Guitarist Daniel Dekay of Canadian thrash metal pioneers EXCITER spoke to Metal Crypt about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's long-awaited new album. He said: "I think we were hitting a good streak with writing and demoing prior to the pandemic, and then the pandemic hit. Al [bassist Allan Johnson], [drummer/vocalist] Dan [Beehler] and I live in different provinces in Ontario and Quebec in Canada. There was a travel ban between provinces. Old-school heavy metal sometimes means old-school mentality, which means not fully embracing technology. For us to write music and record music, we need to be in the same room. The pandemic really put a very fast stop to us getting together to work on music. By the time we were able to get back together in the same room, it was already time to get back to working on a live set."

He continued: "There are a handful of songs that are in various stages of completion. Some are done with vocals and solos already, some don't have any leads, some don't have any vocals. There are songs in all sorts of different stages. Plus, Dan Beehler has a million song ideas in his brain and Al Johnson has a million song ideas in his brain.

"Honestly, man, it's going to be a case of getting through these shows that we've had booked for two years. In August, we fulfill the rest of our Euro shows. We have three festivals, a couple of Scandinavian shows, and some U.K. shows that have been booked forever that we need to do. There's a couple of U.S. shows in October, November. After that, we should be able to focus on writing again. The intention is still to release a full-length record and to give the fans what they want. Even in my contributions, I do like to make EXCITER my own in the style that I play John's [Ricci, former EXCITER guitarist] songs and the style I play Brian McPhee's [former EXCITER guitarist] songs. I do try and make it my own, but at the end of the day, for a new record, I want my influence to be felt, but I want it to be true EXCITER for the old-school fans because they deserve that, and the intention is still to put out a full-length record. I just don't have more of a timeline and we have to get through these live shows first. Then we can get together. We do it the old-school way. We like to be in the same room."

Asked who is responsible for the bulk of the songwriting for the new EXCITER material, Daniel said: "Dan and Al completely. Dan and Al get together and flesh out songs. It's incredible. Dan Beehler is a drummer who doesn't play guitar, but he'll hum riffs to you. He hums a riff. He's, like, 'Yes, I want a picking part to sound like, [humming a rhythm] I'm like, 'All right.' You flesh it out that way. It's very old school, man. It's very, very cool. Dan and Al telling me this is how they wrote songs in the '80s. Someone would come to the room with an idea or Dan would have an idea and hum it out, and John would play it on guitar, or Dan's brother, Richard, was the fourth member of EXCITER. He would help out with songwriting and songtitles and lyric ideas and all sorts of stuff. It's always been a cool collaborative effort. Dan and Al really, they get together and bless their souls, man, they get together, and they come up with some crazy cool ideas. Then they send me their ideas that they recorded at the jam space together and I add on from there. It's a really cool collaborative process, but they're definitely predominantly the songwriters. They know what they want and I'm happy to facilitate their vision however I can."

Regarding a possible new label home for EXCITER, Daniel said: "Yes, there are three labels that e-mail me weekly asking when I'm going to have a record to send them. I don't know which of the three labels that we'll end up with. Maybe it'll be a fourth label. Yes, there's significant interest. Literally weekly I get a check-in from someone at a label asking if I have a record for them yet. They're willing to make offers without even hearing a song. It's pretty funny. Yes, there's lots of interest. I'm sure that we're going to find a great home for the album. We'll go with whatever feels right."

Dekay replaced original Ricci in late 2018.

Ricci previousy left EXCITER in 1985 following the release of the band's first three classic albums — "Heavy Metal Maniac" (1983),"Violence & Force" (1984) and "Long Live the Loud" (1985).

EXCITER's latest album, "Death Machine", which featured Ricci as the sole remaining original member, was released in October 2010 via Massacre Records.

Ricci, Beehler and Johnson reunited as EXCITER in 2014 and had been playing sporadic shows for four years before John's latest exit from the group.

In March 2020, Beehler told Australia's Metal Mal that the current lineup of EXCITER is "the best version" of the band "ever." Regarding how Dekay came to join EXCITER, Beehler said: "[Daniel] lives in Toronto, but he's originally from Ottawa, our hometown. And through friends and family members, and through my daughter, he's been a friend for many years. And he was in a local band called AGGRESSOR, which I've seen many times. [I've] met his dad many times.

"A lot of guitarists sent in stuff on the Internet, because they knew John had left the band and they wanted to try out for the band," he continued. "And God bless them, and there was tons of really good guitarists, but as soon as Dekay called me, I just knew that he was the guy, because I knew his character, I knew how he could play, I knew just about everything about him. And I told Al, and Al said, 'I don't even wanna listen to any more of the list,' and I said, 'We'll just respect any of those guys that sent stuff in.' And he came out for the first rehearsal and did the whole set for the first show, and it was like he'd been playing with us for years. He's such a great player and he's so good on stage. Everybody says he's the 'kid,' but he's super professional at what he does and handles all of our business and stuff. That was a bonus. So we really lucked out. It's like we got a family member instead of going out into the world and getting somebody and bringing him into EXCITER and getting to know them. It's like we've known him for years. So we really lucked out getting Dekay. We're super happy with him."

Photo credit: Laura Collins-Music Photography

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has once again weighed in on the news that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will unite with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

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

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

Sweet discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in a new interview with "BODS Mayhem Hour". Asked what he thinks about Anselmo and Brown touring again under the PANTERA name, Michael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, that's the question of the day, 'cause that's in the news right now. You go back a few months, or over a year ago, VAN HALEN was the question of the day regarding that: how do you tour as VAN HALEN without Eddie Van Halen?

"Here's the thing: it's real easy for all of us to give our opinions on that, and a lot of times those opinions aren't positive; they can be on the negative side," he continued. "But that being said, you've gotta take into account the guys that are still alive that were just as big a part of those bands. In terms of fame and recognition, maybe not, but effort, hard work, time involved in that band? Absolutely. So that, to me, gives them the right to do that. But don't call it… I don't know about calling… [In the case of VAN HALEN], if you go out with [Joe] Satriani and someone else on bass — Jason [Newsted] they talked about on bass, and then it was Michael [Anthony], and who knows who it may be if they do that — don't call it VAN HALEN. But then again, Alex Van Halen is the drummer and he holds the name. So that's a fine line.

"PANTERA? I do understand some people getting up in arms over it being called PANTERA when the Abbott brothers aren't involved," Sweet added. "I mean, they pretty much were PANTERA just as Eddie Van Halen was VAN HALEN, right? We can all agree on that. But again, who is Michael Sweet to say whether they should or shouldn't do that?

"This is our livelihood, this is what everyone does to pay the bills and what everyone does just out of the sheer love in the heart for doing it. We love doing what we do, and what else are we gonna do? So these guys, they've gotta continue on. That's — I don't wanna say 'bread and butter'; that's so cliché, but it is their bread and butter. And I think they should do what they need to do but as long as they are respectful in the process. When they start disrespecting and doing it in a disrespectful way, that's when I'll step up. I'll be the first one to step up and say, 'Wait a minute here. That's not right.' You know what I mean?"

Last month, Sweet hinted that STRYPER will share the stage with the reactivated PANTERA at this year's edition of Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest. At the time, he took to his Instagram to share a new PANTERA photo composite from BLABBERMOUTH.NET, and he included the following message: "What's my take on the new @panteraofficial lineup? Well, first of all it doesn't matter what I think. That being said, I think it's great! As long as they have the Abbott Family's blessings and they're respectful while honoring Dime & Vinnie, I applaud the decision to move forward.

"I look at it more so as a 'Celebration', celebrating the lives and music of The Abbott Brothers. Also, who better to perform Darrell's parts but the one and only @zakkwyldebls – THE perfect guy for the job. Then add @charbenante to cover for Vinnie? Again, perfect! And let's not forget all the work that Phil & Rex put into PANTERA early on as well.

"I wish the band nothing but the best and more importantly, I wish the Abbott Family nothing but peace and love.

"In closing, I'll get to witness this lineup up close and personal in Mexico".

Also 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.

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ALICE IN CHAINS kicked off its North American tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN and BUSH last night (Wednesday, August 10) at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. It marked ALICE IN CHAINS' first live performance in front of an audience since a September 2019 concert in Seattle.

After the show, ALICE IN CHAINS bassist Mike Inez shared a couple of Instagram photos taken at the gig, and he included the following message: "Awesome first show after 3 years. Felt good to make some noise. Thanks Pittsburgh and all at Star lake Amphitheater tonite."

ALICE IN CHAINS' setlist was as follows:

01. Again
02. Check My Brain
03. Grind
04. Them Bones
05. Dam That River
06. Hollow
07. Angry Chair
08. Man In The Box
09. Rainier Fog
10. No Excuses
11. The One You Know
12. Down In A Hole
13. Your Decision
14. Would?
15. Rooster

Last month, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell told FaceCulture about the band's musical impact over the course of its three-and-a-half-decade career: "I guess the thing that means the most is I took that trip with my brothers and we all banded together and we found each other somehow and we were supposed to find each other and we have a sound that is unlike anybody else. And that's the whole point — trying to create some sort of a sound that's uniquely yours. And I was able to find that with my family there, with Layne [Staley, vocals] and Mike [Starr, bass] and Sean [Kinney, drums]. And throughout the years of changes and things that life throws at you, we've continued on and continued to navigate all of those changes and continued to grow — up to the last record [2018's 'Rainier Fog']. I think that record's kickass. [Laughs] I think we're still creating at a top level. Inez [bass] and William [DuVall, vocals] coming into the band, it's all good.

"I guess the main thing, probably, is that it still means something to people. We play some of those songs in [my solo] set as well, and it's always exciting and trippy, man, to see people react when you start playing those songs. They're not just yours anymore; they're everybody's. And I don't mean that in just some generic way. They have just as much ownership in it as I do. So it's pretty cool to share those moments."

In an April 2022 interview with Ireland's Overdrive, DuVall was asked about a possible follow-up to ALICE IN CHAINS' "Rainier Fog" album, which came out in August 2018. He said: "Right now we're just coming out of the lockdowns, and we've all been busy doing our own thing. Jerry is out on tour at the moment for his solo album, and I'm doing my thing. We have plans for some live shows in September/October, and I'm sure that will blow off the cobwebs and we'll start looking at some new ideas for the next ALICE IN CHAINS album.

"We had a lot of time imposed on us and I think we're going through this period of catching up on things that we had planned for 2020 [and] 2021, and we're all finally getting to do that now. So, it's kind of like a stopgap and we're just dealing with all of these stockpiled projects that we had planned a few years back. So once we get back up to speed with things and we get these dates underway in late summer, I'm sure it will spark a whole bunch of ideas for the next ALICE IN CHAINS studio album."

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THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — will release its debut album, "Days Of The Lost", on August 12 via Nuclear Blast. Asked in a new interview with Jorge Fretes from Spain's GoetiaMedia.com if THE HALO EFFECT members see their history with IN FLAMES as a "stigma" of some sort, Niclas said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. It isn't. I don't think that way. We don't think that way. Because this band is like a collective of friends. We've been doing this for so long. We were there in the formative years back in '89, '90. I mean, me and Mikael met up in '89, doing our first show. It was when they were called SEPTIC BROILER and I was in a band called SARCAZM; we did our first show together. And from there on, we've been doing our thing, so to speak. We just go with the flow and just do what we thought felt right for us at the moment. He continued doing DARK TRANQUILLITY and I was in GARDENIAN, PASSENGER and ENGEL and stuff like that.

"IN FLAMES is an important band within the genre, of course, but we helped build this genre as well," Niclas continued. "So we just stick to what we know best — playing this kind of music — because we love it. There's no master scheme behind this or anything like that. It was like in the beginning, when we met up. 'Well, what kind of music should we go for? Should we go progressive, RUSH kind of thing? Let's make a song. Let's make some cool stuff. Let's just start with some parts, bits here and there. And the first song we actually wrote together is a song called 'Gateways'. And it's kind of mellow but creepy with a haunting vibe. The intro, the verse thing is like a horror movie kind of thing that blends out in this big, thick chorus, which unmistakably is that kind of genre. So we thought, 'All right. This is the way we should go. And the main topic should be don't overthink too much and just have fun with it.' And that's what we did with the whole album. This is a lot of love and a lot of fun — and no overthinking."

Last month, Stanne was asked in an interview with Tomar Uma if "Reroute To Remain", IN FLAMES' sixth album, which came out in 2002 and featured Jesper, Peter and Daniel, was an influence on the way THE HALO EFFECT approached the songwriting process. He responded: "I don't think so. I love that album — I think it's fantastic — but no, I don't think so. But, obviously, the other guys were a big part of it, so maybe that's something… They had that experience, so that will color and will somehow affect them. But I don't think it ever came up, so I don't think that was a particular influence. But, of course, everything is a part of what you do, right?!"

In June, Iwers was asked in an interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast if he would agree that "Days Of The Lost" is, in some ways, a "spiritual successor" to "Reroute To Remain". Peter said: "Ooh, interesting. I haven't really thought about it. When you make music, like we do, you tend not to overthink stuff — you just go in and you write music and kind of know that what comes out will sound a certain way because of the style that we are playing and how we are playing and performing our music. So I haven't really thought about it, but maybe — maybe. It was definitely nothing intentional. We just went in. We had a bunch of ideas and we came out with a bunch of songs that happen to sound a certain way. But none of us really overthought it and it was never meant to 'it's gonna sound like this' or 'it's gonna sound like that.' We just [went], 'Let's write this music and see what happens.' And because of, like I said, how we're playing, it will sound a certain way."

Added Daniel: "A lot of people like to analyze music, and, of course, it sounds Gothenburg metal-ish because we all are from that genre and we are some of the people that kind of created it. So, of course, it will sound Gothenburg metal-ish, IN FLAMES-ish. And then which era, I don't know. And as Peter said, we don't really think about how it should sound. This is how we sound today, and with our legacy this is inevitable, that we sound as we do."

Continued Peter: "Obviously, people like to do a lot of comparing between us… It's a difficult topic to discuss because none of us have — even though we've all been in IN FLAMES at some point, none of us have really thought about this as what you're saying. But then a lot of people that we speak to say it. So it's a little hard to take in, as we've been very thorough in just writing music. But I'd say it's a little flattering to hear it."

Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past three and a half years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

THE HALO EFFECT's first-ever tour will be as the support act for Swedish death metal giants AMON AMARTH and U.S. metallers MACHINE HEAD on 31 dates throughout Europe in the summer and fall of 2022.

Photo credit: Markus Esselmark

In a new interview with Ned of the Waterloo, Iowa radio station Rock 108, guitarist Ben Wells of Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY spoke about the decline of the music industry as consumers value access over ownership and experiences over assets.

"It's one of those things, it's kind of a polarized topic with some bands," Ben said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We're, like, if people stream our music, if that's how they find out about us, cool. Because we look at it as, look, CDs just aren't selling. I mean, we still put 'em out and people are trying to get creative and figure out new ways to put out music. It's an ever-evolving system; it's a thing. You have to kind of grow with it; you can't go against it.

"I think albums — vinyl albums — people love," he continued. "I think that has made a huge comeback now. That's funny, though, because it takes more of an effort for most of us to play the vinyl than it does the CD. It's a whole deal, but it's an experience — people love to sit in their rooms and drop that needle on the record and listen to it that way.

"We found that vinyl has become super popular," Ben added. "And the streaming stuff, we've had people say, 'Hey, I'm at this show tonight because I was listening to something on Spotify and you all came up.' So if that turns into somebody coming to a show or buying a shirt, then, hey, it's all for the better good of growing the band. So we just kind of have to go with it and learn to live with it and be smart about it and, obviously, be open for new changes. The old, 'What's next? What's gonna be the new way?' Next year there'll be something else out there. TikTok will be old news and there'll be something else. You've gotta keep up."

BLACK STONE CHERRY's seventh studio album, "The Human Condition", was made available in 2020.

In June 2021, BLACK STONE CHERRY announced the departure of bassist Jon Lawhon. He has since been replaced on the road by Steve Jewell Jr., the guitarist from the Glasgow, Kentucky band OTIS.

The digital-only release of an expanded edition of "The Human Condition" was made available in August 2021.

PAPA ROACH guitarist Jerry Horton spoke to the Q105.1 Rocks radio station about how he and his bandmates have managed to stay together for nearly 30 years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Like any sort of long-term relationship, a.k.a. marriage, there's ups and downs, there's fights, there's arguments, there's whatever. But I think over the years we've figured out how to give each other space. We don't really hang out when we're not on tour, only because we're usually on tour more than we're at home. We have families and we wanna give them the time too. So I think the time apart is healthy. And then once we kind of gear up for things, we'll go into it a hundred percent. We still love making music, we still love that creative outlet and we still love playing shows. So we're just doing our best to keep it fresh, keep it all together and ride this wave."

Asked if he feels like "rock is on its way up again," Jerry said: "Absolutely. We've seen it happen multiple times over the years where the guitar becomes not cool. And then somebody picks it up and puts it in a pop song and then it's cool again. That's only on sort of like a superficial surface. Rock fans are always rock fans. We have a very loyal rock fanbase. And when we talk about rock being cool, rock's always cool but it's sort of, like, okay, it's recognized by people who are mostly into pop music.

"We do what we do, and we do take influence from different types of music, and sometimes we do take influence from pop music, whether it be chord progressions or sounds or whatever," he explained. "[But] rock is our first love, and that's our anchor, and that's what we anchor things around."

Last month, PAPA ROACH and FALLING IN REVERSE kicked off a co-headlining U.S. tour. Dubbed the "Rockzilla Summer Tour", the bill also includes HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and BAD WOLVES. The trek launched on July 27 in East Providence, Rhode Island, with dates booked in 24 cities across the U.S. before a final show on August 31 in Nashville, Tennessee.

After two years of work and nearly 10 months of building up excitement with fans, PAPA ROACH recently celebrated the release of its 11th studio album, "Ego Trip". An album that sprouted almost by mistake in the throes of a global lockdown, its seeds were planted when the quartet entered a COVID-secure mansion in Temecula, California, in the summer of 2020.

"Ego Trip" came out in April via New Noize Records in partnership with ADA Worldwide (WMG's independent label and artist services arm).

PAPA ROACH are two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling leaders in alternative hard rock music, who in 2020 celebrated the 20th anniversary of their iconic album "Infest".

PAPA ROACH is completed by bassist Tobin Esperance, singer Jacoby Shaddix and drummer Tony Palermo.

"Ego Trip" is the follow-up to "Who Do You Trust?", which came out in January 2019.

Fan-filmed video of EXODUS's entire August 6 concert at Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Spain can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
02. A Lesson In Violence
03. Blood In, Blood Out
04. The Years Of Death And Dying
05. Deathamphetamine
06. Blacklist
07. Piranha
08. Prescribing Horror
09. Bonded By Blood
10. The Toxic Waltz
11. Strike Of The Beast

In June, it was announced that EXODUS guitarist Lee Altus would be unable to join his bandmates on their European tour this summer due to "family concerns." Filling in for him is Brandon Ellis of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER.

EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza touched upon Altus's absence from the trek in a video update on his Zetro's Toxic Vault YouTube channel. He said: "Our guitar player Lee Altus won't be making this leg of the tour. It's gonna be Brandon from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. He's going to be filling in on guitar. For Lee, there's some family issues that Lee needs to take care of for himself, so he's going to be staying back [home]. He isn't going anywhere. Sometimes these things happen. Family things happen. You can't always put [the band] first."

Souza went on to say that he and his EXODUS bandmates are "looking forward to playing with Brandon."

"We knew that [Brandon] would nail it, and it's kind of been something that has been in the works for a little while so he's actually had time to learn the music and really get into it," the vocalist explained. "So it's gonna be really good.

"We're not gonna cancel. We're gonna keep going. It's gonna be EXODUS.

"For everybody in Europe, you are going to get an awesome EXODUS show," Souza added. "That's all I can say. It's gonna be heavy."

When Altus's absence was first announced on June 22, EXODUS released a statement via social media in which the band said: "EXODUS regretfully announce that Lee Altus will not be joining us on our upcoming European tour. Family concerns dictate he remain close to home and being so far away from home is not possible. EXODUS stand strong with Lee and will destroy in his behalf, and he will rejoin us for the upcoming tours such as the fall leg of 'The Bay Strikes Back'. We stand behind our brother in everything and he will be back! Joining us on this trek is none other than Brandon Ellis of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER so let’s welcome him like one of the EXODUS family! Brandon is one of the sickest guitarists alive and he is going to kill it for certain! See you soon in Europe and the UK!"

Brandon added: "I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to get on stage with the legendary dudes of EXODUS and crush some open air fests and clubs this July and August. I wish Lee the best and will cover his stage right post with honor and respect!"

EXODUS is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Persona Non Grata", which came out last November via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

In July 2021, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage in October at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

EXODUS tapped John Tempesta to play drums for the band at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while Hunting was recovering from surgery. Tempesta was a member of EXODUS from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band's albums "Impact Is Imminent" (1990) and "Force Of Habit" (1992).

A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from Tom's former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.

NECA will release the AC/DC Bon Scott and Angus Young "Highway To Hell" 8-inch clothed action figures in November.

Bon Scott "Highway To Hell" clothed figure product description ($44.99 MSRP): "If rock singers were judged on a scale of 1 to 10, Bon Scott turns the dial to 11. One of the most influential frontmen of all time, Bon Scott's high-voltage vocals and rock 'n roll lifestyle set the bar for a generation of aspiring musicians. This fully articulated and extremely tattooed action figure is based on Bon Scott's appearance in AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell' music video and stands 8 inches tall."

Product Features

* 8 inches (20.32cm)
* Made of plastic and fabric
* Based on the famous musician
* Fully articulated
* Real fabric clothing

Box Contents

* Bon Scott figure
* 2 Head sculpts
* Microphone

Angus Young "Highway To Hell" clothed figure product description ($44.99 MSRP): "It's hard to find a rock fan alive who hasn't heard of Angus Young. This king of hard rock is the core of Aussie band AC/DC. His electrifying guitar work and unforgettable songs have driven them to superstardom around the world. This fully articulated action figure is based on Angus's appearance in the 'Highway To Hell' music video and stands 8 inches tall."

Product Features

* 8 inches (20.32cm)
* Made of plastic and fabric
* Based on the famous musician
* Fully articulated
* Real fabric clothing

Box Contents

* Angus Young figure
* 2 Head sculpts
* 2 Pairs of hands
* 2 Hats
* Guitar

Few rock singers were as unforgettable — and have proved as enduring — as Bon Scott. As the frontman of AC/DC from 1974 until his tragic passing in 1980 (at the age of 33),his "rock 'n' roll pirate persona," street poet lyrics, and striking image (one of the first rockers to proudly sport multiple tattoos) have made him an absolute legend. Additionally, Bon's vocals were featured in several pre-AC/DC bands, including FRATERNITY, THE VALENTINES and THE SPEKTORS.

But really, it is the quality of the songs of the "Bon era" of AC/DC that serve as his greatest legacy — "Highway To Hell", "Sin City", "Whole Lotta Rosie", "Let There Be Rock", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "TNT" and "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)"… the list is seemingly endless.

How does Bon measure up to rock's all-time great frontmen? Classic Rock magazine declared him "the greatest rock n' roll frontman of all time" in 2004, beating out the lofty likes of Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant and Axl Rose in the process.

Scott was invited to join AC/DC by Malcolm and Angus Young in 1974, and achieved international stardom before his death at the age of 33 from alcohol poisoning.

He sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums, including "High Voltage", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Let There Be Rock" and "Highway To Hell".

Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking at a club in London, just days after attending a session with Malcolm and Angus Young where they began working on music for what became the "Back In Black" album.

According to the AC/DC FAQ web site, Bon and the friend, a musician named Alisdair Kinnear, had been drinking the evening of February 19, 1980 and Bon apparently fell asleep during the ride home. Kinnear could not wake Bon, so he left him in the car to sleep. Kinnear awoke early in the evening on February 20, checked on Bon, and found him unconscious in the car. Bon could not be revived, and was pronounced dead.

Certainly feel like I'm on the Highway to Hell sometimes, and here are the NECA ACDC 'Highway to Hell' 8" Angus and Bon...

Posted by Collectors Den on Thursday, July 28, 2022

ANNOUNCEMENT!!
➖
Bon Scott 8” Clothed Action Figure
➖
If rock singers were judged on a scale of 1 to 10, Bon Scott turns...

Posted by NECA - N.E.C.A on Saturday, July 23, 2022

ANNOUNCEMENT!!
➖
AC/DC – 8” Clothed Action Figure – Angus Young (Highway to Hell)
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It’s hard to find a rock fan alive...

Posted by NECA - N.E.C.A on Saturday, July 23, 2022

In a new interview with the "White Line Fever" podcast, JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon was asked how he manages to continue having a working relationship with keyboardist Jonathan Cain despite their apparently drastically different political views. "The answer to that question is to leave it alone," he responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I mean, honestly. I think that everybody is entitled to their opinion or what they think is correct for themselves. None of us ever agree — not just Jon, but many other people that I know. So I keep my political views to myself.

"I obviously have made it very clear, even years back, that I don't agee with mixing politics with music, or [mixing music with] religion. I think music is for everyone — of every religion; if you're a Democrat, Republican, whatever. It's music — it's for the world. So you have to leave it alone. Your views and your views. And I do nothing but write music with Jon. That's it."

Back in 2017, Schon and Cain feuded publicly on social media after Cain, singer Arnel Pineda and then-bassist Ross Valory were photographed at the White House with then-U.S. president Donald Trump. Cain is a devout born-again Christian whose minister wife Paula White-Cain delivered the invocation at Trump's inauguration.

In early 2018, Cain told Rolling Stone magazine that his visit to the White House "was a historical chance to go and it wasn't political. I'm a history buff and was dying to see where all this history took place," he insisted. "I know Arnel wanted to meet the Filipino lady [Cristeta Comerford] that has worked as a chef there for 20-something years. And Neal and I weren't on speaking terms during that time. He was bashing me about my faith, so I didn't think he would want to come. That's all."

Cain added that the White House visit "wasn't really a band sort of thing. We're friends with Sarah Huckabee from before the presidential thing," he said. "It was just an offer to take a tour. It wasn't an endorsement. Not at all. And Ross decided to come and see the building that Eisenhower bowled in. I was like, 'A bowling alley? How cool!' We got to see the loft where they make the cookies. The kitchen was so tiny. We saw all the little nooks and crannies and were like, 'Oh, my gosh, this is amazing.'"

Cain went on to say: "Historically, it felt good to visit. But come to me. Don't go to the fans about it. If you had a problem with it, talk to me. I never heard from [Neal]."

Schon is the only remaining original member of JOURNEY who has appeared on all the band's albums.

Jonathan embraced faith-based music with 2016's "What God Wants To Hear" solo album and released a Christmas LP, "Unsung Noel", the following year.

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet recently underwent his third eye surgery after being diagnosed with a detached retina last November. In a new interview with Myglobalmind, he stated about the experience (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you think of eye surgery, it certainly doesn't seem like anything major. And it certainly won't get the attention of other surgeries — open heart, bypass surgery, brain surgery, all this kind of stuff, which is all terrible. But I'm gonna tell you right now that the eye surgeries that I've been through — this is my third one — gosh, either I'm a big baby or they were terrible. I have really sensitive eyes anyway, and that would be the last thing I would ever wanna have to deal with in my life, is eye issues, regarding surgery.

"What I had to have done this third time — this was my third surgery — was they put oil in my eye for six months to hold my retina in place," he explained. "And when they put that oil in six months ago, in January, they had to remove my lens 'cause I developed a cataract. So they took my lens out. So I was dealing with that for six months, and I got used to that. Then I had to have the oil removed because if you leave it in too long, you develop glaucoma which can lead to blindness, blah blah blah. So it's very complicated. And they removed the oil, flushed the oil out; that was one incision. And then they put a new lens in; that was another incision in my iris. And my eye is pretty beat up right now."

Michael's medical emergency came months after STRYPER guitarist Oz Fox underwent the first of his brain surgeries to treat one of the tumors that were found in his head four years ago. As a result, Oz sat out some of the band's 2021 tour dates and was temporarily replaced by Howie Simon (JEFF SCOTT SOTO, GRAHAM BONNET).

Fox's tumors — one by his ear and the other in the back of his brain — were discovered when he suffered his first seizure in August 2018 while performing with SIN CITY SINNERS at Harrah's in Las Vegas.

In October 2020, Fox was briefly hospitalized after suffering another massive seizure.

Within weeks of Fox's original August 2018 seizure, STRYPER toured Australia and Japan as a three-piece, and later recruited Simon to fill in while Fox was unable to go on the road.

STRYPER's new studio album is due later this year via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2020's "Even The Devil Believes" was produced by Sweet and was once again recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

Long day…..

Surgery was originally supposed to be at 10:30 so we got picked up at 6:30 to beat Boston traffic. Surgery...

Posted by Michael Sweet on Tuesday, July 26, 2022

On September 23, Niji Entertainment and BMG will re-release two legendary live performances from DIO at the Castle Donington festival in the United Kingdom. "Donington '83" captures the original DIO lineup on the "Holy Diver" tour and captures a young, hungry band three months after the release of their debut album. The set features classic tracks from Ronnie James Dio's already-amazing career as vocalist for RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH, alongside future classics like "Holy Diver", "Rainbow In The Dark" and "Stand Up And Shout".

Following three hugely successful studio albums and silver, gold and platinum certifications around the world, "Donington '87" captures the "Dream Evil" lineup and features such classics as "The Last In Line", "Rock 'N' Roll Children" and "All The Fools Sailed Away".

Additionally, the two discs contain killer renditions of both RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH classics, including "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Neon Knights", "Stargazer" and "Heaven And Hell".

As the singer of RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL and his own band, Dio is often considered to be one of rock's all-time great vocalists. Although he sadly passed away in 2010 after battling stomach cancer, Dio's music continues to connect with the masses — the official Ronnie James Dio Facebook page has over 2.5 million followers, his music on Spotify receives over 3 million monthly listeners, and in the most recent season of the hit Netflix series "Stranger Things", the popular character Eddie Munson sports a large "DIO" patch on the back of his beloved denim jacket.

"Donington '83" and "Donington '87" is available in both limited-edition 2LP and CD configurations. Each features a 3D / lenticular art print of the cover. The LP sets feature an exclusive etching on Side D.

"Donington '83"

Personnel:

Ronnie James Dio - Vocals
Vivian Campbell - Guitar
Jimmy Bain - Bass
Vinny Appice - Drums
Claude Schnell - Keyboards

Track listing:

01. Stand Up and Shout
02. Straight Through The Heart
03. Children Of The Sea
04. Rainbow In The Dark
05. Holy Diver
06. Drum Solo
07. Stargazer
08. Guitar Solo
09. Heaven And Hell
10. Man On The Silver Mountain
11. Starstruck
12. Man On The Silver Mountain (Reprise)

"Donington '87"

Personnel:

Ronnie James Dio - Vocals
Craig Goldy - Guitar
Jimmy Bain - Bass
Vinny Appice - Drums
Claude Schnell - Keyboards

Track listing:

01. Dream Evil
02. Neon Knights
03. Naked In The Rain
04. Rock 'N' Roll Children
05. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
06. The Last In Line
07. Children Of The Sea
08. Holy Diver
09. Heaven And Hell
10. Man On The Silver Mountain
11. All The Fools Sailed Away
12. The Last In Line (Reprise)
13. Rainbow In The Dark

Photo credit: PG Brunelli / BMG

Tommy Lee shocked fans earlier today by posting a full-frontal nude photo to social media.

The 59-year-old MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer shared a picture of his tattooed body sitting down on what appeared to be the edge of a bath on Thursday. Although the angle cut off the top half of Lee's face, the image shows Tommy wearing nothing but a chain necklace and nipple rings as he exposed his genitalia to his millions of followers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Lee captioned the NSFW image: "Ooooopppsss".

Tommy's wife Brittany Furlan was among the people who commented on his post, writing "OH MY GOD" next to the image on Instagram.

Tommy later followed up his original post with an image of an elephant staring at a naked male model, while swaying its trunk. It was captioned, "How do you breathe through that little thing??" apparently a reference to the size of Lee's manhood.

Lee's penis was featured in a sex tape he made with then-wife Pamela Anderson during their 1998 honeymoon. The video ended up finding its way online after being stolen from their home by an electrician. According to Marie Claire, Pamela later sued the distribution company, but ended up settling, and the tape continued to be available online as a result. The tape reportedly made $77 million in less than 12 months.

The scandal was the focus of Hulu's "Pam & Tommy" series, which was released in February. In an episode of the series, actor Sebastian Stan, who played Lee, has a pep talk with his animated penis.

Show creator Robert Siegel later explained to Variety that he adapted the conversation from Lee's 2005 memoir, "Tommyland", adding, "There was gentle pushback, because you've got to push back a little when a talking penis is presented to you. But Hulu was extremely supportive."

Lee's penis was ranked at number eight on Gawker's list of "20 Famous Big D**ks," behind Wilt Chamberlain's.

RUSH legends Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reunited on stage last night (Wednesday, August 10) to perform the band's classic song "Closer To The Heart".

The reunion took place at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver as part of a celebration marking the 25th anniversary of animated comedy show "South Park". Lee and Lifeson were joined for the performance by their longtime friends PRIMUS, as well as "South Park" show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

"South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert" will air Saturday, August 13 on Comedy Central, and a day later on Paramount+.

Stone is a huge fan of RUSH, having told the Ottawa Citizen in 2012, "RUSH was the first band I ever loved."

According to Variety, there have been multiple RUSH references in "South Park" over the years, including in 2011's "Royal Pudding" episode when was RUSH is tapped to perform at a vigil after the princess of Canada was abducted before her wedding. The group is shown on stage playing a mock version of Elton John's "Candle In The Wind", sung as "Flower Breaking Wind", which results in Lifeson and some members of the audience committing suicide. The band also featured "South Park" characters in a video they showed live before they played "Tom Sawyer" during their last few tours. In 1999, Lee and Lifeson teamed up with Parker and Stone to record a rocking version of "O' Canada" for the film "South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut".

This past April, Lifeson said that it was "difficult to accept" that he would never play with RUSH again after the completion of the "R40" tour, which commemorated the 40th anniversary of drummer Neil Peart joining the band.

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

Lifeson reflected on RUSH's final tour, which concluded on August 1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles, during a June 2021 appearance on SiriuxXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

"We were in our early 60s when that tour ended," Alex said. "After the number of dates that we did do, which was about half of what we would normally do, we were all starting to feel the fatigue, as you normally would. And had it been a normal tour, we have gone out for probably another month and then taken a month off, or maybe a couple of months off, and then picked it up for another three or four months.

"I think personally, and I think the same for Ged [RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee], we were really excited about the show, the presentation of the show, the whole concept of going back through our history," he continued. "I thought we were all playing really, really well, and I probably could have continued to do another 30 shows, and I think Geddy felt the same way. But it was becoming really difficult for Neil to play at that level, and unless he could play a hundred percent at that level, he really didn't wanna do any more shows, and he didn't wanna be that person that should have taken it. And it was hard for him — a three-hour show playing the way he played. It's a miracle that he was even able to play. And he had some issues through that tour — he had an infection on his feet and he could barely walk, never mind playing the bass drum the way he did. And he never complained or anything like that. So, it was time. And in retrospect, it couldn't have been better, because we were playing great, and we finished on such a high note. The fans were so happy — I mean, with the performance. All things were right. That was the great way to ensure our legacy and be remembered for those guys, for being that band that played that way. I honestly would hate to be working now, for example, and not being able to play a song because my fingers are just killing me and not playing as well and making all these mistakes. I made enough mistakes — way too many. So, all in all, it really turned out to be the opportune time for us to end a long career. Not a lot of bands lasted 40 years of that regular touring and many, many, many albums and all of that stuff."

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.

Finnish five-piece, Sonata Arctica, have released a lyric video for "I Have A Right", featured on the band's upcoming release, Acoustic Adventures - Volume Two. Watch the clip below.


Sonata Arctica need no introduction: besides significantly influencing the power/melodic metal scene, they're a band that's not only famous for consistently delivering studio albums of high quality but also for experimenting and breaking out of their musical comfort zone. Foremost resulting in some aptly called Acoustic Adventures touring cycles, but also in the release of Volume One of their very first acoustic album which saw the light of day in early 2022.


Sonata Arctica recently announce that the continuation and second chapter of the aforementioned record is set to be unleashed on the world on September 30 via Atomic Fire - to complete this special saga and to finally celebrate the kick-off of their next, multiply postponed Acoustic Adventures trip in order to lift up the Corona-shaken Finnish and European mainland minds.




Like the first part, the new offering was recorded and produced by Mikko Tegelman alongside the band at Studio57, Finland while the cover artwork was designed by Janne Pitkänen.


Pre-order exclusive album + merch bundles here.





Acoustic Adventures - Volume Two tracklisting:


"I Have A Right"
"Black Sheep"
"Half A Marathon Man"
"Broken"
"Letter To Dana"
"FullMoon"
"Shamandalie"
"San Sebastian"
"Gravenimage"
"Flag In The Ground"
"My Land"
"Victoria's Secret"


"I Have A Right" lyric video:





For all Sonata Arctica tour dates, ticket links, and further information, head here.











Sonata Arctica are:


Tony Kakko - vocals & keyboards
Elias Viljanen - guitars
Pasi Kauppinen - bass
Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg - keyboards
Tommy Portimo - drums


(Photo - Jarkko Piipari)

Richard Shaw, who played guitar with British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH starting in 2014, and appeared on the albums "Hammer Of The Witches", "Cryptoriana: The Seductiveness of Decay" and "Existence Is Futile" before officially exiting the group in March (although his split wasn't announced until May), discussed his reasons for leaving during an appearance on the latest episode of the "2020'd" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "To be honest, it just got a point where I didn't wanna do it anymore. It was as simple as that.

"Touring and traveling was never a problem for me. Writing and recording — the actual music side of things — I loved and I still love. It was all the behind-the-scenes stuff [that] kind of got to me after a while," he explained. "It just got to a point where you find out things that you don't like the sound of that's been going on for a while. A lot of drama and B.S.

"I'm a dad now. My life's pretty hectic as it is without adding unnecessary drama to the bag," Richard added. "It just got to a point where I was, like, 'This isn't fun anymore.' Doing the shows is fun most of the time, but it's all the other stuff that was kind of getting to me. It's time to walk away. If it's not fun anymore, it's time to step aside."

Asked to elaborate on the "drama" that led to his departure from CRADLE OF FILTH, Shaw said: "Touring and writing and recording is the dream — it really is. But to me, it came at quite a high cost, and I wasn't willing to pay that cost. Me, the keyboard player [Anabelle Iratni] and all but one of the crew didn't wanna pay that cost. So they had to basically hire all new crew as well as a new keyboard player and a new guitar player… I don't know. There's a side of me that thinks if you just treat people better, it'd be less hassle. In a nutshell, just treat people better and show them the respect that they deserve and people kind of stick around.

"My B.S. tolerance seems to have lowered over the years," he continued. "There's a lot of stuff that I kind of let slide [in the past] that towards the end I was, like, 'I'm not letting that slide anymore.' It was as simple as that.

"I know this sounds super cryptic, but I still get on well with the band; I love everybody in the band. It's more all the people behind the scenes."

According to Shaw, he wasn't being compensated well enough for him to want to deal with the stress of playing with CRADLE OF FILTH.

"It became one of those things where financially it wasn't starting to make sense to stick around," he said. "I don't know how much to say, but you get talking to other bands and other session members — 'cause I was a session member but I also wrote for the band — and you start discussing stuff with other people who are in similar boats, who are session musicians but also write for the band, and you go, 'Hang on a minute. This doesn't sound as fair as what you've got.'"

Pressed about whether musicians in midsized metal bands can actually make money from playing music, Shaw said: "You can make money, but you've gotta be smart about it. I never made a living off of CRADLE OF FILTH — never. I had to do other things to supplement those earnings. When I was on tour, I was getting paid and it was okay. Again, to be perfectly honest, not what it should have been. But it was okay. And now that I've got a family and things, it's, like, okay, now I'm gonna be away from my family 24-7 for months on end, and I can kind of earn the same money back home and I see [my family] every day.

"I think every musician I've ever met says the same. It's, like, you don't make the living a lot of people think you do," he explained. "You need the multiple streams of income. Which I totally get, and I knew that was part of it going in. But lik I say, you talk to other musicians and you talk to other writers, and you start thinking, 'Hang on a minute. Something weird is going on. I've got a feeling some people aren't telling the whole story here.' And it just got to the point where I was, like, 'Okay, I've gotta weigh it up if it's worth me sticking around for.'

"I'll be a hundred percent honest: there was also another side of me. We started writing what would have been my fourth album with the band and I put, like, seven or eight songs forward for it," he added. "And I found myself going on autopilot a little bit. And I was, like, 'I'm doing this because I've been told I have to, not because I necessarily really feel the need to write this style of music anymore.' So there was a lot of things going on."

When CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth announced Shaw's departure in May, he said that Richard was leaving "due to other commitments." Richard has since been replaced by Donny Burbage while Zoe Marie Federoff has stepped in for Anabelle.

Regarding what led to Shaw and Iratni's departures, Filth said: "Unfortunately, it just is what it is. If someone feels that their tenure with the band has ended, then who am I to argue with that? We have to respect that people have personal commitments and/or sometimes find the career choice of being in a band like CRADLE a tad overwhelming."

CRADLE OF FILTH's latest album, "Existence Is Futile", was released last October.

In May 2021, CRADLE OF FILTH announced the addition of Iratni to the band's ranks.

Iratni, who previously played alongside Filth in DEVILMENT, as well as her own group VEILE, made her live debut with CRADLE OF FILTH on May 12, 2021 during the band's livestreamed concert.

Anabelle joined CRADLE OF FILTH as the replacement for Lindsay Schoolcraft, who announced her departure from the group in February 2020 after a seven-year run.

Following the release of their highly successful and critically acclaimed album Hate Über Alles, metal titans Kreator are proud to share a new live video of their 1989 classic, "Betrayer", which was recorded at Bloodstock Festival 2021 and features none other than Dani Filth (Cradle Of Filth) on guest vocals. 


The song is featured on the limited 2LP Live At Bloodstock 2021, a monumental live recording of Kreator's breathtaking headline performance at one of the UKs most renowned metal festivals, which is being released today (August 12th).


The vinyl run is limited to 2,000 units world-wide, split into 4 colours. 







Tracklist:


Side A
"The Patriarch" 
"Violent Revolution" 
"Extreme Aggression" 
"Phobia" 


Side B
"Satan Is Real" 
"Hordes Of Chaos" 
"Hail To The Hordes" 
"666 World Divided" 


Side C
"Awakening Of The Gods"
"Enemy Of God"
"Mars Mantra" 
"Phantom Antichrist"
"Fallen Brother" 


Side D
"Flag Of Hate"
"Betrayer" 
"Pleasure To Kill" 
"Apocalypticon" 

Swedish symphonic metal quintet Hexed has released a new lyric video for “Resurrection”. This is the second single release, taken from their upcoming album Pagans Rising, set for release on September 30th via ViciSolum Productions.










Check out the previously released lyric video for  "Repentance", the first single taken from the forthcoming album, Pagans Rising.








For further details, visit Hexed on Facebook.


 

Frontiers Music Srl present the sophomore release from Sweden's Fans Of The Dark, Suburbia, on September 16. These Swedish upstarts are coming off a well-received debut album, which saw them seamlessly melding melodic rock with their '80s hard rock and metal influences. Suburbia sees them further perfecting that most agreeable formula with stunning results.


Listen to the single "Fans Of The Dark" below, and pre-order/save Suburbia here.


Suburbia is a sequel of sorts to the band's self-titled debut, following similar themes, both musically and lyrically and even with the theme of the artwork, while seeing the band continuing to evolve. Drummer Freddie Allen's vision for the band is to do as the great hard rock and metal bands of the '70s and '80s did, which was to constantly work on their craft and release new music with regularity. In keeping with that vision, the band set to work on their second album quickly after the release of their self-titled debut. Suburbia follows more or less exactly one year after said debut, which was released in the fall of 2021.




"It is pretty much a sibling to the first album, with similar themes and ideas, only this time going deeper into the world where most of us grew up, and where we first got in touch with hard rock music, horror films on VHS, 80's teen culture, and all else that shaped us - the suburbs," says Freddie Allen, main songwriter and founder of the band, of Suburbia.


For this new album, Allen and vocalist Alex Falk are once again joined by guitarist Oscar Bromvall and new bassist Rickard Gramfors. The album spans eight tracks (another reference back to those glory days of the '70s and '80s), including two epic songs, "The Pirates Of Maine" and "Restless Soul", around the eight minute mark. Fans of the band's debut will be enthralled with the band's second offering. Melodic hard rock fans looking for genre innovation and a break from 'the norm' will certainly be wise to check out this striking breath of fresh air in the scene.


Suburbia was produced and mixed by multi-talented musician and producer Lars Fredrik Swahn (Dungen, The Amazing) and co-produced by Allen.


Fans of the Dark, is an exciting new band formed in the summer of 2020 by Freddie Allen, drummer and main songwriter, and lead vocalist Alex Falk. The pair went to high school together in Stockholm and after a few years reconnected recently with a vision to create a band which would mix the melodies and approach of classic and melodic rock with elements of the great metal music of the '80s. Their musical output over the course of their first two albums is one of the most exciting things you'll hear emerging from the fruitful melodic rock in Sweden, showcasing a tight, inventive musical approach with outstanding vocals.





Suburbia tracklisting:


"Night Of The Living Dead"
"The Pirates Of Maine"
"Fantasia"
"Sick! Sick Sick!"
"Fright Night"
"Fans Of The Dark"
"The Goblin King"
"Restless Soul"


"Fans Of The Dark":





"Night Of The Living Dead" video:





Lineup:


Alex Falk - vocals
Oscar Bromvall - guitars
Rickard Gramfors - bass
Freddie Allen - drums