Earlier this year, Southern California metal masters, Night Demon, released a special compilation album - titled Year Of The Demon - featuring original songs, cover tunes, and previously unheard live recordings. At the same time, the trio has been hard at work, writing and recording their upcoming full-length (due to be unleashed in 2023 via Century Media Records).


To give fans a taste of something new, Night Demon has now partnered with Decibel Magazine for an exclusive vinyl flexi: "The Last Day". Available for Decibel subscribers (with limited magazine issues - containing the flexi - available for purchase at the Decibel webstore), "The Last Day" can also be streamed online, here.







Jarvis Leatherby (vocals / bass) comments: "The concept of 'seizing the moment' can absolutely be considered trite, but we feel this is a fresh take on it. We're all passengers on this pale blue dot hurtling through space. Threats abound; climate change, a global pandemic, possible nuclear war...Here's a song to remind us to enjoy our lives and really appreciate the things and people we have, and realize this really could be 'The Last Day'."


For a decade, the name Night Demon has been synonymous with top-shelf traditional heavy metal. Indeed, the trio consisting of Jarvis Leatherby (vocals/bass), Armand John Anthony (guitar) and Dusty Squires (drums) have been long been lauded as purveyors of stellar songs, searing live shows, and a relentless work ethic. Fans can expect the group's upcoming 2023 album to meet the high standards that have already been set - and surpass it.


Lineup:


Jarvis Leatherby - Vocals / Bass
Dusty Squires - Drums
Armand John Anthony - Guitars


(Photo - Peter Beste)

German metal duo, Mantar, have released a playthrough video for the song, "Of Frost and Decay", featured on the band's blistering new full-length, Pain Is Forever And This Is The End, out now via Metal Blade Records. Watch below:





Pain Is Forever And This Is The End is available on CD, LP, and digital formats. See all options below.







• Box Set (ltd. 1000 w/ Gatefold LP, bonus LP, back patch, slipmat, 12" booklet, and poster)
• Digipak
• 180g Black vinyl
• Violet Marbled vinyl
• Light Blue Marbled vinyl (ltd. 500)
• White vinyl (ltd. 500)
• Orange Beige Marbled vinyl (ltd. 200 - Season of Mist excl.)
• Leaf Green Marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 - EMP excl.)
• Twilight Blue Marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 - Nuclear Blast excl.)
• Clear Ochre Brown Marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 - Metal Blade Eu excl.)
• Maroon Red Marbled vinyl (US excl.)


Order here.





Pain Is Forever And This Is The End tracklisting:


"Egoisto"
"Hang 'Em Low (So The Rats Can Get 'Em)"
"Grim Reaping"
"Orbital Pus"
"Piss Ritual"
"Of Frost and Decay"
"Walking Corpse"
"New Age Pagan"
"Horder"
"Odysseus"


"Odysseus" video:





"Hang 'Em Low (So The Rats Can Get 'Em)" video:





Mantar lineup:


Hanno Klänhardt - guitars, vocals
Erinc Sakarya - drums


(Photo - Matthis Van der Meulen)

HANOI ROCKS guitarist Andy McCoy has once again slammed MÖTLEY CRÜE over their account of HANOI drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley's death and CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx's heroin overdose, as published in CRÜE's best-selling band autobiography, "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band" and "The Dirt" biopic.

The 59-year-old Finnish-born musician, whose real name is Antti Hulkko, discussed CRÜE's relationship with HANOI ROCKS during a new interview with Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live!.

Razzle was killed and two other people were seriously injured when CRÜE singer Vince Neil, whose blood alcohol level was 0.17, which was over the legal limit, smashed his car into another vehicle in Redondo Beach, California in December 1984. Andy told Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live! that he "never even got as much as an apology from that motherfucker. You know who I'm talking about," he said. "I'm not gonna give any names. Why would I give him fame? Fuck him!

"Every time I see him, he runs away," he continued. "Because he knows what I'd do. But that's our business."

Referencing the fact that Neil and GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose publicly traded insults in 1989 after Vince reportedly accused then-GN'R guitarist Izzy Stradlin of assaulting his wife, Andy said that he would never do anything "like Axl did" with the epic GUNS N' ROSES diss track "Get In The Ring". "No. I'm a freakfire," he said. "I'm from the inner city. [Vince is] from fucking suburban California. You can never compare us, what we know. You read me, bro."

Andy also brought up one of Sixx's stories — of supposedly getting pummeled with a baseball bat on the floor of a dealer's flat after another overdose.

"I saved the bloke's life," McCoy said. "He tells stories that I beat him up with a baseball bat. I used to play baseball. I know how to use the fucking bat. You think that he'd be alive? Hell no. Hell no. But he's after the money. I'm after the art. We are very different. He's a little farm boy from somewhere in Seattle. Shit bumfuck. I'm from the inner city. It's a big difference."

Last week, McCoy called CRÜE "fucking ripoffs" for embarking on "their 25th goodbye tour or something," referencing CRÜE's current North American shows as part of "The Stadium Tour".

When host Jason Green noted that he likes the fact that Andy is "so open" about his feelings about the CRÜE, McCoy said: "I speak the truth, mate. I don't lie, like Nikki Sixx, through my fucking teeth."

McCoy was then asked about CRÜE's decision to title their box set "Music To Crash Your Car To", a move that HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe had previously called "beyond disrespectful". "I thought, and Michael Monroe thought, [that] was the tackiest title, thinking about what had happened… That was in real tacky, bad taste," Andy said. "If you're European like me, it's something you don't do. You respect other people. You just don't wanna make a buck for yourself. You respect other people."

Speaking about the two people who sustained lifelong injuries in Neil's car crash, Andy said: "People forget about those two. I remember. I never forget. People tend to forget about them. And that was horrible. It was just plainly wrong. Fifty yards to the liquor store. I thought they'd walk. But no, this motherfucker — I don't care to mention his name; you know who he is — had to show off his second-hand fucking ugly Pantera, which ain't even a nice car to me."

When Green mentioned that the circumstances surrounding incident were exaggerated in both the "The Dirt" autobiography and biopic, Andy said: "Like the party in that movie, the MÖTLEY CRÜE movie, in some mansion. You know what really happened? We were in a two-bedroom apartment. It was five people there. When I saw that movie, or clips of it, I was, like, 'I don't wanna see the whole movie. This is bullshit again. Hollywood bullshit.' [HANOI ROCKS bassist] Sami [Yaffa] was passed out on the sofa, and Vince's pregnant wife, who was on her seventh or eighth month. That's who was there, [along with me and MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee]. So the movie is just pure lies and bollocks again. And I can't go for that kind of crap. I want the reality out."

When Green mentioned that it is obvious how much of an influence HANOI ROCKS had been on MÖTLEY CRÜE in the early years, Andy said: "You can bloody see, can't you?"

Sixx previously addressed McCoy's criticisms of "The Dirt" in a 2005 interview with Wisconsin-Music.com. Asked about Andy's claim that certain things that are described in "The Dirt" are "pure lies", Sixx laughed and said: "You know what I love about that? You've got a has-been that never was just fuckin' grabbing at straws to get attention. I mean, c'mon, man. And nothing he says makes any fucking sense. You ever read the interview where he said that his band sold more records than our band? I was like, 'Dude, are you crazy!' [mimics McCoy] 'We sold fifty million records and they sold forty, we were a bigger band than them.' And I'm like, 'Dude, why do you care about my ass so bad? You won't stop talking about it.' He's got a fuckin' crush on me or something."

When the interviewer noted that HANOI's association with MÖTLEY CRÜE came about primarily because of the car accident that killed Razzle, Nikki said: "Sure. It's a very sad thing to happen, but dude, stop already trying to get attention for yourself. He's like the drunk chick at a party that won't stop splashing everybody. But she has bad tits. Stop! [Laughs] No one's gonna fuck ya. No matter — Andy, no matter how much you talk about MÖTLEY CRÜE, your band still isn't gonna make it. Figure it out. I mean, go talk about Keith Richards; maybe that will give you another fuckin' one album sale. [Laughs]"

In a 2005 interview with Metal Express, Andy called the description of the events surrounding the tragic car accident caused by Neil in CRÜE's autobiography "bullshit" and "pure lies." He explained: "I was there. What happened was Razzle disappeared, and so did Vince. The rest of us were chilling out, man. And he had a wife who was seven months pregnant. After an hour or so, she started getting worried. So me and T-Bone, Tommy Lee, took his car and we went looking for him. We drove past this accident. So I was like, 'What color was the car he was driving around?' 'Hey, man, we just passed the fucking scene of an accident with a bright red sports car all smashed up.' I saw Razzle's hat on the street, I went up, 'What the fuck's happened?' They said, 'You have to go to this and this hospital.' In the hospital, I walk in with Tommy, and I was asking about Razzle, and this doctor walks up, 'Anybody here know this guy called Razzle?' I said, 'Yeah, I do, his family.' 'Sorry, your friend has passed away.' I thought he might have a broken leg or something. I had to call the band, and you don't tell this kind of news over the telephone. I asked them to come to the hospital. And it was a pretty sad scene altogether."

In the same interview, McCoy was asked if he had spoken to any of the members of MÖTLEY CRÜE since publicly voicing his displeasure over "Music To Crash Your Car To". "The only one I talk to nowadays is Tommy Lee," Andy replied. "I don't know… Nikki Sixx has got something against me. Maybe he doesn't like that I tell the truth about his fucking heroin overdose. He was never beat up with no fucking baseball bats. The only place he got beat was on his heart to keep it going and with my hands, and giving him a breath of life. And he's a lard-ass anyway, so it wasn't easy carrying him around and trying to get him to wake up — fucking dragging him to the shower and shit. And then having to read how he was O.D.ed and beaten up with baseball bats and all this crap. C'mon, wake up. I warned him that the stuff was strong. But he wanted to be a tough boy, but with that kind of shit, you don't wanna be a tough boy, 'cause it might be a very thin line between life and death you're playing with. Is it worth it? No."

For his role in the Redondo Beach crash, Vince was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. His blood alcohol level was 0.17, which was over the legal limit. Neil served half of a 30-day jail sentence, received five years probation and had to pay $2.6 million in restitution, as well as perform 200 hours of community service.

Two years ago, Monroe told "The Classic Metal Show" that he was "not interested at all" in seeing "The Dirt". Monroe went on to say that the car accident "certainly destroyed a lot of people's lives. I've never blamed anybody — you can't blame anybody for an accident — but a lot of people's lives were shattered, "he said. "As well as the two teenagers who got paralyzed in the accident; I've heard that there was no mention of them either [in the film].

"It's a depressing subject and it's always like opening a can of worms," Michael continued. "And I just don't wanna get into all that. It's just useless."

Back in 2004, Monroe slammed MÖTLEY CRÜE for the band's decision to title a box set "Music To Crash Your Car To", calling the move beyond disrespectful and referring to Sixx as "shallow," "ignorant" and "stupid". "The 'Mostly Crude' gotta be as dumb as they are to have done that," he told Metal Sludge. "I'm not only talking about Razzle, but also for the other families involved in the accident... As we've previously stated: The most tasteless and murderous gimmick to cash in on the past we've ever heard of. There's nothing 'cool' or 'funny' about death or winding up a paraplegic for life. How low can you go? I'd say this gave bad taste a bad name."

Three years later, Monroe publicly apologized to Sixx, saying that his "unflattering comments" about the bassist were "really childish and stupid." He explained: "I just took it a bit personally when they called their album at the time 'Music to Crash Your Car To'. I thought it was inappropriate since it came across as if they were making fun of the accident, which I'm sure was not their intention."

In 2011, Monroe gave Sleaze Roxx his take on what happened that night: "There was an accident, and unfortunately our drummer was killed. As far as Vince Neil, I have nothing to say. It was an accident. What happened happened, and it can't be changed. Everybody suffered from the whole thing."

Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES.

HANOI ROCKS originally broke on to the hard rock scene in the first half of the 1980s, becoming one of the first Finnish bands to make an international impact. HANOI ROCKS's career was subsequently derailed after the death of Razzle. Internal tensions and the commercial disappointment that was 1985's "Rock & Roll Divorce" led to Monroe leaving the band that year, thus putting an early end to HANOI ROCKS.

CRÜE fans who shelled out for the band's 2014/2015 "farewell" tour were led to believe that the group would never return after playing its final show on December 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band touted the signing of a pre-tour "cessation of touring" agreement as cementing the fact it truly was the end of CRÜE's life on the road.

Aronious have unveiled the third and final single from their upcoming full-length album. The Wisconsin-based prog-death outlet has released the visualizer for "Nincubura", which can be found below.


Irkalla marks the return of founding guitarist Brandon Brown to the lineup - this time manning lead vocal duties, along with the addition of new drummer Kevin Paradis and session bassist Andrew Kim.


Speaking about their new album, the band comments: "Irkalla in Babylonian mythology is known as the underworld, which we found to be a fitting title for the dismal, dissonant, destructive, and technical sound of the music. The lyrical themes revolve around the arc of the ancient Sumerian epic, The Descent of Inanna, which calls attention to various correlated topics, such as the Sumerian Gods, their backstories, and Inanna’s odyssey to and from the underworld. This album is also the first to feature our new vocalist Brandon Brown, our new drummer Kevin Paradis and Andrew Kim on session bass.




Mixing was done by Nick Weyers and mastering was done by Marc Birr of Carp Town Studios. The songs you will hear on this album are for the most part about 4-6 years in the making, the oldest of which being the song ‘Negeltu’ which was written in 2016. These songs were originally intended to be used for Ryan Brumlic and Nick Weyers’ side project that was also named ‘Irkalla’, but since that project didn’t quite pan out, we figured that it sounded enough like Aronious to use as our next album. This worked out in our favor because the album ‘Irkalla’ really sounds like a more refined, intense and mature follow-up to the sound on our previous album ‘Perspicacity’. There’s no sugar coating it. We are confident this album will destroy you. Enjoy!"





Irkalla tracklisting:


"Ananaki"
"Descent Of Inanna"
"Nincubura"
"Ereshkigal"
"Enkidu"
"Elu Ultu Irkalla"
"Negeltu"
"Warkanum"


"Nincubura" visualizer:

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 Tomar Uma if THE HALO EFFECT is a "band" or just a "project", Mikael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is definitely a new band. It started out as a project or an idea, but because of the time we had, I think we made it into a proper band and we wanna treat it as such because we want to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to make this as good as it possibly can be. We wanna do some tours; we wanna do cool festivals. And we're already starting to plan for more recordings and the next album and that kind of stuff. So everybody's just excited. And because it felt good and we were on a roll… You really can't hold Niclas and Jesper back once they get started. So they've already started writing new stuff. Let's keep up. It's gonna be a lot of work [laughs] the next couple of years, that's for sure."

Stanne was also asked 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?!"

Last month, 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

The ocean is a vast, unforgiving world where things can go horribly awry. This is the topic of Eaten By Sharks' latest single “Dead Weight” off the upcoming album Eradication - a technical death metal horror story that takes a deep dive into the gruesome possibilities that can result from daring to enter the untamed sea.


The single hits quickly, revealing some of the hells we face out on the open waters, alone out in the elements, what will you do to survive? What would you do in the fight for your life while battling infection and madness? Will you leave a trail of carnage behind you? These questions are presented alongside down-picked speed chugging, odd times, progressive movements, and a punishing ending. The band comments on the song:


“'Dead Weight' is the follow-up to the punishing groove of 'Shallow Water'. No intro, No standing around, just straight into the madness! This song is the fastest that we offer on the album, the most aggressive and progressive. Lyrically, Matt whips up another nautical disaster story, shipwrecked and alone. To what atrocities man will resort, to stay alive? His vocals are put to task, he keeps up to tempo, pulls out all the stops, and delivers yet another perfectly matched vocal performance, punctuated with a squeal that slurps up the grime from the deepest trench that the ocean has to offer.”







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"


"Shallow Water" lyric video:





(Photo credit: Lisa Thompson)


 

This past May, GREAT WHITE announced that it had parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy and had replaced him with Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE). Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous. Asked in a new interview with Metal Edge if he and his bandmates ever considered the possibility of bringing original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell back into the fold before getting Andrew, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall said: "No, only because he is not 100%. He sits on a stool when he plays and I'd rather just remember him in his heyday when he was flying around on the stage and singing like a bird. I can't have him sitting on the stool onstage; it's not the kind of show I want to present. If we were playing acoustics and were all sitting on stools, that would be a different story."

Kendall also addressed the fact that Jack is continuing to play shows with a band called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums. Asked if it bothers him that there are two versions of GREAT WHITE out there touring, Kendall said: "Not too much, because they [JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE] don't play that often as it's just a way for him to make a living. I didn't want Jack to just call his band JACK RUSSELL; I wanted people to know what they were going to see when they went to a show, and because the guy has his surname attached to GREAT WHITE, this way they know it's Jack Russell, the past singer from the band GREAT WHITE. Whereas this band is not like MARK KENDALL'S GREAT WHITE — it's just GREAT WHITE only. We just wanted him to be able to make a living and that was the settlement we made."

GREAT WHITE's current lineup is rounded out by Audie Desbrow (drums),Michael Lardie (guitar/keyboards) and Scott Snyder (bass).

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, Lardie and Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

In an April 2021 chat with The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn, Russell was asked if he can envision a day when he would perform with Kendall again. He responded: "No. Not at all. Every time Mark gets a chance, he goes out there and says horrible things about me, and then he closes it with, 'But I love the guy, man, and I wish him all the best.' I'm just, like, really, dude? You're gonna sit there and burn on me for an hour and talk about what a big drug addict and alcoholic I was. You forget how bad you were, and I put up with it.

"People that become born again, sometimes I find that they become the most judgmental people there are," he continued. "And I'm not saying everybody — that's not true for everyone — but him in particular.

"Don't get me wrong — if Mark called me right now, I'd love to have a wonderful chat with him and talk about the old days. I have no interest in playing with him. And he doesn't think I can handle it anyway. But it's funny — I can go out and play with my own band.

"They just take potshots at me whenever they can," Jack added. "I think it's for the press. Any interview he does, you'll see it on Blabbermouth: 'Mark Kendall says he will never play with Jack Russell again.' It's, like, you've said that 38 times. Can you come up with something different? 'Jack Russell's head falls off' or something. You know what I mean? It upsets me in a way, but then it's also a laugh.

"I'm not gonna go out there and beat him up and pull the covers off him. That's personal stuff. I'll leave it in the closet where it belongs."

Former ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA singer Lukas Rossi has released a music video for the title track of his ninth studio album, "Summertime". The clip features a litany of superstar cameos, including MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee, members of P.O.D. and THREE DAYS GRACE.

A Toronto, Canada, native and the winner of CBS television show "Rock Star: Supernova", Rossi has been singing, writing, and producing for the last two decades of his storied past. Rossi has performed on major television shows such as "The Ellen Degeneres Show", "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "Regis & Kelly", MTV Canada and ABC's "New Year's Eve With Carson Daly". With "Summertime", Rossi continues the development of his rock roots, combining elements of pop songwriting with powerful and exuberant vocals.

On the single, Rossi states: "'Summertime' is a fun, upbeat summer anthem that will appeal to listeners of all ages. It's all about having a good time and trying to enjoy the simple things in life. Something I think we're all trying to do during these crazy times we're living in.

"While video production had begun well before the struggles of late, the support from family and friends helped it all come together. What started as a few calls for involvement quickly evolved into dozens and dozens of artists from all walks of life eager to climb onboard, wanting nothing more than to help people take comfort in music and to make each other smile. The resulting video is an amazing collaboration heralding a resounding theme of hope, unity, friends and family and the bonds that connect us all."

Rossi first entered the music industry as the lead singer of Canadian band CLEAVAGE, where he gained notoriety after signing with EMI Music Canada in 2004. However, he earned his big break on "Rock Star: Supernova", where he received millions of votes and won the opportunity to join a new band comprised of Lee, Jason Newsted (METALLICA) and Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES). The supergroup toured the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On July 1, 2010, Rossi released his first solo record, "Hollywood". In addition, he has also released numerous YouTube cover videos, such as his viral cover of Adele's "Hello", which has amassed over two million views.

Rossi has proven that his vocal talents reach well beyond the "Mercury meets Buckley" comparisons offered by the general media. His vocal gift spans seven octaves ("and one-half note") from a deep guttural baritone to soaring soprano riffs. His songwriting and stagecraft have gained recognition from the industry as well as the general public and recently earned him the spot as a guest lead vocalist on Lee's forthcoming album "Andro".

While "Summertime" is a departure from Rossi's usual heavier sound, this is Lukas at his absolute best, combining catchy pop hooks and rock sensibilities with his distinct and powerful voice.

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the upcoming self-titled debut album from The Erinyes, an exciting new musical force, fronted by not one, not two, but three incredible vocalists: Justine Daaé, Mizuho Lin, and Nicoletta Rosellini. The Erinyes will be released on September 16.


Today, fans can enjoy a new single and music video, "Betrayed" to preview what's to come on the debut album. Watch the music video below, and pre-order/save The Erinyes here.


The band name is derived from Greek mythology, where The Erinyes, also known as the Furies, are a trio of chthonic deities of vengeance. The Erinyes’ singers come from exciting, up-and-coming bands on the metal scene. Justine Daaé fronts her own gothic-industrial metal solo act Elyose out of France, Mizuho Lin is co-lead vocalist in Brazilian symphonic/dark metal band Semblant, and Nicoletta Rosellini sings for the Italian bands Walk In Darkness and Kalidia. Their self-titled debut album as The Erinyes is a concept album centered around three amazons who are having a dispute centered around their love interests.




Written and produced by Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere, Timo Tolkki’s Avalon, Archon Angel), this an ambitious, glorious symphonic metal album showcasing the incredible vocal talents of these three young singers. The Erinyes is a must hear for fans of Beyond the Black, Delain, Visions of Atlantis, Exit Eden, and the like.





The Erinyes tracklisting:


"Life Needs Love"
"Drown The Flame"
"On My Way To Love"
"Betrayed"
"Death By A Broken Heart"
"Where Do We Go"
"It's Time"
"Someday"
"My Kiss Goodbye"
"Paradise"
"Take Me"
"You And Me Against The World"


"Betrayed" video:





"Drown The Flame" video:





Lineup:


Justine Daaé - Vocals
Nicoletta Rosellini- Vocals
Mizuho Lin- Vocals
Aldo Lonobile – Guitars
Andrea Buratto – Bass
Michele Sanna – Drums
Antonio agate – Keyboards

In a new interview with Friday 13th Metal, ex-VENOM and current VENOM INC. guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn spoke about his relationship with early tourmates METALLICA. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love METALLICA; I love James [Hetfield, vocals/guitar], I love Lars [Ulrich, drums], I love Kirk [Hammett, guitar]. When we toured with them, Cliff [Burton, bass] was still around — bless him. And I've met the guys a few times since, and they are the sweetest guys.

"I remember the last time I spoke to James… James actually came to see VENOM INC. in San Francisco, and he was in the balcony headbanging all night, singing the songs, everything," he continued. "And he came backstage and he was talking [to us]. And I remember saying to him there and then, 'Man, I've gotta say this, and that is you deserve everything that you've got. Every success that you have got, every accolade, you deserve it, because you worked so fucking hard for it.' And they did.

"I remember the last time they actually opened for [VENOM] was at the Loreley festival in 1985, and they fucking destroyed us — absolutely fucking destroyed us that night. They were so together, so slick, and they had the audience — James, his craft as a frontman was amazing. And look where they are now — the biggest metal band on the fucking planet."

For its very first European tour in 1984, METALLICA hooked up with VENOM, on the black metal pioneers' "Seven Dates Of Hell" tour, which included concerts in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Aardschok Festival in the Netherlands. Dunn reflected on the trek in a 2021 interview with "The Chuck Shute Podcast". He said: "Lars was pretty fucking rowdy. I remember we were in a motel somewhere, and it was my manager that stopped me coming out of the motel room, 'cause I was gonna go upstairs and kill Lars at one point, 'cause he was just partying all night, and we had a flight to get to the next day. He was, like, 'Oh, no, no, no, no.' He said, 'I'll go and sort it out.' I was going, 'I'll fucking kill him.' I mean, fucking hell.

In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, Hammett said that he and his bandmates were "super-psyched" about embarking on their first European tour with VENOM. "I thought I was worldly, because I'd stayed in New York for a few months," he said. "But to go to Europe, for James, Cliff and I, the culture shock hit us pretty hard. It was the food, the language barrier, the fact that stores were opening and closing at different times of the day. On Sundays, you couldn't get anything. The television was different. You couldn't read anything when you looked around. We got over it after awhile, but it was so different than any of us expected.

"Six months previous to that, I was sitting in my Volkswagen, drinking vodka, driving over the Bay Bridge, cranking VENOM on my way to hear some metal bands play in a club in San Francisco. Now I'm on tour with them. It was quite a leap for me. I went from being an über-heavy metal fan to being a heavy metal musician, to being in it."

Three years ago, VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant looked back on his band's tour with METALLICA in an interview with Consquence Of Sound, saying: "It was a great time. And it was a good time for those guys to actually be able to hit the European shows.

"We were looking for bands like us, because, as we always said, we have a different crowd," he explained. "We [were] not pulling the same kind of crowd that would go and see… MÖTLEY CRÜE or whatever.

"A friend of mine used to have a bootleg stall, and he came to me one day with a VHS tape, and said, 'I've seen this band in San Francisco, and they are just like you guys.' And it was a METALLICA show, with Dave Mustaine wearing his [VENOM] 'Welcome To Hell' shirt. So, when we got the opportunity to get in touch with [Megaforce Records founder and former METALLICA manager] Jon Zazula and go over there, we said, 'There's a band on the other side of the country…' Now, we traveled 3,000 miles from England to New York, and those guys traveled 3,000 miles from the West Coast to New York, so that's fair — we'd meet in the middle. And then after that, I remember I told James that story, and he said, 'Oh no, no, no. There is a band that's really, really like you guys.' And that's when he told us about SLAYER. He said, 'There is a band in L.A. just like you guys.' And then from there on, it went from EXODUS and everybody started coming out — it was amazing.

"But the METALLICA boys, they're hard-working guys," Cronos added. "Fuckin' hell, I couldn't take that away from them. We were getting to the end of the 'Seven Dates Of Hell Tour' in Europe [in February of 1984], and we were all getting ready to go home and put our feet up and start working on the next record. And I said, 'What plans have you guys got?' And I remember Lars said, 'We've lined up our own tour.' And I was, like, 'Wow, you guys never stop!'

"I don't give a shit if people say, 'This album is terrible or that album is terrible.' Every band that has a long career is going to have good and bad releases. And I don't give a shit about what people say about METALLICA's career as a whole — they were hard-working guys in the early days, and nobody can take that away from them."

Run Out Groove has announced the February 17, 2023 release of Deicide's Roadrunner Years 9LP Box. You can pre-order the set now on black vinyl or red vinyl.


This is the first vinyl collection of the band’s Roadrunner years albums from 1990-2001, and includes their seven Roadrunner albums plus the Amon/Deicide Feasting The Beast EP


Features the first official worldwide vinyl releases of In Torment In Hell, Insineratehymn, When Satan Lives, and first North American vinyl releases of Serpents Of The Light and Once Upon The Cross.




Box includes a special customized outer box, seven single LPs and 1 double LP, an exclusive poster, an insert with tracks/credit information and a Deicide sticker sheet in an envelope. Limited and individually numbered.





Tracklisting:


Side A (Feasting The Beast EP)
"Lunatic Of God’s Creation"
"Sacrificial Suicide"
"Crucifixation"
"Carnage In The Temple Of The Damned"
"Dead By Dawn"
"Blaspherereion"


Side B
"Feasting The Beast (Intro)"
"Sacrificial Suicide"
"Day Of Darkness"
"Oblivious To Nothing"


Side C (Deicide)
"Lunatic Of God’s Creation"
"Sacrificial Suicide"
"Oblivious To Evil"
"Dead By Dawn"
"Blaspherereion"


Side D (Deicide)
"Deicide"
"Carnage In The Temple Of The Damned"
"Mephistopheles"
"Day Of Darkness"
"Crucifixation"


Side E (Legion)
"Satan Spawn, The Caco-Daemon"
"Dead But Dreaming"
"Repent To Die"
"Trifixion"


Side F
"Behead The Prophet (No Lord Shall Live)"
"Holy Deception"
"In Hell I Burn"
"Revocate The Agitator"


Side G (Once Upon The Cross)
"Once Upon The Cross"
"Christ Denied"
"When Satan Rules His World"
"Kill The Christian"
"Trick Or Betrayed"


Side H
"They Are The Children Of The Underworld"
"Behind The Light Thou Shall Rise"
"To Be Dead"
"Confessional Rape"


Side I (Serpents Of The Light)
"Serpents Of The Light"
"Bastard Of Christ"
"Blame It On God"
"This Hell We’re In"
"I Am No One"


Side J
"Slave To The Cross"
"Creatures Of Habit"
"Believe The Lie"
"The Truth Above"
"Father Baker’s"


Side K (When Satan Lives – Live at House Of Blues/Chicago)
"When Satan Rules His World"
"Blame It On God"
"Bastard Of Christ"
"They Are The Children Of The Underworld"


Side L
"Serpents Of The Light"
"Dead But Dreaming"
"Slave To The Cross"
"Lunatic Of God’s Creation"


Side M (When Satan Lives….continued…)
"Oblivious To Evil"
"Once Upon The Cross"
"Believe The Lie"
"Trick Or Betrayed"
"Behind The Light Thou Shall Rise"


Side N
"Deicide"
"Father Baker’s"
"Dead By Dawn"
"Sacrificial Suicide"


Side O (Insineratehymn)
"Bible Basher"
"Forever Hate You"
"Standing In The Flames"
"Remnant Of A Hopeless Path"
"The Gift That Keeps On Giving"


Side P
"Halls Of Worship"
"Suffer Again"
"Worst Enemy"
"Apocalyptic Fear"
"Refusal Of Penance"


Side Q (In Torment In Hell)
"In Torment In Hell"
"Christ Don’t Care"
"Vengeance Will Be Mine"
"Imminent Doom"


Side R
"Child Of God"
"Let It Be Done"
"Worry In The House Of Thieves"
"Lurking Among Us"





Deicide is an American death metal band formed in Tampa Florida in 1987 by drummer/composer Steve Asheim, and guitarist brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman as “Carnage.” They then hired bassist/lyricst/vocalist Glen Benton and became Amon, later changing the band name to Deicide in 1989.


Prior to becoming Deicide, the band recorded the Feasting The Beast 8-track demo in Benton’s garage and started playing some local gigs in Tampa. In 1989, they recorded their second demo, Sacrificial, at Morrisound with producer Scott Burns. Benton reportedly strormed into Roadrunner Records’ A&R man Monte Conner’s office and presented him with the demo, saying “sign us, you fucking asshole!” The next day contracts were issued and the band’s name changed to Deicide at the request of the label.


As Deicide the band released their self-titled debut album in 1990, which was also produced by Scott Burns. The debut featured re-recorded versions of all six of the Sacrificial tunes that got them signed. Both Hoffman brothers played technical solos at fast speeds with overlapping riffs, which gave the band the definitive heavy sound and complex song structures. This lineup remained intact until November of 2004, in the wake of increasing issues between Glen and the Hoffmans, allegedly regarding royalties and publishing.


The Hoffman brothers later went on to reform Amon. The band rose to mainstream success in 1992 with their second album, Legion, and is credited as the second-best-selling death metal band of the Soundscan era, after Cannibal Corpse. Since their debut in 1990, the band has released twelve studio albums, one live album, two compilations and two DVDs. In November 2003, their first two albums, Deicide, and Legion, were ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the Soundscan era.


The band is known for their controversial lyrics, which cover topic such as Satanism, anti-Christianity, and blasphemy. Their lyrics have resulted in bans, lawsuits and criticism from religious groups.

Virginia Beach-based heavy psych torchbearers Freedom Hawk have shared a new track from their sixth studio album, Take All You Can, to be released September 23rd on Ripple Music. Give in to the soothing vibe of "Seize The Day".





The US East Coast underground's rock champions are back in top form with their sixth full-length this fall. Following the success of their 2018 Ripple Music debut, Beast Remains, Freedom Hawk have made the most of the pandemic by channeling all their creative energy into setting up their own recording and rehearsal space and writing this nine-track record. Armed with confidence, the foursome delivers their strongest and most heartfelt effort, brimming with the vibe and energy of a relaxed band in a comfortable setting pouring their hearts out in every beat and note.




Take All You Can artwork and tracklisting:





"Age Of The Idiot" 
"Take All You Can"
"We Need Rock N' Roll"
"Seize The Day"
"Never To Return"
"From The Inside Out"
"Skies So Blue"
"Coming Home"
"Desert Song"


"Age Of The Idiot":





Freedom Hawk is:


TR Morton - vocals & guitar
Lenny Hines - drums
Mark Cave - bass
Brendan O’Neill - guitar


 For further details, visit Freedom Hawk on Facebook.


 

All-female death squad Castrator are back with another video in support of their upcoming full-length debut, Defiled In Oblivion. The video marks the final single before the album's release on July 29.


Check out "Tormented By Atrocities" below. The video was directed, produced and edited by Castrator drummer Carolina Perez.







With Defiled In Oblivion, the New York four-piece have perfected their blend of fierce old-school USDM to a fault. More uncompromising and ruthless than ever before, Castrator’s zero-f*cks-given approach rips and shreds across nine hypnotically violent new tracks (alongside a cover of Venom’s "Countess Bathory") and makes Defiled In Oblivion a release to be reckoned with. Boys club beware!





Tracklisting:


"Dawa Of Yousafzai"
"Tormented By Atrocities"
"Befoul My Existence"
"Inquisition Sins"
"Voices Of Evirato"
"Forsaken And Deprived"
"Sinister Mind"
"Purge The Rotten (Ones)"
"Tyrant's Verdict"
"Countess Bathory" (Venom cover)


"Inquisition Sins":





"Tyrant's Verdict":





Castrator is:


Robin Mazen - bass
Carolina Perez - drums
Kimberly Orellana - guitars
Clarissa Badini - vocals

HANOI ROCKS guitarist Andy McCoy has once again slammed MÖTLEY CRÜE over their account of HANOI drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley's death and CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx's heroin overdose, as published in CRÜE's best-selling band autobiography, "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band" and "The Dirt" biopic.

The 59-year-old Finnish-born musician, whose real name is Antti Hulkko, discussed CRÜE's relationship with HANOI ROCKS during a new appearance on the "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" video podcast. Speaking about CRÜE's current North American shows as part of "The Stadium Tour", McCoy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, their 25th goodbye tour or something. [Laughs] Fucking ripoffs."

When host Jason Green noted that he likes the fact that Andy is "so open" about his feelings about the CRÜE, McCoy said: "I speak the truth, mate. I don't lie, like Nikki Sixx, through my fucking teeth."

McCoy was then asked about CRÜE's decision to title their box set "Music To Crash Your Car To", a move that HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe had previously called "beyond disrespectful". "I thought, and Michael Monroe thought, [that] was the tackiest title, thinking about what had happened… That was in real tacky, bad taste," Andy said. "If you're European like me, it's something you don't do. You respect other people. You just don't wanna make a buck for yourself. You respect other people."

CRÜE singer Vince Neil's drunk-driving death car crash happened when he smashed his car into another vehicle in Redondo Beach, California, killing Razzle and seriously injuring two other occupants. Referencing the two people who sustained lifelong injuries in the accident, Andy said: "People forget about those two. I remember. I never forget. People tend to forget about them. And that was horrible. It was just plainly wrong. Fifty yards to the liquor store. I thought they'd walk. But no, this motherfucker — I don't care to mention his name; you know who he is — had to show off his second-hand fucking ugly Pantera, which ain't even a nice car to me."

When Green mentioned that the circumstances surrounding incident were exaggerated in both the "The Dirt" autobiography and biopic, Andy said: "Like the party in that movie, the MÖTLEY CRÜE movie, in some mansion. You know what really happened? We were in a two-bedroom apartment. It was five people there. When I saw that movie, or clips of it, I was, like, 'I don't wanna see the whole movie. This is bullshit again. Hollywood bullshit.' [HANOI ROCKS bassist] Sami [Yaffa] was passed out on the sofa, and Vince's pregnant wife, who was on her seventh or eighth month. That's who was there, [along with me and MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee]. So the movie is just pure lies and bollocks again. And I can't go for that kind of crap. I want the reality out."

Andy also brought up another one of Sixx's stories — of supposedly getting pummeled with a baseball bat on the floor of a London dealer's flat after another overdose.

"He's lying," McCoy said. "I used to play baseball as a kid. If I beat someone up with a baseball bat who's unconscious, you think he'd live? Hell no. Hell no, bro. He was not beaten. He was slapped around to be woken, because he overdosed. And I told him, 'Be careful. This is strong shit.' I warned him. And he wanted to be tough. And that's the kind of stuff you don't wanna be tough with."

When Green mentioned that it is obvious how much of an influence HANOI ROCKS had been on MÖTLEY CRÜE in the early years, Andy said: "You can bloody see, can't you?"

Sixx previously addressed McCoy's criticisms of "The Dirt" in a 2005 interview with Wisconsin-Music.com. Asked about Andy's claim that certain things that are described in "The Dirt" are "pure lies", Sixx laughed and said: "You know what I love about that? You've got a has-been that never was just fuckin' grabbing at straws to get attention. I mean, c'mon, man. And nothing he says makes any fucking sense. You ever read the interview where he said that his band sold more records than our band? I was like, 'Dude, are you crazy!' [mimics McCoy] 'We sold fifty million records and they sold forty, we were a bigger band than them.' And I'm like, 'Dude, why do you care about my ass so bad? You won't stop talking about it.' He's got a fuckin' crush on me or something."

When the interviewer noted that HANOI's association with MÖTLEY CRÜE came about primarily because of the car accident that killed Razzle, Nikki said: "Sure. It's a very sad thing to happen, but dude, stop already trying to get attention for yourself. He's like the drunk chick at a party that won't stop splashing everybody. But she has bad tits. Stop! [Laughs] No one's gonna fuck ya. No matter — Andy, no matter how much you talk about MÖTLEY CRÜE, your band still isn't gonna make it. Figure it out. I mean, go talk about Keith Richards; maybe that will give you another fuckin' one album sale. [Laughs]"

In a 2005 interview with Metal Express, Andy called the description of the events surrounding the tragic car accident caused by Neil in CRÜE's autobiography "bullshit" and "pure lies." He explained: "I was there. What happened was Razzle disappeared, and so did Vince. The rest of us were chilling out, man. And he had a wife who was seven months pregnant. After an hour or so, she started getting worried. So me and T-Bone, Tommy Lee, took his car and we went looking for him. We drove past this accident. So I was like, 'What color was the car he was driving around?' 'Hey, man, we just passed the fucking scene of an accident with a bright red sports car all smashed up.' I saw Razzle's hat on the street, I went up, 'What the fuck's happened?' They said, 'You have to go to this and this hospital.' In the hospital, I walk in with Tommy, and I was asking about Razzle, and this doctor walks up, 'Anybody here know this guy called Razzle?' I said, 'Yeah, I do, his family.' 'Sorry, your friend has passed away.' I thought he might have a broken leg or something. I had to call the band, and you don't tell this kind of news over the telephone. I asked them to come to the hospital. And it was a pretty sad scene altogether."

In the same interview, McCoy was asked if he had spoken to any of the members of MÖTLEY CRÜE since publicly voicing his displeasure over "Music To Crash Your Car To". "The only one I talk to nowadays is Tommy Lee," Andy replied. "I don't know… Nikki Sixx has got something against me. Maybe he doesn't like that I tell the truth about his fucking heroin overdose. He was never beat up with no fucking baseball bats. The only place he got beat was on his heart to keep it going and with my hands, and giving him a breath of life. And he's a lard-ass anyway, so it wasn't easy carrying him around and trying to get him to wake up — fucking dragging him to the shower and shit. And then having to read how he was O.D.ed and beaten up with baseball bats and all this crap. C'mon, wake up. I warned him that the stuff was strong. But he wanted to be a tough boy, but with that kind of shit, you don't wanna be a tough boy, 'cause it might be a very thin line between life and death you're playing with. Is it worth it? No."

For his role in the Redondo Beach crash, Vince was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. His blood alcohol level was 0.17, which was over the legal limit. Neil served half of a 30-day jail sentence, received five years probation and had to pay $2.6 million in restitution, as well as perform 200 hours of community service.

Two years ago, Monroe told "The Classic Metal Show" that he was "not interested at all" in seeing "The Dirt". Monroe went on to say that the car accident "certainly destroyed a lot of people's lives. I've never blamed anybody — you can't blame anybody for an accident — but a lot of people's lives were shattered, "he said. "As well as the two teenagers who got paralyzed in the accident; I've heard that there was no mention of them either [in the film].

"It's a depressing subject and it's always like opening a can of worms," Michael continued. "And I just don't wanna get into all that. It's just useless."

Back in 2004, Monroe slammed MÖTLEY CRÜE for the band's decision to title a box set "Music To Crash Your Car To", calling the move beyond disrespectful and referring to Sixx as "shallow," "ignorant" and "stupid". "The 'Mostly Crude' gotta be as dumb as they are to have done that," he told Metal Sludge. "I'm not only talking about Razzle, but also for the other families involved in the accident... As we've previously stated: The most tasteless and murderous gimmick to cash in on the past we've ever heard of. There's nothing 'cool' or 'funny' about death or winding up a paraplegic for life. How low can you go? I'd say this gave bad taste a bad name."

Three years later, Monroe publicly apologized to Sixx, saying that his "unflattering comments" about the bassist were "really childish and stupid." He explained: "I just took it a bit personally when they called their album at the time 'Music to Crash Your Car To'. I thought it was inappropriate since it came across as if they were making fun of the accident, which I'm sure was not their intention."

In 2011, Monroe gave Sleaze Roxx his take on what happened that night: "There was an accident, and unfortunately our drummer was killed. As far as Vince Neil, I have nothing to say. It was an accident. What happened happened, and it can't be changed. Everybody suffered from the whole thing."

Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES.

HANOI ROCKS originally broke on to the hard rock scene in the first half of the 1980s, becoming one of the first Finnish bands to make an international impact. HANOI ROCKS's career was subsequently derailed after the death of Razzle. Internal tensions and the commercial disappointment that was 1985's "Rock & Roll Divorce" led to Monroe leaving the band that year, thus putting an early end to HANOI ROCKS.

CRÜE fans who shelled out for the band's 2014/2015 "farewell" tour were led to believe that the group would never return after playing its final show on December 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band touted the signing of a pre-tour "cessation of touring" agreement as cementing the fact it truly was the end of CRÜE's life on the road.

Nikki Sixx photo courtesy of Jason Shaltz / SiriusXM

Hours before the announcement that he "decided once and for all to deal with his alcohol addiction," former IN FLAMES guitarist Jesper Strömblad granted an exclusive interview to BLABBERMOUTH.NET to discuss THE HALO EFFECT, the project featuring fellow IN FLAMES alum Daniel Svensson (drums),Peter Iwers (bass),Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals).

THE HALO EFFECT will release its debut album, "Days Of The Lost", on August 12 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Strömblad, who took part in the interview alongside Engelin, said the origins of THE HALO EFFECT began during the 2020 pandemic when its members had nothing to do and that he was the last one to join. Strömblad most recently was playing with CYHRA, the modern metal outfit fronted by former AMARANTHE vocalist Jake E, but was not performing live with the group.

When asked what it took for him to join a proper band again, Strömblad said: "There is a misunderstanding because I'm still in CYHRA. There was something going on, personal things that I don't have to get into. If you see promo pictures now, I am not in them. But I'm still in the band. It's always been the fact whether I can be on stage or not, but I'm always the musical motor, so to speak. When I heard about [THE HALO EFFECT's] lineup, there was no doubt."

Strömblad then talked about his musical chemistry with Engelin and how he sees himself fitting in THE HALO EFFECT's plans when touring activity ramps up. "It didn't take much thought from my side when it came to joining," he said. "Touring is always going to be, for the time being, an issue for me. We always are going to have a backup. I'm always going to be there in spirit with the band. I'm always going to be writing music and in there in the studio. But, when I heard Niclas's demos, I said, 'Yes, we have to do more of this.' They were phenomenal. It wasn't a repetition, either. There was no, 'Let's sound like we did 20 years ago.' It sounded so updated, fresh and good. I said, 'We can do this and get away from people saying we got this band together because we played in previous bands together.' This band stands on its own two feet. Maybe you can hear some of the influences, but that's not really weird because it's us playing together. That's how I write music."

THE HALO EFFECT made its live debut on June 11 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. The show marked the first time in over a decade that Strömblad played with his former IN FLAMES bandmates. When asked how he thought the show went, the guitarist said: "I loved it. I love to be onstage. I haven't been on stage in a lot of years. If I could go back, I would be a little more active onstage. I prioritized playing well, to play the songs because they were brand new for Niclas and me. Nowadays, you write the riff and record it. Then you don't rehearse it. Now, you have to not only learn the songs but refresh your memory. For me, it was there 95 percent. I was kind of stiff. I wanted to nail the songs. It was a fantastic show and I had an amazing time. Just looking back and seeing Daniel smiling behind the drums and hearing Peter's rumbling bass… only he can get that sound, then seeing Niclas running around like a grasshopper. If you think about it, it was kind of cool that the band could play a festival on the big stage and fill it, more or less, and we didn't even have the album out yet. People haven't heard the songs. They heard four songs, tops. We did a signing session where we sat for one and a half hours signing autographs. It was a huge success for us, I think. It couldn't have been a better start."

Strömblad was then asked what the future held and whether THE HALO EFFECT would be his priority. "Yeah, it is," he said. "Maybe sometimes it will be a little puzzling if it clashes, but THE HALO EFFECT is my priority. I'm laying low with everything else right now. We started working on this album so long ago. We are already planning to start recording a new album. I don't know if I should say that."

Engelin urged him to continue speaking. Strömblad finished by saying, "We're writing new music for the next album because everything was so delayed. We don't want to wait another four years before the next album comes out."

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.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello got knocked off the stage during the band's concert in Toronto Saturday night (July 23).

The incident happened during the final song, "Killing In The Name", of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's set at the Scotiabank Arena. After a fan (in a red shirt) sprinted toward the front of the stage, he was blocked by security and hurled off into the crowd. However, amid the chaos, security accidentally tackled Morello, knocking him down and off the front of the stage.

Singer Zack De La Rocha eventually noticed what had happened and briefly halted the performance. Luckily, Morello did not appear to be hurt, and returned to the stage, allowing him and his bandmates to re-start the song.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's "Public Service Announcement" tour is scheduled to continue tomorrow (Monday, July 25) in Buffalo, New York.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE played its first Canadian shows in more than a decade on July 15 at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest and July 16 at Festival D'été De Québec in Québec.

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

De La Rocha reportedly injured his leg four songs into the band's set at the United Center, 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 kicked off its long-delayed "Public Service Announcement" tour on July 9 in front of roughly 30,000 fans at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. During the show, 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.

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. 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.

In a new interview with Goldmine, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash was asked if he still has the original cover from the band's classic debut album, "Appetite For Destruction", on vinyl. He responded: "Well, you have to understand — I mean, it's like this for all the records I do — I don't collect any of it. If you were to come to my house, you'd be hard pressed to know I was in a band. Or at least any band you had heard of. I mean there's instruments around, but I don't have any, like, souvenirs or anything special from the releases over the years. I don't think I've ever owned the 'Appetite For Destruction' record. And even if I did, I didn't live anywhere, so I wouldn't have any place to put it. Granted, I did have a lot of records I've kept. But I just never was one to sort of really collect records of the bands that I'm actually in. Does that make sense?"

He continued: "I mean, you make a record, you go through this whole process of creating the music and working on it with the guys and developing it. Then you go into the studio and you record it, then go in and mix it. And then the final process is mastering. And once that's done and it's off to be released, you've moved on. You know what I mean? It's like you've gone through everything you need to on that material, and the only thing you have to look forward to at that point is going out and performing it. And, so, I don't really get in my car and listen to it eight million times when you're mixing and mastering. [Laughs] Yeah, you play it every night, so the material's always there. And it's exciting if you hear it on the radio or something. But I don't listen to it otherwise."

Slash added: "And then there's ... and other musicians can attest to this... if you put on music in general you kind of get sucked into it. But if it's your own material... it's like if you're at a gathering or something and they were to put your record on, it's sort of funny. You don't really want to walk in somewhere and they're playing it."

GUNS N' ROSES' spring/summer 2022 European tour wrapped on July 15 in Hanover, Germany. The band will pick up again in September in South America.

GUNS N' ROSES launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour features classic-lineup members Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and singer Axl Rose backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES released a new four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February. The effort, which is exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contains the two new songs the band released last year — the title track and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

The band is now reportedly working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.

Photo credit: Austin Nelson / Gibson