During an appearance on a recent episode of the GUNS N' ROSES-centric "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens was asked what he initially thought of GUNS N' ROSES and Axl Rose's vocal performance when he first heard the "Appetite For Destruction" album. Owens responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think I liked it. I think at the time I might have been a little more thrashy — ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL — at that time. So, if you weren't a classic band already — DIO, PRIEST, [IRON] MAIDEN — it was hard for me to get in on board with something else. But, obviously, as time went on, it changed. I loved the voice and I loved the band. I'll tell you, [Axl] was fantastic with AC/DC. And I've gotta be honest, when they said, people were, like, 'Oh my God. Why's he gonna do that?' And I'm, like, but that's a good voice that he has; he has that voice where he could sing that stuff.

"I remember when ['Appetite For Destruction'] came out… You know what? I probably didn't hate 'em yet," Tim continued. "You know what probably happened? I probably liked 'Welcome To The Jungle'; I think everybody liked that one. That song came out, and everybody was, like, 'This is awesome.' But I probably lumped them in at the time with the 'hair metal' bands, which they were nothing like that. But mentally, you're, like, 'I wanna hear 'Caught In A Mosh'. Screw these guys.' Then you just start moving along, and you realize, 'Yeah…' Here I am now, if I'm at a gym, I'll listen to THE BEATLES, James Taylor, a GUNS N' ROSES song will come on, RAMMSTEIN, BENEDICTION… God knows what comes on. THE BLACK KEYS… All that stuff."

Owens recently released a solo EP, "Return To Death Row". The effort was produced by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Nick Bellmore (JASTA, DEE SNIDER). Players on the EP, which contain Owens's "heaviest songs yet," include Nick Bellmore, Charlie Bellmore (DEE SNIDER, ex-TOXIC HOLOCAUST) on guitar, and Chris Beaudette (JASTA, ENTEIRRO) on bass.

Owens is currently the frontman of KK'S PRIEST, featuring fellow former JUDAS PRIEST member K.K. Downing.

Owens joined PRIEST after being discovered when the band's drummer, Scott Travis, was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover act BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Rob Halford.

Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Halford in 2003.

"Demolition" and "Jugulator" are included on "50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music", JUDAS PRIEST's 2021 limited-edition box set which contains every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs.

Rufus Publications has announced the third title in a new series of black-and-white books called "Portraits" featuring the legendary IRON MAIDEN and covering the years the band emerged as a major force in British Heavy Metal with singer Paul Di'Anno. It features hundreds of previously unseen, carefully restored black-and-white images of the band at play, rehearsing, recording and of course, playing live at a series of pivotal gigs (including the legendary Ruskin Arms) as they emerged as one of the U.K.'s most important heavy metal acts.

The book is 230mm square, casebound, 240 pages, printed on luxury 170gsm matt coated paper. The book comes with a fold out poster and is presented in a black slipcase with a gold foil logo. The main edition comes in 666 numbered copies. In addition to this a much larger, ultra-limited Leather And Metal edition measuring 375mm square and presented in recycled leather and a hand welded aluminum metal slipcase is also being prepared in a run length of just 66 numbered copies. This will sell for £500 and comes with a copy of the standard edition plus a limited-edition print. John Tucker has written a historical essay covering the period and Kerrang!'s founding editor and Sounds writer Geoff Barton shares his thoughts as the band emerged from the ashes of the NWOBHM.

The book will go on sale on Friday, March 10 at 3 p.m. UK time and will feature a 10% pre-order discount if ordered before April 30, 2023. The books will ship worldwide in July 2023.

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson.

Out of the ashes of the Norwegian thrash band Fallen Saint, This Means War has been given birth. Birger Steneby (ex-NoPlaceToHide) and Børre Jul-Larsen started trading riffs in 2020, and they quickly rediscovered the old magic with a new sense of modern brutality. Their aggressive take on thrash metal, with unholy doses of death metal and even some black metal.


 


The vocal and lyrics duties are shared between Geir Ingemar Henriksen (Kill-Tech) and Bjørnar Kristiansen (Dwaal), which add another layer of violence. A lyrical output with a black heart, that speaks of man's total depravity, either political or the more insane kind.




 


Omnivore Doctrine will be released via Gymnocal Industries on March 29th.


 





 


"Outcast"


"Hunger"


"Worms Chooses Violence"


"Deceit"


"Omnivore Doctrine"


"She is in the Water"


"Chaos & Sickness"


"Crawlspace Necropolis"


 





 


Photo by Christian Roth Christensen

In a new interview with Heavy magazine, Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH, which will perform in Australia later this month as part of Knotfest Australia, was asked what has changed with his band since the last time MEGADETH played in the country back in 2015. Dave responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, a lot. A lot, I would have to say. We've had some lineup changes, and every time we did that, the person that came in was better. When we parted ways with the drummer before Dirk [Verbeuren, current MEGADETH drummer] — it was the person before Chris Adler [LAMB OF GOD], which was Shawn Drover — we tried to get the 'Rust In Peace' lineup back together. It didn't work with Nick [Menza, former MEGADETH drummer]; Nick went off one way and we went the other. [We] contacted Adler and asked him if he would play on the record, and then maybe contact Nickagain and have him tour with us since he couldn't really do the record. That didn't work out either, so we had Chris do the record ['Dystopia'] and stay, and while we were doing that, Chris and his band parted ways. We didn't know if Chris was gonna stay with us [or] stay with them. Of course, we wanted him to stay with LAMB OF GOD. I'm sad that he left and that there's any kind of distance between the family. I do think that Art [Cruz, current LAMB OF GOD drummer] is an amazing drummer. And then after that, Chris Adler recommended Dirk. And Dirk is, in my mind, the best drummer we've had since Gar Samuelson. He's a big fan of Gar, and that is the power that drives MEGADETH — that jazz metal; not, like, rock metal. Nick was a super-talented and powerful drummer, and he, fortunately, was able to do a lot of those jazz hooks too. So we almost had that magic that we did when Gar was there, but we definitely had something that Gar did not, which was the power that Nick Menza possessed."

Mustaine continued: "Same thing if you go down the line with the bass playing. [David] Ellefson [former MEGADETH bassist] was in the band. He was out. James [LoMenzo, current MEGADETH bassist] came in. He was out. Ellefson came back because the Drover brothers [drummer Shawn and guitarist Glen] kept pressuring me to do this, get Ellefson back. He came in, and we had that weird shit that happened. I had Steve DiGiorgio come in and record the record ['The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!'], and James is back. And I love that he's back. The singing is fabulous on stage. He actually can sing really well, so he helps encourage me to sing. And then Kiko [Loureiro, guitar], as you know... After I parted ways with Chris Broderick [former MEGADETH guitarist]… I mean, where do you go from having [former MEGADETH guitarists] Marty Friedman and Chris Poland, and it's time to make a guitar player change again? So, Kiko… I saw a video online of Kiko actually being put head to head against Chris Broderick; someone made a video of that, right? And I watched it, and I went, 'Fuck! I've gotta get in touch with this guy.' The funny thing was that when I contacted him, he said that he had been talking to Ellefson. So when I talked to Ellefson the next time, I said, 'What the fuck's wrong with you, man? Why didn't you tell me you know this guy?' So that was a great addition to the band. Kiko and James play really well together, and Kiko and Dirk have an amazing ability to play those crazy riffs together. Of course, we can always be better, so we all go into the jam room every day and try and work on little bits and pieces of a song. And our record producer is out with us on the road as our music director helping us keep our chops up."

Mustaine fired Ellefson from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

Shortly before Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

Last September, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as number ones on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was the highest-charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, notching No. 1 In Finland, No. 2 in australia, poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the U.K., and more.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

MEGADETH recently received its thirteenth Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" for the song "We'll Be Back" from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!".

MEGADETH won the 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of the band's 2016 album "Dystopia". This marked the group's twelfth Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category).

Photo credit: Gibson

Guitarist Bobby Gustafson has opened up about his fall 2022 exit from San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans VIO-LENCE. The 57-year-old musician, who is based in Florida, told the "Metal Mayhem ROC" podcast: "Yeah, [the cross-country commute] was hard. And with the economy, the way it was, everything started to get more expensive. I mean, the flights had doubled since I first started going out there in 2020. And to go back and forth, it was a strain on me, but it was a strain on the band as well, to try and keep themselves going. You can't be selfish and be the only one they're wasting money on like that. But they [originally] wanted somebody with a name [to be in their band], and they asked me to do it, and I was, like, 'Yeah. This'll be great.' So it just got to be where it's so expensive, and it's affecting every band, basically. Between diesel for the bus, hotel rooms, flying to Europe. I'm hearing now that they're taking a lot in Europe — they're taking money from your t-shirts.; they are taxing those bands that leave Europe to try and come here to play. Everyone's got their hands in your pockets. It's so hard to make anything… It's not cost effective anymore. It's, like, are you doing it [just to be] doing it, or are you doing it to make a living? 'Cause you still have bills to pay at home, so you've gotta make something. And, yeah, the worst part of it is really the gas and those buses, and everything over there is diesel, and that just went through the roof.

"So, it is what it is," Gustafson added. "There's no hard feelings or nothing. And it's just… move on."

A former member of OVERKILL, Gustafson joined VIO-LENCE in January 2020 as the replacement for Ray Vegas.

When Gustafson's departure from VIO-LENCE was first announced last October, the band cited "logistical difficulties that weigh too heavy to function in a productive manner" as the reason for the split.

VIO-LENCE's current touring lineup consists of vocalist Sean Killian, drummer Adrian Aguilar (EXMORTUS),guitarist Miles Dimitri Baker (VOIDBRINGER, INTERLOPER, ex-RINGS OF SATURN),bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and guitarist Ira Black (VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN, METAL CHURCH).

VIO-LENCE played its first show with Aguilar late last month at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Aguilar joined VIO-LENCE following the departure of Perry Strickland.

VIO-LENCE's founding guitarist Phil Demmel is sitting out the group's shows in Asia, Australia and New Zealand this month and is being replaced by Baker.

Notably, VIO-LENCE's shows in Asia, Australia and New Zealand feature only Killian from the lineup that played its first comeback gig in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California. The VIO-LENCE lineup that appeared at the Metro consisted of Killian, Demmel, Strickland, bassist Deen Dell and Vegas.

Strickland announced his departure from VIO-LENCE last month by sharing a video of him performing with the band and captioning it: "I'll Miss playing these songs !" After one fan asked Perry in the comments to clarify whether he has in fact exited the group, Strickland responded: "yes about a month ago".

Among the people reacting to Strickland's announcement was Gustafson, who wrote: "Good luck with what ever you do in the future. We had some good times finally."

California groove metallers DEVILDRIVER played their first show in more than three and a half years last night (Wednesday, March 8) at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. The concert was the first date of the band's "Double Trouble Live" 2023 U.S. co-headlining tour with CRADLE OF FILTH. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

As the world was upended in 2020, DEVILDRIVER didn't pause, releasing the acclaimed first installment of its two-part "Dealing With Demons" saga, "Dealing With Demons I". Now, as society emerges more hardened and determined than before, so does DEVILDRIVER's tenth full-length, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II".

Once again produced and engineered by Steve Evetts with additional engineering from guitarist Mike Spreitzer, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II" is inarguably heavier and relentlessly harsher than its predecessor. The new album represents not only the most vicious of the two records, but also the darkest recesses of celebrated frontman Dez Fafara's psyche and the final purging of his demons that have long haunted the band's music.

The first example of this new onslaught can be experienced via the band's unrelenting first single from "Dealing With Demons Vol. II", titled "Through The Depths". The undeniably grim burner features black metal-esque passages, deft guitar work and menacing lyricism — proving the evolution of DEVILDRIVER in this new decade. The track is accompanied by a "demonic" new official music video sure to get your head banging!

Fafara says about "Through The Depths": "'Through The Depths' is a conversation between a higher power and humans regarding the power of thinking ideas into existence, but being very careful of being arrogant behind those wants and needs. The first lines give this away: 'Attention attention, you're seeking, you've asked for, it's given' (the higher power says). Then the lines of the chorus are that same higher power speaking to humans, saying: 'through the depths to the ascension, nothing you wouldn't do for my attention, held to the fire it's not my crime, you've pinned it on me for the last time.' Meaning - don't blame the Gods (pin it on them) for your fuck ups. Meaning - put it out there and take steps to attain goals and take accountability. This track is the essence of 'Dealing With Demons Vol. II', and the conversations within the record get way deeper than even this."

International media mainstays like Revolver, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Consequence lauded "Dealing With Demons I", which debuted at No. 4 on the U.S. Current Hard Music Albums chart. BLABBERMOUTH.NET stated, "If the second half of this mammoth endeavor matches the first, this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the DEVILDRIVER story." Rest assured, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II" doubles down on the brutality — and then some!

Track one "I Have No Pity" instantly keeps fans guessing with its contrasting, marching rhythmic groove and Fafara's icy, earworm warnings. The album's standout production immediately shines, with the track's thick riffs, haunting leads, room-filling drums and Fafara's vocal prowess leading the way. Eerie, insistent "Mantra" drops a wave of melodic aggression on the listener, instantly inducing headbanging with its breakneck pace and occult lyricism. Dynamic tracks like "Nothing Lasts Forever" and "Summoning" cascade with alternating passages of sinister riffage and memorable chants. "Bloodbath" is as brutal as its name suggests, ominously bending and pummeling with immediate aggression, as "It's A Hard Truth" continues the onslaught, cautioning against delusion amid balanced melodic leads. Closer anthems "If Blood Is Life" and "This Relationship, Broken" are the blood-soaked cherries atop "Dealing With Demons Vol. II", bringing together all of the elements that make DEVILDRIVER the best at their craft.

Fafara adds: "'Dealing With Demons Vol. II' is — simply put — a conversation in its entirety about dealing with 'inner' demons. It's a conversation in song form between 'self and a power apart from one's self, and trying to bury old entities.'"

Last December, DEVILDRIVER parted ways with drummer Austin D'Amond and replaced him with Davier Pérez.

D'Amond joined DEVILDRIVER in 2015 as the replacement for original drummer John Boecklin.

In July 2022, DEVILDRIVER announced the return of original bassist Jon Miller after more than a decade-long absence from the scene. In addition to epic reunion, DEVILDRIVER added guitarist Alex Lee (HOLY GRAIL) to the lineup, replacing Neal Tiemann.

Ibarra joined DEVILDRIVER in 2016 as the replacement for former BURY YOUR DEAD guitarist Chris Towning, who appeared on the Fafara-fronted band's 2013 album "Winter Kills".

In October 2021, DEVILDRIVER parted ways with Tiemann. Neal, formerly of BURN HALO, joined the band in 2015 as the replacement for Jeff Kendrick, who left DEVILDRIVER in October 2014.

DEVILDRIVER 2023 is:

Dez Fafara - Vocals
Mike Spreitzer - Guitar
Jon Miller - Bass
Alex Lee - Guitar
Davier Pérez - Drums

Laurent Teubl, frontman for Germany's Chapel Of Disease, has issued a statement announcing that the founding band line-up has parted ways. It is available below in full.


Teubl: "It is with very heavy hearts that we hereby have to tell you, that after 15 years together we have decided to part ways. While the band will still exist and continue in a new lineup, this surely is an end of a big chapter for all of us.


While we would prefer to keep the reasons for this decision between only the three of us, we would like to thank so many of you for following us up until this point. We can really look back on this time with so many positive memories and while we’ve made the decision to split up this constellation, each one of us has made clear that since all we’ve reached together, the band should be kept alive and that our friendships between one another weigh more than anything else. Which ultimately went hand in hand with the decision we’ve made. While we therefore are grateful for so many opportunities we were given by a variety of different people and for so many kind words or gestures many of you have given us, we are even more grateful for the time, sweat and tears all of us have put into this band and for what we as a group of individuals have created out of this. This is something no one can take from us and something that we will always carry along our way. So, I hereby would like to thank David and Ced for everything that was and will be. I can only say for myself, that I treasure all of it in the most careful manner.




I would have wanted us to play our remaining gigs in March together. This, however, was not possible. We apologize to anyone that was looking forward to seeing us here and we especially apologize to the organizers of these events.


News around the band and new music will follow when the time is right.


Thank you."


Chapel Of Disease was formed in 2008 by vocalist / guitarist Laurent Teubl, bassist Cedric Teubl, and drummer David Dankert. They released three albums between 2012 and 2018:  Summoning Black Gods (2012), The Mysterious Ways Of Repetitive Art (2015), and And As We Have Seen The Storm, We Have Embraced The Eye (2018).

Rising Finnish metal act I Am Your God release “Shotgun”, the fifth and final single before their new album SINister is unleashed. Full of discharge and defiance, "Shotgun" combines groovy melodies and heavy riffs in one must-hear song.


"With its super groovy and rebellious temper, 'Shotgun' represents another extrimity from our second album called SINister. Lyrically it’s full of discharge, defiance and self-destructive actions: if you have already managed to drive yourself crazy, the only way to deal with it is to top the speed and fight the fire with fire. 'Shotgun' is an unambiguous party anthem, and will do the needed last preparement before the album release as the final single. Pull that trigger!" - I Am Your God







Hailing from Lapland, Finland, I Am Your God’s newe album SINister will be a true gem for any fan of In Flames, Soilwork or Dark Tranquility. In between heavy riffs and punchy breaks (“Warriors”), I Am Your God succeeds in writing huge guitar melodies intertwined with a crisp sound and catchy refrains. Surprises like a dancey clean part opens up for an emotional and melodic climax (“Jailbreak”) and a synth-based pagan vibe similar to Wintersun and other traditional Finnish metal bands (“My Venom”, “Burden Of Blasphemy”) create an enchanting ambiance that fits SINister incredibly well.


At parts, I Am Your God can go really heavy, as on “Another Day To Die”, a song that slams with blast beats and heavy double bass drumming. Some moments, as in “The Hell I Create” might even remind you of Dimmu Borgir, also because singer Julius Vetämäjärvi offers a dry and black metal influenced style of vocals that perfectly match the band’s guitar work and synth sounds.


All in all, there are so many aspects within the sound of SINister, which always maintains an affinity to melody, which makes all songs on the album easily enjoyable. Describing their record as “the culmination of our journey from the past two years with massive development as songwriters and musicians,” which clearly shows within the outcome of eleven individually strong tracks.


As the band comments: “At the same time this album process has been the biggest pain in the ass, and also the driving force on our lives. While listening to the record, you can taste lots of these kind of extremities, and feel our mighty struggling in life, which is also one of the main themes lyrically.”


SINister will be released on May 5th via Out Of Line Music. Pre-order your CD now at this location.





Tracklisting:


"Warriors"
"My Venom"
"Jailbreak"
"Burden Of Blasphemy"
"Shotgun"
"Dead Standing Tree"
"Another Day To Die"
"The Warden"
"Clash Of Beggars"
"Fulfill My Chalice"
"The Hell I Create"














 

Morta Skuld present a special 2CD and limited edition red vinyl LP edition of their classic 1993 debut album, Dying Remains. The release marks 30 years since its release and the 2CD features Morta Skuld’s influential early demos Gory Departure and Prolong The Agony, as well as rare rehearsal tracks.


The band had the following to say regarding the landmark anniversary: “We can't express how excited we are to celebrate Dying Remains turning 30 years old. We are so thankful for all the support and are honoured that fans have held this album in such high regard over these last 30 years. And so, three decades after entering the studio to record what was our first record, in the coming weeks we will embark again into the studio to record our new studio album. This will be ten tracks of fresh but yet rooted material, staying true to our sound as always, and we can't wait to share this with you all.”







Morta Skuld – Dying Remains 30th Anniversary Edition tracklist:


CD
Disc 1
"Lifeless" 
"Without Sin" 
"Devoured Fears" 
"Dying Remains" 
"Useless To Mankind" 
"Rotting Ways" 
"Withering Seclusion" 
"Hatred Creation" 
"Scarred" 
"Consuming Existence" 
"Presumed Dead" 


Disc 2
"Intro" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Sacrificial Rite" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Gory Departure" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Preacher Of Lies" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Senseless Killing" (Gory Depature Demo 1990) 
"Through Eyes Of Death" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Feast From Within" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Prolong The Agony (Crucifix)" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Of Evil" (Prolong The Agony Demo 1990) 
"Devoured Fears" (Rehearsal Recording 1991) 
"Eternal Suffering" (Rehearsal Recording 1991)
"Prolong The Agony" (Rehearsal Recording 1991) 
"Untitled" (Rehearsal Recording 1991) 


LP
Side A 
"Lifeless" 
"Without Sin" 
"Devoured Fears" 
"Dying Remains" 
"Useless To Mankind"
"Rotting Ways" 


Side B
"Withering Seclusion" 
"Hatred Creation" 
"Scarred"
"Consuming Existence" 
"Presumed Dead" 


Pre-orders can be placed here.


Morta Skuld formed in Milwaukee in 1990, quickly producing two demos before going on to release three albums on Peaceville Records (initially via legendary sub-label Deaf Records) in the early-mid '90s. Many years later, and with a new lineup, founder and mainman David Gregor then reunited with Peaceville for the recent opuses Wounds Deeper Than Time, and Suffer For Nothing, showing that none of the brutal and inspired magic of the band's former years had been lost.


Dying Remains was Morta Skuld's debut, released in 1993 and recorded at Cornerstone Studios. Morta Skuld brought a refreshing blend of heavy and brutal death and doom, along with occasionally more atmospheric and melodic elements, instead of many straight forward high-octane death metal releases prevalent in the United States at the time. This was an element which helped to distinguish them from many of their peers, establishing the band and leading to shows with such classic acts as Obituary, Death, Deicide, Napalm Death, Fear Factory, and Cannibal Corpse.


 

“Grief Eclipse” is the new single from New Jersey-based melodic death metal trio, Voidscape. The video for the song, which appears on the band’s debut EP, Odyssey Of Spite, due March 31st through Nefarious Industries, can be seen below.


Formed in 2017, Voidscape delivers a strain of death metal that is catchy yet scathing. Having previously released a demo and a single, guitarist Rob Torres, drummer Justin "Ninja" Spaeth (Tombs, Abacinate), and frontman Michael Ximenez (Replicant, Windfaerer) now present their debut EP, Odyssey Of Spite.


Here, Voidscape administers bitter-sweet leads, monstrous riffs, and verses of human despair inflicted by viscous howls. Each composition is a melancholic journey rife with introspection and heaviness. The EP was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Rob Torres at his own Frightbox Recording in Passaic, and completed with artwork, photography, and layout by Mike Ximenez.




“The video was shot at the shore during the Winter, where everything seems abandoned and forgotten,” Ximenez states. “‘Grief Eclipse’ deals with falling into a life-sucking parasitic void and allowing it to obscure your identity. It’s about losing sight of yourself and in effect having negativity reign. Feelings of self-doubt, failure, and futility can consume you as you become their vessel. As often as you try to claw your way out or break free, you’re perpetually pulled back into the grip of darkness. The song itself has a smooth melody that carries through the piece creating a sort of mellow heavy contemplative vibe.”





The artwork and tracklisting for Odyssey Of Spite are as follows. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.





Tracklisting:


"Grief Eclipse"
"Burden Of Breathing"
"Ludlow"
"Extinctionborn"
"The Unsaved"





(Photo by Michael Ximenez)


 

Norwegian rock outfit, Leprous, are currently touring across Europe to promote their latest studio album, Aphelion, which has recently received a special Tour Edition re-launch via InsideOutMusic.


To further enhance this release, Leprous drummer Baard Kolstad has now checked in with a special drum playthrough video for the song, “Have You Ever?”, filmed/recorded with Stamos Koliousis and edited by Fredrik Schumacher.


Baard Kolstad checked in with the following comment while on the road: “It was about time to release a couple of new full drum playthroughs of some newer Leprous songs, and here is the first out of 3 songs I picked! This is for the track 'Have You Ever?', maybe an unexpected pick to some, but we are also doing this track as opening song for the current set of our ongoing European tour. It has a special kind of Leprous intensity, with more broken up beats and breaks than usual. Can’t wait for all entertaining reaction videos to come in the future! And come see us on tour...”







Furthermore, Leprous have announced a next run of dates in Latin America for later this year. Dates below.





November
9 - Mexico City, Mexico - Circo Volador
11 - Monterrey, Mexico - Mexico Metal Fest
12 - San Jose, Costa Rica - Pepper Club
15 - Santiago, Chile - Teatro La Cúpula + Borknagar
16 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Teatrito
17 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Club Carioca


More dates to be announced soon.


Leprous lineup:


Einar Solberg - vocals/keys
Tor Oddmund Suhrke - guitars
Robin Ognedal - guitars
Simen Børven - bass
Baard Kolstad - drums

Kings Of Thrash, featuring former Megadeth members David Ellefson and Jeff Young, were joined on stage by guitarist Rick Ventura (Riot, Riot Act) during their March 8 concert at The Gramercy Theatre in New York. Ventura joined the band for a performance of the Riot classic "Swords And Tequila", featured on the 1981 album, Fire Down Under.


Video of the full performance, as well as an HD excerpt, can be viewed below:










Kings Of Thrash will be releasing a live CD/DVD package called Best Of The West… Live At The Whisky A Go Go on March 24. The 17-song set was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA on October 15, 2022 and also features performances with Chris Poland. The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


Disc 1: CD


"Last Rites"
"Rattlehead"
"The Skull Beneath The Skin"
"Good Mourning / Devil's Island"
"Wake Up Dead"
"502"
"In My Darkest Hour"


Disc 2: CD


"Orange Light"
"Into The Lungs Of Hell"
"Set The World Afire"
"Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good"
"Chosen Ones"
"Liar"
"Hook In Mouth"
"Mechanix"
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"
"Peace Sells... But Who’s Buying?"


Disc 3: DVD


"Last Rites"
"Rattlehead"
"The Skull Beneath The Skin"
"Good Mourning / Devil’s Island"
"Wake Up Dead"
"502"
"In My Darkest Hour"
"Orange Light"
"Into The Lungs Of Hell"
"Set The World Afire"
"Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good"
"Chosen Ones"
"Liar"
"Hook In Mouth"
"Mechanix"
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"
"Peace Sells... But Who’s Buying?"








Kings Of Thrash launched their 2023 world tour on February 16 in Joliet, Illinois. The Thrashin' USA tour will cross the Midwest, East Coast, and southeastern part of the USA through March 15. Watch a tour promo video below.


As with the band's 2022 warm-up shows, the group will be performing the Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good and So Far, So Good… So What albums in their entirety.


Kings Of Thrash also feature Chaz Leon on vocals and guitar and Fred Aching on drums. Support on all shows will be provided by Hatriot. VIP packages will be available for all shows, here.





Tour dates:


March
10 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theatre
11 - Greensboro, NC - Hangar 1819
12 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
14 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
15 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell)

The Rolling Stones have released English and Spanish language lyric videos for "Rain Fall Down", lifted from the band's 2005 album, A Bigger Bang. Watch both clips below:










The Stones recently released new lyric videos for their hit, "Angie", originally featured on the band's 1973 album, Goats Head Soup. The videos, in English and Spanish, can be viewed below:








(Photo - Claude Gassian)

Tygers Of Pan Tang have released their new digital single, "Fire On The Horizon". A lyric video for the song can be viewed below.


Says the band: "Here it is! The new digital single ‘Fire On The Horizon’. Available on all streaming platforms plus YouTube and with a tasty little guitar solo from Francesco 🎸. Let us know what you think. If you are coming to Bradford or Preston this weekend you can hear it live." 👍😁








Fresh from their return to the road after the Covid-19 lockdown, Tygers Of Pan Tang are ready to release the latest album of a career that started back in 1978. But, despite their veteran status, they show no signs of stagnation or tiredness.


The band recently unleashed the digital single, "Edge Of The World". Watch a video below.


A new Tygers Of Pan Tang album is expected to be released this spring. Stay tuned for updates.

KILLING JOKE has released a brand new single, "Full Spectrum Dominance", via Spinefarm to celebrate the band's sold-out headline show at London's Royal Albert Hall on March 12. The epic track was mixed by Tom Dalgety (GHOST, PIXIES, ROYAL BLOOD) and is accompanied by a remix from Youth and artwork by longtime designer Mike Coles.

Under the banner "Killing Joke - Follow The Leaders", KILLING JOKE will perform its first two albums in their entirety at the Royal Albert Hall — 1980's self-titled debut LP followed by their second full-length, "What's This For…!"

This special event was preceded by four intimate warm-up shows, including an appearance at London's legendary 100 Club.

KILLING JOKE is very much music as ritual — raw, uncompromising and precisely targeted lyrically, and "Full Spectrum Dominance" shows that Jaz Coleman, Geordie Walker, Youth and Paul Ferguson, the original KILLING JOKE personnel, are currently delivering the best and most relevant material of their career, with no mellowing or softening of the edges getting in the way.

KILLING JOKE emerged in the post-punk early 1980s, their eponymous debut album exhibiting funky heavy rock influences before electronic and synth-pop styles also filtered through their music. They would, in turn, influence later generations including METALLICA, NIRVANA and SOUNDGARDEN. "Love Like Blood" would give KILLING JOKE their greatest commercial success, a hit across Europe, peaking at No. 16 in the U.K. singles chart in 1985.

Coleman (vocals, keyboards) and Walker (guitar) have been ever-constant members of the lineup and have been reunited with fellow founding members Ferguson (drums) and Youth (bass) since 2008.