February 7, 2025 will see the Los Angeles based NWOTHM (New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal) act Saber release their much-anticipated sophomore studio album, Lost In Flames, via ROAR. Coming on CD, “Burning Orange” Marbled Vinyl, and a variety of digital formats, the album presale is available here.


In addition, the band is set to reissue their impressive debut, Without Warning on the same day. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own this limited edition on vinyl and CD through ROAR! Their stunning debut belongs in every well-sorted heavy metal record collection; preorder here.


Following the previously-released "Madam Dangerous" single and to please fans with more new material, today, the four-piece band has released a brand new track taken off Lost In Flames. "Steel Breaker" is out now on all digital streaming providers.




"‘Steel Breaker’ is the other fast track on the album. It's different from anything the band has done because it has a thrash feel to it, it's relentless!" vocalist Steven Villa comments. "The song is about one of my favorite animes ‘Berserk’. And if you know anything about the anime, yes the song is just as intense as the anime."





Lost In Flames tracklisting:


"Lost In Flames"
"Phoenix Rising"
"Madam Dangerous"
"Shattered Dreams"
"Time Tells All"
"Shadow Of You"
"On The Hunt"
"Steel Breaker"


"Steel Breaker":





"Lost In Flames"

In a new interview with U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine, Alex Lifeson once again confirmed that he has been jamming with his longtime bandmate Geddy Lee at the bassist/vocalist's house in Toronto.

"It's good to jam with friends as you get older," the guitarist said. "I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged's — it's in the calendar — keep my fingers moving, play RUSH stuff, new jams. We do record it, but I couldn't even begin to tell you where it'll go."

Lifeson also spoke about reuniting with Lee for 2022's star-studded tribute concerts — one in London, one in Los Angeles — to pay tribute to late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. They enlisted a few drummers — TOOL's Danny Carey, Omar Hakim, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith and FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl — to join them at the gigs, the second of which took place at L.A.'s Forum, the same venue where RUSH played its final concert in August 2015.

"The energy was fantastic around that show, I know, and some days I wake up wanting to go out and tour again and some days I don't," Lifeson said. "For forty years RUSH included Neil [Peart, late RUSH drummer], and I don't think putting some new version together would have the same magic.

"After those two gigs and the months of prep Ged and I went through, I was excited by the response and to be in the dressing room again with so many fellow artists in Wembley and L.A. I respected and felt a kinship towards. But after a few weeks that wore off and it occurred to me that despite all the pain of loss, RUSH went out on a high note playing as well as ever with one of our best stage shows on 'R40'. I guess I'd rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top RUSH tribute band."

Last May, Lifeson told Rolling Stone that he had been "playing a lot of RUSH songs" with Lee at the bassist/vocalist's house. "We're together in a room like we've always been," the guitarist said. "That's been really good, but there's no chance that we're going to get a drummer and go back on the road as the rebirth of RUSH or something like that. And if we wanted to write new material, nobody cares about new material anymore. They just want to hear the old stuff from guys like us."

When the interviewer noted that RUSH fans "would care", Lifeson clarified: "Maybe the feeling is that it's just really about taking people back to an earlier time in their lives that they have very fond and vivid memories of, and I get it and that's great. And then you do it for the money. And that's not what we were ever about or what we would want to do. Offers come in all the time, but I don't know. I don't think that's something that we're really interested in."

Elaborating on why he is opposed to the idea of performing RUSH music with a new drummer, Lifeson said: "I just don't know if doing something like that would wreck it. Or wreck the legacy that RUSH has left. When it happened, it was disappointing for us. And then Neil got sick and all of that stuff, but our legacy is intact that we went out on a high note. That tour was great. It looked great. We played really well. We bonded even more so with our audience. I'd rather have that and the sadness of not doing it again, than doing it again and sitting on a chair on stage because I can't stand. [Laughs] I'd rather be remembered for that than something that's more current."

Alex went on to say that he and Geddy are continuing to have conversations about the possibility of performing together again. "We talk about it, but at the same time, he's my best friend and he loves me and he cares for me," he said. "He knows that I do have issues both physical and emotional with this whole idea. And he respects that we have so much respect and love for each other. I would do something like that, that he wanted to do, because I love him and I want to make him happy. But he knows that I wouldn't be happy. It's the bond that we have."

He added: "I don't think I would be happy in my heart if we were to do something like that. I really would feel like we were doing an injustice to our fans and that would be just a money grab.

"We get offers all the time, and they're pretty substantial, but I don't know. It's not enough for me. How much do you need? I'm trying to get rid of stuff. I sold the bulk of my guitars. I had some cars. I sold those. I had a house in the country that I sold. I want to be slimmer and a little tighter in, in my life with fewer anchors around my neck."

In January 2024, Lifeson didn't rule out the possibility of playing with Lee again, telling Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar: "There's certainly a lot of interest in us doing something. I think for a lot of RUSH fans, they've been hoping for… Geddy had his book tour. I went out on a few of those dates with him. I think that's kind of sparked more interest in us working together.

"Ged's a very busy guy," Alex continued. "He's written a couple of books over the years. He has a lot of stuff that he's into. This is my studio in my apartment. I've been working on the ENVY OF NONE stuff as well as a few other projects. So I've been playing and recording for all these years.

"When he's ready, he always says, 'Come over for a coffee and we'll go down to the studio and bash around a few notes.' Yeah, call me. And so far he's been so busy, but I think maybe in the new year — or this is the new year — maybe soon we'll find the time to sit down and see what happens," Lifeson added. "Maybe nothing happens. Maybe it's not there anymore. Maybe it's gonna be amazing. I don't know. We'll see. Honestly, it's not a priority for us. We're happy in our lives. So, it's not like we need to go back to something. And that's my fear. That if we — that would be the expectation, this is like RUSH 2. But by necessity it has to be something different. And it can never be RUSH. Without Neil, it can never be RUSH. That's it. It's over. But you never know what can happen. So we'll see."

For the past couple of decades, Lifeson has been suffering from psoriatic arthritis, a chronic, autoimmune form of arthritis that causes joint inflammation and occurs with the skin condition psoriasis. During an appearance on the January 10 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", the now-71-year-old Canadian musician opened up about the severity of longtime physical ailments, saying: "I would say that's slowly getting worse, as to be expected. I have psoriatic arthritis, and I've been dealing with it for quite a while — for almost 20 years. I'm on two biologics [biologic drugs for the treatment of arthritis], so sort of like a double whammy in dealing with it. And it's been very, very effective. Despite the side effects and all of that, it's been a really effective regimen for me, and it's really helped my hands. I have times where the inflammation has its own mind, and that's when you'll see me shaking my hands [while I am playing]. But it is what it is, and I can still get by, and I'm so used to it, I don't really even think about it that much anymore. "

Lifeson also talked about the possibility of him returning to the road, either with Lee or with another project. He said: "[After] 40 years of touring, I'm not interested in touring anymore. I enjoyed it when we did it. There were lots of ups and downs. The gig is great, the show is great, and for the other 21 hours in a day, you're just waiting for those three hours. And it gets tiring, especially when you have a family and you have loved ones at home that you're estranged from for months and months and months at a time. I don't miss that aspect of it. Do I like playing in front of people? Yeah. I still like that — maybe not to the point where I have to do it. But when [Geddy and I] did the Taylor Hawkins benefits and we did the 'South Park' thing in Denver, and I do these Christmas shows with Andy Kim and lots of great musicians that I get to play with, then it's fun. I really enjoy that, and it's controlled, and it's great. To make a big deal and do a tour and get back into that thing, I don't really have an interest in that. I know Ged would like to play again and he would like to spend some time writing. But beyond that, honestly, we haven't talked about anything beyond just getting together and having a coffee and just bashing out a few notes."

Alex continued: "[Geddy] has a lot of stuff in his life. He's a very busy person. He's really enjoying this phase of being [a book] author. He's on the go, go, go, go all the time. And I'm here, and I'm playing on all these different projects. So, in a way, I've continued being that musician, and he's gone off to do other things. So, whenever he's ready, like usual, I only live five minutes away from him, like we have all our lives. I go over and hang out and we'll turn the recorder on and do some stuff, but there's no plan for a tour. There's no plan for anything. And I know rumors get started and people have their desires and lots of people would love to see us get back and play again. Well, I don't know. I don't know. Who knows? Maybe if we're together, we're messing around and we get excited… Certainly after we did those gigs, it was quite heady and very exciting. But I really love my life right now, and I don't know if I'm gonna disrupt it by being away from the things that I'm really enjoying, for any reason."

Lifeson also reflected on RUSH's final tour, which concluded in August 2015 in Los Angeles. According to Rolling Stone, the trek took the novel approach of presenting the band's music in reverse chronological order, meaning Alex and his bandmates — Lee and drummer Neil Peart — began the show with songs from their most recent albums and slowly worked back to their earliest material. As time went backwards, stagehands would swap out the backdrop to match the period they were visiting. That meant by the time they reached the encores, it looked like they were playing in the high school gyms of their youth.

"The last tour I thought was a terrific tour for RUSH," Alex said. "I thought we played really well. I thought the show was really fun. Going back in time to the beginning was a great way to celebrate the end of the band. I don't know if, at 70 years old, 10 years later, if I can play like I played back then. I haven't played that material in nine years. And if I can't play it like I played it nine years ago, then I really have no interest in doing it. I think RUSH has a strong legacy because of the way things ended. We ended on a high note, and that's the way people remember us. And I think that that also is partly the reason why so many people would love to see us back out, because that's the memory they have of us. We were dedicated to what we were doing. We practiced a lot. We were passionate. We played our hearts out. Physically, ten years later, at this stage, [after] these ten years, I don't know if we can do that. I don't know, can Ged sing like he did? Can I play guitar? Can he play bass like he did? I don't know. Unless we did a big rehearsal and tried to do all that stuff, we'll never know. But just thinking intellectually how this would work, I'm not keen on doing it, really."

Peart died on January 7, 2020, after quietly battling brain cancer for three and a half years. RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

In 2022, Geddy revealed that Neil wanted to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret prior to his death.

Lee went on to say that he and Lifeson had to be "dishonest" to fans in order to protect Peart's privacy.

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, was asked if he ever feels isolated or that he doesn't belong in a country like Japan, which is not generally exposed to other cultures. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, it's an excellent question. And I'm definitely, definitely the minority here [in Japan]. In the majority of everything I do, I'm the only non-Japanese in the room — in the studio, in the venue you could play. I'll do a show and there's thousands of people there [and] I'm the only foreigner in the room.

"People don't really understand the ratio of what it's like in a one-race society," he continued. "I think the correct number is something like 94, 95 percent of the people in this country are all Japanese. So, that's something to be reckoned with.

"It's interesting, because America, as you know, is a complete melting pot, so the concept of everything is completely different. We could talk forever about that, but for me, my personal experiences, which, of course, I outlined a ton in ]my recently released] book ['Dreaming Japanese'], is you can never, ever, no matter how fluent you get at the language, no matter how much you get immersed in the culture, never ever have the goal or intention to belong, because that's where you're gonna get tripped up. If you feel like, 'Well, I don't belong here. All these people are different. I'm the odd man out,' then you're not suited for this kind of thing. The way to internalize it is, there's no way I'm gonna belong, but I can certainly coexist and I can certainly bring something to the party and I can certainly get something out of this.

"Belonging is extremely overrated," Friedman added. "You don't have to belong. And what's so great about belonging? If you find a place that you like to be, that's where you like to be, and that's where you like to make your contributions to whatever it is you're doing, and to receive things. But sometimes people get turned off by not belonging to something. And that's kind of a — not a mental issue, but it's kind of the wrong goal, I think.

"Belonging is way overrated, and separating people because of whatever race they are is also very overrated," Marty explained. "Because, here I'm in a one-race society, but, for example, if I'm auditioning people for a project — say, I'm putting together a band for a record label or something, which I've done several times — there's guys who suck at what they do, and there's guys who are great at what they do, and there's guys who look the part, there's guys who don't look the part, there's guys whose attitudes are great, guys whose attitudes suck, all within the same one race. Qualified people and non-qualified people, this is the same with mixed-race countries like America. So why does race even matter? I want the best person for the job. And so the longer you're in any kind of professional capacity of anything, you kind of forget that everybody's a different race that I am. I've completely forgotten. And, actually, a lot of people tell me, after working with me for years, 'I totally forgot that you're American.' They might hear me speak English. I never speak English here in Japan, except for doing stuff like this [interviews with English-speaking media outlets] and talking to my family, so occasionally, if someone will hear me on the phone speaking English, they're, like, 'Oh my God. He speaks English. I forgot you were American.' Because I've really assimilated that much. But not to be confused with belonging, because I'm still the elephant in the room, so to speak."

Back in November 2021, Friedman, was asked during the fourth event in Cardiff University's Cardiff-Japanese Lecture Series if he experiences culture shock when he returns to his former home country of America. Marty said: "When I moved to Japan, I completely was encompassed by Japanese culture. No one I worked with spoke English. No one around me spoke English. The only time I spoke English was when I was doing international promotion or international tours or international interviews. So 24/7, it was all Japanese. And when that goes on for years and years, you start to dream in Japanese. My wife's Japanese, and we speak only Japanese. So, cultural things also become a part of you, because when you live somewhere, you become a part of the culture. And the things that matter in Japan are not the things that matter in America. Or the things that matter in Europe are not the things that matter in South America. So things that matter on a day-to-day basis are different. So culture 'shock' is kind of a shocking word, so I don't really feel shocked. But I feel like I'm very blessed, because when I go to America, I'm an American, so I can feel all the great things about being American. But I've lived in Japan for almost 20 years, and before I came here, I've been in so many Japanese situations that there's a definite part of me that is really a part of the Japanese culture so I can really feel both of them.

"You should never think that you're trying to belong," he continued. "Because it doesn't matter how perfect my Japanese is — and it's not perfect — but I'm never, ever gonna be Japanese. I feel a part of me is definitely influenced by Japan very much, but if your goal is to belong in another society, I think you're gonna be let down very, very much. Because as hard as you try, Japan is a one-race society and you just look different and you're born in a different place and you have different things in you. So the goal is not belonging; the goal is to add what you have to Japan. If you're trying to belong to something like that, I think you're gonna be let down. But it's not a letdown. You only really belong to yourself. And belonging to something is overrated. So I think you'll enjoy your Japan experience a whole lot more if you celebrate your differences while understanding Japan and enjoying the great things that you're able to enjoy about Japan. And don't be let down when sometimes people are not necessarily so friendly to foreigners. This happens to every country. You just have to let it be; it's just the way it is, especially with older generations. They're, like, 'Oh, the world is changing. Now there's English in the taxicabs. Oh my God.' People fear change. But you can't let that bother you. It's never bothered me once. I'm completely fine being a gaijin [a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically non-East Asian foreigners such as white and black people]; it hasn't stopped me from anything. So culture shock, it's not really as bad as people think it is. I enjoy being in America, and I enjoy being in Japan because both things have given me a lot of great things in my life. So learning English — English is the language of the world, so that's helped me everywhere. But in Japan, it's the opposite — in Japan, Japanese is the language, so it's a must. So culture shock is not really that big of a thing."

Friedman's autobiography, "Dreaming Japanese", arrived on December 3, 2024 via Permuted Press.

On August 10, 2024, Canadian melodic metal legends, Unleash The Archers, stormed the stage at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival, delivering a breathtaking performance that left the crowd roaring for more. Known for their unique fusion of power metal, melodic death metal, and progressive influences, this band continues to push boundaries and redefine the genre.


The performance reached new heights with their thunderous rendition of "Green & Glass". This standout track showcases the band’s signature mix of dynamic melodies, intricate rhythms, and Brittney Slayes' commanding vocals. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to their sound, this track is bound to leave a lasting impression.


Watch pro-shot video of the band's performance of "Green & Glass" below:







Unleash The Archers released their sixth studio album, Phantoma, last May via Napalm Records.


Mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen, and with lead guitarist Andrew Kingsley at the helm as both principal songwriter and producer, Phantoma is an exciting advancement in Unleash The Archers’ songwriting and storytelling mastery, and a giant leap forward in their towering musical trajectory.





Phantoma tracklisting:


"Human Era"
"Ph4/NT0mA"
"Buried In Code"
"The Collective"
"Green & Glass"
"Gods In Decay"

Philadelphia's hardcore punks Staticlone have signed to Relapse Records and make their debut with the crushing new album, Better Living Through Static Vision (preorder), out March 7, 2025.


Hardcore and punk aren't genres that necessarily celebrate change. It’s not like the music is stagnant; it’s more that the tried and true is rewarded while anything new, anything different, is greeted with a quizzical eyebrow and the spoken or unspoken question of: “Is this good? Can you mosh to it?"


If there was anyone in Philadelphia who could answer those queries with expert authority, it’s George Hirsch and Dave Walling. Though really, you don’t even need to ask them. Put on the debut album by Staticlone, the band they started at the tail end of their previous outfit Blacklisted, and you’ll find all the answers you need.  




On Better Living Through Static Vision you can hear Hirsch, bassist Walling, and drummer Jeff Ziga channel everything from crust to metal, and the hardcore punk they’ve all been steeped in for decades. In the sum of those parts Staticlone follows the path of Disfear, Wolfbrigade, Inepsy, and other groups that combine d-beat ferocity with rock n’ roll riffs. 


Today, Staticlone share the album's first single, "Honeycomb."  Hirsch comments, "When I was a kid I could hear the El train from my house, a weird calling, similar to the first time I heard Agnostic Front or Trouble. Growing up in Philadelphia I would ride that same El and Subway for hours, just staring out the window and listening to headphones. I’d ditch school (later on work) to do it, disappearing in the city disguised as a commuter. This same train took me to gigs where I eventually met Dave and Jeff. When I moved to Chicago, I did the same. The common bond being this weird 'static vision' that you see while looking out of a moving train window. When I moved back to Philadelphia the first thing I did was get on the train. I wrote a lot of the LP on these trains, combing through this life, which ironically is only a one way ticket." 


He continues, "Staticlone is a band that makes music: Hardcore punk for hardcore punks, it’s

On February 14, 2025, Carmeria will captivate listeners with the enchanting sounds of Trinity: Volume I. This acoustic release showcases the band's unique blend of dark symphonic metal, gothic rock, and ethereal melodies in a stripped-back format, offering a mesmerizing musical journey that will transport audiences to a world of mystical storytelling and haunting beauty. 


With each track, Carmeria invites listeners to experience a rich tapestry of emotions, seamlessly fusing powerful vocals, atmospheric instrumentation, and intricate arrangements. Trinity: Volume I promises to be a transformative listening experience, leaving an indelible mark on fans and newcomers alike.


Jordan von Grae comments on the EP, stating, “The purpose of Trinity: Volume I is to provide fans of the band with a unique, 3-track, acoustic listening experience, showcasing Carmeria’s softer side. We are also releasing this EP as a means of providing our audience with some new music as we prepare to start working on our third album.”




Cover art by Hassane:





“Lost In The Snow” is the opening track of the EP, painting a heartfelt vision of a friend prom

The reunited SNOT's first comeback show, which is scheduled for January 17 at the Parish room at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California, will be livestreamed via the band's Instagram.

On Wednesday, SNOT took to its Instagram Stories to write: "SNOT will be going LIVE on instagram as soon as we hit the stage on Friday …

"Be on instagram around 9:45PM Pacific / 12:45AM Eastern to see it HERE first!

"Tell a friend. @snotband".

SNOT has announced five club shows in January, February and April 2025, leading up to the band's appearance at the Welcome To Rockville festival in May 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. SNOT will also play at select European festivals, as well as at the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio, this summer.

In addition to guitarists Mikey Doling and Sonny Mayo, bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock and drummer Jamie Miller, SNOT's 2025 lineup will include an as-yet-undisclosed new singer.

Earlier this month, Doling took to social media to share a video message in which he once again explained the reason for the band's decision to not reveal the identity of its new singer prior to the Anaheim show. Mikey said:  "I'm so fucking excited to get out there and start playing again with my brothers, the original lineup of SNOT, with our new singer, of course, who y'all will know who he is after the January 17th show at the Anaheim House Of Blues Parish room.

"I wanted to let y'all know the reason that we haven't let you know who the singer is, is strictly because social media can be brutal and they would just go right to his — I don't know; his Facebook, Instagram or whatnot — and start scrutinizing him before he even got on stage with SNOT.

"I'll tell you this: he's no one you know, he's not some big famous rock star or vocalist, because that's what I'm hearing a lot of people are thinking. They're thinking that's the reason we're keeping it a secret. It's not. We found a guy who's extremely talented, extremely cool people, and he just does it right. He's incredible. I am very confident that y'all will be very happy once you see what he does with SNOT."

Upcoming SNOT shows:

Jan. 17 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues (with ADEMA, SICKSENSE)
Jan. 18 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick (with ADEMA, SICKSENSE)
Feb. 08 - Santa Barbara, CA - SOhO (with SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET, PETMEDZ)
April 25 - Denver, CO - HQ
April 26 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
May 18 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome To Rockville
July 18 - Flint, MI – The Machine Shop (with THE UNION UNDERGROUND)
July 19-20 - Mansfield, OH - Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival
Aug 8-10 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz
Aug. 14-17 - Carhaix, France – Motocultor

Asked in a recent interview with The Kevin Powell Podcast how SNOT plans to announce its new vocalist, Doling said: "Let him come on stage. That's it. And figure out who he is on your own. If he says his name, great. But the last thing I wanna do is go on the Internet and put his name out there, and then people go to his social media and whatnot and start scrutinizing him before he even gets on stage. Because that's what will happen. I mean, you're living in the shadow of the great Lynn Strait [SNOT's late vocalist]. So it's gonna be a rough road for him. He's gotta prove himself on stage first. And, we're giving him that comfort. 'Cause like I said, if I said his name right now, we'd have a lot of people just going right to his social media.

"But he's awesome," Doling continued. "Let me just say when he sent me his audition reels, tapes, recordings, I was blown away like I've never been blown away since [the demise of the original SNOT lineup]. And I sent it to Tumor first thing, my right arm, my bass player from SNOT. He usually doesn't like anything. He's very cynical. He's the greatest guy ever, he's my brother, but he's a cynical person at times. And he called me right away and just said, 'Holy shit balls.' That's a quote. 'Where'd you find this guy? We found our dude. We found him.' And that's how it went down. Then, of course, I sent it to Jamie and Sonny, and they both agreed he's the guy. And here he is. We got him."

SNOT disbanded in 1998 following Strait's death, putting an end to a career that generated considerable promise but only one studio album, "Get Some". The band had been writing material for its sophomore CD and had completed 10 songs at the time of Strait's tragic passing. As a memorial to Strait, SNOT eventually decided to release those tracks, with lyrics and guest vocals provided by a host of stars from the alt-metal community. The resulting album, "Strait Up", was a fitting tribute from Strait's peers and friends, featuring members of LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, (HED) P.E., COAL CHAMBER, SUGAR RAY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SOULFLY, and more.

SNOT in 2014 recruited Carl Bensley (VITIATE, CONSUME THE FIRE) to sing for the band following the departure of Tommy "Vext" Cummings (ex-DIVINE HERESY, BAD WOLVES).

Reflecting on SNOT's original split and 2014 comeback, Doling told The Kevin Powell Podcast: "Un-fucking-fortunately, our singer Lynn Strait, the great, mighty Lynn Strait, who I miss and love so much, he passed away in a car accident and it put a halt to SNOT. We just couldn't go on without him at that point. And so we stopped for many years. And then we kind of got back together with some friends, and it wasn't real serious — [we] just [played] some shows. I don't really wanna say their names right now, but they're cool people and they helped us out."

As for how SNOT's latest reunion is different from the band's 2014 comeback, Doling said: "This one, it's serious. We're back-back. We got the booking agency. We got high-level shows and festivals. This is the real deal for us. We're back right now. And, yeah, that's where we are right now. And we're hungry to do it again. I'm very excited about it."

Doling previously discussed SNOT's reunion during an appearance on an episode of the "Talk Toomey" podcast. Regarding how the band's comeback happened, Mikey said: "Well, let's see. About a year ago, I was seeing the festivals that were coming in 2024, and I was noticing there were so many bands out there from our genre. You have the COAL CHAMBERs, the MUDVAYNEs and just so many bands out there killing it. And I'm sitting there thinking, 'Man, SNOT, it's time that we get on board with this.' So I talked to the dudes. We didn't even have a singer at that point. So anyway, so I reached out to the band and said, 'Hey, man, I think we should find a singer and play some festivals and have some fun.' And they were, like, 'Yeah, well, we're in if you can find us the right singer.' So, I looked around for a while. I had no luck. But I kept looking. And then I reached out to Alex Gilbert over at TKO — it's our booking agency — and I asked him, I said, 'Hey, man, I'm currently looking for a vocalist. And if I put all this work into putting SNOT back together, would you be interested in booking some shows and festivals for us?' And he said, 'I'll put the feelers out there and let's see how it goes.' So, a year went by. I didn't hear anything back. I kind of thought, 'All right. No interest.' So about three months ago, Alex called me. So I'm looking at my phone, like, 'Whoa, it's Alex from TKO.' I answered and I asked him how he's doing. And he said, 'Hey, man, I'm getting a lot of interest for SNOT. It's a lot. Everybody I talk to wants the band.' So I told him, 'Look, man, we're into it.' I didn't even let him know we didn't have a singer yet at that point. And I said, 'Let me get back to you. I'll talk to the guys.' So I instantly jumped on social media for a little something about looking for a vocalist for SNOT. And I got a lot of response. I got, like, eight videos and audio of dudes who just didn't fit. What they did is they would sing with the album, 'Get Some', and it just didn't fit. So I almost kind of gave up. And so right there at the end, before I threw the towel in on the whole thing, a friend of mine from Santa Barbara hit me up, texted me and said, 'Hey, I found the guy for SNOT.' And, I was, like, 'Yeah, sure,' in my mind thinking, 'Yeah, yeah. Right. Right.' So I jumped on the phone with him — let's say it's a girl, with her — and she said, 'I saw a guy. He has a band. And he reminded me of Lynn. It was goosebumps,' she said. And I said, 'Cool.' And Lynn is one of his favorite all-time singers. So, she put me in contact with him. And, again, I asked him, I said, 'Look, we're looking for a singer. Do me a favor. Set up a camera, microphone and sing along to 'Get Some', our album. And so about three or four days go by and then I get some videos on my phone. So I'm watching the video, and immediately it just punched me in the face how good it was. I was, like, 'Wow, this is the guy.' What he did is he set up in front of his — he has a little rehearsal spot, drums and amps, and he put 'Get Some' through his P.A. system and he wrapped the cable from the microphone around his arm and laid into it as if he was doing a show. He did, like, five songs and he was absolutely incredible, nailing it. He looks right. He's got the whole punk vibe that we're looking for. And he just nailed it, man.

"Singing like Lynn Strait is not easy, man. And he absolutely fucking rocked it, to the point where I had to sit down; I was so blown away. And so I immediately contacted Tumor, John Fahnestock, bass player for SNOT. And Tumor, [he is the] best guy in the world, but [he] hates everything. I sent it to him, and he called me right away. He was, like, 'Dude, holy shit. You found our guy.' That was the first thing he said. 'Who is it? Is this real?' I was, like, 'It's real.' So then I sent it out to the rest of the guys, Jamie and Sonny, and, and yeah, boom, it's there."

Doling added: "So, I talked to the [singer] guy, which I'm not gonna give up his name yet. I'm gonna keep that on the DL [down low] right now for a while until we start doing some shows. People can figure it out on their own. I don't want them knowing too much yet. I wanna keep it tight for now. But anyway. So then I contacted Alex at TKO and he started talking to promoters and we're just getting 'yes', 'yes', 'yes' all over the place right now. And we're gonna start doing some shows, man."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lynn died in died in a car accident in December 1998 as he attempted to drive across Highway 101 in Mussel Shoals, California. The 30-year-old singer died instantly after his 1992 Ford Tempo was broadsided by a southbound full-size pickup truck about noon. Also killed was Strait's small bulldog, SNOT's mascot Dobbs, who adorned the cover of the band's debut album, the 1997 Geffen Records release "Get Some". Strait, a Santa Barbara resident, was crossing the highway after visiting his girlfriend in the community. Lynn apparently pulled into the path of the truck, which was going about 65 mph. The impact sent Strait's car spinning into the center divider where it stopped, a California Highway Patrol officer told the Los Angeles Times at the time.

SNOT's most recent U.S. tour, during which the band performed "Get Some" in its entirety, kicked off in late November 2014 in Palm Desert, California and wrapped in late December 2014 in Pomona, California.

Cummings fronted SNOT in 2008-2009 before he and guitarist Sonny Mayo exited the group amid "strained relationships."

Speaking with Metal Hammer, Trivium frontman Matt Heafy looked back on the recording sessions for the band's 2005 album, Ascendancy. According to Heafy,  a problem occurred with the tuning of the guitars, resulting in everything sounding off. Heafy explains: 


"We recorded and finished the entire record in drop D flat tuning. I remember coming to the studio and producer Jason Suecof just had his head in his hands and he was like, 'Oh no, no, no!' The whole record was slightly out of tune because that guitar wasn’t holding its pitch. So, we actually deleted everything, tuned the guitar up half a step, and redid the whole album again."


Ascendancy spawned four singles: "Like Light To The Flies", "Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr", "A Gunshot To The Head of Trepidation" and "Dying In Your Arms".

American metal stalwarts, Solace, have signed a multi-album contract with Magnetic Eye Records. The five-piece originally from Asbury Park, New Jersey will issue an expanded edition of their debut album, Further, in celebration of its 25th anniversary this summer, along with their upcoming fifth full-length also via the label in the last quarter of 2025.


Solace have already announced US live dates for early 2025. The roadtrip through the South and Southwest kicks off on January 23 at Bandito's in Richmond, VA. See below for all currently confirmed shows.


Solace comment: "Solace are happy to announce our signing to Magnetic Eye Records, a label we respect and more importantly who respects us", guitarist Justin Daniels writes on behalf of the band. "We're looking forward to an awesome partnership that lets us get more of our dirt metal out to the world."




Daniels continues: "This announcement is bittersweet in coming just a week after the passing of our original singer Jason. If nothing else, Solace perseveres as long as we can lift guitars and switch on amps. We move through sadness and look forward to honoring Jason's legacy and our own with this newest chapter of the band."


Jadd Shickler adds: "I had the privilege to sign Solace in 1999", the Magnetic Eye director adds. "They were the best band my first label ever signed, and they still are. Through different incarnations and numerous line-ups, I've dedicated countless years to making sure as many people as possible saw and heard their greatness, and I'm more than ready for Magnetic Eye Records to ram Solace's music down throats for countless more years to come."





Solace are celebrated veterans of the American metal scene. Hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey at the windswept shore of the Western Atlantic, the band was founded in 1996. Built on a solid foundation of classic metal, early doom and punk ethic, the original four-piece infused a healthy dose of hardcore fury into grooving, grinding sludge.


Debut full-length Further garnered immediate attention for Solace on both sides of the Atlantic at the turn of the millennia. Three years later, the sophomore album 13 (2003) witnessed the Americans expanding and solidifying their style by highlighting the epic side of their songwriting. In the wake of this album, the band was invited twice to perform at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in 2006 and 2009, which further endeared them to an international audience.


Following a string of singles and EPs, the shoremen returned with acclaimed third album A.D. in 2010. Although the release was again well received, a hiatus followed during which Solace implemented some changes in their lineup. This maneuver got the heavy ship afloat again, and the remarkable full-length number four, The Brink, made landfall in 2019. This album has been described as a glorious trek through churning riffage, weighty doom power and drunken sea shanties, while the massive use of NWOBHM dual-guitar attack was also gladly noted.


Solace call their amalgamation of doom and heavy metal with hardcore elements dirt metal, while elsewhere it has been somewhat tongue-in-cheekly dubbed shorecore. Others file the New Jersey five-piece under stoner metal – and in truth, all these descriptions fit to an extent.


Solace aim to release their upcoming fifth full-length via Magnetic Eye Records by the end of 2025.





Tour dates:


January
23 - Richmond, VA - Bandito's (with Book of Wyrms, Hagstone)
24 - Atlanta, GA - Star Bar (with Hot Ram, Brood of Mockers)
25 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia (with Wizard Dick, So Awful, Burial Gift)
27 - Houston, TX - Black Magic Soci

Legendary American progressive metal band SAVATAGE recently announced its first headlining shows since 2002.

SAVATAGE's lineup for the 2025 dates will consist of Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Chris Caffery on guitar, Al Pitrelli on guitar, Jeff Plate on drums and Zak Stevens on lead vocals.

Regarding how the SAVATAGE comeback came about, Caffery told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was funny. I got a phone call from Adam Lind, our manager with TSO [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA], and he'd worked with us with SAVATAGE since back at 'Dead Winter Dead' and before that. And we always talked about it.

"I just kind of looked at SAVATAGE, like, I mean, we never broke up," he continued. "I remember the movie '48 Hours' with the guy Reggie who went to pick up the car, the car that nobody used for all those years. And the guy's, like, 'Where have you been?' He's, like, 'I've been busy.' It's, like, that's kind of the way it is with SAVATAGE.

"So yeah, well, that's the whole thing. It was time now. And Adam had called us up and he said, 'I wanna get on a call about SAVATAGE with everybody.' And I had no idea what he was gonna say. And he had us all on the line and said, 'Look, I've got some really solid offers for you guys to go do some festivals.' And me, I just basically started crying, to be honest with you. I couldn't believe it. I was so happy to hear that news. The first ones had come at it. There was offers from South America and Europe, and that's what we're doing now. We're going down to Brazil first in April, we're doing the Monsters Of Rock there, we're doing Masters Of Rock in Chile and Argentina. And then we head over to Europe in June and we're doing Hellfest and Rockwave and Graspop, and there's a few other ones over there and some headline shows. And it's just really exciting. The headline shows in Germany have been selling out, and we haven't even played on tour there in 20 years. So when you have 2,500- 3,500-seat places selling out, it makes you really excited."

Chris added: "Everybody asks me what's coming next. And I'm taking it one day at a time right now, because I had no idea this was gonna be happening. So I have all the answers you have. And when I get the news, everybody else will. So, I mean, we've talked. We wanna play everywhere. Everybody is really excited about it. So hopefully this is the beginning of a new run for SAVATAGE. So I can't really answer exactly what's happening next, but I'm just gonna tell you, we're going day by day on it and we're just really excited about it. And we know, you'll know. That's kind of how I look at it. But right now, I just look at it on my news and on the post and I see these things come out, and I'm, like, 'Wait a second.' I'm looking at this poster and it says SCORPIONS and JUDAS PRIEST and SAVATAGE, and I'm, like, 'This is awesome,' 'cause it's what I'd seen for decades before in the past with that, and now that part is back in my life. And like I said, that puts me full circle. Because I never really joined another band. I worked with Doro [Pesch], and when people needed help, I did some stuff with METAL CHURCH. But I mostly just did my own solo records and kind of laid it to the side, because I never wanted to place myself into another band that I couldn't commit to. And with TSO and my scheduling and I do a lot to take care of my mom, I just didn't have the time to give to something else. And now it's like SAVATAGE is such an important part of my life and my career and it's back. And like I said, it just feels like I've went full circle. And I was so happy every day of my life since I heard that announcement.

"There's a lot of things in this world that people look at," Caffery said. "And I pray for my friends in California. And I look at a lot of troubles and problems of this and that, and I'm blessed to have one of the most special, important things back in my life again. And I just feel really happy. It gives me a chance to help the people I know that have problems that exist in my life because it just levels my head and I look at it saying, like I said before, I'm pretty fortunate and pretty lucky and I'm excited to be able to go out and see those fans again."

Regarding the 2025 lineup of SAVATAGE, Chris said: "We've gotten together, we've done some photos, we've done some set stuff, but we have not sat down and played together as the band yet. We're still working on some of the little pieces for it, because the lineup is gonna be what you saw on 'Dead Winter Dead'. It's me and Al on guitar, it's Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, and then Jeff Plate on drums. And then you have Zak doing the vocals. I mean, [SAVATAGE mastermind] Jon Oliva is still a huge part of the band, and he's gonna be at rehearsals and he's working on the setlists and the arrangements and stuff, but right now he has some things with his back. And when he's able to go and do the shows, he will. But it was actually him who said to us, 'Go.'

"I talked to some people who are, like, 'Well, SAVATAGE doesn't have Jon going out with them.' But when I was talking to Jon before we left on the TSO tour — we were in his hotel room before I left for Green Bay for the first show out of rehearsals — and I was, like, 'Jon, I've never done a show without you,' and we were kind of tearing up on some things 'cause we were talking about his brother, and things, and Paul [O'Neill, TSO founder] with the music, and he just looked at me and he said, 'Would you go effin' play this music?' And it's what he wants us to do. So if that's what I'm hearing from Jon and that the fans are happy about it, then it's the right thing to do. And like the song says, this is the time. It's the time for us to do it. And we're all really excited, and the reaction has been great. And I think that people are gonna be really happy to see what comes onto that stage starting in April."

Asked if there has been any discussion about potentially new SAVATAGE music at any point, Caffery said: "Yeah. That's something we have talked about for years. I mean, Jon had said some things about it. Like I said, we're just doing things day by day now. And if and when anything goes down, it will. Right now, I'm just focusing on this. Like I said, I'm still so ecstatic that this is actually happening here. So I'm just looking forward to these shows.

"Years ago when people were asking if we were playing again, I told them my crystal ball wasn't working. So right now I'm saying the same thing and I'm just doing this day by day," he continued. "And right now SAVATAGE is playing, and from there, whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen. And I'm excited about the future. That's all I can say. I'm just really glad that SAVATAGE is back as part of my life and it's gonna be a part of everybody else's life again. Because, to me, it's just something that I've missed tremendously. I missed the fans, I missed those songs. I just missed that part of my life, and I never accepted… When people would go, 'You're ex-SAVATAGE,' I'm, like, 'Well, we didn't break up.' So it's just fun for me now… Because it's just, like, that's who I am, and that's the thing I wanna be. I never wanted to be in somebody else's band, replacing this person or that person. I was created a job in SAVATAGE by [late SAVATAGE guitarist] Criss Oliva, and from that point it just had been me and that band… And I'm just so happy that that part of my life is back."

As for the possibility of U.S. shows by SAVATAGE in the not-too-distant future, Chris said: "Yeah, like I said, we're just going day by day… It's one of these things [where] if you're seeing us playing in Europe and you're seeing us playing in South America and we're talking about wanting to continue doing shows, I would guess that we're gonna play everywhere, and that's what I wanna do. I know that's what the band wants to do. I haven't looked at dates yet, but I'm not booking the shows right now and I'm not going to. So when they come to me and say, 'Hey, we've got this,' then I'll be, like, 'Let's go.' It's one of these things where, like I said, I'm just happy it's happening and I'm going day by day on it and story by story and show by show. So as soon as I know, and it shows up either in my e-mail or on the SAVATAGE site, that is when you guys will know, because right now you actually know as much as I do. So I'm just happy to see the ones that we have. So I just assume, from what's been happening as I watched more shows get added on, that more shows are gonna get added on. Like I said, I'm taking it day by day."

When some of SAVATAGE's 2025 European headlining concerts were first announced last month, Stevens said in a statement: "As you can imagine, there are so many special things about these shows that are racing through my mind. We get to play a series of headline shows for the first time in over 20 years that will put us right back in front of all of the unbelievable fans who have given us so many unforgettable memories over the last three decades. Here's our chance to directly give back to everyone who’s been there supporting us all these years."

He added: "All the great festival shows are going to be off-the-charts amazing. It's even hard to imagine the scale of excitement that's going to take place with those shows."

Jon expressed his disappointment at not being able to join his bandmates but shared his deep elation for the upcoming concerts, stating: "I am very excited for the guys to be doing some shows. Unfortunately, due to health issues, I will not be able to join the guys for this run. Hopefully, this is just temporary. I will continue working in the studio on new music for the future. These shows will be awesome and I will be working with them to get it all ready for you. I know everyone is going to love it!!! Me and the guys are very excited and ready to kick ass! So from me, thank you all for the support for all these years and we can't wait to rock you!"

SAVATAGE 2025 South American dates:

April 19 - São Paulo, Brazil - Monsters Of Rock
April 23 – Santiago, Chile - Masters Of Rock

SAVATAGE 2025 European headlining shows:

June 14 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
June 16 - London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire
June 18 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex 457
June 19 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
June 24 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz

SAVATAGE 2025 European festival appearances:

June 13 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Into The Grave
June 22 - Dessel, Belgium - Grapop Metal Meeting
June 26 - Barcelona, Spain - Rock Fest
June 28 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Rockwave

In late October, Jon explained in more detail his absence from the band's upcoming appearances, writing in a social media post: "Hello SAVATAGE fans, this is Jon Oliva. I want to set a few things straight for everyone. First of all, I am very excited for Johnny, Chris, Zak, Jeff & Al to play again. I feel it's important for the fans to enjoy our music live, and believe me these guys will kick ass.

"As far as I go, I was going to do these shows but unfortunately, I've run into more health issues. I want you all to know that if there was any way I could do these shows I would, but my health issues are more serious than I originally thought.

"As most of you know I fractured my spine in 3 places and have recently been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis as well as Ménière's disease. My doctors are working with me to get healthy again.

"I am working closely with the guys and will be involved in every other aspect of the show. I am 100 percent behind the guys doing this and I promise I will return [as soon as possible]. In the meantime, I am working in the studio on new material.

"I love you all and thank you for understanding my situation, I know my brothers will deliver the goods."

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Ménière’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes severe dizziness (vertigo),ringing in the ears (tinnitus),hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear. Ménière’s disease usually affects only one ear, but in 15% to 25% of people with the disorder, both ears may be affected.

Nearly two years ago, Jon told Sakis Fragos of Greece's Rock Hard that he had "enough material" for three SAVATAGE albums, but he wanted to take his time making the best LP possible. "I'm not rushing this," he said. "No fucking way. 'Cause this will probably be the last album we ever do. And I'm gonna make sure that it's a 10 out of a 10."

Regarding the musical direction of the new SAVATAGE material, Jon said: "Some of this shit is really strong. I'm even looking at myself going, 'Holy shit. This is really strong.' And the fact that you're gonna have me and Zak sharing the vocals and doing songs together in like a duet thing, is even more… it blows me away. I purposely wrote five or six songs specifically for Zak to sing. And then I worked [on] a lot of songs with Al Pitrelli that are definitely, 'These are Oliva songs.' And then we have a couple of big epic songs.

"This is gonna be the best album I ever made," Oliva promised. "Unless I kill myself. All I know is that the SAVA fans are gonna be fucking blown away when they hear this. They're gonna be blown away. I wasn't gonna do the SAVATAGE thing and just do a half-assed album. If I'm doing this album, it's gonna be the best album I've ever done. 'Cause when I go out, I wanna go out on top."

Jon went on to say that a new SAVATAGE song called "For The Man Who Would Be King" is one that he sometimes refers to as "the new 'Morphine Child'," a nod to the track on SAVATAGE's 2001 album "Poets And Madmen". "And that's one that me and Zak are gonna do together," he explained. "And then it's got this big middle section that's all these QUEEN, operatic[-style vocals]. I'm, like, 'Wow, this is gonna be epic.'"

Regarding which other musicians will be involved in the recording process for the new SAVATAGE album, Jon said: "I'm gonna have [former SAVATAGE drummer Steve] Wacholz come in and play on a couple of songs. But Jeff Plate, Johnny, Al Pitrelli, Chris Caffery, Zak, me, and on a couple of things I'm gonna have Jane Mangini [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA keyboardist] come in and play."

He continued: "I'm getting everybody involved from the beginning. I want it to be a full-band album, all of us working together. And it's gonna be great."

Asked about a possible title for the new SAVATAGE album, Jon said: "The working title is 'Curtain Call', but I don't know if that's gonna be it. 'Cause the very last song that's gonna be on the album is this song called 'Curtain Call', and it's just me with a piano, and it's very deep. It's basically me singing to the fans, telling them all goodbye and thank you. Every time I hear it, I cry. Everybody I played it for cries. It's just very deep. But it's my way of saying goodbye to everybody. 'Thank you. I love you all. And this is my final goodbye. Thank you. Have a good life. And do whatever.' So I think I'm gonna call it 'Curtain Call', but it's not in stone yet."

Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air, which marked the band's first, and only so far, appearance on stage since they went on hiatus back in 2002.

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

In September 2021, Jon Oliva was arrested on the west central coast of Florida for driving under the influence as well as possession of a controlled substance. Police charged Oliva with possession of cocaine, which is a felony, and DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Oliva was reportedly arrested again in July 2023 on another cocaine possession charge.

Back in 2016, Jon announced on social media that he suffered a stroke in April of that year. At the time, he said: "It was not as serious as it could have been, but it did leave me with some physical recovery challenges often associated with strokes."

Despite his health issues, Jon said that he didn't regret the way he had lived his life. He wrote: "I lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle since I was 18. It's all I knew and I enjoyed the ride very much. But there comes a time in everyone's life where you have to step back and make some life-changing decisions... which I have."

Shortly after SAVATAGE's reunion performance at the 2015 Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, Oliva claimed that he felt better than he had in 20 years because he had "stopped drinking and eating" in preparation for the concert. He explained: "It's my voice that's freaking me out, because, even when I was in my late 20s, early 30s, doing songs like '24 Hours Ago' were always really hard to do. And, of course, I didn't realize that it was all the drugs and alcohol I was doing. But, after doing that, getting my act together and stuff, singing '24 Hours Ago', it's actually easy now. [Laughs]"

In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.

Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.

Photo credit: Josh Ruzansky

Helvitnir, the Norwegian black metal act forged in the icy depths of 2023, is set to release their debut album, Wolves Of The Underworld, on March 14, 2025, through the esteemed Italian label Dusktone.


First single “Throes Of Transformation” is streaming below.


The band was born when Hellcommander V, Bjarkan, and Ihizahg parted ways with Ragnarok, carrying with them years of shared creative synergy. Determined to continue their collaboration, the trio brought along a treasure trove of raw material, which they meticulously refined in the months that followed.




Helvitnir officially announced their arrival in November 2023 with the release of the single and video "Helvitnir", which immediately set the tone for their uncompromising style. Shortly after, they recorded a 7-track demo, which quickly caught the attention of Dusktone. The momentum continued with the December release of a second video single, "Void Of Emptiness”.


The band solidified its lineup at the end of 2023 by enlisting the legendary Mayhem drummer Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg, whose technical prowess and iconic style brought an additional layer of ferocity to Helvitnir’s sound. With the lineup complete, the band set its sights on the future.


In June 2024, Helvitnir released an EP featuring four tracks from their demo. The EP was met with acclaim, showcasing the band’s versatility — a masterful blend of raw, chilling aggression and majestic, grandiose compositions.


Helvitnir’s music stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Norwegian black metal while forging a distinct identity that bridges the past and the future. Drawing from the raw intensity and bleak atmospheres that defined the genre’s origins, the band weaves in a modern sensibility that expands its sonic scope. 


Their sound pays homage to the cold, primal ener

Iggy Pop will release Live At Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 on January 24 via earMUSIC on Blu-ray+CD Digipak, 2LP (Black) Gatefold and Digital Download.


"Modern Day Ripoff" (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023) is the new single from the upcoming release. Watch the official video below, stream/download the single here, and pre-order the album here.







On July 6, 2023 Iggy Pop returned to the Montreux Jazz Festival backed by a seven-piece band and thrilled a capacity Stravinski Auditorium crowd with a career-spanning set including tracks from his time with The Stooges, his Idiot and Lust For Life albums, New Values leading up to his recent release Every Loser.


There has never been an artist on stage quite like Iggy Pop and here he has never been better. With a band as versatile and acrobatic as the artist himself, there is everything from the glorious primitivism of Stooges-era "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "T.V. Eye", the swagger of "Lust For Life", the precise metronomic drone of 'Nightclubbing", and the full-on unleashed rock fury of the recent "Modern Day Ripoff" and "Frenzy".


“I give something extra every time I do Montreux Jazz. In ’23 it was deep cuts like 'Mass Production', 'Endless Sea', 'Five Foot One' and a hell of a lot of sweat." - Iggy Pop


This most comprehensive live collection catches up with Iggy as he continues to win over generations of new

In a new interview with Ghost Cult Magazine, bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such of German thrash metal veterans SODOM spoke about the band's plans for 2025. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I wanna slow down everything in next year. I don't wanna stop with the band, but I wanna slow down a little bit. It's like [SLAYER bassist/vocalist] Tom Araya — I need more time for my family, I need more time for my hunting and I need more time for my friends and I need more time for myself. So I have to slow down a little bit.

"I need a break, because after the pandemic, we did so many shows and we did so many things because I'm busy every day with the stuff," he explained. "I'm working 12 [hours] a [day], maybe more. I get some health issues — I get the same, like Tom Araya, with my spine, with my neck, my ears, my eyes. I have to fix it. But I need more time. But if you're on the road every day and all the time, you can do nothing. So we'll see what happens. We wanna wait for the new album and wanna wait for the reaction. And we'll see what happens."

Angelripper added:  "If I [don't] have so much shows in the next year, I have more time for the back catalog, I have more time for the new album, I have more time for this, for that. I never stopped doing my job and I never stopped doing my work, but I can't tour so much next year. That is a problem, because you have one show or two shows in South America and you are on tour for 10 days. You waste time on airports, on hotels, on soundchecks, whatever. I need to take care of my time. I need to take care of myself."

In November 2023, SODOM released a new EP, "1982", via SPV/Steamhammer.

SODOM's 40th-anniversary album, "40 Years At War - The Greatest Hell Of Sodom", arrived in October 2022 through Steamhammer/SPV. The LP included one song from each of the previous studio albums receiving a re-recorded treatment from SODOM's current lineup. The CD and vinyl double LP with their martial cover artwork penned by Eliran Kantor (KREATOR, TESTAMENT, GWAR, among others) contain 17 tracks, all newly recorded by Such, Frank Blackfire (guitar),Yorck Segatz (guitar) and Toni Merkel (drums).

SODOM's latest studio album, "Genesis XIX", came out in November 2020 via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Steamhammer/SPV in Europe. The disc was recorded by Siggi Bemm and mastered by Patrick W. Engel and comes shrouded in the cover art of Joe Petagno of MOTÖRHEAD fame.

Angelripper previously described "Genesis XIX" as "one of the toughest and most diverse studio recordings that SODOM have ever released."

January 31 will see Barcelona-based power metal act, Kilmara, release their new studio album, Journey To The Sun, via ROAR. Coming as CD jewel case, limited to 300 copies "Mediterranean Aura" marbled vinyl and digital streaming/download, the album pre-sale is available here.


On their forthcoming magnum opus, Kilmara sound more current, more powerful and heavier than ever, thanks to an excellent and careful production. With the aim set on finding the best and most fresh sound possible, Kilmara put the recording of their new album in the hands of Carles Salse in his Sureau Studio, and also teamed up with world-renowned and award-winning producer Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan, Angus MCSIX, Rhapsody Of Fire, Riot V). Conceptually, Journey To Tthe Sun is set in the Arcade halls of the late 80's, where first loves, unbreakable friendships, rivalries, defeats and victory celebrations took place.


Today, the five-piece band has shared a new music video for their latest, epic single, "Wildfire". Listen on all digital streaming platforms here, and watch the clip below.




"This song is fast-paced, unleashed as its name indicates and incorporates galloping rhythms, riffs close to hard rock and one of the best choruses on the album without a doubt," Carles Salse (guitars & synths) comments. "A true anthem of melodic power metal that we hope will delight fans."


Guitarist John Portillo reveals: "We were rehearsing when we jammed playing some pure old school power metal, Eric has a fast and consistent double bass drum so we thought it would be great to have a great fast song. I immediately thought of some epic Halloween style openings, doubling or tripling instrumental harmonies... but I wanted to give it a more personal touch, something more unusual, so we played around with American hard rock a bit. The result is a wonderful punch in the face."


"Lyric-wise, this is an homage to the party classics of the 80's and early 90's that we all grew up listening to," singer Dani Ponce adds. "It's a song about living life to the fullest and not wanting to slow down. An explosive cocktail of youth, enregy, love and danger..."





After the additions of Eric Killer, a real steamroller on the drums, and guitarist, producer and composer Carles Salse, the band is renewed in every way and presents their new work Journey To The Sun, an adventure of epic proportions that transcends the limits explored up to this point by the band from Barcelona. Kilmara furthermore pick up the baton as heirs of the heroes of power metal and bring back the singer of the legendary and sorely missed swedish band Lost Horizon, Daniel Heiman, one of the best voices that the genre has given and who will undoubtedly overwhelm you with his performance as a special guest in “Take Me Back”.





Tracklisting:


"Point Of No Return"
"Journey To The Sun"
"Alliance Of The Free"
"Chances"
"Liberticide"
"W

Leper Colony have released the opening track “Facing The Faceless” as the first video single taken from their new full-length Those Of The Morbid. The sophomore album of the international death metal conspiracy has been scheduled for release on April 11, 2025.


Preorder here.


"This is the opener of the album and a personal favourite of mine as well that sets the tone for the whole album and its sound", guitarist Rogga Johansson states on “Facing The Faceless”. "If you like mid-paced, full on riff-based, old and dirty death metal with awesome vocals, this is just what you crave for. With a simple yet super effective chorus, this song finishes you off in a filthy way."




"Rogga, what is best in death metal?" "Cool riffs and awesome vocals to crush all enemies. Pounding drums to see them driven before you. And lyrics about your favourite horror stuff to hear the lamentation of the whimps!" This should have been the answer, if the movie "Conan the Barbarian" had be

Marking the 40th anniversary of ACCEPT's iconic album "Balls To The Wall", the band's founding member and former frontman Udo Dirkschneider has reinterpreted this classic with a fresh and star-studded twist. Far from a simple remake, this project was born out of countless conversations with prominent artists across the global rock and metal scene, who frequently asked: "Are you planning anything special for the 40th anniversary of 'Balls To The Wall'?" These discussions sparked the idea to re-record the album's legendary tracks alongside a stellar lineup of guest musicians, transforming the project into a heartfelt tribute. For both Dirkschneider and the participating artists, this endeavor is more than a celebration — it's an homage to one of heavy metal's most groundbreaking albums.

The reimagined "Balls To The Wall", which is due on February 28, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music, features an impressive roster of talent, breathing new life into each track:

"Balls To The Wall - Reloaded" track listing:

01. Balls To The Wall (feat. Joakim Brodén of SABATON)
02. London Leatherboys (feat. Biff Byford of SAXON)
03. Fight It Back (feat. Mille Petrozza of KREATOR)
04. Head Over Heels (feat. Nils Molin of DYNAZTY/AMARANTHE)
05. Losing More Than You've Ever Had (feat. Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN)
06. Love Child (feat. Ylva Eriksson of BROTHERS OF METAL)
07. Turn Me On (feat. Danko Jones)
08. Losers And Winners (feat. Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER)
09. Guardian Of The Night (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens of KK's PRIEST, formerly of JUDAS PRIEST)
10. Winter Dreams (feat. Doro Pesch)

The first single from the album, a re-recording of the "Balls To The Wall" title track, now reimagined, a monumental collaboration between Udo and Joakim Brodén of SABATON, one of today's most influential figures in metal, can be heard below. This powerful rendition not only bridges the gap between generations but also showcases the enduring impact of ACCEPT's 1983 masterpiece on the global music scene.

Udo states: "To re-record 'Balls To The Wall' with SABATON's Joakim Brodén was definitely a highlight! This man has an incredibly powerful voice which makes the song sound even more explosive. It's a huge amount of energy lifting this classic track to unknown heights. Joakim has simply delivered — and together we managed to revitalize the song, resulting in a brute new version!"

Regarding the task of reimagining the entire "Balls To The Wall" album, Udo previously stated: "Re-recording 'Balls To The Wall' was a big challenge for me. The album is a milestone of my career, of course. That's why it was even more important to me to make the original songs shine in a new light without losing their initial essence. All guests have put their individual stamps on these classic tracks, and collaborating with such outstanding vocalists has moved them into a fresh and exciting dimension. The result is a powerful homage to all fans but also an invitation to the next generation to experience the songs not minorly passionate than I was when I recorded them back in the day. It's a never-ending personal journey for me — 'Balls To The Wall' will always be a part of me."

Reigning Phoenix Music managing director Jochen Richert expressed his excitement about the new version of "Balls To The Wall", saying: "This masterpiece has accompanied me for almost my entire life. When Udo first told me about his idea, my initial thought was, 'Can this really work?' But as soon as he mentioned the first guest singers, I knew it would be great. When I finally got to hear the tracks, I was blown away. My nostalgic side cautioned me, 'No, you can't like this better than the original.' But there's no use denying it, I have to admit it's at least as good as the 1983 recordings — if not better! Accordingly, it's an incredible honor to be able to contribute to this opus."

DIRKSCHNEIDER, the band featuring former ACCEPT members Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass),along with drummer Sven Dirkschneider (Udo's son) and the talented guitar duo of Andrey Smirnov and Fabian "Dee" Dammers, celebrated the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall", which was originally released in late 1983 and is the most commercially successful and best-known album by ACCEPT, by performing the LP in its entirety on a recent tour of South America.

In an interview with Eric Blair of The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show, Udo spoke about his plan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall". He said: "I think next year we make a break with U.D.O., and now we start in November in South America, the 40-years anniversary of the 'Balls To The Wall' album. And that means I think we continue until the end of next year. I mean, there's already booking stuff. and it goes very well. So that means, of course, I play the whole 'Balls To The Wall' album. And I'm really looking forward to this. Also now I have Peter [Baltes, former ACCEPT bassist, playing] with me."

Asked what he loves about playing with Peter again, Udo said: "[It's] fantastic. We have a really good relationship. So when he left ACCEPT in 2018, we were working together on an album with the German army, a classic album. We were writing songs together, and that was the first time we were working together again. And then the problem came for [U.D.O.] when we had this 'Game Over' tour in Europe. The other bass player that we had at this time felt very sick. And then for me it was, like, 'Hmm, hmm. What am I doing? I need a bass player who can do everything very quick.' I was calling Peter. I asked him, 'Can you help us on this tour?' And then, I think in South America, the bass player that we had before, he said, 'Yeah, I don't wanna do it anymore. I'm out of U.D.O.' And then we were sitting there in a restaurant, and I said, 'Oh, no. We have to look for a new bass player.' And Peter said, 'Maybe I would love to join U.D.O.' So here we go. And it's good. I mean, I'm really looking forward also to work with him on the next U.D.O. album."

Ten years ago — in 2015 — Udo announced that he would embark on a special tour during which he would perform ACCEPT songs one last time under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner before closing that chapter for good. Since then, the former ACCEPT frontman has continued to play ACCEPT material at select shows, including at the September 18, 2020 U.D.O. concert in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which was released on DVD and Blu-ray.

When he first announced the original DIRKSCHNEIDER tour in 2015, Udo said that had "to make a clear break for myself — close the book and this is it. And I have the problem that people come to me and ask me to play more ACCEPT songs," he explained. "Other people ask me why I play ACCEPT songs at all, because there are [more than] fifteen U.D.O. records. I want to avoid such things and avoid the repeating questions concerning ACCEPT. I just can't stand that anymore. There is nothing more to be said. U.D.O. exists longer than ACCEPT. We have more records than ACCEPT."

While acknowledging that some ACCEPT fans want to hear the band's classic songs performed by the group's original singer, Dirkschneider explained that "you always have these comparisons [between how these songs are played by ACCEPT and U.D.O.]. I don't want this anymore either. [The current lineup of ACCEPT] also play 'Metal Heart', they play 'Balls To The Wall' and 'Princess Of The Dawn'. And then some people tell me, 'Oh, [current ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo] is doing it better than you.' And I go, 'That's fine. Enjoy yourself.' But I don't want this anymore. And to avoid all of this in the future, I said, 'We are doing this one more time.'"

Dirkschneider said that his vow to never play ACCEPT material again came with one caveat. "If the band ACCEPT dissolves one day in the near future and I am still around with U.D.O., then there is a chance that I put ACCEPT songs back in the setlist," he said. "But currently there is ACCEPT, so go see them [if you want to see those songs performed live]. They are playing these songs."

Udo previously said the original plan was for DIRKSCHNEIDER to only "a few shows," and "then [the tour] got bigger and bigger [due to demand]." But, he added, "I don't want to complain about that."

Back in 2018, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann declined to comment on Dirkschneider's decision to embark on one final tour during which the singer would perform nothing but ACCEPT songs. "I have lots of thoughts about that, but I'm not gonna share 'em with you," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I'd rather not comment on that, because that seems so much 'back and forth,' and I think I should stay away from it… You can draw your own conclusions all day long, but I'm not gonna get into it; it's just not worth it.

"I get asked [about Udo] so many times, and, man, it's been so many years — it's such an old story by now," Wolf continued. "We've moved on way past that, and we've had [15] brilliant years [with Mark Tornillo], we're making cool albums; I think we're doing fine. So I don't spend any time thinking about it.

"I'm very proud of the history we have together and all that, but I'm just not gonna get into the current 'he said, she said' whatever — it's not worth it," Hoffmann concluded.

Avantasia’s Tobias Sammet is back with another track-by-track description of a new song from the upcoming Here Be Dragons album. On “Unleash The Kraken”, Sammet handles the vocals himself as he boasts the song “has some of the heaviest and technically most demanding metal guitars” Avantasia has ever had.





Sammet writes: “Track by Track: ‘Unleash The Kraken’ has some of the heaviest and technically most demanding metal guitars we've ever had in Avantasia. Old school, not modern! Sascha Paeth must be the eight-armed creature I conjure in the song. It's a real fast song and it's also got the highest and most extreme vocals I've ever come up with in my entire career. But despite its aggressive and angry elements, it's very melodic and hymnic. 




“‘Unleash The Kraken’ is one of two songs on the album that I'm singing by myself, and maybe this and the rampant riffing, along with the impetuous take-no-prisoners attitude make the song somewhat remind me of the faster stuff on albums such as Hellfire Club, just a notch wilder. Again, what Sascha does on guitars is out of this world, just like a crossbreed of Jeff Waters, Paul Gilbert and a rampaging mammoth! In the artbook version of the album you can read a lot more about the backgrounds of the songs.”


Sammet on "Against The Wind" with guest vocalist Kenny Leckremo of H.E.A.T.:


“Track by Track: ‘Against The Wind’ is an anthemic powerful speed metal rocket with some quite unique phrasings, melancholic melodies and very unusual twists and turns. It combines very early Avantasia trademarks with new elements and yet it somehow reminds me of the carefreeness of my very early songs. Also lyrically I reflect on where I come from, which approach I once set out with and how to be true to yourself despite the headwind and outside expectations. My friend Kenny Leckremo of H.E.A.T. is a wonderful duet partner on this one, it's got some challenging vocal lines and I think the two of us do a pretty good job together, conveying the two extremes of the song: Power and emotion!”


Sammet on "Bring On The Night" featuring Magnum's Bob Catley:


Sammet writes: “Track by Track: ‘Bring On The Night’ was written on the evening of July 6th, 2024 within a few hours as a heartfelt tribute to Magnum and the late Tony Clarkin. I dive deeper into the background story in the Artbook version of the new album, but in brief words: the song came to me within minutes in an almost spiritual way, and I just had to capture it and turn it into an Avantasia tune. 


“I wanted to do it justice and used the sounds and keyboards played on classic ‘80s Magnum records, and of course there would be only one singer in the world, who could sing that song with me, the undisputed king of magic, the storyteller on a storyteller's night: my dear friend and partner for 25 years now, Birmingham's finest: Mr. Bob Catley. It's such a wonderful song, anthemic, melancholic, quite a bit ‘80s... or better: timeless. This kind of approach and the magic you feel when a piece of music is given to you out of nowhere and it all comes together, those are the sacred moments in music that drive me. 


“Bob had tears in his eyes when he sang it, and I was trying to hide mine behind my goggles when I was sitting next to him. It's just so beautiful. Bob, I love you for rocking my world and being the friend and inspiration you are, I can't wait until March to hit the road with you again!”


Sammet on "Everybody's Here Until The End" with guest singer Roy Khan:


“Track by Track: ‘Everybody's Here Until The End’! When the album was almost done I felt that we had a lot of furious and fast material, and I thought that I was still in need of a grand finale for an epic ending, something conciliatory and big, and I sat down on my piano and started to play a ballad which would eventually grow from a piano piece into a monumental power ballad. It's a very personal song but eventually I wanted a duet partner who would add more depth. And I reached out to an old acquaintance to the Avantasia family, the mighty Roy Khan (ex-Kamelot) to help me shape this song to an amazing finale of an enchanting album. I think it's one of the most moving and emotional, and yet biggest ballads I have ever done.”


Sammet on "The Moorlands At Twilight" featuring Helloween's Michael Kiske:


“Track by Track: ‘The Moorlands At Twilight’ is a really rampant speed metal anthem with my lovely brother in Avantasia since the early days, Michael Kiske delivering a killer vocal performance. I guess that type of music is just in my DNA and even though it's a classic Avantasia song I think that the atmosphere is different to anything we've done before. I can hear some early Helloween influence in there, even though the song is very unique with its playful neo-classical elements and wild approach. Also, the lead guitars are extreme and quite virtuous: Sascha Paeth and Arne Wiegand have delivered an extensive, fast and hymnic axe battle that made my jaw drop. When ‘power metal’ is done like that, I absolutely love it!”


Sammet previously described "Here Be Dragons" featuring Geoff Tate:


"Track by Track: ‘Here Be Dragons’ is the longest song on the album and features a great duet with my good friend and one of my vocal heroes since his early days in Queensrÿche, Mr. Geoff Tate, who’s outdone himself on the track. It’s a groovy mid-tempo song with enchanting melodies, orchestral elements, big keyboard passages and a powerful guitar riffing driving the main parts of the song. Even though you can hear some classic Dio, Queensrÿche and even Marillion elements in there, it’s a typical Avantasia song and a very unqiue one. It has two different choruses and a very emotional and big sounding mid-section. The song wasn’t meant to be that long, but there isn’t a single note I would change or leave out if I listen to the final result now.”


Rock and metal flagship, Avantasia, will release their 10th studio album and Napalm Records debut, Here Be Dragons, on February 28. They recently unleashed the energizing first new single, “Creepshow”.


The new track is one of the catchiest songs of Avantasia’s career so far, and it arrives with an exciting, cinematic music video. The guaranteed future hit rings in a new era of Avantasia and will be an integral part of Avantasia’s spectacular live shows.


In their 25 years of existence, Avantasia has become one of the biggest leading forces in metal, boasting nine successful previous albums (such as the #1 charting Moonglow), worldwide sold-out arena tours and headline shows at all of the most important metal festivals. Here Be Dragons is sure to exceed all expectations as the most powerful Avantasia album so far.


Tobias Sammet on the single and video: "'Creepshow' is a perfect single. It’s short and catchy, and it emphasizes a facet of my work that has taken a backseat in my music in recent years. It’s light-hearted and the opposite of melancholic. And it's fresh, boisterous and unabashed - a straightforward kick-ass anthem. Also, even though it may seem like a reminiscence of my earlier writing, I think we managed to turn the whole thing into a trademark Avantasia tune, as we accentuated with the music video. We rented a haunted castle in North England and celebrated a night in the world of spectres and undead creatures. This is the most vibrant and eccentric music video I’ve ever shot in my entire career, not dead-serious, but certainly of serious quality! I can’t wait to play 'Creepshow' live on our tour next year, I can already see the whole venue jumping up and down and screaming along!”


Watch the official music video for “Creepshow”:





Featuring absolute Avantasia essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical symphonic metal elements, multitalented mastermind and frontman Tobias Sammet also surprises fans old and new with plenty of intriguing fresh soundscapes. Here Be Dragons gives the celebrated Avantasia sound that has been carefully crafted over a quarter of a century an exciting and powerful spin. The new album is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted.


Avantasia is not showing any signs of slowing down - soon after the release of Here Be Dragons, the band will head out on an extensive arena tour across Europe, promising to deliver fans an immersive experience with their biggest and most epic production ever.


In grand Avantasia tradition, the new full-length is rich in vivid storytelling and cinematic atmospheres, not to mention the highest level of musicianship. Opening track “Creepshow” is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs in their career. The energizing future hit truly welcomes the listener into the new era of Avantasia and will be an integral part of the band’s spectacular live shows. In contrast, the incredible title track “Here Be Dragons” is a classic Avantasia song, and at almost nine minutes, is by far the longest on the album. The cinematic dark soundscapes of “The Witch” captivate and support the song’s storyline perfectly. Emotional, multifaceted vocal performances mesmerize on “Avalon”, while the heavy metal number “Against The Wind” serves as further proof of the versatility of Avantasia’s sound. Remaining well-balanced and cohesive, Here Be Dragons is undeniably Avantasia’s most powerful album so far.


The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Tobias Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Tobias Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. The stunning cover art was once again created by acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. Here Be Dragons marks another masterpiece in the Avantasia catalog, leaving both fans and critics speechless and proving the band’s standing as a main force in the world of rock and metal!


Here Be Dragons is now available for pre-order in several exciting physical editions, with bonus albums included in select limited formats, like a 3CD hardcover artbook with 96 pages, over 160 pictures, drawings of Rodney Matthews and extensive stories to accompany the music and pictures. 





Here Be Dragons will be available in the following formats:


- 3CD-Artbook – large format, hardcover book incl. 96 pages, over 160 pictures and extensive stories and liner notes
- 3LP Vinyl Box incl 72 Pages 12" Booklet – strictly limited to 500 copies
- 1LP Glow in the Dark Vinyl incl 12'' Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
- 1LP Yellow/Orange Marbled Vinyl incl 12'' Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
- 1LP Blue/White Splattered Vinyl incl 12" Booklet + Poster + Slipmat – strictly limited to 500 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive ROW
- 1LP Orange incl 12'' Booklet     
- 1LP Black incl 12'' Booklet         
- Tape – strictly limited to 100 copies – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive           
- 2CD Mediabook              
- 1CD Digipak                     
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Here Be Dragons tracklisting: