During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Hardcore Humanism With Dr. Mike" podcast, Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH spoke with clinical psychologist and life coach Dr. Mike Friedman about the importance of women's rights and gender equality.

"Hardly anyone in the metal scene talks about women's rights," Nergal said. "I know it's a chauvinistic genre, and even talented and beautiful women that are very successful, they get a lot of shit from men, or are not being treated equal, which is absolutely wrong, because some of those women… Like for example, Alissa [White-Gluz] from ARCH ENEMY that we've just toured with, she's got bigger balls than most of metalheads that I know and I've met and she's probably even stronger and braver than I am, being a man.

"Women's rights, what just happened in the U.S. a few weeks ago, and Poland, and abortion laws and stuff… If you are open-minded and if you're about equality — you don't need to be socialist to think that way — but women deserve their rights, same as men," Nergal continued. "And it still feels like there's a massive imbalance in between.

"We need women. We love women. I love women. And I appreciate them. I appreciate my mom and everyone's mom and I appreciate my lovers and my fan females.

"Yeah, we should really speak up and talk about it and be vocal about it, because it's very important," Nergal added.

Back in January 2021, Nergal blasted the Polish government's near-total ban on abortion, saying the country was "moving back to the obscure, scary, medieval past."

In October 2020, the predominantly Catholic nation's Constitutional Court ruled to ban terminations of pregnancies with fetal defects. Abortion is now only permitted in cases of rape or incest, or when the mother's health or life is in danger.

Last month, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported that the number of legal abortions in Poland fell by 90% in the year after the landmark court ruling. 107 legal abortions were recorded in the country of more than 40 million people in 2021, compared to 1,076 the year before.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to abortion and left states to regulate the service.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court's ruling came in a case involving Mississippi's request to overturn Roe v. Wade — the court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the United States — and uphold a state law that bars the procedure 15 weeks after conception.

Roe v. Wade affirmed the right to receive an abortion under the 14th Amendment, ruling that abortions were constitutionally protected up until about 23 weeks when a fetus can typically live outside the womb.

BEHEMOTH will release its 12th studio album, "Opvs Contra Natvram", on September 16 via Nuclear Blast.

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", BULLETBOYS frontman Marq Torien recalled hanging out with members of METALLICA in the 1980s while both bands were on the rise on the California hard rock and metal scene.

"I love [METALLICA frontman] James Hetfield," Marq said. "He was a big champion for the BULLETBOYS when we first started playing and would come to all of our shows when we played up north. He would come walking in, and he would hang with us, love on us, drink some whisky and beer with us and stay there through the whole show."

He continued: "When we started playing up in 'Frisco, we played at a place called The Stone, and he was always there to come and see us. He said that [the first BULLETBOYS] record [blew] his mind because he didn't think a band could come out and have that sound. He goes, 'The sound that you have and Ted Templeman.' And he said, 'This record is gonna last forever.' We laughed, 'cause he goes, 'No, no. no. Listen to me.' And that's young James — with his moustache, handlebar moustache, full of piss and vinegar. He's looking at us with that look in his eyes, and it was kind of scary. He goes, 'Dudes, I'm telling you right now. Don't eff this off. This will be for the rest of time, this album. I know you idiots don't know it right now, but I'm telling you, this is one of the greatest rock records that I've ever heard.'

"I love METALLICA," Marq added. "Back in the day, my place to go was The Troubadour because at the front bar you'd get the hottest chicks. We were all young, and all the big stars would hang out there. And when METALLICA was first starting, that's where they would hang out… They used to hang out with all of our friends. And everybody at one point used to hang out with them, and they were really good people. They were a full thrash band, though, when they first came out. It was like something that you'd never heard before. It was very, very dangerous. They didn't care. Cliff Burton [bass] was in the band, and Cliff, for all intents and purposes, he was the guy writing the songs with James."

This past June, the new BULLETBOYS lineup, featuring Torien, guitarist Ira Black (OF GODS & MONSTERS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH), bassist Brad Lang (Y&T, BURNING RAIN) and drummer Fred Aching (POWERFLO, BILLYBIO), released the official music video for its first single, "Holy F*ck". The track, which was written by Black and Torien, produced and mixed by Black, and mastered by multi-Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Howie Weinberg, was made available via Rock Avenue Records USA. The clip was co-produced and co-directed by Black and Arron Kinser from Studio Vista.

BULLETBOYS' latest lineup made its live debut in January at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida. Torien launched the new version of BULLETBOYS after the band's original lineup fell apart following a two-year reunion. Original bassist Lonnie Vencent failed to show up for a scheduled BULLETBOYS performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California in December, forcing the gig to be canceled. Torien instead delivered an acoustic set with Black. It was later announced by guitarist Mick Sweda and drummer Jimmy D'Anda that they would not be returning to the band.

The original BULLETBOYS lineup made its live return in December 2019 with a sold-out performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Aside from one show in 2011, original BULLETBOYS members D'Anda, Sweda, bassist Lonnie Vencent and Torien had not performed together since 1993.

BULLETBOYS formed in 1988 at the very peak of the Los Angeles glam metal movement. As a collection of talented musicians, BULLETBOYS were able to quickly capture the attention of music fans around the world. Unlike other rockers of the day, the BULLETBOYS possessed more hard rock-blues fusion than pure hair metal. Thanks to comparisons to the likes of AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN, talent scouts came running and the band quickly received their first major label contract.

BULLETBOYS' self-titled debut was released in 1988 via Warner Bros. and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned two hit singles, a cover of the O'JAYS classic "For The Love Of Money" and "Smooth Up in Ya", both of which charted on the Mainstream Rock chart and saw regular airplay on MTV. BULLETBOYS went on to release two more albums, 1991's "Freakshow" and 1993's "Za-Za", before splitting up.

Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini has shared another drum cam video shot on the road in Europe back in May.


Mangini: "Here's a live video from the Dream Theater 2022 (May) Tour. It contains the live click track. It's another staple Portnoy drum part off of the Awake album.  Playing this is fun and I can see why people always seem to like this song and the drums in it.  I try slightly different things each night on every song by accenting different vocal inflections, guitar 'jdunks' and slight variations of the drum parts. This one is no exception.  I like how the off-16th hat hits feel when the snare plays on the upbeats so it's a little different than how the first solo feels when the hihat hand follows the accents as it does on the album's verses. Sometimes I play the album's verse hihat part with either my left or right hand. This helps me stay really focused. I also like to motor out double bass 16ths at the end.  It's fun. The click is cool because the speaking sample, guitar delays, and other effects settle in the pocket each night. The guys feel very comfortable with that, so I'm happy to do it."







In a recent interview with Sarah Hagan, Mangini discusses returning to tour life after the pandemic, his solo album, the process of auditioning for Dream Theater, the band's  recent Grammy win, and his reunion with former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy.


"We were friends before I got this job. I mean, literally - he's in my place in LA, we're hanging out, he was the one that invited me to all the Dream Theater shows. He was the person I was closest with (in the band). He said all kinds of nice things about me all the time to people in magazines. So, the audition thing happened and he had left, and our relationship kind of just went into a holding pattern. And that was that... whatever that means. It just might have been awkward for him or whatever - I don't know."

Become The Apex, from Boise, Idaho, are coming out swinging with their debut self-titled EP. Stream on Spotify.





The EP contains four completely new tracks in addition to the recently released singles "Fallknot" and "Far From Over" (videos below). A balanced blend of melodic hookiness and outright heaviness, this debut EP firmly signals the arrival of one of the most exciting new prospects in modern metalcore.




Become The Apex are comprised of members from One Shot One Kill, Life Upon Liars, Living In False Eyes, Beyond Conviction, Abaasy and Immurge, with previous collaborations from these members including the likes of Fit For A King, As Blood Runs Black and Left to Suffer.








Lineup:


Patrick Richardson (Lead Guitar)
Kaos Montegomery (Vocals)
David Green (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals)
Gabe Hodges (Drums)

Guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow of Canadian metal pioneers ANVIL spoke to Metal Temple about the fact that he and his bandmates failed to break through to the mainstream success enjoyed by many of their peers.

"When people go, 'Hey, man, they could have been bigger.' I don't wanna be bigger," Lips said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I'm very fucking happy. I'm making a living doing what I love, and I'm playing all over the fucking world. Fuck you. If you want me to be AC/DC, you're fucking dreaming. We're not a commercial band — never were, never wanted to be. What kind of fucking judgment is that? It doesn't even make sense.

"I read [comments from some people online], 'What would ANVIL sound like with a real singer?' I sit there and go, 'Then we wouldn't be ANVIL, would we?'" Lips continued. "What is a real singer? What is the criteria? What is a real singer?

"There are real singing guys [in rock and metal]. Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] I would classify as real singing. [Rob] Halford [JUDAS PRIEST] only to a certain degree. He also falls into the category of a character. [DEEP PURPLE's Ian Gillan is] also a character. There's limitations. Yes, he's got the ability to scream. We like his voice, but it's a character voice. … He did 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. He gets my approval. Ian Gillan is part of that…

"There's a lot to be said about what we're talking about," Lips added. "But character singing is by far the highest caliber and the most identifiable. So when you hear Lemmy, you can't imagine… You don't say, 'What would MOTÖRHEAD sound like with a real singer?' It wouldn't be MOTÖRHEAD. How can you say MOTÖRHEAD without Lemmy? Like, fucking go away! ANVIL without Lips is not ANVIL. Certainly JUDAS PRIEST without Rob Halford is not JUDAS PRIEST. They tried it; it didn't work. They got a soundalike [Tim 'Ripper' Owens], but no one accepted it, did they?

"Most of what metal is is the identity of that voice. It's not how great the guy sings; it's the sound of it that you immediately go, 'I know who that is.' And that's what the whole fucking thing is. It's like having the brand name. It's the audio of the brand name."

As previously reported, a remastered edition of ANVIL's acclaimed documentary, "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil", will be released in theaters this fall and on digital later this year via Utopia alongside Portobello Electric.

The new version of the film will arrive in time for its 13th anniversary and will feature remastered picture and sound, as well as a new exclusive epilogue interview with director Sacha Gervasi and Kudlow and ANVIL drummer Robb Reiner moderated by former MTV host Matt Pinfield.

The remastered "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil" will receive its premiere in conjunction with Beyond Fest on September 22 in Los Angeles at the Saban Theater, where ANVIL will also perform, along with appearances from surprise musical guests. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Kudlow, Reiner, producer Rebecca Yeldham and Gervasi, moderated by Steve-O from "Jackass".

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" was named one of 2009's best documentaries by a slew of film critics associations across the continent, including critics in Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and Las Vegas, as well as the International Documentary Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the National Society of Film Critics. It also made the year-end Top 10 lists in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and Village Voice.

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" was the directorial debut of screenwriter Gervasi and was produced by Yeldham ("The Kite Runner" and "The Motorcycle Diaries"). The film follows Kudlow and Reiner and their band, ANVIL, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982's "Metal on Metal". The album influenced an entire musical generation of rock bands, including METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX, who all went on to sell millions of records. ANVIL, on the other hand, took a different path — straight to obscurity. The film was both entertaining and touching as it followed their last-ditch quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them.

ANVIL's latest album, "Impact Is Imminent", arrived in May via AFM Records.

Like its three predecessors, "Anvil Is Anvil" (2016),"Pounding The Pavement" (2018) and "Legal At Last" (2019),"Impact Is Imminent" was produced by Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer and Jörg Uken at Uken's Soundlodge studios in Germany.

Female-fronted symphonic metal band, Oknos, have released a video for the song "Rotten To The Core", featured on their album, From Ashes. Watch the clip below.


Oknos guide into a fantastic universe of sounds, tear down the border between reality and fiction and let the listeners forget their dreary daily life. A sold and punchy sound, filled with hard riffs, is accompanied by an epic orchestra, expressive vocals and powerful choirs.  


Founded in 2013, Oknos soon started writing their own songs. Their debut album Old World was released in 2017. It is a concept album with the central topic of a tragic love story and the philosophical  question of what would be possible if you could change the past - would there be the chance to make things right or would all end in tears again?  




Their second album From Ashes was released in July 2022. In contrast to Old World it does not tell one self-contained story. Instead the lyrics approach various topics - from witch persecution and the myth of Loreley to friendship, hate and love.  


The album is extremely elaborate produced and displays a various musical range. There are classical symphonic-metal-songs as well as epic choirs and gentle ballads, and also hard riffs and modern syntheziser.  


Besides various guest musician a childrens choir is involved. Mix and mastering was done by Danish producer Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Volbeat, Epica and many others).  

At this past June's Hellfest in Clisson, France, vocalist Fernando Ribeiro of Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL was asked if he had any regrets or things about his career that he wishes he could go back and change. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would never have formed the band. I would be a teacher. That's what I was studying for, [to be a] teacher of philosophy."

He continued: "I know it's a good question, but it's hard for me to think about the band like this, because time doesn't stop. We are 30 years [old] this year. Sometimes it looks like we are in the band for 300 years when we are very tired; sometimes it feels like it just started yesterday.

"I think that only when the band is no more can we answer properly that kind of question: 'I should have done this', 'I should have done this.' Obviously, there's mistakes, there's things that you could have avoided, maybe. But it's time wasted to be thinking about what you've done. But not only about the stuff you regret but also the stuff you are proud of — because you are as good as your last show, you are as good as your last album and your legacy. So everything else is just a fabrication of people.

"Sometimes people will tell me, 'Oh, you were so good on 'Wolfheart'.' I say, 'We weren't so good. We were very young back then.' And you're not angry at me because we're doing different music; you're angry with the world and we are a scapegoat because you were young and you could drink all night and not have a hangover. So this nostalgia thing, et cetera, it can be beautiful but it also can disturb, can get in the way. That's why I always try to listen… For instance, if I just like [IRON MAIDEN's] 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son' or 'Powerslave', I would have missed 'Senjutsu'. I would have missed it, and it's a great album. If I only liked, and I do love, 'Walls Of Jericho' from HELLOWEEN, I would have missed the opportunity of listening to the new one, which is amazing; it's one of the best albums.

"So, yeah, I think that music, it's a constant flow and we cannot handle the time. So I never regret anything and I don't specially proud. I feel lucky most of the days to come out of Portugal and to play at the Hellfest… Not many Portuguese bands played here. And that's just already the fourth or the fifth time. So that's what I am happy for."

Last month, MOONSPELL announced a very special Blu-ray/DVD and album release. On September 23, they will unleash a live performance of their latest studio album, "Hermitage" (2021),with "From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep" via Napalm Records.

Recorded live at Grutas de Mira D'Aire, one of Portugal's seven natural wonders, "From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep" invites you on a memorable adventure worthy of a Guinness Book record. The recording boasts a one of kind sound and visual sensation, with its heavy dose of cinematic flavor, unreal atmosphere and the encircling, resounding nature in its raw form. Tracks such as "Entitlement", "Hermitage" and "Apoptheghmata" perfectly settle in with the album's unique environment.

"From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep" is not only an epic live momentum of "Hermitage" — one of the deepest, heaviest and most sincerely heart-breaking records the band has ever written — but a truly revolutionary experience, as MOONSPELL brought along a select number of fans and a production team (literally) underground. Brilliantly directed by Guilherme Henrique, "From Down Below – Live 80 Meters Deep" is something truly special that you have never, ever seen or heard before.

MOONSPELL's 13th studio album, "Hermitage", was released in February 2021 via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, PRIMORDIAL, GHOST, SÓLSTAFIR) at the Orgone Studios in the U.K.

In 2020, MOONSPELL parted ways with original drummer Miguel "Mike" Gaspar and replaced him with Hugo Ribeiro (no relation to Fernando Ribeiro).

MOONSPELL will embark on a North American tour later this month. Support on the trek, which will kick off on August 25 in New York and end on September 18 in Boston, will come from SWALLOW THE SUN and WITHERFALL.

On August 4th, former Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider hit the stage at Wacken Open Air 2022 for a full set of Accept classics. Check out pro-shot video of 


The setlist was as follows:


"Starlight"
"Living for Tonite"
"Midnight Mover"
"Breaker"
"London Leatherboys"
"Princess of the Dawn"
"Restless and Wild / Son of a Bitch"
"Screaming for a Love-Bite"
"Up to the Limit"




Encore:
"Metal Heart"
"Fast as a Shark"
"Balls to the Wall"











Udo Dirkschneider released his new album, My Way, on April 22nd via Atomic Fire Records. According to the label,  Dirkschneider made the sensational jump to #4 in the official German album charts. For the 70-year-old metal icon, this is the highest chart entry of his career, outshining Accept's 1986 classic  Russian Roulette (#5) and the U.D.O. 2018 album, Steelfactory (#7).





He is THE constant among the German metal scene - Udo Dirkschneider. Originally becoming world-famous as a founding member of Accept, he continues to steadily expand upon his international successes with his U.D.O. and Dirkschneider outfits. Remaining true to himself over the years in a way few musicians could, Dirkschneider consistently bucks music industry trends in favor of following his heart. Yet his most personal and extraordinary album to date will be released on April 22: My Way.


This new release contains 17 cover versions of the very songs that have influenced the musician and singer the most. All kinds of classics from music history are among them - including those that you might not expect from Udo. Not only does a very personal story lie behind each of the tracks, but also a sometimes surprising arrangement that, despite the very individual implementation, lives and breathes Udo’s manuscript throughout. “Now when I hear the song, I remember the time when, as a very young Udo, I’d go out to light up the town and lived all the stories that can only be experienced late at night in the clubs."


Here, Alex Harvey’s "Faith Healer" allows the artist to feel those days of an era long past. The fact that "Nutbush City Limits: is also on the album reveals a secret rarely told until now: “What hardly anyone knows so far: I was a huge fan of Ike and Tina Turner, and especially Tina’s voice, once. We always covered this song during Accept rehearsals in the early days. It was one of the mainstays of our Accept rehearsal repertoire for years. Regrettably, there is no recording of it.”


With Wolfsheim's "Kein Zurück", Udo sang in German for the first time in his career: “I immediately felt like the words understood me. It seemed to me that the lyrics were telling the story of my career, of my highs and lows and all the good and bad experiences that life has. There simply is ‘no going back’ for those who choose to live as a musician.”


The cover album also makes one thing clear: Just how many in the music industry have come and gone over the years. Yet, Udo Dirkschneider is still here.





Tracklisting:


"Faith Healer" (Alex Harvey)
"Fire" (Crazy World Of Arthur Brown)
"Sympathy" (Uriah Heep)
"They Call It Nutbush" (Tina Turner)
"Man On The Silver Mountain" (Rainbow)
"Hell Raiser" (The Sweet)
"No Class" (Motörhead)
"Rock And Roll" (Led Zeppelin)
"The Stroke" (Billy Squier)
"Paint It Black" (Rolling Stones)
"He's A Woman, She's A Man" (Scorpions)
"T.N.T." (AC/DC)
"Jealousy" (Frankie Miller)
"Hell Bent For Leather" (Judas Priest)
"We Will Rock You" (Queen)
"Kein Zurück" (Wolfsheim)
"My Way" (Frank Sinatra)


"We Will Rock You"





"He's A Woman, She's A Man"

Upon Your Grave is a death metal band from Quebec City, Canada that spin wicked tales set to harsh, fast, and infectious music. They have joined forces with heavyweight producer Christian Donaldson from Cryptopsy to ensure that this offering delivers nothing but brutality. The first single “Supremacy” is an ode to things returning to normal, people getting back on stage, people getting back in the pit. 


Vocalist Jordan Jolicoeur explains in further detail:


“This song symbolizes the death and rebirth of live shows caused by the pandemic. Shining a glimmer of light that attracts us to reunite and prepare for the return in music that binds us together: a united pack. It's fast-paced and effective with an awesome chorus that we love. It's an energetic song that really shines live and one of the first songs we created since we revived the band from the dead. It may cause some heavy headbangs.”




Over the course of five tracks spanning under twenty minutes, main composer/guitarist Sim Diamond (Finalist of Banger TV's Shredders of Metal Season 1) gets straight to the point with a wicked whirlwind of riffs, he conspires with Jolicoeur afterward to add the lyrics and the rest of the band fleshes out an impressive golem of aggressive death metal.


Upon Your Grave got together in 2009 and released their first single “Haunting Of The Beast” in 2011, since then they have come a long way from just being five teens, jamming in their parent’s garage wanting to make their own band and create songs. They wanted to live the dream, create a kickass metal band, play shows, party, record albums, and do it all like their faves do it. They have continuously poured energy, and passion into the band, emerging with musicianship and chemistry, evident on “Gold & Decay”.


A total running time of 18 minutes delivers an intense and succinct battery of blast beats that will grab the listener and refuse to let go. The record was mixed and mastered by Donaldson and the EP artwork was done by Meike Hakkaart. It is recommended listening for fans of Decapitated, Lamb Of God, and Daath.


Gold & Decay is out on October 7. 





Tracklisting:


“Revived”
“From Beyond”
“Pandora”
“Supremacy”
“Transcend”


“Supremacy” video:





(Photo – Etienne Dionne / Mute Drummer)

Chicago’s Witchslayer has finally released their self-titled album. Following the success of Witchslayer’s five-song demo in the early 1980’s, Metal Blade Records included the song “I Don’t Want To Die” on the iconic Metal Massacre 4 compilation album.


Unfortunately, the group disbanded before a new full length album could be recorded.


Fast forward to 2022, original singer Jeff Allen has reformed the band with guitarist Ken Mandat (Damien Thorne), bassist Mick Lucid (Vicious Circle), and drummer Gabriel Anthony (Tyrant’s Reign).







The new album features 11 hard-hitting tracks which were originally written by the original lineup in the early ‘80s, but recorded by the new lineup in the 2020's. Order the album on Bandcamp.


"The songs were written in the early ‘80s and were mostly influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands. They are US power doom metal songs and reflect the Chicago doom metal sound that was created in the ‘80s by Chicago bands such as Witchslayer, War Cry, and Trouble. When we wrote the music we wanted it to be creepy/haunting in nature. Most of the songs were written around stories we read about the Salem Witch Trials. I decided to reform the band with active Chicago metal musicians who were around in the ‘80s. We formally recorded this music to keep its ‘80s sound but with a more modern tuning." - Jeff Allen/Witchslayer


(Photo – Gene Ambo)

Painsaw has launched its unrelenting debut EP Infinite Violence. Infinite Violence is a journey that starts with enchanted fists decapitating despicable people, and ends with pleasing dark occult forces with alcohol poisoning.  


The album is available on Bandcamp and will be available on all other major streaming platforms by August 12. Preview Infinite Violence at distrokid.com.


Painsaw is a Canadian thrash metal band formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick in 2019. Their sound is a no-nonsense blend of ‘80s thrash and extreme metal. Themes of chaos, violence, and self-destruction overlay speed metal riffs and blistering harmonies. The band has just released their self-produced debut EP, Infinite Violence, and are looking to spread their vision of beer violence and pain.




Cover art by Adam Kindred:





Tracklisting:


“Sacrificial Fist”
“Cerebral Decay”
“Hail Of Skulls”
“Infinite Violence”
“Impossible Reality”
“Beer, Violence, And Pain”


Lineup:
Shawn Smith - Vocals
Bruce LeGrow - Guitars
Shawz - Bass
Brian Davis – Drums


(Photo – Jason Nugent)

DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan recently spoke to Australia's May The Rock Be With You about the band's upcoming eighth studio album, which was recently mixed for a tentative fall 2022 release. Asked if fans should expect more single drops before the LP release, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the gameplan… I hate that I can't talk too much about it and give it away, because we're excited and we would love to [share more information about it]. If you were interviewing David [Draiman, DISTURBED singer] right now, he's much better at spilling the beans 'cause he can't contain his excitement too much. He gives out the track listing and posts it. [I'm like] 'Dude, take it down. It's too early. Not just yet.' I appreciate his enthusiasm, but we've gotta save some surprises and that.

"I think there may be another single that will come before the album drops," Dan revealed. "Right now I don't have the official date that I can announce. I know that we were talking about a fall release, that it'll be right around the corner. Right here in the States, here in America, [the latest DISTURBED single] 'Hey You' is shooting up the charts rapidly. I think it's at No. 3, and it's only been out for, like, two weeks; it's No. 3 on the charts at rock radio. And it's off to a great start. I think the reaction and the responses that I'm hearing about or reading about right now is the excitement of a little bit of the old-school DISTURBED sound and the heavier riff with more of an animalistic David. It's still very melodic, as he is, but you're gonna get some of those growls coming back out of him too. So I think we're kind of tapping back into a little bit of the roots of the band."

Asked if DISTURBED's upcoming album will include any covers, Dan said: "I can't tell you… No, we're not gonna put a cover on here, but there is… I think fans will be surprised what they do hear on the album. I can't give away too much about it, but there is a big surprise on the album, but it's not a cover. But the majority of the material… I hate saying too much, because I want fans to hear it and form their own opinion. But they'll see. I think the majority of the album, there is a lot of the heavier sound. Obviously, with the last album, with 'Evolution', was the split between the acoustic stuff and the harder stuff. So this is… I'd say a majority of it is a lot heavier on this album."

Last month, Donegan told Janna of the WGRD radio station that the writing process for DISTURBED's new album began "last fall, in 2021. We got together a couple of times in the studio in person, down in Nashville and down in Fort Myers, Florida just on a couple of days off in between shows," he said. "And then we were just hungry to get back in the studio and attack it in February of earlier this year. We went down to Nashville [and] worked with a great producer, Drew Fulk, who is based out of California. But I asked him if he would mind coming to Nashville, just [for] a change of environment, go down there. And for me, coming from Chicago, it's a nice, easy flight to come in and out when I needed to. And we recorded February and March. [We were] in there for just under two months of tracking some great ideas."

Donegan went on to describe the recording process as a "a great collaboration. And I just think the hunger within the band of having that time off between the previous album, 'Evolution', and that break we had during the pandemic, we were just excited to get back in the studio and have some new material," he said.

Asked if he would agree with Draiman's recent comment that the band's new LP is "about 90 percent heavy as fuck," Dan said: "[There is] some heavier stuff, definitely — some bigger riffs and heaviness to the album. There's definitely some of those moments to where there's some good old-school DISTURBED in there, some of the earlier days in the heavier-ness to some of the riffs and a little bit more of the aggression with David vocally. But there's also those big melodic moments as well.

"We do have a semi-ballad on the album too that I can't give away too much on that other than it was a great in-the-moment kind of in-the-studio [idea]," he revealed. "I switched gears. We had a song that we were working on that I just didn't feel like it was good enough at the moment, so I switched gears and started fresh with a new idea. And it was probably a great idea to do that because we got a really great one out of it. But I think the fans will be pretty pleasantly surprised with some of the direction on this and very happy with where we're going with it."

Donegan previously told WMMR's Brent Porche about the writing process for the new DISTURBED album: "I've always had a lot of ideas archived and just kept in the vault. But then I think when we ran out and did those handful of shows back in November, we went down to Fort Myers on a couple of days off to work with a friend of ours, another producer, Dave Fortman, who did EVANESCENCE, GODSMACK, SLIPKNOT; he used to play in UGLY KID JOE back in the day. So we went out and we did a couple of days with him, just to kind of improvise and track some ideas, just on a couple of days off, and that got the ball rolling. So we just went with all-new, fresh material — nothing from the vault. I just started pulling out new ideas. And it just progressed from there."

In July, DISTURBED released the aforementioned "Hey You", which is the first single off the upcoming album. The official music video for the song was directed by Josiahx. Draiman called the track "a wake-up call. We've become our own worst enemies," he said. "Civil discourse has become the exception instead of the norm. People have lost themselves in outrage addiction."

In June, Draiman said that DISTURBED's upcoming album will contain a "surprise track" that will "blow [fans'] minds."

In May, Draiman told the audience at DISTURBED's concert in Camden, New Jersey that the band's new LP is "about 90 percent heavy as fuck. Now there's still 10 percent of caring, loving goodness [laughs] — 10 percent. Hey, for everybody that fell in love with 'The Sound Of Silence' [SIMON & GARFUNKEL] cover, I figured, you know… But the rest of it? 'Sickness'-, 'Ten Thousand Fists'-era DISTURBED, for sure. You excited about that? 'Cause I'll tell you we're really fucking excited about it."

DISTURBED performed live for the first time in nearly two years last September as one of the headliners of the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

In March 2021, DISTURBED's "The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" was officially canceled. The amphitheater tour, with very special guest STAIND and BAD WOLVES, was originally slated to take place in the summer of 2020 but was rescheduled to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was eventually scrapped altogether.

"The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" was supposed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of DISTURBED's seminal album "The Sickness". On the tour, the band was expected to perform songs off the album, as well as tracks from "Evolution" and DISTURBED's extensive catalog.

Episode 14 of Led Zeppelin's The History Of Led Zeppelin revisits 1972, as the band start recording their fifth album, Houses Of The Holy, and kick off their eighth North American tour. Watch below:





Rufus Stone Publications recently announced the October re-release of Led Zeppelin - Five Glorious Nights by Dave Lewis. A new expanded version will be available in two editions starting at £59.




In May 1975, Led Zeppelin performed five momentous concerts at the Earls Court Arena in London to a combined audience of 85,000 fans. It found the band at the peak of their powers, slaying the sold out audiences with a nightly marathon three and a half hour presentation of light, sound, power and energy. Led Zeppelin’s appearances at Earls Court represented a career high for the group and four decades on, are still held in the highest esteem by the vast following.





They were also some of their most visually appealing shows complete with pioneering laser effects, a large video projection screen and the band themselves more than dressed for the occasion – Jimmy Page in a two piece dragon suit, Robert Plant with a cut off shirt allowing for bare chested narcissism, John Paul Jones in a quirky Spanish jacket complete with onions and John Bonham in a glittering T- shirt high on the drum rostrum.





Pre-order the book here.

In a new interview with Midwest Beatdown, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian praised the production quality on some of the band's recently albums, including 2011's "Worship Music" and 2016's "For All Kings". "It's nice to have really kind of found our groove when it comes to that," he said (as transcribed by BLABBREMOUTH.NET). "If you go back and listen to the early catalog, I just think mix-wise there's hits and misses. We have a sound and a feeling that is ANTHRAX, but I can't say that I was ever totally — other than 'Among The Living' [1987] and 'Persistence [Of Time]' [1990]. I think those records really show where we were at in those moments in time and really feel and sound, to me, the way they should — like as far as the mix goes. The energy and the aggression and everything about those two records for me really stands out. I thought the 'We've Come For You All' record from back in '03 — Rob Caggiano produced that with us — I thought that record really represented itself and the time we were in. And then certainly 'Worship [Music]' and 'For All Kings', for me, we've really kind of found our sound. We've got this base level where we're at right now with Jay Ruston where we know it's gonna be great, and then we could push it even further. Especially with the songwriting that we have right now, going into what will eventually be a new ANTHRAX album, it just lends itself to even a more aggressive production which I think we will have no problem accomplishing."

This past May, Ian told Kyle Meredith that he and his ANTHRAX bandmates are focusing on playing live for the next few months. "We didn't get to tour [for our actual 40th anniversary in 2021], so we're doing the 40th-anniversary tour in our 41st year," he laughed. "Obviously, we couldn't go out last year and do it when we wanted to, so we've got this summer run coming up with BLACK LABEL [SOCIETY] and HATEBREED. And we're calling that part of our 40th anniversary. We've got 40th-anniversary dates in Europe after that, in the fall. And who knows? I like to think this U.S. run with BLACK LABEL is gonna do pretty well, and maybe we get to do a second run of those dates at some point early next year. And then I'm sure next year at some point there should be a [new ANTHRAX] record, depending on when we get in the studio.

"So, yeah, it's all starting to ramp up again," he continued. "Fingers crossed it all doesn't get thrown in the garbage. But I'm being very optimistic that things are moving forward and everyone can go back to work — meaning we get to go play shows again. And I'm very excited about that."

In April, Scott confirmed to Metal Injection that ANTHRAX had a few songs already written for the upcoming LP. "All I can say is we will get in the studio when we're ready, which I hope is this year," he said. "I would love that. I think we're getting there. I think we have great songs. I think people will be very happy.

"Not to make a weird comparison, but it's our third record back together with [singer] Joey [Belladonna]. Actually, it's an odd comparison. I should just say it's our third album since our kind of our reboot in 2010 and our third album back in the day was 'Among The Living'. I'm not saying that this is [like that album], because it's not 'Among The Living II' in any sense, but I just think we have some great songs and there's like a fucking mountain of great riffs. I think people are going to be very happy."

Ian previously discussed ANTHRAX's upcoming LP during a July 2021 appearance on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "We've been at it for a little while now. We actually started writing in '19 — pre-COVID — and kind of stepped away from things when COVID happened. We were all separate and apart and we would kind of revisit some of the demos, but we weren't actively working on it.

"Yeah, it's the same as it's always been," he said. "I would have to think by the time we get to the other side of the writing process and we decide we're ready to go record it, I would have to assume it's certainly going to represent this time in our lives. And the world having gone through a pandemic, I would imagine certainly that's in some way, shape or form going to come out through this next record. I can't tell you how yet, but I would have to think it's going to."

ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's North American tour kicked off on July 26 at Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona and will wrap on August 28 at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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".

On August 3rd, the all-female Iron Maiden tribute band, The Iron Maidens, performed at Wacken Open Air 2022. Pro-shot video of the band's entire set can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Aces High"
"2 Minutes to Midnight"
"Stranger in a Strange Land"
"22 Acacia Avenue"
"The Trooper"
"Killers"
"The Evil That Men Do"
"Children of the Damned"
"The Number of the Beast"
"Fear of the Dark"
"Wasted Years"







p>The organizers of the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany have issued the following announcement, proving that heavy metal is truly alive and flourishing!


"Metalheads! We absolutely cannnot believe what just happened: The Wacken Open Air 2023 is completely sold out after a record time of 5 hours - all 80,000 tickets are sold out! Thanks for your incredible loyalty, support and the trust you give us!"





WOA organizers commented further: "You are the best fans in the world! So we can't wait to celebrate another superlative metal party with you next year. Look forward to many more great bands and a festival with which we will take you back to the age of the Vikings - officially on four days instead of three!"


"We ask you not to buy tickets from third parties. Our waiting list is already available. As always, we will raffle all tickets from canceled orders. You can find the waiting list here. Registration is of course free of charge and without obligation."


"A sold out festival in that amount of time – unbelievable," says promoter Thomas Jensen. "And especially in these times, the backing of the community is enormously important. We are still knocking off the dust of this year's Open Air and now, thanks to the trust of our fans, we can continue to fully concentrate on the program in 2023 under the motto 'Vikings', which will have one or two highlights in the bag in addition to the great Iron Maiden!"


"This is an enormous proof of confidence from our fans and we appreciate it very much," adds promoter Holger Hübner. "This allows us to push Wacken Open Air forward and develop various projects and themes alongside the billing, which we will announce during the year."


The gates of hell were about to open at Wacken Open Air 2022 when a bold company of vikings charged the forces of evil. Watch an epic battle and the first 12 bands of Wacken Open Air 2023 being announced to the huge crowd in front of the festival's main stages. Music by Masters of Ceremony.





The 2023 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival will run from August 2nd - 5th in the small German town of Wacken.


Bands confirmed for Wacken Open Air 2023: Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Dropkick Murphys, Wardruna, Beartooth, Ensiferum, Pentagram (50th Anniversary Show), Jinjer, Nervosa, Deicide (Special Legion Show), Burning Witches, Two Steps From Hell (exclusive Wacken Show)


Headlining the event will be the mighty Iron Maiden: There is not a single metalhead that doesn’t know them. And it’s hard to think of a band that has defined classic heavy metal as much as they have. So consequently, there might very well be no band that is a better fit for the 'Holy ground of metal.' So in 2023, Iron Maiden will return to headline at the Wacken Open Air for the fourth time! So get ready for impressive production, a passionate performance, amazing music and of course Eddie! It has been seven long years since those iconic words have been heard: 'Scream for me, Wacken!'

In a new interview with Audacy Check In host Remy Maxwell, BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale discussed the heavy musical direction of the band's upcoming album, "The Art Of Survival". He said: "People are always talking about the state… 'Where's rock music? What does it mean to anyone?' And to me it's always just like the best… It's like counterculture.

"And this is so funny when you play these massive festivals and massive shows, but it's this underground thing. And I like the danger of it.

"I go from metal festivals to festivals with pop bands; we just change stuff up. I just like the heavy stuff. Our stuff's not metal, it's just heavy… And it creates its own sound. And I like that. I'm always trying to discover things.

"When I play regular, standard-tuned guitars right now I'm, like, 'Mmmm, don't know about that.' As soon as I play my drop[-tuned] guitars, I'm, like, 'Yeah, baby.' … The whole [new BUSH] record is drop C… It's nice to have that, because people… It's just subliminal —in your system, it just feels so heavy. And you can either choose to scream on it — some guys are really good at screaming; some guys are really good at dog-barking — that's not my thing. I just like melody. I like interesting cultural crashes."

BUSH wrote and recorded what would become "The Art Of Survival" during 2022, reteaming with Erik Ron (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, GODSMACK) who produced "Flowers On A Grave" and the title track for 2020's "The Kingdom", and collaborating once again on two tracks with film composer, musician, and producer Tyler Bates ("300", "Guardian Of The Galaxy"). The central theme speaks to both the human spirit's resiliency in the face of trials and tribulations as well as the band's own enduring place as rock outliers.

Rossdale previously stated about the upcoming LP: "Instead of being mournful or self-piteous, this is about the success stories of humanity's survival against the odds. People just find a way to push through. We've all obviously suffered in varying degrees. I think the nature of life is the art of survival. Everyone is being tested all of the time, but we find a way. In recent memory, we've made major strides and shown great resilience in the face of war, endless instances of racism, gender politics, a pandemic, and a melting pot of what we've experienced. For me, 'The Art Of Survival' encompasses all of this."

Rossdale told Germany's Radio Bob! about the musical direction of "The Art Of Survival": "I think I had so much fun to make it heavy that I just stayed heavy and stayed with heavy tuning and strong riffs — stuff [that will go over well at] festivals. I just like it to be exciting and really driving. So it's similar to the last one. If you liked the last one, that level of heavy, then it's like that."

Four months ago, Rossdale told Australia's May The Rock Be With You that he had written 18 songs for BUSH's next album. He also said that he tried to keep the musical direction of the new BUSH music similar to that of "The Kingdom". "It's all like that," he said. "I like that. So I've kept it in that vein. That was the launchpad. That was it. I was, like, 'I'm off.' I've got maybe two ballady, two softer songs, slower songs, but they're weird."

He continued: "I've got a studio in my house now and it's been such an amazing time. You have the tools at your fingertips now to make songs and make music. It's just staggering. It's so much fun."

Hitting the road on one of the hottest rock tours of the summer, BUSH will join ALICE IN CHAINS and BREAKING BENJAMIN for a massive North American jaunt, rolling through amphitheaters and sheds coast to coast for eight weeks. The tour kicks off on August 10 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania at The Pavilion at Star Lake, visits major markets everywhere, and concludes on October 8 in Mansfield, Massachusetts at Xfinity Center.

DETHKLOK, the stars of the Adult Swim series "Metalocalypse", co-headlined the 2022 Adult Swim Festival Block Party, which took place August 5-7 across four venues — The Fillmore, The Foundry, Punch Line and Brooklyn Bowl — in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DETHKLOK played on August 7 at The Fillmore. Professionally filmed video of their performance can be seen below.

Prior to the 2022 Adult Swim Festival Block Party, DETHKLOK last performed in November 2019 as part of the Adult Swim Festival at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The show marked DETHKLOK's first live appearance since taking part in the 2014 edition of Festival Supreme in L.A. DETHKLOK played a 19-song set that included live premieres of the tracks "Impeach God" and "Comet Song". Joining mainman Brendon Small (guitar, vocals) at the gig were Gene Hoglan on drums, Nili Brosh on second guitar and Pete Griffin on bass.

In a 2012 interview with MLive, Small said that he conceptualized DETHKLOK's show after watching a live performance of GORILLAZ, another animated band fronted by Damon Albarn of BLUR.

"I always wanted to make a record, and find a way to tour it," Small said. "I checked out GORILLAZ, who are talented, and have some of the best animation I've ever seen, but [because the musicians hid behind a screen, and the audience couldn't see them,] there was no connection between performer and audience. It was cool and mysterious, but it didn't give the audience what they want. We don't look like [DETHKLOK], and we're not supposed to, but at least you can see us playing. We're like a pit band in that sense."

DETHKLOK's latest album, "Metalocalypse: Dethklok Dethalbum III", was released in October 2012 via Williams Street Records. The disc sold around 20,000 copes in the United States to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Dethalbum II", opened with 45,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 15.

"Dethalbum III" was once again co-produced by Small and Ulrich Wild ("Dethalbum" and "Dethalbum II").

Last year, Adult Swim announced that it will produce a new original movie based on "Metalocalypse". The movie will be released globally on Blu-ray/DVD and on digital transactional video on demand (TVOD) and electronic sell through (EST) for a 90-day exclusive window, followed by premieres on HBO Max and Adult Swim.

"Metalocalypse" was one of the first original productions to air on Adult Swim. "Metalocalypse" first aired on Adult Swim in 2003 and ran for four seasons, ending with the half-hour special "The Doomstar Requeim" in 2013.

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San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans VIO-LENCE played their first show with guitarist Ira Black on Tuesday (August 9) at the Brutal Assault festival in Jaromer, Czech Republic. Fan-filmed video of the concert is available below (courtesy of Aviad Attia).

Black, who grew up in the Bay Area and previously played with VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN and METAL CHURCH, is filling in for founding VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel, who is currently on the road with LAMB OF GOD as the temporary replacement for Willie Adler.

On August 4, Ira took to his Facebook page to write: "The cats out of the bag! I will be filling in for my brotha Phil Demmel in VIO-LENCE for the upcoming 2022 dates starting at the Brutal Assault Festival on August 9th, Alcatraz Metal Festival on the 13th, the South America run in September and winter European tour! This is going to be a blast and I'm truly honored!

"VIO-LENCE is a legendary Bay Area thrash band and I've known them for many years. I've had a great time learning Phil's parts, rehearsals are going great, these guys are the real deal! I'm looking forward to slaying it for the VIO-LENCE fans around the world. See you out there!"

The same day, VIO-LENCE singer Sean Killian said: "VIO-LENCE is a state of mind more than it is a band. It's an attitude that never asks for forgiveness or to be accepted. Many musicians have represented those principles on stage as VIO-LENCE and today is no different.

"We would like to announce that in place of the great Philip Demmel we will be joined by a man who has shared the stage with musical legends. Today VIO-LENCE is announcing that another attitude will be joining us. We would like all the VIO-LENCE lovers and haters to welcome Ira Black who will be joining us on our upcoming performances."

Demmel first confirmed that he would miss some VIO-LENCE shows this past March during an appearance on "Talking Bollocks", the monthly metal podcast hosted by ACID REIGN frontman-turned-stand-up-comedian Howard H. Smith. Demmel, who at the time was touring the U.S. with OVERKILL as the temporary replacement for Dave Linsk, said: "There's some VIO-LENCE stuff coming up that I'm not gonna be able to be a part of because of choices that I'm making in my own career.

"VIO-LENCE was a side thing that we were doing. It was understood that I'm doing other stuff and that this would happen," he continued. "They weren't looking at doing full-blown tours, so trying to schedule stuff, it gets difficult. So there will be things that I won't be doing with VIO-LENCE, which is a little heartbreaking in the sense that… I'm the only member of VIO-LENCE that hasn't missed a show. So, yeah, there's a VIO-LENCE club and there's been a lot of former members. But I never quit the band. I carried that torch the whole time and hadn't missed a show."

Demmel went on to say that "it's a selfish move" on his part "to do these other things, but at 55 years old, I need to not regret passing up something to do another thing that may or may not… It's hard to explain. So I'm apologizing in advance for, if there will be a [VIO-LENCE] show that I'm not gonna be at," he said. "But I am 55. I'm in the twilight — maybe in the twilight of my musical career. You never know when it can all… A lot of peers that are… Plenty are dying, dude; they're just gone. And at this point in my career, I need to be a little selfish. And it might be hard to fathom from other people about doing things that aren't part of what VIO-LENCE is… It's emotional and it sucks, but it is what it is. It's not like I'm missing the whole year or anything, but there will be instances when I'm not on stage with those guys, and it's gonna be weird. It is what it is."

VIO-LENCE recently released a new EP, "Let The World Burn", via Metal Blade Records. The five-song collection, VIO-LENCE's first original release since 1993's "Nothing To Gain", was tracked at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS),mixed by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and mastered by Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEATH ANGEL).

Formed in 1985, VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they reformed briefly a couple of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time going concern once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet started to think about new music and will deliver "Let The World Burn", showcasing their first new material in 29 years.

Filling out the band's ranks on "Let The World Burn" alongside Demmel, Killian and original drummer Perry Strickland are former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson and former FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian Olde Wolbers.

VIO-LENCE reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

After releasing it solely as a video clip on their YouTube channel, Venom Prison are making their blistering cover of Stampin’ Ground’s “Officer Down” available on all digital platforms, here. The song has finally come full circle, as Century Media Records released the original on Stampin’ Ground’s classic album, Carved From Empty Words, in 2000.





Venom Prison comments: “Stampin’ Ground is a band we’ve respected and admired even before Venom Prison existed and we’ve always toyed with the idea of a cover and never knew what would work with Venom Prison. We would listen ‘Carved From Empty Words’ in the van going to shows or on tour. With Stampin’ Ground being a metal/hardcore band this went perfectly in line with Venom Prison. We also recorded ‘Erebos’ with Scott Atkins who was a member of Stampin’ Ground and knew from the start Scott would understand us as a band. Our cover goes in line with the original with a slight few changes to make it our own. Enjoy!”







(Photo by Venom Prison, in the studio with Scott Atkins)


 


Scott Atkins (formerly guitars in Stampin’ Ground) adds: "’Officer Down’ took on a life of its own from the very first time we played it live. It became our biggest song overnight and it’s amazing it’s still seen that way over 20 years later. it was one of those songs that almost wrote itself, like it was meant to be, it’s stood the test of time. It’s been covered by many bands but this version by Venom Prison is definitely one of my personal favourites. Having produced their latest album, ‘Erebos', I’ve got to know the band very well, it was surprising how their work ethic and influences tied in with those of Stampin’ Ground in many ways. I hope everyone enjoys this new version as much as our original!”








Venom Prison are:


Larissa Stupar - lead vocals
Ash Gray - guitar
Ben Thomas - guitar
Mike Jefferies - bass
Joe Bills - drums

Heavy horror punk icon WEDNESDAY 13 has slithered his way to the top of the horrendous heights of rock, punk and metal with his electrifying solo music and as frontman of renowned horror punk supergroup MURDERDOLLS, amassing a colossal cult-following along the way. On October 7, 2022, the undisputed harbinger of metal horror returns, following up on 2019's acclaimed "Necrophaze" with "Horrifier", a brand new slathering of 11 terrifyingly grim and groovy anthems to get blood pumping and brains melting.

Showcasing a blend of styles plucked from his solo band's 20-year career, "Horrifier" weaves an underlying sonic thread reminiscent of WEDNESDAY 13's roots — a raucous blend of ballistic metal and macabre heavy rock that'll have new and diehard fans alike ascending from the depths. As always, various tracks on the album are inspired by classic horror flicks, this time circling cult-favorite slasher John Carpenter's "Halloween" and the iconic "Christine" supernatural thrillers.

Today, get a first listen to "Horrifier" with the album's lead single, "You're So Hideous", out now and accompanied by an "Exorcist"-inspired official music video. The track stuns with danceable '90s sonic flavor, a sing-along chorus and an unforgettable lead riff that is sure to be heard at venues this fall.

Wednesday 13 comments: "'You're So Hideous' is such a catchy track and it's one of the very first ones I wrote for the album. Lyrically, it's a modern-day Medusa story… Beware the stare into her eyes. The music video was, of course, inspired by the 'Exorcist' film and was a lot of fun recreating that."

WEDNESDAY 13's ninth full-length album kicks off with eerie introductory track "Severed" before careening into one of the band's heaviest songs ever recorded, the massive, slow and low "Insides Out", accented by hair-raising guitar leads and slithering vocals. The aggressive, industrial-edged "Exhume And Devour" and "You're So Hideous" pick up the pace with danceable '90s sonic vigor, while surefire hit "Good Day To Be A Bad Guy" aces the pure horror punk spirit of MURDERDOLLS as a downright blissful tongue-in-cheek earworm that'll seep into the listener's head on repeat. John Carpenter's "Halloween"-inspired anthem "Return To Haddonfield" convinces with marching gang vocals and a searing metallic guitar solo before the pace picks up again on fast-riffing, mosh-ready title track "Horrifier". Southern-fried metal tinged "Hell Is Coming" is one of the album's best displays of stylistic versatility, accented by an impressively commanding vocal performance while pumping out a thrash-worthy breakdown and blues rock solo. "Halfway To The Grave" sees the band echoing '80s flavor accented by memorable leads and imploring lyrics before leading into the charging "Christine"-themed album standout "Christine: Fury In The Night", featuring pounding drums, an unforgettable hook and a transfixing guitar lead. "Horrifier" closes with its most heartfelt track, "The Other Side", a personal ode Wednesday 13 penned about the sudden loss of his mother, as well as former MURDERDOLLS bandmate Joey Jordison, but that also shines as a vital anthem made further pertinent after recent years of intense worldwide loss and reflection.

"Horrifier" was produced and recorded by Wednesday 13 with mixing and mastering by Brent Clawson and features artwork by Jonny Bush.

Wednesday 13 states: "The last three releases have seen the band explore new ground with heavier songs, drums, and vocals. Coming out of the COVID crisis, I promised I would not release a sad, depressing record. I wanted to make a fun, horror themed rock record that would be reminiscent of the first few WEDNESDAY 13 records. The new album is a fun, fast-paced, thriller!"

"Horrifier" track listing:

01. Severed
02. Insides Out
03. Exhume And Devour
04. You're So Hideous
05. Good Day To Be A Bad Guy
06. Return To Haddonfield
07. Horrifier
08. Hell Is Coming
09. Halfway To The Grave
10. Christine: Fury In The Night
11. The Other Side

WEDNESDAY 13 will thrill audiences across North America on his "20 Years Of Fear" tour this fall, featuring a career-spanning setlist. Beginning September 4 in Los Angeles, California, the tour will run across the United States and Canada for nearly two months, coming to an end back in Anaheim, California on October 23. After the "20 Years Of Fear" North American headline tour, WEDNESDAY 13 will go on to join MINISTRY on the "Moral Hygiene" European tour, also featuring support from THE 69 EYES.

WEDNESDAY 13 is:

Wednesday 13 - vocals
Roman Surman - lead guitar
Jack Tankersley - guitar
Troy Doebbler - bass
Mike Dupke - drums

Photo credit: Stephen Jensen at F3 Studios

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE kicked off a five-night stand at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden Monday night (August 8). The shows are part of the reunited band's "Public Service Announcement" tour, which kicked off last month at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin.

Singer Zack De La Rocha, who got hurt during a concert in Chicago on July 11, once again had to be carried on stage by two members of the crew and performed from a seated position for the entire set.

The band opened the show with "Bombtrack", a song from RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's classic 1992 debut album, and closed the set with "Killing In The Name". Other tracks performed during the concert included "Bulls On Parade", "Guerrilla Radio", "Sleep Now In The Fire", "Wake Up", "Testify" and a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost Of Tom Joad".

The setlist for the August 8 gig was as follows:

01. Bombtrack
02. People Of The Sun
03. Bulls On Parade
04. Bullet In The Head
05. Testify
06. Take The Power Back
07. Wake Up
08. Guerrilla Radio
09. Down Rodeo
10. Know Your Enemy
11. Calm Like A Bomb
12. Sleep Now In The Fire
13. Born Of A Broken Man
14. War Within A Breath
15. The Ghost Of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen cover)
16. Freedom
17. Township Rebellion
18. Killing In The Name

At the "Public Service Announcement" kick-off concert in East Troy, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE decried the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the federal constitutional right to an abortion. De La Rocha repeatedly screamed "freedom" while a video screen flashed with statements about gun violence, black maternal mortality and abortion access.

"Forced birth in a country that is the only wealthy country in the world without any guaranteed paid parental leave at the national level," read the screen for several seconds.

De La Rocha reportedly injured his leg four songs into the band's set at the United Center on July 11, while Zack and his bandmates were performing "Bullet In The Head", a classic song from the group's 1992 self-titled debut album.

A short time later, De La Rocha told the crowd: "I don't know what happened to my leg right now, but you know what? We're gonna keep this fuckin' shit goin'. If I have to crawl across this stage. We're gonna play for y'all tonight. We came too fuckin' far."

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's comeback tour will continue through mid-August. The massive trek features support from RUN THE JEWELS.

The current tour marks the first time the reunited rap-metal quartet has hit the road together since 2011.

This past January, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE postponed the start date of the U.S. leg of its "Public Service Announcement" tour to this summer. The North American leg of the trek was originally slated to begin in March 2020 before it was rescheduled several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 19 RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE shows that were supposed to take place between March 31 and May 23 will now take place in early 2023.

Prior to the current tour, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE last played together at L.A. Rising and has resisted calls for a reunion, with De La Rocha previously believed to be the lone holdout. Guitarist Tom Morello and his fellow RAGE bandmates Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) have since teamed up with PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D. and CYPRESS HILL's B-Real in the similarly styled PROPHETS OF RAGE.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE recorded three original studio albums and one set of covers before breaking up in 2000. The group reformed in 2007 but only played sporadic gigs and never a full tour.

SONS OF APOLLO kicked off their 2022 South American tour last night (Tuesday, August 9) at Ópera de Arame in Curitiba, Brazil. Fan-filmed video of the concert is available below.

Bassist Billy Sheehan was unable to join his SONS OF APOLLO bandmates on their South American tour due to "travel restrictions", according to a press release from the tour promoter, Top Link Music. His replacement on the trek is ANGRA's Felipe Andreoli.

Top Link Music manager and concert promoter Paulo Baron commented on Sheehan's absence from the gigs, saying in a statement: "Billy Sheehan will not be able to participate in the tour for personal reasons that he did not want to disclose to me, but that we respect, so both SONS OF APOLLO and I, who am the promoter of the tour, invited Felipe Andreoli to replace the great bassist Billy Sheehan."

About his participation in the SONS OF APOLLO tour, Andreoli said: "For me it is a huge honor to replace Billy in these shows. He is one of my great heroes of the bass and history. I learned a lot watching him play."

Sheehan is an avowed member of the Church Of Scientology, which does not have an official position on vaccines, according to Time magazine. However, the church emphasizes the "harmful effects of drugs, toxins and other chemicals that lodge in the body and create a biochemical barrier to spiritual well-being," according to its web site. Sheehan has not publicly disclosed whether he has received the COVID-19 vaccine and it is not clear whether his vaccination status is related to his absence from SONS OF APOLLO's South American tour.

According to the official web site of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil, proof of vaccine is required for most travelers to Brazil.

Late last month, Sheehan took to his Instagram to share a few photos of him "getting all the required vaccinations" for a MR. BIG trip to India back in 2009. He wrote: "While finishing an EU tour in Germany, we had a very kind medical doctor come backstage and he did a great job inoculating all of us. As a result--I had a fabulous time in India, and came home healthy!"

When one fan responded in the comments section that he heard Billy isn't coming to South America because he didn't get the COVID-19 vaccine and lamented the fact that Sheehan had to "miss this tour leg because of some stupid restrictions," Billy responded: "thank you for understanding".

Another fan wrote "back when vaccines were…well….vaccines" in reference to Billy's 2009 inoculation, to which Sheehan replied: "exactly".

In addition to Sheehan, SONS OF APOLLO features former DREAM THEATER members Mike Portnoy (drums) and Derek Sherinian (keyboards),Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (guitar; ex-GUNS N' ROSES) and Jeff Scott Soto (vocals; ex-JOURNEY, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE).

Remaining SONS OF APOLLO's South American tour dates:

August 11 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil @Circo Voador
August 13 - São Paulo, Brazil @Tokio Marine Hall
August 14 – Brasília, Brazil @ Toinha Brasil Show
August 16 – Santiago, Chile @Teatro Cariola
August 18 - Buenos Aires, Argentina @Teatro Flores

SONS OF APOLLO' second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20),was released in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Thalassophobia - the persistent and intense fear of deep bodies of water such as the ocean. The feeling of something underneath you that you can’t see. The exact feeling that Eaten By Sharks channel in their new album “Eradication” and especially so in the latest single “Depth Charge”. Along with that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, you can also expect shredding riffs, slick grooves, and intense vocals, particularly at the end.


Through the single, the listener is thrust into a first-person view of the horrors of a shark attack. Being dragged down into what could be the mouth of hell. Escape is not possible. All hope fades as the light from the surface disappears leaving you with nothing but a broken shell of a body, until even that gets devoured. The band elaborates:


“'Depth Charge' eases you into the water with a groovy riff, led by the rhythm section, however, when the vocals kick in, it’s well worth the wait! The instrumental background is filled with whammy tricks and sweep picks, held together with some two-step and slick double-kicking beats. Matt has a very razor-toothed approach to the vocals, switching up styles and phrasing. Again, all the good stuff is saved up till the end, he lays down a sick death rap, channeling a serial killer type of cadence when sawing apart mountains of dead bodies. We had to pay the lyric video guys twice as much because they dislocated their fingers typing out the savagery.”




This is the third of three singles being released ahead of the album and together they form a very complete picture of what listeners can expect in this first-person horror experience. Along with their brand of technical death metal, Eaten By Sharks channel their love for horror movies into their nautical themes. They also cite a strong appreciation for sharks and their amazing nature, adaptability, and maintenance of natural equilibrium. Nature isn’t always nice and they like to celebrate the wickedness.


Eaten By Sharks was hatched out of a desire to start a punishing metal project and as soon as the moment was right, the heavy techy riffs started flowing. Adding blast beats and breakdowns to them along with a healthy appetite for horror movies, the band was formed with a campy nautical horror theme and serious musicianship.


With elements of slam, thrash and deathcore, Eaten By Sharks up the ante when it comes to technical death metal. Fans of Cattle Decapitation, Revocation, and Gojira will be especially interested in testing the waters.


Eradication will be available on August 26, 2022. Pre-order your copy now at this location. The cover art and tracklisting can be seen below.





"Shallow Water"
"Dead Weight"
"Kill And Consume"
"Same Face, Different Mask"
"Depth Charge"
"Apex Predator"
"Megalodon"


"Depth Charge" video:





"Dead Weight" video:





"Shallow Water" lyric video:





(Photo credit: Lisa Thompson)


 

KISS has published the official music video for “Crazy Crazy Nights” on YouTube. The video and opening track to their 1987 album Crazy Nights had previously been unavailable online. With the lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bruce Kulick, and Eric Carr, step into the time capsule and enjoy a slice of the unmasked era of KISS:





Kulick commented on the video release saying, “Don’t you think it’s finally time for the ‘Crazy Crazy Nights’ video to be on YouTube?? I do!!! Please share, the 35th Anniversary will be coming soon!!!”







Produced by Ron Nevison, Crazy Nights would reach #18 and #21 on the U.S. and Canada charts, respectively. The album has achieved platinum status in the U.S., Canada and gold certification in the U.K. and Finland. 

Self-described as "Death Western", SpiritWorld have released their new single, "Moonlit Torture", featuring Dwid Hellion of Integrity. Stream the single here, and watch a video for the track below.


A message from Stu Folsom states: "Crazy story. Many moons ago, my older brother Nick and my twin brother Beez and I went to a record store to buy Rage Against the Machine's Evil Empire the day it came out. The record store had these listening stations set up with headphones and a set of selector buttons to switch between CDs. I saw the Pushead cover artwork to Integrity's Humanity Is The Devil, hit play, heard 'Vocal Test' for the first time and bought that motherfucker immediately! Hands down the most aggressive, insane shit I had ever heard. 🤯


At the time I had hand me down cassette copies of 7 Seconds "The Crew", Black Flag, Misfits, etc, etc. But I had yet to realize that hardcore punk was it's own thing.Turns out that was the first album, the gateway drug if you will, from a real hardcore band I ever bought with my own money.




I'm sitting in the Czech Republic as I'm typing this, my band is playing Brutal Assault today with At The Gates, Clutch, etc. And we got Dwid singing on our new song... Sometimes this little underground thing is straight up, unfuckwithable magic! Jam that shit and let me know what you think. Dwid comes in Haaaaaard at like 3:26ish.


Thank you to Dwid, Mike Gitter, my dude Thomas Pridgen for beatin 'the fuck out of the drums, Sam Pura and my Panda Studios fam for producing, mixing, engineering and Alberto for the excellent mastering job.


We play Birmingham tomorrow at Knotfest Pulse of the Maggots with Sylosis. I think we'll open with this. First person to rip a stage dive during it can get a free shirt. Come holler at me."





(Photo - Sean Jorg)

On September 9, progressive death metal outfit REVOCATION will release its eighth full-length, "Netherheaven", via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of the album, the new single, "Re-Crucified", featuring Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER) and George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher (CANNIBAL CORPSE),can be streamed below.

REVOCATION songwriter/frontman Dave Davidson comments: "Normally we tend to close our albums with a more epic style of song, but with this record, I wanted to go in the opposite direction and end with a complete ripper. Inspired by 'Dante's Inferno', this song is meant to feel like a journey through hell, and due to the story-like nature of the lyrics, I enlisted the vocal talents of Trevor Strnad and George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher to aid in our journey into the abyss. Tragically, I received word of Trevor's passing immediately after we had finished filming the music videos for 'Netherheaven', and I was completely devastated by the news. Trevor was a close, personal friend of mine, and his passing was a terrible loss, not only for myself, but for the entire metal community. I'm proud that I could be a part of Trevor's immense and storied legacy in some small way. His performance along with George's are two of the highlights of the record for me. Rest in power, Trevor. You will be sorely missed but your legacy will never die."

Four years in the making, "Netherheaven" finds REVOCATION — Davidson (vocals/guitars),Ash Pearson (drums),and Brett Bamberger (bass) — meticulously exploring the allegorical and literal aspects of Hell as they dig deeper into the darker, more diabolical side of death metal. In short, where the previous album, "The Outer Ones" (2018),jettisoned REVOCATION into the horrific maw of the cosmos, "Netherheaven" bores deftly through the nine rings of Hell to directly confront Lucifer and his multitudinous faces.

"We're definitely in more of a death metal mindset than on earlier albums in our catalog," asserts Davidson. "We're focusing on how we can write the best death metal-centric album that we possibly can while still pushing our boundaries. The new songs on 'Netherheaven' are evil and sinister but also have a progressive element to them to keep things interesting. It's got our stamp on it, no question."

"Netherheaven" was written during downtime after the album cycle for "The Outer Ones" was complete. The album's nine tracks were written solely by Davidson, who spent his time between genuflecting at the altars of Luc Lemay (GORGUTS),Chuck Schuldiner (DEATH),Marty Friedman (MEGADETH),and celebrated jazz guitarists Wes Montgomery and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Between writing killer riffs and absolutely wild solos, the seven-stringer also practiced (technique),studied (theory),and taught guitar. REVOCATION truly changed gears when Davidson picked up audio engineering (with Apple's Logic Pro) to use the pandemic-era lockdowns effectively. It made perfect sense for him to helm the engineer and producer's chair at his newly built HeatWave Studios for "Netherheaven". REVOCATION then sourced Swedish studio ace Jens Bogren (OPETH, KREATOR) to mix and master at Fascination Street Studios.

"We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the album," says Davidson. "We want people to be inspired. It's brutal. We brought our A-game on 'Netherheaven'."

"Netherheaven" track listing:

01. Diabolical Majesty
02. Lessons In Occult Theft
03. Nihilistic Violence
04. Strange And Eternal
05. Galleries Of Morbid Artistry
06. The 9th Chasm
07. Godforsaken
08. The Intervening Abyss Of Untold Aeons
09. Re-Crucified (feat. Trevor Strnad and George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher)

Upon record release, REVOCATION will kick off a North American headlining tour with KRISIUN, ALLUVIAL and INOCULATION as support, before heading to Europe for another headliner in early 2023, this time featuring special guests GOATWHORE, ALLUVIAL and CREEPING DEATH.

Thrash metal masters, Sylosis, have returned with their first new music of 2022. The band, who are set to headline the inaugural Knotfest Presents Pulse Of The Maggots festival and play the main stage at Bloodstock this week, have released a new single, titled "Heavy Is The Crown". The track ebbs and flows as the band's signature, thunderous grooves give way to a masterfully crafted chorus.





Maestro Josh Middleton comments: "'Heavy Is The Crown' is the first of a trilogy of singles we’re releasing this year – these songs were developed during the writing of the next Sylosis record and although weren’t right for the album, are perfect for some standalone bangers. 'Heavy Is The Crown' is a song that all our fans can get into and also highlights some of the progression in the band's sound."




Stream "Heavy Is The Crown" here, and watch the video below:





Lineup:


Josh Middleton - Vocals, Guitar
Alex Bailey - Guitar
Conor Marshall - Bass
Ali Richardson - Drums

Cult Japanese black metal legends, Sigh, recently announced details of their new album, Shiki, to be released on August 26 on Peaceville. Today, the band premiers the music video for the song, "Satsui", which can be viewed below:





Shiki, an opus of dark & eclectic blackened heavy metal, shrouded in traditional eastern influences, marks the latest chapter in the Sigh legacy and includes some of the band’s heaviest and darkest material for some years; a fine hybrid of at times primitive black metal akin to early influences such as Celtic Frost amid more epic melodic heavy metal riffing and solos. It will take you on a journey through the strange and the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & experimentation throughout their career. Highlighting that Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots.




The word "Shiki" itself has various meanings in Japanese such as four seasons, time to die, conducting an orchestra, ceremony, motivation, colour. The two primary themes for the album are "four seasons" and "time to die". The concept and artwork is based around a traditional Japanese poem, and on Shiki Mirai explores how at this stage of life he himself is going through autumn, with winter coming soon, and so empathizes with the contrasting sentimental feelings from watching cherry blossoms (a symbol of spring) in full bloom.


Joining Mirai and Dr Mikannibal for this release are Frédéric Leclercq of Kreator, plus US drummer extraordinaire, Mike Heller of Fear Factory and Raven, along with an appearance by longtime member Satoshi Fujinami on bass. Shiki was recorded across multiple studios, and mixed and mastered by Lasse Lammert at LSD studios in Germany. The album utilises a whole host of instruments to give further texture and dynamics to the compositions and eerie atmosphere, incorporating traditional oriental instruments such as the Shakuhachi & Sinobue flutes.


Sigh, featuring mainman Mirai Kawashima, Satoshi Fujinami & Kazuki Ozeki formed in 1989/90 and following their initial demos, Shinichi Ishikawa was brought in, and Sigh set about recording the masterpiece debut Scorn Defeat for Euronymous’ Deathlike Silence Productions, going on to become one of the country’s greatest and most revered metal exports.


Shiki will be released on August 26 on CD / black vinyl LP / limited edition green vinyl LP and digital. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


“Kuroi Inori”
“Kuroi Kage”
“Shoujahitsumetsu”
“Shikabane”
“Satsui – Geshi No Ato”
“Fuyu Ga Kuru”
“Shouku”
“Kuroi Kagami”
“Mayonaka No Kaii”
“Touji No Asa”


“Mayonaka No Kaii”: