In a new interview with MoreCore.TV conducted at this past weekend's Rock Am Ring festival in Nürburgring, Germany, PAPA ROACH bassist Tobin Esperance and guitarist Jerry Horton spoke about their appearance at last month's Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, which was described as the inaugural alternative and nu-metal event.

"I think it's cool," Tobin said. "I think it's great. Everyone's having fun. A lot of the newer artists are influenced by this era of nu metal and emo music. So it's all coming back around again, which is great for a band like us. And we can celebrate that time and that music. And we got to see a lot of our old friends. I think it was cool."

Jerry concurred, saying: "It was cool. I mean, there was 85 thousand people, so obviously people want to see it. It was a lot of fun."

Nu metal thrived during the remarkable decade from 1994 to 2004 when mainstream charts, magazines, radio and TV were all taken over by a host of diverse artists performing their own brands of hard rock, hip-hop and heavy metal.

Essentially a fusion of rap and alternative rock (arguably born out of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),nu metal inexplicably swept the airwaves and peaked for a brief period, with Gregory Heaney of AllMusic describing the genre as "one of metal's more unfortunate pushes into the mainstream." Along the way, several bands associated with nu metal, including KORN, DEFTONES and SLIPKNOT, took a somewhat defensive stance against being labeled as such. Even those less apologetic nu metal groups eventually changed their sound, effectively disowning the genre that they helped pioneer.

PAPA ROACH recently announced the digital deluxe edition of the band's eleventh studio album "Ego Trip", and the long-awaited release date of "Ego Trip" standard edition on vinyl. The 20-track digital deluxe release features remixed versions of songs from the original record, as well as new music.

An album that sprouted almost by mistake in the throes of a global lockdown, "Ego Trip"'s seeds were planted when the quartet entered a COVID-secure mansion in Temecula, California in the summer of 2020. What started as an escape and an exercise in keeping the creative juices flowing, in a world that had completely ground to a halt, quickly grew into something bigger.

PAPA ROACH are two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling leaders in alternative hard rock music, who in 2020 celebrated the 20th anniversary of their iconic album "Infest".

Las Vegas-based metal band Semi-Rotted - which boasts a collective pedigree that also impressively spans multiplatinum chart-topping heavyweights Five Finger Death Punch and Gemini Syndrome and have tallied over five million views and streams independently - have added veteran extreme metal drummer Tim Yeung (Morbid Angel, Divine Heresy, Vital Remains) to their lineup.


Frontman Jeremy Spencer has known Yeung since 2007, when the drummer was a member of Divine Heresy. 


"Getting a drummer the caliber of Tim Yeung really allows freedom when creating because you know he's gonna add the bad ass chops to push the material over the top," Spencer shares. "There's nobody I wanted more than Tim, so I thought I'd reach out by chance he might be available and he was! He instantly starting taking the songs to another level when he started drumming on them."







The band has been hard at work finishing 25 songs. One result is a breakneck slaughter-fest called "Bloodbath", which features Corpsegrinder of Cannibal Corpse as a guest vocalist. Watch the "killer" animated video below.


Spencer says, "Getting to work with a legend like Corpsegrinder is more than a dream come true. He is a lord in the death metal community! One of the true badasses to ever  do it and one of my personal favorites."





Like the patient zero who spawns a zombie uprising, Semi-Rotted sink their teeth into a signature style unlike anything else in heavy music. The group walks a fine line between groove, extreme, and death metal, underlining chantable choruses with mind-numbing double bass, neck-snapping guitars, and gut-churning growls. The Las Vegas, NV quartet -Jeremy Spencer [vocals], Shawn McGhee [guitar], Alessandro "AP" Paveri [bass], and Tim Yeung [drums] - boasts a collective pedigree that impressively spans multiplatinum chart-topping heavyweights Five Finger Death Punch, Divine Heresy, Morbid Angel, and Gemini Syndrome. Tallying over 5 million-views & streams independently, the band commences its sensory assault on the 2023 full-length debut, Barrage Of Brutality.


"It's our take on different genres of metal," notes Jeremy. "We're such huge fans, and we wanted to do our own spin on various styles together. Some of the arrangements are complex, but it's also meat and potatoes brutality you can sing along to. First and foremost, it's always about the song, so we wanted to make it straight to the point. Why can't you have a chorus in a fucking extreme metal song?"


Semi-Rotted initially roared to life with the 2023 Deader Than Dead EP. Standout "Shotgun Symphony" quickly surpassed 150K Spotify streams followed by "Torture Congregation" [feat. Will Ramos of Lorna Shore] with 106K Spotify streams. When it came time to record what would become their first LP, the musicians opted to expand the sound again by welcoming drum god Tim Yeung behind the kit.


"The one thing missing was badassery on the drums, so we needed Tim," Jeremy goes on. "We wanted next level shit, and we got one of the best ever. He went the extra mile on everything, which I couldn't do without him. He just killed it. I'm grateful we've got this wicked band."

US-based doom metal act, DiGelsomina, have released their full-length album, Sic Itur Ad Astra. The band features composer-guitarist Andy DiGelsomina (formerly of Lyraka) and vocalist Robert Lowe (of Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass fame).


DiGelsomina himself states, "We are very happy to be unleashing this doom-soaked slab of fantasy metal upon the metal world. Mp3s are immediately available, we start shipping CDs June 23, 2023. Many thanks to Tim Henderson and Martin Popoff for the invaluable support over the years."


Mp3s, including links to Spotify and Amazon, Deezer and Pandora are here. CDs, shipping later this month, are only available here.




Sic Itur Ad Astra is a journey made of 7 tracks for approximately 44 minutes of playing time. The sound is mainly influenced from Black Sabbath (the Osbourne and Ronnie Dio years), Dio's stint with Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purple, the Saint Vitus debut LP, Robert's work with Solitude Aeturnus, and to a lesser degree Candlemass. However, the imprint of some songs reminds of Control Denied’s “The Fragile Art of Existence”, both for the riffs section and the 90s-oriented production. DiGelsomina aims to offer an evocative and well-written album, deliberately remaining distant from the formal perfection dictated by modern record production canons.


Lyrically, Sic Itur Ad Astra is an allegorical fantasy about the Warrior Angel (origin: the land of Mahanaim) who is fighting avatars of the Lovecraft character Nyarlathotep. The story originates well over a million years ago, when the Warrior Angel and Heavenly Host stop a powerful dragon (a common avatar of Nyarlathotep), reducing him to a crawling serpent on the earth, where he nevertheless ends up ruling. Upon discovering the mystical trapezohedron and becoming aware of her nemesis' subjugation of Terra, the Warrior Angel is taken upon an Epic journey, believing she is being led by God to the whereabouts of her enemy. Nyarlathotep ultimately ensorcells her, leaving her trapped in the deltohedron and temporarily unable to continue the battle. This sets the stage for the next album and the appearance of her holistic companion, the Conqueror.





Sic Itur Ad Astra tracklisting


"Mahanaim"
"Harbinger Of Doom"
"Otherworldly"
"Winternacht"
"Shadows And Mirrors"
"Entombed By Choice"
"Stygian Winds"


"Mahanaim":





Music composed and arranged by Andy DiGelsomina. Produced, engineered, rhythm guitar, and general musical co-conspiring by Andre Maquera (West Street Digital). DiGelsomina’s photos by Cheryl DiGelsomina and Justin Walker, Lowe’s photo by Galen Johnson. Artwork by Michael Calandra.





DiGelsomina are:


Andy DiGelsomina: Lead Guitar, Orchestration
Robert Lowe: Vocals
Andre Maquera (West Street Digital): Rhythm Guitar
Thom Carvey: Bass
Gary Spaulding: Percussion

On November 26, 2021, Hypocrisy released their latest album, Worship, which saw the best global chart results in the band's history so far. And yet, the band has another ace up their sleeve.


The fierce banger, "They Will Arrive", taken from Worship, provides the perfect soundtrack to the video, which was filmed across three different concerts during their last European tour in autumn/winter 2022.


Peter Tägtgren comments: "We’ve got a chance to make another video with Damien Dausch and it feels like it completes the Worship tour. Enjoy!"







Hypocrisy will be appearing at a few festivals in Europe this summer and will play some shows with label buddies Behemoth and In Flames.


Tour dates:


June
15 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
17 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg
18 - Hannover, Germany (with Behemoth)
20 - Karlsruhe, Germany (with Behemoth)


July
15 - Neukirchen, Germany - Dong Open Air
29 - Steenwijk, Netherlands - Stone Henge Fest


August
3 - Brasov, Romania - Rockstadt Extreme Fest
11 - Obermehler, Germany - Party.San Metal Open Air
12 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault Fesival
13 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival
26 - Rättvik, Sweden - Dalhalla Brinner (with In Flames)


September
8 - Hüttikon, Switzerland - Meh Suff


Hypocrisy is:


Peter Tägtgren - Vocals, Guitars
Mikael Hedlund - Bass
Henrik Axelsson - Session Drums
Thomas Elofsson - Session Guitarist

In a new interview with the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show, DEVILDRIVER and COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara spoke about the realities of post-pandemic touring, including increased travel expenses — gas, tour buses, hotels and flight costs. Dez said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The business of it is getting really called into the forefront now because bands are starting to talk about the business. Before, it was kind of taboo to talk about what you make on tour, what you don't make on tour, if touring is hard monetarily. Five, ten years ago, people didn't talk about how much buses were or how much it was to tour. And now it's coming to the forefront, because everything has tripled.

"I said to somebody the other day, 'I don't know a young guy in a van is gonna do it. I don't know how you're gonna do it,'" he continued. "And to give you an example, I have a huge management company. I had a band go out on a small little run. They came home with 235 thousand dollars [gross], but with all of the costs and with everything else, the band made 12 thousand dollars. And that's with merch — everything. 240 grand — the band came home with 12 grand. I mean, it's insanity. And I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't think the buses are ever gonna come down. I don't think the crews are ever gonna come down. I don't think lighting that's doubled, gas that's tripled, I don't see any of that returning back to form to where people can do this. So it's gonna be a real rough go.

"We're all facing those things now," Dez added. "I've got a second leg getting ready to be announced with DEVILDRIVER and CRADLE OF FILTH — it's gonna be announced for October — and I'm looking at the money, I'm looking at the budgets, and I'm, like, 'Wow. This is rough.' Even COAL CHAMBER going out with MUDVAYNE, I'm looking at everybody's budgets, I'm looking at what everything costs, and it's, like, insane what it costs."

When the interviewer suggested that the increased costs will ultimately be passed on to the fans in the form of higher ticket prices, Dez said: "I just read a thread online — on Reddit, actually — where fans are talking about that, and they're boycotting. They're, like, 'Fuck you. I'm not gonna pay the money.' But, yeah, we have to pass it on to the promoters. We have to say, 'Look, my buses are triple. My crew is double. My gas is triple.' Tolls have gone up because the United States, every fucking five minutes you're stopping at a toll road now. They've taken that directly from Europe; they've learned that they can do that now. I'm just going over a budget for a previous run of a band that I manage, and they paid 4800 dollars in toll costs. So how is this supposed to work?

"So, yes, we have to pass it on to the promoter, which is gonna pass it on to… The tickets are gonna be higher," Dez concurred. "And then the fans are gonna get pissed, and they're either gonna boycott it or they're gonna go, 'No, I'll pay 50 bucks to see my favorite band.' But what they're not gonna do is go to two, three shows a week anymore. And that same fan that used to go to two, three shows, he's going to one or two a month now. So… I don't know. It's rough. It's definitely rough. And it's not just rough for the small guys… And we manage some pretty big bands over here. And I look at budgets all day long; that's my forte, man. And I don't see how we can cut… You can't cut it. It's, like, 'Well, we need to take a bus.' Well, that same bus that was 350 dollars a day is 750, 800 a day. That same driver that was 200 a day is 550, 600 a day. That same hotel for the driver that was 120 a day is 250 a day. That same Uber that took the driver to the fucking hotel room that cost you 23 dollars, it's 42 dollars. I mean, it's insanity what's happening."

Financial issues are continuing to wreak havoc on the touring industry, with the economics of the business simply not adding up.

Acts of all sizes are canceling or postponing shows, with several claiming that it was "not sustainable" for them to go ahead with the tours.

For many midsized acts, ticket sales are not even enough to cover their overheads.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows said in a recent interview that the busing on the band's upcoming tour will cost two million dollars more than it did prior to the pandemic.

Earlier this week, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine told The Jeremy White Show that "it's pretty expensive" for him and his bandmates to tour nowadays. "I think it's about 45 thousand dollars a day for us just to sit still," he said. "I think — it might be 52. But that's just sitting still; that's not doing a show. Show days are more expensive… [That's] salaries, hotel rooms, insurance — everything. The buses, the bus drivers, the trucks, the truck drivers. Yeah, a lot of stuff."

Last October, SHINEDOWN canceled its previously announced fall 2022 dates in continental Europe due to "economic and logistical side of touring". ANTHRAX also canceled shows in continental Europe as part of its fall 2022 touring activities, citing "ongoing logistical issues" and "costs that are out of our control."

Karl Sanders, the driving force behind South Carolina's Egyptian-themed death metal titans NILE, spoke to Headbangers Latinoamérica about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's tenth studio album. Asked how the studio work is coming along, Karl said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Very well. [NILE drummer] George [Kollias] finished all his drums. He did an amazing job. When people hear this, they are not going to believe that it's a real live human doing all this stuff. But it's George. People who have seen him live and in the flesh can believe. So he's done probably the best album of his career with this new NILE record. Now it's our turn playing guitars."

Last July, Sanders told Guitar World magazine that he and his bandmates had 10 songs written for the follow-up to 2019's "Vile Nilotic Rites". Earlier that same month, NILE announced the departure of bassist/vocalist Brad Parris.

NILE's current lineup consists of Sanders handling guitars and vocals, Kollias on drums, and Brian Kingsland, who joined the group in 2017, on guitar and vocals. Julian David Guillen is the band's touring bassist and vocalist.

Originally hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, international death metal legends NILE have become one of the most revered names in the worldwide heavy metal scene today, combining extreme traditional and technical death metal styles with their trademarked blend of Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern soundscapes and historical mysticism.

"Vile Nilotic Rites" was released in November 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded and produced by Sanders at Serpent Headed Studios in Greenville, South Carolina, with the exception of the drums which were recorded at Esoteron Music Studios in Athens, Greece with engineering handled by Jim Touras and George Dovolos. The album was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis at MRL Studios. For the album artwork, the band returned to artist Michal "Xaay" Loranc who had worked with the band for over 10 years.

In September 2021, NILE announced that it had signed a worldwide contract with Napalm Records.

LIONS AT THE GATE, the new band featuring former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals),Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar),alongside bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus, will release its debut album, "The Excuses We Cannot Make", on August 25. The LP was produced and mixed by Kile Odell (Nita Strauss, FOZZY, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE).

The official music video for the album's latest single, "Drain", can be seen below. The clip was directed by Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films (BLACK VEIL BRIDES, CRADLE OF FILTH).

Machado stated about "The Excuses We Cannot Make": "The topics on this record were deeply personal to me and spoke a lot about the personal struggle that I was going through at the time with the separation from my [now-previous] band, a divorce, a custody dispute and being slandered publicly with lies, but overall wanting a message of persistence and forgiveness...

"The instrumental [of the album] was already great. We tracked one to two songs a day, and [never once did I think] to go back to re-record anything. Everyone in the band has a chance to express themselves creatively, writing individually, but then we all come together to record the album as a unit. In this kind of environment, everyone in the band gets some solitary creativity and then has a chance to speak their mind about all the ideas occurring throughout the entire recording process."

Speaking about the inspiration for "Drain", Machado said: "'Drain' is a song about regret and time. There was a time in my life when I wished I could turn back the clock and take all the lessons I've learned with me. Many times I wondered if I'd made the right decisions in my own life. Years ago, I lost a family member whom I loved dearly with all my heart. We held her until the very last breath that she took. That was such a life-changing experience, it truly made me see things a lot differently. Sadly, so many years I wasted leading up to that moment, thinking that time would never run out. The regret I felt was so intense, it opened my eyes wider than ever before and led my heart to change. I carry the memory daily, still. Thank God I am now, finally, realizing that perhaps I am not defined by the mistakes I've made, I am defined by the lessons I've learned in-house. I can apply them to my life now. In the end, it was worth it all."

"The Excuses We Cannot Make" track listing:

01. Not Even Human
02. The Climb
03. Find My Way (featuring Tatiana Shmayluk)
04. Drain
05. Bed Of Nails
06. Scapegoat
07. Vultures
08. The Ledge
09. Losing Hope
10. Digital Sea
11. My Apology

LIONS AT THE GATE will be on the road starting next week in support of Nita Strauss on the "Summer Storm" North American tour 2023.

In April 2022, LIONS AT THE GATE released the official music video for its new track, "Find My Way", featuring Tatiana Shmayluk of JINJER.

LIONS AT THE GATE released its debut single, "Not Even Human", back in June 2021.

When LIONS AT THE GATE's formation was first announced, Machado said: "I feel so blessed to be in LIONS AT THE GATE. We've all been making albums for a long time but I think it was time for us to make something special and memorable again. This album is exactly that. Take away our musical history, take away our long hair, take away our personal feelings, just make believe we were never there. This LIONS AT THE GATE album is amazing. We finally made a modern metal album that metalheads will enjoy beginning to end. It's deep, it's memorable. I can't wait for everyone to hear it."

Verduzco added: "I'm beyond proud and excited to announce our new band LIONS AT THE GATE. Life is all about change and I feel that this music is the most dynamic and honest that we've ever written. I feel a sense of freedom and am completely reinvigorated and even anxious (in a good way) to be a part of something that pulls influence from so many directions . Each member brings a unique set of talent and tools. It's quite frankly some of the best music we've ever written. Organic, honest, and true."

Luster stated: "I'm more excited about LIONS AT THE GATE than anything that I've been a part of since I started my musical career."

Luster discussed his renewed collaboration with Machado and Verduzco in an interview with Pierre Gutierrez of Rock Talks. He said: "I can't even explain how happy I am with how this came out. It sounds, in my opinion, better than anything that Cristian and I have ever done together, and that includes all the ILL NIÑO records that we've done together."

Asked about the musical direction of LIONS AT THE GATE, Ahrue said: "It's a very polished sound, similar to… I don't wanna say it sounds like [ILL NIÑO's 2003 album] 'Confession', but there's a lot of singing on it, there's a lot of production. But at the same time, there's heaviness to it. But the songs are better than anything we've written. And the crazy thing was the process of writing 'em was way easier than it has ever been for us. Usually an ILL NIÑO record would take us three to six months to finish. We finished this record in 20 days, and we believe it sounds better than anything we've ever done in the past."

Speaking about LIONS AT THE GATE's collaboration with Odell, Ahrue said: "He's worked with BAD WOLVES. I think he may have co-wrote with them. But he has a huge resume, and he's had, like, five Number One hits last year. And he was amazing to work with. I've worked with Ross Robinson, I've worked with Johnny K, I've worked with Terry Date, as a mixer, and I've worked with some other big names in the industry that have all had platinum records, and I'll say, hands down, Kile Odell is amazing. I would say, second to [MACHINE HEAD's] 'The Burning Red', it was an amazing experience. It was a different way. As far as Ross Robinson was really into the emotion and getting the emotion out of the players and the music, Odell is very musical and he's really able to help with the songs, and he has a great ear and a great vision."

LIONS AT THE GATE made its live debut in April 2022 at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Photo credit: Mortus Viventi

FOO FIGHTERS have shared a music video for their song "Rescued". The footage is taken from the "Preparing Music For Concerts" May 21 livestream, which included the reveal of a new drummer in Josh Freese. Freese was unveiled as the drummer during the livestream after comedic cameos by Chad Smith of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Tommy Lee of MÖTLEY CRÜE and Danny Carey of TOOL.

"Rescued" was the first single from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers' eleventh album, "But Here We Are", which came out on June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records.

When it was first released, "Rescued" generated raves, including "driven by a fresh sense of pathos and urgency" (The New York Times),"FOO FIGHTERS have never sounded more vital" (Consequence)," "one of the FOOS' most immediate, emotional songs" (Vulture),"delivers everything fans have come to know and love" (Revolver) and more.

Produced by Greg Kurstin and FOO FIGHTERS, "But Here We Are" is in nearly equal measure the eleventh FOO FIGHTERS album and the first chapter of the band's new life.

FOO FIGHTERS played their first official concert with Freese on May 24 at Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire. The band launched the 21-song set with "Rescued" and performed three other cuts from the "But Here We Are" LP, "Under You", "Nothing At All" and the title track. The rest of the concert included the first performance of "Cold Day In The Sun" in five years, and frontman Dave Grohl's daughter Violet Grohl joining the band onstage for "Shame Shame".

FOO FIGHTERS will make a few other festival stops, including Bonnaroo in June, Festival D'Ete De Quebec in July, Outside Lands in August, the Ohana, also in August, and Chicago's Riot Fest in September.

Freese was most recently drumming for Danny Elfman but was recently replaced by Ilan Rubin. Freese was also touring with THE OFFSPRING up until last year, with former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES drummer Brandon Pertzborn stepping in to officially replace him a few weeks ago.

Freese replaces longtime FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, who tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Freese previously played with the FOO FIGHTERS at the tribute concerts to Hawkins in 2022.

Freese is a veteran session drummer who has performed with GUNS N' ROSES, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUDDLE OF MUDD, NINE INCH NAILS, WEEZER, PARAMORE, THE REPLACEMENTS, Sting and THE VANDALS, among many others. He has also played more than 300 recordings ranging in genres from pop to rock to country.

Progressive metal legends WATCHTOWER have reunited with singer Jason McMaster and will play an exclusive European show at the Keep It True Rising III festival on October 6, 2023 at Posthalle in Würzburg, Germany. This will mark WATCHTOWER's first concert with McMaster since the band's appearances at Germany's Bang Your Head!!! festival in 2000 and Holland's Headway Festival in 2004.

McMaster is joined in WATCHTOWER's current lineup by bassist Doug Keyser, guitarist Ron Jarzombek and drummer Ric Colaluca.

Jason confirmed his return to WATCHTOWER last month during an appearance on the "Decibel Geek" podcast. He said at the time (hear audio below): "I rehearsed with WATCHTOWER recently, and we're doing some festivals next year… So, you know, well, you know, maybe I let the cat out of the bag. But those are not confirmed. But we have been asked to play some festivals. It's possible that we are to do some shows soon. But we have rehearsed a couple of times.

"It's weird playing songs very sporadically," he continued. "Because I've done reunion things with WATCHTOWER before, but the last one was 20 years ago. The last sort of reunion thing we did, we went to Amsterdam, and played a festival over there. And we did a couple of warmup shows around Texas before we got on the plane, kind of thing. And that was in 2004. So, singing songs that you wrote 40 years ago? It's crazy to think about that… And have them be legit. Play them, like, 'Holy shit.' And have all of the guys look around each other in rehearsal as old men and go, 'This shit is fucking hard to play.' But that's why people like it."

McMaster co-founded WATCHTOWER in 1982 and appeared on the band's 1985 debut album "Energetic Disassembly" before leaving three years later to focus on sleaze rockers DANGEROUS TOYS. Jason was replaced in WATCHTOWER by Alan Tecchio (formerly of HADES),who sang on group's second and most recent studio album, 1989's "Control And Resistance". A reunion with McMaster followed in 1999 and lasted for several years, only for Jason to leave again. Tecchio returned for new material intended for WATCHTOWER's since-scrapped third album "Mathematics" that resulted in the 2016 EP "Concepts Of Math: Book One".

Jason previously stated about WATCHTOWER's early musical direction: "By the end of 1983, we had a set of unbelievable, technical, fast, crazy, time-changing, sophisticated sounds coming out of the mill we had created, making a planet that we didn't feel had been fully instigated. All of the lyrics were socially aware and some strange fascinations with nuclear power and some sort of holocaustic world (that had been dreamt up by guitarist Billy White and bassist Doug Keyser). They equally weirded each other out with their lyrics. I had no problem with the stuff they were pumping out. It was so tasteful, but yet had urgency and was frantic about the topics, mostly apocalyptic and socially chaotic on news issues. These were crazy words to sing over crazy changes."

He added: "I had no map. This wasn't rock and roll. I wrote all of the melodies (I use that word loosely) for the songs, and that was my contribution to the sound and timber, even though later on a few critics would learn to hate the style of 'pissed off Geddy Lee' vocals. It seemed to be most of the death metalhead mags would say that they 'love the band, hate the singer'."

In April 2010, WATCHTOWER played its first live show with Tecchio on vocals in some 20 years as co-headliners of Germany's Keep It True festival in Lauda-Königshofen.

English version below

Hallo Freunde,

wir sind extrem glücklich euch einen weiteren Co-Headliner unseres KEEP IT TRUE...

Posted by KEEP IT TRUE Festival on Wednesday, June 7, 2023

SLIPKNOT has just released a music video for a new song called "Death March". The eerie instrumental was shared earlier today, just hours after the band made its live debut with a new mystery member at the Nova Rock festival in Austria.

SLIPKNOT has also launched the new web site, YouCantKillMe.com, which includes an option for fans to enter their e-mail addresses, although it is not quite clear what they would be signing up for.

The "Death March" visual features nine dummy humans lined up against a wall before they get their heads get blown off one by one.

"Death March" is the first taste of new music from SLIPKNOT since the release "Bone Church", a surprise standalone single, in February, along with a video piece titled "Yen – Director's Cut (Bone Church)", which found SLIPKNOT's founding member, percussionist and visual mastermind M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan refreshing footage from the band's "Yen" music video.

On Wednesday (June 7),SLIPKNOT announced that it had parted ways with longtime keyboardist Craig Jones. However, the post announcing Jones's exit from the group was quickly deleted and a photo was shared of the band's apparent new member. The same unidentified person apparently appeared onstage behind the keyboards at the Nova Rock show.

During the Nova Rock concert, SLIPKNOT played two songs — "The Blister Exists" and "Purity" — for the first time in eight years. The band also performed "Liberate" for the first time since 2016 and "Yen", a song from last year's "The End, So Far" album, was aired for the very first time.

No reason was given for Jones's departure from SLIPKNOT.

Jones joined SLIPKNOT in early 1996, shortly after the band had finished the recording of its demo album "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." He was initially brought in to replace Donnie Steele, one of the two original guitarists, though he quickly moved on to the role of sampling and keyboards.

On Wednesday, SLIPKNOT also announced that percussionist Crahan would sit out some of the band's upcoming tour dates so that he can stay home to support his wife "through some health issues".

In a new interview with Mexico's Alfa 91.3 FM radio station, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo was asked which artist and song he would choose, if he could pick an artist from any genre of music, to cover a song from the band's latest album, "72 Seasons". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Wow. That's a good question, 'cause it could be really funny and I could tell you that I would choose… Are you familiar with Cheech & Chong? Cheech & Chong were a comedy team. And I've been saying this in the press. They had an incredible song called 'Earache My Eye' in the '70s… And they had a horn section and everything. 'If Darkness Had A Son' is a song that I've been saying I can hear Cheech & Chong [singing], 'Temptation'. And Cheech & Chong, they had one guy… They were, like, what we call stoners. So they were always very high, like, 'Yeah, man. Cool, dude.' And one of them was what we say Chicano; he was Mexican-American. That would have been Cheech Marin. Cheech Marin is his name. So I always imagine him going, [singing] 'Temptation', like that."

He continued: "But aside from that… That would be the humorous side. I would say… Let's see… What would be a really powerful song? I mean, I would love to hear [the] '72 Seasons' [title track]… This is gonna sound crazy. What if '72 Seasons' was covered by SLAYER? That would be pretty cool. [Laughs] No one would expect that. But I would love it. 'Cause I always feel like… Some people say there's a competition [between METALLICA and SLAYER]… And maybe it's because I came into the band later. I view it as more as two signature sort of icon powerhouses that had this energy back in the early '80s really strong. But what if, what if the classic SLAYER lineup covered a song like '72 Seasons'? That would be pretty cool."

According to Billboard, "72 Seasons" sold 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marks the band's 12th Top 10-charting album, of which eight have reached the top two.

"72 Seasons" had the biggest week for any rock or hard rock album since TOOL's "Fear Inoculum" arrived in September 2019 with 270,000 equivalent album units.

"72 Seasons" was released on April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, it is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

In a new interview with The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn, BUCKCHERRY frontman Josh Todd was asked about the fact that his band continues to put out new music every couple of years unlike a lot of other artists who have also been around for more than two decades. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think those bands that live off the past, they don't make records 'cause they don't like each other.

"I wanna make records. I've gotta continue to grow as a musician and a songwriter," he explained. "And I'm gonna make records as long as I'm doing this. I couldn't imagine just sitting around and just going out and doing old songs all the time. That's not stimulating for me; that's not why I got in this.

"When I was dreaming about this, I wanted to make a catalog of music and be in one band for my whole career and really make a mark," Josh added. "And I got an opportunity to do that. And we still have this opportunity to do it to this day, and so we're gonna continue to dig deep and do this. That's just the way we operate."

BUCKCHERRY's tenth studio album, "Vol. 10", was released on June 2. The 11-song LP features 10 new BUCKCHERRY originals and, as a bonus track, a cover of the Bryan Adams classic "Summer Of 69". The album was produced by Marti Frederiksen and recorded at Sienna Studios in Nashville. The album will be released in North America by Round Hill Records, in Japan by Sony Japan, and by Earache Records for the rest of the world.

Frederiksen previously produced 2021's "Hellbound" as well as BUCKCHERRY's fourth album, "Black Butterfly", and co-wrote "Sorry", among other songs, with the band.

In the summer of 2020, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July of that year.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY enlisted Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on that year's "Warpaint" album.

SLIPKNOT played its first show with a new mystery member earlier tonight (Wednesday, June 7) at the Nova Rock festival in Austria. The concert took place just a short time after the band announced it had parted ways with longtime keyboardist Craig Jones.

A short time after SLIPKNOT revealed Jones's exit from the group, the band's original post announcing his departure was deleted and a photo was shared of the band's apparent new member. The same unidentified person apparently appeared onstage behind the keyboards at the Nova Rock show.

During the Nova Rock concert, SLIPKNOT played two songs — "The Blister Exists" and "Purity" — for the first time in eight years. The band also performed "Liberate" for the first time since 2016 and "Yen", a song from last year's "The End, So Far" album, was aired for the very first time.

No reason was given for Jones's departure from SLIPKNOT.

Jones joined SLIPKNOT in early 1996, shortly after the band had finished the recording of its demo album "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." He was initially brought in to replace Donnie Steele, one of the two original guitarists, though he quickly moved on to the role of sampling and keyboards.

Earlier today, SLIPKNOT announced that percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan would sit out some of the band's upcoming tour dates so that he can stay home to support his wife "through some health issues".
pic.twitter.com/6oShnmaHXc

— Slipknot (@slipknot) June 8, 2023



#Slipknot se encuentra en estos momentos en el escenario del Nova Rock de Austria.

No sabemos aún quién está en la estación de Craig 🧐

Posted by Slipknot México on Wednesday, June 7, 2023

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SlipknotChile (@theknotchile)



Mientras el misterio de Craig y el sujeto extraño enmascarado se resuelve...

¡Por fin hubo setlist nuevo! Esto tocó #Slipknot hoy en el Nova Rock de Austria 🐂

Posted by Slipknot México on Wednesday, June 7, 2023

FOREIGNER lead singer Kelly Hansen spoke to Peachtree TV's "Monica Pearson One On One" about the legendary rockers' recent announcement that they were embarking on their farewell tour. The trek is set to launch on July 6 at Atlanta's Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. For the first leg of the U.S. Live Nation-produced tour, FOREIGNER will be joined by LOVERBOY.

Asked what he plans to do after FOREIGNER completes what is being billed as the band's last-ever run of shows, Hansen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I have a lot to do before I get to that place; I have a lot of shows I've gotta perform, I have a lot of things I have to do. But I do want to, with my wife and my family, figure out what our next chapter is and come up with those answers. Because I've been on the road doing this for almost 20 years, nine months out of the year away from home, so it doesn't give you a lot of chance to plan out the next place. But I wanna spend more time living my life.

"There are different types of people on the road," he continued. "There are people who are road people, who are, like, that's what makes them happen, is they have to be on the road doing it; it makes their world complete. And I have other passions, other things I like to do. And I want to live life and I wanna make sure that I do it wisely and give myself time and not wait too long to where things are too difficult."

Regarding what other things he likes to do, besides cooking, Hansen said: "I'm a motorcyclist, and I like to work on those and old cars and things like that. And I like — the pride of home ownership; I like to actually fix things around the house and do things. So I enjoy doing that. And I always don't have enough time to do it. And I really hate having to pay someone else to do it. [Laughs]"

Hansen previously discussed FOREIGNER's decision to call it quits this past February in an interview with the 96.1 KLPX radio station. He said: "One of my things that was important to me is that I not be out there doing these songs that I shouldn't really be doing anymore 'cause I can't do them anymore. I wanna do these songs justice and deliver them strong and vibrant and then quit while we're ahead like that. I've seen far too many people who are — for probably many different reasons — still out there when maybe they shouldn't be. And I guess everyone has their own view of their vanity, whether it's visually or instrumentally or vocally, and I think that we're really at a peak right now. It's getting harder and harder to do this really difficult, challenging but wonderful catalog of songs every year, and I just wanna do them right. And I don't wanna start having to do less of them right."

This past January, Hansen was asked in an interview with Rob Rush Radio if this is indeed FOREIGNER's last-ever trek. Kelly said: "Our plan is to do this into 2024. I've been asked many times by many different people to continue doing this. And, really, for me, it's a matter of being able to perform these songs at the level they deserve and that the fans deserve, and I cannot allow myself to do less than that, just as a human being.

"It's gotten tougher and tougher every year to sing this great catalog of songs," he admitted. "And it maybe sounds like I'm whining. I'm not trying to whine; I'm really fortunate to be able to have done this and do this with the band. It's just I don't wanna sacrifice the quality of these songs and the performance of these songs. So I think it's better to say, 'You know what? I'm gonna leave here strong and let the memory of this live thing be strong as well."

Asked what he will miss the most about touring with FOREIGNER, Kelly said: "Amazing crowds and amazing band. I mean, what a great band with people that we all enjoy being around each other. We enjoy each other's company, and playing a catalog of songs that you couldn't dream of, you couldn't buy. And as a singer, to sing so many hits songs — from the start of the show to the end of the show, there's no fluff or filler — and that's just a dream to have happen. And so I'm gonna miss all that. And it's been a hard decision to make, but I think you have to get on to these things early and make sure you're doing the right thing. I've seen far too many other live entities happen that I really feel shouldn't be out there anymore."

The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, guitarist Mick Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. Ever since, it is never announced whether he will be appearing with the band for specific shows — it just depends how he is feeling.

After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and bassist Jeff Pilson, among others.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want To Know What Love Is".

Photo credit: Karsten Staiger

IN FLAMES has parted ways with bassist Bryce Paul and has replaced him with Liam Wilson (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN).

Earlier today (Thursday, June 8),IN FLAMES released the following statement via social media: "Jesterheads, Our brother Bryce Paul has decided to step away from the band. We wish him well on his future endeavors and thank him for everything he put into the band the last several years. Our friend Liam Wilson (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) will be stepping in to help us out!"

Wilson made his live debut with IN FLAMES last night (Wednesday, June 7) at the Release Athens 2023 festival in Athens, Greece. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

In a June 2017 interview with YesterdazeNews, IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte was asked how Bryce joined the band following the departure of longtime bassist Peter Iwers. Gelotte said: "Well, so, Håkan [Skoger], a really good friend of ours, came in and did the bass on the U.K. run we did, and then we did a European run after that. But family life didn't work with what we do. We're away a lot, and he wasn't ready for that, or his family took a decision that he couldn't do this. And it sucked, obviously, but that's something that we respect — family goes first, always. So when we were going over to the U.S. for the Rock On The Range and all those festivals, we needed to have somebody from the U.S., because there was no time to get a visa [for the new bassist]. We had our visas, but we needed to have somebody from the U.S. And Joe [Rickard], our drummer [at the time] — he's been with us since we recorded [the 2016 IN FLAMES album] 'Battles' — he said he has this friend in Nashville that he's played a lot with and he's awesome, and maybe he should try. He got the songs, he started rehearsing, we met him in Nashville for two days and then we started the tour. So he's here now."

Iwers quit IN FLAMES in November 2016, saying that he was leaving the band "to pursue other endeavors."

During a recent appearance on Doc Coyle's (GOD FORBID, BAD WOLVES) "The Ex Man" podcast, IN FLAMES singer Anders Fridén was asked if he and Gelotte are "tough to be in a band" with, considering all the lineup changes they've gone through over the years. Anders responded: "Yeah, maybe. That could be. Who knows? I'm very determined. know what I want. I know what to do. But I'm not always right. But I think there are different points in life. And things happen. We never fired anyone. It's just the way it is. That's a question for someone else, I guess. But I know what I want. I wanna take this band here, and then I go for that. I don't know how to answer [that question], really."

IN FLAMES' latest album, "Foregone", was released on February 10 via Nuclear Blast. According to a press release, the LP "combines the greatest aggressive, metallic, and melodic strengths of their landmark records with the seasoned songwriting of their postmodern era."

"Foregone" was the second IN FLAMES album with Paul and drummer Tanner Wayne, the first with ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick, and the third with Grammy-winning producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, THREE DAYS GRACE). Mike Plotnikoff (ALL THAT REMAINS, WARBRINGER) engineered at Benson's West Valley Recording Studios. Joe Rickard (10 YEARS, STARSET, DIAMANTE),who played drums for IN FLAMES from 2016 through 2019, handled mixing duties.
Jesterheads,
Our brother Bryce Paul has decided to step away from the band. We wish him well on his future endeavors and thank him for everything he put into the band the last several years. Our friend Liam Wilson (The Dillinger Escape Plan) will be stepping in to help us out! pic.twitter.com/imr8mnKK34

— In Flames (@InFlames_SWE) June 8, 2023

New VOLBEAT touring guitarist Flemming C. Lund (THE ARCANE ORDER) has commented on his decision to accept to offer to play with the Danish rock and rollers on their 2023 shows.

Lund said in a statement: "The cat's out of the bag! Sometimes unexpected things happen in life and this must be said to be one of them: I can now finally reveal that I will be playing stand-in in VOLBEAT for Rob Caggiano on lead guitar on VOLBEAT's upcoming summer tour. This means I'm playing all upcoming European festival shows in Finland, Norway, Sweden (warming up for METALLICA),Switzerland, Germany and Austria as well as the US/Canada tour in July and August.

"When I was asked by Michael Poulsen not many weeks ago if I wanted to help them, I was honestly at first very overwhelmed by the request and found it very difficult to see myself in that role. But after a little time to think and talk with those closest to me, it dawned on me that it was something I could not possibly say no to.

"So this summer takes a somewhat unexpected, but obviously insanely cool turn. I will try to enjoy every moment and just take in the many experiences and impressions that will surely be an experience of a lifetime.

"A big thank you must go to my fantastic workplace MCB for the great flexibility so that it could be successful, and not least to my better half Julie who, as usual, supported and stood behind me!"

THE ARCANE ORDER is a Danish extreme metal quintet which will release its fourth album, "Distortions From Cosmogony", on June 9 via Black Lion Records.

On Monday (June 5),VOLBEAT announced that it had officially parted ways with guitarist Rob Caggiano. No reason was given for the split, but the remaining bandmembers said that they wished their "brother Rob all the best with everything he does in the future." They went on to thank Rob "for ten amazing years."

Caggiano played on VOLBEAT's last four studio albums: 2013's "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", 2016's "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie", 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" and 2021's "Servant Of The Mind".

An acclaimed musician, songwriter and producer, Caggiano joined ANTHRAX as lead guitarist in 2001, appearing on 2003 album "We've Come For You All" and 2004's "The Greater Of Two Evils". He was onstage with the band during the famous 2010-2011 "Big Four" tour alongside SLAYER, MEGADETH and METALLICA, and he played on and produced ANTHRAX's 2011 critically acclaimed album "Worship Music".

Over the years, Caggiano has also garnered five Grammy nominations as a record producer/guitarist and has worked with a very wide range of artists including CRADLE OF FILTH, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT, THE DAMNED THINGS, H20, Jesse Malin and even Bruce Springsteen.

When Caggiano was enlisted as producer for Danish heavy rock quartet VOLBEAT in early 2013, the collaboration was so phenomenally successful that he was quickly invited to join the band as well. The resulting album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", achieved major chart success on both sides of the Atlantic, as did "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie".

Photo credit: Black Lion Records / All Noir