Warsaw - based rockers Hypnosaur have announced their album Doomsday will be released this fall on limited edition vinyl (through Revenge of the Bat Records) and on all streaming platforms.


Doomsday was recorded in 2021 with Marcin Klimczak from renown Polish Mustache Ministry Studio as an engineer. Afterwards, the material was mixed by Haldor Grunberg of Satanic Audio, known from his work with Behemoth, Me and That Man, Dopelord and tens of other underground/metal acts.


The outstanding artwork was created by Rafał Wechterowicz (Too Many Skulls), a famous Polish designer who worked for the biggest names in the world of music, including Ozzy Osbourne, Slipknot, Anthrax, Ghost, Mastodon, Behemoth and hundreds of other artists along the way.




The album is preceded by first single "Circle" released this spring, with follow-up to be revealed closer to the premiere of the LP.





Tracklisting:


“Doomsday”
“The Hole”
“Desert Tornado”
“On The Run (Bang Bang)”
“Circle”
“They Come Out At Night”
“Godfucker”
“Follow/Shadow”
“Heart Of Stone”
“Huisuke”


“Circle” video:

British progressive rock luminaries, Jethro Tull, released their first studio album of new material in over 18 years, The Zealot Gene, earlier this year via InsideOutMusic.


With the band now back out on the road in Europe, they recently added the fan-favourite new track, "Mine Is The Mountain" to their live set. To celebrate, a new video for the track has been commissioned, created by Tom Hicks who previously did the clip for "Shoshana Sleeping".


Of the track, Ian Anderson comments: “'Mine Is The Mountain' is, perhaps, a late-life partner to the Aqualung album song 'My God'. I had, as usual, a strong visual reference at the core of the lyrics. A miserable, committed trudge up Mount Sinai by Moses to face an angry maker before he must deliver the goods to his followers below is a powerful image, best imagined unless you are a wilderness trekker and much younger than I.”







The Zealot Gene is available in the following formats:


- Special Edition Digipak CD
- Gatefold 2LP+CD+LP-booklet
- Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook
- Limited Deluxe 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook


Order here.





The Zealot Gene tracklisting:


"Mrs. Tibbets"
"Jacob's Tales"
"Mine Is The Mountain"
"The Zealot Gene"
"Shoshana Sleeping"
"Sad City Sisters"
"Barren Beth, Wild Desert John"
"The Betrayal Of Joshua Kynde"
"Where Did Saturday Go?"
"Three Loves, Three"
"In Brief Visitation"
"The Fisherman Of Ephesus"


"The Zealot Gene" video:





"Sad City Sisters" video:





"Shoshana Sleeping" video:





Jethro Tull have a busy live schedule over the next few months, visiting countries across Europe. Find the full list of dates here.


The band currently consists of:


Ian Anderson - Flute, acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals
Joe Parrish-James – Guitar
Florian Opahle - Guitar (album only)
Scott Hammond – Drums.
John O’Hara - Piano, keyboards and accordion
David Goodier - Bass guitar

Bernie Marsden has released a video for his cover of Cozy Powell’s Hammer’s "Na Na Na", from his upcoming album, Trios, a superb album, paying tribute the the iconic rock power trios of the 60's/70's. Watch the clip below, and pre-order the album, out on August 5 via Conquest Music, here.


Many will know Bernie Marsden for being a founding member of Whitesnake, one of the biggest rock bands of all time, and writing the iconic global smash, “"Here I Go Again”". Since leaving Whitesnake 40 years ago, Bernie has forged an impressive solo career, culminating in two UK Top 40 selling albums in 2021 with Kings then Chess. Both were #1 in the Blues Charts and resulted in him receiving the Lord Of The Blues award by HRH.


He is acclaimed as one of the premier British blues guitarists. He has written and recorded with some of the biggest names in the industry, composed music for film & TV, forged a successful career as an author, hosted radio shows, awarded an honorary doctorate from Buckingham University and amassed a priceless collection of guitars.







Tracklisting:


"Black Cat Moan"
"Driftin’ Blues"
"Funk #49"
"Never In My Life"
"Outside Woman Blues"
"Drifting"
"Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo"
"Same Old Story"
"Spanish Castle Magic"
"Too Rolling Stoned"
"Na Na Na"


"Na Na Na" video:

Flagbearers of modern UK death metal, Ingested, have released a drum playthrough video for their recently released digital single, "Ashes Lie Still". Watch below:





A guitar playthrough for the single follows:







"‘Ashes Lie Still’ was written in my darkest times, my father suddenly passed away while I was on tour and the very next day Covid halted our career for over two years. You can hear my pain and frustration musically as well as lyrically; it's a dark, brooding piece and Julia compliments the feel of the track perfectly. It's an incredibly personal song to me and I'm proud it's the first single from our Metal Blade debut," comments guitarist and backing vocalist Sean Hynes.





The new single was co-produced by the band and previous collaborator Nico Beninato, Jeffs living close to Beninato's studio in Mallorca and recording his drums there, while Hynes recorded his guitars at home in the UK with the producer assisting remotely. Vocal tracking was interrupted by Evans falling seriously ill when finally making it to Mallorca and was ultimately tracked back in Manchester. Bass was again supplied by Dominic Grimard (Ion Dissonance/The Last Felony).


Watch the video for Ashes Lie Still, by Loki Film, below:

Hailing from Lethbridge, Canada, Tyrants Of Chaos is a no-holds-barred traditional heavy metal band in the vein of the big four with a modern twist. They are imminently releasing a new album Relentless Thirst For Power, which will be their third, and are introducing it with a music video for the single T.O.C.; premiered through BraveWords! 





They explain in their own words:




“Musically, ‘T.O.C.’ is straightforward, neck wrecking heavy metal. While under the guise of sounding like preparing for battle, it is simply about playing metal shows and entertaining the crowd. A straight-forward headbanger; nothing but pure metal. We believe fans will be blown away by this album and left speechless.”


The new album Relentless Thirst For Power covers a lot of topics lyrically, listeners will also be able to dive into the classic Teutonic power metal track “Indoctri-Nation” that focuses on mental health issues; the “No Lives Matter” ballad that forces one to confront their mortality; and the classic “Lucky Dog” that is reminiscent of the ‘80s sounds of the Big 4.


Formed in 2013 for the love and passion of music by guitarist Curtiss Vaselenak and to fill a gap in the local scene, the band originally started as a fun hard rock and metal cover band. After some shuffling, he is now joined by guitarist Arik Wagner, bassist Sean Simpson, drummer Ryan Dyck, and vocalist Phil Sirias who complete the current lineup. With many years of experience between them, they bring professionalism and solid musicianship to both the stage and the studio.


Tyrants Of Chaos already have two albums under their belts, The Calm Before The Storm (2016) and Into Oblivion (2019), and this new offering consists of ten fist-pumping, head-banging tracks that were written specifically for this album. It is just scratching the surface of what the band has in store, they don't intend to slow down anytime soon.


Heavy and loud, Tyrants Of Chaos delivers a solid pummeling of pure heavy metal. No gimmicks, no gags, just passion, and honesty. They are recommended listening for fans of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth.


Relentless Thirst For Power is out on August 19; preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“T.O.C.”
“The Black Gap”
“Mourning Sickness”
“Skull Crusher”
“Slay The Hostages” 
“Red Rage”
“Nightmare Machine”
“Indocri-Nation”
“No Lives Matter”
“Lucky Dog”

Psychedelic rock icons, Monster Magnet, are pleased to announce the reissue of two seminal albums in their vast discography on limited edition vinyl - 2004’s Monolithic Baby! and 2007’s 4-Way Diablo - both of which have been out of print and unavailable digitally for years. Pre-orders for both the digital and vinyl editions of both albums are available now, set for release on September 16.


Monster Magnet mastermind Dave Wyndorf says about the reissues: "It's great to see these two albums back in circulation again. The Monster Magnet universe isn't complete without them! Monolithic Baby! is a big, glitzy (and purposefully cynical, but aren't they all?) rock and roll record, and listening to it now reminds me of that time – the beginning of the 21st century. Even then I knew things were gonna get weird! 4-Way Diablo is a collection of songs I wrote between tours in the early 2000s but couldn't find a place for. They piled up fast, and pretty soon, there was an album. It turns out there's some of my favorite Magnet songs there!"


Pre-order your Monster Magnet reissues here.




2004 saw the release of Monster Magnet’s sixth studio album Monolithic Baby!, the follow-up to 2000’s God Says No, which cemented the Red Bank, NJ rockers in the world of space rock and roll. This 14-track journey of masterful hard rock features 11 ripping originals and three cover songs recorded in true classic Magnet style, including covers of The Velvet Underground, David Gilmour and Robert Calvert.


Monolithic Baby! is being reissued on orange vinyl with white and black splatter, as well as in a limited glow in the dark vinyl variant.





Monolithic Baby! tracklisting:


"Slut Machine"
"Supercruel"
"On The Verge"
"Unbroken (Hotel Baby)"
"Radiation Day"
"Monolithic"
"The Right Stuff"
"There's No Way Out Of Here"
"Master Of Light"
"Too Bad"
"Ultimate Everything"
"CNN War Theme"


Recorded in four different studios (Sound City Studios, American Studios, The Sunset Lodge and Hydeaway Studios) throughout 2006-2007, 4-Way Diablo is the seventh offering from legendary riff masters Monster Magnet. Featuring rippers such as “Wall Of Fire,” “You’re Alive,” and a cover of an obscure Rolling Stones song “2000 Lightyears From Home,” 4-Way Diablo is a true gem in the Monster Magnet catalog.


4-Way Diablo is being reissued on white vinyl with gold and black splatter, as well in a limited, special glow in the dark vinyl variant.





4-Way Diablo tracklisting:


"4-Way Diablo"
"Wall Of Fire"
"Blow Your Mind"
"Cyclone"
"2000 Light Years From Home"
"No Vacation"
"Thanks I'm Calling You"
"Solid Gold"
"Freeze And Pixillate"
"A Thousand Stars"
"Slap In the Face"
"Little Bag Of Gloom"


Considered one of the most creative, diverse, and hard-rocking of contemporary American bands, Monster Magnet is credited with pioneering “stoner rock”. They’re noted for the uniqueness of their sound, their authenticity as a band, their ability to grow musically, and the intelligence and wit of their songs – fusing garage rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, punk and psychedelia. In addition to musical influences, the band has always been inspired by comic book, science fiction, horror movies, and B-movies by filmmakers such as Roger Gorman and Russ Myer.


(Photo - Gonzales Photo/Per-Otto Oppi/Alamy Live News)

UGLY KID JOE will release a new studio album, "Rad Wings Of Destiny", on October 21. The official music video for the LP's second single, "Kill The Pain", can be seen below. This epic track shows a darker, rawer side to UGLY KID JOE, with the lyrics focusing on the battle of addiction and the daily struggle to stop.

"The lyrics are written from the perspective of peer pressure and outside influences that keep so many people from getting clean," comments guitarist Dave Fortman. "The line 'beautiful we lay here under the sky, watching the loneliness die' always felt like the perfect metaphor for me to define this song. Kill the pain and if only for a moment, end the suffering of addiction."

"Rad Wings Of Destiny" sees UGLY KID JOE re-teaming producer Mark Dodson who was behind the desk for the band's debut album, "America's Least Wanted", which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Speaking to France's Loud TV about the "Rad Wings Of Destiny" album title, UGLY KID JOE frontman Whitfield Crane said: "I love JUDAS PRIEST. UGLY KID JOE has a penchant for poking a little humor into the universe — the universe needs a little humor — and also giving respect to things that we love. So we love JUDAS PRIEST. We're from California. We say 'rad' all day long. So 'Rad Wings Of Destiny'."

Regarding how "That Ain't Livin'" came together, Crane said: "I wrote the riff in Greece. We worked on the song as a band in Mallorca, Spain. We tracked the song in El Paso, Texas. And then we couldn't finish all the vocals in El Paso. So then I found myself living in Lisbon, Portugal. And I flew to London to meet the producer and I tracked the vocals in London."

Asked if the rest of "Rad Wings Of Destiny" is musically similar to "That Ain't Livin'", Whitfield said: "Well, it's hard for me to describe it, 'cause I'm so close to it; I'm really close to it. But yeah, the first track, 'That Ain't Livin''… Also we love old-school AC/DC; I mean, I love for AC/DC. I wrote the riff for 'That Ain't Livin'' on an island in Greece and I had the riff. And so we wrote that song. And it's really an homage to 'Powerage'[-era] AC/DC. So that's that song. But there's nine other songs, and there's a lot of different frequencies that we're embracing."

As for the lyrical themes covered on "Rad Wings Of Destiny", Crane said: "'That Ain't Livin'' is just — if you feel stuck in a nine-to-five rut, stop. Embrace life… We cover a version of THE KINKS' 'Lola', which is really cool; we did great on it. But I'll let the thematic structure of the album, I'll let that remain a mystery for someone to figure out themselves. I think if I project what I think it is, sometimes that takes away from somebody feeling what it is for them."

After a 15-year hiatus, UGLY KID JOE reformed in 2012 and has toured extensively throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The band released the EP "Stairway To Hell" in 2012 and the full-length "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" in 2015.

Two years ago, Crane told Eonmusic about UGLY KID JOE's huge success on the back of single "Everything About You" in 1991: "'Eye of the storm' is a good way to put it, because it just was all happening at a deadly fast gait. And it was a lot — it was beautiful and also very challenging, because there's a lot of people that surround the business of music that are full of shit. But when you're 23 [or] 24, you don't know how to negotiate that, so on one hand, it was super fun and we did all the things you should do at that age, and on the other hand, it was too much for me. But we survived it, and I can deal with it all now."

HALESTORM has released the official music video for "Wicked Ways", the latest single from the band's fifth studio album album, "Back From The Dead".

HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale stated about the song and the video: "In this eerie confessional…. I'm confronting the darkness inside of me, but this isn't my first time... Thanks to the vision of Dustin Haney, who is also responsible for our 'Back From The Dead' video, I return to light that darkness that I will never betray."

"Back From The Dead" was released on May 6 via Atlantic. The follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, MASTODON, ALICE IN CHAINS) with co-production by Scott Stevens (SHINEDOWN, DAUGHTRY, NEW YEARS DAY).

According to a press release, "Back From The Dead" quickly evolved from songwriting exercises into a matter of survival for HALESTORM. Lzzy said: "We started writing this album about three months B.C. (Before COVID). Once we went into lockdown and were unable to perform and tour, I fell into a dark place and something of an identity crisis. This album is the story of me carving myself out of that abyss. It is a journey of navigating mental health, debauchery, survival, redemption, rediscovery, and still maintaining faith in humanity."

Last November, Lzzy told the 105.7 The Point radio station about the musical direction of the new HALESTORM material: "This album is absolutely a banger. It's on eleven. We have really just kind of exceeded all of the energy that has come before on these albums, both technically, music-wise, vocally, drum, lyric-wise. I think because of the roller-coaster ride when we were making this record, and just through the pandemic and all the different phases of that, we just kind of looked at each other, like, if the future is unknown and we don't know whether we're actually going to be out and playing these things, everything has to be, like I said, at eleven. It's HALESTORM elevated."

According to Lzzy, she and her bandmates recorded the new HALESTORM album in a different way. "This is the first time that we've ever had dual producers," she explained. "We went back with Nick Raskulinecz [who helmed 'Vicious']. And then I ended up doing my vocals with Scott Stevens from THE EXIES. He's like a brother from another mother with me. We've written together before, and we've known each other for probably just shy of a decade now. He and I, we produced and did all the vocals for [HALESTORM's recently released single] 'Back From The Dead' with each other, because I went out to L.A. And then we ended up sending it to Nick, and Nick's, like, 'This is just absolutely amazing. We have to do every song this way.' So we kind of did it differently. We ended up with the bare bones of a demo. I ended up finishing all of my vocals — like dunzo — before we ended up building the track musically. So it's kind of like building a pyramid upside down. But it ended up really just having this different energy, because what we were able to do with the lyrics and melody and all the vocals being done would really accentuate all of that — matching the theme to whatever I was singing about, but also just kind of really supporting the vocals musically when we went in to do the guitars and drums and bass. It's so crazy — it definitely has this very forward, very aggressive nature to it because of the way that we did that."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)".

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson played bass on "Let It Go", a new song from SERPENT FROM EDEN, the project spearheaded by John Goodwin. The accompanying music video for the "Ronnie Montrose/Michael Schenker-inspired rocker," which was written and produced by Goodwin, features Ellefson on guitar alongside Pauli Infantino on vocals, Mike Wright on drums and James Yates on bass.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH a little over a year ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

As previously reported, Ellefson and former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young reunited on stage on May 10 at Ultimate Jam Night, the long-running community-oriented show in residency at the famed Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, as part of a special tribute to the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. The event marked the first time David and Jeff had played MEGADETH songs together on stage since the U.K.'s Monsters Of Rock festival on August 20, 1988.

The Whisky A Go Go concert came four months after Ellefson and Young reunited in Los Angeles for interviews to be included in the upcoming feature-length documentary "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza". Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late MEGADETH drummer's life.

Last month, Ellefson told The Neurotic Guitarist that he and Young "have been working on a couple of new songs."

Ellefson, Young and another former MEGADETH guitarist, Chris Poland, will perform "a very special set of thrash classics" at the fall 2022 edition of the Days Of The Dead horror and pop culture convention, set to take place November 18-20 at Crowne Plaza O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. The "Days Of The Deth" performance on Saturday, November 19 will be open to anyone with a Days Of The Dead ticket. V.I.P. pass holders will have early entrance to the event.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Fan-filmed video of Yngwie Malmsteen's July 20 concert at 013 Poppodium in Tilburg, Netherlands, can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Tigman of WPDH Radio 101.5 FM in Poughkeepsie, New York, Yngwie was asked to name the best of the three singers he worked with early on in his career: Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals and Joe Lynn Turner. The legendary Swedish guitarist responded: "Here's the way I look at this. So I came to America in 1982 and I joined a band called STEELER. And then I formed a band called ALCATRAZZ. In January 1984, I signed a record deal as a solo artist. So from the point of January 1984, it was never a band — never. There was never a band called RISING FORCE. My first solo album was called 'Rising Force'. I had a band called RISING FORCE in Sweden in '79. And when I hired people for my solo stuff, I would write the bass parts, the drum parts, the guitar parts — obviously — the keyboard parts, the vocal parts and the lyrics. So like an ensemble, like an orchestra or whatever, or even for a performance on Broadway, there's a written piece and the performer is hired to perform the piece. If they, for some reason, don't work out, you put someone else in there.

"For some strange reason, somebody seemed to think that a) it was a band, and b) the guy that was supposed to be the singer at the time was Elvis Presley or something," he continued. "No. So I therefore, [in] 2012, decided I'm not gonna hire singers anymore and I sing myself. I said, 'Good luck to you, guys. See you. Bye.'"

When Tigman noted that none of the singers Yngwie hired over the years "worked out" in the long run, Malmsteen said: "Well, they seem to think because they're the singer and not the keyboard player they're Elvis Presley. And they will soon find out, in my outfit they're notElvis Presley and they will have to move on.

"It's an Yngwie Malmsteensolo career," he explained. "And even now, for the last album I even played all the instruments as well.

"Listen, it's not like, oh, yeah, I minimize these guys — they're all great; whatever — but the thing is that I'm like an artist like a painter or something. Leonardo Da Vinci didn't call someone, like, 'Hey, dude, can you come over and finish half of my painting?' And that's how I work — I paint the whole painting. That's how I work."

Malmsteen previously floated the Elvis Presley comparison in reference to his former singers during a 2018 press conference in Malaysia. Asked why he chose to handle lead vocals himself on his then-latest album, 2016's "World On Fire", he said: "When I started out when I was a kid in Sweden, I had a band called RISING FORCE, I was the singer. Then I came to America and I was playing with STEELER and ALCATRAZZ, they [had their own] singers.

"I always thought that singers have the Elvis Presley syndrome — they think they're Elvis Presley," he continued. "They're not Elvis Presley. Because I write the music, I write the lyrics, I write the vocal melody lines — I write everything. Just because I let somebody sing something doesn't mean they're more important than the bass player or the keyboard player or the drummer. Because I write all the parts — I write the drum parts, the bass parts, the keyboard parts, the guitar parts and the vocal parts — like a classical composer. And I really kind of got tired of dealing with their bullshit, really. So I decided to sing myself."

In 2017, Malmsteen gave an interview to Metal Wani in which the iconic axeman said that he had no interest in collaborating with vocalists like Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner and Tim "Ripper" Owens ever again. "I'm very comfortable singing myself, first of all," Yngwie said. "Secondly, there's a certain disconnect when you write the song and you have someone else sing it for you. And it's kind of like a fakeness about it. I always wrote everything — I wrote all the lyrics, I wrote all the melodies, everything; it's just somebody else sung it. And to me, the singer is nothing else than a different… like a bass player or a keyboard player — they're not more important than any other musician. And they, unfortunately, seem to think that they are. And I've kind of had it with their sort of… self-absorbed sort of way, and I'm very much against it. No. I don't like that. I don't like any of those people, and I don't like to do anything with them ever again."

In the days after Yngwie's original interview with Metal Wani was published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, several of the guitarist's former singers — including Soto, Turner and Owens — responded on social media, with Turner describing Malmsteen's statements as "the rantings of a megalomaniac desperately trying to justify his own insecurity." This was followed by a retort from a member of Yngwie's management team, who wrote on Malmsteen's Facebook page that the three vocalists "came out enraged, spitting insults and profanities" at the guitarist because "Yngwie said something that they didn't like." The management representative added: "It's very unfortunate that these past hired vocalists must resort to mudslinging and insults to elicit any kind of media attention towards them. Such classless, puerile words are ungentlemanly at best and absolutely disgraceful at worst."
much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Brian Wilson.
Malmsteen's latest album, "Parabellum", was released last July via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Brian Wilson.

Former Suicide Silence guitarist, Rick Ash, has reactivated his pre-Suicide Silence band, Torn Within, with vocalist Justin Smith and ex-Suicide Silence drummer Josh Goddard, after a 17 year hiatus.


Torn Within will release a new single, "Slaves To Her Beauty", on Friday, July 29m followed by a full-length album in October. This will mark the first time Rich Ash and Josh Goddard have made music together since Suicide Silence's self titled 2005 EP.


Torn Within released a demo and The Day I Watch You Burn EP between 2003 and 2004. Both of which will be released together in physical format as Archive Of Sins on July 22 via Been There, Scene That Records.




Archive Of Sins makes its streaming debut via Slam Worldwide:

AS I LAY DYING has just completed the U.S. leg of of the "Two Decades Of Destruction" tour. The trek, which kicked off on June 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada, marked the band's first with its new touring lineup, featuring founding vocalist Tim Lambesis and longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso alongside drummer Nick Pierce (ex-UNEARTH),bassist vocalist Ryan Neff (MISS MAY I) and guitarist Ken Susi (UNEARTH).

Earlier today, AS I LAY DYING released the following statement via social media: "Phil and Tim cannot express the level of appreciation for having Ken, Ryan, and Nick out with us this first tour back.

"AILD found itself in a pretty complicated situation during the pandemic to keep the band afloat however possible. There was a lot of stress and uncertainty whether we'd find a team of guys that we could trust to perform at the level this band calls for and that could sustain a positive working/living environment to ensure everyone's happiness in being a part of this potentially long term.

"It was a true joy to look over onstage and see smiles on everyone's faces or even see them shake off a mistake and get back into the zone to keep the good vibes rolling. It feels good to see members laughing and smiling before and after a show. At times, we were tough on ourselves only because we wanted to do our very best every moment of each night. We got through the tough moments together. It's been really good to have guys who's [sic] communication approach connects at our level with true professionalism.

"We look forward to continuing this relationship with Tim, Phil, Ken, Ryan, and Nick all being involved so we thank everyone who continues to support AILD carrying on with high hopes for the future".

Last month, longtime AS I LAY DYING drummer Jordan Mancino announced that he would sit out the band's tour due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved."

Mancino's announcement came less than a month after AS I LAY DYING's longtime bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities."

Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. Last August, guitarist Nick Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.

Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

In September 2019, AS I LAY DYING released its seventh full-length album, "Shaped By Fire", via Nuclear Blast.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

Last September, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".

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Witch Ripper have inked a multi-album deal with Magnetic Eye Records. The forward-thinking US sludge metal outfit will release their forthcoming third full-length via the label.


Witch Ripper comment: "We are truly excited about signing a multi-album deal with Magnetic Eye", guitarist and vocalist Curtis Parker writes. "As a band we want to push the heavy genre beyond the normal doom sludge songwriting tropes. Right away Magnetic Eye picked up on that. They have embraced our ideas and have been supportive of what we are trying to accomplish straight from the first phone call, and we can hardly wait to continue to grow as a band working with Magnetic Eye's guidance. We feel like we have finally found a home, so hold onto your butts, because we are just getting started."


Jadd Shickler adds: "We are stoked to welcome Witch Ripper to the Magnetic Eye family", the Magnetic Eye director enthuses. "From the anthemic, vintage-tinged rock 'n roll of Ruby the Hatchet via the brutality of Horsehunter to the angular riff-prog of Caustic Casanova, the sonic connections across the Magnetic Eye roster might not be obvious, but there is a common thread:  engaging and dynamic heaviness.  That can take lots of forms, and that is why signing Witch Ripper makes perfect sense and happened with zero hesitation. This is a band on the frontiers of modern metal, dipping into the galloping sludge of bands like Mastodon and Baroness while channeling the epic stadium rock of Queen into the ultimate hybrid of infectious riff-metal. We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome this foursome from the Emerald City, and can hardly wait to bring their new album to the masses!"




With a self-titled EP and the debut full-length Homestead both previously released to critical acclaim, Witch Ripper continued to push their sound forward with the ambitious next album The Flight After The Fall. Infectious and challenging, this record harnesses the band's sludgy roots while showcasing their broadened sonic spectrum with soaring melodies and prog-driven tempo shifts.


Witch Ripper have performed alongside heavy rock outfits such as Monolord, Conan, and Ruby The Hatchet as well as modern metal acts including Slipknot, Gojira, and Khemmis among many others.


Currently, Witch Ripper are preparing to hammer their second full-length into as many new ears as possible via Magnetic Eye.


Line-up
Chad Fox – guitar, vocals
Brian Kim – bass, vocals
Curtis Parker – guitar, vocals
Joe Eck – drums


(Photo – Chris Schanz)

Queen make UK chart history as they become the first act ever to reach 7 million UK chart ‘sales’ of an album, the Official Charts Company can confirm.


Queen break Official Chart records as they surpass the 7 million milestone with their 1981 Greatest Hits album. The Official best-selling album of all time in the UK, the record includes such classic tracks as "We Will Rock You", "Don’t Stop Me Now" and the group’s top-selling behemoth, "Bohemian Rhapsody".


Greatest Hits reaches this record-breaking achievement through a combination of physical sales, downloads and streams.




Back in 2014, Queen’s Greatest Hits became the first album to ever surpass 6 million sales in the UK and, as pure sales (physical and digital download copies) of the collection continue to increase, the group’s back catalogue proves enduringly popular in the modern streaming age. Greatest Hits has accumulated an incredible 1.26 billion total UK streams to date, with the album’s most-streamed track being "Bohemian Rhapsody", which boasts 240 million UK streams and counting.


The record also recently celebrated its 1000th week on the Official Albums Chart, with Queen becoming the first British act ever to achieve this landmark milestone.


Speaking to OfficialCharts.com, Queen guitarist Brian May says: “We’re here to bring you the joyous news that Queen’s Greatest Hits album has sold 7 million copies, which nobody has ever done before. No album has done this before in history. Thank you, we appreciate it.”


Queen’s Roger Taylor adds: “The British public and their infinitely-great taste have made this the biggest-selling album in history. Thank you very much; we’re humbled and honoured. We salute you!”


Martin Talbot, Chief Executive, Official Charts Company, comments: “It really is a fantastic achievement by Queen to become the first act to notch up 7 million sales of one album, with their legendary Greatest Hits.


"When it was released for the first time in 1981, career-spanning packages such as Greatest Hits were relatively rare, the preserve of only the very biggest acts. Queen’s Greatest Hits can claim to be in more than one-in-four UK households’ record collections today, and there is no doubt that its massive success has done as much as any other release to turn hits packages into the omnipresent album concept that they are today."