Fantastical heavy metal band, Spell, will release its new LP, Tragic Magic, on October 28 via Bad Omen Records.


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.


A first taste of what Tragic Magic holds in store can be ingested now as Spell unveils a video for the LP's radiating first single, "Ultraviolet". Created by Sean Edwards for Ramble Films (Freeways), the eye-catching clip showcases Spell at the height of its powers. Watch below.




"Ultraviolet" explores the hidden terror of forces that rule us but cannot be perceived or understood," says Spell vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Cam Mesmer. "Our world is shaped by powers that the limitations of our physical bodies prevent us from directly encountering. Will we fall victim to the lust for that which cannot be ours, or harness them to fulfil our wildest dreams?"


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"


"Ultraviolet" video:





(Photo - David P Ball)

San Francisco Bay Area based metal band, Kill Ritual, will release their new album, Kill Star Black Mark Dead Hand Pierced Heart, on October 28 via Massacre Records. Today, the band release the new single and lyric video, "The Whore Of War".


Watch the new lyric video below, and stream the song here.


Kill Star Black Mark Dead Hand Pierced Heart was mixed and mastered by Andy LaRocque. Get ready for an album full of rocking riffs, a dynamic songwriting, speed, power, and just that fist-in-the-air attitude that all metalheads live and breathe.




Pre-order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"By The Hand Of God"
"The Whore Of War"
"7 Knives"
"I Am The Night"
"The Smell Of Death"
"Can You See Us Now"
"Kill Star Black Mark Dead Hand Pierced Heart"
"Get In Line"
"The Devil, The Mist, The Flame"


"The Whore Of War" lyric video:

Alice In Chains have shared the rare video below, featuring the band's 1993 performance of "Would?" from Later...With Jools Holland on May 7, 1993.





To commemorate the upcoming 30th anniversary of Dirt, Alice In Chains have created a special limited edition deluxe box set that is now up for pre-order. Set for release on September 23, only 3,000 will be available.




Dirt, the critically acclaimed and 5x Platinum certified studio album by Alice In Chains, celebrates 30 years on September 29. This Dirt 30th anniversary deluxe box set is limited to 3,000 units, exclusive to the official artist store.


Revisit the history of the album with a custom-sculpted Dirt girl from the album cover as a vinyl topper and magnet, orange 2LP Dirt vinyl with remastered audio, four show posters, a 24" square poster featuring the album cover and band photo, four reimagined Dirt album art prints, a Dirt hardcover book with never before seen photos, CD with remastered audio, and the album's five singles on 7" vinyl ( "Them Bones," "Down In A Hole," "Rooster," "Angry Chair" and "Would?”).





Box includes:


- Box with lid filled with metal shavings, Move shavings around to create your own dirt design using magnetic cover figurine
- Resin cover figurine fits atop vinyl records on your record player
- Dirt on Orange 2LP for the first time with remastered audio
- Dirt on CD with remastered audio
- Five 7” singles with brand new artwork on various colored vinyl: "Them Bones," "Down in a Hole," "Rooster," "Angry Chair" and "Would?"
- 80 page hardbound book
- Exclusive Dirt-inspired art prints by Cody Melick, Victor Melendez, Brent McKee, and Eric Wolfe Sahlsten
- 2-sided foldout poster
- 8x10 band photo glossy
- Four reprinted show posters
- Reprinted set list
- Dirt Tour laminate


Pre-order here.

News arrived yesterday that guitarist David Andersson, of Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra, has passed away at 47 years of age.


Nuclear Blast Records has issued the following statement: "Words are not enough to express our feelings today, the whole Nuclear Blast family mourns the death of David Andersson, guitarist of Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends - we will remember David as one of the most creative and passionate artists of our time, his memory will forever be cherished."


Soilwork issued the following: "We are deeply saddened today, as we bring the terrible news of David Andersson's passing. He was one of a kind and a brilliant man is so many ways. He was our guitarist for more than 10 years and had a big impact on Soilwork's musical journey forward.




Sadly alcohol and mental illness took you away from us. We will miss him dearly and will continue to carry the musical legacy that he was a part of. Our deepest condolences goes out to his family. Forever grateful for the time we spent with you and all the good laughs. Thank you Dr. Dave. See you on the other side.


We encourage everyone to respect the privacy of David's family and friends in these tragic times." - Björn, Sven, Sylvain, Bastian, Rasmus & Simon


The Night Flight Orchestra shared the following words: "Goodnight sweet doctor. We all hope you’ve finally found peace. We will miss you so much. You were one of a kind and a brilliant musician. Sadly alcohol and mental illness took you away from us. It hurts so much. Our deepest condolences goes out to David Andersson’s family on this difficult day. He’s music will live on forever. Thank you for all the unforgettable times together. See you on the other side." - Björn, Jonas, Sharlee, Anna, Åsa, Sebastian, John & Rasmus

(Photo - Stewart Munro Photography)

BraveWords is hosting the video premiere for Corvus Lore’s “Romantic Traffic.” Check out the video below! The iTunes presale begins tomorrow on September 16 with digital release across all platforms on September 23.  





It’s all about the songs. For this band, the motivation has always been to write music that is memorable, inspiring, and possesses the perfect blend of the various styles of rock music that they grew up on — keeping original rock music alive today. All four members have unique backgrounds and experiences that range from doing session work in L.A. for major song writers and industry professionals, to being in a Latin -pop band on Sony EMI.




You will hear many sides revealed in their music– they aren't cornered into one style. Corvus Lore takes you on a heavy musical ride, delivering songs that makes you set the needle back and want to listen again, and again.


Find more information about the band on Facebook.

StormHammer announce the release of their new offering, Never Surrender - 30 Years Of Power. The "best of" compilation includes one previously unreleased track by the German power metallers.


Never Surrender - 30 Years Of Power will be released on October 28 on digipack CD and digital streaming/download. Pre-order here.







Tracklisting:


"Northman" (Welcome To The End)
"Road To Heaven" (Welcome To The End)
"Light In The Dark" (Previously Unreleased Track)
"Dark Side" (Welcome To The End)
"Holy War" (Fireball)
"Wise Man" (Lord Of Darkness)
"Glory Halls Of Valhalla" (Echoes Of A Lost Paradise)
"Welcome To The End" (Welcome To The End)
"The Law" (Cold Desert Moon)


Guests on the album:


Chris Boltendahl vocals on "Light In The Dark"
Ralf Scheepers, vocals on "Light In The Dark"
Chris Widmann all drums, except "Light In The Dark"
Matthias Dobler keyboards on "Glory Halls Of Valhalla"


StormHammer are:


M.Nox - vocals
Dimitri Znaiko - Guitar, Backing vocals
Jonas Halverscheid - Guitar
Horst Tessmann - Bass, Backing vocals
Lukas Lobnig – Drums

Swedish death metallers, Defleshed, have set October 28 as the release date for their new full-length, Grind Over Matter. For a first preview of the album, a new video (directed by Magnus Ewald) for the single "Grind Over Matter" can be viewed below.


Gustaf Jorde comments: "We're excited to present the first song off our first album in 17 years - 'Grind Over Matter'! Together with Lawrence Mackrory we've worked hard to produce an audial bitch slap for all of us who need one from time to time. Enjoy the madness - fast forward to the front!"


Grind Over Matter was tracked at Rorysound Studios, Uppsala, Sweden, with Lawrence Mackrory, with two weeks devoted to drums, another two for guitar and bass and two three-day sessions for vocals. "It was pretty straightforward, the hardest part was to not get carried away by impulsive ideas too much, but stay put to the original plan," says Jorde.







Grind Over Matter can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:


- jewelcase-CD
- 180g black vinyl
- ochre brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- gold black splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- gold silver splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- blood splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- clear red brown w/black swirls vinyl (Sound Pollution Sweden exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- smoky grey w/black swirls vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 700 copies)





Tracklisting:


"Bent Out Of Shape"
"Grind Over Matter"
"One Grave To Fit Them All"
"Heavy Haul"
"Dear Devil"
"Staring Blind"
"Blood Well Spent"
"Unburdened By Genius"
"Behind Dead Eyes"
"Blast Beast"
"Last Nail In The Coffin"


"Grind Over Matter" video:





Defleshed lineup:


Gustaf Jorde - vocals/bass
Lars Löfven - guitars
Matte Modin - drums


(Photo - Evelina Szczesik for EveR Vision)

Frontiers Music Srl will release Perfect Plan's third studio album, Brace For Impact, on October 14. Over the course of their first two albums, All Rise and Time For A Miracle, the Swedes have quickly established themselves as a new gold standard in not only the Scandinavian melodic rock genre, but the melodic rock genre as a whole. Brace For Impact does nothing to slow that momentum and fans should do exactly as the album's title says in preparation for their latest opus.


Watch the new video for the single "Can't Let You Win" below, and pre-order/save Brace For Impact on CD/LP/Digital here.


The band will appear live and play songs from their new album as well as their two previous releases on October 8 at Slaktkyrkan in Stockholm for Frontiers Rock Sweden. Labelmates Treat, Art Nation, Seventh Crystal, Wildness, and Fans Of The Dark will also be playing. Tickets are now available and can be purchased here.




Asked about the musical direction of the album, vocalist Kent Hilli says, "Well, hard question...we didn’t think too much about that when we started writing as we want everything to come naturally to us. All we focused on and wanted to do was to write really great melodic rock songs with great riffs and melodies. But I think we have more ”rockers” on this album than before. I would say that it's melodic rock in general, but maybe slightly harder than our previous albums. But much like our second album, Time For A Miracle, we have a great mixture between hard rock, melodic rock, and AOR in there...and some songs even have some elements of progressive rock and some bluesier elements mixed in also. And we have just one ballad on this album. Our goal when writing an album is that it should feel like playing songs on a jukebox and I think we have succeeded with that on this album. Everything sounds like Perfect Plan 3.0, really! I think we have definitely pushed everything up a notch from songwriting and lyrics to arrangements and overall performance and sound. With the addition of the great Tobias Lindell who does the mixing…everything sounds really big and majestic I think!"


Sometimes the stars align and create a perfect balance of talent within a group. A band like Perfect Plan is the “perfect" (pun intended) example of that: a superb singer, a well-oiled band of experienced players, and a great songwriting talent with a knack for unforgettable melodies and driving rhythms. Add to that the right single released at the right time and Perfect Plan’s emergence as immediate rising stars on the melodic rock scene is no surprise. The song that “built” their reputation is of course the awesome “In and Out of Love,” the first single/video that kicked off the promotion of the band’s 2018 debut album All Rise, released on Frontiers in April of that year. The band followed their debut album with the sophomore release Time For A Miracle in 2020. Hyperbole aside, it was a major step forward across the board. Opting for a slightly heavier and more “in your face” sound, Perfect Plan matured and created an outstanding balance of melodies and energy, with the obvious references to the sound of the classics (think Foreigner, Survivor, The Storm, Giant, etc.) and Scandinavian AOR with a recognizable and personal feel.





Brace For Impact tracklisting:


"Surrender"
"If Love Walks In"
"Can’t Let You Win"
"Gotta Slow Me Down"
"Stop The Bleed"
"My Angel"
"Devil’s Got The Blues"
"Bring Me A Doctor"
"Still Undefeated"
"Emelie"
"Walk Through Fire"


"Can’t Let You Win" video:





"Surrender" video:





"If Love Walks In":





Lineup:


Kent Hilli - Lead vocals
Rolf Nordström - Guitar
Leif Ehlin - Keyboards
Fredrik Forsberg - Drums
Mats Byström - Bass

Arc Of Life, a progressive rock group featuring vocalist Jon Davison, bassist/vocalist Billy Sherwood, drummer Jay Schellen, keyboardist Dave Kerzner, and guitarist Jimmy Haun, have announced the upcoming release of their sophomore album, Don't Look Down, on November 18.


A new single, 'All Things Considered' is out today. Listen to the new single below, or on your preferred streaming service, and pre-order/save Don't Look Down here.


Jon Davison and Billy Sherwood are both currently members of the legendary progressive rock band YES, while Jay Schellen serves as YES' live drummer. Dave Kerzner made quite the name for himself in the progressive rock scene via some high profile collaborations and ultimately his work with the well-regarded band Sound Of Contact. And Jimmy Haun is known for his work with YES and Circa. These five prog musicians brought their cumulative experiences together to craft their own brand of progressive music, with YES being a common influence amongst all, but not the sole touch point of what they aspired to be musically. The band's mission was to acknowledge their influences while simultaneously reaching beyond them.




Arc Of Life's self-titled debut album was released on February 12, 2021. The concept behind the album was, in keeping with the progressive rock philosophy, to craft creative, challenging, and ear-pleasing music that pushes boundaries. A lot of musical comparisons could be made to describe Arc Of Life’s grandiose and epic approach to music on their debut, but those descriptions are best left to the listeners to discern for themselves as repeat listens will reveal more layers. And such is the case again with their forthcoming sophomore album, "Don't Look Down", making Arc Of Life a true garden of delight for all progressive rock fans.





Tracklisting:


"Real Time World"
"Don't Look Down"
"All Things Considered"
"Colors Come Alive"
"Let Live"
"Arc Of Life"


"All Things Considered":





Lineup:


Jon Davison - Vocals
Jimmy Haun - Guitars
Billy Sherwood - Bass and vocals
Dave Kerzner - Keyboards
Jay Schellen - Drums

MEGADETH played three songs on the latest episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion", which was taped on August 25 and premiered six days later on Faction Talk. Check out performance clips of "Holy Wars", "We'll Be Back" and "Symphony Of Destruction" below.

MEGADETH's new album, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!", arrived on September 2 via UMe. The LP consolidates a furious return to form that began with the Grammy-winning "Dystopia", while pushing forward musically and marking frontman Dave Mustaine's recent triumph over throat cancer. Reuniting Dave with co-producer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, PARKWAY DRIVE),who together helmed 2016's "Dystopia", the album was recorded at Mustaine's home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, with guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren. Bassist Steve DiGiorgio temporarily stepped in to record the album. With the kick-off of MEGADETH's recent tour, MEGADETH alumnus James LoMenzo rejoined the MEGADETH family as permanent bass player.

Featuring some of Mustaine's strongest songwriting while also incorporating writing from the rest of the band, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" brings together everything that's exhilarating and distinctive about MEGADETH. From the blistering throwback fury of "Night Stalkers" and first single "We'll Be Back", to the more mid-tempo and melodic "Soldier On!" and the very personal title track, with its enthralling twists and turns. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" also features a cover of DEAD KENNEDYS' "Police Truck" and Sammy Hagar's "This Planet's On Fire", the latter of which includes vocals from Hagar himself.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" melds the ultra-frenetic riffing, fiercely intricate solos, and adventurous spirit the quartet are known for, all laced with signature virtuosity and precision and Mustaine's singular sardonic snarl. This album combines all the crushing musical motifs that have made MEGADETH both repeat metal disruptors and revered genre flagbearers.

Regarding Hagar's contribution to "This Planet's On Fire", Mustaine told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "It's a super-heavy song. And the good thing about this [is] we didn't just do the song; [Sammy] played on it too. So we've got a little bit of some guitar; we've got a lot of bit of singing. I think it's super badass."

As for MEGADETH's decision to cover "Police Truck", Mustaine said: "It's no secret I'm a big DEAD KENNEDYS fan, and I had wanted to do 'Holiday In Cambodia', but my friends in LÄÄZ ROCKIT had done that, and I felt that [I would] just let them have their glory off of that rendition of that song, and if the time comes, I'm sure there's another song that'll stick out to me. And there was — it was the song 'Police Truck'. So we recorded that one."

Earlier this year, Mustaine confirmed that DiGiorgio laid down the bass tracks on "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"

There had been speculation about DiGiorgio's involvement in the new MEGADETH LP since July 2021, based on a Cameo video Mustaine recorded in which he offered the first glimpse of the bassist that re-recorded David Ellefson's bass tracks on the latest MEGADETH effort.

DiGiorgio is widely renowned as a pioneer on the fretless bass in heavy metal music, having played with TESTAMENT, DEATH and SADUS, among others. Within his genre, Steve is respected for his playing skills, versatility and incredible technique. He has more than 40 studio album recordings and over 20 years of touring the world.

In June, MEGADETH announced LoMenzo as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and recently stepped back in as a touring member for "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For nine years, LoMenzo had also performed with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

LoMenzo played his first show with MEGADETH in nearly 12 years in August 2021 in Austin, Texas. The concert took place three months following Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

In June 2021, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

Joe Lynn Turner says that it has been "absolutely liberating" to finally drop the hairpiece he has worn since the age of 14 after being diagnosed with alopecia at three years old.

The former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE singer, who turned 71 last month, went public with his new look on August 25 in a series publicity images released to promote his upcoming solo album, "Belly Of The Beast". In a press release for the LP, Joe said that he started wearing the wig to deal with "emotional and psychological damage from cruel bullying in school."

"In a way, it's a blessing and a curse," Joe admitted. "I have nothing to prove, and I can wear a wig — or not. I am free to do what I want. I'm a grown man, and I'm getting to be an older man.

"Many men in this business eventually come to the decision to continue to 'wear hair' or shave their head which is very fashionable today. Either way, it takes a lot of personal courage. Assholes in high school trying to kick me around made me stronger and gave me the necessary motivation and strength to rise above the rest. Anger and pain are a great tool. If applied correctly, it could develop you to become the best version of yourself. Instead of running away, I was 'hiding in plain sight.'"

In a new interview with the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane Mceachern" podcast, Joe spoke about what it has been like finally ditching the wig after all these years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's absolutely liberating. First of all, I'll give a little background. It was an open secret. It wasn't like I was trying to fool people or ever denied it or anything. In fact, I never thought it was that important, but certain, shall we say haters, or whatever, these bigots, these bullies, they would always take a shot at me, which I always thought they were just pretty jealous, really, to be honest with you. And then it said more about them than it does me. That's not my kind of people. What about the music? That's what's important."

He continued: "I knew this was on my so-called bucket list before I was gonna leave this planet. And while we were making this record, I started to feel, 'Something has to happen.' And my partner, wife, co-manager — she's amazing — she just said, 'Now's the time, man.' And I said, 'You know, you're right.' Even though I was trepidatious about it — of course, she would know naturally I would be a little fearful, because you're putting your foot in an unknown territory — she said, 'You know what? Once you're yourself, people love you more.' And she was damn well right. Once you're yourself, people love you more, because you come out and say, 'This is me. I've got nothing to hide. I've got nothing to prove. Take your shots. Do what you've gotta do. And hey, by the way, here's the record. Now what?'"

Alopecia areata is a disease that happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss. Hair follicles are the structures in skin that form hair. While hair can be lost from any part of the body, alopecia areata usually affects the head and face. Hair typically falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter, but in some cases, hair loss is more extensive. Most people with the disease are healthy and have no other symptoms.

Alopecia became a topic of discussion in the mainstream media in March when actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars ceremony. Will's wife, the 50-year-old actress Jade Pinkett Smith, experienced hair loss due to alopecia and has always openly shared her struggle. The confrontation took place after Rock made a joke, calling Pinkett Smith "G.I. Jane" in reference to her bald head, which she has previously explained is due to alopecia. The shocking incident saw Will storm on stage to hit Chris following the offending comment before returning to his seat and yelling "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth" shortly before he collected his best actor gong for his role in "King Richard".

A few hours after Joe first posted his new photos on social media, fellow ex-RAINBOW singer Graham Bonnet took to his Facebook page to share one of the images and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Hi all. Graham here. I'm posting this photo of my friend Joe Lynn Turner because I was moved to tears today when I saw it.

"Joe exemplifies the meaning of rockstar. His bravery is staggering. This industry is ruthless (especially in our genre),particularly when it comes to hair. I still hear the tale about Ritchie Blackmore posting a guard at my hotel door to keep me from getting a haircut. BTW, that never happened, although he was so pissed when I did visit the barber.

"But I digress...... I don't know if Joe will see this but I want him to know how proud I am of him and how moved I was at his honesty.

"You have blazed a trail today, Joe. If you are reading this, I want you to know that I never realized what a beautiful man you were until I saw this photo."

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

Photo credit: Agata Nigrovskaya



THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! For the outpour of love, compassion and support you have shown me lately. I can't do this without you! Thank you.

Pre-order 'Belly Of The Beast' here: https://lnk.to/JoeLynnTurner

#JoeLynnTurner #Bellyofthebeast #thankyouthankyouthankyou

Posted by Joe Lynn Turner on Friday, September 2, 2022

In a new interview with Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved", ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy once again reflected on his 2008 studio jam with LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer Jason Bonham. The sessions were held after ZEPPELIN's successful December 2007 comeback show at the O2 Arena in London as a way to possibly keep the band going without frontman Robert Plant, who refused to commit to additional shows.

Regarding how the jam came about, Myles said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Interestingly enough, I met Jason during [the making of] 'Rock Star' [the 2001 American musical comedy-drama film], 'cause he was in the STEEL DRAGON band in that movie; he was the drummer. And I remember at one point sitting down with him in between — I don't know if we were rehearsing or something — and I mentioned to him. We got to talking about his father's legacy and how much I appreciated it. And he was genuinely… I was really impressed with him and just how proud he was of his dad and everything that he achieved. And that was really beautiful to see. So, fast forward about — I don't know; was it six, seven years, whenever it was, I get this text from Jason, and he's, like, 'Can you call me?' And I was touring at the time, and I was in Germany; we just played a festival over in Germany. And I thought, 'Oh, maybe he has a friend over here who wants to come to a show, get tickets or something.' So I buzzed him. It was at night. And [Jason] was just basically, 'Look, I'm here in London. Would you be interested in coming over this weekend? I'm jamming with some friends.' And I'm, like, 'I'm on tour. Just out of curiosity, who are your friends?' So when he lays out who his friends are, I'm just, like, 'Okay. Yeah, I think we can make that work.' [Laughs] So, yeah, it was crazy. I flew to London a few days later. And they let me know what songs to kind of have prepared. And we jammed — we jammed for a day — and it's something I will never, ever forget. And so it went well. And then they reached out and asked if I'd be interested in coming back a few months later, and we jammed some more — I think four more days or something. It was the stuff dreams are made of. If someone would have told me when I was a kid listening to 'In Through The Out Door' or [laughs] any of those records, like, 'You're gonna be in a room jamming these songs with those guys someday' … It was just such a trip."

Regarding his initial meeting with Jones and Page, Kennedy said: "So I walk in the studio. It was just a little rehearsal studio. But I heard piano playing, and it was great piano. I was, like, 'Man, is somebody listening to Bill Evans or something?' It was really good stuff — legit. And then I walk in the room, and it's John Paul Jones playing piano. He's just so talented. And he was so sweet; he was just so nice and welcoming. Obviously, I'm very nervous. And then in comes Jimmy. And he has such a presence. He just comes walking in the room, and it was as if a deity had come from the heavens. [Laughs] It was pretty amazing.

"But there was one moment where I had a bit of a Chris Farley moment," Myles admitted. "You know when [comedian] Chris Farley, when he's interviewing Paul McCartney [on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1993] and there's that moment when he kind of smacks himself on the head, like, 'How could I have been so stupid and said that?' I had one of those moments. I'd been in the room for a few hours and we were taking a little break. And I just had to say it, 'cause I'm such a fan. I just looked at them both and thanked them and I was, like, 'You guys basically wrote the blueprint for everything that guys like us…' I just had to get it out. And they just kind of looked at me. They were very sweet about it. But it was one of those things where I was, like, 'I probably shouldn't have said that.' But it was great."

When asked which LED ZEPPELIN songs he played with Page, Jones and Bonham, Kennedy said: "'No Quarter' — that was amazing, getting to play that with them. 'Carouselambra', which is kind of an off-the-beaten-path kind of song you don't hear a lot about. But I love that song. And that was great. There were some fun moments, 'cause it's just a very long sonic journey. I enjoyed that. What else did we play? We did play 'Kashmir'. That was something else."

Two and a half years ago, Myles was asked by Greece's "TV War" what he learned from playing with a legendary guitar player such as Page. He responded: "What I learned during that period was that…I think what I already knew, it just reaffirmed, the guy's a genius. That's the thing about ZEPPELIN for me, they all were. Singing with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, it was like watching the way John would do things, I felt like he's just as important in the mix, especially hearing that in the same room and being privy to their interaction. That was amazing. And Jason Bonham, he was brilliant in that context. It was a great experience."

Back in 2017, Kennedy revealed that no video was shot of the sessions but he said that he "has heard different accounts" about whether an audio recording of the rehearsals exists. He clarified, however, that the site of the jam "was not, like, a legit recording studio."

Surprisingly, Kennedy said that he would prefer it if his collaboration with the ZEPPELIN trio remained unheard by the general public. "I actually hope [it] didn't [get recorded], because I was actually pretty sick," he told radio personality Eddie Trunk. "I had come off a tour in Australia, and I remember I got there and I had bronchitis or something, and I remember it took a few days for my voice to come back. So I hope there is nothing that exists. [Laughs]"

Kennedy previously told VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" that he would "remember to [his] dying day" the rehearsals he had with Page, Jones and Bonham. "We played 'The Rain Song', which is probably my favorite LED ZEPPELIN song, 'No Quarter', 'Kashmir'. It was a lot of fun," he said.

Although there were rumors of staggering sums being offered to LED ZEPPELIN for a full tour after the O2 Arena concert, Plant elected to continue with his solo career instead.

Page and Jones also tried out AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler and SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Cornell, with Page telling Rolling Stone in 2012: "Various people thought we should go on tour. I thought we needed a good, credible album, not do something that sounded like we were trying to milk the [reunion]."

The Swedish melodic progressive metal band Darkwater just released a fan made lyric video for the song "Light Of Dawn", taken from their latest album Human. The lyric video was created by Sherry Lee Grandy.





Henrik Båth of Darkwater comments:




"We've had the pleasure of seeing some of Sherry's work before so when she told us a while back that she worked on some stuff for a song of ours we were pretty excited. When we finally saw what she'd come up with we were blown away, this is just an amazingly beautiful story told to this song. We are extremely honored!"





Human is available now via Ulterium Records on CD, 2LP and digital.

Morbikon, the new blackened death metal project featuring guitarist/bassist Phil “Land Phil” Hall (Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, Iron Reagan), drummer Dave Witte (Municipal Waste, Discordance Axis), and vocalist Mathias “Vreth” Lillmåns (Finntroll, …And Oceans), will release their Ov Mournful Twilight debut full-length on October 28 via Tankcrimes, today unveiling the record’s artwork, track listing, and preorders.  





The creative effort of Land Phil exploring the dark corners of extreme music, Morbikon is guided by the second wave of Scandinavia’s black metal and melodic death metal scenes of the ‘90s.




"Morbikon to me is an opportunity to explore new atmospheres and new realms of extreme metal,” notes Hall. “I wanted to fill it with memorable hooks and punishing moments. I am very happy with the result of these songs and hope everyone notices the amount of detail that has been added to every corner of the music. I also have to give Dave Witte a lot of credit for laying down amazing drum tracks that added so much to these songs."


In advance of the record’s release, today the band releases “Cursed To March On Shattered Limbs”.





Comments Hall, "This is a special track to me. It’s probably the first six-plus minute track I have ever written. I put a lot of effort in making it as dynamic and memorable as possible. I noticed early how strong it was turning out and it is definitely a standout track on the album. Enjoy!"


Ov Mournful Twilight will be released on CD, limited edition LP, and digitally. Preorder at the Tankcrimes webshop.


Additionally, Decibel Magazine will release a special Half Silver/Half Black vinyl edition of the record (limited to 100 copies) with an exclusive full color woven patch.





Morbikon:
Phil "Land Phil" Hall – guitars, bass
Dave Witte - drums
Mathias "Vreth" Lillmåns - vocals
Quotidius - lyrics


(Photo – Marc Birr)

One of Norway’s most creative black metal bands, Dimmu Borgir, released the groundbreaking Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia album in 2001. The band celebrates this seminal album by releasing a brand-new sonic experience.


Dimmu Borgir is now releasing the remixed & remastered version of "Hybrid Stigmata - The Apostasy". Stream the track here and below, and pre-order Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (Remixed & Remastered) here.







Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (Remixed & Remastered) is available as a 3 LP Box, CD Digipak and digital. Dust Of Cold Memories includes extensive bonus material, which includes the pre-production of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and instrumental rehearsals.


- 3LP Box,
* Black
* Red
* Gold (Sold Out)
- CD Digipak





Tracklisting:


Side A
"Fear And Wonder" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Kings Of The Carnival Creation" (Remixed & Remastered)


Side B
"Hybrid Stigmata - The Apostasy" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Architecture Of A Genocidal Nature" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Puritania" (Remixed & Remastered)


Side C
"IndoctriNation" (Remixed & Remastered)
"The Maelstrom Mephisto" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Absolute Sole Right" (Remixed & Remastered)


Side D
"Sympozium" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Perfection Or Vanity" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Burn In Hell" (Remixed & Remastered)
"Devil's Path" (Remixed & Remastered)


Side E
"Hybrid Stigmata - The Apostasy"
"Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny"
"IndoctriNation"
"Architecture Of A Genocidal Nature"
"Absolute Sole Right"


Side F
"Fear And Wonder"
"Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny"
"Kings Of The Carnival Creation"
"Puritania"
"The Maelstrom Mephisto"
"Sympozium"


"Hybrid Stigmata - The Apostasy":





"Puritania":





"Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny":

Death metal beasts, Bloodbath, have released a short recap from their listening party event, held last week at Duff's Brooklyn, in conjunction with the 11th Annual Duff’s Blood Drive, supporting the New York Blood Center. Watch below:





Bloodbath's sixth full-length album, Survival Of The Sickest, is available now via Napalm Records. Vicious, unrelenting, and thrillingly violent, the critically-acclaimed, cult-followed band has no limitations, leaving the scene in shreds while skillfully fusing old-school Scandinavian harshness with a dose of Floridian US death metal.




The world is in flames, and Survival Of The Sickest, produced by Bloodbath and co-produced and mixed by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, offers no respite from the horrors of reality. Instead, with the addition of new guitarist Tomas ‘Plytet’ Åkvik (Lik) onboard, Bloodbath’s latest and greatest album gleefully confronts the slavering ghoul lurking in the shadows, and treats him to ten songs of ripping death metal frenzy. Alongside Bloodbath’s official alumni, Survival Of The Sickest boasts a smattering of irresistible cameos from the great, good and ghoulish of the metal underground, including Barney Greenway (Napalm Death), Luc Lemay (Gorguts) and Marc Grewe (Morgoth).


Bloodbath: "If there was a declaration of goods attached to this album, it would say Florida death metal exported from Sweden."


Order the album here.





Survival Of The Sickest tracklisting:


“Zombie Inferno“
“Putrefying Corpse“
“Dead Parade“
“Malignant Maggot Therapy“
“Carved“
“Born Infernal“
“To Die“
“Affliction of Extinction“
“Tales of Melting Flesh“
“Environcide“
“No God Before Me“


“No God Before Me” lyric video”:





“Carved” video:





“Zombie Inferno” video:    





Bloodbath are:


Nick Holmes - vocals
Anders Nyström - guitar
Tomas Åkvik - guitar
Jonas Renkse - bass
Martin ‘Axe’ Axenrot - drums


(Photo - Ester Segarra)

Brampton, Ontario’s Entropy has announced they have signed a deal with Divebomb Records to reissue their 1992 classic and full-length debut Ashen Existence.


Guitarist Dan Lauzon says in a statement:


“We are so stoked to announce that we have signed a deal with Divebomb Records and very soon a special anniversary edition double CD will be launched worldwide to celebrate 30 years of this album! 




“There are never before heard demo tunes and never seen pictures and a really cool interview with Gerry James and I. They've done a killer job on remastering the tunes.


“It has been an absolute blast for me to go back to the beginning with these guys as they wanted the good, the bad and the ugly.Matt Divebomb and his team are music fans and Entropy fans. Fans of the scene as we are! I cannot wait to share this with you all.


“We are fucking honored that this album made a dent in the metal world and is still being sought after 30 years later!! This release is for you ravenous metal fans; thank you for the 30 years of support!!! Horns up!”





Ashen Existence was originally released on September 14, 1992 via Inazone.

The triple axe attack is having a stellar return ever since the release of Leatherwolf’s latest mid-summer smasher, "Hit The Dirt". Not only could the single surprise with a killer lineup comprising drummer Dean Roberts, the combined guitar mastery of Rob Math, Luke Man and Wayne Findlay (MSG, MS' Temple Of Rock, Slavior, Vinnie Moore) as well as Barry Sparks (MSG, Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ted Nugent) wielding the long axe - it also marked the day Leatherwolf’s new singer Keith Adamiak got revealed to en bloc acclaim from both fans and critics. "Hit The Dirt" quickly became a tremendous success for the band that’s been fondly described as one of the most underrated classic heavy metal acts by fans around the globe.


Copied by quite a few but then mostly degraded to a platitudinous on-stage gimmick, the triple guitar feature was truly baked into the Leatherwolf DNA from the very beginning, laying the foundation for each of the band’s compositions like a mindset that cannot be tacked on. Their latest single The Henchman - literally new old stock from the ‘80s that was never before finished and recorded - proves all that once and for all. From shredding unisono all the way to going threeways with big-ass confidence, mounting exceptional twin soloing on top of a smooth acoustic run - the individual paths that three guitars are being taken on here have been plotted carefully and with extraordinary musicianship.


Maneuvering elegantly between half-ballad and the old-school proggy aggression that’s been a hallmark of American metal - and of Leatherwolf in particular - newly inaugurated singer Keith Adamiak took on an uphill battle against the Rob Math led guitar assault, with special guest Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, TSO) also contributing to the six string madness. However, bolstered by one of the most incredible young voices in heavy metal with an insane vocal range and bursting from rage and tons of soul, he shows true grit and turns out a clean winner on his way to becoming a fan favorite.







"The Henchman" is a song that purposely feels like an epic journey through contradicting emotions and therefore greatly benefits from Keith and his strong presence. It’s a musical bridge after all and in several ways: connecting the young with the experienced, the past with the present, but also the outward with the inward, as band leader and drummer Dean Roberts describes: “'The Henchman' is all about conquering your destiny but doing so with grace and dignity so that we don’t become the man we’re running from. Some people go throughout their entire life without being able to connect with themselves deep enough to figure out how to get past their ego. But the main reason is because they didn’t know they had to look within. Hopefully this song can help individuals realize they have the power to be anyone they want and not let past traumas define them."





Lastly, The Henchman bears analogy to a caravan of struggles the band went through, and to how those have been overcome by taking said look within to find the right choices for Kill The Hunted. The new lineup has been built with a clear goal in mind: to form an interconnection back through time while making good use of that time traveler effect where you take your present set of experience, skills and techniques along when visiting the past. Teaming up with iconic metal producer Randy Burns (Megadeth, Kreator, Helstar), who helped shape Leatherwolf’s head-turning 1984 debut EP, expanded to a full-length LP and titled Endangered Species for international release, and having Tom Baker (Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Pantera) master this feature-rich beast of an album were just two of many consecutive decisions.   





Kill The Hunted will be released on November 11 in Europe (N.I.L.8 Records in conjunction with Rock of Angels Records/Soulfood Music) and North America (N.I.L.8 Records), November 14 in South America (Hellion Records) and November 17 in Japan (Rubicon Music). It’s available for pre-order now as a limited CD & T-Shirt bundle through Rock of Angels in Europe and Indie Merch in North America.


Pre-order now in North America, Europe.





Album lineup:


Keith Adamiak - lead vocals
Rob Math - guitars
Luke Man - guitars
Wayne Findlay - guitars, keys (MSG, MS' Temple of Rock, Slavior, Vinnie Moore)
Dean Roberts - drums
Barry Sparks - bass (MSG, Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ted Nugent)


Special Guest: Joel Hoekstra - guitar (Whitesnake, TSO)


(Photo - Adam Grim)

New York death metal pioneers, Suffocation, performed at the 2022 edition of Belgium's Alcatraz Metal Festival on August 14th. Professionally-filmed video of the band's full set can be found below.


Setlist:


"Liege of Inveracity"
"Effigy of the Forgotten"
"Catatonia"
"Thrones of Blood"
"Pierced From Within"
"Clarity Through Deprivation"
"Funeral Inception"
"Bind Torture Kill"
"Infecting the Crypts"

The new Delain line-up features founder / keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, vocalist Diana Leah, original guitarist Ronald Landa, original drummer Sander Zoer, and bassist Ludovico Cioffi.


Their first new single, “The Quest And The Curse”, features rademark bombastic riffs, lush orchestrations, elements from film music, metal, pop, electronic; an amalgamation of the old and new, and build the next chapter of the band's history. In honor of the single's one month anniversary, Delain have shared a piano version of the song. Check it out below.










On August 27th, Delain's new line-up payed their first official live show at the Riverside festival in Aarburg, Switzerland. Fan-filmed video is available below.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Hands of Gold"
"Suckerpunch"
"Go Away"
"Burning Bridges"
"Invidia"
"The Quest and the Curse"
"April Rain"
"Sing to Me"
"Stay Forever"
"The Hurricane"
"The Gathering"
"Don't Let Go"
"Fire with Fire"
"Not Enough"
"Creatures"
"Mother Machine"
"Pristine"

Swiss multi-talent Seraina Telli has released a video for for "Modern Warrior", the first single from her forthcoming solo debut, Simple Talk, set for international release on October 21st via Metalville Records. Check it out below. 


The former frontwoman of Burning Witches combines everything that the modern rock world urgently needs: great songwriting, vocal power, musical versatility, artistic depth, and a really strong attitude. Coupled with her authenticity, Seraina Telli is the ideal mixture of power woman and promising artist.


The charismatic Swiss singer leaves a lasting impression, visually and musically. Her music is as colorful and varied as her hair colors, one of her typical distinguishing features. The multi-talent is reluctant to be tied to one style, as her previous musical career shows. As the former frontwoman of the Swiss heavy metal band Burning Witches, she shook the stages of major rock festivals such as Bang your Head and Leyendas del Rock for four years.




Now the time is ripe for her solo project, named after herself: Seraina Telli.


"I am what I am, and that's just right!" This message is very important to Seraina Telli. She wants to motivate other women in particular to believe in themselves, to be completely with themselves and, above all, to stay that way.


Colorful, loud, different, and above all, unique With a style of music that "straight in your face rock" couldn't describe better.


 


Tracklist:


"Modern Warrior"
"I’m Not Sorry"
"Take Care"
"I Dare To"
"Remedy"
"Soldier Of Fortune"
"G.E.B."
"Dreamer"
"Not One Of Your Kind"
"Fever"
"Remember You"
"Medusa"





Line-up:
Seraina Telli - vocals, guitar
Alice Lane - bass
Rico H. - drums

The Clash Of The Titans tour began in the fall of 1990 with a three-week European leg featuring Megadeth, Slayer, Testament and Suicidal Tendencies, promoting their then-current albums Rust In Peace, Seasons In The Abyss, Souls Of Black and Lights...Camera...Revolution! respectively.


A second leg in 1991 in the United States and Canada had a slightly different lineup: Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax headlined, and Alice In Chains supported; while Megadeth and Slayer were still promoting their respective albums Rust In Peace and Seasons In The Abyss, Anthrax was supporting their fifth studio album Persistence Of Time and Alice In Chains was touring behind their debut album, Facelift.


Alice In Chains was not originally on the bill for the US tour. According to the documentary Get Thrashed, Death Angel was to be the supporting act however, after a near-fatal tour bus crash, they were forced to bow out. 




Sepultura was also mooted for the tour, but, according to then-frontman Max Cavalera, "got kicked out", and instead embarked on the New Titans On The Block tour with Sacred Reich, Napalm Death and Sick of It All. 


Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian stated in an interview with Guitar World that they wanted Pantera as the opening act of the Clash Of The Titans tour. Other bands, such as Exodus, Vio-lence, Kreator and Obituary, also reportedly declined to take part in the tour as the opening act.


Menza Nation has shared a "micro-documentary" of the tour featuring a compilation of interviews and news reports. Check it out below.

Frontiers Music Srl will release the self-titled debut album from melodic rock band, About Us, on November 11. Watch a video for the new single, "Gimme Gimme", below, and pre-order/save the album here.


About Us hail from Nagaland, India, and more specifically from a district in the state of Nagaland called Wokha (‘Land of Plenty’). The band first formed in the winter of 2019, with the members having spent the last 15 years or so in different bands and projects before coming together. Their collective musical taste runs the gamut from AOR, hard rock, metal, and more, with all of these varied influences reflected on their debut album.







Tracklisting:


"Right Now"
"Gimme Gimme"
"Lead My Heart"
"Our Fairyland"
"Loaded Love"
"Rock On Top"
"Rise"
"Golden Troops"
"Open Your Heart"
"Love And Affection" (Bonus Track)


"Gimme Gimme" video:





"Right Now" video:





Lineup:


Sochan Kikon - Vocals
Renlamo Lotha - Guitars
Pona Kikon - Guitars
Soren Kikon - Bass
Renbomo Yanthan - Keyboards
Yanni Ennie - Drums

Melancholy Beast, the classic debut album from Pyramaze, will be released on vinyl for the first time on November 11 via Inner Wound Recordings. The album was originally released in 2004. There will be 150 copies on black vinyl, 75 copies on white vinyl and 75 copies on clear vinyl. Pre-order here.


Michael Kammeyer comments: "Dear Pyra-Warriors! It's been a long time coming. But all good things take time! Finally, with the aid of the one and only Inner Wound Recordings, we will release a special limited-edition vinyl of our classic debut album Melancholy Beast, originally published back in 2004.


To make this release even more special, the first 100 copies pre-ordered from the Inner Wound Store will include a beautiful art print by illustrator and comic artist extraordinaire Mr. Hans "Hanzo" Steinbach, where he has skillfully created his own interpretation of the Melancholy Beast character.




Personally, it gives me great pride that we have herewith completed the limited-edition vinyl-collection from the first three albums - the years when I was still an active member and captain of Pyramaze. So dear metalheads - don't be slow about it. Get your hands on this gem before your neighbor ;)"





Melancholy Beast vinyl tracklisting:


Side A
"Sleepy Hollow"
"Forsaken Kingdom"
"Melancholy Beast"
"Legend"


Side B
"The Journey"
"Until We Fade Away"
"Mighty Abyss"
"The Nature Of Triumph"
"Power Of Imagination"


Melancholy Beast was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Evergrey).


Pyramaze Melancholy Beast lineup:


Lance King - Vocals
Michael Kammeyer - Guitars
Morten Gade Sørensen - Drums
Jonah Weingarten - Keyboards
Niels Kvist - Bass