Jimmy Kay from The Metal Voice spoke to guitarist/ vocalist Lips and drummer Robb Reiner from the legendary Canadian band, Anvil, on the streets of Montreal, Quebec (Canada). The conversation revolved around the band's new album The Impact Is Imminent, the re-release of the hit documentary The Story Of Anvil, and a more.





Utopia will release the remastered documentary, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil alongside Portobello Electric in theaters this fall and on digital later this year. The documentary follows Anvil during their European tour and was initially released in 2009. A teaser trailer is streaming below.




The rerelease is timed to the film’s 13th year anniversary and features remastered picture and sound, as well as a new exclusive epilogue interview with director Sacha Gervasi (My Dinner With Hervé, Hitchcock) and Anvil’s Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner moderated by former MTV host Matt Pinfield. Tickets are available at axs.com.


The special event premiere and performance will be presented in conjunction with Beyond Fest on September 22 in Los Angeles at the Saban Theater, with a live concert by Anvil and appearances from surprise musical guests. This will be followed by a Q&A with Kudlow, Reiner, producer Rebecca Yeldham and Gervasi, moderated by Steve-O from Jackass.


“This film is pure magic,” said Utopia CEO Robert Schwartzman. “As well as being a brilliant filmmaker, Sacha was in the right place at the right time and has managed to bring audiences a truly inspiring film which has stood the test of time.”

Mille Petrozza of German thrash metal veterans KREATOR spoke to Australia's Metal Roos about the addition of bassist Frédéric Leclercq to the group's ranks.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.

Mille said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Frédéric is a total pro. He's really, really focused. He's probably the best musician in the band, with Sami [Yli-Sirniö, guitar]. Those two are real classically trained musicians. He knows everything about harmonies. He's an excellent guitar player [as well]. So it was a huge help on all levels to have him in the camp and have him be a part of the band. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made, bringing him into the band, because he's also a very nice guy to be around and he's been a friend of the band for many years now. It's a lot of positive energy that he brings into the band, a lot of joy for music. He has a great sense of humor, which is essential."

Asked if Leclercq contributed to the songwriting process for KREATOR's fifteenth studio album, "Hate Über Alles", which was released in June via Nuclear Blast, Mille said: "Most songs were written, but we worked on the song 'Dying Planet' together. And also, of course, he helped me arrange some of the songs. He's a part of the team. And he also produced the demos, really. When we were in the studio doing the band rehearsals, he did the demo recordings, and they sounded great already."

Mille went on to reiterate the importance of maintaining interpersonal harmony when choosing new members for a band.

"You really have to pick the right person," he said. "A band is like a marriage with four people. And if you pick the wrong person, it can ruin the vibe in the band and it can ruin everything, really. And so I'm really happy that we found Fred. Like I said, he's been a friend and I knew that he was looking for a new challenge. There was no such thing as auditioning new bass players. I just called Fred and asked him if he wants to join, and that was it."

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

KREATOR and LAMB OF GOD's "State Of Unrest" European tour was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but ended up getting postponed, first to 2021 and then to 2022, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The trek will now launch on November 18 in Copenhagen, Denmark and conclude on December 21 in Zurich, Switzerland.

The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence", "Hate Über Alles" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

The "Hate Über Alles" cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

In March 2020, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, "666 - World Divided". The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios.

The music video for "666 - World Divided" was created under the direction of Jörn Heitmann, who was responsible for the music videos for "Radio" and "Ausländer" by RAMMSTEIN.

Arch Enemy performed at the  Alcatraz Metal Festival 2022 in Kortrijk, Belgium on August 14th. Pro-shot video of their full show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"The World Is Yours"
"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"Ravenous"
"War Eternal"
"In the Eye of the Storm"
"House of Mirrors"
"My Apocalypse"
"The Eagle Flies Alone"
"Handshake With Hell"
"Dead Eyes See No Future"
"The Watcher"
"First Day in Hell"
"Saturnine"
"As the Pages Burn"
"No Gods, No Masters"
"We Will Rise"




Encore:
"Snow Bound"
"Nemesis"





On August 12th, Arch Enemy unleashed their 11th studio album, Deceivers, via Century Media Records. They have released an official video for the new song "The Watcher"; check it out below.





A collection of 11 tracks that are ruthlessly catchy and mercilessly violent, Deceivers stands toe-to-toe with the highlights of the band's storied catalogue. Roaring to life with "Handshake With Hell", Arch Enemy make it clear they are out for blood, and every track is a hit, from the moody "Poisoned Arrow" to the titanically anthemic "One Last Time". Sounding more energized than ever, the quintet is operating at the highest level, delivering a maelstrom of diamond-hard riffing wrapped around cinematic melodies, thunderous drumming and towering vocals. Arch Enemy has proved, yet again, that they are unstoppable.


Deceivers can be ordered in various formats here.





Deceivers tracklisting:


"Handshake With Hell"
"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"In The Eye Of The Storm"
"The Watcher"
"Poisoned Arrow"
"Sunset Over The Empire"
"House Of Mirrors"
"Spreading Black Wings"
"Mourning Star"
"One Last Time"
"Exiled From Earth"


"Deceiver, Deceiver" video:





"House Of Mirrors" video:





"Handshake With Hell" video:





"Sunset Over The Empire" video:





Arch Enemy lineup:


Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitars
Jeff Loomis - Guitars
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums

West Coast death metal trailblazers, Ripped To Shreds, have announced their Relapse debut full-length 劇變 (Jubian), out October 14. The band’s new video for “Reek Of Burning Freedom”, directed by Kevin Burleigh, can be viewed below.


Physical pre-orders on LP/CD/CS are available here. Digital downloads/streaming here.







劇變 (Jubian) tracklisting:


"Violent Compulsion For Conquest"
"Split Apart By Five Chariots"
"獨孤九劍 日月神教第三節 (In Solitude - Sun Moon Holy Cult Pt 3)"
"Harmonious Impiety"
"漢奸 (Race Traitor)"
"Reek Of Burning Freedom"
"Peregrination To The Unborn Eternal Mother"
"Scripture Containing The Supreme Internal Energy Arts That Render The Practitioner Invincible Throughout The Martial Realm"


"Reek Of Burning Freedom" video:





Led by guitarist/vocalist Andrew Lee, Ripped To Shreds emerge from the West Coast underground with their ferocious new album, 劇變 (Jubian). The death metal trailblazers unleash their most fully realized and visceral work yet. Recorded and mixed by Lee in his home studio and mastered by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower, 劇變 (Jubian) proves to be Ripped To Shreds at their most focused and refined.


The album bursts wide open with “Violent Compulsion for Conquest,” an elegantly dark, new kind of chainsaw sound teeming with acidic vocals gnashing out lyrics inspired by the Mukden Incident. From its lightning-flash solos to those immensely killer echoing “Ough!”s, this absolute scather, according to Lee, was born to lead. Elsewhere, longtime Ripped To Shreds fans will find the latest chapter of the ongoing ‘Sun Moon Holy Cult’ saga to be its most thrilling episode thus far. One of the album’s most impressive and catchiest tracks,“漢奸 (Racetraitor),” represents that “straight-up melodeath” banger Lee says he’s always wanted to produce while also giving vent to his experience as a minority in America. The charring “Reek of Burning Freedom,” Lee says, is “an anti-war song” that incites to remind its discerning listers of the the United States’ “indiscriminate bombing” campaign waged on North Korea during the Korean War.


Chainsaw guitars, relentless drumming, dizzying solos and disgusting growling throughout  - 劇變 (Jubian) is undeniably ripping death metal.


All of the intensity of power coursing through 劇變 (Jubian) is somehow perfectly captured and rendered by Chinese artist Guang Yang, who also painted the cover of the last Ripped To Shreds album. The statue on the cover is Mazu, the Taiwanese sea goddess. The setting of the painting was inspired by several of the local temples Lee has visited in Taiwan. “I felt like it was important to have something standing in for Chinese people," Lee says. "The cultural context and impact of Ripped To Shreds as a Taiwanese-American band cannot be understated; Lee declares that a driving force behind Ripped To Shreds has been “to increase the visibility of ABCs [American-born Chinese] in extreme metal by being very blatantly Chinese.”


It’s not about taking over. With 劇變 (Jubian), which translates to ‘upheaval,’ Ripped To Shreds make their intentions clear.


(Photo - Greg Goudey)

Swedish bashers, Amaranthe, continue to showcase their versatility and eclectic musical taste. After having released a beautiful orchestral version of their power ballad, "Crystalline", and a flamenco-tinged acoustic rendition of their banger, "Adrenaline", they are now following up with a "cinematic" version of their hit single "Strong" on which - again - the heavy guitars make way for atmospheric synth layers and orchestral arrangements, giving the song a more laid-back and at the same time very enchanting theatrical feel. You can check out this new interpretation below. Buy/stream here.





Says the band: "One of the true high points of the Manifest sessions was creating the bonus tracks - after being incredibly happy with the final mix of the main album, we still had an influx of creative energy left in us. The cinematic version of 'Strong' was born from just such a momentum, as we wanted to display a totally different side of the song, as well are our own musical output. We truly hope that you will enjoy this different and very epic side of Amaranthe!"







In October and November of 2022, Amaranthe will be on tour together with Beyond The Black. Since the tour had to be postponed, both bands can't wait to hit the road again and spend unforgettable nights with their fans all around Europe! Furthermore, both Butcher Babies and Ad Infinitum will join the tour as special guests.


Tour dates:


October
6 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
7 - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
8 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - MHP Arena
9 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
11 - Manchester, UK - O2 Ritz
12 - London, UK - Forum Kentish Town
14 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
15 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra
16 - Madrid, Spain - Mon Live
18 - Bordeaux, France - Rock School Barbey
19 - Paris, France - Elysée Montmartre
21 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
22 - Offenbach, Germany - Stadthalle
23 - Zürich, Switzerland - X-Tra*
25 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
26 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Metropole
28 - Geiselwind, Germany - Event Hall
29 - Zlin, Czech Republic MOR Cafe
30 - Budapest, Barba Negra
31 - Munich, Germany - Zenith


November
2 - Warsaw, Polabnd - Progresja
4 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Zeltphilharmonie*
6 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Ronda
8 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
9 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
11 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben Fryshuset


The tickets remain valid for the new dates above. For refunds, please contact your ticket seller.


Lineup:


Elize Ryd - vocals
Olof Mörck - guitars, keyboards
Johan Andreassen - bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums
Nils Molin - vocals

In a new interview with the "Mike Nelson Show", David Ellefson was asked if it's fair to say that Dave Mustaine ran the show in MEGADETH since the bassist rejoined the band in 2010 and that he and the other members of MEGADETH were treated and paid merely as session members prior to his dismissal from the group more than a year ago. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Pretty much. The tour ended. There was no retainer; there was no salary. We went off and did our own thing. Which is why — look, to be honest with you — it's why… I've always been entrepreneurial. I've always known music to be entrepreneurial. I [started] a coffee company, did a label, had other things, wrote with other people, did other records, wrote books. That's what it is. And I know that's not well liked by some people, because they kind of want it 'all in.' And it's, like, well, royalties buy loyalties. If you want everybody here all the time, you've gotta have them on retainer and salary and you've gotta treat 'em like a staff member so that they're a hundred percent in your team. And it wasn't that. So I think it was pretty clear to me that it's, like, well, when the train stops, we all get off and then we kind of go do our separate thing until it's time to come back together and be MEGADETH again — whether that was recording or touring or otherwise.

"I would say 2018 was… We were off the road. There was an eight-week tour that was booked in Europe. Dave wanted to do some things, and we talked about it," Ellefson recalled. "I just remember, as soon as I started sending ideas over for the new record, he was very resistant to 'em; he didn't wanna use 'em. So I was, like, 'Okay. That's fine. Whatever.'

"This last record [the upcoming 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!'] was a bit of a journey. We finally had some collaboration on it, and I was okay with it either way. My mindset was, 'You know what? Just show up and play bass. Be that guy. That seemed to have worked, and just do that.' But there always seemed to kind of be rubs over that kind of stuff. So then I was, like, 'Look, I make other records. I have other creative outlets and things that I do.' So I was okay with that. If I didn't participate on a MEGADETH record, it was okay; I could do other things. And that was kind of how I found my peace with it. But I know that was a bit of rub in certain areas. But you can't have it both ways. You can't date and be married — pick one or the other. Do it that way. Without going into a whole bunch of detail of it, that's kind of what it was. So when things came to an end last year, to be honest with you, maybe things had to happen in a way that they just needed to be sort of split apart. I didn't think they had to be, but that's a decision they made, so it is what it is. I don't hold a grudge and I'm not sitting around with bitter grapes, sour grapes about the thing. I've moved on. I've always had a lot of other things. THE LUCID record was already teed up. This ELLEFSON solo record that I have, we were finishing that up at the time. 'Cause I just knew I needed to find creative outlets in other places, because it really wasn't that well received in the MEGADETH world. So I found it elsewhere… And you know, in some ways I kind of feel like I fell upward. I made some really great friendships, some really great collaborations, doing some new things that I probably wouldn't be doing if things hadn't gone down the way they did. So I'm not sitting around bitter about it at all. I wish them the best. They're doing their thing with their record. I know that record 'cause I already played on it. [Laughs] I know it — I know the songs. I know what it is. I haven't heard most of it with vocals on it, but… So, to me, it's kind of part of the rearview mirror for me. And not disrespectful — just it is what it is. We're a year past it now and things have moved on."

Pressed about what he would say to Mustaine if they came face to face right now, Ellefson responded: "I'm sad that things went down the way they did because I don't think they had to. I knew that everything was fine. And it was a scary moment there for a second, but I knew it was okay. Just over time, our lives just take different directions, and that doesn't mean you can't be in a band together 'cause you've got different lives. But at the same time, again, things just… I guess they just needed to come apart for this next season of life. And we've been here before where things came apart and then they came back together and they came apart. Maybe this is just how it is. Me and Dave are brothers from another mother; I mean, we just are. It's kind of ironic our names are both Dave; brothers aren't usually named the same. But, you know, there is a weird thing.

"It's funny. When I went back to the band in 2010, even my wife, she goes, 'It's okay. You can go back to your first wife' — meaning MEGADETH," he continued. "She knows her place. She knew her place. 'I know that came before me, that you're a musician, that you and Dave have this very karmically strange friendship with each other that's hot and cold and hit and miss. And you guys love each other like brothers. And some days you get along and some days you don't.' And I don't put that all on him; some of that's for sure on me. So, I think it's probably the best way to put it — it's kind of a karmically interesting friendship. [Laughs] So, yeah. So this is where we are."

Asked if he would ever play with Mustaine again, Ellefson said: "I never say never to anything. And in fact, I've learned in life. [Producer] Max Norman taught me this, by the way, on [MEGADETH's] 'Youthanasia' record. We were doing some lyrics, and he goes, 'Man, don't ever fucking use words like 'never' and 'forever.' They're fucking bullshit words, man. They don't mean anything. They're not sincere. They're not true.' And I've come to think about that over the years, and it is true. Is love forever? Well, I don't know. 'Well, I'll never play with that guy again.' I mean, didn't we see that in 'Spinal Tap'. 'Nigel and I shall never work together again.' I mean, c'mon — it's silly.

"We have these moments in our lives," he continued. "They are what they are. Hopefully we grow from 'em, we get better from them. I certainly feel like I have. And you move on. And like I said the first time with the MEGADETH reunion. At some point, it was a rearview-mirror item, and then one day it came around in the front window again. There it was in the next intersection of life in front of me, and probably for Dave too. It was, like, 'All right. Saddle up. Let's do this.'

"Look, they're doing their thing. They've got their own band now, and they're a unit. They're out rocking. And I think it's great. Look, they're playing songs that I helped write. I'm playing songs Dave wrote. We should all be happy. Everybody wins. Everybody's making money. Everybody's songs are being played. Between the two of us, all of 'em are getting played, or most of 'em. So I don't see any downside to any of it. I think we're honoring the legacy. It's bigger than any one of us."

Ellefson went on to say that the narrative that one person was solely responsible for the creative vision in MEGADETH with very little input from anyone else is "not true." He added: "It's not any one of us. And I'm not going out claiming that it's all about me 'cause it's not — I know my place in it; I know my place in the pecking order and the hierarchy of the legacy. But I'm very much a part of it. So is Chris Poland; so is Jeff Young; so is Gar Samuelson; so is Nick Menza. And I think it's important that those people be honored — especially the fallen ones, like Gar and Nick. Sometimes those are easier to honor because they're gone and we can't ever get any more from them. So I think sometimes honoring the living members is just as important because… Honor them while they're here; let them know how valuable they are to this. And I think that's one of the things the fans really like — is to see that all of it can be honored: the new music that they're writing and putting out as well as the past stuff that really were the building blocks of this enormous beast."

Ellefson left Jackson, Minnesota in the early '80s to move to Los Angeles, where he met former METALLICA guitarist Mustaine, and the pair co-founded multi-platinum, Grammy-winning hard rock act MEGADETH, going on to become one of the "Big Four" of thrash metal. Ellefson's smalltown Jackson roots have been immortalized in MEGADETH lore as the subject of classic songs including the smash hit "Foreclosure Of A Dream" and the underground classic "Mary Jane".

Ellefson, who has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona since 1994, was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.)

David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis a decade ago.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" will be released on September 2 via UMe. Just months after TESTAMENT bassist Steve DiGiorgio recorded his parts for the effort, former MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo rejoined the band in time for the summer 2021 leg of "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 Ellefson, who was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest departure.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee. A short time later, he raved about his performance on the record, telling the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire" that his musical chemistry with MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren was comparable to the interplay between Geddy Lee and Neil Peart on classic RUSH albums. "I feel like on the new MEGADETH record, me and Dirk have those same moments," he said. "It's MEGADETH — it's not RUSH, obviously — but in the field of what we do, there were these moments that I was just going, 'Oh, my God.' This is me as a kid going, 'This is my Geddy/Neil moment right here.'"

In July 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.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, KING'S X frontman Doug "Dug" Pinnick spoke about the influence his band had on the grunge scene in the early 1990s. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There was thing called drop-D tuning we did in '88 when our first record came out. And almost the whole record was drop-D tuning.

"Someone told me one time, they said, 'The quickest way to get everybody to mimic you is to play something that any kid can play when they pick up a guitar immediately.' And drop-D tuning, when you pick up your guitar, you can play with one finger up and down the neck," he explained. "All of a sudden you've got HELMET and you've got — down the line, all these bands that were playing two-chord drop-D songs. And then ALICE IN CHAINS and PEARL JAM, they'll all tell you that we influenced them.

"I know Chris Cornell [late SOUNDGARDEN singer], and me and him were neck-and-neck sometimes writing songs. We'd talk about it. Somebody called me up one time and said, 'You heard the new SOUNDGARDEN tune?' And I go, 'Why?' And they said, 'It sounds like a KING'S X ripoff.' I go, 'What was it?' They said, ''Outshined'.' And I'm going, 'Yeah, it has that vibe.' Somebody said 'Spoonman' sounds like a song Ty [Tabor, KING'S X guitarist] wrote. And we were making those records at the same time.

"I remember talking to Chris when we were making the 'Dogman' record [and] they were making 'Superunknown', and we were laughing about how high we used to sing. And we made an agreement to sing lower on the record. And we got 'Black Hole Sun' and 'Flies And Blue Skies'. So I think that me and him, I'm sure, we influenced each other and pushed each other.

"I remember when [KING'S X's] 'Gretchen [Goes To Nebraska]' came out, we went on tour. And I remember coming home after seven months and turned on 'Headbangers Ball' and every band was drop-D-tuned and they were all new — except for BON JOVI. All the rest of them, because of this whole new thing that had happened. And I'm going, 'My goodness, they're doing kind of what we do.' And the screamers had disappeared, and those singers that sang real high to glam rock were gone. And people were grooving again and they were singing lower melodies. And that's kind of what we were doing when we first came out. So if that was an inspiration to people, yeah, I'll take that, 'cause we were just imitating people that we heard. [Laughs]"

Pinnick went on to say that he has known the ALICE IN CHAINS guys "since before they got signed." He recalled: "Layne [Staley, late ALICE IN CHAINS singer] did say to me, 'Keep putting out, writing songs so we can keep ripping you off.' He said that to Jerry [Gaskill, KING'S X drummer], actually. But he told me that on 'Rooster', he said, 'I was just doing Doug.' And I gave him a big hug. And I love those guys. They were just young kids. I remember PEARL JAM, they didn't have a record deal. And Jeff [Ament, PEARL JAM bassist] sent me a tape with TEMPLE OF THE DOG on the other side of it. And neither band was out. Back in the day, they looked up to us and they used to say, 'We can't wait till we can open for you guys and get record deals and stuff.' And we thought that was so cute. And then they all get record deals and just blow us out of the water. They all did — every one of them. And I smile and look at them and go, 'Man, I knew you guys when you were riding around in vans playing for nobody.'

"I remember KING'S X was on the road with AC/DC, opening, and some of the guys from PEARL JAM and ALICE IN CHAINS came to the show in Tacoma, Washington," Doug added. "And they were playing a little club. And they said, 'Would you guys come to the show?' And so after we got done playing, we went over to the bar, and ALICE IN CHAINS had MOOKIE BLAYLOCK, which was PEARL JAM, opening for them. There was probably, maybe 20 people in the place. And it was awesome. I remember watching Mike McCready and going, 'This kid plays like Jimi Hendrix.' He looked like he was 15. I loved them all.

"So, yeah, we all go way back. And yeah, we've all kind of inspired each other in some ways, I think."

KING'S X will release its 13th studio album, "Three Sides Of One", on September 2.

Aero-Zombie Death Metal! Swedish death metal with that classic “Sunlight Studio” production. The new EP, following the debut album Fly The Fiendish Skies, featuring Rogga Johansson and the death metal elite.


The story of the airborne zombies from Fly The Fiendish Skies takes another turn on this macabre EP. The zombies have landed in the Caribbean and the themes of the songs revolve around Caribbean folklore, demons, undead and an unhealthy dose of the Cthulu mythos. High-speed drumming and blistering solos guaranteed!


On September 30th, Obelisk Polaris Productions will release Caribbean Frights by Heir Corpse One on CD and digital formats. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location. View the cover artwork, created by Juanjo Castellano, as well as the tracklisting below.







"The Wraith"
"Blood In The Shade"
"Dwellers Beneath The Sand"
"Thunderground"
"A South Sea Burial"





Heir Corpse One is:


Rogga Johansson – guitars and vocals 
Kjetil Lynghaug – lead guitars
Peter Svensson – bass
Marcus Rosenkvist – drums


For further details, visit Heir Corpse One on Facebook.


 

Last month, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH played a few shows in Europe as the support act for METALLICA. The first in a series of video reports on the pairing — courtesy of the official FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH YouTube channel — can be seen below.

In the clip, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody says: "Everyone sets goals, as you should. But you have to understand, for us, this is the apex, this is the climax, this is the top of the fucking hill. And it's amazing to me that we've been on tour for almost 15 years and never crossed paths with this band. And I've gotta tell you, they paved the road for any of us, and anyone that argues that fact is out of their fucking mind. The one and only METALLICA."

Back in 2016, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael told Loudwire that METALLICA's classic third album, "Master Of Puppets", represented a turning point in his music tastes. He recalled: "I went to a place called Disc Jockey Records back in Lexington [Kentucky] and I had in my hand 'Master Of Puppets' and RUN-DMC 'Raising Hell' and I had to make that decision. Which one? I've heard about this band METALLICA through Circus magazine and whatnot, but I haven't heard the music, but I know RUN-DMC."

He continued: "I ended up picking up METALLICA and 'Master Of Puppets', and right from the first notes of 'Battery', hearing that beautiful guitar piece into crushing and everything that Cliff Burton did on that basically shaped me melodic-wise on bass right from the very beginning. So that album is probably one of the most influential in terms of making me want to play bass. I'll never be able to get to the same level talent-wise that Cliff Burton was, but it was a challenge."

In 2015, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's then-drummer Jeremy Spencer said that Lars Ulrich was a huge influence on him as a drummer and credited the METALLICA sticksman for inspiring him to play double bass.

"['Master Of Puppets' is] definitely my favorite, probably, metal album ever," Spencer said. "It's gotta be top two for sure. It's a toss-up between that and… I actually like 'South Of Heaven' by SLAYER too. But when I first heard 'Master Of Puppets', man, the drumming and the double bass, I never heard anything like that before as a young kid. It made such an impression on me that I just kind of wanted to do all things double bass. There's some really fast moments in 'Damage Inc.', and it just stuck with me and made such an impression on me as a drummer when I was younger; I instantly fell in love with it."

Asked what was so special about "Master Of Puppets" in particular, Spencer said: "I think they blended… They kind of had some European melody going on in the guitars, especially in the early records. That was different. But it was just… It was a different beast at that time; nothing sounded like it. There was an energy coming from that, and I think the riffs and the arrangements of the songs, it made such an impression on me and on so many other people."

Regarding how much of an impact Burton's contributions had on the way "Master Of Puppets" turned out, Spencer said: "I really don't know, but, obviously, he had some serious influence on them, 'cause their sound drastically changed [after his death]. But I love it. I think the first three records are incredible, to me."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's ninth album, "AfterLife", will be released on August 19 via Better Noise.

Christian rockers Stryper have unveiled the cover artwork for their new album, The Final Battle. Check it out below.


Meanwhile, the band's label, Frontiers Music, has issued the following update:


"Well, since in the internet age there is always someone who has to spoil the surprise, here's the album cover for the new Stryper album, The Final Battle. The album is an ABSOLUTE BEAST of a record, as indicated by this beautiful Stan W Decker artwork. 




Pre-orders (including a variety of color vinyl and new t-shirt designs), another single, and the first music video will all be unveiled next month. Stay tuned. Album out October 21st."





Stryper have released a new single, "See No Evil, Hear No Evil". The song will appear on The Final Battle. More details on the album will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.


In the meantime, enjoy "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" here, and/or below.


Says Michael Sweet: "'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' was, believe it or not, inspired by the health issues that Oz and I have been faced with. Despite our limitations, we were able to deliver an album that is powerful and relevant and 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' is the perfect track to showcase that. We could not be more excited about this album! The best is yet to come."

In a recent interview with the "Talk Toomey" podcast, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about how he and his bandmates managed to weather the peaks and valleys of a four-decade career that included several singer changes and a fluctuation of heavy metal's popularity. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There were hard times, but you always have to remember it's probably just a moment and then it'll pass and good things are still to come. But I would say those latter '90s, those were some of the hardest times, when metal was such a dirty word.

"It was so strange to us, because you had all this kind of alternative stuff happening but there was that one band, and that was PANTERA, that was still doing amazing," Charlie recalled. "So there was still a whole metal audience, but it was just weird how the media wanted you to think that metal's dead. And I think, about the hair [metal] bands, NIRVANA came and it was like a tidal wave, just washed it all away, and whoever stood, well, then that meant something. But for us, it was never about an image or it lacked musicality, 'cause the music always came first — or at least in our heads we told ourselves that the music came first."

After firing singer Joey Belladonna for the first time in 1992, ANTHRAX recruited ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush and released an album called "Sound Of White Noise", widely considered to be one of the band's finest, and possibly most misunderstood, releases.

"Nowadays, when people talk about 'Sound Of White Noise', they talk about it in the sense that it was our 'grunge' album, but it really wasn't our grunge album," Benante said during a 2016 appearance on "The Jasta Show". "The only thing that was grunge about it was Dave Jerden, who produced it, he did ALICE IN CHAINS as well, and JANE'S ADDICTION. But… I don't know. That was a weird time, I think, for metal; it was in a very weird place. And the oddest thing, to me, is when we had… 'Heavy metal' was such a bad word to say, especially in America, because you had alternative, remember? But the band that was the biggest at that time was PANTERA, who was probably the heaviest to come out."

ANTHRAX split with Belladonna for the second time in January 2007, less than two years after reuniting with him and other members of the band's "classic" lineup of the '80s and early '90s. ANTHRAX eventually reunited with Belladonna in May 2010 and recorded two more albums with the singer: 2011's "Worship Music" and 2016's "For All Kings".

Earlier this week, ANTHRAX canceled two shows on the band's North American tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and HATEBREED "due to a medical concern."

ANTHRAX kicked off its tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on July 26 at Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona.

ANTHRAX's setlist on the trek includes the addition of the John Bush-era track "Only", which hadn't been performed live since 2011.

"Only" originally appeared on "Sound Of White Noise", one of four albums Bush recorded with ANTHRAX during his 13-year tenure with the band.

ANTHRAX's tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will wrap up in Philadelphia at the Fillmore on Sunday, August 28. Both bands are playing headline sets. HATEBREED, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "Perseverance" album, is the special guest.

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Charlie Benante says that his participation in the upcoming PANTERA tour will not affect any of ANTHRAX's touring and recording activities.

It was announced last month that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will unite with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts.

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

Benante and the other members of ANTHRAX discussed the PANTERA comeback during a meet-and-greet with fans before ANTHRAX's August 12 concert in Orlando, Florida. Speaking about how PANTERA's touring plans will affect ANTHRAX, guitarist Scott Ian said: "The PANTERA thing is not gonna change anything we're doing." Bassist Frank Bello added: "We'll still be working." Benante then said that PANTERA will only play "select" shows.

When a fan asked Benante if PANTERA will embark on a full-blown tour, Benante responded: "I don't think so."

At a later point during the question-and-answer session, another fan once again brought up Benante's involvement with the upcoming PANTERA tour, noting that there has been some "flak" online regarding the proposed shows. Charlie then asked the fan, "Why is there flak?", to which the fan responded "People are stupid." Benante concurred, saying "There you go" and directly addressed the naysayers by telling them "Don't come." Ian then predicted that Charlie's words would make the news on music sites reporting on PANTERA's return. Scott said: "That's the line online tomorrow: 'Charlie Benante on PANTERA tour: don't come'." Frank agreed, specifically calling out BLABBERMOUTH.NET as a site that would likely carry the story.

Earlier in the month, Bello discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with "Cutter's RockCast". Asked what he thinks about Anselmo and Brown touring again under the PANTERA name, Bello said: "I can't wait for that, because they've got the two right guys to do it. Charlie and Zakk, those are the two right guys [for the job].

"Look, we're [ANTHRAX] family with PANTERA. You've gotta understand — we've toured with them quite a lot. We're very much a family. These are our brothers. So to pay tribute to Dime and Vinnie, Charlie and Zakk are the right guys. And I'll be the first one in line to see that. I'm excited for it.

"I think it's great for metal, and I think it's great for everybody," Frank, who is Benante's nephew as well as his bandmate, added. "It'll be a great tribute to them, and it'll be done right… I'm excited for them — I really am — and for metal. I think it's great."

Last month, Benante told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about how he plans to approach the PANTERA gig: "I can't go do this as the drummer from ANTHRAX because it would be a different sound completely. So the way I'm gonna do that is if you close your eyes, it's gonna sound like it's Vinnie, basically. And that's how it's gonna be. The sound is gonna sound exactly like him."

Wylde said that he had a similar mindset. "You approach it the same way as you do when I'm playing with Ozzy," he said. "Obviously I've gotta learn [Randy] Rhoads's stuff and I've gotta learn Jake's [E. Lee] stuff, and when I was doing the [BLACK] SABBATH stuff, you learn it and do it as faithful as you can. Charlie's gotta learn all of Vinnie's parts. You approach it as if you're in a cover band. When we do the ZAKK SABBATH stuff," referring to his BLACK SABBATH cover band, "I don't start changing lyrics midway through 'War Pigs'. You learn the songs — so that's what you do."

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

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

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

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory has weighed in on the news that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will unite with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts.

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

Bathory discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. Asked what he thinks about Anselmo and Brown touring again under the PANTERA name, Zoltan said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, here's the thing: it's gonna be a PANTERA cover band, really, if you think about it — even though there are previous members [of PANTERA involved]. The fans would want to hear that; otherwise it wouldn't be happening.

"PANTERA had a massive influence on me," he continued. "And I would go and see this. Obviously, it kind of splits the crowd, because [some] people are, like, 'Well, this is sacrilege because the brothers are no longer here.' And at the same time, well, people wanna hear it.

"Look at it this way: this is an homage. This is paying respect to that music. This is paying respect to the band that was very influential for many, many people. If you approach if from that perspective, then, yeah, these are the right guys. Who else would play the guitar, for example?

"So, I don't know. I don't have an opinion, really," Bathory added.

"I always, with these kind of things, I go, okay, do the people, do the fans want to hear this? And that will be the answer. If the fans of PANTERA say, 'Well, this is sacrilege, so we're not gonna go and see it,' well, then there is your answer. If the fans of PANTERA say, 'Hey, we absolutely wanna see it because we love this band. And this is the only way, this is the only remnants of the band, this is the only way that we can one more time experience that,' then that's your answer.

"This is the thing about the music industry, man — the fans decide everything," Zoltan said. "So it's always up to the people. So pick any artist and anybody can hate any artists who are extremely successful. You can throw crap. Pick anyone — Justin Bieber. The kid is really talented, first and foremost, and people love him.

"So who are you, who anyone is, to prevent that from happening? If the people want this, the people love an artist, who is anyone to prevent that or criticize it or go, like, 'Well, this shouldn't happen.' It's as ridiculous if you say, like, 'Hey, I don't like tomatoes, so I think all tomato farmers need to go out of business.' What? It's that ridiculous."

Last month, Benante told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about how he plans to approach the PANTERA gig: "I can't go do this as the drummer from ANTHRAX because it would be a different sound completely. So the way I'm gonna do that is if you close your eyes, it's gonna sound like it's Vinnie, basically. And that's how it's gonna be. The sound is gonna sound exactly like him."

Wylde said that he had a similar mindset. "You approach it the same way as you do when I'm playing with Ozzy," he said. "Obviously I've gotta learn [Randy] Rhoads's stuff and I've gotta learn Jake's [E. Lee] stuff, and when I was doing the [BLACK] SABBATH stuff, you learn it and do it as faithful as you can. Charlie's gotta learn all of Vinnie's parts. You approach it as if you're in a cover band. When we do the ZAKK SABBATH stuff," referring to his BLACK SABBATH cover band, "I don't start changing lyrics midway through 'War Pigs'. You learn the songs — so that's what you do."

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

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

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

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, was asked in a new interview with Rolling Stone if he was always thinking in the back of his head during his tenure with MAIDEN that at some point they would bring back Bruce Dickinson and that would be the end for him. Blaze responded: "Never. I never had that fear because I thought there were eras of that band. Clive [Burr] and Paul [Di'Anno] were one era. Then there's Bruce and Nicko [McBrain, drums]. That was another era. And I really thought that the third record with MAIDEN with me would be the charm. I thought, 'We've done these two records. And now with the ideas I've got, the writing experience and everything. I have things on my dictaphone and lyric ideas…' I thought, 'When this third album comes out, that is going to change the hardcore fans and put them back with us. We're going to get going, and this is going to be rolling, and we're going to be getting somewhere.' I absolutely believed in my heart that would happen."

He continued: Here's what was happening on the outside. When I joined IRON MAIDEN, EMI, one of the biggest record companies in the world, they sold every factory that they owned. So what's happening? And then, at the end, it was the commercial pressure from EMI. That's because JUDAS PRIEST had a full reunion with their original singer. BLACK SABBATH had a full reunion with their original singer. DEEP PURPLE had a full reunion with their original singer. These were all big successes that bumped their numbers up. The slave masters of music were saying, 'We need to get something. MAIDEN, what can we do?' That was it for me. It was a commercial thing. And there I was. But I was very well treated by the guys, absolutely. And I can't blame them for anything that happened to me afterwards."

Asked how he was told that he was out of the band, Blaze said: "They did the proper thing. We had a meeting with everyone around the table. 'With the greatest respect, everyone is doing this. It's a huge deal. We're sorry. We can't carry on.' I said, 'Is Bruce coming back?' There was this silence for a moment. That decision had been made quite a while ago. I was totally unaware of it. They said, 'Yes, he is.' I said, 'OK. We don't have anything else to talk about. I thank you for everything. And I will never say a bad word about this band because I've been treated very well.'"

He added: "I was disappointed, obviously, gutted, because I loved it. As difficult as it was to keep your voice at that level, and all of that, I still loved it."

The 59-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, recorded two studio albums with IRON MAIDEN — "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums he appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort, and this year's "Genius".

Blaze's latest solo album, "War Within Me", came out in April 2021. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.