During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Sailor Jerry Podcast", a bi-weekly show hosted by Matt Caughthran, frontman of THE BRONX, AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ revealed that his band's upcoming studio album was once again produced by Joe Barresi, who previously worked on 2016's "The Stage". Johnny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "He just did that SLIPKNOT record, the new SLIPKNOT record ['The End, So Far'], which is incredible. He's always worked with TOOL. He's an unsung hero, in a lot of ways. He's not one of those big, flashy names as a producer, I don't think.

"'The Stage' was the first record we worked with him," Christ continued. "We had a great time working with him. He's awesome. He can really get into it in the studio with getting the right tones and the right sounds. You go to his place in Pasadena and all those pedals and everything he's got… 'What kind of sound are you looking for?' And he pulls out about 10 different things to get that sound until you get it. And you run it through. It might take you four hours to lay down a five-second part, but it's worth it every time — it's worth it.

"I think one of the important things… Obviously, what he does, just engineering and getting the right tone every time, his knowledge of that over the years is just so great," Johnny added. "He brings a lot of what he's learned over the years into a modern way and makes it new every time. I love his sounds; he's so brilliant at getting 'em. But moreover, as a producer, just having… You're working with someone for hours upon hours, that personality has gotta be there. And he's just got this even-keeled fucking demeanor about him always. It's relaxing. When you start feeling all the pressure, he's just still right there with you. And I think that that's such an important, underrated thing for a producer, to have the right personality in there. If we were in there with someone that was high energy or wanted to butt heads back at any point, the records wouldn't get done. We're too stubborn. I'm just being honest. We're way too stubborn. So he just works perfectly with us… He's become a very good friend too. He's an awesome dude."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's new LP was once again mixed by legendary producer Andy Wallace. Wallace has mixed all of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's studio albums since 2005's "City Of Evil".

Last year, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows told the 93X radio station that Wallace is "favorite mixer ever." He explained: "We usually hand him so many tracks, and then when we get it back… None of our records sound the same; he's not putting it through the Andy Wallace lens. He's giving us what we want but he's allowing you to hear everything we've given him. So you can kind of sit there and go, 'If I wanna listen to the bass, I can hear it. If I wanna listen to that third guitar, I can hear it.' He does such a great job of making things sound big and full but also with all the layers; you can hear every layer. So, to me, he's just so important every time. He's my favorite."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD kept a low profile during 2019, before the pandemic. A blood blister on M. Shadows's vocal cords forced the band to cancel a summer 2018 tour with PROPHETS OF RAGE and THREE DAYS GRACE.

"The Stage" was surprise-released in October 2016. The release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in 11 years. It sold 76 thousand copies in its first week, 73 thousand of which were physical.

"The Stage", AVENGED's debut for Capitol, sold less than half as many copies in its first week as the group's two previous efforts, 2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King".

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted, Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Sammy Hagar released "Father Time", the emotionally reflective final music video from his new chart-topping album "Crazy Times" with THE CIRCLE. The album, released September 30, debuted at No. 6 on Billboard's Top Albums chart, his second top 10 in the last four years. Hagar, who just celebrated his 75th birthday, wrote the song as an introspective look back at his life, illuminated in the music video through a collection of his personal photos.

Reflecting on the intense personal nature of the song, Hagar said: "When I first wrote 'Father Time', I kept it from everyone because it was so personal that I'd get too choked up to actually sing it. I wrote it just after turning 70 while I was at our then-home in Maui. That house was my sanctuary in the middle of the jungle, overlooking the ocean — it was just paradise. The words 'Father Time's over there looking over my shoulder' just kept going through my head, so I picked up my guitar and the rest of the song just came spilling out. I turned on my iPhone and recorded it. I cried my eyes out after I wrote and played it back. It's probably the most personal song that I've ever written and now, after just turning 75, I'm finally ready to release it."

Upon the release of the album's title track "Crazy Times" in July, Guitar World said, "Front and center we have Hagar's voice, … all syrup and gravel and soul. Stick your best pair of headphones on and listen to the track – you can hear that this choice is money well spent." The album, set for release on Friday, September 30 via Ume, finds Hagar, fellow Hall Of Famer and longtime bassist Michael Anthony, Grammy-winning drummer Jason Bonham and Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso Vic Johnson changing course, traveling to Nashville's RCA Studio A to record with Cobb. The eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer, who grew up obsessively listening to Hagar, set out to record "the definitive Sammy Hagar record." The new album includes 10 songs, nine of which Hagar wrote or co-wrote, along with the notable cover "Pump It Up". As Hagar explained, "We went in the studio with six songs and came out with 10. We ended up cowriting three songs with Dave Cobb and he played rhythm guitar on every track. 'Pump it Up' was a surprise, that when we played back we all went 'that sounds f'ing great'."

Fans and critics have been raving about the new SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE songs, which have found their way into the band's recent tour's greatest hits-heavy setlist. Produced by Live Nation, the trek hit amphitheaters in major cities throughout the U.S. before wrapping on October 1 in Sacramento, California. Following the tour, Hagar celebrated his 75th birthday at his annual week of Birthday Bash concerts at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Hagar told Cincinnati.com about "Crazy Times": "I didn't write any different going in. Dave told me, 'I want the definitive Sammy Hagar record.' He knows how writers my age, when you've written 30 albums or whatever, four or five hundred songs, start questioning — I've said that before. Oh, I played that. He coached me when we talked about it: 'I want to hear 'Standing Hampton'. I want to hear VAN HALEN.' I'd just sit in the room with my guitar and turn on my iPhone and scream into it. And he gave me that kind of feedback, and I got into it.

"I went in with five songs. Then I wrote a couple more for him. And then we got in there and we ended up with 10. Every song is a five-piece. Dave cut every single song with us on guitar. And he was so musical. He led the arrangements. He got us in and out of there in five days for 10 songs. Most guys five days in are still getting the drum sounds."

Hagar remains committed to social advocacy and philanthropy through his Hagar Family Foundation. For more than a decade, the foundation uses music and Sammy's entrepreneur endeavors as a means to give back to causes special to him and his family; mainly food pantries and children's music and health related causes. To date, they have supported these causes with personal contributions of more than $4 million.

For more than five decades, Hagar has been recognized as one of the best and most accomplished lead singers and songwriters in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the seminal hard rock band MONTROSE, to his multi-platinum solo career, to his ride as the frontman of VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT and his latest best-selling supergroup, THE CIRCLE, Hagar has amassed 25 platinum albums on sales surpassing 50 million worldwide. Along his journey, he has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written with songs like "I Can't Drive 55", "Right Now" and "Why Can't This Be Love", and earned the highest respect of the music industry with a Grammy Award and induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Since launching his flagship Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990, he's turned a lifelong passion for great food, music and spirits into a thriving and iconic lifestyle brand. A pioneer in the spirits industry, Hagar's development and nine-figure sale of his Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari in 2008 is widely credited as the start of the celebrity-owned spirits trend. His portfolio of spirits now includes Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, Santo Tequila and Sammy's Beach Bar Cocktail Co., as well as several restaurants. Never one to hit the brakes, he's also found success in publishing, TV, radio and beyond, including five seasons of his hit TV show "Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar" and as host of "Sammy Hagar's Top Rock Countdown", his syndicated radio show that's broadcast on over 90 U.S. stations. He's also a New York Times bestselling author, a dedicated philanthropist and since January 5, 2022, the first Honorary Ambassador to Los Cabos, an honor he was bestowed in recognition of his longtime investment in the people and economy of Mexico.

Photo credit: Leah Steiger

Hot off the heels of the biggest North American stadium tour of 2022 with more than 1.3 million tickets sold, the world’s most iconic and celebrated rock legends Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe are going global in 2023 with their co-headlining "The World Tour".


Produced by Live Nation, the world tour kicks off on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at Foro Sol in Mexico City. Both bands will bring their electrifying stage shows across the globe with stops throughout Latin America before heading to Europe in May 2023 - which includes a stop at the iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, July 1, 2023 - then wrapping up in Glasgow, UK at Hampden Park on July 6, 2023. Stay tuned for additional 2023 shows to be announced soon.


“After finally getting back on the road and having a monumental summer tour in the US & Canada this year, we’re beyond thrilled to be bringing this massive stadium tour to major cities all over the world, and kicking off Europe in Sheffield where it all started for us 45 years ago. We’re looking to forward to seeing you out there, somewhere soon!” said Joe Elliott of Def Leppard.




“We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America this summer and we truly can’t wait to take the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023. Crüeheads in Latin America and Europe: Get ready! We’re coming for you next and can’t wait to finally see all of you out there again next year!” Mötley Crüe said in a joint statement.


Check local listings for complete details including VIP offerings, on sale times vary. To purchase tickets, visit defleppard.com/tour, and/or motley.com.





Dates:


February
18 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol
21 - Monterrey, Mexico - Estadio Banorte
25 - Bogota, Colombia - Parque Simon Bolivar
28 - Lima, Peru - Estadio Nacional


March
3 - Santiago, Chile - Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida
7 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Allianz Parque
9 - Curitiba, Brazil - Estádio Couto Pereira
11 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Arena do Grêmio


May
22 - Sheffield, UK - Bramall Lane
25 - Mönchengladbach, Germany - SparkassenPark
27 - Munich, Germany - Koenigsplatz
29 - Budapest, Hungary - MVM Dome
31 - Krakow, Poland - Tauron Arena Kraków


June
2 - Prague, Czech Republic - Prague Rocks *
3 - Hannover, Germany - Expo Plaza
7 - Solvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival *
9 - Hyvinkää, Finland - RockFest *
11 - Trondheim, Norway - Trondheim Rocks *
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Copenhell *
18 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting *
20 - Milan, Italy - Ippodromo SNAI San Siro
23 -  Lisbon, Portugal - Passeio Maritimo de Alges
24 - Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain - Auditorio Miguel Ríos
27 - Thun, Switzerland - Stockhorn Arena


July
1 - London, UK - Wembley Stadium
2 - Lytham, UK - Lytham Festival *
4 - Dublin, Ireland - Marlay Park
6 - Glasgow, UK - Hampden Park


* Festival Date

Fantastical heavy metal band, Spell, will release its new LP, Tragic Magic, on October 28 via Bad Omen Records. The band have released a music video for the single, "Fever Dream", which can be found below.


Featuring ten tracks of prime, progressive heavy music flooded with mesmerizing atmospheres, Tragic Magic sees Spell take a decidedly grittier lyrical approach, leaning less into escapism, while confronting real life challenges of modern times. Striking cover art by Canadian artist Francesco Gemelli (Master, Esoctrilihum) portends the palpable potency that the record promises.


Tragic Magic was written and recorded entirely as a collaboration between brothers Cam and Al (Lester); the record's songcraft is steeped in the atmosphere of the arcane, yet the hooks are more razor-sharp than ever. While influences like the esoteric charge of the aforementioned Blue Öyster Cult and the elemental expansions of Camel and King Crimson drift through these crepuscular melodies, Spell are as likely to be influenced by the life-affirming energy of '60s Motown, the ethereal dimensions of Cocteau Twins, the strident woe of Candlemass, and the classic songwriting chops of Russ Ballard.




"The themes on this album are more concrete, guided by personal experience," offers Mesmer. "Tragic Magic' has to do with mental illness, ageing, the death of a loved one, the decay of time… this is what Tragic Magic means to us - loss and tragedy outside of our control, which fundamentally alters our perceived reality. This album is our response to the world as it currently is: music for an ascetic age."


"And we couldn't be happier about the result," Mesmer continues. "The identity of Spell came into sharp focus as it was always intended to be. Music is magic, and Spell is a spell. Fundamentally, it is a forum to make our dreams come true."





Pre-order Tragic Magic here.





Tracklisting:


"Fatal Breath"
"Ultraviolet"
"Hades Embrace"
"Fever Dream"
"Sarcophagus"
"Cruel Optimism"
"A Ruined Garden"
"Souls In Chains"
"Watcher Of The Seas"
"The Watching"


"Fever Dream" video:





"Ultraviolet" video:





(Photo - David P Ball)

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the return of Ring Of Fire, who will release their fifth studio album, Gravity, on November 11.


Watch a lyric video for the title track below, and pre-order/save Gravity here.


Founding member/vocalist Mark Boals and long-time keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij are joined by guitarist Aldo Lonobile, bassist Stefano Scola, and drummer Alfonso Mocerino to round out the lineup.







Tracklisting:


"The Beginning"
"Storm Of The Pawns"
"Melancholia"
"Gravity"
"King Of Fools"
"Sky Blue"
"21St Century Fate Unknown"
"Another Night"
"Run For Your Life"
"Sideways"


"Gravity" lyric video:





"Storm Of The Pawns" video:





Lineup:


Mark Boals - Vocals
Vitalij Kuprij - Keyboards, Piano
Aldo Lonobile - Guitars
Stefano Scola - Bass
Alfonso Mocerino – Drums

20 plus years is a long period and ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records along with Mystic Prophecy are proud to announce today that the band’s debut album, Vengeance, as well as their second album, Regressus, will be released on vinyl on November 25.


Vengeance was originally released on August 24, 2001 by B-Mind Records and reissued in 2003 by Nuclear Blast and it was the first album to feature future Ozzy Osbourne’s guitar hero, Gus G. On November 25, all the metal fans around the world can finally get their hands on this masterpiece in two different vinyl versions. 300 copies on ocean blue vinyl and 300 copies on gold vinyl.


Regressus was originally released on June 16, 2003 by Nuclear Blast and it was the second album to feature future Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist, Gus G. This masterpiece will be available in two different vinyl versions. 300 copies on gold vinyl and 300 copies on silver vinyl.




Pre-order via the links below:


- Vengeance
- Regressus





Vengeance tracklisting:


Side A:


"1545 - The Beginning"
"Sky's Burning"
"Damnation and Darkness"
"Welcome In The Damned Circle"
"Dark Side Of The Moon"


Side B:


"River Of Hate"
"In The Mirror"
"In The Distance"
"When Shadows Fall"
"Fallen Angel"





Regressus tracklisting:


Side A:


"Calling From Hell"
"Eternal Flame"
"Lords Of Pain"
"Sign Of The Cross"
"Night Of The Storm"
"The Traveller"


Side B:


"In Your Sins"
"Forgotten Soul"
"When Demons Return"
"Regressus / Lost In Time"
"Mystic Prophecy"
"The Land Of The Dead"

HALESTORM has released the official live video for "Wicked Ways", a song from the band's latest studio album, "Back From The Dead". The clip was filmed during HALESTORM's October 4 concert at Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"Back From The Dead" was released in May via Atlantic. The follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, MASTODON, ALICE IN CHAINS) with co-production by Scott Stevens (SHINEDOWN, DAUGHTRY, NEW YEARS DAY).

When the "Wicked Ways" music video was released in July, HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale stated about the song and the clip: "In this eerie confessional…. I'm confronting the darkness inside of me, but this isn't my first time... Thanks to the vision of Dustin Haney, who is also responsible for our 'Back From The Dead' video, I return to light that darkness that I will never betray."

According to a press release, "Back From The Dead" quickly evolved from songwriting exercises into a matter of survival for HALESTORM. Lzzy said: "We started writing this album about three months B.C. (Before COVID). Once we went into lockdown and were unable to perform and tour, I fell into a dark place and something of an identity crisis. This album is the story of me carving myself out of that abyss. It is a journey of navigating mental health, debauchery, survival, redemption, rediscovery, and still maintaining faith in humanity."

Last November, Lzzy told the 105.7 The Point radio station about the musical direction of the new HALESTORM material: "This album is absolutely a banger. It's on eleven. We have really just kind of exceeded all of the energy that has come before on these albums, both technically, music-wise, vocally, drum, lyric-wise. I think because of the roller-coaster ride when we were making this record, and just through the pandemic and all the different phases of that, we just kind of looked at each other, like, if the future is unknown and we don't know whether we're actually going to be out and playing these things, everything has to be, like I said, at eleven. It's HALESTORM elevated."

According to Lzzy, she and her bandmates recorded the new HALESTORM album in a different way. "This is the first time that we've ever had dual producers," she explained. "We went back with Nick Raskulinecz [who helmed 'Vicious']. And then I ended up doing my vocals with Scott Stevens from THE EXIES. He's like a brother from another mother with me. We've written together before, and we've known each other for probably just shy of a decade now. He and I, we produced and did all the vocals for [HALESTORM's recently released single] 'Back From The Dead' with each other, because I went out to L.A. And then we ended up sending it to Nick, and Nick's, like, 'This is just absolutely amazing. We have to do every song this way.' So we kind of did it differently. We ended up with the bare bones of a demo. I ended up finishing all of my vocals — like dunzo — before we ended up building the track musically. So it's kind of like building a pyramid upside down. But it ended up really just having this different energy, because what we were able to do with the lyrics and melody and all the vocals being done would really accentuate all of that — matching the theme to whatever I was singing about, but also just kind of really supporting the vocals musically when we went in to do the guitars and drums and bass. It's so crazy — it definitely has this very forward, very aggressive nature to it because of the way that we did that."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)".

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans VIO-LENCE have parted ways with guitarist Bobby Gustafson.

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

Earlier today, VIO-LENCE released the following statement via social media: "VIO-LENCE and Bobby Gustafson have agreed to part ways effective immediately. The band cites 'logistical difficulties that weigh too heavy to function in a productive manner'. Remaining members all 'thank Bobby for his time in the band and all his VIO efforts. We wish him the very best."

VIO-LENCE recently 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 will deliver "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, founding guitarist Phil Demmel, singer Sean Killian and original drummer Perry Strickland along with former FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian 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 guitarist Ira Black in August 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.

Less than two years ago, Demmel told the "Let There Be Talk" podcast that he didn't "have any desire or need to talk to [Flynn] ever again."

Posted by Vio-Lence Offical Page on Thursday, October 20, 2022

SHINEDOWN has canceled its previously announced fall 2022 dates in continental Europe due to "economic and logistical side of touring".

On Wednesday (October 19),SHINEDOWN released the following statement via social media: "To our friends in Europe -- we wanted to give you a message directly from the 4 of us in the band.

"As most of you know, we're not a band who cancels shows, we can think of maybe twice that we've done it in our 20 year career. That's what makes this decision very difficult.

"We were very much looking forward to touring Europe with our friends ASKING ALEXANDRIA and ZERO 9:36. Alas, the economic and logistical side of touring currently in Europe are growing too heavy for us to be able to make this feasible at this present time. With that being said, we've made this difficult yet necessary decision.

"We can't put into words how much it sucks to have to cancel shows. We're very much looking forward to coming back very soon and making this up to you.

"Our goal as a band has always been to come over to Europe and bring the show that you all see on videos and photos from what we've been able to build in other parts of the world. We will still strive to do just that.

"To our friends in the U.K., we will still be able to make these shows happen and are very much looking forward to them.

"These decisions are never made lightly especially with this band. We love you and we loe touring Europe, and we WILL be back!

"Respectfully and with love,

"Brent, Barry, Zach & Eric

"SHINEDOWN"

SHINEDOWN's European tour was set to launch on November 7 in Brussels, Belgium and conclude on December 9 in Helsinki, Finland. Among the canceled shows are those in Paris, France; Cologne, Germany; Berlin, Germany; Tilburg, Netherlands; Offenbach, Germany; Zurich, Switzerland; Milan, Italy; Munich, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; Warsaw, Poland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo, Norway and Stockholm, Sweden.

SHINEDOWN's U.K. dates with ASKING ALEXANDRIA and ZERO 9:36 will kick off on November 26 in Cardiff and conclude on December 1 in London.

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

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

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

ANTHRAX recently canceled shows in continental Europe as part of its fall 2022 touring activities, citing "ongoing logistical issues" and "costs that are out of our control."

In a recent interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, bassist Frank Bello elaborated on ANTHRAX's decision to scrap the European gigs and forge ahead with only the United Kingdom dates.

"When was the last time we canceled a European tour?" asked Frank. "We've never done it. The god's honest truth: Everything budgeting-wise is insane right now. We budgeted it last year and came back to this year with the gas lines and all the shit that's going on. It was three times the budget. We would have gone into a bad deficit, horrible. And the promoters are saying, 'It doesn't make sense for you guys to do it.' The buses, just life in general. It's horrible. We were able to salvage the U.K. But people know us. They know we'll be back. We love it there. I can't wait to go back. It's just a bummer that life is in the way of metal. [Laughs] What's going on in the world is in the way of metal and making people feel good with our music.

"We've been away," he continued. "We just did the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and HATEBREED tour [in the U.S.] and we got the taste back. We were looking forward to the next leg, the U.K., then right into Europe. We're used to touring a few months at a time. Then our manager comes, 'We can't do this with the accounting.' It's like, 'What? How did this happen?' Then you read the papers and you understand. It's terrible."

DARK ANGEL drummer Gene Hoglan spoke to "Poppitt's Corner", the video podcast of MADROST mainman Tanner Poppitt, about the reactivated California thrash metal pioneers' plans for new music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've been playing a lot of live shows, and we tend to play festivals 'cause that just kind of works out the best. We're writing the next album, and I've been concentrating on writing that, and [DARK ANGEL guitarist] Jim Durkin is also writing. At the moment, Jim, he's had to take a little bit time off from some live shows, but that was always kind of built into our system. 'Cause when we got ourselves back together, he was, like, 'Hey, guys, just so you know, there's gonna be some times somewhere in the future where I might not be able to make certain shows, or there could an entire run that I might not be able to make. As long as you guys are cool moving forward with it. And we were able to get a good eight years with Jim, at least. So there you go."

He added: "We're just writing, and we're just trying to make it the most aggressive DARK ANGEL music that we can make."

This past August, Hoglan told Oxygène Radio's "Metal Zone" that he and his bandmates were hoping to have a new DARK ANGEL album out "by the middle part of 2023."

DARK ANGEL's first CD since 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" will feature the lineup that has performed sporadic live shows since reuniting in 2013: Hoglan, Durkin, Eric Meyer (guitar),Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass).

Durkin has been sitting out some of DARK ANGEL's recent gigs. He was replaced at the shows by Hoglan's wife Laura Christine.

This past February, Hoglan said during a Twitch livestream from his home that he and his DARK ANGEL bandmates were "in the process" of making a new album. "That's actually one of the reasons I can't be doing TESTAMENT stuff this year. Because, [with] DARK ANGEL, we are writing a record, we are moving forward," he said. "Just a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, I just had Mr. Eric Meyer from DARK ANGEL in this room. We were jamming it out, we wrote a new DARK ANGEL song.

"I've been moving forward with writing. We have gigs coming up, so this year, it won't be heavily, heavily, heavily DARK ANGEL, but now that my schedule's open, I can commit a little harder to some DARK ANGEL gigs," he explained. "We do intend to be in the studio before the end of this year. So I have a lot of work ahead of me, and so does Jim Durkin. He's been sending over songs, riffs, stuff like that, [which has been] super exciting. We're all of the same mindset of making this just the most absolutely kick-ass DARK ANGEL record that we can."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — 1984's "We Have Arrived" and 1986's "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — 1989's "Leave Scars" and the aforementioned "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992.

Texan heavy rockers THE SWORD have called it quits.

The announcement of the band's breakup was made by frontman John D. Cronise. He wrote in a social media post earlier today: "Hello friends, I find it my duty to inform you that, after much contemplation, I have reached the difficult conclusion that it's time to bring THE SWORD's long and storied career to a close.

"When I started the band back in 2004, I could've only hoped for the successes we've enjoyed, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to do it for a living for almost two decades. In that time
everything I ever wanted to say and do with THE SWORD creatively has been said and done, and so the time has come for me to move on to other endeavors.

"Thanks to everyone who's ever come to a show, bought our albums and merch, and supported us over the years. Thanks to everyone who's teched, tour managed, done sound, or sold merch for us. Thanks to all the bands who've taken us on tour and to all the bands we've taken on tour. Thanks to the promotors and venues who booked us and let us play. Thanks to the producers and recording engineers who worked on our albums and to the labels that released them. Thanks to Josh our booking agent and Mark our business manager, whom we are glad to count as friends. And most of all thanks to my bandmates, Kyle, Bryan, Jimmy, and Trivett, for having faith in me and allowing me to realize my vision. You dudes are true legends.

"It's been a helluva journey. Now it's time for the next chapter..."

In 2020, THE SWORD launched the "Conquest Of Quarantine" lockdown sessions. The lockdown sessions marked THE SWORD's first live performances together since the band went on hiatus in 2018, as they remotely reunited to perform songs like "Winter's Wolves", "Working Man" and put their own inimitable spin on the T. REX classic "Children Of The Revolution".

THE SWORD's compilations "Chronology: 2006-2018" and "Conquest Of Kingdoms", both released in 2020, each showcased the technically dazzling, riff-heavy and far-reaching metal that the band has been known for since forming 17 years ago.

"Conquest Of Kingdoms", an explosive three-disc vinyl collection of rarities and oddities, offered 30 tracks (16 previously unreleased) and was housed in a triple-gatefold package, including B-sides, oddities and live recordings of fan favorites like "Freya", "Iron Swan" and "Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians", as well as cover versions of "Immigrant Song" (LED ZEPPELIN),"Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings" (ZZ TOP),"She" (KISS),"Forever My Queen" (PENTAGRAM) and more. A truncated digital version is also available.

"Chronology: 2006-2018" was a three-disc CD compendium, which — in addition to the aforementioned rarities — also included THE SWORD's greatest hits and fan favorites. Distilling the band's complete discography, this collection comprised 52 tracks (12 previously unreleased),including the studio recordings of "Freya", "Iron Swan", "Cloak Of Feathers" and "Deadly Nightshade". The set also featured expansive new liner notes with contributions from the band, plus Lars Ulrich (METALLICA),Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD) and Neil Fallon (CLUTCH).

Photo credit: Sandy Carson

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Multi-platinum rock band THEORY OF A DEADMAN has returned with its hard-hitting new single "Dinosaur" via Roadrunner Records. The riff on the track lumbers ahead with all the swaggering force of a T-Rex and the grace of a Brontosaurus, while frontman Tyler Connolly sinks his teeth into one of the band's biggest and boldest choruses yet: "Hey kids, boys and girls, now we've really done it, it's the end of the world…Now, we're going out, going out like the dinosaur." The release of "Dinosaur", produced by Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, Yungblud),marks the chart-topping quartet's first taste of new music since 2020's acclaimed album "Say Nothing" and a return to form stylistically.

"'Dinosaur' takes us back to our roots with this riff-driven rocker," shares Connolly. "To me, it feels like it could fit on any of our albums, but I will say if you like the old THEORY OF A DEADMAN, you'll love the new THEORY OF A DEADMAN."

"Rock is where we made our bed for all these years," adds guitarist Dave Brenner. "It's been a while since we had an up-tempo in-your-face track like this — and it felt good."

With sky-high hooks, riffs as thick as a 2x4, rumbling grooves, and a razor-sharp sense of humor, THEORY OF A DEADMAN — Tyler Connolly (lead vocals, guitar),Dave Brenner (guitar, backing vocals),Dean Back (bass),and Joey Dandeneau (drums, backing vocals) — have quietly persisted as an unapologetic, unbreakable, and undeniable hard rock force with major multi-platinum hits and countless sold-out shows in each of the past two decades. Jamming together in basements throughout high school, the band burst out of their small hometown of North Delta, British Columbia with the self-titled "Theory Of A Deadman" during 2002. In addition to the double-platinum breakthrough album "Scars & Souvenirs" (2008) and gold-certified "The Truth Is…" (2011),THEORY OF A DEADMAN have notched a procession of hits, including the gold-certified "All Or Nothing", "Bitch Came Back" and "Lowlife", platinum-certified "Angel", "Hate My Life" and "Not Meant To Be", double-platinum "Bad Girlfriend" and triple-platinum "RX (Medicate)". As the biggest smash of their career thus far, the latter hit, off their 2017 album "Wake Up Call", marked their third No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and garnered a nomination for "Rock Song Of The Year" at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Their impressive catalogue has also logged two Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 and amassed more than one billion collective streams on Spotify alone and over 675 million views on their official YouTube. In 2020, the award-winning band's seventh studio album, "Say Nothing", landed at No. 2 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart and No. 3 on the Rock Albums chart. Plus, the album, featuring the chart-topping and powerful single "History Of Violence", earned praise from American Songwriter, Billboard, Alternative Press and Classic Rock magazine which awarded it four out of five stars.

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, former JUDAS PRIEST drummer Les Binks spoke about the band's upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET) "The category that they put the band in, it looked like we weren't actually gonna be performing. Well, all of that has changed now, and it appears that we will be performing.

"This is gonna be one for the books. You'll have a situation where we have [original PRIEST guitarist] K.K. [Downing] in the band again, which nobody thought was ever gonna happen," he continued. "Richie Faulkner [Downing's PRIEST replacement] is gonna be performing as well, although Richie is not actually being inducted, because the way the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame system works, it has to go back, I think, 20 or 25 years or something. Richie doesn't go back that far [with PRIEST]… So he'll be there. That's two guitarists. And then, of course, you've got Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST's longtime guitarist]; and he will be performing as well, apparently. Now, I know he's got some health issues at the moment, but all being well, that's the plan.

"So JUDAS PRIEST with not two guitarist but three. [Laughs] And two drummers. I'll be playing with [current PRIEST drummer] Scott Travis as well. Scott's being inducted as well, obviously; he's been in the band a long time.

"So that should be quite an interesting experience, in L.A.," Binks added. "You've never seen anything like that before, and you're not likely to see it again, I think.

"We only have an eight-minute slot, which is not very long; it'll be over in a flash… We'll have a rehearsal before because we've decided the easiest way to approach it, to do it, for an eight-minute slot that we have, is to do a medley of songs. So run one into the other. So that's what we'll rehearse, to get that sorted out."

Binks played drums on PRIEST's "Stained Class", "Hell Bent For Leather" (released as "Killing Machine" in the United Kingdom) and "Unleashed In The East" albums.

JUDAS PRIEST will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next month. PRIEST will receive the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which will honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Tipton and Travis, along with former members Downing, Binks and late drummer Dave Holland.

The 2022 Rock Hall induction ceremony will be held on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.

JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year's class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

Photo courtesy of LES BINKS' PRIESTHOOD Facebook page

Melbourne’s alt metal titans Circles' storm continues with the release of their most dynamic track yet, "Echo". The song comes as the third single off their upcoming The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol.1 EP, the first part of a two-part EP, out November 25 via Wild Thing Records.


Further pushing the boundaries of the international djent movement that Circles helped characterize, the metallic chugging guitars, belting blast from the drums and serene atmospheric pads featured in their new single reinforce the band's heavy influence in the genre.


Stream "Echo" here, and watch a video for the track below.




"Echo" starts with a resonating electronic kick drum, paired with atmospheric synths and the hypnotic despair in Rechter’s vocals. The impact of the building drums and subtle guitars reflects that growing ache in one's head that's filled with voices of self-doubt, paralyzing pity and pressure. Dropping out for a glitched-filled interlude like the calm before the storm, the band erupt into a skeleton-shaking triple-time breakdown. Leading the track out with a bone-crushing riff and a powerful vocal delivery pleading to break from the foundations of one’s turmoil, this is one of Circles' most cathartic tracks to date.





Circles have composed The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol.1 with intention and finesse. "Echo" builds upon "Sleepwalking" and "Dig" by portraying themes of self-reflection and desperation to make a resolution; to fight your struggles and take the first steps to reacclimatize to the life you once lived.


Rechter provides insight into how "Echo" integrates into their upcoming EP: “'Echo' is Vol. 1’s lowest point, emotionally. It deals with being well and truly at the bottom, feeling as though you deserve the hopelessness that you feel. Even if that’s not a true reflection of the situation, sometimes those inner voices block out all others with a relentless drone.”


"Echo" was mastered by Luke Cinacotta (Karnivool & Dead Letter Circus) and produced/mixed by Circle’s own Ted Furuhashi. With the abundance of subtle auxiliary percussion, lush floating synthesiser pads and a pulsating electronic kick drum, Circles' new direction with production has led to a track that’s inherently progressive in nature.


Showcasing the band's refined sound with Ted Furuhashi’s production, frontman Ben Rechter makes comment on the writing process: “Ted’s production is great on this volume as a whole, but I feel that he really got to show what he’s capable of with this one, outside of heavy music. It’s probably the biggest departure from earlier Circles music, and took us on a journey that surprised us. It’s definitely an important song to us.”

Charlie Griffiths, guitarist with British progressive metal heavyweights Haken, recently released his debut solo album, Tiktaalika. With musical roots still firmly in the progressive realm, Charlie draws from his love of old-school 80s thrash, 90s tech-metal and alternative rock. Running the gamut from melodic to avant-garde to straight-up heavy, you might say Tiktaalika bridges the gap between King Crimson and King Diamond.


Today, Charlie has launched a video for the track, "Crawl, Walk, Run", which features Danïel De Jongh (ex-Textures) on vocals. Watch below.


Charlie comments: “This was actually the first track I completed for the album and it was the first track I heard with Darby Todd playing real drums, as opposed to my demo programming. Once I heard the magic he brought to the song, it really inspired me to push the other tracks further to utilise his style to the max. I’ve also been a fan of Daniel De Jongh’s voice since I heard his band Cilice on MySpace I think!? Years before he joined Textures. Hearing his blend of aggression, soul and feel delivering my lyrics was an incredible feeling too, far surpassing how I imagined it. I wanted to put together this video so people can see these guys in action in their studios, as a kind of behind the scenes look at how Tiktaalika was made."







This concept album was 375 million years in the making, with the 9 tracks drawing inspiration from themes of geological time, fossilisation, transformation and humanity’s connections with each other and the planet we inhabit. The Griffiths-penned lyrics are given voice by some of the best vocalists in the business: Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried And Me), Danïel De Jongh (Textures), Vladimir Lalić (Organised Chaos) and Neil Purdy (Luna’s Call).


As well as handling guitar duties, Charlie also takes care of bass, keyboards and on one track, makes his debut lead vocal performance. Of the creative process Charlie explains, “I picked up the 6 string guitar again, which ironically has become the more unusual option for me, after 10 or so years writing with an 8-string guitar for Haken. It definitely sent me into a different creative headspace, with riff after riff seemingly falling out of the guitar. I naturally began forming those riffs into song structures, while simultaneously writing vocal melodies and building the lyrical concept. It was a great form of escapism from my usual environment and I had a lot of fun doing it”.


The album also features a host of guest musicians: Drummer Darby Todd (Martin Barre, Frost, Devin Townsend), Keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Saxophonist Rob Townsend (Steve Hackett). “All of the guest musicians took the songs to another level” Charlie explains, “I had everything written and demoed, so the guys could quickly learn the parts, but I gave free rein for them to bring their personality to the party. Darby’s drumming style, is so beautifully improvised and more jazz-fusion influenced, when paired with my riffs, it resulted in something unexpected. It blows my mind that the synth solo Jordan played was the very first take! Capturing that spirit of spontaneity within a structured piece is always very special”.


The album was mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood and mastered by Ermin Hamidovic.


The album includes stunning artwork from Dan Goldsworthy, and is available as a Ltd CD Edition, Gatefold 180g 2LP+CD & as Digital Album. Order here.





Tracklisting:


"Prehistoric Prelude"
"Arctic Cemetery"
"Luminous Beings"
"In Alluvium"
"Dead In The Water"
"Digging Deeper"
"Tiktaalika"
"Crawl Walk Run"
"Under Polaris"


"Digging Deeper" video:





"Arctic Cemetery" video:





"Tiktaalika" video:





"Luminous Beings" video:





(Photo - Ross Jennings)

Japanese progressive rock band Evraak has signed a deal with Wormholedeath for the album Evraak I, due for release on November 4, 2022.


The band speaking of the album stated: “The first album of the up-and-coming Japanese progressive rock band Evraak will be released via Wormholedeath worldwide! Three songs from our EP were released in 2020 and added three new songs then completed six songs. Over an hour-long epic. Our signature tune is ‘Sacrifice’. The truly heavy tune ‘[Saethi]’, and The dark and dramatic tune ‘Stigma’. Watch out for the uncanny play of the ensemble of six musicians of different origins."







Tracklisting:


“Saethi”
“Stigma”
“Asylum Piece”
“Into The New World”
“Cure”
“Sacrifice”
“Pulse Pulse” (Live)


“Saethi” live video:

Wreck Of Time has announced the official release date for its upcoming album, From Sand - Part II, on Monday, October 24, 2022.


The new album concludes the story and concept that started in From Sand Part I. The album was mixed by Jens Bogren (Arch Enemy, Symphony X, Sepultura) and mastered by Tony Lindgren at the Fascination Street Studios. The band's Vocals & Guitar, Rafael Macedo, was in charge of the album's production again. Drums were recorded at Robert Lang's Studio in Seattle, WA, and all remaining instruments were recorded at the 242 Music Studios in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA.


The band shot a music video for each song in the album. There are 14 music videos, with a new one every Friday (it started September 30).




Rafael Macedo says:


"This is by far the most daring project we've ever done. Jens and Tony's work on the album is nothing short of brilliant. The album is heavier than Part I but also more eclectic. We experimented more with sound design, orchestrations, guitar tones, etc. We felt that we needed to expand the concept and story of the album to the visual medium. That's when we had the crazy idea to shoot a music video for every song in the new album. It has been a challenging process, but we are beyond happy with the result."

Dark folk / chamber prog duo Maer – featuring Marjana Semkina (Iamthemorning) and Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling, ex-Eluveitie) – have unveiled their debut single “Sister” along with a stunning video directed by Eggor Kree.





“Sister” serves as the perfect introduction to this exciting new project, showcasing the duo’s songwriting talent, unique composition style and beautiful melodies drenched in dark atmosphere. Featuring Ne Obliviscaris guitarist Benjamin Baret and Agent Fresco drummer Keli Guðjónsson, “Sister” is now available all digital platforms, and is close to selling out a limited run of 300 signed and hand-numbered 7” vinyl.




On the single Marjana comments: "We're very excited to have Benji from Ne Obliviscaris and Keli from Agent Fresco on this song. I rarely play guitar on studio versions of my songs and and the fact that I played on this one is quite special - but it became much easier with the support of Benji's wonderfully musical guitar and Keli's beautiful drums. And of course, Anna's guidance in the studio."


On the video, Marjana continues: "This has been a journey. A few years ago I put together a team of wonderful people and it's the seventh project and a third music video we're all making together, and Eggor has been my long term collaborator for almost a decade now. It's always a joy to reconnect with them all creatively and by now they know me and my aesthetics quite well so working with them again felt like coming home. I think they've outdone themselves this time. Eggor's work with light was always quite special but I think it really shines (I'm sorry) in this particular video, and his camera work is beautiful. Making an engaging video for a six minutes long song is a tricky affair but i believe it all came together wonderfully. This is just the beginning of our project, we've got so many dark fairytales to tell the world."


Anna concludes: “Eggor and his team did an incredible job in visualising the music Marjana and I created. We’re very much a DIY project; we don’t set ourselves any creative limitations, we recorded everything in my studio in Lucerne, I mixed and mastered it myself, and needless to say, we’ve financed it all ourselves as well. So we rely on the support of amazing creatives around us and our trust in Eggor has more than paid off!”





Purchase the vinyl and merch bundles at Bandcamp.


Marjana and Anna met and instantly connected when taking part in Prog Magazine's female-focused discussion panel She Rocks in 2019, and in 2021 began work on what would become Maer. Having both forged highly successful and award-winning careers (Marjana – Prog Magazine Best Album; Anna - Prog Magazine Best Video & Swiss Music Awards Best Live Act), the pair were hungry to experiment in new musical territory, resulting in this fascinating new project.


Marjana comments on Maer: "Maer came together very organically, it's a product of friendship and respect for each other's work. Anna is a wonderful musician and a producer and she breathes life into everything I write, turning it into something special. We have written a substantial amount of material together already and depending on the reception 'Sister' gets we're hoping to keep creating little dark fairytales for our listeners, eventually resulting in an album."


Anna continues: "We both didn’t really know what to expect when we started working together. Marjana took a leap and flew to Switzerland. We hiked, we sang, we drank wine and ended up even being able to write lyrics together which is something I’ve never done with someone. After almost 15 years of mainly being in rock and metal projects, it feels good to release something acoustic and mellow - not meaning that it’s less dark."


“Sister” was written and co-produced by Marjana Semkina, and co-written, produced, mixed and mastered by Anna Murphy.


Maer are working on their debut album, more news soon.


(Photo – Corinne Coch and Maria Yureva)

Get ready to soar "Higher" with Italian rockers 17 Crash and their new music video for their second single from their fourth studio album Stamina due out on November 18 via Rockshots Records.


The opening album track "Higher" is a punch in the stomach. 


The band continues to explain the song:




"We wanted to start on fire, getting in your ears like a Tornado. Our comeback after two terrible years is finally here, so it must be fast, heavy, and loud. This song speaks about our need to reach our life goals, focusing on what we love to do and trying to leave all the negative things behind. It’s a primal scream, a jump to reach the highest top. We all know how hard is to reach the top and remain free."


Stamina is a much more complex and profound piece of work written entirely during the endless lockdowns from the 2020 pandemic that the world experienced. Their passion for the ‘80s glam / hard ‘n’ heavy rock ‘n' roll crossed with a particular duality between human struggle and the will to fight and resist against all the odds. It might seem that 17 Crash has come a long way, but rest assured they are just warming up for what’s to come.


Colliding their emotions, fears, and wishes, mixing up everything they got inside, and talking about their experiences and how they changed over these past testing years, 17 Crash explains their album in further detail.


"People should listen to this album very carefully, trying to catch the real spirit of it. Words have a very important message in this one, considering the times we are living in and what happened in 2020. The singles show what we are and what we want to say after these two terrible years. It's like a concept about this crazy modern era and all the effects it brought to us. This record, it’s a box with all the emotions and the feeling we had during the composing process. We are talking about being us at 100% and our fans know that we always speak just about the truth. On this album, we shared everything we wanted to. No secrets, just feelings," adds the band.


Preorder at the Rockshots Records webshop.


Never bored of being hungry to see people dancing, and having fun, inclusion is one of the biggest aspects of 17 Crash, the fans are the gig. The band will be performing on show dates to support the record, which will be revealed at a later time.





Tracklisting:


“A Song For Ennio”
“Higher”
“My World”
“Soul”
“Keep Yourself Alive”
“In My Dreams”
“Reach For The Sky”
“Flashing Lights”
“Brand New Way”
“Danger Zone”
“Strike First”


“Higher” video: