Trailight mastermind Omer Cordell has checked in with an update on his new album, Mirrors, and has shared an audio teaser.


Cordell: "Mirrors will see the light of day on March 23rd. To help with the costs associated with this kind of work I have launched a crowdfunding campaign. Any and all donations are appreciated (link in bio). It has been a long and laborious process and I am extremely proud of this album and all who have contributed to the making of this." 




 

 
 

 


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Cordell recently released his new single, "The One You Feed", featuring stunning performances by Daniel Cardoso, Cory McBain and Devin Townsend. It is now available on all streaming platforms. 





Daniel Cardoso - Drums 
Cory McBain - Guitars / keys 
Devin Townsend - Lead guitar 
Omer Cordell - Bass / vocals / keys 
Meris Williams - Backing vocals


"The One You Feed" is taken from the new Trailight album, Mirrors, due out later this year. Song titles on Mirrors include:


"The One You Feed" (featuring Devin Townsend)
"Mirrors"
"Lead A Horse to Water"
"Traveller"
"Elegy"
"Harbour"
"Victory"
"Harbour" (acoustic)

Canadian shredders Striker are excited to share the news that they have entered the studio to work on their seventh album with producer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810).


The yet-to-be-titled album follows the band's singles "Strange Love" (2022) and "Death Wish" (2021), which will be featured on the record that follows their Juno Award-winning self-released full-length, Play To Win (2018). The forthcoming album will also feature the band's latest lineup addition of long-time friend and guitarist John Simon Fallon (The Order Of Chaos).


The band comments: "We have arrived at shred central in Midland, MI. We'll be spending the next five weeks with Josh Schroeder who will essentially be our sixth band member for the creative process. We are stoked to get into the studio with him. We are looking to do something different sonically with this album, more extreme, more over the top, and more punishing and we think he's the right man for the job. It's going to be a bit of an experiment for us but we are ready to push out of our comfort zone and lay down some caveman riffs and bigger hooks. Stay tuned for more updates and don't forget to check out our Patreon for exclusive content!"




In additional news, Striker is confirmed to perform this summer in Europe at Bloodstock Festival in the UK and Headbangers Open Air in Germany. Canadian fans can also check out Striker at this year's Hyperspace Metal Festival in Vancouver on April 14th at The Fox Cabaret.


"Strange Love":





"Deathwish":





(Photo credit: Dana Zuk)


 

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman says that he has no issue with singers who lip sync during their concerts.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Friedman addressed some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks in a Cameo video message requested by the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel. Asked for his opinion on singers like KISS's Paul Stanley reportedly using backing tracks for their lead vocals, the guitarist said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Who cares? I don't really know anything about that side of it — I don't know if he does or if he doesn't — but if you're caring about lip syncing and things that are going on, you can't go to any gigs anymore because even gigs at the… indie bands are doing all kinds of stuff with tracks and click tracks and adding vocals and adding choruses and adding keyboards. So when you talk about bands that are playing arenas and stadiums, they are doing so much stuff that wasn't around in the original days of KISS. So if you get pissed off about something like lip syncing, then you can't go to anything anymore; you really can't. And it's singing. Singing in KISS, I mean, it's not like you're going to see Celine Dion or something where you really give a shit how many octaves someone can sing. KISS is so many more things than just singing.

"I think people who are bagging on anyone for lip syncing or running tracks or any of that stuff… What are you gonna do? It's 2023," Friedman continued. "Technology has allowed things to happen and things to evolve. And it's not 1976 anymore. Just be glad that a band that you like is still doing something that you can go see or not go see. So I would just say don't concentrate on those things. Concentrate on the joy that you originally got from the band, and whether you wanna go see them now or not see them now, that's cool. But you've just gotta give thanks, man. These guys [Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons] gave their lives — decades and decades. They could have been on the beach; they could have been hanging around. But what were they doing? They were doing in-stores and they were doing meet-and-greets and they were doing soundchecks and they were doing gigs and traveling — all that stuff… They're, like, in their 70s now, so you've gotta give it up to those guys. And they have my ultimate respect."

Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of KISS's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

Last month, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

As part of Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series, former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current SIX FEET UNDER frontman Chris Barnes was asked to name his "top three death metal albums of all time". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, on that I'm gonna have to say POSSESSED 'Seven Churches'. I'm gonna go with DEATH 'Leprosy'and'Spritual Healing'and'Scream Bloody Gore'; I'm gonna have to wrap those three up, 'cause Chuck [Schuldiner, DEATH mainman] was a good friend of mine and I was a huge fan of DEATH early on. So, rest in peace, Chuck. And also I'm gonna go with… The third one, I'm gonna have to say OBITUARY 'Slowly We Rot' — a huge album. All three of those bands are similar type of death metal. Of course POSSESSED is the kings of death metal; they pretty much started it all. Jeff Becerra, fucking awesome guy, man. So that's where I come from, man. I really loved all those albums. And if I have to throw a fourth one in there, I'm gonna have to say [CANNIBAL CORPSE's] 'Butchered At Birth' — kind of pat myself on the back. That was a huge album in death metal as far as kind of what our twist on the whole thing, and I think it influenced a lot of people, just as POSSESSED influenced a lot of bands to move in a certain direction."

Barnes fronted CANNIBAL CORPSE from its inception in 1988 until his exit in 1995, one year after the release of the band's "The Bleeding" album.

After Barnes left CANNIBAL CORPSE, he formed SIX FEET UNDER, whose current lineup also includes another former CANNIBAL CORPSE member, guitarist Jack Owen.

Six years ago, Barnes spoke about the possibility of SIX FEET UNDER and CANNIBAL CORPSE one day touring together, telling "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio program: "That would be a tough one to put together, my friend. [Laughs] You wouldn't have any problems from my side of things, but I don't think other people would be agreeable to that."

He continued: "I don't think there's animosity [between us]. I think there's just protecting other people's feelings. I think that everyone knows certain things about everything and they'd like to see things a certain way, and that wouldn't portray things a certain way that they would wanna portray them. So… I'm being very general and trying to be diplomatic about it."

Barnes also talked about the circumstances behind his departure from CANNIBAL CORPSE. He said: "I just didn't like being around them, because I was being ridiculed, and I just didn't feel comfortable being in the same room with people that weren't very nice to me personally. And I was part of that too, so we had all of our own type of differences, personally, and I don't think it was gonna be able to be worked out. You know, mutual respect goes a far way when it comes to being in close quarters with people."

He continued: "I'm sure we'd do things differently [today] — I mean, I know we would. It's just the way things worked out. And I don't have any animosity towards those guys at all, and I don't think they do towards me. It's just that… It would be too confusing for things [if we were to tour together], I think, from their perspective."

Barnes added: "I'd do anything. I just like to see a lot of people out there with smiles on their faces; that's the only thing that's important to me, man. Like, seriously, if I see a big crowd of people that everyone's smiling, like, 'Oh, yeah! This is what we've been waiting for,' I'm ready then, man. If I see a small room of people that are just fired up to go, man, it just gets me going on stage, you know. And that's all I'm there for — that feeling, that sharing of energy, man. And I'll go for it any which way to get that any way I can with any person I can get it with. And if it gets to that means to an end, that's all that's important, man — that transference. And some people just don't see it that way, man, and it's cool.

"I'm not gonna be mean to anybody, and I never wanted to be. I'm my own person, and sometimes I'm put at fault for that, and I think we all are in our own way. And that's just life; those are the things we deal with as people."

SIX FEET UNDER's latest album, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed", was released in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

A song about fast city nights and fast city love, "Walking On Nails" is a heavy rock tune that will leave you singing along time and time again. The track is the third and final single from Deadwolff's upcoming album Heavy Rock N' Roll and is officially out now via Golden Robot Records.





Stream / buy "Walking On Nails" here. 




Toronto's own Deadwolff hits hard and heavy with their first full length album, Heavy Rock N' Roll, set to release March 31. It’s straight to the point, raw, rough and ready. It encompasses subject matter that hits deep, but is all the while an excellent album to bang your head to, shake your fist, and crush some beers with your buddies.





Tracklisting:


"Heavy Rock N' Roll"
"Homeward Bound"
"Walking On Nails"
"Down To The Wire"
"Wanted Man"
"Close Call"
"Pedal To The Metal"
"Six To Midnight"
"Locked And Loaded"
"Gang Wracks"








Pre-order / add / save Heavy Rock N' Roll at this location.


To support the release of Heavy Rock N' Roll, Deadwolff have announced a fully loaded US / Canada tour, kicking off in May this year. Confimred dates are as listed:


May 
8 - Outer Limits Lounge - Hamtramck, MI
9 - Liars Club - Chicago, IL
11 - Whittier - Tulsa, OK
12 - Double Wide - Dallas, TX
13 - Black Magic Social Club - Houston, TX
14 - Valhalla Tavern - Austin. TX
15 - Faust Tavern - San Antonio, TX
17 - The Edge - Tuscon, AZ
18 - The Blooze Bar - Pheonix, AZ
19 - Tower Bar - San Diego, CA
20 - Red Dwarf - Las Vegas, NV
23 - Destructive Warehouse - Fresno, CA
24 - The Knockout - San Francisco, CA
25 - Ozzy's Backyard - Sacramento, CA
26 - Shea's Tavern - Reno, NV
27 - Knucklehead - Los Angeles, CA
30 - High Water Mark - Portland, OR
31 - The Cherry Pit - Seattle, WA


June 
1 - Sunny Chibas - Squamish, BC
2 - The Cambie - Vancouver, BC
3 - Kami Inn - Kamloops, BC
4 - Canmore Hotel - Canmore, AB
6 - The Palamind - Calgary, AB
7 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
9 - Bulldog - Winnipeg, MB
10 - Atmos - Thunder Bay, ON





 

Conjuring up a psychedelic storm of heavy stoner rock, Swimming Witches is the debut headbanging, riff blazing record from HolyRoller. The quartet’s new offering delivers full-throttle groove rhythms, soaring vocals and a dynamic rock ‘n’ roll edge.


North Carolina's HolyRoller will release their new album, Swimming Witches, on vinyl, compact disc, and digital format via Black Doomba Records on March 10th, 2023. Today, the band has released a new video for "Atheist Prayer".







Swimming Witches sees HolyRoller’s sound evolving, infusing influences including the likes of Red Fang, Elder, and Mastodon with unrelenting energy. Explosive riffs see “Atheist Prayer” kick off the album with a fiery impact. It’s an edgy track unleashing a spellbinding spirit. The band showcase a darker side through shrieking vocals, marching drums and heavy tones in “Earthdweller”, along with powerful emotion and harmonies in “With Time”.


Pre-orders for Swimming Witches can be placed here. Artwork and tracklisting are as follows:





"Atheist Prayer"
"Stumbling Towards Death"
"Earthdweller"
"Last Embrace"
"The Deuce"
"With Time"
"Bloodhound"
"Swimming Witches" 


 

KITTIE frontwoman Morgan Lander has weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Lander discussed her views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "To preface this, yes, I'm a big PANTERA fan. I've been a fan for a long time. We toured with them on Ozzfest in 2000, so I got to see PANTERA live quite a bit. I regret that I feel like I was too young for the early '90s PANTERA, but I did get to see them on the Ozzfest and at a number of shows for 'Reinventing The Steel'. And I actually got to see… I stood sidestage for their very last show ever in Japan, at the Beast Feast festival. So that's all my PANTERA back story."

Regarding the new PANTERA lineup, Morgan said: "When I heard about it, I wasn't… I don't know… I wasn't mad about it. I feel like it is weird, because I feel like the heart and soul of that band were the Abbott brothers. And everything about their playing… Not like I could ever compare myself to any of them, but I understand what it's like to have a sibling in a band, and you play together for so long that it's, like, you connect on a different level. When they played, they had a certain swagger and they connected on a certain level together. And that's just something that comes with time and practice and all of those things, but also that bond, of being a sibling. And I know they were very close, obviously.

"I was really excited to see it," Lander added. "We played the very first show that they were doing the reunion thing at the Hell & Heaven festival in Mexico [last December], but we weren't able to get to the venue in time to see the show, so I actually didn't get to see it myself, with my own eyes, but I was very excited to see it.

"It's weird. To me, it feels like the soul of the band is gone," Morgan admitted. "But there are a lot of people who never did get to see PANTERA, and I'm sure that the shows are great, and with time they'll get even better. They're doing a ton of stuff this year. I definitely want to see the set, to see them play, even if it's just to hear some of my favorite tunes. But I'm not Team Phil And Rex or Team Dime And Vinnie. From a fan perspective, it's cool to be able to see and hear those songs live again. And there's a lot of people that didn't get to see it, so if they're excited, then that's cool. But I definitely will be catching probably… I know they're playing around here [in Ontario, Canada] towards the end of the year. I definitely want to catch it when I can. It's funny, because they're doing so many festival shows, and there is another new festival, I think, that they're playing as well that we might be around for. So I guess we'll see.

"Before Vinnie had passed away, I had seen lots of people talk about, 'Oh, well, the only person that could fill Dime's shoes for that should be Zakk Wylde.' As somebody who was very close to him, who was his friend, also an incredible guitar player, he always made sense for that," Lander said. "And I'd seen people talking about it for years and years and years. And so I can see where people would be excited but also kind of 'hmmm', a little weird about it. But if people wanna see them, then more power to them. Myself included — I definitely want to check it out."

In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America. The band will next headline the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event will take place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

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

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

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

UK death metal trio, Ingested, will return to North America this spring on a month-long headlining tour. Ahead of the trek, the band have released drum-cam footage of Lyn Jeffs ripping through the track, "Shadows in Time", taken from their latest album, Ashes Lie Still.


The footage, shot by Eduardo Ruiz, was filmed live on November 18 at Roxian Theater in Mckees Rocks, PA during The Pain Remains Tour.







Dubbed Ingesting North America 2023 - The Slam Tour Of The Year, the journey will commence on May 4 in Brooklyn, New York and run through June 4 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Additional support will be provided by Devourment, Extermination Dismemberment, and Organectomy as well as special guests Implosive Disgorgence, PeelingFlesh, and I Declare War on select dates.


Comments vocalist Jason Evans, "Absolutely buzzing to announce our North American headlining tour this May! We return to the US and Canada for what is, hands down, The Slam Tour Of The Year, bringing with us Devourment, Extermination Dismemberment, Organectomy, and on select dates Implosive Disgorgence, PeelingFlesh, I Declare War, and yet another to be announced! There is no tour as brutal as this one. Tickets are on sale now! Get yours ASAP and don't miss out!"





Ingested dates with Devourment, Extermination Dismemberment, Organectomy:


May
4 - Brooklyn Monarch - Brooklyn, NY
5 - Lovedraft's - Mechanicsburg, PA
6 - Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
7 - Hangar 1819 - Greensboro, NC
9 - Gramps - Miami, FL w/ Implosive Disgorgence
10 - Conduit - Orlando, FL w/ Implosive Disgorgence
11 - Masquerade (Hell) - Atlanta, GA
12 - The End - Nashville, TN
13 - Rev Room - Little Rock, AR w/ PeelingFlesh
14 - Ridglea Room - Fort Worth, TX w/ PeelingFlesh
16 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX w/ PeelingFlesh
17 - Come And Take It Live - Austin, TX w/ PeelingFlesh
18 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
19 - Nile Underground - Mesa, AZ
20 - Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
21 - Neck Of The Woods - San Francisco, CA
23 - Bossanova Ballroom - Portland, OR w/ I Declare War
24 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA w/ I Declare War
25 - The Big Dipper - Spokane, WA
26 - The Shredder - Boise, ID
27 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
28 - Roxy Theater - Denver, CO
30 - Cobra Lounge - Chicago, IL
31 - Sanctuary - Detroit, MI


June
1 - No Class - Cleveland, OH
2 - Velvet Underground - Toronto, ON
3 - Foufones Electriques - Montreal, QC
4 - Sonia - Cambridge, MA


Ingested recently released their new album, Ashes Lie Still, via Metal Blade. Order here.





Tracklisting:


"Ashes Lie Still" (Feat. Julia Frau)
"Shadows In Time"
"You'll Never Learn"
"Tides Of Glass"
"From Hollow Words" (Feat. Sven de Caluwé)
"Sea Of Stone"
"All I've Lost" (Feat. Matthew K. Heafy)
"With Broken Wings"
"Echoes Of Hate"
"Scratch The Vein"
"Rebirth" (Digital version only; new mix by Christian Donaldson)


"All I've Lost" video:





"From Hollow Words" video:





"Tides Of Glass" video:





"Ashes Lie Still" video:





"Shadows In Time" video:





Lineup:


Jason Evans - Vocals
Sean Hynes - Guitars + Backing Vocals
Lyn Jeffs - Drums

Richmond’s Windhand announce the deluxe reissue of their self-titled, debut album. Featuring five previously unreleased bonus tracks, including rare practice space demos and alternate mixes, the 2023 reissue of Windhand is remastered by Jack Endino, and features new artwork by Arik Roper.


Windhand (Deluxe Edition) is out April 21 on 2xLP/CD on Relapse Records. Pre-order here. Listen to the full, remastered audio here, and below.







Tracklisting:


"Black Candles" (2023 Remaster)
"Libusenv (2023 Remaster)
"Heap Wolves" (2023 Remaster)
"Summon The Moon" (2023 Remaster)
"Winter Sun" (2023 Remaster)
"Heap Wolves" (Practice Space Demo 2009) (Bonus Track)
"Black Candles" (Practice Space Demo 2009) (Bonus Track)
"Amaranth" (Original Version Remixed) (Bonus Track)
"Black Candles" (Practice Space Demo 2010) (Bonus Track)
"Winter Sun" (Practice Space Demo 2010) (Bonus Track)

Acid King, the pioneering, San Francisco-based heavy rock outfit, have debuted a second track from their forthcoming album, Beyond Vision, out March 24 via Blues Funeral Recordings, with today's release of "Mind's Eye". Watch a visualizer for the track below.


Lori Josephs said of the track: "The journey has begun but you don't know where it's going to lead," a nod to the otherworldly inspiration for the seven-song album.


"Beyond Vision is based on the journey of life,” Lori says. “Jason [Landrian] and I were having these heavy pandemic conversations at the practice space for two years, talking about all the stuff you go through being in bands, touring, your relationships in life, all that stuff. You think this trip is supposed to go one way, but it goes in very different ways that you can never imagine.”




It's not just life on Earth she’s talking about. Beyond Vision contemplates life on Mars, life on the moon, and death in the furthest reaches of space. Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was a key influence. Then there was the mesmerizing 2019 documentary Apollo 11. “I was hugely inspired by that documentary,” Lori enthuses. “I absolutely love the soundtrack Matt Morton did for that. I’ve probably listened to it a million times. I really loved the journey it took me on, even without the movie. It just made me ponder life.”


Beyond Vision was recorded to two-inch tape courtesy of Dead & Company at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA. Lori worked hand in hand with Black Cobra guitarist/vocalist Landrian on Beyond Vision, with the pair sharing writing and production credits. The band is rounded out by Bryce Shelton (bass/synthesizer) and Jason Willer (drums).


Album pre-orders are available now at bluesfuneral.com and Bandcamp, with Beyond Vision available on a variety of limited-edition formats including multiple vinyl and cassette variants along with CD and digital/streaming.





Beyond Vision tracklisting:


"One Light Second Away"
"Mind’s Eye"
"90 Seconds"
"Electro Magnetic"
"Destination Psych"
"Beyond Vision"
"Color Trails"


"Mind's Eye" visualizer:





"Destination Psych"/"Beyond Vision" video:





Adopting the nickname of notorious teenage slayer Ricky Kasso, Acid King came screaming out of San Francisco in 1993 with a sound that fused heavy ’70s proto-metal with the kind of bleary, slow-rolling dirge power being harnessed by their contemporaries in Sleep and Electric Wizard. The band’s 1993 debut 10” was followed two years later by their full-length debut Zoroaster. Acid King’s acclaimed 1999 album Busse Woods solidified their reputation amongst a generation of riff worshipers, and heavy rock enthusiasts. Acid King, founded by and helmed by vocalist/guitar player Lori S., have released four full-length studio albums: Zoroaster (1995), Busse Woods (1999), Acid King III (2005), and Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere (2015), as well as a collection of EPs and split releases.


(Photo - Kevork Demirjian)

As Los Angeles, CA-based active/hard rock group Budderside prepare to release their third album later this summer via oneRPM, the band have slowly been releasing multiple singles over the past months including hard-hitters such as “Never Worth It”, “Too Far”, “The Truth", “Ghostlighting", “Voices”, and the recent emotional ballad, “Joker”, written to eulogize founding member/vocalist Patrick Stone’s late father.


Several of the tracks have been highlighted on the rock entertainment/video countdown show “Power Hour” - hosted by VJ/music personality Matt Pinfield, SiriusXM VJ Caity Babs and music industry figure Josh Bernstein (Revolver Golden Gods, Loudwire) - who’ve also invited Stone to appear on the show several times and championed the band.







Budderside have released a new single, “Power Hour”, which was written as the official theme song for the show’s new weekly airing on AXS TV. Stream/download it now across all digital platforms here, and listen below. You can also hear it by tuning into the “Power Hour” show every Wednesday at 7 PM, PT/10 PM ET.  


“The song is so catchy,” says host Caity Babs. “And if you’re not singing it after 30 seconds, you’re no fun!”


Host Josh Bernstein adds: “Budderside have quickly become one of the brighter lights in the hard rock scene with their razor sharp riffs and ear-candy choruses. I expect only big things ahead for the boys.”


Furthering his support for the band, host Matt Pinfield - who previously appeared in Budderside’s “Amber Alert” music video and performed a cover of the classic Motörhead song “Ace Of Spades” with the band at the Whisky A-Go-Go in 2020 - states: “This is a powerful in-your face hard rock song with an undeniable hook-and Budderside have delivered a true anthem for 2023. I really believe this could be their year!”





Budderside was formed by Stone following his stint as vocalist of Adler’s Appetite, after receiving encouragement from the late Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead who he worked for as part of his infamous ‘road crew’ and was also a close friend. Lemmy signed them to his own label, Motörhead Music and they released their self-titled debut album in 2016. The band issued their sophomore album Spiritual Violence in March 2021 via Motörhead Music/ Silver Lining Music which was recorded by legendary producer Jay Baumgardner (Bush, Godsmack, Papa Roach) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage) with guest appearances from Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell and Butcher Babies vocalist Carla Harvey.


Budderside has toured extensively in the US supporting acts including Motörhead, Slayer, Anthrax and L.A. Guns as well as being featured on international festivals including Rocklahoma, Wacken Open Air, Motörboat, Malmö Festival and the Monsters Of Rock cruise. Catch them next at Welcome To Rockville on in Daytona, OH on May 18.




















(Photo - George Reed)

Frontiers Music Srl will release Archon Angel's second album, II, on April 14. It follows the band's 2020 debut, Fallen, which saw vocalist Zak Stevens (Circle II Circle, Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and producer/guitarist Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere, Edge Of Forever) delivering a fantastic slab of power/progressive metal.


Check out a lyric video for the new single, "Afterburn", below, and pre-order/save II here.


Fans of Archon Angel's debut will surely find no sophomore slump awaits them on II. In fact, Stevens and Lonobile have locked in on all the key parts that worked so well on their debut and amplified and perfected them for this glorious follow-up.




The seeds of Archon Angel were planted when producer/guitarist Lonobile and vocalist Stevens were collaborating on songs for Timo Tolkki's Avalon's Return To Eden album, which Aldo produced and played guitar on and Zak did some guest lead vocals for. After some discussions about what musical direction they wanted to take, Aldo sent Zak some demos that were reminiscent of classic Savatage records like Edge Of Thorns and Gutter Ballet. The two felt they were onto something and followed their musical muse, ultimately culminating in what would become Archon Angel's debut album, Fallen.





Zak Stevens first came to prominence in the metal scene when he was hand-picked by Savatage's Jon Olivia to take over as lead vocalist for the band. Starting with 1993's Edge Of Thorns, he would record four studio albums with the band, including the aforementioned album plus Handful Of Rain, Dead Winter Dead, and The Wake Of Magellan. He has also performed on multiple Trans-Siberian Orchestra releases, including Christmas Eve and Other Stories, Beethoven's Last Night, and more, while also being a member of the band's touring production.


Around 2001, Zak started a band, Circle II Circle, which has recorded seven studio albums, with the most recent being 2015's Reign Of Darkness. Additionally, he has appeared on albums by Timo Tolkki's Avalon, Machines Of Grace, Jon Olivia's Pain, and more.





II tracklisting:


"Wake Of Emptiness"
"Avenging The Dragon"
"Fortress"
"Quicksand"
"Away From The Sun"
"Afterburn"
"I Will Return"
"One Last Reflection"
"Bulletproof"
"Shattered"
"Lake Of Fire"


"Afterburn" lyric video:





"Fortress" video:





Lineup:


Vocals: Zak Stevens
Guitars: Aldo Lonobile
Bass: Nik Mazzucconi
Drums: Marco Lazzarini
Keyboards & Piano: Alessandro Del Vecchio
Synth & Orchestral Arrangements: Antonio Agate

In a recent interview with Pierre Robert of the 93.3 WMMR radio station, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen spoke about what it was like for him and his bandmates to return to the road last summer as part of the long-delayed "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think everybody was just ready to let loose. I think it had been so long, people cooped up. Our industry, we got hit the hardest right from the word 'go', and [it was] probably the last business to really come back up. So I think people were just really hungry — you could feel that; it was really tangible. People were just kind of having their moment, that coming-of-age moment again. It was so cool. I loved it."

Allen also addressed the financial challenges faced by many of the road crew members who were hard hit by the cancelation of shows, tours and live events due to the pandemic and ongoing recovery. "[It was] super tough," he said. "The ripple effect that went into our industry was just devastating. Myself and my wife, earlier on in the pandemic, we heard about — not a great subject matter — but we heard about some suicides within our circle. We ended up actually putting a virtual concert together with a bunch of my friends. Matt Sorum helped me out. Just a bunch of people. STYX helped out, Billy Idol — you name it. And all these people came forward, and basically we put this virtual event together that was my wife's idea, and we ended up donating all the money, basically, to causes that helped our road crews. That was so important. And then we did a one-off t-shirt collection; all of that money went to our road crew. We were just trying to come up with ways to keep everybody afloat. It was tricky, but I know several bands, several organizations that stepped up and really helped out."

The 36-date "The Stadium Tour" was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus crisis.

DEF LEPPARD's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", sold 34,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release in May 2022 to land at position No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked the band's eighth top 10 LP.

Of "Diamond Star Halos"' 34,000 units earned for the week, album sales comprised 32,000, SEA units comprised 2,000 (equaling 2.7 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs) and TEA units comprised less than 500 units.

DEF LEPPARD's previous Top 10 albums included "Pyromania" (which peaked at No. 2 in 1983),"Hysteria" (No. 1 for six weeks in 1988),"Adrenalize" (No. 1 for five weeks in 1992),"Retro Active" (No. 9; 1983),"Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection" (No. 10; 2005),"Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" (No. 5; 2008) and "Def Leppard" (No. 10; 2015).

Photo credit: Anton Corbijn

Las Vegas melodic hard rockers Generation Landslide have released the video for “Love And Pain”, the third single from their debut album, Ruling The Street Scene.


The video, which can be viewed below, was produced by Anthony White and Jennifer Swanson, directed by Jennifer Swanson, and stars Stephanie Kappus. It was shot at the Tone Factory Recording Studio in Las Vegas and at the Backyard Bar in Henderson, NV.







The quartet's debut album, Ruling The Street Scene, was produced by the band's frontman, Anthony White and recorded at The Tone Factory in Las Vegas, NV. The album is a whirlwind of '80s and early '90s influenced melodic rock, complete with ocean wide hooks, sing-a-long choruses and a "feel good" vibe that continues throughout the entire album.


"I wanted to create an album that has a lot of up and down excitement that you can move your head to, and at the same time sing along to the choruses," says White.





Tracklisting:


"Little Miss Lonely"
"Feel The Sensation"
"Nite Time Magic"
"I’ll Keep Movin’ Along"
"Love And Pain"
"Are You Out There"
"Sweet Ellie May"
"The City On The Edge Of Forever"
"Me In You"
"Standing In The Rain"








In live news, catch Generation Landslide rockin' the following stages across the Lone Star State:


March
5 - Marfa, TX - The Lost Saloon
8 - San Angelo, TX - The Dead Horse Saloon
9 - Lewisville, TX - T's Bar and Grill
10 - The Colony, TX - Lava Cantina
11 - Abilene, TX - Homer's Bar and Music Venue


(Photo – Jennifer Swanson)


 

After releasing their sixteenth studio album, Digital Noise Alliance, last year, Queensrÿche have hit the road on a US headlining trek in support of the record, featuring special guests Marty Friedman and Trauma. Fan-filmed video from the March 3rd kick-off show in Orlando, Florida can be viewed below.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"In Extremis"
"Lost In Sorrow" (live debut)
"Spreading the Disease" (first performance since 2012)
"Child Of Fire" (first performance since 2014)
"En Force"
"Don't Look Back" (live debut)
"Light Years"
"Sicdeth" (live debut)
"Forest" (live debut)
"Jet City Woman"
"Inner Unrest" (live debut)
"Empire"
"Behind The Walls"
"Queen Of The Reich"
"My Empty Room" (first performance since 2015)
"Eyes Of A Stranger"




Encore:
"Deliverance" (first performance since 1987)
"Roads To Madness" (first performance since 2013)











Tour dates:


March
5 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
7 - Destin, FL - Club LA
9 - San Antonio, TX - The Vibes Event Center
10 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
11 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
12 - Midland, TX - La Hacienda Event Center
14 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre
16 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
17 - Sycuan Casino Resort - El Cajon, CA          
18 - Cannery Casino Hotel - North Las Vegas, NV
19 - House Of Blues - Anaheim, CA
21 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
22 - Seattle, WA - The Neptune Theatre
24 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
25 - Kansas City, KS - Knuckleheads Saloon
26 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
28 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
29 - Ft. Wayne, IN - The Clyde Theatre
31 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall


April
1 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
2 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
4 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
5 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theater
7 - Boston, MA - The Palladium
8 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
10 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
11 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
12 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
14 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
15 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Heaven)
16 - St. Petersberg, FL - Jannus Live


Lineup:


Eddie Jackson - bass
Michael Wilton - guitar
Todd La Torre - vocals
Casey Grillo - drums
Mike Stone - guitar

Resurrection Fest, which takens place in Viveiro, Sopain, has shared pro-shot video of Mastodon performing "Blood And Thunder" at the 2022 installment of the festival. Check it out below.





Teaming up for what promises to be an unforgettable jaunt of epic proportions, Grammy Award-nominated French heavy metal luminaries, Gojira, will join forces with iconic Grammy Award-winning heavy rock band Mastodon (pictured above) for a massive co-headline tour across North America in 2023. The Mega-Monsters Tour finds these two juggernauts taking over arenas and amphitheaters throughout the spring and summer, alternating closing sets each night.




The tour kicks off at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR on April 18 and includes stops at legendary venues such as the Forum in Los Angeles, CA on April 21. The first leg concludes at Santander Arena in Reading, PA on May 11 and resumes with a second leg that runs August 9 through September 2nd. Special guest Lorna Shore serves as direct support on all dates.


Fan pre-sales for tickets begin January 18 at 10 AM, local time and include both Mastodon and Gojira artist pre-sales. General on-sale will launch January 20 at 10 AM, local time with VIP ticket packages available at www.gojira-music.com and www.mastodonrocks.com.


Tour dates:


Leg 1:


April
18 - Portland, OR - Veterans Memorial Coliseum
20 - Concord, CA - Concord Pavilion
21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
22 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre
23 - Las Vegas, NV - Virgin
26 - Dallas, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
28 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall
29 - Austin, TX - Moody Center
30 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheatre


May
2 - Nashville, TN - Municipal Auditorium
4 - Boca Raton, FL - Sunset Cove Amphitheater
5 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre
6 - Atlanta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
7 - Asheville, NC - Harrah’s Cherokee Center
9 - Richmond, VA - Virginia Credit Union Live
10 - Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Pavilion
11 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena


Leg 2:


August
9 - Cincinnati, OH - MegaCorp Pavilion
10 - Cleveland, OH - Jacob’s Pavilion
11 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE Outdoors
12 - New York, NY - Coney Island Amphitheater
13 - Syracuse, NY - OneCenter
15 - Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple
17 - Toronto, ON - RBC Echo Beach
18 - Laval, QC - Place Bell
19 - Portland, ME - Cross Insurance Arena
20 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall
23 - Milwaukee, WI - BMO Pavilion
25 - Hammond, IN - Horseshoe
26 - Omaha, NE - Westfair Amphitheater
27 - Minneapolis, MN - Waite Park Amphitheater
29 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory
30 - Kansas City, MO - Azura Amphitheater


September
1 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheater
2 - Denver, CO - Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater

Vocalist Effie Passero returned to Postmodern Jukebox to help them reimagine the 1979 KISS hit, "I Was Made For Lovin' You", as an Ennio Morricone-style Spaghetti Western track. Check it out below.


The song is available via digital platforms found here.







KISS recently announced the absolute final shows of their final tour, The End Of The Road Tour, on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show. The show has shared video from the bands visit, including Simmons explaining why he hates "I Was Made for Lovin’ You":

As the world was upended in 2020, California groove metallers DEVILDRIVER didn't pause, releasing the acclaimed first installment of their 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 today 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.'"

"Dealing With Demons Vol. II" track listing:

01. I Have No Pity
02. Mantra
03. Nothing Lasts Forever
04. Summoning
05. Through The Depths
06. Bloodbath
07. It's A Hard Truth
08. If Blood Is Life
09. This Relationship, Broken

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

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

In a new interview with Finland's Sysi Media, ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo was asked if he has ever given any consideration to making a solo album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I've tossed it around a bunch of times. I have so much material that I could do, to put on it, from the last 30, 40 years that never got released. Whether it's relevant at this point, I don't know. I can always write new [songs] too. I don't know. It's definitely in the back of my mind."

The 68-year-old Tornillo, who joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider, continued: "I've been a union electrician for the last 25 years, so I'm probably gonna retire now. And if I do that, that frees up some time. So I might just do it. We'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted."

Last October, Tornillo told The Aquarian Weekly that "the opportunity to do this again is amazing. Before ACCEPT I was, for all intents and purposes, retired as a musician," he said. "I played with the EDGAR CAYSE BAND for a while. T.T. QUICK would do a reunion show once in a while, but that was it. I'm just grateful to be able to do this on this level at this age. God, I'm 68 years old. It's insane. It's a gift from God."

Tornillo can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums: "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and "Too Mean To Die" (2021).

In a 2018 interview with Metal Shock Finland, Tornillo stated about what it was like to first join ACCEPT: "It was frightening. When we first announced what was going to happen, there was really not many people on board with it. Online, there was a lot of naysayers, a lot of badmouthing. It was very disheartening. We all sat down and said, 'Look, we have to make an amazing record, or else we're gonna die here. This is going to be a swansong. We have to make an amazing record.' And that's what we did. We spent a lot of time writing 'Blood Of The Nations' and a lot of time recording it, and I think in retrospect, it paid off. If that album wasn't what it was, we wouldn't be here."

Asked about fans who have yet to "accept" him, Mark said: "Everybody is entitled to their opinion. I'm a purist too with certain things. I get it. But I think we've moved on. We're almost a different band at this point. We really are a different band at this point. We still pay tribute to the old ACCEPT by playing the old songs — I mean, we have the two people that wrote most of the songs, [so] we have to. That's always going to be part of ACCEPT's history. You can't change it. All we can change is the future. But everyone's entitled to their opinion, and I get it. I wish them all well, and I wish Udo well, and his band, you know. No hard feelings on my part, that's for sure."

Adrian Benegas is a composer and keyboardist hailing from Paraguay. His second solo album, Arcanum, will be released May 5th via Reaper Entertainment. The stunning record features Ronnie Romero (lead singer of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow), Michael Ehré (drummer for both Primal Fear and Gamma Ray), renowned German producer Sascha Paeth, Tunisian bassist Anis Jouini (Myrath), and Dutch guitarist Timo Somers (Delain).


Adrian Benegas presents the first taste of the record with "The Secret Within." The melodic power metal anthem is carried by the charismatic voice of Romero and provides pure goosebump moments.


Comments Benegas, "I am very excited to share the first single of my upcoming second album Arcanum. ‘The Secret Within’ is a power metal, flesh melting, thrill ride. The song is full of dynamics and a wide range of emotions, that's why I wanted something surreal, yet beautiful annd unique for the video, to capture the intensity of the lyrics and the power of the music. I feel like we nailed it. Paraguayan Filmmaker and Post Producer Santiago Bogarin's vision and his team's execution created this breathtaking result. Feast your eyes on this animated narrative driven video and take a musical journey with ‘The Secret Within’."







Pre-order Arcanum at this location. Artwork and tracklisting are as follows:





"I Am The Revenant" (Prologue)
"Sanctum"
"The Secret Within"
"Pain Is The Key"
"Alchemy Of Spirits"
"Caravan Of Doomed Souls"
"At The Mount Of Solitude"
"El Milagro De Saber Esperar"
"The Spirit Of Visions"
"Lux Aeternam"
"El Mantra Secreto De Los Espíritus" (Epilogue)


 

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the second release from Finland's Circus Of Rock, entitled Lost Behind The Mask, on May 12. Circus Of Rock is a massive musical project masterminded by drummer Mirka Rantanen (King Company) and Lost Behind The Mask is the monstrous follow-up to the band's epic debut album.


Fans can get their first preview of the album with the release of the single, "Is It Any Wonder", featuring lead vocals from David Readman (Pink Cream 69). Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Lost Behind The Mask here.


Circus Of Rock's debut album, Come One, Come All, was released in August 2021 and featured a killer lineup of singers and musicians. Members of bands from the likes of Amaranthe, Tyketto, Hardline, Nightwish, Leverage, Stratovarius, Brother Firetribe, Masterplan, and others were all involved. Certainly a tall order to come up with a suitable sequel, but Mirka has more than capably risen to the occasion by recruiting a stellar casts of guests including members of Lordi, Pink Cream 69, Uriah Heep, Girish And The Chronicles, Sons Of Apollo, Ring Of Fire, and more. See below for full details on guests appearing on each track.




Circus Of Rock mastermind Mirka Rantanen has a long career in the Finnish hard rock scene. He has played on 30+ albums during his 30 year career, including releases by King Company, Raskasta Joulua, Kotipelto, Warmen, Northern Kings, Revolution Renaissance, and more. In addition, ten years ago he created the very popular heavy rock band for kids called ‘Hevisaurus’, for which he was awarded the Emma Award in 2011 (the Finnish equivalent of a Grammy).





Lost Behind The Mask tracklisting:


"Alive And Kickin" ft. Girish Pradhan
"Keep On Shining" ft. Jeff Scott Soto
"Holdin' The Gun" ft. Santiago Ramonda
"The War Is Over" ft. Mark Boals
"Nine Lives" ft. Mr. Lordi
"All I Need" ft. Pinja
"Truth Or Consequences" ft. Jay Lewis
"Death Makes No Sound" ft. Antony Parviainen
"Is It Any Wonder" ft. David Readman
"The Beast" ft. Sevi
"Fix" ft. Peter James Goodman
"Heavy Fire" ft. Rafael Castillo
"Sunrise" ft. Bernie Shaw
"Edge of Destiny" ft. Ilkka Keskitalo - Bonus Track Digital


"Is It Any Wonder" lyric video:

In a new interview with Brazil's Rock Mania, former IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dennis Stratton was asked about his memories of the making of the band's classic debut album, 1980's "Iron Maiden". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was recorded very quickly. There was not a lot of thought that went into pre-production, because all the songs were already written. All they needed doing was the guitars added and then work out what we were gonna do between me and Dave [Murray, MAIDEN guitarist] to make the songs bigger and work on the harmony guitars and who's doing solos. And that was easy. But the album was recorded very quickly. Whether people like it or not, the production [was handled by] Wil Malone. Me personally, it's amazing because I feel so honored that I was part of that epic album. But at the time, 'cause we were very young and it was done very quickly, you didn't expect it to do what it did. Forty-odd years later, it's still amazing. It's such an honor to be part of that, and it always will be, 'cause it's stood the test of time. I'm just very proud to be part of it."

Asked to name his "best memories" from his time with MAIDEN, Dennis said: "Well, just the touring — the fans. Wherever we went on the KISS tour, JUDAS PRIEST tour, we were just astounded by the amount of support for this band that's only been together six, nine months. We had a big fanbase no matter where we went. But being away with KISS for all them big shows, it reminded me of being away with STATUS QUO back in the '70s, but being on tour with KISS with all the fans and the crowds and the big stadiums, yeah, [it was] unbelievable. Just seeing all the IRON MAIDEN shirts as you're driving up to a football stadium and you look out the window of the car or the bus or the coach or whatever, and you see all these IRON MAIDEN t-shirts, you go… We were a support band, so that was lovely."

As previously reported, IRON MAIDEN is among the nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2023.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the IRON MAIDEN members that would get inducted include the current lineup of singer Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, along with Stratton, former singer Paul Di'Anno and former drummer Clive Burr.

Two years ago, when MAIDEN was nominated for the first time, Stratton told the "Uncle Steve's Iron Maiden Zone" podcast that he was "a bit shocked" by the exclusion from the nomination of the band's former singer Blaze Bayley, who fronted MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999 and appeared on two albums, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI". "It was weird. Why? Why wasn't he?" he said. "Now, I know for a fact he was with them for five years and two albums, and he contributed a hell of a lot to them two albums. But people told me that it's something to do with the committee that run this Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It has to be certain years, involved with so many years. So I don't actually know. Someone would have to read the rules to me. But I definitely think it's heartbreaking not to be included."

Stratton went on to say that for him to be nominated for the Rock Hall is "one of the biggest honors" of his career. He added: "Now, I didn't know Bruce had said anything [negative] about the Hall Of Fame. Someone told me that he had said a few things about the Hall Of Fame. I don't know what he said. But I know that he said something. Now, personally for me, I was blowing my own trumpet, saying, 'Please vote.' 'Cause this is a big honor for me; it means the world to me. But I'm not speaking for the band; this is me personally. Now, if the band and the management don't fancy it or it's not their scene and they're not interested, then so be it. You have to respect the band or the management's decision."

Stratton was a member of MAIDEN for less than a year, but he nonetheless made a vital contribution to the band's classic first album.

Photo credit: Metalville PR

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy, who has been training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for a decade, has hit a major milestone in the martial art by being awarded his black belt.

The 37-year-old musician was promoted to the new rank more than two years after earning his brown belt. He was promoted by Gustavo "Gutty" Muggiati, who leads Gracie Barra North Orlando in Heafy's hometown of Orlando, Florida.

On Saturday (March 4),Heafy shared a photo of him with Muggiati, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "03-13-13 was the first day for me in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BJJ did not come easy for me… in fact - it was one of the most difficult undertakings I'd ever started in my life. For the first year - I wanted to quit - but despite that. I'd go 5+ days a week - multiple hours a day. It didn't make sense for the first 3 years. I didn't retain what I needed to for the first 5 years. But still - I stuck with it and put in the time. Year 6/7 - it started to make sense. Year 8/9 - I felt I started finding my groove (finally). Year 10. The black belt is not the end. It's the beginning.

"Thank you to every person I've ever trained with, learned from, lost to; my family and friends for their support; my teammates; my academy… but most importantly: my professor Gutty. Gutty, you changed my life; you've made every one of your students' lives better.

"Here's to the next 10 years.

"My advice to all of you. Start BJJ. Now."

Heafy also shared a video of him being hit on his back with belts — once by each of his fellow practitioners — as he walked past ("faixada" in Portuguese). Advocates for the custom argue that "running the gauntlet" serves as a method of team building and reinforces camaraderie between classmates.

Back in 2016, Heafy told HardDrive Radio that jiu-jitsu had "become the biggest part of my life outside of music. Music is probably first, then jiu-jitsu," he said. "That's why I've gotten so intense with my practice schedule — I've had to learn something from the ground up.

"I remember the first time I ever grappled or sparred or fought. I was against someone who was probably 60 or 70 pounds lighter than me who was 17 years old. I thought, 'I got this.' And he choked me out in 20 seconds. I was like, 'All right, I don't know anything about this at all.' And I love that. I like things that are humbling.

"I like the fact that my entire life, I've been playing guitar and singing in TRIVIUM. I joined the band when I was 12, so to pick something up new that I didn't understand that was frustrating, weird, and difficult, and seemed impossible, and still seems impossible some days, it was a metaphor for life, learning jiu-jitsu. It's about learning about yourself, the habits you have, and what you like. And how you learn; I've learned that I'm a slow learner."

Photo credit: Black Card Films

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A post shared by Matthew kiichichaos Heafy (@matthewkheafy)

Fan-filmed video of VIO-LENCE's March 4 concert at Lido Connect in Bangkok, Thailand can be seen below.

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).

In a new interview with Australia's Subculture Entertainment, Sean was asked if there are plans for him and his bandmates to record a new full-length album. He replied: "Yeah, for sure. We started working on some stuff, and then Phil [Demmel, VIO-LENCE's founding guitarist], he got a lot of great opportunities for himself — going out with LAMB OF GOD [as a touring guitarist] and doing some other awesome, great things. So that kind of paused [the songwriting process]… Phil's got a lot going on, not just with music, but his family and Marta, his wife, is in BLEEDING THROUGH and they do stuff, and they own a business.

"My friendship with Phil is more important than music," Killian explained. "Together we write great. But I wanna add — Christian is a great writer. We've got Miles Dimitri Baker in the band; he's another great creative brain. I wanna put some stuff together and release… I'd like to release a full-length record, but it's kind of hard these days 'cause it takes… You don't wanna do so many songs that you just start kind of creating songs that are just there to fill space. I never wanna do that, and neither does Phil or anyone else in this band. So the EP format is great for us. We can really focus and create tracks that we feel really positive about instead of trying to make 12 songs all at once: 'Well, this we were gonna use on that song, but we need to fill space, so let's use it on this song.' I never wanna be in that position. And I know a lot of bands these days, doing 12-song records has gotta be difficult. And trying to produce them every other years has gotta be a challenge. I want the challenge to be not 'Do we fill space?' or 'Can we get 12 songs?'; I want the challenge to be 'Is this the best shit that we can put out?' And that five-song format really kind of is a good format for us to try to achieve that."

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

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 guitarist Ray 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 former OVERKILL and VIO-LENCE guitarist Bobby Gustafson, who wrote: "Good luck with what ever you do in the future. We had some good times finally."

On February 26, Demmel addressed VIO-LENCE's future in an Instagram Live video, saying it was "kind of weird playing these shows" with "a bunch of fill-ins and me and Sean." He added that while Adrian is "awesome" and the Whisky gig "was packed", he is "just kind of really torn right now in the sense of what VIO-LENCE is and what it's gonna be and what my role is gonna be in that and how I feel about that." Demmel went on to say that he told Killian he "wanted to shut [VIO-LENCE] down," but then he realized "that to ask that of those dudes to not do it anymore is selfish on my part."

Demmel also confirmed that he will perform with VIO-LENCE at the Hell's Heroes V preparty on March 23 in Houston, Texas and at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in late May in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but revealed that he will likely scale down his live appearances with the band, to the point where he will no longer play any live shows with the group.

In March 2022, VIO-LENCE released a new EP, "Let The World Burn", via Metal Blade Records. The five-song collection, VIO-LENCE's first original release since 1993's "Nothing To Gain", was tracked at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS),mixed by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and mastered by Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEATH ANGEL).

Formed in 1985, VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they reformed briefly a couple of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time going concern once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet started to think about new music and delivered "Let The World Burn", showcasing their first new material in 29 years.

VIO-LENCE's recording lineup on "Let The World Burn" consisted of Gustafson, Demmel, Killian and Strickland along with Olde Wolbers.

VIO-LENCE reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

Demmel was in MACHINE HEAD for nearly 16 years, during which time he played on five of the group's studio albums: "Through The Ashes Of Empires" (2003),"The Blackening" (2007),"Unto The Locust" (2011),"Bloodstone & Diamonds" (2014) and "Catharsis" (2018).

VIO-LENCE played its first show with Black in August 2022 at the Brutal Assault festival in Jaromer, Czech Republic.

Black, who grew up in the Bay Area and previously played with VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN and METAL CHURCH, filled in for Demmel, who was on the road at the time with LAMB OF GOD as the temporary replacement for Willie Adler.

Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in the band's reunion.



Vio-Lence - Officer Nice (Live Asia Tour BKK)

Posted by Ariff Bin Saiful Azhar on Saturday, March 4, 2023

Italian heavy metal band, Tytus, have announced their Roaming In Despair EP will be released on March 25 on physical and digital via Boonsdale Records.





"It's going to be a special mixed dish for heavy metal gourmets made of some spicy old singles, completely remixed and remastered, and some hot new mouth-watering stuff never released before. As special topping, Jarvis Letherby from Night Demon joined us on vocals for a number that pays tribute to a music legend we all loved!," comments the band.




Check out an EP teaser below, and stay tuned for further details.





Tytus lineup:


Ilija Riffmeister (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
Mark SimonHell (Guitars)
Markey Moon (Bass, Vocals)
Frank Bardy (Drums)