Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel played his first show with TESTAMENT last night (Saturday, May 27) at the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Demmel is filling in for TESTAMENT's regular lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, who is sitting out some of the band's spring/summer 2023 European tour dates in order to tend to a family emergency.

Because Demmel had a gig scheduled with VIO-LENCE at the Milwaukee Metal Fest on Friday (May 26),TESTAMENT performed as a four-piece at the kick-off concert of its European tour that same night in Wiesbaden, Germany.

This past Wednesday (May 24),Skolnick released the following statement via social media: "Dear Friends, a few days ago, I sent a late night 'family emergency' email to the band. The hour was 3am. I was at my mother's hospital bedside, in a tiny chair, still in stage clothes, a soft guitar case crammed in the corner (I'd come straight from my gig downtown). Thankfully, things have improved somewhat, knock on wood, and my mom's out of the Emergency Room, in more comfortable surroundings at the hospital, with release in the (hopefully) not too distant future. It's a good thing I happened to be home during such a turbulent week.

"At the same time, it's become very clear how many urgent matters need hands-on attention by yours truly, in light of all this. All of which to is to say that, unfortunately, there is no way to avoid TESTAMENT's upcoming European tour being affected.

"At least there is protocol for these situations. At this point, TESTAMENT had done an untold number of tours with bands in which one or more band members have had to be filled in for, most often for family issues (which become more frequent for everyone as life goes on). And having assessed this situation, it seems to make the most sense - assuming things continue in a present positive direction - for me to sit out part of this current tour and rejoin approximately mid-way. While I hate to miss/cancel shows (and never have, as far as I can remember),family first, as they say.

"Please know that the entire TESTAMENT band/crew/mgmt has been above and beyond in terms of understanding, empathizing and allowing me all the time I need. There's been no pressure and this is a plan I'm entirely on board with. There is plenty of gratitude on my end.

"I'm also grateful to my sub for these dates, Phil Demmel (ex-MACHINE HEAD). If bands are families, he is our 'Cousin Phil.' We have shared stages at NAMM and the with METAL ALLEGIANCE and he and Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] go back to their early youth. In recent years, Phil has become like Winston Wolf (from 'Pulp Fiction'),the guy you call in a pinch, whether you're SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD (for guitar or bass),OVERKILL and even vocals in JOURNEY - ok that's not true (but there is a funny meme about that). Eric Peterson will also be stepping in for some of my sections as well. Having played with both, I just know these guys will sound fantastic together, like a thrash MAIDEN. Will it sound like me? No and it shouldn't.

"One of my biggest honors was being a fill-in (one of four) for the late, great Allan Holdsworth, with his own band shortly after his passing, at a show he‘d been slated to play. All of us agreed - don't try to be him (no one can!),just be YOU. And that's how this is going to be. Think of these shows as unique, one-of-kind and worth going out of the way for. I'm looking forward to watching clips online

"Enjoy this temporary version of the band (which will be great) and don't worry - you'll have me to put up with again soon enough.

"Thanks for understanding, and see you all shortly."

Demmel's appearance with TESTAMENT will mark his fourth high-profile fill-in gig in five years. Demmel stepped in for SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt for four European shows in the fall of 2018 after Gary returned home to be with his dying father. Demmel also subbed for Dave Linsk at OVERKILL's November 13, 2021 concert at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey and on the band's spring 2022 U.S. tour. More recently, Phil stepped in for Willie Adler on a number of international LAMB OF GOD shows. He also filled in for LAMB OF GOD's John Campbell when the bassist had to miss a couple of shows on "The Metal Tour Of The Year" in order to "take care a family matter back home."

In a February 2022 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Demmel discussed how he became such an in-demand hired gun. "The SLAYER thing happened within 24 hours of me quitting MACHINE HEAD," he said. "I think [SLAYER drummer] Paul Bostaph's girlfriend knew that MACHINE HEAD was done and knew that I was home, so they reached out for that. As the urban legend goes [laughs], I had three hours to learn 19 songs. It was pretty successful; a fill-in trip, one of the higher-profile things you can imagine — SLAYER on their final world tour. I filled in for my buddies in NONPOINT, too. The OVERKILL gig was more about me and Bobby [Ellsworth, vocals] doing the BPMD record together [2020's 'American Made']. We're familiar and I got the rep of being able to learn songs pretty quick. The METAL ALLEGIANCE, guys, too. I'll play 25 songs with them in a night. It's one of those quirky things where I can learn songs pretty quickly and I can pick them up pretty quick."

Demmel was then asked whether his nerves for the LAMB OF GOD and OVERKILL gigs were on the same level as playing with SLAYER. "I was pretty confident with the OVERKILL songs," he said. "We had three good rehearsals. I didn't rehearse with SLAYER at all. I played two songs at a soundcheck. [Laughs] 'Okay, we're good!' It's like, 'Fuck!' OVERKILL, we had a couple of days of rehearsal. I had two and a half, three weeks to prepare for that. I felt pretty strong with that.

"The LAMB OF GOD gig, that was a big deal. They had approached me before their MEGADETH States tour last summer and wanted me to learn both parts, Mark [Morton] and Willie's, just in case one got sick, they didn't want to cancel their tour. That's where I am: I'm their bullpen guy when one of them can't make the shows, I'm ready to go. It's such a high-profile band. I didn't want to go out there and blow it. I wanted the band to sound good. I wanted to keep that pride in what they are and not have a drop-off. Willie and I play differently. There's different vibrato in our left hand and pinkies. I didn't want there to be a drop-off. I wanted people to be not bummed that he wasn't there. And that's not a slag on Willie. If I went to see one of my favorite bands, let's say QUEENSRŸCHE. I want to see [Chris] DeGarmo, I want to see Michael Wilton. No slight against the other dudes, but they better fucking bring it if they're not going to be out there."

#rhf2023 TESTAMENT - OVER THE WALL

Posted by Nwobhm Gary on Saturday, May 27, 2023

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Triptykon, led by Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost, Hellhammer) performed a full set of Celtic Frost classics at Rock Hard Festival 2023 on May 26th. Check out the pro-shot livestream below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Into the Crypts of Rays"
"Visions of Mortality"
"Dethroned Emperor"
"Morbid Tales"
"Procreation (Of The Wicked)"
"Return to the Eve"
"Nocturnal Fear"
"Circle of the Tyrants"
"Visual Aggression"
"Suicidal Winds"
"The Usurper"
"Jewel Throne"
"Dawn of Megiddo"
"(Beyond The) North Winds"
"Necromantical Screams"







In late 2022, Tom G. Warrior was a guest on BraveWords' Streaming For Vengeance recently and the Celtic Frost legend talked about the mega Danse Macabre box set which captures the radical ambition and evolution of the band from 1984 through to 1987. Here is an excerpt from our chat.



BraveWords: Arguably, people say that the artwork for To Mega Therion is one of the greatest in metal history. Explain how you got the rights and acquired it. Did you have to pay Giger money, or what was the deal?


Warrior: "Well, Martin (Ain) and I had pored over H.R. Giger's Necronomicon (originally published in 1977), his oversized, standard work constantly. It was basically our bible, we looked at it literally every day. And of course we loved the Satan 1 painting. When we wrote to him in late '83, when I wrote to him in my little letter, handwritten letter, we mentioned that painting and said if it's at all possible, would it be possible to do a collaboration with this painting? And to our astonishment he actually responded. He called us and his then wife also called us, who did his administration at the time, and we began to have regular phone calls, we began to have regular letter exchanges. It was of course before email and so on, and he told me on the phone one day that he had just finished what he called The Red Phase, a series of paintings in red paint, and he said his favourite painting of the series is the only one that hasn't been published yet, and he said, 'If you're agreed to also use that red painting (called Victory III) that I love so much, and put it also on the album, I'll give you the Satan 1 for free'."


BraveWords: Wow. 


Warrior: “For us being total nobodies, and not even having been sure if he would even talk about Satan 1 for us, the offer of two Giger paintings was jaw dropping, really. Of course we said yes, and it was an honour for us to also publish the red painting, Victory. The big obstacle to this was to talk the record company into financing a gatefold album so we could have both artworks."



BraveWords: That must have been a huge battle. 


Warrior: "It was. Because again, the record company didn't really realize that this was a sensation, that Giger was actually collaborating with this little Swiss band. But we managed to convince them and the rest is history, I guess."



BraveWords: How do you think the catalogue has aged over time? When you were creating it, and this is a very general question, did you feel like you were creating something special?


Warrior: "We didn't look at it so globally, we looked at it much more privately, much more intimately. We didn't create to make an impact, we created because we had something inside of us that screamed to be let out, probably based on the conditions of our upbringing, of our youth. Both Martin and I, and also Steve Warrior from Hellhammer, we all had quite a difficult youth, and I think the music we created was a reflection of that. So, we didn't want to leave an impression, we really, first and foremost, it was a very personal thing. What it achieved afterwards was of course out of our hands, and I'm hugely grateful for having found an audience, and the audience being true to me for such a long time. That's a gargantuan gift. As for your question about how the catalogue has aged, well Celtic Frost was a very ambitious, courageous, and daring band, and we did a lot of experiments. Some of those worked and have aged quite well, some of those failed miserably and have aged accordingly. But that comes with the territory. If you try to reinvent yourself on every album, you're bound to sometimes hit a wall. Not that that's an excuse, we should have been more diligent I guess, in some of the albums, especially me, but live and learn. I think the first three albums, Morbid Tales, To Mega Therion, Into The Pandemonium, have aged very well. The last one, Monotheist, so far has also aged very well. The others, there's an album that is unbearably bad and there's an album that's basically irrelevant. It's okay, but it's irrelevant in that catalogue. That's my personal view of it."


Watch the entire chat on BraveWords' Streaming For Vengeance below:




 








(Band photo credit: Sergio Archetti in Basserdorf, Switzerland, April 1985)

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn joined ANTHRAX on stage Saturday night (May 27) at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to perform the classic ANTHRAX song "I Am The Law". Video of his appearance can be seen below.

Flynn previously played "I Am The Law" with ANTHRAX on February 18 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California.

ANTHRAX performed at the Milwaukee Metal Fest without longtime drummer Charlie Benante, who was scheduled to play two shows with PANTERA in Europe this weekend, including a May 27 concert in Bucharest, Romania. Filling in for Benante in Milwaukee was Derek Roddy, who has previously played with HATE ETERNAL, NILE, MALEVOLENT CREATION and TODAY IS THE DAY, among others.

Roddy previously filled in for Benante this past January when Charlie was forced to miss a few shows on ANTHRAX's North American tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and EXODUS in order to undergo an undisclosed operation.

ANTHRAX played its first concert with Roddy on January 20 at the PNE Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Beginning around 2012, Benante missed certain shows on ANTHRAX's tours due to his long-running battle with carpal tunnel syndrome, a repetitive stress condition that happens when a person does repeated movements with the hand and wrist. He was replaced at the gigs initially by Jason Bittner (OVERKILL, SHADOWS FALL) and then by Jon Dette (SLAYER, TESTAMENT).

A few years ago, Charlie told San Antonio Metal Music Examiner about his inability to make all the dates on ANTHRAX's tours: "Unfortunately, we're like athletes, and like athletes, they suffer from certain things. I suffer from carpal tunnel problems. But I try and do as much as I could when I can. So we still wanna keep the band… We don't wanna disappoint people. So that's why we do it that way."

Two years ago, Benante spoke to the "Drum For The Song" podcast about how he was finally able to overcome his battle with carpal tunnel syndrome. He said: "I was suffering so much from it because I would go out and start playing the show, and then, by the fifth song, my hand would just go numb; I couldn't feel the stick. I tried so many different things, from acupuncture to physical therapy. I even had a can of the spray air that when you turn it upside down, it gets really cold — I would do that to try to get the feeling back. I tried so many things, but I knew at the end of the day I was gonna have to have the surgery. And Paiste cymbals referred me to a doctor that one of their other drummers went to and was such a great doctor. [He] talked me through the whole thing, and my recovery was quick, and, to this day, it's awesome."

Benante urged fellow drummers suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome to find a surgeon with experience and expertise in the condition before undergoing the operation. "Make sure you find a good doctor, because I've seen drummers that have had [huge] scars," he said. "And [on my arm] you can't even see anything, where he went in. So you have to be careful."

After 18 years, Swedish melodic death metal pioneers Hypocrisy finally returned to Wacken in 2022. Check out pro-shot video of "Eraser", "Chemical Whore" and "Roswell 47" below.





In November 2021, Hypocrisy released their 13th studio album, Worship, to massive acclaim from fans and media, ending up in the top ranks of many year’s poll lists and scoring some of their highest chart results to date.




Promoted on the band’s most extensive live cycle since ages, tracks like "Chemical Whore", "Children of the Gray" were very well received by their following, alongside such classic tracks as "Roswell 47", "Inferior Devoties", "Fractured Millennium" and "Eraser".


Hypocrisy toured the States, performed at festivals like Wacken, Summer Breeze, Maryland Deathfest, Alcatraz  to name but a few, played a highly successful European tour, and finished 2022 with an unforgettable trip to South America before launching 2023 aboard the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise.


But now, Hypocrisy and Nuclear Blast Records have started the first, and definitely not the final chapter, of a catalogue campaign bringing back all their legendary past records, some of which are much sought-after rarities.


“Chapter One” begins with classy vinyl and CD editions of Penetralia (1992), Osculum Obscenum (1993), The Fourth Dimension (1994), and Abducted (1996) on May 5.


Documenting the evolution from the violent and utterly morbid Masse Broberg fronted first two records, the much-revered opus The Fourth Dimension that showed a darker and more melodic approach until Abducted,  which includes live staple "Roswell 47", this first phase of Hypocrisy’s career laid down the groundwork for the Swedes trademark sound.


The 2023 reissues feature all original art with a few careful touchups - the band logo on Penetralia was for example never meant to be pink/purple - and preserve true death metal classics in an astonishing form that have been unavailable especially on LP for far too long.


Get ready to revisit one of the most consistent and dynamic discographies in the genre!





Order the following formats here, or here.


- Penetralia (Reissue 2023) Gatefold LP, CD
- Osculum Obscenum (Reissue 2023) Gatefold LP, CD
- The Fourth Dimension (Reissue 2023) Gatefold 2LP, CD
- Abducted (Reissue 2023) Gatefold LP, CD

Fan-filmed video of the fifth show of METALLICA's "M72" world tour, which took place Friday night (May 26) at Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany can be seen below.

The trek, which launched in late April in Amsterdam, sees the band playing two nights in every city it visits — with each "No Repeat Weekend" featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour features a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age.

METALLICA launched the first Hamburg show with "Creeping Death", the first single from the band's second album, "Ride The Lightning", which came out in 1984. The group's 16-song set also included three new songs from METALLICA's latest LP, "72 Seasons": "If Darkness Had A Son", "You Must Burn!" and the title track.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Harvester Of Sorrow
03. Leper Messiah
04. Until It Sleeps
05. 72 Seasons
06. If Darkness Had A Son
07. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
08. You Must Burn!
09. The Call Of Ktulu
10. The Unforgiven
11. Wherever I May Roam
12. Moth Into Flame
13. Battery
14. Whiskey In The Jar
15. One
16. Enter Sandman

Opening acts on the tour include Floor Jansen, EPICA, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

METALLICA promises fans who purchase a two-day ticket that they won't see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs spanning the band's 40-plus-year career.

Each weekend offers a variety of "Enhanced Experiences", ranging from access to a meet-and-greet, production and stage tour, food and beverage in the "Black Box" lounge to early entry into the venue and the Snake Pit. The very popular "Black Laminate" is back, now known as the "I Disappear Ticket", and is the ultimate pass for the fan who wants to run away with METALLICA for multiple weekends.

A single "I Disappear" ticket purchase gives you access to as many of METALLICA's 46 headlining tour dates across Europe and North America in 2023 and 2024 as you choose. You decide how many shows you'd like to attend around the world, and for how long, and METALLICA will make it as easy as possible.

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".

Speaking of the album-making process, Ulrich explained: "It's one of the only things that hasn't changed in 40 years. There'll be a whole slew of riffs and jams and sound checks, then it falls into my lap to go through them and identify, 'That one's great, that one's good, maybe there's a song over here.'"

Regarding the fact that guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo were given writing credits on more than half of "72 Seasons", Hetfield told the Associated Press: "All four guys were on the floor when we were writing, which is new for us. Usually it's just Lars and I sitting out there hashing it out. It felt really great to have the energy of all four. There's a lot more democracy on this album. Lars and I gave up the steering wheel a little more than usual."

Hammett agreed, saying: "It was much more collaborative. The attitude was just more open. There is less limitations on everyone's creativity and I think that shows."

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

The #M72 World Tour marches on to Hamburg for night 1 of our “No Repeat Weekend”!

Share what you're up to while you're in town with #M72Hamburg.

Posters from both shows, created by Mick Cassidy, will be available for purchase exclusively at the venue. pic.twitter.com/zqvpnrd3cB

— Metallica (@Metallica) May 26, 2023

PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo has publicly "disavowed" the Confederate flag.

The 54-year-old singer made the comment during the band's concert last night (Friday, May 26) in Bulgaria. He was addressing a fan in the audience who was displaying a sign that included Confederate flag imagery, something PANTERA had used as part of the band's stage production and in merchandise designs, including on the "Hesher Dream" shirt, which had been sold via the official PANTERA webstore in 2015.

Before launching into the closing song of PANTERA's set, "Cowboys From Hell", at Arena Sofia in Sofia, Philip told the crowd: "Sofia, I gotta say this: incredible audience. One more thing: there's a person over here holding up this sign trying to ruin the fuckin' show. I disavow, I disavow the fuckin' flag. I'm sorry. It's ridiculous, man. Keep politics out of shit. It's boring."

Back in September 2016, during an interview with Rolling Stone about the "A Vulgar Display Of Pantera" photo book, Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown were asked to comment on a photo of the band's stage display from the 2001 "Reinventing The Steel" tour that relied heavily on Confederate flag imagery.

Said Anselmo: "If we're really going to get into commentary here, yes, I see the projected Confederate flags. Well, for one, I've always said, 'Flags don't mean a damn thing to me.' Two, by using the Confederate flag, despite what anyone says — and I don't give a shit, because no matter what I say, I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't — but the truth of it all is, it was about as innocent as innocent could be. We weren't confessing to any clandestine power of structure or however you assholes wanna put it these days. I think we used the Confederate flag merely because of LYNYRD SKYNYRD. We had learned from people before us. And it was never about anything other than that."

Added Brown: "The Confederate flag is on the back cover of [1996's] 'The Great Southern Trendkill'. That was the 'Southern' part of it. There were still states that had that on their state flags. Nowadays it's forbidden to use it. It's not so politically correct. But it had nothing to do with racism. None of us were like that. It was just a tie-in to the artwork on the back cover. Even back then, I said, 'This is not the way to go.' LYNYRD SKYNYRD used one for years and still do. Now people confuse it with racism and hatred. That's not what this band is about at all; quite the opposite. But it's the only thing I would say in the P.C. days that I have any regrets about."

The Confederate flag's symbolism was the subject of an emotional debate in the South in the aftermath of the 2015 massacre of nine blacks by a white gunman in a Charleston, South Carolina.

White supremacist and suspected killer Dylann Roof had been pictured holding the Confederate flag before he allegedly carried out the murders.

While some people saw the flag as a divisive symbol of the South's proslavery legacy, supporters insisted the flag was an honorable symbol of regional pride, a mark of respect for Southern soldiers who died in the American Civil War.

In a 2015 interview with Sticks For Stones, PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott weighed in on the Confederate flag issue. He said: "All I'm going to say is it's a big knee-jerk reaction to something that happened. It's unfortunate that people are like that — they want to point a finger at something, you know."

He continued: "Honestly, this country was built on freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and when you can no longer do that, then it is no longer based on that, you know. It's a touchy thing, you know, and that's really all I'm going to say about it. I just think that it doesn't follow what the country was built on [and] what it was based on. To me, that blows, but that's how it, is man."

Also in 2015, Anselmo said that he was thinking twice about his past associations with the rebel flag.

"It'd be, like, would we be flying the Nazi flag?" he asked a Hard Rock Haven interviewer. "I don't think so, because flags are looked at whether it be nationalism or symbols of something. Truthfully, it's like…I wish fucking everyone would get along."

The singer went on to explain that the reason he and his former bandmates might have used the Confederate flag in the first place was "our love of bands like LYNYRD SKYNYRD." But he also acknowledged that "there was never a time when it was okay to promote hate." He also offered another possible explanation, saying, "It was never this blatant thing unless I was completely out of my mind, which I was at points in time. But that was a long-ass time ago."

Anselmo went on to explain his evolving sentiment about the flag. "These days, I wouldn't want anything to fucking do with it because truthfully…I wouldn't," he said. "The way I feel and the group of people I've had to work with my whole life, you see a Confederate flag out there that says 'Heritage, not hate.' I'm not so sure I'm buying in to that."

Anselmo went on to say: "People can point out flaws in any social group, any ethnic group, any ideology."

After the interviewer pointed out that Anselmo's SUPERJOINT project had incorporated the flag into the artwork for the band's 2002 debut, "Use Once And Destroy", Philip said: "In hindsight, you know what? I would have not used it." He also said that the title of the group's follow-up LP, "A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred", was "fucking regrettable." He added: "It’s probably my least favorite of any album I've ever done as far as lyrical content, just the idea behind the whole thing because I've got a crazy sense of humor and I do do a lot of tongue-in-cheek shit, man, but when something reads in black and white, people most of the time are going to read it in black and white. They're going to take it at face value."

More than seven years ago, Anselmo was at the center of controversy after he made a Nazi-style salute when he performed at the January 2016 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood in honor of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He also appeared to say "white power" as he made the gesture, but later claimed he was joking about drinking white wine backstage and was reacting to the audience members up front who he says were taunting him.

Back in May 2019, Anselmo was asked by U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine if he feels the "Dimebash" debate is something he has moved past. He responded: "I feel like it's ridiculous. I made an off-color joke and 'Boom!' — it's like I'm literally Hitler! I'm not. I take each individual one at a time, in the way that any logical individual will. I have love in my heart. Over the years, I've learned to take the first step with love and to put good faith first. I get along with everybody. If there's any doubt about my political leanings, people should get it out of their heads. I was raised amongst a dazzling [cast of characters] from the theatre, from the mental hospital, from all walks of life — all colors, creeds and kinds. It's absurd to me that anyone in this day and age would judge anyone by the color of their skin, their heritage or their religion. I'm a harmless guy. I'm a reactionary, not a troublemaker."

In the days following the "Dimebash" incident, MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn — who played PANTERA songs with Anselmo at the event — released an eleven-minute response video in which he denounced Anselmo as a "big bully" and a racist. He concluded by saying that he would never play another PANTERA song again. ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, who is Jewish, released a statement on his official web site saying, "Philip's actions were vile" and invited Anselmo to make a donation to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Vinnie Paul, who hadn't spoken to Anselmo since the band's split in 2003, was dismissive when asked for a comment on the singer's white-power salute. "I can't speak for him," Vinnie said in a 2016 interview. "He's done a lot of things that tarnish the image of what PANTERA was back then and what it stood for and what it was all about. And it's sad."

In 2017, Anselmo blasted "false journalism in the metal community" for suggesting he was racist because of his actions at "Dimebash".

In the weeks after the "Dimebash" incident, Anselmo's DOWN project canceled a number of shows, including at France's Hellfest, Dutch festival FortaRock and U.K.'s Download. The singer wrote an open letter to the Hellfest organizers in which he said it was not the right time for DOWN to tour. He also revealed that he was suffering from a recurring knee injury and needed rehabilitation.

This past January, PANTERA's appearances at two rock festivals in Germany, which were scheduled to take place in early June, were canceled following an outcry over Anselmo's previous racist remarks.

Scorpions have released the video below, featuring a rare performance of "Backstage Queen", filmed on May 7, 1977 at Kaléidospop.





Catch Scorpions live in concert on the dates listed below.




May
28 - Hall Tony Garnier - Lyon, France
31 - Zenith - Toulouse, France


June
2 - Hallenstadion - Zürich, Switzerland
5 - Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
7 - Winning Group Arena - Brno-Střed, Czech Republic
10 - Atlas Arena - Łódź, Poland
12 - Royal Arena - Copenhagen, Denmark
14 - Avicii Arena - Stockholm, Sweden
17 - Song Festival Grounds - Tallinn, Estonia
19 - Žalgirio Arena - Kaunas, Lithuania
22 - Ergo Arena - Gdansk, Poland
25 - Štark-Arena - Beograd, Serbia
28 - Romexpo - Bucharest, Romania
30 - Midalidare Rock In The Wine Valley - Mogilovo, Bulgaria


July
6 - Festival les Déferlantes Sud de France - Céret, France
11 - Icónica Sevilla Fest at Plaza de España de Sevilla - Sevilla, Spain
16 - Altice Forum - Braga, Portugal

Roger Waters has defended himself against criticism over his concerts last week in Berlin during which the former PINK FLOYD leader displayed Nazi-like symbolism and made what some people have described as offensive comments about Holocaust victim Anne Frank.

During the shows at Mercedes Benz Arena, Waters appeared on stage as the character Pink from the rock opera "The Wall" during a performance of the song "In The Flesh", wearing a black leather trench coat with a red armband bearing two crossed hammers instead of a swastika.

It was later reported that Waters was under investigation for possible incitement by German police, in addition to possibly having committed trademark abuse for the use of Frank's name without the consent of the Anne Frank Foundation, which has trademarked the name.

Waters projected Frank's name on a giant screen during the shows, along with several other names of contemporary figures including George Floyd and Shireen Abu Akleh.

"My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles," Waters wrote in a statement on Friday (May 26).

"The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms. Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated. The depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since PINK FLOYD's 'The Wall' in 1980.

"I have spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it. When I was a child after the war, the name of Anne Frank was often spoken in our house, she became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked. My parents fought the Nazis in World War II, with my father paying the ultimate price.

"Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it."

The Simon Wiesenthal Center criticized the Berlin concerts and asked that German authorities prosecute Waters for invoking and distorting Holocaust images.

"Shame on Frankfurt authorities and Mercedes Benz arena in Berlin — a place from where Jews were deported by the Nazis — for providing anti-Semite #RogerWaters this venue for his concert with no concern/care for the Jewish community," the center tweeted.

Berlin police spokesperson Martin Halweg later told The Guardian that police in Germany have launched a criminal investigation into Waters over the Nazi-style uniform he wore at the Berlin shows.

While Nazi uniforms, flags and other symbols are banned in Germany, Waters is reportedly being investigated under a separate law of "incitement of the people."
pic.twitter.com/RdxCXZY0Gn

— Roger Waters ✊ (@rogerwaters) May 26, 2023

British death metal legends Benediction performed at the Rock Hard Festival 2023 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on May 26th. The entire pro-shot livestream can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Divine Ultimatum"
"Iterations Of I"
"Scriptures In Scarlet"
"Vision In The Shroud"
"Unfound Mortality"
"Nightfear"
"I Bow To None"
"Agonised"
"Progenitors Of A New Paradigm"
"The Grotesque"
"Jumping At Shadows"
"Subconscious Terror"
"Foetus Noose"
"Stormcrow"
"I"
"The Dreams You Dread"
"Rabid Carnality"







Benediction recently uploaded some live action from their first show in Costa Rica, which took place on April 15th, 2023. Enjoy "Scriptures In Scarlet".





"Scriptures In Scarlet" appears on Scriptures, the eighth studio album from Benediction, released in 2020 via Nuclear Blast.


Order the album in various formats here.





Tracklisting:


"Iterations Of I"
"Scriptures In Scarlet"
"The Crooked Man"
"Stormcrow"
"Progenitors Of A New Paradigm"
"Rabid Carnality"
"In Our Hands, The Scars"
"Tear Off These Wings"
"Embrace The Kill"
"Neverwhen"
"The Blight At The End"
"We Are Legion"


"Stormcrow" video:

During an appearance on the latest episode of AXS TV's "The Power Hour", legendary rocker Alice Cooper was asked if he had any plans to retire. He responded: "Well, it's not in my vocabulary, the word 'retire.' People say, 'Why don't you stop and just play golf?' And I go, 'I play golf anyways.' I play golf every day. If there's a show, I play golf that morning and then I do the show that night."

Back in 2018, Cooper, who turned 75 this past February, told Tigman of the Albany, New York radio station Q103 that he had no plans on calling it quits. "I've always said this: If we do a tour and nobody shows up, then I'm retired," he explained. "That's never happened. In fact, we're doing better business now than we've ever done. More people are coming to the show now, and I've never felt better, so I don't see any reason to retire at all. I know a lot of guys are quitting, but a lot of guys still smoke and drink. They're probably tired. I'm not tired."

In 2017, Alice similarly told Finland's Kaaos TV that he has never considered retiring. "Retirement doesn't seem to fit in," he said. "If I was getting onstage and I was tired and if I was kind of phoning it in and my band was kind of lazy, it would be different. But I've never had a band or a show as high-energy as this show. It actually keeps me very much in shape and keeps me feeling young, doing 130 shows a year. I would never even think of retiring. Physically, if something happens where I can't play anymore or if something happens where I lose my edge, then I would think about it. Then I wouldn't be giving the audience everything I've got. Right now, I'm at the top of my game."

Alice and his band kicked off the "Too Close For Comfort" tour on April 28 at the Soaring Eagle Casino Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The 95-minute set included the classics "I'm Eighteen", "Under My Wheels", "Be My Lover" and "Poison", along with the first performance of "Snakebite" since 1991, with "Welcome To My Nightmare" returning after a nearly six-year absence.

Prior to the start of the "Too Close For Comfort" tour, Alice promised "a brand new production", telling Macomb Daily: "There's going to be a lot of things going on in this show that we haven't done yet — and a few things that we've done but reimagined.

"We just kind of got tired of people not being able to see some of the real intricate parts," the 75-year-old rocker explained. "Like when Alice does Dwight Fry, before you could never see the facial thing going on there. You will be seeing it this time."

Regarding the setlist for the tour, Cooper said that "we have to do the hits," including "I'm Eighteen", "School's Out" and "Poison". "The audience wants to hear the hits, so it's how do you decorate those hits? How do you put them into a story form or some kind of new way of looking at the show. It's putting a puzzle together, really, and I've got all the people that have done this for 50 years. We know how to make it work."

In March, it was announced that guitarist Nita Strauss would return to Alice's band for his 2023 tour.

The Alice Cooper North American tour continues through late September, including a handful of August stadium shows with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE, followed by a co-headlining late summer "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie.

Nita spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi Lovato's band last summer.

Cello metallers Apocalyptica have shared their performance of "Burn" from Tuska Utopia 2020. Check out the pro-shot video below.


The song is taken from the band's Worlds Collide album, released in 2007.







"The collaborations don't stop!," begins a message from Apocalyptica issued back in March. "We captured our performance of 'Rise Again' with Simone Simons of Epica in London. Check out the performance and then come out to one of our remaining tour dates and if you're lucky we'll perform it together for you!"





In support of the start of the second leg of their successful European tour, Epica and Apocalyptica teamed up for a unique collaboration on the atmospheric ballad, "Rivers", that they recorded live during the first leg of the Epic Apocalypse Tour, at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live in front of more than 5,000 fans.


“To play with these legendary musicians on our biggest indoor show in the Netherlands was a dream come true “, comments Coen Janssen and Mark Jansen adds: “To perform with Apocalyptica added an extra layer of pure magic to the song. Not only are these guys great musicians but also on a personal level, we match very well with these lovely people. Therefore, it was particularly special to perform ‘Rivers’ with them and we are very proud to present you the result of this collaboration in the form of our live performance.”


Stream the new single here, and watch the video below. The clip was shot by the team at Panda Production and edited by Jens de Vos.

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his solo metal cover of the The Proclaimers classic, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". The song is taken from the album Sunshine On Leith, released in 1988.





Sabaton's final EP in the Echoes Of The Great War EP trilogy, entitled Stories From The Western Front, is now officially available on all platforms and features a never-heard-before cover of Motörhead's well-known track, “1916". Stream Stories From The Western Front here.




In celebration of this final EP, the band has also unleashed a brand-new music video for “1916” filmed in Birmingham, England, and at Britain’s famous Black Country Living Museum. The music video features an overload of historical characters from the Sabaton lore, a headbanging metal army from Birmingham, and even a cameo from the living members of Motörhead - Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell. Watch the music video below.


The Western Front was one of World War I’s main theatres of conflict. It stretched across more than 400 miles through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea. It was a deadly place, and to put things into perspective, at least four-million men died there, although the true figure can never be confirmed.


The Stories From The Western Front EP tells stories of those who fought and fell on the Western Front, a place where the trenches and the ceaseless shelling drove men to insanity. Often, those who returned from this treacherous place did so with shell shock and chronic nightmares, PTSD or injuries that changed their lives forever.


“We are excited to release the last EP in the Echoes of The Great War series as well as a new music video, which we had a blast filming in the UK. Our new EP tells the tales that came from the Western Front, a brutal and unforgiving theatre of war. The Battle of Verdun, which was the longest battle of the First World War, the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 in Flanders, the Battle of the Somme… these are all things we should not forget,” explains Pär Sundstrom. “And through this EP – in fact, through this whole EP collection – our sole mission has been to immortalize these stories and ensure that these are at the forefront of everyone's minds.


“Speaking of the Battle of the Somme,” Pär adds, “this conflict resulted in a huge loss of human life – around 300,000 fatalities. It was one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts of WW1 - and in human history! This is what “1916” was written about, and that’s why it was the missing puzzle piece of this EP.”


Meanwhile, Joakim Brodén shares more information about the band’s cover of Motörhead: “We believed that ‘1916’ was the perfect fit for this EP, not only because it’s related to the First World War, but because we just love everything about the song. Lemmy was inspired to write this track after watching a documentary about the Battle of the Somme. The lyrics are emotionally charged and perfectly describe the experiences of all the young soldiers, most of whom were essentially just kids. A lyric that really moves me and hits home is: ‘We were food for the gun, and that’s what you are when you’re soldiers.’ I can’t get that out of my head.”


“We think we did this song justice. It’s our tribute to one of the greatest bands in the world and a nod to those who fought in the First World War and made the ultimate sacrifice!” he notes.


With each EP in the Echoes Of The Great War trilogy, Sabaton is releasing an exclusive digipak in limited numbers. They often sell out immediately, so if you want one for your collection, be quick!





Tracklisting:


"1916"
"Great War"
"Hellfighters"
"The Price of A Mile"
"Fields of Verdun"
"Race To The Sea"
"Devil Dogs"


"1916" video:

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed Rochester NY ripping Grindcore act Sully. The Tony Demo can be downloaded now for free via the HPGD Bandcamp, and is streaming on all digital platforms. Sully features members of Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault, Sulaco and Psyopus.


Sully is a fun loving, laid back four piece Grindcore outfit hailing from Rochester, NY. Including members Erik Burke (Sulaco, Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault) and Adam Frappolli (Psyopus),  Alex Perez and Ed Jusko round out the drums and bass section. These guys don't take themselves too seriously but unleash ripping carnage on The Tony Demo. Sully seamlessly blend elements of grindcore and Hardcore together to create their unique sonic mayhem. For fans of Brutal Truth, Burnt By The Sun, Discordance Axis, Human Remains, Pig Destroyer, Psyopus, The Red Chord, Sulaco, smoking cannabis and drinking beer or anyone who enjoys aggressive music.


Download the demo for FREE on Bandcamp.







Tracklisting:


“Blanket”
“Circle The Drain”
“Tinker’s Dam”
“Dredge The Lake”


“Circle The Drain”:

After dropping standalone single "Amongst The Low & Empty" last month, Pittsburgh deathcore unit Signs Of The Swarm is back today to reveal their upcoming fifth full-length of the same name: Amongst The Low & Empty will be unleashed via Century Media Records on July 28.


To coincide with this announcement, the band has dropped a new single from the record, "Tower Of Torsos". The video (directed by Joey Durango) can be seen below.


Drummer Bobby Crow comments about the single: "We wanted to bring the old school, in-your-face vibes of our favorite OG deathcore bands - with a fresh spin. We endearingly call it psycho-music. It's something of a continuation of what we started with 'The Collection,' musically, while the lyrical core is about doing whatever you must to come out on top. If you caught us on the road with Whitechapel recently, this one should be familiar to you!"




Vocalist David Simonich adds: "Mike and I were BINGING the hell out of the 'Hannibal' show while writing lyrics. It definitely pulled out our inner psycho, especially for this one where we wanted to paint a repulsive picture of a person chasing the idea of becoming god. The path to ascend is only to kill and build a monument of misery: his tower of torsos."


Regarding Amongst The Low & Empty, Crow explains: "'Amongst The Low & Empty' is more than just a title; it's also a feeling or state of mind. The phrase first came up in the lyrics of our last album, 'Absolvere', and became a driving force for our band ever since. When it came time for us to enter the studio with Josh Schroeder last November, 'Low and Empty' resonated in a very special way with the band. We had just completed well-over a year of non-stop worldwide touring and had to finalize an album we barely had time to wrap our heads around. We were literally low (energy) and feeling empty (of ideas). I still marvel at what we pulled off primarily in under a month (with a few extra days later to add the album's penultimate closing duo).


"If it weren't for the ideas flying around Josh's special studio, that time could have kept me feeling low and empty. I was very alone, locked away writing the music - we'd only come in with somewhere between 4-5 songs - with the only break from my strained and drained thoughts and ideas being visits from Schroeder to check in and add his genius.


"David and Michael wrote lyrics in another room, with the prose spewed forth balancing the beauty/beast meter, with Dave's recognizably rabid voice bringing it back to Signs when I'd push our sound boundaries (soundaries?). I'd always ask myself, 'How can we make this moment feel beautiful and terrifying at the same time?' Fortunately, the lyrics' grace contrasted gnarly subject matter to achieve and elevate that goal. It's kind of like the art of the album - serenely calming yet brutally when you truly take it in - inverted; musically we're brutal up-front with the beauty underlying.


"This album breathes a new sense of life into Signs of the Swarm that was much needed. We're grateful for and proud of our previous works and the platform that they have provided us over the last 10 years, but 'Amongst The Low & Empty' is a true and pure representation of each member's current creative and performative abilities that elevates the passion and confidence of the band tenfold."


Pre-order Amongst The Low & Empty here, where the album is available in the following versions:


- Jewelcase CD
- Gatefold black LP
- Gatefold aqua colored LP - USA retail exclusive
- Gatefold transp. light blue-black marbled LP - EU retail exclusive
- Gatefold white-dark blue marbled LP - Signs Of The Swarm exclusive
- Digital album


Produced by Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, King 810, Tallah, Varials), Amongst The Low & Empty is the first Signs Of The Swarm album to feature an outside producer. Massive, unapologetic and unrelenting in its assault, this fifth full-length keeps listeners on the edge of their seat. Songs like the title track, "Pray For Death" and "Malady" put to shame the slamming "br00tality" of sophomore LP The Disfigurement of Existence, with vocalist David Simonich's animalistic growls and screeches outdoing any swarm, pack, or otherwise, found in the wild. Despite the savage brutality, the leader of this herd IS the structure that is simultaneously more rigid yet more explorative, complete with a catchy groove underneath - the likes of which hasn't been heard from Signs Of The Swarm. It's the bedrock that allows "Tower of Torsos," "DREAMKILLER" and "Pray For Death" to be as catchy as they are. Songs like "Shackles Like Talons" and "Fire and Stone" split the difference incisively. On the more cacophonous side, industrial flirtations were added both in-studio by band and producer, and beyond, with Joshua Travis (Emmure, Glass Cloud, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza) and Cameron Losch (Born of Osiris) throwing riffs and ruckus into the mix ("At one point, Joshua Travis was recording a chainsaw in his backyard," the band reveals). Trivium mastermind Matthew K. Heafy even sent over a guest shout for "The Witch Beckons".


The resulting 11 tracks are so destructively deafening, it blew out Josh Schroeder's subwoofer! "We've always been a deathcore band," states Bobby Crow, the quartet's longest-standing member, who serves as drummer and main songwriter. "But this record is a lot MORE - it's got death metal, metalcore, djent, some industrial stuff...We wanted to make something that was just heavy."





Amongst The Low & Empty tracklisting:


"Amongst The Low & Empty"
"Tower Of Torsos"
"Pray For Death"
"Borrowed Time"
"Between Fire & Stone"
"Shackles Like Talons"
"DREAMKILLER"
"The Witch Beckons" (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)
"Echelon"
"Faces Without Names"
"Malady"


"Tower Of Torsos" video:





This weekend, Signs Of The Swarm wraps up their Mexican tour, before hitting Toledo Death Fest next week. Upon album release, the band will play several special shows in the US, then head overseas for the summer; European fans can catch them at some of the biggest festivals, in addition to co-headlining off-dates with Humanity's Last Breath and more. To finish off the season, Signs Of The Swarm will trek to the UK for a headliner with To the Grave and Harbinger.


Signs Of The Swarm lineup:


Bobby Crow - Drums
David Simonich - Vocals
Carl Schulz - Guitars
Michael Cassese - Bass


(Photo - Andre Giovanni)

Influenced by '70s and early '80s rock, The Dead Daisies sound is soulful and accessible - equal parts of Aerosmith, Bad Company and Foreigner: muscular vocals, bluesy riffs, big choruses, powerful melodies and strong hooks. With stellar musicianship and pulverizing live shows, fans across the globe are discovering the band that is bringing back rock n' roll!


The current incarnation of The Dead Daisies features guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), drummer Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), singer John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, Union), bassist Michael Devin (Whitesnake) and rhythm guitarist David Lowy (Red Phoenix, Mink).


More footage of the band's recent rehearsal session in New York City has been released. Watch two segments below:




Part 1:





Part 2:





Ten years ago, The Dead Daisies burst onto the music scene with a mission to gather some of the finest musicians in the world and simply put, play some good old fashioned, no bullshit rock n' roll! After a decade of recording and touring the planet, there have been some incredible one-offs and special highlights including sharing stages with some of the world’s biggest rock bands.


To mark this milestone, a collection of songs from six of the band’s previous studio albums have been chosen. The upcoming Best Of album release will include some of the collectives’ favorite tracks and others that have become a staple part of every Daisies touring setlist.


Two previously unreleased tracks from the last recording session are also included. It will be available on double CD & vinyl on August 18th. Pre-order your copy, starting June 2nd, here.





 


(CD cover art)


 


Tracklisting:


Disc 1
"Miles In Front Of Me"
"Lock N’ Load"
"Face I Love"
"Mexico"
"Midnight Moses"
"With You And I"
"Something I Said"
"Fortunate Son"
"Long Way To Go"
"Song And A Prayer"


Disc 2
"Make Some Noise"
"Resurrected"
"Rise Up"
"Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)"
"Unspoken"
"Bustle And Flow"
"Hypnotize Yourself"
"Born To Fly"
"The Healer" (Unreleased track)
"Let It Set You Free" (Unreleased track)





 


(Vinyl cover art)


 


 To celebrate a decade of rock, The Dead Daisies will kick off touring in late August with some dates in Canada and the US. Late October will see The Daisies head back to Japan, followed by dates in the EU throughout November and December. Confirmed shows are as listed;


August
22 - Mickey's Black Box - Lititz, PA
23 - The Landis Theater - Vineland, NJ
25 - The El Mocambo - Toronto, ON
26 - London Music Hall - London, ON
27 - The Hub - Kitchener, ON
29 - First Ontario Concert Hall - Hamilton, ON
30 - Théâtre Fairmount - Montréal, QC
31 - Brass Monkey - Ottawa, ON


September
2 - Hollywood Theatre - Vancouver, BC
4 - Alberta Rose Theatre - Portland, OR
5 - Cornerstone Craft Beer & Live Music - Berkeley, CA
6 - Goldfield Trading Post - Roseville, CA
8 - Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CA
9 - Count's Vamp'd Rock Bar & Grill - Las Vegas, NV
10 - The Roxy Theatre - Los Angeles, CA


October
31 - Umeda CLub Quattro - Osaka, Japan


November
1 - Spotify O East - Tokyo, Japan
4 - Konzertfabrik Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
5 - La Machine du Moulin Rouge - Paris, France
7 - La Rayonne - Lyon, France
8 - Live Club - Trezzo Sull'Adda, Italy
9 - Airport Obertraubling - Regensburg, Germany
11 - Cultuurpodium Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Netherlands
12 - Poppodium 013 - Tilburg, Netherlands
14 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
16 - Moriska Paviljongen - Malmö, Sweden
17 - Valand - Göteborg, Sweden
19 - Vulkan Arena - Oslo, Norway


December
2 - Masters Of Rock Cafe - Zlín, Czechia
3 - Barba Negra - Budapest, Hungary
5 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
6 - Majestic Music Club - Okres Bratislava I, Slovakia
7 - Cvetličarna D.O.O. - Ljubljana, Slovenia
9 - Hirsch - Nürnberg, Germany
10 - Columbia Theater - Berlin, Germany
12 - Batschkapp - Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
13 - Zeche - Bochum, Germany
15 - Rock Out Festival - Augsburg, Germany
16 - Knock Out Festival - Karlsruhe, Germany


"It's been an amazing decade with The Daisies! We've rocked out with some of the best in the business, toured the globe, released eight albums and are thrilled to be showcasing the body of work from over the last decade with our upcoming Best Of album release and tour. I'm excited to be welcoming John Corabi back to the band. Can't wait to get back on the road again in 2023 to perform for our fans!" - David Lowy


(Photo - David Pear)

Punk Rock Factory, the Welsh pop-punk upstarts known for their fun and energetic reimaginings of a wide range of well known tracks, have today released their latest EP, Poor Unfortunate Souls.





The 4-track EP features new versions of iconic songs from the beloved 1989 animated Disney film, The Little Mermaid, reimagined in their inimitable pop-punk style. With a live action version of The Little Mermaid now in cinemas, Punk Rock Factory decided to focus their attention under the sea...







The EP's lead single, "Part Of Your World," features dazzling guest vocals from Alissa White-Gluz, the powerhouse best known as the lead vocalist of the Swedish melodic death metal band, Arch Enemy. Watch the lyric video for the track below.


Alissa comments, “Like most people my age, I grew up feeling that I was one day destined to become a mermaid thanks to one particular movie which remains one of my favourites to this day. Well, I do sing and I do have colourful hair, but only now, releasing ‘Part Of Your World’, are my mermaid life-goals complete! I always sang this song to myself in a more traditional, Broadway style, but that was very far removed from what I do professionally. So, with Punk Rock Factory, I wanted to play back and forth between that beloved ‘Ariel’ voice and a heavier voice more fitting to my punk and metal roots. I thought the band did a great job of respecting a classic, while still giving it a punky edge, so I wanted to do the same. I love how it turned out! It was a bucket-lister for me!”


Punk Rock Factory add, "When we heard there was a new Little Mermaid film coming out, we knew we had to take a look at some of its hits, and put them together in a dedicated EP. After the success of our previous albums A Whole New Wurst 1 & 2 which were entirely Disney tracks, it had to be done! We had the opportunity to potentially work with Alissa on our latest album ‘It’s Just A Stage We’re Going Through', but unfortunately the timing didn’t work out. We stayed in touch and then floated the idea of ‘Part Of Your World’ to her... it turned out to be a favourite movie and song, and she was super excited to be involved. Alissa is an absolute behemoth of a vocalist, and she truly shows just how good her range is on ‘Part Of Your World’. When she initially sent her parts over, we were absolutely blown away and decided to step back from adding any of our own vocals, we just said “yep, this is your song now!!”

Guitarist Jason Ashcraft (Helion Prime, Dire Peril, Planeswalker, Of Romulus) has teamed up with Stu Block (Into Eternity, ex-Iced Earth) to breathe new life into a re-recording of a Dire Peril song released back in 2014, "My Vengeance Is Everything". This song is the title track on a new two-song EP, which also features a cover of "Blood Upon the Snow" originally written by Bear McCreary for the God Of War Ragnarok Soundtrack, fitting the God Of War trilogy theme of the EP.


Jason Ashcraft comments: "I was listening to the old Dire Peril EPs one evening as sometimes it's nice to revisit the past and see how far you've come. While listening to them I was really digging into this song and thought to myself 'You know there is still potential here and I bet with a new coat of paint it could really shine'. I knew there was one man I wanted to help me bring this back to life - Stu Block. He did such an amazing job on this song I'm excited for everyone to hear it!"


Also joining Jason Ashcraft on the recordings for the EP is drummer Alex Bosson (Helion Prime, Lunar), bassist Chelsea McMasters (ex-Dire Peril), guitarist Taylor Washington (Paladin), vocalists Heather Michele (ex-Helion Prime) and R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous E.H.) along with bassist Carlos Alvarez (Power Theory), guitarist Alon Mei-Tal, and Key Arrangements by Anthony Stahl.




Ashcraft continues: "I knew I wanted to do more with this release and really make it special. That's why I decided to do a cover of 'Blood Upon The Snow' and I love the way it turned out we all really made it our own. I brought Heather Michele on board for this one and she did such a great job. Even got a few words out of R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous E.H.) for this tune".


Watch the lyric video for "My Vengeance is Everything (Chaos Reigns)" ft. Stu Block below. Stream the track here.


The My Vengeance Is Everything EP is available here.





Tracklisting:


"My Vengeance is Everything (Chaos Reigns)"
"Blood Upon The Snow"


"My Vengeance is Everything (Chaos Reigns)" lyric video:





Credits:


"My Vengeance is Everything (Chaos Reigns)" recording lineup:


Jason Ashcraft - Rhythm Guitars
Stu Block - Vocals
Alex Bosson - Drums
Chelsea McMasters - Bass
Taylor Washington - Lead Guitars


"Blood Upon The Snow" recording lineup:


Jason Ashcraft - Rhythm Guitars
Heather Michele - Vocals
Alex Bosson - Drums
Carlos Alvarez - Bass
Alon Mei-Tal - Lead Guitars
R.A. Voltaire - Male Chants
Anthony Stahl - Key Arrangements


"My Vengeance is Everything (Chaos Reigns)":


- Music by Jason Ashcraft and Brett Tardif
- Lyrics by Jason Ashcraft
- Original vocal arrangements by Norman Skinner

BMG Music has released the legendary Asia studio album, Phoenix, with a highly collectible double vinyl edition, available today, May 26. The collection comes with an expanded full-size booklet containing rare photos and extensive liner notes.





Asia are the multi-platinum selling English rock band who formed in 1981 and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. Their 1982 self-titled debut album reached number one in several countries, including nine weeks topping the US charts, with lead single "Heat Of The Moment" making the Top 40 in over a dozen, including US #4.




Pooling the talents of John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe, ASIA immediately became the epitome of a supergroup of rock aristocracy and the natural heir to its members’ legendary bands of the 70s - King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Buggles and YES.


Leaving behind their progressive roots, Asia embraced the commercial FM rock sound and took the new MTV video channel, by storm. "Heat Of The Moment" was a world-wide monster smash and their 1982 debut album spent 9 weeks at #1 on the Billboard chart. Asia became the biggest selling album of the year and world tour dates sold out. A second album, Alpha, was released in 1983, when the band began a period of personnel changes before eventually breaking up.


Twenty three years later, the four original members reconvened in 2006 for a sold out world tour. In 2008, the album Phoenix followed to critical acclaim and the delight of its still very loyal fan base. Phoenix album (previously unreleased on LP) was the band’s first studio album with its original lineup. In terms of sound,  this emotionally compelling comeback album saw Asia continue the very high standards from where they left off in 1985. As in the past, it displays suppleness stretching out into multi-part suites while retaining a knack for big, arena pop hooks.


The members came together again to record Omega in 2010 and XXX in 2012. Steve Howe stepped back from Asia to concentrate on his work with YES and was absent for 2014’s Gravitas. Following this tour came the news of John Wetton’s treatment for cancer, a fight he sadly lost in 2017.


The new Phoenix vinyl version is available here.

In a recent interview with Stereogum, Dave Lombardo was asked if he was trying to push the limits of speed and technique to new places during SLAYER's early years. The drummer responded: "I think I was at the time. I was pushing the limits. I remember saying to [late SLAYER guitarist Jeff] Hanneman, 'It's gotta be heavy. It's gotta be faster. Fuckin' faster. Let's fuckin' play hard.' And I think the whole mindset that we had at the time was just to play faster — physically faster, not computerized faster like it is today. You have the help of different software to make you sound like this fucking Big Ben perfect clock. Back then, you had to be on point. There was no click track. I had not recorded an album with a click track until probably [2006's] 'Christ Illusion'. And on 'Christ Illusion', we only used a click track for part of a song. So, you know, things were very primitive at that time. What you heard on those albums, it was real. It was real human playing, without the help of any computer-generated time signatures or anything. So, we were pushing the envelope, and it was intentional."

Lombardo also talked about the double-kick and tom fill on "Angel Of Death", which is arguably one of the most famous drum parts in metal history. Asked if he could tell when he recorded it that that was something special, Lombardo said: "Well, it was part of a drum solo. They used to let me just go off on the drums. We used to play a song called 'Show No Mercy', and it started with a drum solo. And I remember one particular show, I believe it was in the Valley in L.A. I did a drum solo, and then I stopped and I just let the double bass go, and it caught Hanneman's attention. He went, 'Dude, we should put that in a song.' I think at the time we were writing some of the 'Reign In Blood' music, and he said, 'You should put that in the middle of this song.' And so we did.

"Did I know? Huh-uh," he continued. "No. It was just a really cool surprise little section of the song. You know, you're listening to the song, and boom, it goes into this drum fill. I thought it was great, but I didn't know to what extent it was going to impact the listener. And apparently, it was one of the really cool moments of that record."

More than 15 years ago, former OVERKILL drummer Rat Skates told D.X. Ferris, author of "33 1/3: Reign in Blood", the first English-language book about SLAYER, that "what SLAYER did, including that double-bass break on 'Angel Of Death', they did shit that no one else did, because they could. And you listen to that part, and you just knew: Those are two bass drums. That guy's feet are fuckin' flying.’ It blew everyone's mind."

MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor concurred, saying: "That specific part, it broke the speed barrier. It would make me happy when I heard it. Everybody at a SLAYER show would wait to hear it. And everything else paled in comparison — until grindcore happened. But grindcore, I think it loses something."

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

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

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

Photo credit: Ekaterina Gorbacheva

Toronto rockers Danko Jones have released "Good Time", the second single from their forthcoming album, Electric Sounds, out September 15. Watch the official music video below, and get the song on digital services, here.


Danko Jones: "We quietly finished the album while everyone wasn't looking, and we can't wait for you to hear the rest of the tracks very soon."







With Electric Sounds, Toronto’s archbishops of amplification prove that even a global pandemic couldn’t stop Danko Jones.


“Not working for two years really felt like touring rock bands were being put out to pasture,” recalls Danko. “But I guess that only made us try harder. We were still able to record and release an album during the pandemic (Power Trio, 2021). We toured as soon as we were allowed. Now that Electric Sounds is getting released, it doesn’t feel like we missed a beat. During the pandemic, we moved away from each other. JC lives in Finland and Rich lives in Prince Edward Island. So the writing for this band has changed. We used to bash out ideas in our rehearsal place, day after day, but it’s more about sending files back and forth now. However, last summer, while on tour, we did manage to jam out ideas in a rehearsal room in Berlin for a few days. Out of those jams came the nubs for five songs...”


Five songs have since been expanded to eleven new Danko Jones songs, and Electric Sounds promises to have the instant sound and feel of a classic. With no need to reinvent the wheel, the group have further honed and refined their craft - always at full volume - although Electric Sounds is a deceptively diverse affair. No band has ever sounded more ready to hit the road than the pumped-up threesome showcased on the hell-for-leather ragers featured on their forthcoming album.


Electric Sounds was produced by Eric Ratz, and features guest spots from Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies), Damian Abraham (Fucked Up) and guitarist Daniel Dekay (from Canadian thrash legends Exciter).


Pre-order the album here.





Electric Sounds tracklisting:


"Guess Who's Back"
"Good Time"
"Electric Sounds"
"Get High?"
"Stiff Competition"
"She's My Baby"
"Eye For An Eye"
"I Like It"
"Let's Make Out"
"What Goes Around"
"Shake Your City"


"Guess Who's Back" lyric video:





Danko Jones is:


Danko Jones - Vocals/Guitar
John Calabrese - Bass
Rich Knox - Drums


(Photo - Daniel Berbig)

MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD played the second show of the European leg of their "The World Tour" this past Thursday night (May 25) at SparkassenPark in Mönchengladbach, Germany. Fan-filmed video of MÖTLEY CRÜE's performance can be seen below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's setlist was as follows:

01. Wild Side
02. Shout At The Devil
03. Too Fast For Love
04. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
05. Saints Of Los Angeles
06. Live Wire
07. Looks That Kill
08. The Dirt (Est. 1981) (with Machine Gun Kelly on screen)
09. Guitar Solo
10. Rock And Roll, Part 2 / Smokin' In The Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy In The U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop
11. Home Sweet Home
12. Dr. Feelgood
13. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
14. Girls, Girls, Girls
15. Primal Scream
16. Kickstart My Heart

MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD will next perform on May 29 at MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary.

Earlier this month, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx said that the band had completed recording several new songs with longtime producer Bob Rock.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist John 5 told Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about recording the group's new music with Rock: "Bob would come in and [say], 'Okay, let's try this here, and that here and this here. It was one of the most incredible experiences ever… I'm thinking, 'We've got so much great technology today'… but we got in that room and it was like being in a garage working on a song when you were in high school… It was incredible, and we documented a lot of it too."

Regarding the musical direction of the tracks he and the rest of MÖTLEY CRÜE have recorded so far, John 5 said: "The songs are fucking heavy. I sound like a little excited kid right now, but they're heavy and they're mean. I can't wait for them to come out. I'm just so excited."

When host Eddie Trunk asked John 5 whether the new MÖTLEY CRÜE music can be compared to the band's breakthrough second album, 1983's "Shout At The Devil", the guitarist said that some of the new riffs are "heavier than anything" on that LP. "All I can tell you is that it's heavy and it's aggressive, and I think people are going to dig it because, talking as a fan, it's fucking badass," he said.

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE last fall as the replacement for the band's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE last October as a result of worsening health issues.

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE last summer that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, last month the 71-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE performed live for the first time in more than three years last night (Friday, May 26) at the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the Columbus gig, Josh Homme and his bandmates played one gig in early 2020, their first since 2018.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's 11-song set included the live debut of the band's new single, "Emotion Sickness", which will appear on their long-awaited eighth studio album, "In Times New Roman…", due on June 16 via Matador.

The setlist was as follows:

01. No One Knows
02. The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret
03. My God Is The Sun
04. If I Had A Tail
05. The Evil Has Landed
06. I Sat By The Ocean
07. Emotion Sickness (live debut)
08. Little Sister
09. Sick, Sick, Sick
10. Go With The Flow
11. A Song For The Dead

Fan-filmed video can be seen below (courtesy of Cory Copeland YouTube channel).

"In Times New Roman…" was recorded and mixed at Homme's own Pink Duck (RIP),with additional recording at Shangri-La. The album was produced by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and mixed by Mark Rankin. The album will be available across all digital platforms and on vinyl and CD. Artwork and double LP gatefold packaging designed by longtime collaborator Boneface. LP vinyl will be available globally in black, green, red, silver and blue.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE said in its album announcement that the record reflects the heartache its members have experienced in the past few years.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's last album, 2017's "Villains", debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

"In Times New Roman..." is "raw, at times brutal and not recommended for the faint of heart," a press release states. "And yet, it's perhaps the most beautiful and definitely the most rewarding album in their epic discography. Homme's most acerbic lyrics to date are buoyed by the instantly identifiable QOTSA sonic signature, expanded and embellished with new and unprecedented twists in virtually every song. With 'In Times New Roman…' we see that sometimes one needs to look beneath scars and scabs to see beauty, and sometimes the scabs and scars are the beauty."

San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT performed as a four-piece at the kick-off concert of their European tour last night in (May 26) in Wiesbaden, Germany. The band played without lead guitarist Alex Skolnick who is sitting out some of TESTAMENT's spring/summer 2023 European tour dates in order to tend to a family emergency. He will be replaced on the trek by former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel starting tonight (Saturday, May 27) at the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

This past Wednesday (May 24),Skolnick released the following statement via social media: "Dear Friends, a few days ago, I sent a late night 'family emergency' email to the band. The hour was 3am. I was at my mother's hospital bedside, in a tiny chair, still in stage clothes, a soft guitar case crammed in the corner (I'd come straight from my gig downtown). Thankfully, things have improved somewhat, knock on wood, and my mom's out of the Emergency Room, in more comfortable surroundings at the hospital, with release in the (hopefully) not too distant future. It's a good thing I happened to be home during such a turbulent week.

"At the same time, it's become very clear how many urgent matters need hands-on attention by yours truly, in light of all this. All of which to is to say that, unfortunately, there is no way to avoid TESTAMENT's upcoming European tour being affected.

"At least there is protocol for these situations. At this point, TESTAMENT had done an untold number of tours with bands in which one or more band members have had to be filled in for, most often for family issues (which become more frequent for everyone as life goes on). And having assessed this situation, it seems to make the most sense - assuming things continue in a present positive direction - for me to sit out part of this current tour and rejoin approximately mid-way. While I hate to miss/cancel shows (and never have, as far as I can remember),family first, as they say.

"Please know that the entire TESTAMENT band/crew/mgmt has been above and beyond in terms of understanding, empathizing and allowing me all the time I need. There's been no pressure and this is a plan I'm entirely on board with. There is plenty of gratitude on my end.

"I'm also grateful to my sub for these dates, Phil Demmel (ex-MACHINE HEAD). If bands are families, he is our 'Cousin Phil.' We have shared stages at NAMM and the with METAL ALLEGIANCE and he and Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] go back to their early youth. In recent years, Phil has become like Winston Wolf (from 'Pulp Fiction'),the guy you call in a pinch, whether you're SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD (for guitar or bass),OVERKILL and even vocals in JOURNEY - ok that's not true (but there is a funny meme about that). Eric Peterson will also be stepping in for some of my sections as well. Having played with both, I just know these guys will sound fantastic together, like a thrash MAIDEN. Will it sound like me? No and it shouldn't.

"One of my biggest honors was being a fill-in (one of four) for the late, great Allan Holdsworth, with his own band shortly after his passing, at a show he‘d been slated to play. All of us agreed - don't try to be him (no one can!),just be YOU. And that's how this is going to be. Think of these shows as unique, one-of-kind and worth going out of the way for. I'm looking forward to watching clips online

"Enjoy this temporary version of the band (which will be great) and don't worry - you'll have me to put up with again soon enough.

"Thanks for understanding, and see you all shortly."

Demmel's appearance with TESTAMENT will mark his fourth high-profile fill-in gig in five years. Demmel stepped in for SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt for four European shows in the fall of 2018 after Gary returned home to be with his dying father. Demmel also subbed for Dave Linsk at OVERKILL's November 13, 2021 concert at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey and on the band's spring 2022 U.S. tour. More recently, Phil stepped in for Willie Adler on a number of international LAMB OF GOD shows. He also filled in for LAMB OF GOD's John Campbell when the bassist had to miss a couple of shows on "The Metal Tour Of The Year" in order to "take care a family matter back home."

In a February 2022 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Demmel discussed how he became such an in-demand hired gun. "The SLAYER thing happened within 24 hours of me quitting MACHINE HEAD," he said. "I think [SLAYER drummer] Paul Bostaph's girlfriend knew that MACHINE HEAD was done and knew that I was home, so they reached out for that. As the urban legend goes [laughs], I had three hours to learn 19 songs. It was pretty successful; a fill-in trip, one of the higher-profile things you can imagine — SLAYER on their final world tour. I filled in for my buddies in NONPOINT, too. The OVERKILL gig was more about me and Bobby [Ellsworth, vocals] doing the BPMD record together [2020's 'American Made']. We're familiar and I got the rep of being able to learn songs pretty quick. The METAL ALLEGIANCE, guys, too. I'll play 25 songs with them in a night. It's one of those quirky things where I can learn songs pretty quickly and I can pick them up pretty quick."

Demmel was then asked whether his nerves for the LAMB OF GOD and OVERKILL gigs were on the same level as playing with SLAYER. "I was pretty confident with the OVERKILL songs," he said. "We had three good rehearsals. I didn't rehearse with SLAYER at all. I played two songs at a soundcheck. [Laughs] 'Okay, we're good!' It's like, 'Fuck!' OVERKILL, we had a couple of days of rehearsal. I had two and a half, three weeks to prepare for that. I felt pretty strong with that.

"The LAMB OF GOD gig, that was a big deal. They had approached me before their MEGADETH States tour last summer and wanted me to learn both parts, Mark [Morton] and Willie's, just in case one got sick, they didn't want to cancel their tour. That's where I am: I'm their bullpen guy when one of them can't make the shows, I'm ready to go. It's such a high-profile band. I didn't want to go out there and blow it. I wanted the band to sound good. I wanted to keep that pride in what they are and not have a drop-off. Willie and I play differently. There's different vibrato in our left hand and pinkies. I didn't want there to be a drop-off. I wanted people to be not bummed that he wasn't there. And that's not a slag on Willie. If I went to see one of my favorite bands, let's say QUEENSRŸCHE. I want to see [Chris] DeGarmo, I want to see Michael Wilton. No slight against the other dudes, but they better fucking bring it if they're not going to be out there."



Testament-Rise Up 26.5.23 Wiesbaden

Posted by Крис Крис on Friday, May 26, 2023

Voivod thank you.... TESTAMENT you destroyed Wiesbaden....

Posted by Крис Крис on Friday, May 26, 2023

Jetzt rocken Testament die Bühne und der Schlachthof Wiesbaden der mittlerweile gut gefüllt ist geht begeistert mit. Weitere Fotos demnächst auf Rock Konzert Magazin

Posted by Thomas Fiedler on Friday, May 26, 2023

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A post shared by Phil Demmel (@phildemmel)

Front-row fan-filmed video of KREATOR's entire May 26 performance at the House Of Blues in San Diego, California can be seen below. The show was part of KREATOR's ongoing "Klash Of The Titans" North American co-headlining tour with Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA. Support on the trek is coming from DEATH ANGEL and SPIRITWORLD.

KREATOR's setlist was as follows:

01. Hate Über Alles
02. People Of The Lie
03. Awakening Of The Gods
04. Enemy Of God
05. Betrayer
06. Satan Is Real
07. Hordes Of Chaos (A Necrologue For The Elite)
08. 666 - World Divided
09. Flag Of Hate
10. Violent Revolution
11. Pleasure To Kill

Earlier this week, KREATOR released a music video for the song "Conquer And Destroy" from their acclaimed latest album, "Hate Über Alles". The performance footage was filmed on March 4, 2023 in front of 6,000 of KREATOR's mighty hordes in their spiritual home of Essen. This very special show at Grugahalle not only featured a career-spanning KREATOR setlist full of neckbreakers and beloved anthems, but also visually stunning high-end production solidifying the event as an unforgettable night for everyone in attendence. From opener "Hate Über Alles" all the way through to the final encore of "Pleasure To Kill", the performance was a maelstrom of mosh pits and raised fists.

In a recent interview with El Cuartel Del Metal, KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza was asked if he pays attention to what fans have to say about his band's music on social media, especially after releasing a new album. He responded: "I know I shouldn't do this, but the band KREATOR is so important for me, and also it's important to know what our fans think of the music. First and foremost, of course, we have to love the music. And I totally get why… You cannot be loved by everyone. KREATOR wouldn't be KREATOR if all of a sudden the whole world would love what we do. That's not how things work. If you have a unique sound, there will be people that [say] it's not what they expected [laughs] — which is fair enough.

"But to answer your question — do I listen to comments? I shouldn't but I sometimes do," Mille admitted. "But then, on the other hand, I know that… It would be bad if people wouldn't care at all. If people are disappointed about some of the songs or the direction we're taking just means that they care. If people still care and they still feel offended that we have… For example, on the new album ['Hate Über Alles'], we have a female singer and some people were, like, 'Yeah, it's not thrash.' Whatever. [Laughs]"

Pressed about whether that influences his songwriting, Mille said: "No. No, no, no, no, no. That fuels the fire, really. We do wanna be KREATOR and we do wanna enjoy what we do. When I go into the studio, we have all this great technology and these tools and we have these great people that we're working with. And in the studio we're so creative and we don't follow any rules. Why would we? I didn't get into metal to follow the rules of some elitists that tell me what metal is about. The moment that happens I'm gonna just quit because that would be so wrong.

"I like the fact that people have opinions — don't get me wrong," he clarified. "But I also have my own opinion and I have my own view and I know how KREATOR should sound. And we do it with passion and we do it with honesty and we're straight up. We love thrash metal, we love all kinds of metal, and we love all kinds of music. It's what we do. And you can't be everyone's darling."

KREATOR's fifteenth studio album, "Hate Über Alles", was released in June 2022. The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

The "Hate Über Alles" cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marks KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

In March 2020, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, "666 - World Divided". The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.