According to The Republic, process servers tasked with hand-delivering notice to ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer that the District of Columbia was suing him in federal court related to his actions during the January 6 insurrection have 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 have been made but he has so far managed to evade process servers and private investigators who had been on his trail for months.

Earlier this year, the District Of Columbia asked federal law enforcement officials involved in an ongoing criminal case against Schaffer for "any information the Department of Justice is willing to share as to Schaffer's present location" but had not received help from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Among the addresses where the process server had attempts on record to locate Schaffer were three residences in the Columbus, Indiana area; a house near Orlando, Florida where Schaffer's mother lives; an address in Georgetown, Delaware; an apartment in Crystal City, Florida; and a gated mobile home community in Auburndale, Florida. At the Auburndale location, a process server noticed the name "J. Schaffer" written on a callbox and a Jeep and Dodge Charger with Indiana license plates parked outside the mobile home. However, nobody answered the door when she knocked.

"The District now believes that Schaffer is hiding from process servers in a mobile home in Auburndale, Florida," according to court filings. "Since locating that address, the District has attempted service there at least five times, yet Schaffer refuses to answer the door — thereby preventing effective service absent further relief from the court."

Last December, Schaffer and more than two dozen other members of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys were sued by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine in an effort to recover the millions of dollars the city spent to defend the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 attack.

According to CNN, the lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., accuses 31 members of the extremist groups of "conspiring to terrorize the District" on January 6, calling their actions "a coordinated act of domestic terrorism." The lawsuit cites the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as 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, which can be found at this location, 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."

According to The Republic, a federal judge on Friday issued an order to temporarily halt the civil action until the criminal trial against Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who is among the defendants in the civil action, is concluded.

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.

After pleading guilty, Schaffer was released on the following conditions:

* Schaffer must submit to court supervision in the Northem Dlstrict of Indiana.

* Schaffer will surrender his passport and any other international travel documents.

* Must stay outside of D.C. except for court hearings and meetings with attorneys.

* Will be permitted to travel within the continental United States with notice to pretrial services.

* Schaffer cannot possess any firearms or explosive devices, including legally owned firearms. Any firearms must be removed from his home.

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.

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 the 21 months since January 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

"My dear friends... the new Panic Boom single and video for 'Keep It To Myself' is officially released," begins drummer Phil Varone (Saigon Kick, Skid Row, Vince Neil, Red Dragon Cartel).


"You can listen on all digital streaming platforms, or go to PanicBoomBand.com and listen to the single, and see the brand new video.


We have an option to buy the single from the site, but you set the price. The video is showing on the Panic Boom YouTube channel as well. I hope you dig the song and would love to hear what you guys think... and feel free to share this post. Much appreciated."







Panic Boom will release their debut album, titled Twenty Eight, on October 28th. 


Listen to "Revolution" by Panic Boom:








 

"Incredibly happy to announce the completion of our forth record (post reunion)," states L.A. Guns vocalist Phil Lewis.


"Great songs, fantastic playing and some of the best singing of my career.


It’s heavy and dark in places and bright n breezy in others. It’s all over the place as per our usual style.




I think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. Yeah I know I say that about all of them, but I truly love this record and had fun recording parts on the tour wagon and then five intense days doing vocals with Mitch in NYC.


Of course the wait for it to drop will be excruciating but I’ll do my best to contain the excitement.


Seriously it’s fantastic and you’re all gonna love it."


The name of the new L.A. Guns album is Black Diamonds. It will contain the following 11 songs:


 "You Betray"
"Wrong About You"
"Diamonds"
"Babylon"
"Shame"
"Shattered Glass"
"Gonna Lose"
"Got It Wrong"
"Lowlife"
"Crying"
"Like A Drug"


A release date for Black Diamonds has not yet been announced. However, you can catch L.A. Guns live in concert at the following shows:


December
2 - Las Vegas, NV - Count’s Vamp’d
3 - Las Vegas, NV - Count’s Vamp’d
9 - Highland, CA - Rock & Brews (Yaamava Resort & Casino)
10 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
30 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - Coach House Concert Hall
31 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go

Swedish death metal legends Entombed released their seventh full-length album, Morning Star, on September 13th, 2001. Out of print since its original release, the album was newly remastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios and re-issued digitally, on CD and vinyl LP on September 23rd.


The Morning Star re-issue has landed on the Swedish music charts, as follows:


- Weekly Vinyl Chart - #1
- Weekly Hard Rock Chart - #1
- Weekly Album Chart (physical and digital) - #10
- Weekly Album Chart 2 (physical) - #2







Tracklist:


"Chief Rebel Angel"
"I For An Eye"
"Bringer Of Light"
"Ensemble Of The Restless"
"Out Of Heaven"
"Young Man Nihilist"
"Year One Now"
"Fractures"
"When It Hits Home"
"City Of Ghosts"
"About To Die"
"Mental Twin"

After a few exceptionally long years full of personal change and near manic levels of creative activity, Canadian musician Devin Townsend releases his follow up to 2019’s well received Empath in the form of his new release, Lightwork. Assembled from a barrage of material written during the pandemic, Lightwork (and its companion album of B-sides and demos; Nightwork) represents Devin at this stage of his life, post pandemic, and his reflections on what he (and many of us) have all gone through.


For Lightwork, Devin decided to see what would happen if he included a producer (an experiment he has been excited to attempt for some time) to help guide this selection of material. He chose long-time friend Garth “GGGarth” Richardson to help bring this idea to fruition, and through a difficult (but wonderful) process, the next Devin album have been delivered. The name Lightwork represents the music, as well as the act of creating music, as a kind of ‘light in the dark’ while trying to navigate the seemingly endless challenges that life can often present. When things seem like there’s “no way out” or that a situation becomes seemingly insurmountable, the connection to music, family, and creativity became a light in the dark that is the bedrock of this wonderful album.


Featuring artwork by frequent collaborator Travis Smith, Lightwork arrives in several editions including a Limited Deluxe Orange 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray boxset that includes both Lightwork & its companion album Nightwork on both CD & Vinyl, as well as a Blu-ray including 5.1 surround sound, album commentary & visuals, art-cards & extensive perfect-bound booklet, all contained in a lift-off lid box. There will also be a Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook, Limited 2CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP+CD, Standard CD Jewelcase and Digital Album.




Check out a trailer for the Lightwork deluxe box set below.





Tracklisting:


"Moonepeople"
"Lightworker"
"Equinox"
"Call Of The Void"
"Heartbreaker"
"Dimensions"
"Celestial Signals"
"Heavy Burden"
"Vacation"
"Children Of God"


The new album will be available worldwide on October 28 via InsideOut Music. Pre-order here


"Moonpeople"





"Call Of The Void"





Deluxe Box Set Trailer





(Photo - Paul Harries)

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.


The album's first single, as well as pre-orders, will be available on October 6th.


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"


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

Today, October 1st, Floor Jansen celebrates 10 years as the vocalist for Nightwish. The band has shared the following message:


"On this day ten years ago, Floor Jansen performed with us for the first time, and the rest is history and history in the making. For this occasion we share with you a live video of us performing 'Storytime' over all these years, starting at our first show together."







Jansen has shared the following post celebrating the occasion via Instagram:




 

 
 

 


View this post on Instagram

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

A post shared by Floor Jansen (@floor_jansen_official)



Jansen performed live with Nightwish for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of Anette Olzon, who fronted the band for five years. Jansen officially joined Nightwish in 2013. 

Metalville Records has announced the signing of After All, whose new studio album, Eos, will be released on October 14 internationally. They have released an official lyric video for the new single, "Elegy For The Lost". Check it out below.


After All are best known for their original take on speed metal songwriting, where killer riffs lay the foundation for songs with hooks and big choruses, lavishly garnished with guitar leads and harmonies. More than 30 years and ten albums into their career, the band present their best-ever line-up.


Eos introduces vocalist Mike Slembrouck and drummer Bert Guillemont, who add an impressive dose of melody and intensity to the band’s sound.




With Eos, founders Dries Van Damme (guitar) and Christophe Depree (guitar), along with long-time bass player Frederik Vanmassenhove, once again confirm their position as one of Belgium’s finest metal bands.


Like every After All album since 2009, Eos was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound.


The new album features stunning artwork by Travis Smith:





Tracklisting:


“Premonition”
“The Judas Kiss”
“Deceptor”
“Kindred Spirits”
“Elegy For The Lost”
“Waiting For Rain”
“Demons Raging”
“Grand Illusion”
“Torn Asunder”
“Shadows Of The Mind”
“At Dawn’s First Light”


"Elegy For The Lost"

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his power metal cover of the Spice Girls hit "Viva Forever". Check it out below.


Johansson: "A re-recording of my old Spice Girls cover that was released many years ago."







Johansson previously shared his solo cover of The Weeknd hit "Blinding Lights".

Critical Mass Recordings will present the first ever official release of Gehennah’s 1994 demo  Brilliant Loud Overlords Of Destruction (B.L.O.O.D.). This ten-track recording is a true hidden gem in Swedish metal history, as it had a very limited circulation back in the tape trading days. We have put great effort in getting the best possible mastering and restoration of this nearly 30 year old recording, and the result will blow your mind.


The tracks were recorded about one year before the cult album debut Hardrocker, and shares several tracks, but is a completely different recording featuring the founding drummer Captain Cannibal. Three of the songs are not available on any previous Gehennah release.







The LP comes in two variations:
-Red transparent vinyl, 140 grams. 225 copies made.
-Standard black vinyl, 140 grams. Non-limited edition.
Both variations comes with black poly-lined inner bags and a double-sided insert with lots of previously unseen photos, plus the full tape demo cover art.


CD details:
Four-panel DigiPak CD with a 6-page booklet with lots of previously unseen photos, plus the full tape demo cover art.


Release is October 28, preorder at criticalmass.se.

Italian melancholic metallers SilentLie bring forth their sophomore full-length Equilibrium via Rockshots Records. Always drawn to the dark side of emotions, SilentLie's Equilibrium proceeds along this path. It stands on modern heavy tones and an obscure mood that can be compared to bands like Ghost, Ozzy Osbourne, and The Cure.


Spreading their dark wings, drums, and bass, SilentLie builds a wall of sound on which the guitars dance with tombstone keys while a powerful female voice embraces the listener with gritty, but catchy melodies. Many of the songs on the album, thematically, deal with the eternal struggle between good and evil, with lyrics introspective and personal. There’s a maturity to the music that acts as a pendulum swinging between ‘80s liquid verses and gloomy, almost doomy, parts.


"This album carries a wide range of emotions. Hold on tight and don't be afraid!" adds the band.




"Equilibrium" is a collection of 10 heavy songs, a journey in the dark without fear. The album was mixed in the USA by Grammy Award winner Dave Hagen at Dark Horse Studios (Evanescence, Alice in Chains, Mastodon). It's not the typical female-fronted album.


For the record's release day, the band is sharing their music video for the album's title track.


"A glorious narration of the precarious balance between good and evil. One of our best songs ever," says the band.


Check out a video for the title track below.





Order the CD at the Rockshots Records webshop.





Tracklisting:


“Divided”
“On My Skin”
“Something To Remember”
“Taste Of Solitude”
“The One Who Disappears”
“Equilibrium”
“Hysteria”
“Modern Paradox”
“The Others”
“World Upside Down”


"On My Skin" video:





“Something To Remember” video:

Pierce The Veil  — guitarist/vocalist Vic Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Precadio — have shared the video for their explosive comeback single "Pass The Nirvana."





The song was a juggernaut from the start — landing play listing at Rock This, Rock Hard, Rock Rotation, All New Rock, Rock Out, New Noise, Volume Máxim, Breaking Rock, Rock Arena, and more. It also netted over 6 million streams in the month since release.




Pierce The Veil have truly served up a new track full of fuzzy guitars, massive melodic hooks, and PTV's distinct emotional heart. "Pass The Nirvana" is quite the riff fest and it marks Pierce the Veil's first new music since 2016. It was worth the wait — and then some. It is destined to become a fan favorite that the PTV faithful will scream the lyrics to at their live shows.





"'Pass The Nirvana' is about the many horrible traumas that the youth of America have endured over the past few years," said frontman Fuentes previously about the song's powerful, relatable, and topical subject matter. "COVID, no proms, no graduations, an insurrection, school shootings. The list goes on. Their lives have been tossed around like clothes in a dryer, as the tensions within our country have infiltrated our own homes, friends, and families. To me, the song represents a euphoric detachment from all of that anxiety and stress and about finding some form of peace or nirvana."


Pierce The Veil are currently on the road with I Prevail and Fit For A King.


The time is right for Pierce The Veil's comeback as one of their classic and most beloved songs is also having a pop culture resurgence. 


A decade after its release, the already platinum single "King for a Day" shot to No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Streaming chart, driven by the viral #KingForADay hashtag on TikTok. The song has enjoyed quite a pop culture moment, as global music superstar Lizzo used the track in a video on the platform. It demonstrates how vital PTV's iconic catalog is — and how vital the band and its new material remains.


October
1 - Silvers Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
2 - New York, NY - The Rooftop at Pier 17
4 - Montreal, QC - L'Olympia#
5 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
7 - Ft. Wayne, IN - The Clyde Theatre
8 - Grand Rapids, MI - GLC Live at 20 Monroe
9 - Chicago, IL - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom


Leg 2:


October
22 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Fest*
23 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Fest*
24 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
26 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic
28 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
29 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Fest*
31 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort & Casino


November
1 - Boise, ID - Revolution Concert House and Event Center
2 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
4 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
6 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
8 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave#
9 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory
11 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
12 - Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J Brady Music Center
13 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
15 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
18 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
19 - Cambridge, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
20 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Riverworks#
22 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
23 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore 


* I Prevail & Pierce The Veil Only // Festival Date
# Non-Live Nation Date

Los Angeles rock band 96 Bitter Beings has released an incendiary new anthem and final single, "Fire Skyline," from their second full-length album, Synergy Restored, that's due on November 4 from Nuclear Blast.


Deron Miller, founding songwriter, vocalist and guitarist, explains the meaning behind the song:


"'Fire Skyline' is simply about 3 teenagers, 2 boys and a girl, that conspire together to set Hollywood on fire at midnight. After successfully setting up their implements of arson, they head to to the roof of a 50 floor hotel. Sitting on the edge with their legs over the side, they pass around a bottle of vodka and watch the panic and chaos ensue. The sight of the horizon becoming a dark orange is the most incredible thing they’ve ever seen."




Years in the making, 96 Bitter Beings' Synergy Restored is 11 songs of relentless power and vibe. Four-on-the-floor, fuzzy and visceral, proper rock n’ roll made by an actual band, rather than a bunch of over-processed samples and otherwise stale shenanigans. Songs like “Vaudeville’s Revenge,” “90 Car Pile-Up,” and “Wish Me Dead” offer vivid reminders of the truth-telling prowess of guitars, bass, and drums. Miller is on fire, weaponizing the same knack for memorable musical epiphanies behind projects like Foreign Objects, World Under Blood and CKY.  


Pre-order the new album here.





Synergy Restored tracklisting:


"Vaudeville's Revenge"
"Wish Me Dead"
"Fire Skyline"
"Throw Yourself Inside"
"90 Car Pile Up"
"Bedtime Story"
"Bloodrock Mania"
"Slither Away"
"Taken By Surprise"
"Adios Amigo"
"Conditioned Or Unconditional"


"Fire Skyline" visualizer:





"Wish Me Dead" visualizer:





"Vaudeville's Revenge" video:





96 Bitter Beings will hit the road this summer with Howling Giant in support of the new record. Details and tickets here.


Deron Miller gives his life to the riff. Unrestrained by industry expectations and genre limitations, the boundlessly prolific guitarist and voice behind multiple beloved projects is best known as the founder, frontman, and songwriter in CKY. His authentic and effortlessly hooky heavy rock obsession returns with 96 Bitter Beings. Reinvigorated and ready to rumble all over again, Miller roars back with the same reverence for riffage that made underground hits out of CKY anthems like “Flesh Into Gear,” “Escape From Hellview,” and “Disengage the Simulator” from 1998 till 2011.  


The familiar warmth, feel, groove, and unapologetic honesty which drove the song “96 Quite Bitter Beings” to 54 million streams (on Spotify alone) permeates the pair of albums unleashed by 96BB.


A successful crowdfunding campaign saw Miller, guitarist Kenneth Hunter, bassist Shaun Luera and Shaun’s brother, drummer Tim, conjure up 2018’s "Camp Pain" in limited release. North American touring followed, wrapping up shortly before the COVID-19 shutdowns.


“After CKY and a short break, I decided to continue, without changing the sound,” Miller explains. “Because that’s what I do. It’s what I love to do and what people say I do well. All of the guys who got in the band with me are great musicians. And each of them is hungry. They have priorities and ambitions about being in a rock band, no matter the grim state of pop music out there. If we can bring rock and metal back to the mainstream, in some way, that’s the dream.”


96 Bitter Beings lineup:


Deron Miller - Vocals/Guitar
Kenneth Hunter - Guitar
Shaun Luera - Bass
Tim Luera - Drums

Frontiers Music Srl will release Powerzone, the second album from red hot rock singer Chez Kane, on October 21. The album follows Chez's self-titled debut, which was released last year. Watch a video for the new single,  "Love Gone Wild", below.


Fans can pre-order/save Powerzone on CD/Color LP/Digital now. Chez will also be signing a limited number of vinyl (300) and CDs (300). 200 of each are available from Chez Kane's official webstore, while the remaining 100 of each will be available at tour dates after the album's release. The vinyl will be silver color and limited to 300 copies worldwide. Simply click the link for "Official Store" at orcd.co/powerzone. Limited edition gold vinyl is also available from the Frontiers' webstores, links for which you can find in the preceding link as well.


A talented young vocalist who fronts, along with her two sisters, the band Kane'd, Chez was first brought to the attention of the label after conversations with Danny Rexon of Crazy Lixx about the possibility of him scouting and producing some exciting new talent. Subsequently, Danny started working on some demos with Chez and the label did not pass up the opportunity to get involved with this incredible talent. Chez's debut solo album embraced the melodic rock style that both she and Danny so admire, while adding a new twist to the current takes on the genre. Powerzone takes that formula and makes it bigger, better, and bolder.




Chez' star rose, and deservedly so, with the release of her self-titled debut album. Now, with Powerzone, she's really ready to launch into orbit.





Tracklisting:


“I Just Want You”
“(The Things We Do) When We’re Young In Love”
“Rock You Up”
“Love Gone Wild”
“Children Of Tomorrow Gone”
“Powerzone”
“I’m Ready (For Your Love)”
“Nationwide”
“Streets Of Gold”
“Guilty Of Love”


“Love Gone Wild” video:





"(The Things We Do) When We're Young In Love" video:





“I Just Want You” video:

City Of Caterpillar return with their first new album in 20 years, Mystic Sisters, out now via Relapse Records. A full album audio stream can be found below.


Save Mystic Sisters here. Order the album on LP/CD/CS here.


Tracked primarily at Montrose Recording in Richmond, Mystic Sisters was self-produced by the band and then mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Bosse-de-Nage).




When guitarist/vocalist Brandon Evans, guitarist Jeff Kane, drummer Ryan Parrish and bassist/vocalist Kevin Longendyke unveiled their self-titled debut in 2002, their emotional, frenzied and often cinematic music was at the vanguard of the burgeoning screamo movement. Along with bands like Pg.99 (with whom they shared members), Majority Rule, Planes Mistaken For Stars and others, they helped develop a style of music that took hardcore into convulsive new territory.


After years spent living in other parts of the country and playing in other bands—including Darkest Hour, Malady and Ghastly City Sleep, the long awaited City Of Caterpillar reunion shows snowballed into writing sessions. The result - Mystic Sisters, an album that recaptures the magic of old while taking the band’s music into exciting new territory! The winding and atmospheric title track that embodies City Of Caterpillar's experimental side features some noise violin from Evans’ former Pg. 99 bandmate Johnny Ward, while tracks like "Decider" and "Paranormaladies" showcases the band's roots with a flurry of viceral, noisey hardcore swagger.


Ultimately, City Of Caterpillar are more concerned with creating a mood than telling a story. “The band is always focused on mood,” Evans confirms. “To me, that’s the most important thing. I don’t really want people dissecting what we’re trying to say, because it’s not really about us. It never has been. What we cared about 20 years ago was innocent, raw emotion, and that’s what we care about now.”





Tracklisting:


“Thought Drunk”
“Paranormaladies”
“Decider”
“Mystic Sisters”
“Manchester”
“Voiceless Prophets”
“In The Birth Of A Fawn”
“Ascension Theft…(Gnawing Of The Bottom-Feeders)”


Album stream:





“Paranormaladies” video:





“Mystic Sisters” video:





“Decider” video:





(Photo - Reid Hatihcock)

A Killer's Confession have released a new tune, "Be My Witness". The song was written by Waylon Reavis, Morgan Bauer and Shawn Iannazzo. Stream it on all DSPs here, and watch a video below.





The band are currently out on tour as special guests with the Indian folk metal band, Bloodywood, who are on their first-ever US tour. Dates are listed below.







September
30 - The Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA


October
1 - The Gramercy Theater - New York, NY
3 - Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL (SOLD OUT)
4 - The Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
6 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
9 - Aftershock Festival - Sacramento, CA
10 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA (SOLD OUT)
11 - The Nile Theater - Mesa, AZ
13 - Studio at The Factory - Dallas, TX


A Killer's Confession have released three albums since forming back in 2016 Unbroken (2017), The Indifference Of Good Men (2019) and Remember (2021).


Waylon Reavis, prior to forming A Killer's Confession, spent a decade (2004-2015) as Mushroomhead's vocalist and appeared on three albums The Righteous & The Butterfly (2014), Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children (2010) and Savior Sorrow (2006).

Brazilian metallers, Angra, have released Ep. 01 of tour report video series from their Rebirth 20th Anniversary Tour. This episode focuses on Angra in São Paulo, Brazil on July 2. Watch below:





Watch Ep. 01: Rio de Janeiro, below:







Angra perform next on October 22 at Expo Palha in Sales Oliveira, Brazil. Find the band's live itinerary here.

Progressive deathcore outfit, Enterprise Earth, have released an instrumental version of their full-length album, The Chosen, released earlier this year via MNRK Heavy.


Notes guitarist Gabe Mangold, “We are extremely excited to finally release The Chosen instrumentals. An insane amount of work went into the composition and production of this album; perhaps you’ll hear some things that you didn’t before!”


Stream the instrumental edition of The Chosen here.







Enterprise Earth will return to the road next week, supporting Shadow Of Intent on a month-long North American tour. The journey kicks off October 5 in Montreal, Quebec and runs through November 4 in Hartford, Connecticut. Additional support will be provided by Inferi and Wormhole. See all confirmed dates below.





Dates with Shadow Of Intent, Inferi, Wormhole:


October
5 - Club Soda - Montreal, QC
6 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON
7 - St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
8 - King Of Clubs - Columbus, OH
9 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
10 - The Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
12 - Oriental Theater - Denver, CO
13 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
15 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
16 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
18 - Goldfield Trading Post - Roseville, CA
19 - The Regent - Los Angeles, CA
20 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
21 - The Nile Theater - Phoenix, AZ
23 - Whiskey Nights - Oklahoma City, OK
24 - Vibes Event Center - San Antonio, TX
25 - Tulips - Ft Worth, TX
27 - Orpheum - Tampa, FL
28 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
29 - Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC
30 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC
31 - Canal Club - Richmond, VA


November
1 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
3 - Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY
4 - Webster Theater - Hartford, CT





(Photo - Chris Klumpp)

Masters of Sumerian black metal, Melechesh, have released the fully instrumental version of their 2010 album, The Epigenesis.


The album was among the first productions of Istanbul’s then newly built flagship recording studio Babajim. It features a variety of traditional instruments, such as yayli tanbur, Azeri tar, baglama saz, Indian sitar, and Persian santur, as well as 12-string guitars, evoking the spirit of Istanbul, a city that has always been a melting pot of different cultures.


Right on time for the album's twelfth anniversary, Melechesh invites you to revisit The Epigenesis and dive back into its immersive and eclectic compositions that can easily hold their ground even without the vocal tracks present. The Epigenesis: The Instrumentals is available for your listening pleasure on all digital streaming platforms worldwide.




Melechesh released their sixth studio album, Enki, in 2015 via Nuclear Blast Records. A follow-up is currently being recorded in Greece and planned to be released in 2023.


Melechesh founder Ashmedi commented: "A gem from the vaults of Nuclear Blast. When we did The Epigenesis, we made a version without any vocals and adjusted the mix and mastering accordingly. The result turned out to be phenomenal. With this version, there are a lot of hidden melodies and nuances. The listener can immerse themselves in the music and make it their own journey. The great part is having all of you Nomads out there doing vocal covers to whatever song you like. It will have your own personal touch. I won't be there to back you in the track, it is your own gig! Immerse yourselves, bang your heads, and journey to the depth of your microcosms with The Epigenesis: Instrumentals."





The Epigenesis: The Instrumentals tracklisting:


"Ghouls Of Niveneh"
"Grand Gathas Of Baal Sin"
"Sacred Geometry"
"The Magickan And The Drones"
"Mystics Of The Pillar"
"When Halos Of Candles Collide"
"Defeating The Giants"
"Illumnation: The Face Of Shamash"
"Negative Theology"
"A Greater Chain Of Being"
"The Epigenesis"

Former IRON MAIDEN frontman Paul Di'Anno played the first show since his long-awaited knee surgery Saturday night (October 1) at the Keep It True Rising II festival in Würzburg, Germany. Professionally filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Featured songs;

00:00 Sanctuary
04:21 Purgatory
07:34 Wrathchild
12:32 Prowler
16:04 Murders In The Rue Morgue
22:16 Remember Tomorrow
27:23 Genghis Khan
30:27 Charlotte The Harlot
36:00 Killers
39:59 Phantom Of The Opera
47:43 Transylvania
51:34 Running Free

Di'Anno, who has been receiving physiotherapy and lymphatic drainage treatments in Croatia, finally underwent his knee surgery on September 12.

This past May, Di'Anno came face to face with MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris for the first time in three decades before the band's concert in Croatia.

Harris, whose group kicked off the 2022 leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb, came out before the show to greet a wheelchair-bound Di'Anno and chat with him for a few minutes.

After his friendly meeting with Harris, Di'Anno stuck around long enough to watch some of MAIDEN's performance before leaving near the end of the set to avoid a huge traffic jam after the show.

Di'Anno spoke about his experience meeting Harris in person after all these years in a live video chat with Canada's The Metal Voice. He said: "[That] weekend was absolutely amazing. 'Cause me and Steve [have exchanged messages] about football [in the past]. But we actually hadn't met [face to face] for a long time. And it was brilliant, because I met up with Steve's sister Linda first, whom I hadn't seen her in about 30 years. And then [seeing] Steve was amazing, and then [meeting up with MAIDEN's longtime manager] Rod [Smallwood] as well, it's made my whole year, actually. It was fantastic. It was pretty awesome."

Paul went on to say that the last time he saw Rod was in 2013 when both he and MAIDEN performed — separately — at Brazil's Rock In Rio festival.

"I missed the MAIDEN show because I got swamped by bloody press and stuff, so I couldn't actually do anything to watch the band," he explained.

Asked if it was "awkward" meeting up with Steve for the first time in 30 years, Paul said: "No. It was great. I wish I wasn't in this sort of position [being in a wheelchair]. Yeah, it was quite emotional. If it had been the first time we spoke together in 30 years, it would have been maybe a little bit more weird. But, as I said, we talk about football and stuff like that, and Steve phoned me up a couple of times from [his home in] the Bahamas."

Calling himself and Harris two "happy-go-lucky geezers" from London's East End, Paul went on to say that he owes Steve dinner "big time, because he looked after my missus and son over in the States on the last MAIDEN tour in Connecticut, in Hartford. He really looked after them — gave them backstage VIP stuff and all of that. It was great. So when I get my legs back, I'll take him out to dinner."

According to Paul, Steve called him the day after the MAIDEN show in Croatia but he missed his call. "But I did text him back," Di'Anno said.

Paul also set the record straight about where he stands with respect to his former band, saying: "What annoys me is that everyone's spreading rumors around that we don't like each other and stuff like that. I ain't got nothing [against] IRON MAIDEN at all. I tell you, the show was brilliant on Sunday — absolutely amazing."

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

More than a decade and a half ago, Di'Anno told The Jerusalem Post that leaving the MAIDEN juggernaut behind was the best thing that ever happened to him, and that he had no bitter feelings toward his former bandmates. "I absolutely have no regrets about leaving MAIDEN — I wasn't right in the head at that time to be in the middle of all that," he said. "I was fed up and disillusioned; it would have been cheating the fans and myself if I had stayed. It was easy to walk away from, and I'm very happy the band got bigger and bigger."

Several years ago, Di'Anno told Metal Thunder Radio that he wasn't as involved with MAIDEN's songwriting as he would have liked. "Steve had most of the words and the lyrics [to the band's first album] all written. That was some of the bones of contention that we had in the band — that I didn't get to write as much as I wanted to. 'Cause I am actually quite a prolific writer, but a lot of my songs were not accepted. 'Cause it's Steve's band, obviously."

He continued: "That first album was a revelation, I've gotta tell you. It was amazing. And the second album, for me, not so much. That's when I started to lose interest a little bit. But [we] still [had] great times — really great times."

In May, Paul played his first full solo concert in seven years at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in a documentary about Di'Anno, to be directed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon.

The Zagreb concert was free to attend and was held as a way of thanking Paul's fans for their help during the most difficult time of his recovery. The show took place just a day before the IRON MAIDEN's gig at the Zagreb Arena.

Di'Anno recently teamed up with several Croatian musicians to form a new project called WARHORSE. WARHORSE entered the studio to record three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — have been released as a special limited-edition DVD single.

In February, Di'Anno outlined some of the recent health issues he has battled during an appearance on the "Još Jedan" podcast. He said at the time: "I caught sepsis [when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body] in 2015, and it almost killed me. And I spent eight months in a hospital in England. You've got a crucial 45 minutes to get as many antibiotics in you before you die, and they managed to do that, which was great. Then I spent eight months in a hospital, and then another three months in a care home. And while I was in there getting things done, on hospital visits, I caught MRSA [Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria that's become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections] there twice, in the hospital. So that was it. So it kept delaying things and delaying things… And then they took this knee out put this cement thing in. And it was only supposed to be in there for a year. And the first time they put that in, it broke, so they cut me open again and put another in. And that one is still in here. And while it's been in there this long, it's going toxic."

Di'Anno reportedly underwent an operation in 2016 to remove a "rugby ball-sized abscess" on his lungs and required a knee-replacement operation on both knees after getting involved in several motorcycle accidents over the years.

On September 30, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy spoke to Canada's The Metal Voice about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation" album. He said: "October 15th is the last show of [the summer/fall 2022 leg of 'The Bay Strikes Back Tour' with EXODUS, and DEATH ANGEL], so we'll work [on new material] right up to Christmas and then right after New Year's we'll get right back at it. I know [guitarists] Eric [Peterson] and Alex [Skolnick] have been working and jamming together, and I hear there's an epic song that's been created. I haven't heard it yet, but I hear it's epic. That's all they say — 'it's epic.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' That's the word they throw at me. But we'll see."

As for the musical direction of the new TESTAMENT songs, Chuck said: "I think TESTAMENT will always stay in the vein of TESTAMENT and not not follow trends or follow what's hip today. Even though there's a lot of great new bands I love and I go, 'Man, that's great. I really love it.' But we can't change; we wanna kind of stay TESTAMENT. I hear it from fans when you talk to 'em. They always say, 'Thank you for being who you are for so long.' So we just have to continue that."

Last month, TESTAMENT recruited drummer Chris Dovas (SEVEN SPIRES) to play the first six dates of the summer/fall leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour". He was filling in for Lombardo, who was unable to make the gigs due to a scheduling conflict with the MISFITS.

"The Bay Strikes Back Tour" will conclude on October 15 in San Jose, California.

An original member of thrash metal legends SLAYER, Lombardo was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT's 1999 studio album "The Gathering", which also marked the first time the band worked with then-up-and-coming British producer/engineer Andy Sneap.

Lombardo rejoined TESTAMENT in February following the departure of Gene Hoglan.

TESTAMENT released a "Titans Of Creation" video album on September 9 via Nuclear Blast. The limited-edition collectible features performance videos of all the tracks on the record. The footage was compiled at a soundstage in San Francisco and was edited into music video-style clips that were made available on Blu-ray accompanying the CD with bonus photos and liner notes plus a button and sticker in a longbox. Staying true to the record, the performances feature Gene Hoglan behind the kit. This version is limited to 6,500 units worldwide.

"Titans Of Creation" was produced by Billy and Peterson while Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios handled co-producing, recording and engineering. Andy Sneap was responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album. Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create a new masterpiece of artwork for the cover of this release.

December 2 will see the release of Metal Against Animal Cruelty, the first offering by all-star project, Feelingless.


Brought to life by Hugo Markaida, member of Spanish melodic death metal band Rise To Fall, Feelingless is a project to support animal rights and to give a voice to the voiceless. Featuring top notch guest appearances by the likes of Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), Christian Älvestam (Solution .45, Miseration) and Ettore Rigotti & Claudio (Disarmonia Mundi) - just to name a few - Metal Against Animal Cruelty offers eleven tracks and will be coming out via powerhouse label Noble Demon. All proceeds raised from this release will be donated to local animal shelters in Spain, and in addition, the label will donate to an international animal welfare organization.


Founder and Feelingless mastermind Hugo Markaida comments: "The project was born in the middle of the pandemic, although it was an idea that had been germinating for a long time. My taste for this kind of projects began when I discovered, a few years before picking up the guitar, The Metal Opera Pt. 1 by Avantasia in a local music store. An album that brought together many of my favorite heavy and power metal singers that, wrapped in a medieval fantasy concept, was for a teenager like me an object of devotion. If we jump in time to the moment when I was composing the material that would make up the fifth album of my band Rise To Fall, just moments before the pandemic, many of the ideas and compositions that I liked the most did not specifically fit to the band and, as in every album, I had to put them aside."




He continues: "Still thinking about that Avantasia album that impacted me when I was a teenager, to bring out a project of that magnitude myself with my favorite singers must have had a sense of importance for the person I am today. Something special that would draw attention to one of the causes I am most committed to. And, incidentally, to support it with the profits resulting from the project.


"Both my partner and I are animal lovers, and we live surrounded by rescued animals. That is why it seemed important to me that, at a time when the whole of humanity was suffering from a global crisis and its consequences, we could not forget the most vulnerable. Thus, I began to outline the concept of the album around the exploitation and mistreatment of animals. I was willing to work with the best and most favorite of my artists, so I started composing the songs thinking beforehand about who was going to interpret them. I told the participating artists all about the project and its charitable nature, with no profit for the artists involved in favor of associations that help animals in need. It was touching to see how my idols sympathized with the cause and joined the project selflessly."


The result is Metal Against Animal Cruelty, a diverse metal album with twenty magnificent singers and musicians supporting the good cause on eleven tracks! Listen to the first single, "Feelingless", feat. Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra) below.


Hugo Markaida about the song: "This track is a tribute to one of my favorite artists like Björn Strid and David Andersson (recently passed away, may he rest in peace) from my favorite band Soilwork. Björn was the first artist I contacted and he agreed to collaborate in the project. The lyrics have some reference to Soilwork, legacy of David Andersson in the last stage of the band and Björn, main composers of the band, but it has a deeper and more personal meaning, as well as the dream of touring with Soilwork in Japan. The drums in this song are played by Lawrence Dinamarca, a Chilean/Swedish musician of an amazing level that I met while touring with his ex-band Nightrage. The guitar solo is by Pedro J Monge (Vhäldemar, Chromaticity Studios) and bass by Iñigo Lopez (The Descent)."


Pre-order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"Feelingless" feat. Björn "Speed" Strid(Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra) & Lawrence Dinamarca
"Anguish" feat. Jon Howard (Threat Signal, Imonolith) & Gavin Iedema, NeroArgento, Lawrence Dinamarca
"Peace" feat. Mikael Sehlin (Degradead, Engel) & Lawrence Dinamarca
"Love" feat. Ettore Riggoti & Claudio Ravinale (Disarmonia Mundi)
"Hope" feat. Christian Älvestam (Solution .45, Miseration)
"Nostalgia" feat. Rachel Aspe (Cage Fight, ex-Eths) & Jake E (Cyhra, ex-Amaranthe) & Lawrence Dinamarca, Diego Zapatero
"Guit" feat. Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra)
"Pride" feat. Daniel Heiman (Harmony, Heed, ex-Lost Horizon)
"Fear" feat. Ville Viljanen (Mors Principium Est) & Dann Hoyos (Rise To Fall, The Space Octopus)
"Rage" feat. Mikael Sehlin (Degradead & Engel) & Marios Iliopoulos (Nightrage)
"Anxiety" feat. Dalay Tarda (Rise To Fall)


"Feelingless" visualizer:





Feelingless lineup:


Hugo (Rise To Fall) - Guitars
Pedro J Monge (Vhäldemar) - Guitars
Iñigo Lopez (The Descent) - Bass
Lawrence Dinamarca - Drums

In a new interview with Vinyl Writer Music, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine said that he has been "secretly hoping there'd be a day" when he could write music again with his former bandmate in METALLICA, James Hetfield. He added: "I think the world really does want us to do that, and I think there is a pretty good possibility of it happening down the line."

He continued: "I do think that it's possible that one day James is going to come around and that he and I are going to be able to do something together again. I guess that's one of the things that has always kept me pushing forward. I think it'd be good for MEGADETH, and it could be great for METALLICA too."

Back in 2012, Mustaine apologized to Hetfield for publicly discussing the fact that Dave wanted to assemble a "supergroup" combining Mustaine and then-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson with Hetfield and METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich.

Hetfield laughed off talk of a possible collaboration between members of his band and members of MEGADETH in an interview, calling it "crazy" talk on the part of Mustaine. An early member of METALLICA before being kicked out in early 1983, Mustaine has jammed with his ex-bandmates on several occasions in 2010 and 2011 during "Big Four" shows and at METALLICA's 30th anniversary concerts.

Hetfield told So What!, METALLICA's fan club magazine, "I see [Mustaine] healthier now. I see him as less of a bitter guy. But I do see a lot of stuff in the press with him talking about jamming with us and making an album. All this other crazy stuff. I read it and say to myself, 'Hold on. This is the Dave that we kind of wanted to forget about. You know, the big-mouth that wants to just go-go-go."

Hetfield added, "But there is an authenticity about him when he speaks. He doesn't think too much before he does. He just goes off the cuff. Plus, when he says stuff like that, it's well-intended."

In an interview with Artisan News, Mustaine was asked about Hetfield's comments. "I already sent [James] a text message and said I apologized to him for saying that and that I won't ever mention it again," Mustaine said. "I like James and I thought what he said was flattering, and then it kind of went the opposite way, and then it kind of came back again. And you know, that's okay. I guess my whole thing was I just wanted them to know that I loved them and that I missed them and I enjoyed playing with them. If that's not mutual, then I understand. I still respect him, and I still care about the guy. If he doesn't wanna play [with me] anymore, that's cool. If he doesn't like the idea of what I said, that's okay, too. It wasn't like I said it was gonna happen, it was something that I kind of wished would happen. But you know, it's okay now, since it doesn't seem like it's gonna happen. And you know what?! It's off my bucket list."

He added, "The thing is that I probably shouldn't have said stuff like that, 'cause, I guess, to some people, they may think that I'm trying to use that as a way to get publicity, so I can see where there would be some feelings about it, and that wasn't my intention."

Mustaine feuded with the members of METALLICA for more than two decades before finally patching things up more than a decade ago.

In a 2009 interview with Norway's Lydverket, Mustaine said that he was "so hurt" by getting kicked out of METALLICA for allegedly drinking too much. "I said, 'What?! No second chance, no warning? C'mon, we all drink. C'mon.'" he recalled. "And [they were like], 'No, that's it. You're gone.' And I was like, 'All right.'"

Mustaine also went on to claim that an altercation with Hetfield led to his being fired from the band.

"I was selling pot," Dave said. "When I would go play in concert, people knew that my pot was sitting in my apartment just saying, 'Go ahead and keep me company.' So I was broken in on. People stole everything that I had; all my stash. And I figured, screw this. I'm gonna get some dogs to stay in the apartment when I leave. So I got two dogs and I took one of them up to a rehearsal one time and she put her paws up on Ron's [McGovney, METALLICA's then-bassist] car. And James kicked it right in the side. And I was like, 'What did you do?' [And I was like] 'It's a dog, it's what they do. You don't kick animals.' So we went into the house, and we started arguing some more. And I ended up punching him in the face and I think that was the root of why I lost my job."

In a 2009 interview with the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas radio station 97.1 The Eagle Rocks, Hetfield said that it was "so odd" to hear Mustaine still talking about his exit from METALLICA. "It is very Dave, and that's him," James said. "And no matter what band he was in or whatever... I mean, Dave is not in this band for a reason, and this is the reason. It's super-simple. He was in the band for 11 months and it goes on and on and on and on and on. I don't know any other band on this planet that there was a member in the band for a short amount of time and they've still got this big chip on his shoulder. It's insane.... You know what?! He's in love, and that's fine, 'cause we love him back."

Back in 2016, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told the "Word Of Wheeler" podcast that he understood Dave's continued resentment toward his former bandmates over the way he was dismissed from the group. "I've always seen Dave as someone who was just really, really sad, really angry, really frustrated about his situation with METALLICA, and he never could let that go," he said. "And, you know, I've always shown a lot of empathy for him, understanding that he was just pissed off. It's the equivalent of the woman of your life leaving you. I mean, really. When your band kicks you out… I've never been kicked out, but I can imagine it's a horrible experience, especially if it's a band that you feel really passionately about. So I can understand Dave's plight over all these years. But I will also say that when we did these 30th-anniversary shows at the Fillmore [in San Francisco], and we invited Dave to play on all those 'Kill 'Em All' songs, man, it felt so good to have him playing on stage. It felt perfectly fine for me to, while Dave was playing the guitar solos, for me to go over to James and play the rhythm parts with James, and it wasn't a big deal at all. And I could see from the look on Dave's face and just from his whole attitude that it was super-cathartic for him. And I could see how it was helping him. And so I just took it all in stride. And it's interesting, because since then, I think, Dave's relationship with us is a little bit better now. I'd like to think that that whole thing just kind of healed some scars that needed to be healed."

After Hammett's comments about Mustaine were reported by BLABBERMOUTH.NET and other music sites, Dave took to his Twitter to respond. He wrote: "I have tremendous respect for @KirkHammett and I appreciate his take on this. he is almost 100% accurate...almost. I wish him the best."

In a September 2011 interview with Artisan News, Mustaine appeared to concur that his onstage reunion with METALLICA went a long way toward healing the wounds from the way his tenure in the band ended. Dave said: "When we [played a cover of DIAMOND HEAD's] 'Helpless' [as part of a 'Big Four' jam] one night, I walked over to say hello to Kirk on the stage and he said, 'Do you wanna take the solo?" and I said, 'Yeah.' [Laughs] But we forgot to tell anybody on the stage or [running] the sound out front that I was gonna do the solo, so the song's playing along and Kirk's playing rhythm full blast, and I'm sitting there going you can't hear what I'm doing. At least we knew what had happened. It was kind of a symbolic passing of the torch back to me and it was a nice gesture. I think that that helped Kirk and my relationship improve a bit."

In a September 2004 interview, Mustaine famously stated, "I really don't care about Kirk — he stole my job, but at least I got to bang his girlfriend before he took my job. How do I taste, Kirk?"

Mustaine did not play on any METALLICA albums and did not attend their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009.

Ulrich later explained to The Plain Dealer that Mustaine was not included because "you've got to kind of cap it somewhere. Dave Mustaine never played on any METALLICA records. No disrespect to him. But there [were] half a dozen other people that were in the lineup in the early days. We thought . . . the fair thing to do would be to include anybody that played on a METALLICA record." He added: "Dave Mustaine was in the band for 11 months, predominantly in 1982... I'm not trying to play it down. I have nothing but respect and admiration for his accomplishments since."

Ritchie Blackmore introduced a new RAINBOW lineup in 2016 that included singer Ronnie Romero, STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT) and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn. The lineup played sporadic shows and issued a series of singles, including "The Storm" and a newly recorded version of "Black Sheep Of The Family". The band has not played a live show since 2019, with Blackmore since returning to BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.

In a recent interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Johansson was asked whether he agreed with Romero's recent comment that there are no future plans for RAINBOW. "I don't know," he said. "You never know. At the moment, of course, with the pandemic, everything went completely right down to zero, all activities. I think he's back to doing some stuff with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT. To be honest, that's where his heart is. If he has to focus on one band, that would be the number one priority. I was always joking that BLACKMORE'S NIGHT was 'the' band and RAINBOW was his basement band. [Laughs] Like a project. Whenever we would do European gigs with RAINBOW, it was somehow that the gigs would be placed around when certain castles were unavailable. [Laughs] It was like, 'Sweden Rock has 40 to 50 thousand people.' They'd say, 'No, it's on the wrong weekend. This castle is available, so fuck Sweden Rock.' That was the attitude that BLACKMORE'S NIGHT is the priority, which I think is cute.

"It was a lot of fun," Jens continued. "But most people understood that this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Ritchie, he's a little bit like a cat: You never know what he's going to think. The next month he's 'No, I don't want to go out.' Then it's 'No, I don't want to go out. I want to go in.' You can't predict which way he's going."

The latest incarnation of RAINBOW released two new studio recordings in 2017, but they weren't original compositions; one was an instrumental song called "Land Of Hope And Glory", which was a reworking of the 1902 British patriotic song of the same name from Edward Elgar's "Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1", while the other was a re-recording of the RAINBOW classic "I Surrender", which was written by Russ Ballard and was first released by RAINBOW in 1981.

"Waiting For A Sign" is included on "Memories in Rock II", which was released in April 2018 via Minstrel Hall/Soulfood. The set also contains a double CD of the June 2017 U.K. RAINBOW concerts, a DVD containing over 80 minutes of interview footage with the band and crew, an additional backstage clip and a video for the 2017 studio version of "I Surrender".

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of the band he had formed after quitting DEEP PURPLE.

Although Ritchie initially said that he had no plans to make new RAINBOW music — explaining in early 2016 that he wanted to "just get back to playing the old songs one more time" — he later revealed to Japan's Burrn! magazine that he had changed his mind.

Vivian Campbell says that naming his side project after a DIO song has been "both a blessing and a curse."

When LAST IN LINE formed, the intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

Campbell, who has spent the last four months touring with DEF LEPPARD as part of "The Stadium Tour", discussed LAST IN LINE in a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. He said: "Naming the band LAST IN LINE was a good idea at the time, 'cause we were just gonna go out and play some of the [DIO] songs from the early albums, and we didn't have any ambitions to take this beyond that. Now that we're on the eve of releasing album number three, having that association is both a blessing and a curse.

"We'll always have that element — we're named after a DIO song, after all — and I think it's perfectly legitimate for Vinny [Appice, drums] and I to play those songs," he continued. "We're the only surviving members of the original band. But it's inevitable that we'll play slightly less of the classic DIO catalog and ... find a balance to where we can incorporate enough of the new music and represent that and enough of the DIO catalog from those first three records."

The current DEF LEPPARD guitarist, along with Appice and late bassist Jimmy Bain, was part of DIO's first incarnation, which reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE.

LAST IN LINE takes its name from the second DIO album released in 1984. Appice, Campbell and Bain were Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "The Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — the records that defined the classic early DIO sound and have gone on to become part of rock history.

Back in 2016, Vivian dismissed comparisons between LAST IN LINE and DIO DISCIPLES, which is made up of former members of DIO, along with a rotating lineup of singers, including former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens. The guitarist, who had an acrimonious split with Ronnie in the mid-1980s, told All That Shreds: "When we started doing the LAST IN LINE project, I had to go to extremes sometimes to sort of explain to people the difference between us and the DIO DISCIPLES. DIO DISCIPLES are a tribute band. No one in that band was part of the original DIO band — no one. Not one person. Where on LAST IN LINE, you had 75 percent of the original DIO band.

"People were referring to us as a tribute band. You cannot be a tribute band if you are the original band, obviously. Andrew Freeman is not Ronnie. So it's not the original DIO band, which is why we didn't call it DIO, obviously."

He continued: "It's technically incorrect to refer to LAST IN LINE as a tribute band. We cannot be a tribute band because we are the original DIO members. The band superseded all that. Once we started writing and recording music, it became something very, very different."

Vivian told BigMusicGeek.com that he didn't know about DIO DISCIPLES' existence until 2012, almost two years after the band first started playing shows as a tribute to Ronnie. "It was around the time that [LAST IN LINE] got together to jam that I had first heard of the DIO DISCIPLES," the guitarist said. "I wasn't even aware of them. It was actually Vinny who told me. I couldn't believe that these guys were going out and playing songs that we actually wrote with Ronnie. I thought, 'Well, if they're doing it, then why shouldn't we do it?' With us, there is a legitimacy to what were doing, ya know? I doubt that there is a real legitimacy in the DIO DISCIPLES."

Asked a few years ago by "Totally Driven Radio" what Ronnie's widow/manager Wendy Dio's reaction has been to LAST IN LINE, Vinny responded: "Well, she's not involved in this in any way, shape or form. I don't know… I haven't really talked to her and asked what she thought. So she's not involved in this. I don't really know what she thinks about it. She probably hates it. I don't know. But you know? We're out there pushing everything — pushing the old songs, then keeping everything alive too. So you can't knock that."

Campbell told Billboard that Wendy has nothing to do with, and no love for, LAST IN LINE. "Vinny still has occasional contact with her," Campbell said, "and when we first started doing this project, she said something along the lines of, 'Ronnie would be spinning in his grave.' So there you go."

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi was among the attendees at the London premiere of the first-ever career-spanning documentary on the life and times of legendary metal icon Ronnie James Dio, which was held Monday night (September 26) at the Curzon Soho Theatre. Speaking to Metal Talk on the red carpet of the event, Iommi said about his late SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL bandmate (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was real sad because we were really on a roll when we'd done [the debut HEAVEN & HELL album] 'The Devil You Know' and we were touring and we were really enjoying it. And I remember talking to Ronnie when we were in Japan. We went for dinner one night. We said, 'Look, we're not gonna say we're gonna go for five years or whatever. We'll just try it and see where it goes. So we'd done the tour; we loved it and we enjoyed it. And when we were in this restaurant, I said to Ronnie, 'Do you fancy doing anything more?' And he said, 'Oh, yeah. We've gotta do another album. Let's do another album, another tour.' And that was the plan. That's what we were gonna do. And, of course, Ronnie didn't make it. But it was going so well and we had a great time being together. We loved working together. I loved working with Ronnie."

Iommi previously reflected on his time recording and touring with Dio as his bandmate in both BLACK SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL in an April 2021 interview with Rockin' Metal Revival. At the time he said: "The last tour we did with Ronnie was real precious, and we had such a great time. And we really bonded. The last generation of the period with Ronnie was really close — everybody was close. Yeah, Ronnie was such a really nice person.

"What I liked about Ronnie [is] he gave everybody time," Tony continued. "It was just remarkable. Before the show, he'd have people in his dressing room — 'cause we'd have separate dressing rooms — he'd have people in there talking away and drinking and whatever. And he never warmed up or anything; he'd never done any kind of warming-up procedure before he went on stage. And he'd walk on stage and he'd just [sound] unbelievable; his voice was spot-on. It was just amazing, really, how he could do that.

"He was a really nice, caring character. He'd call me up — even just before he passed, he was on the phone to me, calling me from the hospital.

"It was very sad, really, [when he died]," Iommi added. "But he thought a lot of everybody — he really did. And he loved his fans."

Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006. HEAVEN & HELL released the aforementioned "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

Ronnie passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer was diagnosed with cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Ronnie's long-awaited autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", was released on July 2021 via Permuted Press.

In 2006, BLACK SABBATH members Dio, Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice reunited to record a trio of new songs for Rhino's "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years" before launching a greatly acclaimed world tour under their new moniker HEAVEN & HELL.

"The Devil You Know" sold 30,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release back in May 2009 to debut at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In a new interview with Music Radar, SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root spoke about how the lyrical themes on the band's upcoming album, "The End, So Far", have been affected by the "weird cultural moment" that we are living in at the moment. He said: "Everything is so bizarre and so bananas, I don't even know what's going on with the world right now. I couldn't even tell you what is going on with the culture, because, being locked up for two years, and then you come out and everything's upside down, it's really… I don't get it.

"I thought rock 'n' roll, and punk and metal, and all that stuff was meant to be anti-establishment and against the man, and now it seems more and more like, 'Obey!' and do as you're told sorta shit, and that seems backwards to me," he continued. "I don't know if I am the only one that feels that way. I haven't really talked to anyone in the band about it, 'cause we're just trying to get through these tours, through the protocol and the COVID shit, and all that.

"We haven't really checked in with one another to see how we're doing, how we're feeling about the state of the world and all that, but when I hear a band that's saying 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' telling me to do what the government tells me to do, that seems backwards to me," Root added, apparently taking a jab at RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, the most fiery political mainstream band of the 1990s, whose 1992 song "Killing In The Name" — featuring the verse "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" repeated 16 times — was written as a protest against the abuses of power.

Jim went on to say: "I think people are just so fucking sick and tired of sociopolitical content because you are just hammered with it, no matter if it's a news cycle, a feed on social media, or any of that shit. What I get, when we go out and play shows, is people just don't fucking care about that anymore. People have their issues, and people have their things they are concerned about. Yes, of course, and they always will. But for the most part people just wanna shut off, come out and forget about the world for a while, and they wanna have fun."

Root is not the first rocker to take a shot at RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE over the relevance of the band's political views. Last fall, SKILLET frontman John Cooper, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, voiced some strong opinions about coronavirus vaccine mandates on his "Cooper Stuff" podcast, calling the mandates "an insane power grab, an attack on Western values, on freedom, on the things that built the West." The Christian musician also revealed that "the most kickback I have ever received — ever — for my faith has been on my stance on vaccine mandates and mask mandates. It is as if I just — like the unforgivable sin.

"So, a lot the bands, they just don't know what to do … You're in an entertainment industry that's largely driven by social media and media at large. You're not allowed to speak anything against… I mean, you've got RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE telling people that if they don't get a vaccine… RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE has become the machine." He added: "It's crazy. I'm, like, wait a minute — I'm the revolutionary here? I'm the revolutionary and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is just 'government rock' now."

In recent months, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE has been using the screens at its live concerts to decry gun violence, police brutality and the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending federal protections for abortion rights. According to reviews, crowds erupt when they see "ABORT THE SUPREME COURT." This has prompted one commenter on a Reddit thread to accuse RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE of being "nothing more than a mall brand band with a commercialized message."

Under The New York Times review, a commenter posted: "Given that [RATM's] politically correct views completely align with those of mainstream media and Democratic-controlled institutions, they should be called RAGE WITH THE MACHINE. I mean, it's not actually that radical or courageous to spout ideas that everyone in your cohort already agrees with."

"The End, So Far" will be released on September 30 via Roadrunner Records.

Country singer Mickey Guyton joined METALLICA on stage on September 24 at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City's Central Park to perform the band's classic power ballad "Nothing Else Matters".

"Finally a real singer," METALLICA frontman James Hetfield quipped while introducing Guyton, who belted through the song's verses and shared vocal lines with Hetfield on the track's chorus.

Professionally filmed video of Guyton's performance with METALLICA, which did not appear in the original rebroadcast, was uploaded to the Global Citizen YouTube channel on Friday (September 30) and can now be seen below.

After the concert, the 39-year-old gave METALLICA a shoutout on her social media channels. "There are no words," she captioned several pictures of the collaboration. "I'm just grateful."

Guyton previously covered "Nothing Else Matters" on the 2021 tribute album "The Metallica Blacklist", which celebrated the 30th anniversary of METALLICA's classic 1991 self-titled record. Guyton was one of ten singers or groups who sang "Nothing Else Matters" for the album. Aside from her, Elton John, MY MORNING JACKET and Chris Stapleton also recorded versions of the same song.

Global Citizen Festival: NYC was hosted by Bollywood star and Global Citizen ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who introduced METALLICA as "the greatest rock band in the world."

METALLICA kicked off the eight-song set off with "Creeping Death" and closed it with "Master Of Puppets", which recently saw new life after its inclusion in season four of Netflix's hit series "Stranger Things". The popularity of the 1986 song brought it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever in the band's lengthy career.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Enter Sandman
04. Sad But True
05. The Unforgiven
06. Wherever I May Roam
07. Nothing Else Matters (with Mickey Guyton)
08. Master Of Puppets

Last year, METALLICA's music video for "Nothing Else Matters" surpassed one billion views on YouTube. It was the first METALLICA track to reach the milestone.

The "Nothing Else Matters" video, which was uploaded to YouTube in October of 2009, was directed by Adam Dubin and edited by Sean Fullan and is made up of clips from the 1992 METALLICA documentary "A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica". The clip is perhaps best remembered for a scene where Lars Ulrich throws darts at a poster of WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

"Nothing Else Matters" reached position No. 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts.

"Nothing Else Matters" was featured as a playable track in the music video game "Guitar Hero: Metallica" and has been covered over 40 times by a host of different artists, including STAIND, Shakira, Bif Naked, Macy Gray, DIE KRUPPS, REV THEORY and APOCALYPTICA.

A never-heard-before, totally new and different version of "Nothing Else Matters" appears twice in Disney's movie "Jungle Cruise".
There are no words. I’m just grateful @metallica. #GlobalCitizenFestival

📸 Kevin Mazur pic.twitter.com/6u8dBwEA6Q

— Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) September 25, 2022

Swedish melodic blackened death / thrash unit Vittra unleashes their latest video for the track “Halls Of Ancients”. The band’s new single comes off their debut full-length, Blasphemy Blues, set for release on November 11th.


Originally called Vildvittra, based on the characters created by Astrid Lindgren as part of Ronja Rövardotter [Swedish for Ronia, The Robber’s Daughter, a children’s fantasy book first published in 1981], their name later evolved into Vittra, inspired by the mythical creatures appearing in Swedish folk stories. And while Swedish folk is a recurring theme weaving in and out of their music, the band is firmly rooted in melodic death and thrash metal in the veins of Dissection, early In Flames, Megadeth, and At The Gates.







The video clip documents the band in the recording studio. Comments guitarist Johan Murmester, “‘Halls Of Ancients‘ is a mix of groovy and melodic death metal as in Soilwork meets Hypocrisy and old In Flames. The melodic verse has been with me for quite a number of years, influenced by the Inspector Gadget theme with a Soilwork touch to it. While the pre-chorus is the result of excessively listening to Megadeth, it is rooted in the central idea of how I wanted our songs to be experienced in a live setting: when I saw In Flames live a long time ago, they really got the audience going - I wanted to recreate that feel and get that vibe and experience for us as well!”





Blasphemy Blues artwork and tracklisting:





"Colossal"
"Halls Of Ancients"
"Satmara"
"Lykantropi"
"Feeding Frenzy"
"Self-Loathing"
"Temptation"
"Sommarfödd"
"Undead" (Bonus Track)





For further details, visit Vittra on Facebook.


(Photo by Glen Mountford)