Icelandic pagan black metal trio Fortíð has release the second track “Fimbulvetur” of the EP Dómur um dauðan hvern (“Judgement Of Everyone Dead") as a lyric video. Dómur um dauðan hvern is slated for release on November 18, 2022. Preorder here.


The radio single “Fimbulvetur” ("The Great Winter") is named after one of the eschatological events of Norse myth, which are leading to Ragnarök, i.e. the end of the gods and the world in fire.







Fortíð comment: "The first track of the EP, 'Fimbulvetur' tells about a time in the past when the eruption of a volcano blocked the sun for some years, killing crops and livestock, which left people starving and murdering each other for every little scrap that they had left to eat,” mastermind Einar Eldur Thorberg explains. "It's about people, who worshipped the sun and had lost their faith, thinking that their god was either dead or had abandoned them."





With their two-track EP Dómur um dauðan hvern ("Judgement Of Everyone Dead"), Fortíð sent out an impressive sign of life. The Icelandic pagan black metal outfit continues in the massive footprints that their current album World Serpent has left. Epic Icelandic melodies, sharp riffing that draws from black, death, thrash, and heavy metal as well as Einar Eldur Thorberg's distinct vocals combine into fiery and spirited new songs.


(Photo – Laura Diamond)

Avant-garde entity, Thy Catafalque, have released a live performance video for "Fekete mezők", featured on the band's 2011 album, Rengeteg. The clip is taken from the upcoming Blu-Ray, Mezolit - Live At Fekete Zaj, which will be released on November 25 via Season of Mist. Order here, and watch the clip below:





The band recently issued a guitar playthough video for "Szarvas", featured on their album, Vadak, released in 2021 via Season Of Mist. Watch below, and order Vadak  here

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the signing of Polish heavy metal band, Scream Maker, to the label. The band is currently working on a new studio album, which is anticipated for release in 2023. In the meantime, Frontiers will reissue the band's latest album, Bloodking, on December 9 on CD/Digital. Pre-order here, and watch a new video for "Bloodking" below.





Scream Maker formed in Warsaw, Poland in late 2010 when the original members, including current member Michał Wrona (guitar), gathered together out of a shared love of heavy metal. Wrona is joined in the current incarnation of Scream Maker by vocalist Sebastian Stodolak, bassist Jan Radosz, drummer Tomek Sobieszek, and guitarist Bartosz Ziółkowski.




Scream Maker has produced three full-length studio albums (2014's Livin In The Past, 2016's Back Against The World, 2022's Bloodking), plus one EP ("We Are Not The Same") and played over 300 shows in Poland and abroad, including gigs with luminaries such as Judas Priest, Motörhead, Megadeth, Saxon, Slayer, Nightwish, Primal Fear, Stratovarius, Onslaught, and many more.


The band recorded their debut album, Livin In The Past with producer Alessandro del Vecchio (Jorn, Hardline, Revolution Saints) and the album featured guest appearances from Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and Wojciech Hoffmann of Turbo. The album was released by Perris Records in April of 2014 in the US and Europe and followed by a tour that included shows with Primal Fear, Paul Di'anno, Blaze Bayley, and more. In May 2014, the band toured China for the first time, playing six festivals and unexpectedly becoming the first Polish artist to have an album released by a domestic record label in China.


In the summer and autumn of 2015, between gigs with Saxon, Black Label Society, and Motörhead, Scream Maker gathered at HEAR Studio in Warsaw to record their second album, Back Against The World. The album was crafted under the guidance of Radoslaw Kordowski, as well as, once again, Alessandro Del Vecchio.


The album was releasing in May 2016 and once again the band got busy playings shows in support of the album, including shows with Megadeth, Korn, Slayer, another tour of China (their third, but not last, as China has become a regular touring destination for the band), as well as the third edition of the Ronnie James Dio Memorial that they had started pack in 2014, but this time, the tribute included several shows. The band would organize a fourth edition of the Ronnie James Dio Memorial in spring 2017 and in December 2017, the band opened the first ever Polish concert by the Dio Returns tour. The band has continued with the Ronnie James Dio Memorial shows as the years have gone on, turning it into a regular tradition.
Once the global pandemic hit in 2020 and slowed the band's regular busy touring schedule, they focused on fine-tuning and recording material for their third full-length album, BloodKing, which was released in January 2022.


The album was mixed by Tomasz "Zed" Zalewski, with two songs, "When Our Fight Is Over" and "Hitting The Wall" being mixed by Alessandro Del Vecchio. With touring opening back up, the band got busy playing gigs again and in early September 2022, they have planned their own two-day festival in Warsaw (with Polish legends Turbo headlining), which will also include another edition of the Ronnie James Dio Memorial. In the fall of 2022, the band will embark on another tour with the Ronnie James Dio Memorial, after which they will devote themselves to writing and recording their fourth full-length album.





Tracklisting:


"Invitation"
"Mirror, Mirror"
"Bloodking"
"When Our Fight Is Over"
"End Of The World"
"Scream Maker"
"Hitting The Wall"
"Join The Mob"
"Die In Me"
"Powerlust"
"Tears Of Rage"
"Petrifier"
"Candle In The Wind"
"Brand New Start"
"Too Late"


"Bloodking" video:





"Mirror, Mirror" video:





Lineup:


Sebastian Stodolak – vocals
Michał Wrona – guitar
Bartosz Ziółkowski - guitar
Jan Radosz – bass
Tomasz Sobieszek – drums

Japanese djent band Little Lilith has released their new single “The Ghost” – check it out below.





“The Ghost” is the second single of a three part single release from the band. 







“Double Suicide” was issued in September and third single “Lullaby” will be out on December 2nd. 

White Skull recently released their new album, Metal Never Rusts, via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Today, the band release the official lyric video for the song, "Hammer On Thin Ice”. Check it out below.


White Skull is a well-known Italian power metal band that has been delivering superlative metal songs since the ‘90s. Sharp voice, screaming guitars, hammering rhythms, a stunning mixture of power and melody: the result is an enthralling and gripping sound, coming from the true metal hearts of energetic and inspired musicians. Fast thundering rhythmic section powered by a new ignition spark and hyper charged by melodies and harmonies produced by bewitching vocals and magnetic keyboard arrangements.


The new album is blessed by renewed and powerful energy that bounces from song to song with a level of intensity and magnitude superior to all previous albums because, when forged with passion, true Metal Never Rusts!




Metal Never Rusts is released on s digipack CD and digital streaming/download format and on December 16, 2022 as Curacao Vinyl edition that is limited to 500 copies worldwide. Pre-order at rockworld24.com.


Cover by Uwe Jarling:





Tracklisting:


“Hammer On Thin Ice”
“Metal Never Rusts”
“Skull In The Closet”
“Black Ship”
“Heavily Mental”
“Scary Quiet”
“Ad Maiora Semper”
“Jingle Hell”
“Pay To Play”
“Weathering The Storm”


“Hammer On Thin Ice” lyric video:





"Metal Never Rusts" lyric video:





"Skull In The Closet":





White Skull are:
Federica Sister De Boni - Vocals
Tony Mad Fontò - Rhythm Guitar
Valentino Francavilla - Lead Guitar
Alexandros Muscio - Keyboards
Jo Raddi - Bass
Alex Mantiero - Drums


Guests on the album:
Chris Boltendahl (Grave Digger) - Special Guest vocal in “Scary Quiet”
Marzia Fontana, Francesca Battistini, Irene Trinca, Fabio Simonato, Rossano “Ross” Casarin, Dario Cisotto, Edoardo “Dodo” Fusaro, as background vocals

This Friday, November 4, will see Brussels-based rock act, Black Mirrors, return with their new masterpiece and sophomore studio album, entitled Tomorrow Will Be Without Us, via Napalm Records. Today, the band fronted by extraordinary vocalist Marcella Di Troia have shared a music video for the catchy new single, “Snake Oil”.


Says the band: "'Snake Oil' is one of the last songs we wrote for Tomorrow Will Be Without Us. As soon as we started working on it, we could feel its great potential - it absolutely had to be on our second album! We can already tell you that it’s the first track of our new record. It perfectly gives you an idea of the tone of our new album: raw and wild!


"The song is about being manipulated by someone… then realizing how stupid you’ve been not to notice the game they played to fool you.




"The idea behind the video was to combine the main theme of Tomorrow Will Be Without Us with the manipulation story of the song. So Marcella started to think of this girl being in a psychiatric hospital room, stuck, unable to see anything. Increasingly, she becomes the carrier of some important information that you get to see at the very end of the video.“





Black Mirrors’ sophomore outing is a deep, soulful and vividly textured 90's inspired rock record with umpteen layers begging to be picked apart with each spin, and lyrically, traverses humankind’s increasing apathy towards the world around them. The grunge-infused guitar lines meld in harmony, giving way to memorable riffs, rhythmic gems, big grooves and the addictive, beautifully unchained vocals of Di Troia. The album fluxes from fierce and blustery to often gentle and calming, channeling the flavor of MTV’s glory era showcasing acts such as Nirvana, Radiohead, Hole, Alain Johannes, Alice In Chains and beyond.


Contrary to the album’s title and its evocative themes about today’s society and a world falling apart, tomorrow does belong to Black Mirrors – there is no doubt they will own the next decade, providing us with the finest in heavy rock and melodic grunge grandeur the world of tomorrow unconditionally needs.


"Like all of us, we had to go through a lot during these past years. Tomorrow Will Be Without Us is our answer to all the questions we had during that time, our reflection on the ecological catastrophe we're all witnessing, our thoughts on our consumerist society, …“ the band comments. "Writing these songs gave us the strength to go forward and to heal us, it was our catharsis. We deeply hope it will bring you some light in these dark times."


Together with the touch of worldwide-acclaimed producer Alain Johannes (Eagles Of Death Metal, Queens Of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, No Doubt,…), Black Mirrors have reset the bar to unexpected heights, and their new album promises to leave its mark on today’s rock scene worldwide! One can be sure, the music world of tomorrow would be a lonely place without Black Mirrors, and Tomorrow Will Be Without Us locks them at the top.





Tomorrow Will Be Without Us will be available in the following formats:


- CD Digisleeve
- LP Gatefold BLACK
- LP Gatefold Marbled BLACK/GOLD (ltd. 300)
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Snake Oil"
"Lost In Desert"
"Tomorrow Will Be Without Us"
"Hateful Hate, I'll Kill You"
"Ode To My Unborn Child"
"Through The Eyes Of A Giant"
"Collapsology (Raise Your Voice)" feat. Alain Johannes
"Anthropocene"
"Tears To Share"
"Say It Again"


"Lost In Desert" video:





"Hateful Hate, I'll Kill You" video:





Current band lineup:


Marcella Di Troia (Vocals)
Pierre Lateur (Lead Guitar)
Yannick Carpentier (Drums)
Pierre Guillaume (Guitar, Synths, Backing Vocals)


(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)

Masters of anthemic rock ‘n’ roll, Black Star Riders, will release their new album, Wrong Side Of Paradise, worldwide via Earache Records on January 20. Today, the band release the new single, "Crazy Horses".


Says Ricky Warwick: "We hope you enjoy our take on The Osmonds’ classic! I remember watching The Osmonds performing this song on television in the early 70s as a young kid. I fell in love with it then and was patiently waiting for the opportunity to cover it. Thankfully my brothers in BSR shared the same adoration for the tune. So… The time is now and here it is!"







Wrong Side Of Paradise, featuring 11 tracks, was recorded in the fall of 2021 at Studio 606 in Northridge California and Toochtoon Sound in Redmond, Oregon with producer and longtime BSR associate, Jay Ruston.


With Ricky Warwick on lead vocals / guitar, Robert Crane on bass, Christian Martucci on guitar and drummer Zak St, John, the band have released the first single and video, “Better Than Saturday Night” (with backing vocals from Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott). The video features a lightning-hot performance from the four-time UK Top 25 band, and teases the watcher into suspecting a standard rock video cliché before flipping it on its head with the entrance of the rough'n'tough Roller Derby Dolls. Watch below.


About the album Ricky says, “I am very proud of this record, Black Star Riders fifth release and the first with our new and exciting relationship with Earache Records. As with all BSR albums, Wrong Side Of Paradise is an anthemic statement of intent,  driven by ferocious guitars and thundering drums. I can only write about my own personal experiences, my families, my friends and how I see a world that is unraveling and changing faster than we can comprehend. That being said, I’m a firm believer in the power of positivity, something that echoes throughout this album."





Pre-order the new album on vinyl, CD and cassette, with loads of limited exclusives from the Earache webstore.





Tracklisting:


"Wrong Side Of Paradise"
"Hustle"
"Better Than Saturday Night"
"Riding Out The Storm"
"Pay Dirt"
"Catch Yourself On"
"Crazy Horses"
"Burning Rome"
"Don't Let The World"
"Green And Troubled Land"
"This Life Will Be The Death Of Me"


"Pay Dirt":





"Better Than Saturday Night" video:

VENDED, the band fronted by Griffin Taylor, the 20-year-old son of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor, has released the official music video for its latest single, "Overall". VENDED's lineup is completed by Simon Crahan (son of SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan) on drums, Connor Grodzicki on rhythm guitar, Jeremiah Pugh on bass and Cole Espeland on lead guitar.

Griffin commented: "'Overall' is a song about getting trapped in your own head and having your thoughts self-sabotage you. And how sometimes YOU are the only person who can help yourself get out of that headspace. 'I salt the wound myself' has a double meaning; you either feel the pain from bad thoughts, or you lean into it and embrace them."

Late last year, VENDED dropped a duo of singles ("Asylum" and "Burn My Misery") ahead of its five-track debut EP, "What Is It / Kill It", which arrived at DSPs in November 2021. The collection was recorded with Griffin Landa of THE ACACIA STRAIN. The two singles bookended VENDED's first U.S. headline tour, after which the band went on to open the day's proceedings at the huge Knotfest Los Angeles show at the Banc Of California Stadium, playing alongside SLIPKNOT, BRING ME THE HORIZON, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333, CODE ORANGE and CHERRY BOMBS.

In July, VENDED released a new single, "Ded To Me", ahead of its first-ever European dates.

Last month, Griffin spoke to Heavy New York about his live approach with VENDED. He said: "Our goal is not to be up on stage and be, like, 'Look at us. We're so cool. We're so this.' Our goal is to entertain you; our goal is to make you feel better. Because everyone feels like shit nowadays. And it's just kind of nice to have someone just kind of hurt themselves on stage just screaming and then wake up the next morning with back problems and then have you go home and be, like, 'You know what? That was a really nice experience. I can kind of see where these guys are coming from.' And if you didn't enjoy our shows, that is completely fine. There have been shows that I have gone to where I was just, like, 'Oh, not my cup of tea.' And that's completely your choice to not like our music, because, honestly, it just makes us try harder and it makes us take steps to, not change ourselves so much that it's almost unrecognizable but change ourselves to the point where it's just, like, maybe we can do it again and maybe we can try again."

Formed in February of 2018 in Des Moines, Iowa, VENDED exhibits a furiously heavy sound built upon the foundations laid by the speed, power and precision of the rhythm section, layered with ferocious guitars, soul crushing solos and gutteral-yet-melodic vocals that portray the hardships and the harsh realities of life.

VENDED had its first mainstream exposure in 2020 when they performed as part of Knotfest.com's virtual "Pulse Of The Maggots" festival.

VENDED played its first headlining show in March 2020 at the iconic local club Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, Iowa.

Griffin, who looks a lot like his father, previously showcased his skills when he joined Corey onstage during STONE SOUR shows in 2017 and 2018. He's also played cover tunes with Simon Crahan, while Clown's daughter Alexandria Crahan-Conway has snapped some of VENDED's previous press pics.

Ted Nugent has weighed in on Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, saying that he is "extremely suspicious" of the tech billionaire following his takeover of the social media platform.

Musk, who is CEO of automaker Tesla and reusable rocket maker SpaceX, completed the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter on October 28. The self-declared "free-speech absolutist" is expected to overhaul the company's approach to policing speech online, including easing its content moderation efforts.

Nugent, who has repeatedly railed against large social-media companies that block users from their platforms, addressed Musk's purchase of Twitter on the latest edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted offers his take on the news of our world every night,

The 73-year-old said: "Well, obviously, number one, the founding fathers wrote down that the king can't censor us; the king can't control our religious choices or non-religious choices; the king can't allow his jackbooted thugs to come into our homes without probably cause; the king can't keep us from protesting immoral, illegitimate, wrong decrees. That's the first amendment. So, obviously, I don't really even have to comment, because everybody knows, if they've been paying to Ted Nugent, I am exactly what the founding fathers wanted every American to be: critical thinking, suspicious of all authority and hold my elected employees constitutionally accountable to the very spirit of those unambiguous words that we will find in the sacred Bill Of Rights.

"Yes, we are experiencing a hiccup where the shackles have come off and we are experiencing non-censored communication, at least on Twitter, for the moment," Ted continued. "But I am extremely suspicious of Elon Musk. Has he done some great things? I think the fact that he fact-checked and put their own little dirty game back on those who created the dirty game, especially the commander in chief, syllable-challenged goofball who thinks he's the president," Nugent added, referencing the fact that President Joe Biden recently posted a tweet regarding "facts" about corporations making billions without paying taxes and how his so-called "Inflation Reduction Act" "puts an end to" it, earning him a fact-checking label from Twitter which provided context. "So that was a good gesture, a good moment, a good indicator. But my friends, remain vigilant; remain suspicious. Elon Musk has a vapor trail of globalist connections. So with that in mind, do not be confused by what Mr. Left Hand is doing, because Mr. Right Hand may be grabbing you by the posterior."

Ted is an ardent supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump who was famously suspended from his social accounts in January 2021 over public safety concerns in the wake of the Capitol riot.

The outspoken conservative rocker has repeatedly voiced his unsubstantiated accusations that tech companies are censoring his speech, including during the September 22 edition of "The Nightly Nuge". Responding to co-host Keith Mark's claim that Meta chief product officer Chris Cox "on behalf of Facebook admitted" in a recent hearing "that there was collusion to thwart the First Amendment rights of a lot of Americans, but he justified it because it was for a greater good," Nugent said: "Well, that's right out of the communist playbook and straight out of rules for radicals by Saul Alinsky, where they can cripple truth, logic and common sense and freedom and life, liberty and pursuit of happiness by censoring people who fight for, exercise and preach truth, logic and common sense. When you censor a segment of society who is about God, family, country, Constitution, Bill Of Rights, being the best that you can be… But that's really not what the First Amendment protects; the First Amendment, it was proven in the Hustler magazine thing [Editor's note: The U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously in 1988 to overturn a $200,000 judgment awarded to the Rev. Jerry Falwell for his emotional distress at having been parodied in Hustler, a pornographic magazine.], the court system, the First Amendment is about protecting the most offensive speech, the most unfriendly speech, the most uncommon speech."

"So, finally the truth came out that they're admitting they're censoring and denying First Amendment rights, which I think is against the law," Ted continued. "The U.S. Constitution is the foundation of our law.

"I'm telling you, this is a pivotal moment.

"When I first started out on Facebook years ago — I don't think they really knew enough about Ted Nugent yet — because during the late, late… well, I guess it was in the 2000s, I had between 25 million and 36 million reach on Facebook," Nugent added. "And then the Big Tech America haters finally figured out that I was a truth, logic and common sense guy. So I went from 36 million to 3.6 million overnight. And now even with 3.6 million on Facebook, they reduce it to 15 — not 15 million, not 15 hundred; 15. Sometimes I'll make a statement that is irrefutably true, and they'll censor it and suppress it down to a couple of dozen people.

"So Big Tech, here's a word from good families of America, Big Tech. You people suck. Your fact checkers are psychopathic liars. Your fact checking is dishonest and it's against the law and it's against the First Amendment and it trounces freedom of speech. Shame on you idiots at Facebook and Big Tech. You are bad, bad people, because when you suppress freedom of speech, you're anti-human, you're anti-American, you are a voice and a power of communism. 'For the greater good.' And Big Tech hates the Constitution. I think those that are involved in the power of Big Tech, I think they look at the Constitution as toilet paper. I think we should look at them as toilet paper."

In the past, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook had suspended or removed the accounts of prominent conservatives who have violated their terms of service.

Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot that he was accused of inciting, adding to claims that conservatives are being unfairly treated. Twitter, along with Facebook and Instagram, pointed to their terms of service, which prohibit inciting violence on their platforms.

Defenders of the technology industry have repeatedly said that private companies cannot be forced to host speech they don't agree with. They also argue that private owners should be able to do as they please with their own property. In addition, they note that social media companies can only decide what speech they host and present. Those unsatisfied with their choices can choose to read or contribute elsewhere.

Earlier this year, Trump launched Truth Social, the Twitter alternative. Trump has since used the platform to post, including spreading further misinformation, such as the ongoing false claim that Joe Biden's 2020 election win was fraudulent.

Trump had consistently attacked the media throughout his presidency and called the press the "enemy of the people." He also regularly accused reporters of spreading "fake news" — his term for stories he dislikes. In addition, he has assailed the news media at rallies and even at more formal presidential events, encouraging his audiences to chant "CNN sucks!"

This past January, Nugent once again repeated the baseless conspiracy theory that the riot at the U.S. Capitol was orchestrated by undercover FBI agents, Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

Nugent, who has refused to take the vaccine, has falsely claimed that public health measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic violate the Nuremberg code, a set of medical experimentation guidelines set after World War Two, as the vaccine is "experimental."

In the past, Nugent, who battled COVID-19 in April 2021, had referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" Trump. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

TRIVIUM frontman and guitarist Matthew K. Heafy, under the name KIICHI CHAOS, and metal and hard rock label Nuclear Blast have teamed up with leading global esports organization Team Vitality for the launch of "Metality (The Vitality Anthem)".

Crafted by Heafy and mixed by prolific producer Josh Wilbur, "Metality (The Vitality Anthem)" demonstrates the growing parallels between competitive gaming and music. "Metality (The Vitality Anthem)" is the first project in what will be a long-term collaboration between Team Vitality and Nuclear Blast.

Heafy worked to produce a song which was able to capture the power of esports with heavy metal providing the perfect backdrop. "Metality (The Vitality Anthem)" aims to be a mainstay for Team Vitality with the track being used during events and competitions.

"Metal and gaming are two constants in my life that I hold near and dear," Heafy states. "I've always found that gaming and metal go so well together... it's as if they BELONG together."

He continues: "Vitality is an org I have been a longtime fan of — I love their players and I feel they are some of the best on the planet. I love that they have their Metality brand built inside the org as well!

"When I was approached to create the theme song for their CS:GO team, I knew instantly what it needed to sound like. It was such a blast to create the piece in which I heard in my head when I think of Vitality and Metality.

"Thank you so much to Vitality for allowing me to do this — the partnership between Vitality x Nuclear Blast x Kiichi Chaos is going to show the world how far ahead of the game Vitality is. I look forward to what the future holds for Vitality!"

"I am thrilled about this collaboration with both Matt Heafy and Vitality," says Nuclear Blast head of marketing Tiffany Cantegrel. "Creating more synergies between metal and gaming has been on Nuclear Blast's radar for a while, and we are proud to make a striking entrance into the esport space with those two heavyweights. It's a project built from scratch in just one month thanks to the passion of all partners involved. Expect other exciting initiatives to follow!"

Cantegrel finishes: "As a metal fan, I am amazed this killer track will be the Vitality CS:GO anthem, and proud to release it on Nuclear Blast. Special kudos to Matt; his combination of talent, enthusiasm and kindness is unparalleled."

Team Vitality is more than just an esports organization but a lifestyle brand that embraces the fashion, music, and entertainment worlds. For the Metality campaign, Team Vitality wanted to find a musical universe that matched the energy and style of the CS:GO competitive ecosystem. Spearheaded by Christophe Dureau, head of creation at Team Vitality, the theme of heavy metal was born with the campaign taking inspiration from touring metal bands, strong black and red colors and rock musical instruments.

Since its inception in 2013, Team Vitality has grown into one of the biggest esports organizations in the world and is home to some of the industry's best esports players who compete in the biggest global esports titles. Team Vitality's CS:GO team includes world-renowned esports players Dan "apEX" Madesclaire, Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut, Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen, Emil "Magisk" Reif, and Lotan "Spinx" Giladi. After winning ESL Pro League Season 16, Team Vitality's CS:GO powerhouse team headed to one of this year's biggest CS:GO events, the 2022 IEM Rio Major. The team is also currently ranked number one on the prestigious HLTV team ranking.

As part of the collaboration with Nuclear Blast, Team Vitality will also host a special Danish Metality activation on Monday, November 21. Metal group MØL will hold a special concert for Team Vitality's Danish fans and the wider esports community with more details coming soon.

"Team Vitality is very proud to collaborate with Matt Heafy and metal label Nuclear Blast," said Dureau. "The first result of this partnership is bringing one of the most respected frontman in the genre to create the hymn for Team Vitality! As a rock/metal enthusiast, I immediately connected with Matt and Nuclear Blast, on both the creative and human side. We love the anthem, it's catchy, heavy and powerful, just like our CS:GO team! It was amazing that Metality was about to transcend esports frontiers and get noticed by the likes of Hellfest festival and Matt Heafy."

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford has once again weighed in on the news that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will unite 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, will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts.

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 last year said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Halford discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Loudwire. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I put a picture of me and Phil at [Denmark's] Copenhell [festival in June] on my Instagram while [JUDAS PRIEST and DOWN] were out over there. And he goes, 'Hey.' I go, 'What?' [He goes], 'I've got a secret.' [And I go], 'Go on. Tell me. Give me the dirt, Phil.' He goes, 'PANTERA.' And I go, 'Thank God for that.' Thank God for that, because this band means so much to us. And to have it validated by Zakk and Charlie, to me, that's it — it's complete. And Charlie and Zakk love PANTERA as much as we all do, as fans of the band.

"As much as we love and miss Dime and Vinnie, these guys are going to blow your fucking mind; I know they are," Rob continued. "So we should just cherish and relish the moment. I hope they take it around the world because there's millions and millions of PANTERA fans who can't wait. Like me. I'm gonna be there [when PANTERA and JUDAS PRIEST share the stage at the Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in December] — I'm gonna be there on the side of that stage. I'm gonna be there and I'm gonna watch the whole thing. And it's gonna be wonderful. Phil loves that band still so much, as Rex does. And I know he misses Dime and Vinnie, and Rex does, every single day of their life, like we all do. So this is just sensational. I think it needs to be done, because there's healing there."

Halford added: "I read some of these comments, 'Oh, they're digging up the past.' No, they're not. They're doing a tremendous service to all of us PANTERA fans, and the incredible healing that's gonna go out into the world. And to bring in new PANTERA fans. There's gonna be people at this show in South America that maybe have heard of this PANTERA band but then are gonna witness this assault and are gonna go straight out and get every PANTERA album, t-shirt, vinyl, whatever.

"It's beautiful. We must keep the metal alive, no matter how we can. And to have it brought back to us this way is gonna be sensational."

Eight years ago, Halford spoke to Revolver magazine about the first time he met PANTERA.

"PRIEST was in Canada rehearsing for the 'Painkiller' tour," he recalled. "I was doing an interview from the hotel room and I turned the telly on to [Canadian music-video channel] Much Music. The sound was turned off, and I saw this guy and he's got a 'British Steel' t-shirt on. So I quickly finished the interview, and I turned the volume up and he's just talking about his band, PANTERA, and 'Cowboys From Hell'. And just watching him and listening to him on the television, you just felt like, This is a great guy. Firstly, I saw a clip of the band. I was like, 'My God, this guitar player is fucking phenomenal,' besides the rest of the band. And then just hearing him talk, I thought, I really would like to meet this guy. So I called up Much Music and I said, 'Was that Darrell? Is he still there?' It wasn't Dimebag in those days, it was Diamond Darrell. They said, 'Yeah, he still is.' And he was, like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe it, I'm wearing a PRIEST shirt.' And I said, 'Yeah, I've just seen you on the Much Music.' He said, 'Oh man, I'd love to see you. We got a show tonight at the club in Toronto.' I'm pretty much sure that it was PANTERA and STRYPER.

"So I went down there, and we had a great time together, and we just talked about metal, this, that and the other. I think I jammed 'Metal Gods' with them. It's a bit blurry — it should be more significant than this, but this is 1991. I was clean and sober then, but you know how things get jumbled up in your brain. So that was the start of that. And I told [JUDAS PRIEST guitarists] Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing specifically after that: 'I've seen this band. They're absolutely fucking amazing and they are going to be huge. They are going to be huge!' And I said, 'We should try to get him on the tour.' So, to cut a long story short, we brought them with us on the PRIEST 'Painkiller' tour of Europe and nobody had a clue who they were. They had no distribution as far as I understood in Europe. So they went out blind, in front of Germans and French and whatever. I used to watch every show, and the first reaction fans gave them was, 'Who the hell is this?' And it was, like, 'Oh my fucking God, what's going on in front of my eyes?' They would just win an audience over in 30, 40 minutes. From playing fresh, new music that nobody had heard before. The communication was instant with that band. So, there it was. So, by the time we'd done the European tour, and they went back to the states, 'Cowboys' was shooting up the charts. And that was it, they were off and running. They were just launched into the stratosphere on that first release."

Halford also talked about the song "Light Comes Out Of Black" which he recorded with PANTERA for the "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" soundtrack. Regarding how the track came together, he said: "I was away from PRIEST. Sony were working on the soundtrack. They wanted Sony artists and asked me to write a song. I hadn't written as a solo writer for years and years and years. But it's one of those things where you don't know what you can do until you put your nose to the grindstone. So I wrote 'Light Comes Out Of Black', and I was stuck. And I got Dime's number, and I called him up and I said, 'Here's the deal.' And he goes, 'Let's do it. Just get in the plane and come down to Dallas.' So, that's what I did the next day, went to the studio, laid the track down in a very short space of time. Phil wandered by, said 'Oh, how's it going, 'Metal God'?' So, I told him and he said, 'You got a spot for me?' I said, 'Pfft, here's the mic.' So Phil joins me on the back end of the song. And it turned out really good. It's amazing to think that that's a PANTERA song really. It is PANTERA with me on lead vocals, and Phil obviously doing the outro sections. But it's a PANTERA song, really."

PANTERA will play its first shows in over 20 years in December 2022, starting with a co-headlining slot at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest and Monterrey Metal Fest, followed by appearances at three Knotfest festivals in South America. There will also be a one-off show with JUDAS PRIEST in São Paulo, Brazil and a headlining concert in Santiago, Chile.

Confirmed PANTERA shows so far:

Dec. 02 - Texicoco, Mexico - Hell & Heaven Metal Fest
Dec. 06 - Monterrey, Mexico – Monterrey Metal Fest
Dec. 09 - Bogotá, Colombia – Knotfest Colombia
Dec. 11 - Santiago, Chile - Knotfest Chile
Dec. 12 - Santiago, Chile - Movistar Arena
Dec. 15 - São Paulo, Brazil – Vibra São Paulo (with JUDAS PRIEST)
Dec. 18 - São Paulo, Brazil – Knotfest Brazil

Talk about a possible PANTERA "reunion" intensified when Anselmo regularly joined Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to perform PANTERA's song "I'm Broken" during DOWN's 2014 stint on the "Revolver Golden Gods Tour". That buzz only got stronger after Brown joined the jam on May 23, 2014 when the tour swung through Texas.

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.

PANTERA is managed by Scott McGhee of 1 Degree Music Entertainment. The band's legal representative is Nick Ferrara And Associates. PANTERA is booked internationally by Rod MacSween at ITB. Artist Group International will book PANTERA's North American dates, with Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo as the responsible agents.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Signals From Mars" podcast, QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton spoke to host Victor M. Ruiz about the challenges of touring post-pandemic and the future of heavy music as on-demand streaming keeps contributing to a decline in sales and songwriters continue to be cut out of streaming's success. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[The pandemic] kind of decimated the music industry for heavy bands, rock bands and metal bands. They make their living touring, and that was shut down. Lots of establishments were closing down. So everything was shutting down and going down to bare-bone operations.

"I mean, let's face it: the technology, everything, is changing; the industry is changing," he continued. "People aren't buying records. They are streaming. Bands don't get paid on streams. It's crap. You do hundreds of thousands of streams and you can buy yourself a coffee at Starbucks.

"Bands are figuring out how to adapt and survive. There's always challenges. Now there's inflation, which means tour buses being diesel, it's ridiculously expensive now — at least twice as much than it was back in 2019. So you have all these challenges. Inflation — prices go up and everything, but, hey, our wages aren't going up. It makes it a challenge for bands that tour.

"I was hoping that possibly this would be some kind of major renaissance that happens after this pandemic and that music would be the answer to everything. But, you know, it is what it is.

"Coming out of the pandemic, you're blasted into this kind of a situation. It's tough. It's almost like you're [stepping] into the Wild West again," Wilton added. "Everybody's gonna have to rethink their game. You're gonna have to really figure out your bottom line to survive in the industry. But I'm an optimist, and I think the industry is gonna catch up and get back to the way it was; it's just gonna take longer. Fortunately, bands like QUEENSRŸCHE, we have such a following, and we can tour, and there's plenty of fans that are starved for entertainment that wanna come out and support live music. And we're very fortunate that we can do that. And that's what we're doing right now."

According to KWCH, factors impacting the diesel shortage include the U.S. banning Russian imports and refining capacity being down due to seasonal work, plus high demand. Europe is also suffering from a diesel supply shock and has been importing a lot of diesel from the U.S.

QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, "Digital Noise Alliance", was released on October 7 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Guitarist Mike Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE last year, contributed guitar solos to the band's new studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past five and a half years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE's original drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit.

QUEENSRŸCHE kicked off its fall 2022 U.S. tour as the support act for JUDAS PRIEST on October 13 at Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut.

ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer, who pleaded guilty more than a year and a half ago to his role in the Capitol riot, is continuing to cooperate with authorities while on pre-sentencing release.

In a status report filed last Friday (October 28) in federal court in Washington, D.C., Schaffer's attorney Andrew C. Marcantel of Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm wrote that Schaffer "remains on release under the supervision of the District of Columbia Pre-Trial Services Department. He has remained compliant with pre-trial release conditions.

"The Defendant's cooperation plea agreement was the first plea of the several hundred Capitol Riot cases and has involved cooperation in the largest conspiracy arising out of the incident that has been indicted to date," the attorney added. "He has remained cooperative with law enforcement since his release. Multiple defendants charged in the case in which the Defendant is cooperating have been presented before the Court; several are in the process of exploring case resolutions and a trial date has yet to be set." The attorney also asked for an opportunity "to file a joint status update on or about January 26th, [2023]." (Editor's note: The status report erroneously lists the year for the next status update as "2022".)
Interestingly, Schaffer's attorney also noted that "reached out to counsel for the government," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, "multiple times" in regard to filing a joint status report but had not been able to reach Baset.

According to an April 2021 Justice Department press release, Schaffer has "acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member" of the right-wing Oath Keepers extremist group.

In January, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta granted the U.S. government's request to share sealed materials from the case involving Schaffer's role in the U.S. Capitol riot case as discovery to the three main Oath Keepers cases. Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, and several of his deputies were charged with seditious conspiracy for their role in the U.S. Capitol Riot. Rhodes and his co-defendants are accused of bringing small arms to the Washington, D.C. area; engaging in combat training to prepare for the attack; and making plans to stage quick-reaction forces to support insurrectionists.

Last December, a lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. accusing 31 members of Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys — including Schaffer — of "conspiring to terrorize the District" on January 6, 2021, calling their actions "a coordinated act of domestic terrorism." According to CNN, the lawsuit cites the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine noted, "to protect against vigilantes and insurrectionists."

"I think the damages are substantial," Racine told The Washington Post. "If it so happens that it bankrupts or puts these individuals and entities in financial peril, so be it."

The 84-page complaint describes Schaffer as "a founding, lifetime member of the Oath Keepers." It goes on to say: "Schaffer was criminally charged and indicted for his role in perpetrating the January 6th Attack. In connection with a promise to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in criminal cases related to the conspiracy to commit the January 6th Attack, Schaffer pleaded guilty to the entire Statement of Offense in the criminal action brought against him, which included two felony offenses: (1) trespass of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon and (2) obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress. The criminal Complaint filed against Schaffer—as well as Schaffer's Plea Agreement and the accompanying Statement of Offense describing his conduct—are publicly available documents that are hereby incorporated into the Complaint by reference."

"No one bore the brunt of this gutless attack more than the courageous law enforcement officers including the men and women of the DC Metropolitan Police Department who went into the fire and violence with one objective in mind: remove the violent mob and restore our country's fragile democracy," Racine said at a news conference.

"The defendants, as you know, were not tourists, nor were they acting patriotically," he added. "They were vigilantes, members of a mob, insurrectionists who sought to crush our country's freedoms."

Last month, The Republic reported that process servers tasked with hand-delivering notice to Schaffer that the District of Columbia was suing him had been unable to notify the musician that legal action was being taken against him. At least 25 separate attempts to serve Schaffer at seven different addresses across three different states had been made but he had managed to evade process servers and private investigators who had been on his trail for months.

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The 54-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sells lifetime memberships for $1,200, has not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. According to federal authorities, Kelly and Connie Meggs plotted for weeks ahead of the attack, attended training sessions and recruited others. Kelly Meggs is the head of the Oath Keepers' chapter in Florida.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

In early October, before the launch of GODSMACK's European tour in Cologne, Germany, the four members of the band were interviewed for an episode of "Elena Roberg Presents: Personalities And Passions!" Guitarist/vocalist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin discussed their new music, their decision to make the upcoming album probably their last, their future plans, the causes they are passionate about and their achievements.

Speaking about why GODSMACK's next album, "Lighting Up The Sky", which is tentatively due in February, will probably mark the band's final full-length collection of all-new original material, Erna said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We felt that, as we started to work on this record, trying to figure out what this record was gonna be, what I was gonna write about lyrically, what the music was gonna sound like, as you go through that beginning process, we always have our — at least I have my freakout moment that I'm, like, 'I don't know what I'm gonna write about. I don't have any musical ideas.' And so the journey begins there. But as we started to develop it, we started to realize that a couple of things happened, which was the record really felt like it had closure by the time we finished it. And, really, this record became about one man's journey through life — the ups and downs, finding love, losing love, getting love back, realizing the things that are important in his life — which is the career, the band, things like that — all the way to the end, which is about if I could talk to myself as a younger version of me, what would I give myself as advice and would I have done it differently, or would I have needed to go that fast and that recklessly in order to get where we got. So that person's journey, really, was me and the guys, and the whole story of this record is about that journey. So by the time we got to the end of it and we realized that this chapter's kind of closed, along with having 27 Top 10 singles and 11 No. 1 songs, and we're gonna have, obviously, a few more singles on this record, we're gonna be at 30 Top 10 singles. We're there; we've arrived. And we had to recognize that because it's time for us now to do what's right for the fans and deliver the music that they have claimed to be our best songs over the years. They are the ones that chose the singles, really. We could suggest that we feel like this is the song, but they are the ones that made it successful. So, therefore, they wanna hear those songs every night. But there's not enough hours in the night to be able to play 30 songs. So when you go see your favorite band these days that have that kind of history, what do you wanna see? Do you wanna see a bunch of new stuff that you don't know yet or do you wanna hear the hits that you've learned and loved and became the soundtrack to your lives. And so for those reasons we felt like maybe this chapter is about to close on writing new music and the next chapter is gonna begin where we're gonna start touring on the greatest-hits show and delivering that kind of entertainment night after night."

According to Sully, all four members of GODSMACK are on the same page about making "Lighting Up The Sky" their final collection of new music. "Everyone feels complete," he said. "I don't think anyone is going into this concept of ending that part and beginning a new chapter and feels that it's wrong, that we're missing something. I think everybody feels pretty complete."

Shannon concurred, saying: "And that's the beauty. We're not breaking up. 'This is it. We're done. Give us all your money. This is the last time you're gonna see us.' It's not us. We're gonna tour hard on this record for sure, because we really believe in this record, and at the end of that, we'll take a little time off and we'll call each other and [say], 'When do you wanna go and play?'"

Added Sully: "It's not the end; it's a new beginning. So for the people out there that are starting to think that this is a negative thing, I promise you the one thing that I can guarantee you, and I have never said this in my life, this is the best work we've ever done on an album. And there's a lot — a lot — of really big songs on this record. So I think it's gonna keep people satisfied for a very long time. And I don't think they're gonna miss the part of whether or not we do new music. I think it's just gonna be a matter of how much they enjoy the new music."

In late September, GODSMACK released a brand new single, "Surrender", via BMG. The track marked the first release from the band in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

A little over a month ago, Erna told the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X that the second single from "Lighting Up The Sky" will arrive in February and will coincide with the release of the full-length album.

In September 2021, "When Legends Rise" was certified gold on by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies. In addition, two more of the LP's singles (the title track and "Under Your Scars") were also officially certified gold by the RIAA. The album's first single "Bulletproof" earned a platinum digital single award in September 2020 and was previously certified gold in the U.S.

"When Legends Rise" was the seventh studio album from GODSMACK. Produced by Erik Ron and Erna, it was the band's first release in four years and was recorded at their now-former headquarters (GSHQ) in Derry, New Hampshire. The album went on to garner a multitude of career milestones for the group: four No. 1 rock tracks (an accomplishment that makes GODSMACK one of only four rock acts to achieve this),and a record 11 No. 1 singles in the band's career with the album's fourth single, "Unforgettable". "When Legends Rise" entered the Billboard Top 200 album chart in the top ten (No. 8),with four No. 1 placements on other charts: Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Music Albums, Top Independent Albums and Top Alternative Albums.

During an October 28 question-and-answer session with fans aboard this year's Kiss Kruise, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked what he has learned about himself through his 50-year friendship and working relationship with fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[That's an] interesting question. Yeah, we're very different, but we certainly share a pride in what we do, a work ethic. Maybe because our parents came from Europe where I think that that's important stuff, is that pride in the work you do and to work hard for your money. Other than that, I think one of the things that took me a long time to learn — and I think Gene, by the way… I mean, he's family to me; he's a brother. I remember there were things about him that used to drive me crazy. Then I realized that that's not his issue; that's my issue. When people do things and it bothers you, you need to figure out why it bothers you, not expect them to change. It's not about them. And things that used to bother me about Gene, I just had to kind of figure out, 'Wait a minute. That's my issue that bothers me. And why does it bother me?' Because he can only be the best he that he can be; he's never gonna be me, and I'm never gonna be him. So it's just a matter of putting a lot of that stuff aside. We're not gonna change anybody else, so we need to figure out why it bothers us."

A little over two years ago, Stanley admitted to "Live From Nerdville With Joe Bonamassa" that he "didn't particularly like" Simmons the first time they met. "But there was pragmatism involved," he said. "You have to prioritize and figure what's most important to you to reach your goal. And I knew that Gene and I were much stronger together than me alone. I'm not really sure that he knew that, but that became irrelevant. It was, 'How do I get where I wanna go? How do I achieve what I want?' And Gene was essential to it. And here we are 50-plus years later. It's astounding. We've created something that seems like it will outlast us."

In 2019, Stanley told Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast his relationship with Gene wasn't affected by the release of Stanley's 2014 memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed".

"Gene's always been very accepting," Paul said. "And we've only gotten closer and closer over time, which is just terrific. I said things in the book that I felt were true, and I would stand by what I said. But it doesn't negate that in the scheme of things, he's been a terrific partner, he's a brother, and he's family. Certainly there were things that I spoke about in the book that aren't true anymore, but they were, to me, at some point. And that book was really my overview of my life. And I really didn't say anything to hurt anyone, and I didn't wanna throw anybody under the bus. There were a few people who walked under the bus — I didn't have to throw 'em. I think Gene has always respected that I have my own perspective. And, again, I couldn't be closer to him than I am now. Totally. I speak to him often.

"It would be crazy and sad to go through what we've done together and what we've accomplished and have ill will or animosity," he continued. "If anything, the two of us look at each other and go, 'Wow!' In those moments of candor, or when we're just talking to each other, or texting each other, there are those texts where it's, like, 'Wow! Look what we've done.' So, yeah, anybody who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken. His family is my family. Shannon, I've known Shannon probably 35-plus years. [Gene's kids] Nick and Sophie, I feel like their uncle.

"Look, when [my son] Evan was born, the first person in the room to see him was Gene," Paul added. "Even when things have been tough, or there's been tensions in the past — and not in the near past — we always were family. When we had our big earthquake in the '90s, basically I wasn't talking to Gene at the time, and as soon as the ground stopped shaking, I called him. I said, 'Are you okay?' He said, 'Yeah.' And then we kept not talking to each other. But the most important thing was making sure he was okay.

"I'm very, very lucky to have him. And I don't necessarily agree with everything he does. But does anybody?"

In "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", Stanley insisted that his relationship with Simmons has slowly improved over time. But Paul also wrote: "[Gene] chose to ignore his underlying issues and instead committed himself to creating an external façade and persona that, unfortunately, he felt required to knock down anyone who threatened his singularity in the spotlight." He also dismissed the notion that Simmons is some kind of financial genius. "Gene's most successful venture in business was promoting the perception that he was a savvy businessman," Paul wrote.

A few years back, Paul admitted that he "read a little bit of" Gene Simmons's book when it first came out but that he had a different recollection of some of their shared history. While reading Gene's book, Stanley felt, "Gee, I thought I did that. I thought that was me. You thought you were me," he said.

KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last through at least early 2023.

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Drummer Michel Langevin (a.k.a. Away) of Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD spoke to the "When Words Fail…Music Speaks" podcast about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting.

"When we toured with FAITH NO MORE and SOUNDGARDEN in 1990 across North America, we could already feel the wind changing with the new alternative rock becoming more and more popular," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Even the [movement] of the crowd was different; it was not a mosh pit — it was like a big wave. So we felt like something was coming which really sort of, I guess, influenced us into writing 'Angel Rat' — more of an alternative metal album. But when NIRVANA released 'Nevermind', I think the heavy metal bands probably felt like [what] all the bands from the '60s felt like when THE BEATLES showed up. We were, like, 'Okay, this is really something fresh.' A new decade, a new generation. And this took everything by storm. But we really embraced it. I really love the band [NIRVANA] and the music and all that."

He added: "So, yeah, I think the grunge movement is definitely something that hadn't happened in a long time… [NIRVANA] released 'Nevermind' in '91, and it was a new era."

Five years ago, Langevin was asked in an interview with RockSverige for his memories of Chris Cornell, having spent time on the road with the singer more than three decades ago as part of the aforementioned tour with SOUNDGARDEN and FAITH NO MORE.

"I was speechless and may people phoned me and wanted me to express my point of view on Chris's passing and I couldn't," Away said. "I said, 'There's nothing I can say right now.' First of all, he was very reserved and chilled and very quiet. On stage, he was the best frontman I've ever seen and he was actually the originator of, like, breaking everything and climbing everywhere, before Eddie Vedder started climbing and Kurt Cobain started banging stuff. Chris was doing that, so he was a pioneer for sure. Not to mention his incredible voice and presence, but he was also a very good friend. We traded art and he did a painting for me during the 1990 tour and right now I have a hard time looking at it. It's pretty intense. I met him a couple of times over the years in Montreal when he came there solo or with SOUNDGARDEN, and we did not necessarily keep in touch, but I went to see him and he was always super nice."

VOIVOD will release a new EP, "Ultraman", on November 4 via Century Media Records. The effort features a highly original tribute to the "Ultraman" TV series theme as well as previously unreleased bonus live cuts, available both as a 12-inch vinyl EP or as a digital EP.

The "Ultraman" EP will be released in perfect timing for VOIVOD's return to European stages as special guests for Swedish progressive metal/rock group OPETH on their "Evolution XXX" tour.

VOIVOD's 15th studio album, "Synchro Anarchy" was released in February via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2018's "The Wake" was produced by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio and features cover artwork created by Langevin.

In a new interview with Sweden's RockSverige, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale was asked whether she thinks there will ever be a solo album from her. "There might," she responded. "My guys in the band are actually begging me to do that. They're the ones going, 'Hey, you can do a solo album so we can have some time off?'

"I have a lot of songs that are very much… If you're thinking of Stevie Nicks's 'Bella Donna'… You can hear when you're listening to FLEETWOOD MAC and when you're listening to Stevie Nicks's solo records where her voice is in the band," she explained. "FLEETWOOD MAC would not be the same without her, but you can really accentuate that corner of the world of the band.

"I feel like if I were to do a solo record, which I have plenty of songs that have never seen the light of day that I could choose from, you would definitely be able to hear what my specific influence is on the band.

"Yeah, absolutely, I think it most likely will be in the future," Lzzy said about the idea of making a solo album. "Whether it's my decision or the guys are, like, 'You just go!' Either way, it's gonna happen."

This past June, Lzzy was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if her bandmates have expressed any reservations about the fact that she alone appears on the covers of HALESTORM's last two studio albums, 2018's "Vicious" and 2022's "Back From The Dead". She responded: "To be completely honest, it's been their idea. For these past few albums, it has not even been brought up by me. It ends up settling in there, and then all of a sudden the guys are, like, 'Yeah, just put Lzzy's face on the cover.' [Laughs] Like, 'Seriously, guys?' And they're, like, 'Yeah, we're fine.' They're not necessarily the most thrilled — well, maybe my brother [HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale]; he's thrilled to do anything — but they're not the most thrilled to do the photoshoot thing and have their faces and do poses and stuff like that; it's something that I enjoy doing. So they throw that stuff at me all the time. And it goes the same thing with music videos. They're, like, 'Can we just put Lzzy here and do that? Or do we have to do this? Or can we just play our instruments?'

"My bandmates have been so supportive, almost to the point that it's annoying," Lzzy explained. "They're just my allies. They know me better, I think, than most of my own family does at this point. And it's funny to kind of let them — or not 'let them,' but have them want to kind of push me out there, which, obviously, I'm up for the challenge. But there's always the second conversation, like, 'Are you guys sure? We could just do something really crazy.' [And they're, like,], 'No, this is great. We want it to look like a movie poster.' [Laughs] That kind of conversation. And I'm, like, 'All right. Fine. I'll do it.' … They've never had a weird ego about any of that stuff, which is weird. I'm, like, waiting for the shoe to drop here. But we've been here for a long time.

"If any of them ever — and this is just personally for me — if any of them ever raises concerns about that, obviously there'll be an adjustment and a conversation, and it's fine by me," Hale added. "It's just whatever makes everybody comfortable. I've never dictated what anybody wears, what anybody does. We all do this stuff together, just like we always have been."

Two and a half years ago, Lzzy admitted to Kerrang! magazine that there have been times in the past when she been frustrated with being the chief focal point in HALESTORM.

"Every step of the way we're fighting to be ourselves, and to be the best four pillars of this band we can be. In the past we've had people try to pit us against each other, like telling me I should lose the rest of the band and go solo, or that my brother wasn't good enough. We understand that if one of the four goes, it's no longer HALESTORM anymore. That's another reason I love playing live, because we're all there representing ourselves, individually and as a collective, without backing tracks or trickery."

HALESTORM has grown from a childhood dream of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale into one of the most celebrated rock bands of the last two decades. Their latest album, "Back From The Dead", spawned two No. 1 hits, including title single, "a biting but cathartic howler about overcoming all obstacles" according to Rolling Stone. "Back From The Dead" is the follow up to 2018's "Vicious", which earned HALESTORM their second Grammy nomination, for "Best Rock Performance" for the song "Uncomfortable", the band's fourth No. 1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name HALESTORM "Rock Artist Of The Decade" in 2019. Rounded out by guitarist Joe Hottinger and bass player Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has surpassed a billion streams, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper and Joan Jett.

During a new appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Robert DeLeo, bassist and principal songwriter of the iconic band STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, was asked if he and his brother, STP guitarist Dean DeLeo, have gotten together to begin work on any music for the group's next release. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not yet. I'm so busy on [my debut solo] record right now, and it's been such a journey for me to kind of try to tackle this all alone, with playing and everything and with the people I got together. This is just kind of the beginning of promo. The record was released a couple of weeks ago, so I'm kind of in the middle of it right now. But it's in the back of my mind, and I've got some ideas kind of coming together. So we'll see where that goes."

Robert's first solo album, "Lessons Learned", came out on October 21. Robert played virtually all the instruments on the LP, complemented by guest musicians and vocalists. The album's first single, "Love Is Not Made Of Gold", features vocalist Jimmy Gnecco.

DeLeo had been discussing the possibility of releasing a solo album for at least the last two decades. Back in 2002, he said that he was "compiling a number of songs" that had not made their way on to STP records, "not because they're bad songs, [but] just because they never found a place. Though they're different from STP, they still mean a lot to me," he explained.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — the DeLeo brothers and drummer Eric Kretz.

Eight months ago, Eric told Australia's May The Rock Be With You that he and his bandmates were "so disappointed" that they couldn't tour behind their first-ever acoustic album, "Perdida". "And I think in some ways, it was actually very therapeutic just to take a break — just take a break," he explained.

Regarding whether "Perdida" is indicative of STP's future direction or if that album was just a "one-off experimental thing," Eric said: "It was just experimental. I'm sure you know from our catalog, we've always had a song or maybe two that were similar to that. And it was just, 'Let's just do a whole record like that.' And the majority of it we wrote here at my place where I have a studio. We just sat around the couch with a couple of acoustics and some hand drums and just kind of arranged the songs and put the lyrics together and just kind of got it all together. And then recording was sometimes it'd be a few of us together, sometimes it'd be one person at a time or two people at a time, and just kind of developing the layers. And Robert and Dean really had some great ideas with expanding what they wanted to do with the harmonies and melodies and continued to use instruments that we haven't touched on before. So in that sense it was a different avenue for us to take.

"I would say the next record — my guess is it's probably gonna be the hardest and loudest record we've ever had, just to say, 'Okay, we've done that. Now let's do this and let's try something different,'" he added. "Or it could be totally a mixture of the two. We kind of don't know until we get there. In a few more months, like I said, we'll probably be itching to record again."

In 2017, singer Jeff Gutt, a now-46-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

"Perdida" was Gutt's second LP with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

Earlier this year, Frontiers Music Srl made an announcement welcoming the legendary '80s hard rockers Autograph to the label's roster. The band, at the time, featuring vocalist Simon Daniels, guitarist Jimi Bell, bassist Randy Rand, and drummer Marc Wieland, were close to wrapping up work on their brand new studio album, Beyond, which the label had slated for release later in the year.


Just past mid-April 2022, Randy delivered the final masters and artwork for Beyond and was sorting out plans for the release with the label when he received some news about his health. And then, shockingly, just a few days later, on April 26, 2022, Randy Rand, a founding member of the band, passed away. Before his untimely passing, he shared with his bandmates that if something was to happen to him before the release plans were finalized, he wanted them to release Beyond, his last recorded work.


And so, with bittersweet emotions, Frontiers Music Srl announced the forthcoming release of Autograph's new studio album, Beyond, the last album to feature founding member and bassist Randy Rand, on November 18.




Watch a lyric video for the new single "Take Me Highter" below, and pre-order/save Beyond, here.


Autograph, whose hit "Turn Up The Radio" was a staple of the hard rock soundtrack of the '80s, disbanded in 1989, but in 2011, founding members bassist Randy Rand and guitarist Steve Lynch decided to meet up at the NAMM show in Anaheim, CA. They rekindled their friendship first before even thinking about a musical reunion. With their personal relationship rebuilt, they made a collective decision to play again.


“We approached our original singer Steve Plunkett about a reunion,” recalled Rand. “He didn’t have the time to join the band again due to his busy schedule. He did give us his blessing to move forward though, and that was important. We missed our fans. This is for them.”


Fully embracing the future, the remaining members begin a search for a new singer. They discovered some videos of singer/guitarist/songwriter Simon Daniels (of Jailhouse, Flood, 1RKO) on YouTube and instantly, they sensed a connection and knew that he was the right fit for the band.


“He was perfect to front Autograph," smiled Rand. "His hard-edged, bluesy voice and massive riffing sharpen our edge. He’s given us a new energy, and he impressed us immediately. We all had a euphoric feeling after the first rehearsal,” Rand added.


Rand said that during his long-lived career, he has only loved playing with two drummers; one is the great late Randy Castillo, and then there is Autograph's new drummer Marc Wieland. As Rand put it, “We’re heavier than before. At the same time, the melodic vocals and catchy hooks are still an integral part of our sound.”


In 2019, Lynch decided to leave the group to pursue different musical styles and was replaced by international monster shredder guitarist Jimi Bell (House of Lords). The band didn't skip a beat and went on to record a new album, Beyond, with this lineup before Rand's untimely passing on April 26, 2022.


Autograph, the platinum-selling Southern California hard rock band who gave the world the ubiquitous hit "Turn Up The Radio", has released seminal albums such as Sign In Please [1984], That’s The Stuff [1985], and Loud and Clear [1987]. Over the course of their career, they have played shows with everybody from Mötley Crüe and Ronnie James Dio to Van Halen and Aerosmith. Successfully touring again since the beginning of 2014, Autograph has strived and shined at arenas, casinos, major music festivals such as M3, Monsters of Rock Cruise, The Moondance Jam, 80’s in the Park, Grand Rock Tember, Cat Club Festival at Irvine Meadows, and Firefest UK, among others. In 2017, Autograph released a new album on ex-Megadeth member David Ellefson's EMP Label Group, hitting # 21 on the Billboard Classic Rock Sales Chart, as well as placing two new singles on the top 10 Hard Rock Mediabase Radio Chart.





Tracklisting:


"This Ain’t The Place I Wanna Be"
"Your Slave Tonight"
"Everything"
"Gotta Getcha"
"Take Me Higher"
"Run For Your Life"
"Beautiful Disaster"
"Love Is A Double Edge Sword"
"Heart Of Stone"
"Feels So Good"
"Flying High"
"To Be Together"
"Mind Of Fear" (Bonus Track Digital only)


"Take Me Higher" lyric video:





"To Be Together" lyric video:





"This Ain't The Place I Wanna Be" video:





Lineup:


Randy Rand - Bass
Simon Daniels - Vocals
Jimi Bell - Guitar
Marc Wieland - Drums

White Elephant is the debut album of Belgian metal band Aeveris. The album holds ten soaring songs, including two of their first three successful singles “Shapeless” and “Segregating The Wicked” (feat. Svencho DC – Aborted).





A press release states: “A White Elephant is a metaphorical possession. A gift that you are unable to dispose of. In this case, a deep rooted fear. A growing madness. Something that you carry with you every day. Our album comes with a message to EMBRACE that fear. Embrace that madness, and turn it into something beautiful before it turns YOU into something ugly.”




Aeveris are Jeffrey Behiels and Dennis Wyffels on guitar, Louis Soenens on Vocals, Pieter Nyckees on Bass and Louis Van der Linden on drums.

Methane have announced the release of a new brimstone engulfed album for early 2023. Hailing from Sweden with American born singer/bassist Tim Scott, formerly of cult acclaimed NJ death metal band Revenant, has chosen January 27, 2023 as the release date of its heavy groove laden thrash metal album Kill It With Fire.


The album reverberates unapologetic thrash metal guitar riffing courtesy of guitarists Jimi Masterbo and Markus Grundstrom paired with the intense drumming of newly inducted drummer Jonathan Fundin . The album also features a collaboration with CJ Scioscia from New York City area thrash legends Blood Feast, who shreds a solo on track 5 “A Blood Red Sky”.


Tim comments: "The lyrics for the album have a darkened tone of irony about our contemporary societal woes and some deeply personal songs as well, of life and all its miseries. The music on the album sounds brutal, we really got a sick mix of old school thrash and heavy pit provoking groove riffs."




Vinyl and digital preorders are available on Bandcamp. It is also available to pre-save on Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube.


First single “Thin The Herd” was originally released in 2019 and music video for the track will be issued in January 2023.


The music video depicts today's society, social media junkies hopped up Facebook likes. The idea for the song came from a day Tim was going through his friends list, deleting people that had no reason to be there. "I was culling them, deleting someone from your page is worse than death for some people. I think we are all going fuckin' crazy. It’s a virus and we're all infected."





Tracklisting:


“Kill It With Fire”
“Accuser (Of The Brethren)”
“Declare Chaos”
“Shock And Awe”
“A Blood Red Sky” (feat. CJ Scioscia)
“Down In The Gutter”
“Thin The Herd”


“Thin The Herd”:





(Photo – Linda Gabor Photography)

Metal band A Sound Of Thunder has announced a new heavy metal music and comic book project entitled Queen Of Hell: Initium. The epic Queen Of Hell story will unfold in both original songs and a comic book series, with guest vocalists performing as characters from the story. Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire, Angra) performs as Lucifer. Mats Leven (Candlemass, Yngwie Malmsteen) performs as the story’s main villain Udoroth. The musical portion of the project is produced by Kevin ‘131’ Gutierrez (Paul McCartney, OAR, Shinedown) with orchestration by Brad Charles (Magic Giraffe Soundworks); the comic is produced and edited directly by the band with a script by Rafer Roberts (Modern Fantasy, Minecraft) and artwork by Mike Ratera (Stalag-X, Conan the Conqueror). The main cover artwork is by Dusan Markovic.


The Queen Of Hell story is an a dark fantasy adventure with themes familiar to metal fans:


Cecilia was born to serve the demon lord Udoroth. Heaven tried to turn Cecilia against her diabolical nature. But neither side considered how strong-willed Cecilia can be! Once she learns the truth about herself, and about those she thought she knew, all bets are off. Will Cecilia help Udoroth conquer Heaven? Will she aid the Angelic forces to defeat evil? Or will she forge her own path of destruction...as the Queen of Hell!







The music of Initium is classic, melodic, dynamic and theatrical heavy metal topped with the powerful vocals of A Sound Of Thunder vocalist Nina Osegueda. Metal aficionados will notice influences ranging back to the roots of heavy metal and bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, to modern power metal bands like Sabataon and Powerwolf, plus touches of prog and even black metal.


Queen Of Hell: Initium is available exclusively through the Kickstarter crowd-funding platform. The project launched on Friday, October 28 and raised over $30,000 in its first 24 hours. It has been selected by Kickstarter editorial staff as a “Project We Love” for creativity and quality. Project backers get access to exclusive merchandise including limited edition CDs, vinyl (including color variants), cassettes, t-shirts, variant cover comic books, bonus music, and more. The campaign ends on December 2, 2022.


Previews of the Queen Of Hell: Initium music and comic books are available on Kickstarter.

Norwegian metal icons In The Woods... have signed with Soulseller Records and will release new album, Diversum, on November 25th. The album will be available on digital, CD, and various limited edition vinyl formats.


Pre-order the album here (physical) and here (digital).


The band has released a new single, "The Malevolent God". Check it out below. It is also available on Spotify.







In The Woods... return with a brand new studio album of avant-garde, progressive black rock and metal managing to deliver another epic masterpiece following untrodden paths and pagan tongue. With the band's new label, Soulseller Records, and new vocalist Bernt Fjellestad, the sails are set out to reach new heights.


In The Woods… set out on this journey a long time ago, and is with Diversum once again true to the spirit that is In The Woods… with changes, with difference, with diversity. The result is all that In The Woods… has been, and what the band will be, captured in the absolute unique album that is Diversum.





Tracklist:


"The Coward's Way"
"Moments"
"We Sinful Converge"
"The Malevolent God"
"A Wonderful Crisis"
"Humanity"
"Master of None"
"Your Dark"


"A Wonderful Crisis"





Line-Up:


Anders Kobro - Drums
Bernt Sørensen - Rhythm & lead guitars
Nils Olav Drivdal - Bass, keyboards
Bernt Fjellestad - Vocals
Kåre André Sletteberg - Rhythm & lead guitars, acoustic guitars, keyboards
Alf Erik Sørensen - Session keyboards


Photo by Runar Haugeland