on life, on experiences, and, to be honest, we didn't want to write a record about the pandemic. We wanted to go out again, meet people, live experiences, live life and get ready to bring everything in our music again. So we collected a ton of material."

Added Andrea: "But definitely going back to work on 'Comalies' sometimes brings you also some memories of how your feelings were when you brought that album. So that could be inspiration also for an eventual next album when we're gonna go work on it. Maybe some of the atmosphere stays with you, because you've been rethinking it and reworking it. So it can give you some inspiration also for a future record."

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14 via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on October 15 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

LACUNA COIL played its first show in front of an audience in more than two years on April 7 as the support act for APOCALYPTICA at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to the Atlanta concert, the last time LACUNA COIL played together was at the group's special September 2020 livestream event where the bandmembers performed their latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety with no audience in attendance at the Alcatraz Club in Milan, Italy. That show was released as a live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", via Century Media.

LACUNA COIL hadn't played in front of a crowd since the completion of the band's South American tour in February 2020.

“Unhinged” is the third single from Souls, the third LP by New York hardcore/metal outfit Bloodclot, led by iconic former Cro-Mags vocalist, author, and triathlete, John “Bloodclot” Joseph. The record is set for release next week through Upstate Records in collaboration with Pitchfork Hardwear.


The origins of Bloodclot (a.k.a. Bloodclot!) date to the early 1980s when they doubled as roadies and opening support for the legendary Bad Brains. In 2008, Bloodclot transformed from an intermittent live act, manifesting itself as a full-force studio entity, and independently released their Burn Babylon Burn! debut. Nearly a decade later, John Joseph recruited a lineup of scene veterans including Joey Castillo (formerly of Queens Of The Stone Age, Danzig, and more), Nick Oliveri (formerly of Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age, and others), and the late Todd Youth (Danzig, Warzone, Murphy’s Law) to record the band’s second LP, Up In Arms, which saw the band sign to Metal Blade Records for its release.


2022 sees the release of Bloodclot’s heaviest record yet, delivering the classic NYHC sound its members have been elemental in creating, while notes of Slayer, Venom, Dark Angel, Kreator, and the early days of thrash/crossover push their way to the forefront of several tracks, and others infuse modern metal elements, punk, and more. The convergence of long-running NYHC icons flanking John Joseph here includes guitarist Tom Capone (ex-Quicksand, Beyond, Bold), bassist Craig Setari (Sick Of It All, ex-Youth Of Today, Agnostic Front), and drummer Darren Morgenthaler (Maximum Penalty, ex-Madball).




Souls is dedicated to longtime friend and bandmate, Todd Youth. The album was produced by Laz Pina of Ill Niño, recorded by Johnny “Pyro” Lafuentes, except for the cover of Bad Brains’ “How Low Can A Punk Get?” which was recorded at Found Soundation NYC, mixed by Kyle McAulay, the bass for the song tracked by Manuel Carrero. The record was mixed and mastered by Chriss Collier (Korn, Prong, Whitesnake) and its layout/design handled by Kim Cangemi and Darren Morgenthaler.


Additionally, Bloodclot confirms that Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-Fear Factory) has joined the lineup for the band’s next album, which will be recorded shortly and released in 2023.


Upstate Records will release Bloodclot’s Souls LP on December 16, on limited edition Black And White Splatter 12” vinyl, CD, and on all digital streaming services. Find digital preorders at Bandcamp and watch for physical/merch pre-orders to be posted on November 4.





Tracklisting:


“Souls”
“Unhinged”
“War Castles”
“Save The Robots”
“Infectious”
“Relentless”
“How Low Can A Punk Get?” (Bad Brains cover)


"Unhinged":





“War Castles”:





“Souls” video:





(Photo – Steven J. Messina)

Rockshots Records has announced their signing of Brazil's About2Crash for the band's second full-length due out in 2023 to follow their debut 2020 debut I Am God.


Since About2Crash made their live debut at Rock in Rio 2015, they have been sharing multiple singles with fans, which were eventually compiled for their first full-length I Am God. The album was mixed by Damien Rainaud (Dragonforce, Fear Factory, Babymetal) in Los Angeles and mastered by Adriano Daga (Lenny Kravitz, Malta) in São Paulo. I Am God also featured Aquiles Priester (Edu Falaschi, Hangar) and Luis Mariutti (Shaman).


The cover was designed by German artist Mirkow Gastow. I Am God featured songs like “Until the End”, which talked about fighting addiction and depression. It also featured a cover version of Madonna's “Like A Prayer” surprising fans for its versatility and the song “Monster”, which was written for the Brazilian fighter Viscardi Andrade.




About2Crash is guitarist Cristiano Wortmann (Hangar), Theo Vieira (vocals – Hard Rocket), Vinicius Neves (vocals), Anderson Carlos (guitar – Holy Sagga/Hard Rocket), Cristiano Wortmann (guitar – Hangar), Marcus Dotta (drums) and Gus D. (bass – Hard Rocket/Holy Sagga).


The I Am God album is available on digital platforms.