Architects have shared the second preview off their new album, the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, which will be out via Epitaph on October 21st. Single "deep fake" continues the band's exploration of electronic and industrial elements, pitting gritty synths against wailing guitar leads. The song premiered on BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record in the World. Watch the music video below.





the classic symptoms of a broken spirit will be the band’s 10th studio album and is the follow-up to last year’s critically acclaimed album, For Those That Wish To Exist.  The band barely had time to celebrate success when they began the process of writing the songs that make up the new record.  Produced by Dan Searle and Josh Middleton, with additional production from Sam Carter at Deacon’s Middle Farm Studios and their own HQ, Electric Studios in Brighton. The band were buoyed by finally being back in the room together after their last album was made mostly remote due to COVID restrictions, the result was something altogether more “free, playful and spontaneous” the band's drummer and songwriter Dan explains. “This one feels more live, more exciting and more fun – it has that energy. We wanted it to be a lot more industrial and electronic,” agrees frontman Sam Carter.




Layers of electronic and industrial elements infuse the album with a blast of energy that sets the cinematic moodscape for the 11-track ride. There is more than a passing nod to the band’s post-rock influences as well as now familiar fist pumping anthems such as “when we were young”, and lead single “tear gas”, an arena ready anthem packed with industrial stomp. 





the classic symptoms of a broken spirit tracklist:


"deep fake" 
"tear gas"
"spit the bone" 
"burn down my house" 
"living is killing us"
"when we were young" 
"doomscrolling" 
"born again pessimist" 
"a new moral low ground" 
"all the love in the world" 
"be very afraid" 


"tear gas"





Pre-order the album here.

Brazilian heavy metal band Thunderspell, has released the cover and the name of the first single, entitled “Immortal Soul”, it will be present on the new album Thunderwarriors. The cover art was in charge of the Brazilian designer Getúlio Faria, who is also the author of the cover of the EP Power, Blood and Glory, released by the band in 2018. 


“Immortal Soul” is the first of two singles that the band intends to promote and that will before the release of Thunderspell second official album and will be issued on September 5.







The new album is being mixed in Los Angeles by the renowned Brazilian producer Adair Daufembach, a reference in terms of production and audio engineering, and will feature two special guests, one of which is Gerrit P. Mutz, vocalist of the German band Sacred Steel. 


“We are very excited, anxious and with excellent perspective on the release of this new album,” says Leonardo Rodrigues, lead singer of Thunderspell. Worldwide release forecast by MS Metal Records for the second half of 2022.

Italian melancholic metallers SilentLie are giving fans another taste of their forthcoming sophomore full-length Equilibrium with the unveiling of their new music video for the second single "On My Skin", a track about the story of the value of life to a son, through difficulties and hopes. It’s a smooth hard rock song, with a good rhythm, and a very catchy refrain.


Always drawn to the dark side of emotions, SilentLie's Equilibrium proceeds along this path. It stands on modern heavy tones and an obscure mood that can be compared to bands like Ghost, Ozzy Osbourne, and The Cure. Spreading their dark wings, drums, and bass, SilentLie builds a wall of sound on which the guitars dance with tombstone keys while a powerful female voice embraces the listener with gritty, but catchy melodies. Many of the songs on the album, thematically, deal with the eternal struggle between good and evil, with lyrics introspective and personal. There’s a maturity to the music that acts as a pendulum swinging between ‘80s liquid verses and gloomy, almost doomy, parts.


"Our first EP, Blood Under Snow was a collection of five obscure and atmospheric tracks, while our first full-length Layers Of Nothing featured dark/gothic influences with some old-fashioned Sabbath riffing. The new material on 'Equilibrium" reveals a more focused sound with a blasting production. It's deep, heavy, and gritty with a dark outline. It's a collection of 10 heavy songs, a journey in the dark without fear," adds the band.




Equilibrium was mixed in the U.S.A. by Grammy Award winner Dave Hagen at Dark Horse Studios (Mastodon, Evanescence, Alice in Chains). The album will be released on September 30.


Preorder the CD at the Rockshots Records webshop.





Tracklisting:


“Divided”
“On My Skin”
“Something To Remember”
“Taste Of Solitude”
“The One Who Disappears”
“Equilibrium”
“Hysteria”
“Modern Paradox”
“The Others”
“World Upside Down”


"On My Skin" video:





“Something To Remember” video:

Symphonic melodeath act Brundarkh is teasing their new album with “The Dark Tree”.


“The Dark Tree” is the first single from the Middle-earth inspired album, Those Born Of Fire And Shadow, which is set to release later this year. It is based on the unfinished sequel to The Lord Of The Rings called The New Shadow, set approximately 100 years after the fall of the Dark Tower during the reign of King Aragorn's son, Eldario.







-- "A new shadow is growing in the hearts of Men and a secret cult worshiping the old enemies of the world is taking root once again. A cult which is only referred to as The Dark Tree."


Brundarkh is a symphonic melodic death metal act inspired by dark fantasy stories and founded in late 2020 by South African composer, Heino Brand who is also joined by Caleb Bingham of Athanasia.

Texas hard rockers Diosa are back with a new single and music video for “Fire”.





Speaking about their new single, the band comments:




“The meaning of our new song is simple and was written poetically by our vocalist 'this fire that burns in me; I won’t let it die until I’m 6ft down below.' Never quit on yourself, embrace the struggles that life throws at you and come out on top. No one can take that away from you.”


Born from a series of eclectic tastes over time to form the sound they have today, the boys Justin (vocals, guitar), Tyler (bass), and Luis (guitar) knew from a young age that music was something they always wanted to pursue. While the band's rocky journey has been constantly tried and tested, Diosa made those life-changing moments count by sharing them through their music.

Marc Urselli's exciting project SteppenDoom which blends indigenous throat singers from around the globe with the cream of doom metal have released a first track, “Etugen Eke & Od Ana”, featuring legendary axeman Matt Pike (High On Fire, Sleep) and Tuvan vocal legend Batzorig Vaanchigfirst "Zorigoo". The single is taken from the album SteppenDoom that will rise and soar over grasslands, seas, and cities on November 18, 2022. Preorder here.


“Etugen Eke & Od Ana” tells of the Mongolian Earth Goddess and the Goddess of Fire as incarnated by the two main artists performing this song.


Marc Urselli comments: "The first single 'Etugen Eke & Od Ana' is a song of many firsts: Matt Pike of Sleep and High on Fire was one of the first guitar players that I reached out to, it was the first time that he and I collaborated, and also the first time he ever did something with a throat singer", the project's mastermind explains. "Furthermore, it was one of the first songs I'd written for the project, and therefore it is only fitting that it is the opening track of the SteppenDoom album. Batzorig Vaanchig of Khusugtun is one the greatest throat singers alive today. Throat singing, or overtone singing, is the ancient folk singing technique from Mongolia, Tuva, and Siberia. Mongolians often sing around the campfire with lyrics about Mother Earth, animals and the elements in nature. 




“'Etugen Eke & Od Ana' bridges the gap between the spiritual aspects of the Mongolian tradition and the wrath brought on by a creative powerhouse like Pike, which is exactly the kind of maelstrom that I wanted to bring to life. Even the title reflects this: Etugen Eke is the Mongolian earth goddess, while Od Ana is the Mongolian goddess of fire. It makes perfect sense that Batzorig Vaanchig brought the spirit of the earth and Matt Pike set it all on fire!"





Something wonderful is afoot when wolves howl, wild horses neigh, and seals bark through human spirit and voices. The exciting new SteppenDoom project from New York City and London-based Italian-Swiss audio engineer, sound designer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Marc Urselli sees the producer inviting and uniting eminent musicians from across the doom metal genre and legendary indigenous singers employing ancient throat signing traditions from around the globe.


Among many others, the renowned artists who answered three-time Grammy Award winner Marc Urselli's call include Matt Pike (Sleep, High On Fire), Aaron Aedy (Paradise Lost), Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Christopher Juul (Heilung), Dave Chandler (Saint Vitus), Lori S. (Acid King), and Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed) from the metal side, as well as masters of throat signing such as Alash Ensemble, Batzorig Vaanchig "Zorigoo", HUUN-HUUR-TU, Tanya Tagaq, Albert Kuvezin (Yat-Kha), and Alexey Tegin.


The ancient art of throat singing carries on in the grasslands, tundras, and hearts of the people living in and with nature. Heavy metal was born in England's industrial heartlands to the pounding of steel hammers and the mechanised mining of coal. Yet both share a deep desire for freedom and human dignity.





Tracklisting:


“Etugen Eke & Od Ana”
“Garuda Khuresh”
“Agloolik Igaluk”
“Tamag & Ocmah”
“Imdugud In Shambhala”
“Peri To Ela Guren”
“Sedna & Eliduc” (bonus)
“A-dkar Theg Pa” (bonus)


“Etugen Eke & Od Ana”:

New Jersey-based six-piece, Fit For An Autopsy, have shared the video for their cover of Lamb Of God's "Walk With Me in Hell". Watch below.


"When we started this band, Lamb Of God was one of our collective inspirations as to what we hoped FFAA could become one day.  Uncompromising DIY work ethic, socially conscious subject matter, timeless songs and riffs for days. In celebration of our upcoming tour with them, we thought it'd be fun to do a little tribute to one of their classics. Please enjoy 'Walk With Me In Hell,'" says the band.







FFAA released their sixth album; Oh What the Future Holds; earlier this year via Nuclear Blast. The band is also back on the road this fall.

Dutch hard rock band, Frontline, will release their long awaited debut album, Scream All You Want, on October 1. The album will be available on Spotify and other streaming channels.


Influenced by the likes of Guns N' Roses and Thin Lizzy, all 13 songs are self-penned originals, except for a hard rock cover of Taylor Dayne's 1987 dance-pop hit, "Tell It To My Heart". Following up on the releases of the Accidental Gathering EP and the "Judgment Day" single, the album features eight previously unreleased tracks, and re-recorded & remixed versions of the other five.







Tracklisting:


"Scream All You Want"
"Love Creeps"
"Out Of The Darkness"
"Keep It A Secret"
"Judgment Day"
"No More"
"High In The Sky"
"Love In Trouble"
"Lift Yourself Up"
"Tell It To My Heart"
"Cheating Is Easy"
"Tower Of Lies"
"Into The Sun"


(Photo - Peter Nolten)

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

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

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

Taylor discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback during an appearance earlier today (Tuesday, August 30) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I know everybody in the [current PANTERA] band; I knew everybody in the prior band. So it's interesting. I know there's a lot of debate about it. All I'm going to say is that I'm stoked to see these songs played live. I'm stoked to see it done with respect.

"Whether anybody wants to admit that or not, these fans online, they wanna admit this or not, you're talking about two dudes [Charlie and Zakk] who not only knew the brothers from years ago, knew them before PANTERA was even a thing," Corey continued. "They were friends with those guys from when PANTERA was still playing clubs, and they would go and hang out with them when those respective bands would go and play Dallas; they would go and hang out with those dudes. So then when PANTERA becomes massive, lo and behold they're touring with their friends, man.

"You can't get a better drummer than Charlie, you can't get a better guitar player than Zakk to step into those shoes," Taylor added. "Is it going to work? I don't know. But to say that it's not the right thing — first of all, it's for anybody else to say except for Phil and Rex, because those guys, they were in the band. So let's just give them the benefit of the doubt and let's see what happens."

PANTERA will play its first shows in over 20 years in December 2022, starting with a co-headlining slot at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest, followed by appearances at three Knotfest festivals in South America.

PANTERA will perform at Hell & Heaven Metal Fest on Friday, December 2 at Foro Pegaso in Toluca. Knotfest Colombia is scheduled for Friday, December 9 at Campin Circuit of Bogotá. Knotfest Chile is slated to take place on Sunday, December 11 at Estadio Monumental in Santiago. Knotfest Brasil will follow on Sunday, December 18 at Sambódromo do Anhembi in São Paulo.

This past February, Taylor spoke about the impact PANTERA's classic sophomore major label album, "Vulgar Display Of Power", had on his musical upbringing. He told HardDrive Radio: "I remember where I was when that album came out, man. I was listening to that incessantly. I was working at the RV center that my grandma got me a job at. 'Cause I didn't wanna cut my hair and I couldn't work anywhere else, man, so I was washing RVs for nine hours a day during the day in the hottest summer I'd ever felt. And it was intense, dude. And all I had was that tape — I had that tape and [a cassette from] BEASTIE BOYS. So I kept trading those tapes back and forth. And when I needed a burst of energy, I'd put on 'Vulgar Display', and when I just wanted to chill and just kind of get into the rhythm of it, I would put on, I think it was [BEASTIE BOYS'] 'Check Your Head'. So it was, like, those two albums really fueled me that summer to get through it. And I just remember listening to that album and just going, 'Jesus, this is so heavy and yet so hummable.' That's the thing that I think people really lose with PANTERA — is that it was so incredibly heavy but the hooks were incredible, dude. I mean, it was like the next evolution of what METALLICA had kind of started to do. To this day, it's still one of my favorite albums."

Back in 2017, Taylor named PANTERA's 1994 effort "Far Beyond Driven" as one of his 10 favorite metal albums of all time. "That album is so sludgy," he told Rolling Stone. "I loved 'Vulgar Display Of Power', and obviously everybody gravitates toward that one just because it's got the songs, it's got the whatever. But to me, 'Far Beyond Driven' was the first example of what a modern metal production could sound like. It was so thick and the mix was a little angrier. To me, it was the first time that you could really hear how heavy they could go and how willing they were to just drive that shit home. And it's got my favorite PANTERA song on it, which is 'Becoming'. That song alone wins. Just when you thought you had some shit figured out, fuck you. You're done."

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

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

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

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

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

PANTERA is managed by Scott McGhee of 1 Degree Music Entertainment. The band's legal representative is Nick Ferrara And Associates. PANTERA is booked internationally by Rod MacSween at ITB. Artist Group International will book PANTERA's North American dates, with Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo as the responsible agents.

In the new video below from Knotfest, Sophie K talks to Cradle Of Filth leader, Dani Filth, at the first ever Knotfest Finland. They chat about Filth's upcoming collaborative song with pop singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran, the band's recent and upcoming touring, their natural longevity, the impact of the pandemic on their most recent full length Existence Is Futile, and their soon-to-be-released live album. Watch below.


In regards to the upcoming collaboration with Sheeran, Filth reveals "Believe it or not, we've still to finish our song with Ed Sheeran. He's done some of it, but then he had a baby, obviously he's very sidetracked with that, and doing whatever Ed does, which is playing massive shows around the globe. So, you know, he's not at our beck and call. But, he is going to finish it, he assures me. Actually, I spoke to him quite recently... yeah, so that's happening."







Austrian rock and metal empire, Napalm Records, recently announced their exciting new partnership with Cradle Of Filth, who have signed a worldwide contract with the label. Napalm is honoured to deliver the band’s haunting hallmark to the masses as their musical panorama reaches into the future.


Dani Filth said: “It is with great expectation and excitement that we announce our move to Napalm Records, having seen and heard a great deal of complimentary things about the label, which in turn leads us to believe that this will be the perfect nesting ground for Cradle Of Filth in 2022 and beyond. We’d like to thank all our fans for their continued support and trust in us doing the right thing for the band and its music. All hail the eternal ‘Filth!”


Thomas Caser, CEO, Napalm Records added: “We are thrilled to welcome the most influential and iconic extreme metal band to our ever-growing Napalm Records family. Being a fan of the band since their very first album, it is with great honor and excitement that we’re able to work with them from now on! We are ready to conquer the metal world with Cradle Of Filth!”


Cradle Of Filth live dates are listed below:


September
16 - France - Mennecy Metal Fest
23 - Monterrey, Mexico - Mexico Metal Fest VI


Dark Horses and Forces European Tour with Alcest:


October
1 - Paris, France - Elysée Montmartre
3 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rockhal
4 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
5 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
7 - Zwolle, Netherlands - Hedo
8 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
9 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
10 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
12 - Brno, Czech Republic - Fleda
13 - Vienna, Austria - Simm City
14 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
15 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex 457
17 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Werk
19 - Toulouse, France - Le Bikini
21 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzamataz 1
22 - Madrid, Spain - BUT Club
23 - Pamplona, Spain - Totem
25 - Rennes, France - L'etage
27 - Bristol, UK - Marble Factory
28 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
29 - London, UK - Indigo - “The Monstrous Sabbat” Event


(Dani Filth photo - James Sharrock)

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


Watch a video for the song "Fantasia" below, and pre-order/save Suburbia here.


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




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


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


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


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





Suburbia tracklisting:


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


"Fantasia" video:





"Fans Of The Dark":





"Night Of The Living Dead" video:





Lineup:


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

Manowar have released the new video below, stating: "Manowar's first-ever performance in Mexico, headlining Hell & Heaven Metal Fest 2020, was a special treat for all involved. Take a look behind-the-scenes and get insights into the amazing work the Manowar crew put in for every show."





Manowar recently released a lyric video for the song, “El Gringo”, which can be viewed below.




“El Gringo” from the band's 2012 release, The Lord Of Steel, is the theme song for the eponymous action western featuring Scott Adkins (Expendables 2, The Bourne Ultimatum) and Christian Slater (Broken Arrow, Interview With The Vampire).


First released in June 2012 as Hammer Edition in collaboration with Metal Hammer UK, The Lord Of Steel is blazing with pure power, untamed energy, and a sound as raw and wild as a force of nature. Track titles like “Annihilation” and “Hail, Kill And Die!” set the tone for a record that is packed with surprises.


“…this album is all about brutality and raw power!” explained Manowar bassist, Joey DeMaio.

In the video below from AXS TV, Sammy Hagar kicks back and chats it up with Pat Monahan on a scenic boat ride. Back on land, the two jam out to the classic Train tune, "Drops Of Jupiter".





Sammy Hagar & The Circle will release their new album, Crazy Times, via UMe on CD/Digital on September 30, and on vinyl on October 28. A music video for the new single, a cover of Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up", can be viewed below. Stream the single here.




Taken at face value, Costello’s new wave classic might not seem like an obvious track for Hagar to reimagine. However, as he says in an exclusive interview with uDiscover Music, “Pump It Up” is a song he’s loved for many years.


“Well, that’s a hard rock tune and it’s a rock of a tune too!”, he says with some relish. “I’ve been trying to do that song for a long, long time – ever since I started Chickenfoot in 2008."


“I played with Elvis Costello on a TV show in 1977 or ’78, somewhere in England and we were hanging around together all day”, Hagar adds. “Elvis played 'Pump It Up' on that show and seeing him live in a studio and being around him all day had a big effect on me. I just loved 'Pump It Up', I thought it was the greatest punk song. I think [our version] is a pretty cool cover. I love singing it.”





Sammy and the band recorded the new album with producer Dave Cobb at Nashville's historic RCA Studio A, showing a whole new side of The Circle.


Says Hagar: "Working with Dave Cobb for the first time was enlightening. We went into the studio to record in the fall of 2021, when the world was starting to come out of the pandemic bubble we’d all been living in. The lyrics for ‘Crazy Times’ just came from that new freedom we were feeling, the freedom felt unbelievable, but a little uncertain, too. We had to ask ourselves ‘what are we doing here and what do we want?’


“Going back in the studio, creating and being with the music is just what felt natural. And it was just so different from any record I've ever made. There was joy in the hard work, catharsis and the camaraderie we’d craved.  It was like those two years of not being able to do very much fell away and we really all came together and let it out in the music and lyrics. We were able to express what we all felt."


Crazy Times is a follow-up to their debut, Space Between, a multi-category #1 Billboard charting album. The new album will include 10 songs, nine of which Hagar wrote or co-wrote, along with a notable cover, “Pump It Up,” a 1978 song by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. The song “Crazy Times” was written by the whole band along with Dave Cobb and recorded live.


Sammy explains: “Before I stepped into the studio with Dave, he’d told me he wanted the best of my career on this record, and he wasn't going to let me get out of that studio until I gave it to him. So, I said, ‘If you expect that from me, at my age, as many records as I've made, you're going to have to push me,’ and he said no problem. Obviously, I dug down and just tried to write good strong songs, great lyrics, great melodies and not worry so much about the arrangements because he had that covered. And he pushed and squeezed every one of us. We went in the studio with seven songs and came out with 10. We ended up cowriting three songs with Dave Cobb and the band—including the new track, Crazy Times.”


Pre-order the new album here.





Tracklisting:


"Intro: The Beginning Of The End"
"Slow Drain"
"Feed Your Head"
"Pump It Up"
"Be Still"
"You Get What You Pay For"
"Crazy Times"
"Funky Feng Shui"
"Father Time"
"Childhoods End"
"2120" (bonus track)
"Father Time" - Acoustic Demo (bonus track)


"Crazy Times" video:





"Funky Feng Shui" video:

Las Vegas, NV based, dark rock/pop/industrial artist, rue vox, has teamed up with Butcher Babies frontwoman, Heidi Shepherd, on her vicious new single, "Bitch Don't Come For Me". With the music video produced and directed by Shane O'Neal, and cinematography by Deed Debruno, "Bitch Don't Come For Me" was produced by Brian Steele Medina (Gemini Syndrome) and features Henry Flury (Butcher Babies) on guitar.


Says rue vox: "It’s an empowering track and anti-shaming (fat shaming, slut shaming, etc..) and actually turns into a dis-track in the bridge where Heidi ALMOST name drops a certain well known artist that she has had this kind of experience with in the past. I wanted the video to be along the lines of the movie 'Death Becomes Her' where we’re some hot girls getting ready for a night out but all of a sudden our bodies start falling apart and we’re just “hot ghouls” by the end of it. The video features myself, Heidi Shepherd (Butcher Babies) and Shannon Gunz (DJ from Octane on Sirius xm)."


Click here to purchase/stream "Bitch Don't Come For Me". Watch the music video below.

At MÖTLEY CRÜE's hometown concert in Los Angeles on Saturday (August 27),drummer Tommy Lee once again addressed a recent controversy about a nude selfie he posted.

In a video posted on the rocker's verified Instagram account, he is seen talking to the audience at the band's show at SoFi Stadium during "The Stadium Tour". Prior to launching into the CRÜE's classic ballad "Home Sweet Home", he told the crowd: "Some of you might've heard this before, but a couple of weeks ago we had a break on this tour and I went to some fuckin' island in Bora Bora and I got fuckin' loose, drunk as fuck, fuckin' wobbler. I fuckin' fell the fuck off. So what happened is I got all drunk, took a bunch of pictures of my dick, tossed them up on Instagram. And so I figured they took them down from Instagram, and you guys wanna see my wiener? You guys wanna see the shit? Is that a yeah? All right, let's go. Let me show you my fuckin' weiner. You ready? There it is," he added as he pulled out a live Dachshund from his pants. Dachshund are sometimes called wiener dogs because their long bodies resemble hotdogs.

Lee then on to encourage his male concert goers to expose themselves but got no takers.

"I guess the boys are a little shy, huh, fellas?" he joked.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's tour, also featuring co-headliners DEF LEPPARD, along with POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, kicked off on June 16 in Atlanta, Georgia and played on July 17 in Denver before the trek resumed with August 5 and 6 shows at Fenway Park in Boston.

Lee shared the full-frontal selfie on August 11, with the caption "Ooooopppsss". Within hours, Instagram and Facebook took it down for violating nudity rules.

Lee's graphic image, which showed the heavily tattooed musician naked while sitting on the edge of a tub, was up for at least four hours, which was described by one Twitter user as "an insane amount of time." This has led to an outcry against social media companies for applying what critics say is a double standard in platform guidelines that favor cisgender men.

According to CNN, one user commented that Lee's penis picture "was on Instagram for 5+ hours before being pulled yet queer artists get banned all the time for art that doesn't even show genitalia."

"Girls can't post photos with cleavage on Instagram without it being taken down but Tommy Lee can post THAT. Nah," another wrote.

Another person said: "@instagram literally has the clearest double standard among their community guidelines."

Many of the 59-year-old drummer's 1.5 million Instagram followers called Lee out for sharing the image in the comments of the controversial post.

"Instagram guidelines said idgaf today," one user wrote.

"So we just gon pretend nothing happened huh," added a second user.

"following tommy lee on nstagram is interesting enough but i- sigh. That was traumatizing. How is it still up," wrote a Twitter user who posted a meme of a person washing their eyes out with bleach.

"So Tommy Lee can post a picture of his penis on @instagram that's still up three hours later but a picture of my curvy booty in a thong bikini gets taken down? Cool, cool," tweeted journalist Lola Méndez. She also compared seeing Tommy's picture on social media to getting an unsolicited picture of a penis.

Before the photo was removed, Lee's wife, Brittany Furlan, commented on the picture with "OH MY GOD," and the dating app Grindr responded with, "Wrong app, babe".

Instagram explicitly states that it does not allow nude photos.

"This includes photos, videos, and some digitally-created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks," it says on its web site. "It also includes some photos of female nipples, but photos in the context of breastfeeding, birth giving and after-birth moments, health-related situations or an act of protest are allowed."

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

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

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

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

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Former MURDERDOLLS guitarist Acey Slade has responded to founding vocalist Wednesday 13's criticism over his decision to launch a web site and staging an event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of MURDERDOLLS' first album, "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls".

This past week, it was announced that Slade and former MURDERDOLLS bassist Eric Griffin will take part in a signing on Sunday, August 28 at the Silver Scream convention at the Hilton Double Tree North Shore in Danvers, Massachusetts. The event will be livestreamed on several platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Acey and Eric will also be doing a meet-and-greet after the announcement for those in attendance at Silver Scream Con. In addition, Acey and Eric have launched a web site, murderdollsofficial.com, that purports to cater to all of the MURDERDOLLS alumni and their legion of fans affectionally known as The Ghoulscouts.

On Thursday (August 25),Wednesday 13 took to his social media to throw shade at his former bandmates, insisting that any merchandise being advertised using the MURDERDOLLS logos, music and lyrics is unapproved and unauthorized.

"It's unfortunate that this has to be said, but here it is: MURDERDOLLS was created in 2002 by Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13," he wrote. "The name, the look, the lyrics, the music was all created by Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13. Anyone besides Wednesday or Joey claiming to be the Official MURDERDOLLS is NOT OFFICIAL. Any merchandise being advertised using Joey and Wednesday's original MURDERDOLLS logos, music and lyrics is NOT Approved or Authorized."

On Saturday (August 27),Acey responded to Wednesday, saying that the re-release of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls" is officially licensed after he went through a "time-consuming and expensive" process reinstating the assets from Warner Music Group which fully acquired Roadrunner Records in 2010 after first buying 73.5% of the company in January 2007.

Slade wrote on his Facebook page: "Hey Gang, Acey here and I would just like to clear the air on some things.

"The MURDERDOLLS as a band does not exist. There are no current members, only alumni. There are no plans for a tour, new single, nothing of the sort. That's the bad news. Now for the good news. It became apparent before 2020 that none of the Alumni wanted to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining the legacy or the business of the band. All of the business/legal ends of the band were abandoned. Reinstating the assets was time-consuming and expensive as you can imagine. It also came to my attention that we were approaching the 20th Anniversary of 'Beyond..'. I reached out to Warner Brothers to see if they had any plans for a re-release and I was informed they did not. But they also indicated that they would be elated if I would like to license the album and all of its assets. This means the re-release of 'Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls' is officially licensed! And with that, any images, photos, music videos, artwork that came with the album. We spent months trying to track down the original master tapes. But no one seems to have them. That should also give you an idea of bad a state the business affairs had fallen.

"I'd like to invite Jack, Racci, Roman, Jason, Eric and, obviously Wednesday and Dizzy to join in on this celebration. And should they ever need to use the band as a platform for their own endeavors, it would not only be welcome but encouraged, but that will be their choice. Reconnecting the alumni with the MURDERDOLLS fans and us extending the legacy of everyone who built it, is what this is all about. But most of all, I'd like to invite everyone to come together and Celebrate this landmark album!"

After the completion of the touring cycle for "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls", MURDERDOLLS went on hiatus so that guitarist Joey Jordison could focus on his other band SLIPKNOT. In 2010, MURDERDOLLS released a sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", which did not feature Slade, Griffin and drummer Ben "The Ghoul" Graves, all of whom played on "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls".

Just a few days prior to "Women And Children Last"'s arrival, Slade gave an interview to Blog Talk Radio's "Zombilly's Horror Hour" in which he said that he wasn't invited to take part in the making of the LP.

"We waited around a long time — myself, Eric and the Ghoul — we waited around a long time to do this record. And when Joey and Wednesday said that they wanted to do it by themselves, that was a bit of a... like, 'Really?! That's not what we discussed,'" he said. "But, quite frankly, it's like, okay, well, it's been seven years. You can't hold somebody to something they said seven years ago. It's like, 'Okay, cool.'"

Acey went on to say that he didn't like the material on "Women And Children Last". "I think it sounds like all the things that the band said that we weren't gonna be," he said. "When I was in the band, it was, 'We don't drop-tune — we tune standard 'cause we're a rock band — it's all tongue-in-cheek, nothing's serious. And now it's drop-tuned, it's serious subject matter, and it's not something I wanted to be a part of. It's like, wow, we were supposed to be a fun band that pissed people off, not a pissed off band that is writing... I don't know... It sounds like DISTURBED to me. It sounds like DISTURBED with Rob Zombie vocals. That was the other thing, too. [Laughs] Everybody was, like, 'You guys are like ALICE COOPER meets ROB ZOMBIE,' and we weren't. And it seems like all the negative things that people thought about us before they heard us, the band has now become. I'm not interested in that. I have a lot more creativity than that. And those guys do, too. So I'm a little disappointed for them. But you know, hey.... whatever. I guess they're happy doing it, but it's not something that I would wanna be a part of. And it's, like, weird, the whole Joey and Wednesday... They've got pictures of just Joey and Wednesday. I think it's pretty clear that they didn't want anyone else at the party; they want it to be an exclusive thing for them, I suppose."

Wednesday 13 reunited with Griffin and Slade on stage for the first time in over a decade in August 2018 at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood. The event, which celebrated the life of Graves, saw the trio performing some of MURDERDOLLS' classic songs.

Graves, who also worked with PRETTY BOY FLOYD and DOPE, passed away in May 2018 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was only 45 years old.

The MURDERDOLLS did a number of major tours in support of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". By the summer of 2003, the tenacity of the band was paying off. Tours with IRON MAIDEN, PAPA ROACH and the FOO FIGHTERS around the world and a Top 40 U.K. single with "White Wedding" made the band fan favorite in Metal Hammer, Metal Edge, Kerrang! and Rock Sound magazines.

Wednesday 13 photo credit: Stephen Jensen at F3 Studios for Napalm Records

Hey Gang,

Acey here and I would just like to clear the air on some things.

The Murderdolls as a band does not...

Posted by AceySlade on Saturday, August 27, 2022

It’s unfortunate that this has to be said, but here it is:

Murderdolls was created in 2002 by Joey Jordison and...

Posted by Wednesday 13 on Thursday, August 25, 2022

NEUROSIS has released a statement in response to a social media post by the band's longtime co-frontman Scott Kelly in which he admitted to engaging in "the emotional, financial, verbal and physical abuse of my wife and younger children" and revealed that he is "100% permanently retired from being a professional musician."

According to Kelly's bandmates, they stopped working with Scott in 2019 after learning of his behavior toward his family but did not share the information out of request for his wife's request for privacy.

NEUROSIS's statement in full reads as follows: "We cannot overstate the level of disgust and disappointment we feel for a man who we once called Brother.

"As a band, we parted ways with Scott Kelly at the end of 2019 after learning about severe acts of abuse he committed towards his family over the previous years. In the past, Scott had disclosed his marital difficulties and acts of verbal abuse, as well as his intention to get help and change his behaviors. The information we learned in 2019 made it clear Scott had crossed a line and there was no way back. We did not share this information out of respect for his wife's direct request for privacy, and to honor the family's wish not to let their experience become gossip in a music magazine. With Scott's Facebook post of August 27, 2022 disclosing much of this information publicly, we can finally say what we believe needs to be said.

"For the last twenty years we have lived far apart from one another and only saw Scott when meeting up to work on music or play shows. We had no idea what the reality was for his family when we were not around. By Scott's own admission, his abuse was intentional, targeted, and a closely guarded secret - even from those of us closest to him.

"Once we learned of his abuse it was difficult to reconcile the horrible information with the person we thought we knew. It's not surprising he hid the abuse for so long because it is a betrayal of our ethics as bandmates, partners, parents, and human beings.

"Since 2019, we have made numerous attempts to contact Scott. We wanted to have an honest talk about the status of the band and find out how he and his family were doing, but he has refused to speak with us for three years. And, in what we now see clearly to be a pattern, Scott refused to take responsibility for his actions. Having been through so much with someone for more than 35 years, one would expect some amount of closure, or at the very least a response.

"Now, without returning any of the calls, texts, or e-mails of his bandmates and friends, Scott has made a public post about the situation. To us, this decision seems like another attempt at manipulation, another opportunity for his narcissism to control the narrative. Don't allow Scott to make this about himself, it's about the abuse his family has suffered.

"Usually, we would view public openness and honesty about mental illness as brave and even productive. We just don't believe that is the case here.

"There is nothing brave about systematically abusing your wife and children.

"There is nothing brave about confessing wrongdoing when you have not done the work to change your behavior.

"There is nothing brave about refusing to speak honestly, or speak at all, with one's closest friends and bandmates, people who have supported you and stuck by you for most of your life.

"Compared to the impact of Scott's actions on his family, the impact on our band pales in significance. Nevertheless, with the heartbreak and horror we also grieve for the loss of our life's work and a legacy that was sacred to us.

"Again, our primary concern is for the safety and well-being of Scott's wife and children, as well as anyone else in a similar situation. If someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or abuse, please reach out to one of the many local or national resources available. One national resource is:

"National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 www.thehotline.org

"If you or someone you know is suffering from mental health issues that could make you a danger to yourself or others, please get help before you hurt yourself or the people you love. One resource for that is www.988lifeline.org.

"This is the only statement we plan to make about this issue. In due course, when it's appropriate, we will provide more information about our future musical endeavors, but that time is not now."

Sanford Parker, Scott's bandmate in CORRECTIONS HOUSE and MIRRORS FOR PSYCHIC WARFARE, posted a separate statement in which he said that he "had no idea the level of abuse Scott was inflicting onto his family. He always talked about his 'mental illness' and things he did in the past he regretted, but nothing like this." He also revealed that Kelly "cut off all contact with me for no reason" in January 2020. "I tried repeatedly reaching out via text, emails and phone calls and nothing. I tried several times reaching out to his wife but was told everything was ok. Then in March of 2021 she sent me a lengthy detailed email about the abuse she and the kids had experienced and it was honestly the most disturbing thing I have ever read, it made me physically ill. I wish I could unsee it. By that point though the damage had been done and as far as I knew they were away from him and safe." He went on to say: "I see a lot of people praising him for his honesty and that's total bullshit, he deserves no praise. I have no sympathy for Scott and neither should you. I do have much love for his family and I really hope they are able to heal and move forward."

Kelly is one of three founding members of NEUROSIS. He has been writing and publishing music since 1985 with NEUROSIS, TRIBES OF NEUROT, BLOOD AND TIME and his solo acoustic project. He was also involved in a project named SHRINEBUILDER with Al Cisneros, Scott Weinrich and Dale Crover. In addition, he has guested on several studio albums by the band MASTODON.

Photo by Scott Evans (courtesy of Earsplit Public Relations)

A STATEMENT FROM NEUROSIS

We cannot overstate the level of...

Posted by Neurosis on Monday, August 29, 2022

Just a friendly reminder:
I barely use facebook so if you message me here I probably won't see it, please email me...

Posted by Sanford Parker on Sunday, August 28, 2022

Due to recent events, I feel that I clearly need to address some rumors and set the record straight. For the past…

Posted by Scott Kelly on Saturday, August 27, 2022

In a new interview with Milwaukee's 102.9 The Hog radio station, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke about why he and his bandmates have yet to perform any of the songs from their upcoming album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", live, despite the fact that they have already released three of them as singles. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are adding two songs to our set; we are adding 'Night Stalkers' and 'We'll Be Back'. Hopefully we'll be able to add 'Soldier On!' by then too. But a lot of that is dictated by the radio support and the listeners' tastes. When certain songs our fans like to hear, we'll add them into the setlist if we can. If there's a song that we're playing in the setlist and people aren't responding to it, well, obviously we're gonna do the opposite and take it out of the setlist. This is all part of the showbiz part. A lot of people don't care about that; they just wanna rock."

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" will arrive on September 2 via UMe. Featuring twelve new tracks, the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" will be made available on CD, vinyl, and cassette, as well as digitally through all online partners. There will also be a limited deluxe edition 2LP, 12-track album pressed on 180g black vinyl housed in a numbered gatefold jacket with a 12x24 lyrics/credits insert, a lenticular vinyl lithograph and a bonus seven-inch featuring "We'll Be Back" and the unreleased B-side "The Conjuring (Live)". The limited deluxe edition can only be purchased via MEGADETH's official online store, through Sound Of Vinyl and uDiscover.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" reunites Mustaine with co-producer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, PARKWAY DRIVE),who together helmed "Dystopia". The new album was recorded at Mustaine's home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, with guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren. Bassist Steve DiGiorgio temporarily stepped in to record the album. With the kick-off of MEGADETH's recent tour, MEGADETH alumnus James LoMenzo rejoined the MEGADETH family as permanent bass player.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" features a cover of DEAD KENNEDYS' "Police Truck" and Sammy Hagar's "This Planet's On Fire", the latter of which includes vocals from Hagar himself.

MEGADETH kicked off its summer/fall 2022 U.S. tour as the support act for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH on August 19 at RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington. The trek, which features additional support from THE HU and FIRE FROM THE GODS, will conclude on October 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

On January 31, 2022, Frontiers Music Srl made an announcement welcoming the legendary '80s hard rockers AUTOGRAPH to the label's roster. The band, at the time featuring vocalist Simon Daniels, guitarist Jimi Bell, bassist Randy Rand, and drummer Marc Wieland, was close to wrapping up work on its brand new studio album "Beyond", which the label had slated for release later in the year. Just past mid-April 2022, Randy delivered the final masters and artwork for "Beyond" and was sorting out plans for the release with the label when he received some news about his health. And then, shockingly, just a few days later, on April 26, 2022, Rand, a founding member of the band, passed away. Before his untimely passing, he shared with his bandmates that if something was to happen to him before the release plans were finalized, he wanted them to release "Beyond", his last recorded work.

And so, with bittersweet emotions, Frontiers Music Srl announces the forthcoming release of AUTOGRAPH's new studio album, "Beyond", the last album to feature Rand, on November 18, 2022. A new single and music video, "This Ain't The Place I Wanna Be", is out now. Watch the clip below.

AUTOGRAPH, whose hit "Turn Up The Radio" was a staple of the hard rock soundtrack of the '80s, disbanded in 1989, but in 2011, founding members Rand and guitarist Steve Lynch decided to meet up at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California. They rekindled their friendship first before even thinking about a musical reunion. With their personal relationship rebuilt, they made a collective decision to play again. "We approached our original singer Steve Plunkett about a reunion," recalled Rand. "He didn't have the time to join the band again due to his busy schedule. He did give us his blessing to move forward though, and that was important. We missed our fans. This is for them."

Fully embracing the future, the remaining members began a search for a new singer. They discovered some videos of singer/guitarist/songwriter Simon Daniels (of JAILHOUSE, FLOOD, 1RKO) on YouTube and instantly they sensed a connection and knew that he was the right fit for the band. "He was perfect to front AUTOGRAPH," smiled Rand. "His hard-edged, bluesy voice and massive riffing sharpen our edge. He's given us a new energy, and he impressed us immediately. We all had a euphoric feeling after the first rehearsal."

Rand said that during his long-lived career, he has only loved playing with two drummers; one is the great late Randy Castillo, and then there is AUTOGRAPH's new drummer Marc Wieland. As Rand put it: "We're heavier than before. At the same time, the melodic vocals and catchy hooks are still an integral part of our sound."

In 2019, Lynch decided to leave the group to pursue different musical styles and was replaced by international monster shredder guitarist Jimi Bell (HOUSE OF LORDS). The band didn't skip a beat and went on to record a new album, "Beyond", with this lineup before Rand's untimely passing.

AUTOGRAPH has released seminal albums such as "Sign In Please" (1984),"That's The Stuff" (1985) and "Loud And Clear" (1987). Over the course of their career, they have played shows with everybody from MÖTLEY CRÜE and Ronnie James Dio to VAN HALEN and AEROSMITH. Successfully touring again since the beginning of 2014, AUTOGRAPH has strived and shined at arenas, casinos, major music festivals such as M3, Monsters Of Rock cruise, Moondance Jam, 80's In The Park, Grand Rock Tember, Cat Club festival at Irvine Meadows, and Firefest UK, among others. In 2017, AUTOGRAPH released a new album on ex-MEGADETH member David Ellefson's EMP Label Group, hitting No. 21 on the Billboard Classic Rock sales chart, as well as placing two new singles on the top 10 Hard Rock Mediabase radio chart.

"Beyond" track listing:

01. This Ain't The Place I Wanna Be
02. Your Slave Tonight
03. Everything
04. Gotta Getcha
05. Take Me Higher
06. Run For Your Life
07. Beautiful Disaster
08. Love Is A Double Edge Sword
09. Heart Of Stone
10. Feels So Good
11. Flying High
12. To Be Together
13. Mind Of Fear (bonus track; digital only)

AUTOGRAPH is:

Randy Rand - Bass
Simon Daniels - Vocals
Jimi Bell - Guitar
Marc Wieland - Drums

AUTOGRAPH photo credit: Christopher Carroll

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, "Creatures Of The Night" from 1982 is a seminal album in the KISS catalog. It crushed fans' expectations with a huge, back-to-rock sound and has become a fan favorite and cult classic. On November 18, 2022, UMe will release "Creatures Of The Night 40" as a 5-CD + Blu-ray audio super deluxe edition, 3-LP deluxe, 2-CD deluxe, 1-LP half-speed master 180gm, 1-CD remaster, as well as a 5-CD super deluxe edition digital download + streaming and 2-CD digital download-only version plus a color vinyl exclusive. All configurations can be pre-ordered through the official KISS online store.

Having rechanneled their efforts into consciously making a return to the hard rock that they were known for, KISS — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Eric Carr — unleashed "Creatures Of The Night" in October of 1982. In addition to a harder sound, the album is also noted for its heavier, darker mood. The single "I Love It Loud" has been performed on nearly every subsequent KISS tour, while "War Machine", the ballad "I Still Love You" and the title song also featured heavily in their live sets for a number of years. Also of note is "Killer", which featured the group's first songwriting collaboration with their soon-to-be-guitarist Vinnie Vincent. "Creatures Of The Night" received accolades in magazines such as Kerrang! and Guitar Player — which both placed the album in their Top Five end-of-year chart for 1982 — and has attained gold album status (sales of 500,000+).

Even though original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley appeared on the "Creatures Of The Night" album cover, he did not play on the LP. The guitar tracks on the effort were laid down by several musicians, including Robben Ford, Steve Farris and Vincent, who later became Frehley's replacement. "Creatures Of The Night" also saw KISS collaborating with outside songwriters, including the then-relatively unknown Bryan Adams.

During an interview on SiriusXM's "Rocktails With Ahmet Zappa" show earlier this year, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons stated: "The 'Creatures' record was a transitioning record because Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were out of the band. You can't do it all yourself, so we brought in different guitar players, different things, and we co-wrote."

The "Creatures Of The Night 40" super deluxe boasts 103 total tracks with 75 tracks being unreleased. Newly remastered on CD 1, the original album has never sounded better. CDs 2 and 3 feature 34 demos, rarities and outtakes, including previously unreleased gems such as "Deadly Weapon (Penny Lane Demo)", "Not For The Innocent (Demo)" and "Betrayed (Outtake)". CDs 4 and 5 highlight 26 incredible, soundboard live recordings from the "Creatures" '82/'83 tour and seven super-rare tour sound effects, all recorded and archived by the "Creatures" tour sound engineer Harry Witz. The Blu-ray Audio disc showcases a first-ever Atmos and 5.1 surround mix from the original album multi-tracks plus the high-resolution newly remastered 1982 stereo mix of the original album. Additionally, the super deluxe box features an extensive array of bonus kollectible KISS memorabilia and ephemera.

MAGNA CARTA CARTEL — the Swedish band featuring former GHOST guitarist Martin Persner — released its latest album, "The Dying Option", in June via Vernal Vow Records and Border Music Distribution. The official music video for the LP's latest single, "Darling", can be seen below. The clip was directed by renowned filmmaker Claudio Marino (BEHEMOTH, WATAIN, KING DUDE). The B-side of "Darling" consists of a down-paced, undressed version of the same track, where MAGNA CARTA CARTEL makes use of its acoustic guitars and chorus-drenched electrics, along with a cloudy floor of analog synth strings. This more dreamy version of the song is taken from the upcoming "MCC Live At Nielsen Søund", a two-part live video showing MAGNA CARTA CARTEL playing old and new songs in their headquarters.

MAGNA CARTA CARTEL creates cinematic sounding themes with captivating melodies and poetic lyrics. "The Dying Option" offers a ticket into a state of mind seldom seen or heard in modern music. Here they manage to use classic rock to create an ambience beyond the regular riffs of today's rock and deliver ten fantastic songs far beyond what anyone could have expected. This 10-track album was produced by Niels Nielsen (IN FLAMES, GHOST, DEAD SOUL) along with MAGNA CARTA CARTEL and features artwork by both Claudio Marino and David M. Brinley (GHOST).

"Darling" is described in a press release as "sing-along friendly and grandiose, with ABBA-grade production. The electronic elements of the song were developed with Nielsen and are yet another variable that impresses and elevates the band’s multi-faceted soundscape to new heights."

Martin said: "This album is a collection of songs that, all in their own manner, deal with the feelings and experiences from the inner storms of unwanted changes. As much as it might come off as a sad album, it is quite the opposite. A lullaby from a place of no sleep. A manual for living in times of uncertainty. A whispering companion to the ones who wait. A suggestion for those who cannot cope. So, lend us your ears and we’ll sing you a song and we’ll try not to sing out of this world."

"The Dying Option" track listing:

01. Arrows
02. Silence
03. Darling
04. Sleepy Eye June
05. Savantgarde
06. Don't Look Now
07. Tamsa
08. Valkyria
09. Dusk
10. The Dying Option

MAGNA CARTA CARTEL is:

Martin Persner - Vocals & Guitar
Arvid Persner - Drums & Guitar
Pär Glendor - Bass & Guitar

MAGNA CARTA CARTEL was resurrected in 2017 after a nine-year period of sleep when members were on the road with GHOST.

In March 2017, Persner released a video message in which he claimed to have played in GHOST for seven years under the name Omega. He also revealed that he exited the band in July 2016, although he did not disclose the reasons for his departure.

Persner was not part of the lawsuit filed in early 2017 by four former members of GHOST against the band's lead singer and founder, Tobias Forge. That lawsuit accused Forge of cheating the musicians out of their rightful share of the profits from the group's album releases and world tours.

Photo credit: Claudio Marino

NEUROSIS's founding guitarist/vocalist Scott Kelly has publicly admitted to engaging in "the emotional, financial, verbal and physical abuse" of his wife and children. The 55-year-old has also announced that he is "100% permanently retired from being a professional musician," adding that "my sole focus for the rest of my life is on taking care of my family, allowing them safe space to heal and rebuilding their trust."

In a lengthy statement posted to his Facebook page, Kelly wrote: "Due to recent events, I feel that I clearly need to address some rumors and set the record straight.

"For the past several years I have engaged in the emotional, financial, verbal and physical abuse of my wife and younger children. When I became paranoid that people were going to find out, I found ways to keep my wife and kids from work and school and created divisions with friends and family members. I became obsessed with control and used threats, manipulation, threats of self-harm and suicide, inflicted physical damage on people and their reputations all to keep that control. When I knew my wife was going to leave I tried to convince her and others that I was crazy, and seeing things, and that I did not know what I was doing. She tried to help me with therapy and psychiatrists. My lies and deceptions fell apart in front of the professionals. When my wife finally tried to leave, I stalked and harassed her day and night and caused her and our youngest to live in a constant state of fear.

"I have lied or told half truths to so many people about so much of this that I can't keep track of them," Scott continued. "I don't want to lie about any of this anymore. I love my wife to no end. She is the best person that I know. She is intensely honest, loving and good to her core. This letter is massive simplification of the irreparable damage I have caused and the unforgivable things that I've done to her and our kids. To say more in this public forum would not help anyone. As the truth has started to leak out there have been people who have tried to blame my wife for my abuse to give me an out and people who have spread ridiculous and damaging rumors about her. This is fucked. She deserves so much better. If you are adopting this mentality or spreading these rumors you need to fucking stop.

"I have some serious issues that I am dealing with and I have separated myself from anyone who is connected with my public life so that I can focus on my own toxic shit. When my wife has been kind enough to answer questions about my absence, she has faced crazy accusations. There was a recent situation that was so fucked up that it necessitated immediate action on my part to set the record straight. My wife absolutely speaks for me in my absence and I have already said she is intensely honest. If you don't want the truth definitely don't ask her questions. Additionally it is never appropriate to approach or question our children.

"I know now that choosing to live a public life and be onstage was the worst decision that I could have made given the way that I am," Scott added. "I have hidden behind the attention and unfounded respect and adulation. I used my social position to directly and indirectly manipulate all of you and to hide the abuse of my family. I got satisfaction from my deception and perceived control of everyone involved.

"I am 100% permanently retired from being a professional musician. Some people can be in a scene like this where there is no accountability and maintain their integrity. I cannot. My sole focus for the rest of my life is on taking care of my family, allowing them safe space to heal and rebuilding their trust.

"I hope putting this out there will protect my wife from further attacks and finally allow my family some peace."

Kelly is one of three founding members of Oakland, California experimental metal band NEUROSIS. He has been writing and publishing music since 1985 with NEUROSIS, TRIBES OF NEUROT, BLOOD AND TIME and his solo acoustic project. He was also involved in a project named SHRINEBUILDER with Al Cisneros, Scott Weinrich and Dale Crover. In addition, he has guested on several studio albums by the band MASTODON.

Due to recent events, I feel that I clearly need to address some rumors and set the record straight. For the past…

Posted by Scott Kelly on Saturday, August 27, 2022

Grady Champion, who was "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's guitar tech throughout his career with PANTERA, says that he has "signed on" for the band's upcoming tour. Grady made his comments just hours after it was announced that the influential heavy metal group will play its first shows in over 20 years in December 2022, starting with a co-headlining slot at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest, followed by appearances at three Knotfest festivals in South America.

PANTERA will perform at Hell & Heaven Metal Fest on Friday, December 2 at Foro Pegaso in Toluca. Knotfest Colombia is scheduled for Friday, December 9 at Campin Circuit of Bogotá. Knotfest Chile is slated to take place on Sunday, December 11 at Estadio Monumental in Santiago. Knotfest Brasil will follow on Sunday, December 18 at Sambódromo do Anhembi in São Paulo.

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

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

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

On Thursday (August 25),Grady took to his Instagram to write: "Ok. For all the people i've ghosted, and anyone else who is interested. I'm doing a thing. I signed on for the PANTERA tour. Rita Haney [Dimebag's longtime girlfriend] has allowed me access to some of Dime's gear and i'm bringing it for Zakk. I'm not his tech, he has a bad ass, long-time one. The plan for now is for me to run effects and help bring Dime's tone to the party. The details of the rig and stuff are still to be worked out yet.

"I started with PANTERA and I will end with PANTERA. I didn't know the 'right' thing to think, to say, to do. When I saw the headline like everyone else, I threw up, sweaty palms, heart was freaking out, I had seen that headline 1000 times in my nightmares. After it sunk in and I spoke to everyone, I felt like I would be crazy to turn my nose up and say f that. I need to be involved IF I am needed, turns out I am needed, and i'm fkn doing it.

"Thanks to my family, Jamie McAfee Champion, Garrett Champion, Landon Champion for understanding and LETTING me do this for me, for the cause, for my fallen brothers. I wouldn't be ANYwhere in life if it hadn't been for Dime and his belief in me. So I HAVE to go represent.

"Anyways, not too good with words, but heart is on the sleeve here.

"Anyone that brings up 'money grab' has no concept of reality. How much it takes from people to do this. More dedication that you'll ever see, tears, all of it. If you want to hate, don't go, I don't want to hear it. If you want a PANTERA experience, this is it. We're giving it hell, and going to give it all there is to give. Philip, Rex Brown, Zakk and Char Benante are going to bring it.

"Stronger than all".

In a 2019 interview with U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine, Champion was asked to recall his favorite memory of working with Dimebag. He said: "One thing that sticks in my head is the Monsters Of Rock show in Moscow in '91. Wireless technology was VHF and one channel at the time. I turned the rig on, and we had about 15 minutes before the show. Russian walkie-talkies were coming through the rig, very 'Spinal Tap'-like. The stage was the biggest either of us had seen and I told him he was gonna have to be on a cable. 'There is no way I am going on this motherfuckin' stage with a cable!' A pretty heated argument ensued. I was out of options. A tech for METALLICA (Andy Battye) came running up with one of Jason Newsted's back-up units and saved the day just seconds before showtime. He was a monster that gig and I get chills watching the footage."

Grady said that he first met Dimebag in junior high school. But "our friendship really blossomed when the PANTERA guys let a band I was playing in open up over 100 shows with them in the club days," he said. "The night they were basically signed was the night I became his tech. I just had to convince my parents that going on the road with PANTERA was somehow better than going to college."

Darrell and his brother Vinnie co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag, 38, was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

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Image credit: Grady Champion

Former Alice Cooper and current Demi Lovato guitarist Nita Strauss has unleashed her brand new instrumental single, "Summer Storm", with an accompanying live music video shot on her recent U.S. headline tour.

The new track sees Nita return to her instrumental roots following her previous single, the enormously successful "Dead Inside" which featured guest vocals from DISTURBED's David Draiman and saw Nita become the first ever solo female to have a No. 1 hit at Active Rock Radio.

Nita comments: "Instrumental music is where my heart is, and 'Summer Storm' might be the song I feel captures my personal style the most: cathartic, driving and emotional. While a lot of the upcoming record will have guest vocalists, I'm also so proud of the instrumental tracks and excited to officially unleash this one on the world!"

Nita made her live debut with Demi on July 14 with a performance of Lovato's new single, "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Back in February, Nita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about her upcoming LP: "It's gonna be half and half — six tracks with vocalists and six tracks of instrumental [music]. We've been doing ['Dead Inside'] live on the solo tour and it's been getting a super-good reaction from our crowds. So I think the next [single] will be instrumental — kind of go back to the roots — and then another radio single after that."

Asked if she could talk about some of the other guests that appear on her new solo album, Nita said: "Not just yet. I will say that we've got a really, really cool blend of some legacy people as well as some new singers that I'm really excited about, and some amazing male vocalists and some incredible female vocalists as well."

In early December, Nita told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" about her decision to make the upcoming LP half vocal songs and half instrumental: "I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]. I have three amazing powerhouse female vocalists on this album so far."

Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".

As well as performing with Cooper, Nita has also played with R&B star Jermaine Jackson, early MTV darlings FEMME FATALE, video game supergroup CRITICAL HIT and popular tribute band THE IRON MAIDENS.

In April 2020, Nita launched "Rock Guitar Fundamentals" — a three-module online guitar teaching program suitable for learners of all levels. The course is available at www.iwanttoplayguitar.com.

Nita's solo live show is mostly instrumental in nature, combining originals with covers.

Founding MURDERDOLLS vocalist Wednesday 13 has accused the band's former guitarist Acey Slade of "stealing" the MURDERDOLLS name from late SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison.

Last week, it was announced that Slade and former MURDERDOLLS bassist Eric Griffin would take part in a signing on Sunday, August 28 at the Silver Scream convention at the Hilton Double Tree North Shore in Danvers, Massachusetts to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of MURDERDOLLS' first album, "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". The event was slated to be livestreamed on several platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Acey and Eric were also going to be doing a meet-and-greet after the announcement for those in attendance at Silver Scream Con. In addition, Acey and Eric launched a web site, murderdollsofficial.com, that purports to cater to all of the MURDERDOLLS alumni and their legion of fans affectionally known as The Ghoulscouts.

On Thursday (August 25),Wednesday 13 took to his social media to throw shade at his former bandmates, insisting that any merchandise being advertised using the MURDERDOLLS logos, music and lyrics is unapproved and unauthorized. Two days later (Saturday, August 27),Acey responded to Wednesday, saying that the re-release of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls" is officially licensed after he went through a "time-consuming and expensive" process reinstating the assets from Warner Music Group which fully acquired Roadrunner Records in 2010 after first buying 73.5% of the company in January 2007. He also invited all former member of the MURDERDOLLS to "use the band as a platform for their own endeavors".

On Sunday, Wednesday 13 once again took to his social media to clarify his position on the MURDERDOLLS dispute. He wrote: "Hello everyone, I want to take a moment to explain my comments this week on this MURDERDOLLS situation.

"My issues have nothing to do with any ex members celebrating the 20th anniversary of that album. I have been celebrating the anniversary as well on my tours this year. However I have been celebrating it as Wednesday 13, not MURDERDOLLS.

"The first album released in 2002, all music was written by Joey and I. The only other member to contribute to this record was Tripp [Eisen] with a few guitar solos. All other instruments/vocals are performed by Joey and Wednesday. We assembled the touring lineup after the recording was finished consisting of Eric, Ben and Acey.

"The band went on hiatus eight years after this and returned in 2010 with the sophomore MURDERDOLLS album. This album and touring lineup did not feature any of the touring members from the first album. This was decided by Joey, as his decision to only have he and I photographed on that album.

"This was Joey's band, he invited me into this world, and I am able to do what I do today because of him and the MURDERDOLLS name, and that's what this whole situation is about.

"MURDERDOLLS trademark had lapsed. This was unknown to Joey or I as the band was inactive and no one was watching for this. However it seems Acey was watching for it, and applied for the MD trademark to take the name behind our backs. Acey succeeded in gaining the trademark. He applied for this trademark 1 year before I was notified and a year before Joey's passing. He never notified Joey about this, as he knew he would be furious and not approve.

"There's no other way I can view this other than he stole the name from Joey. He is now launching websites, merchandise, and our first album as Official MURDERDOLLS, erasing my name out of the bio/ history of the band.

"It's sad that I've had to make this a public discussion, but that's where we are. I'm not involved with this situation because I chose not to be involved with it. It doesn't sit well with me and I cannot get behind it."

After the completion of the touring cycle for "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls", MURDERDOLLS went on hiatus so that guitarist Joey Jordison could focus on his other band SLIPKNOT. In 2010, MURDERDOLLS released a sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", which did not feature Slade, Griffin and drummer Ben "The Ghoul" Graves, all of whom played on "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls".

Just a few days prior to "Women And Children Last"'s arrival, Slade gave an interview to Blog Talk Radio's "Zombilly's Horror Hour" in which he said that he wasn't invited to take part in the making of the LP.

"We waited around a long time — myself, Eric and the Ghoul — we waited around a long time to do this record. And when Joey and Wednesday said that they wanted to do it by themselves, that was a bit of a... like, 'Really?! That's not what we discussed,'" he said. "But, quite frankly, it's like, okay, well, it's been seven years. You can't hold somebody to something they said seven years ago. It's like, 'Okay, cool.'"

Acey went on to say that he didn't like the material on "Women And Children Last". "I think it sounds like all the things that the band said that we weren't gonna be," he said. "When I was in the band, it was, 'We don't drop-tune — we tune standard 'cause we're a rock band — it's all tongue-in-cheek, nothing's serious. And now it's drop-tuned, it's serious subject matter, and it's not something I wanted to be a part of. It's like, wow, we were supposed to be a fun band that pissed people off, not a pissed off band that is writing... I don't know... It sounds like DISTURBED to me. It sounds like DISTURBED with Rob Zombie vocals. That was the other thing, too. [Laughs] Everybody was, like, 'You guys are like ALICE COOPER meets ROB ZOMBIE,' and we weren't. And it seems like all the negative things that people thought about us before they heard us, the band has now become. I'm not interested in that. I have a lot more creativity than that. And those guys do, too. So I'm a little disappointed for them. But you know, hey.... whatever. I guess they're happy doing it, but it's not something that I would wanna be a part of. And it's, like, weird, the whole Joey and Wednesday... They've got pictures of just Joey and Wednesday. I think it's pretty clear that they didn't want anyone else at the party; they want it to be an exclusive thing for them, I suppose."

Wednesday 13 reunited with Griffin and Slade on stage for the first time in over a decade in August 2018 at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood. The event, which celebrated the life of Graves, saw the trio performing some of MURDERDOLLS' classic songs.

Graves, who also worked with PRETTY BOY FLOYD and DOPE, passed away in May 2018 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was only 45 years old.

The MURDERDOLLS did a number of major tours in support of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". By the summer of 2003, the tenacity of the band was paying off. Tours with IRON MAIDEN, PAPA ROACH and the FOO FIGHTERS around the world and a Top 40 U.K. single with "White Wedding" made the band fan favorite in Metal Hammer, Metal Edge, Kerrang! and Rock Sound magazines.

Wednesday 13 photo credit: Stephen Jensen at F3 Studios for Napalm Records

Hello everyone, I want to take a moment to explain my comments this week on this Murderdolls situation.

My issues have...

Posted by Wednesday 13 on Sunday, August 28, 2022

Grammy Award-nominated hard rock outfit IN THIS MOMENT has released the song "Whore 1983" from its upcoming EP, "Blood 1983".

The "Blood 1983" EP commemorates the tenth anniversary of IN THIS MOMENT's gold-certified album "Blood" (2012) and will be available digitally across all digital service providers as well as CD on October 21 via BMG.

IN THIS MOMENT singer Maria Brink said: "We are excited to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our album 'Blood' by bringing this new EP to life. 'Blood' changed our lives and shifted our career in a way we will never forget. We created this reimagined version because we wanted to give our beautiful fans something to be excited about. 'Blood 1983' is just that… We can't wait for the world to hear it."

"Blood 1983" was co-produced by Tyler Bates and Dan Haigh, and mixed by Zakk Cervini.

Bates said: "The collab between IN THIS MOMENT, the inimitable Dan Haigh of GUNSHIP and myself yielded an awesome reimagining of four of the band's classic songs; leaning into synth wave and industrial music that has inspired all of us throughout our careers in music. We love it."

"Blood 1983" EP track listing

01. 1983
02. Adrenalize 1983
03. Burn 1983
04. Blood 1983
05. Whore 1983

This past weekend, IN THIS MOMENT launched its "Blood 1983" tour with special guests NOTHING MORE, SLEEP TOKEN and CHERRY BOMBS. The tour has the group set to take over stages in major markets, including Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Chicago from August through October 2022.

Since coming to life in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT has presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of "mother" figure and frontwoman Maria Brink — joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel and drummer Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group's otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as one of the most influential and impactful bands of the 21st century.

To date, in addition to the gold-selling album "Blood", the quintet has garnered two gold singles — "Blood" and "Whore" — followed by Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with "Black Widow" (2014) and "Ritual" (2017). Bringing their total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, "Ritual" elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. Between selling out headline tours coast-to-coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside DISTURBED and appeared at countless festivals from Welcome To Rockville to Sonic Temple. Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled "Mother" (Roadrunner) with longtime collaborator Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH).

IN THIS MOMENT is Maria Brink (lead vocals),Chris Howorth (guitars),Travis Johnson (bass),Randy Weitzel (rhythm guitar),Kent Dimmel (drums).

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.) will head to Nashville in three weeks to finish the writing process for the band's tenth studio album. The band will begin recording the effort on November 4 for a 2023 release.

BUCKCHERRY's follow-up to last year's "Hellbound" will once again he helmed by producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Frederiksen previously produced "Hellbound" as well as BUCKCHERRY's fourth album, "Black Butterfly", and co-wrote "Sorry", among other songs, with the band.

"Hellbound" came out in June 2021 via Round Hill Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded in the fall of 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee.

In the summer of 2020, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July of that year.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY enlisted Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

Earlier this year, Todd told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he and his bandmates have never had the luxury to slack off on their work habits, even during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"When you're in a band, it's like it's your business. So if you just sit around and wait for people to tell you what to do, then you're not running a good business," Todd said. "We've always created opportunities within ourselves. We have to make schedules, we have to stick to them. We have to show up and work hard. We're so used to doing that because people have written this band off many times and we have many peaks and valleys in the BUCKCHERRY career. We have come back from a lot of adversity and had a lot of success. And we only did that by believing in ourselves and working hard because no one else is going to do that except us."

BUCKCHERRY burst on to the scene in 1999 with its now-classic self-titled debut album. Hit singles "Lit Up", "For The Movies", "Dead Again" and "Check Your Head" brought the celebration back to the party scene, recalling the gritty glam impact of MÖTLEY CRÜE but with a Gen X-demanded, modern self-awareness . Later albums continued to develop their reputation for volatile, mercurial themes and infectious hooks; such singles as "Crazy Bitch", "Everything", "Too Drunk" and "All Night Long" became screaming choruses for fans across the world. With their irreverent and bawdy lyrics, delivered with Todd's whisky weathered vocals, paired with filthy guitar riffs and high-energy, throbbing bass lines, BUCKCHERRY has sustained a hard-earned reputation as a not-to-be-missed live presence with regular touring schedules alongside such legends as MÖTLEY CRÜE and PAPA ROACH.

Only NINE CHANCES LEFT to catch us on the 2022 Hellbound Tour!! While we look forward to The KISS Kruise, New Zealand...

Posted by Buckcherry on Monday, August 29, 2022

During an appearance on the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast hosted by Chris Jericho, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine spoke about his working relationship with the band's lead guitarist Kiko Loureiro with whom he has collaborated since 2015. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Kiko has a very playful nature. He's very much like a cat, with the way that he kind of plays around with certain things. I think the differences between dogs and cats are pretty obvious. Kiko is very cerebral with his thoughts; they're very calculated. And he's very much in his — I don't wanna say 'his own world' because that sounds disrespectful. But Kiko is very happy with his life and where he's going.

"We all face challenges at every stage in our life, and this is no different than anybody else," Dave continued. "Going out on a two-month tour when you have a set of five-year-old twins [as Kiko does] is challenging. But I think that the success of the record right now is setting the stage. As things change for us with our careers, as we start to learn how to conduct ourselves as businessmen, start to put a little bit of money in the bank, start to get a car, get a house, start to save some money and plan for the future, those are things that are all happening right now with Kiko and Dirk [Verbeuren, MEGADETH drummer]. [Kiko's] been at this a long time.

"This is really great now 'cause I told [Kiko] when I first met him, I said, 'Your life's gonna change. I don't care how big you think [your former band] ANGRA is' — 'cause I like ANGRA too — but I said, 'You're gonna go from being in ANGRA to being a star in MEGADETH.' And I said, 'If you play your cards right, you'll end up being a superstar.'"

Mustaine added: "I've always tried to paint the picture, the dynamic, I think, with the band. Sometimes the success of the band is based on the makeup of the pyramid of the band. You've got your marquee player, much like in hockey you've got your goal scorer. And then you've got your B-grade players — usually your supporting cast. And then your C-grade players, your defensemen, and then D grade, which are your grinders, your utility players. Establishing that hierarchy around your franchise player is what the success of the team is built on.

"When you have a band that's got, say, four guys; we'll keep it simple. And all four guys, they just play an instrument. They're not musicians; they just play instruments. They'll never make it. They'll never make it. So you have a band of four guys and they're all musicians. Will they make it? They'll probably be a really good cover band. If you have a band and you have one star in it, will you make it? Probably. But the other guys in that band won't be there when the smoke clears. If you have several stars in the band, there's a good chance they're gonna stick together the whole time, and there's a good chance that you're gonna go on to superstardom. If you're a superstar, you don't really need a band. You want a band sometimes. You find people you really like, but they don't always keep pace. And it's very much like being a wagon train. You can't have an ox next to a horse [pulling the wagon train]. They're unevenly paired up.

"I don't know if you've had to make any of those terrible things we call lineup changes. The worst part is when you have to make a lineup change with a friend," Dave said. "Like if you are playing in a band and you put it together with high school mates and you have to say goodbye to somebody, that's always painful.

"The thing I've always said is if you get in a band with a friend, prepare to lose both. I think when you have to say goodbye to those guys, a lot of times the friendship is over. So that's a caveat for young musicians. If you hire somebody based on their ability to play, then you don't ever have to explain to anybody why you got a bad bass player? 'Well, he's dating my sister.' 'Well, great. He sucks. He can't even play 'Dazed And Confused'.'"

Dave previously floated his theory about "superstar" musicians during a 2018 interview with mxdwn. Speaking about how the metal scene has changed since MEGADETH first started back in the early 1980s, Mustaine said: "I look at it like this: there's people that know how to make music, there's musicians, there's people that are stars, there's people that are superstars, right? A guy that knows how to make music can go sit on a piano and play 'Chopsticks'. A musician can play. A star is somebody that can play the piano and you'll go, 'Wow, that guy's really good.' A superstar is somebody who you've got that guy's record in your house somewhere already. … For example, LED ZEPPELIN — LED ZEPPELIN had four superstars. If you think of a band like, say, AC/DC, [they] had maybe, people would argue, two superstars: Angus [Young] and the frontman, right? So at times, especially when you have a high school band, maybe all four of you are just musicians, but one guy's got the spark and he's got what it takes. And maybe he becomes a star. And that's why most bands don't make it, because they've only got one guy that's a star and the rest are just musicians. I think we've been really lucky because [then-MEGADETH bassist] David's [Ellefson, bass] got moments of greatness where he goes from being a star to a superstar; most notably is the riff I wrote for 'Peace Sells…But Who's Buying?' When I showed that to him, he embraced it and people fell in love with his playing and the rest is history."

MEGADETH's new album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" , will arrive on September 2 via UMe.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Rock 'N' SeXXXy UnCensored With Amber Lynn" podcast, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares spoke about the fact that he is "very active" on social media. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I do answer a lot of fans back — good and bad."

When host Amber Lynn asked if he lets any of the online criticism of his music get to him, Dino said: "I look at it this way: at least they listened to it and gave it a shot. But there are people who just wanna go up there and just talk shit; that's just how they are. But the funny thing is that when they do and then I answer them back, they're surprised. They think that they're anonymous; they think that no one's gonna see it. But people do see it. A lot of artists do see it. A lot of artists kind of try to ignore it because it bothers them. Some artists just can't handle it; they're very insecure about it. But I'm, like, 'I'll give you shit back.' It's funny, 'cause they'll give me shit and I'll give them shit back, and then they'll be, like, 'Well, you're the asshole,' 'cause I responded to them and gave it back to them. So it's kind of funny."

After co-host Joe Williamson noted that you've got to have "thick skin" to be in the entertainment business, Dino said: "Correct. But [the online trolls have] gotta have the thick skin as well if they're gonna dish it out; they've gotta be able to handle it. It's so easy, 'cause somebody could try to attack you online and you just go look 'em up on Facebook, Instagram or wherever. 'Okay, this guy's got this, got this,' and you could attack them back. And people are, like, 'Oh, shit.'"

Dino has yet to announce FEAR FACTORY's new singer following the departure of Burton C. Bell nearly two years ago.

In a recent interview, Cazares confirmed that ONCE HUMAN's Lauren Hart originally auditioned for the vocalist position in FEAR FACTORY before he recruited her to front his DIVINE HERESY project.

This past February, former NIGHTRAGE singer Antony Hämäläinen, who unsuccessfully auditioned for the vocalist slot in FEAR FACTORY, claimed in an interview that the new FF frontman is "a person from Italy."

In April, Dino told "The Garza Podcast" that the new FEAR FACTORY singer is emotionally ready to handle the inevitable pushback from some fans that he will get once his identity has been revealed.

Pressed about what happened to cause Burton to leave FEAR FACTORY, Dino said: "Because we went through some really heavy lawsuits for four years, and it financially crippled us — personally as well — and I just believe that he lost interest. I think that possibly all the stuff that we went through in FEAR FACTORY was just, like… He's one of those guys, 'Fuck it. I'm out. I quit. Fuck it.' He doesn't come across as a fighter — as somebody who's gonna be, like, 'Fuck it. We went through it. Let's go through it and let's just continue.' I mean, I left the door open for him for a while to come back into the band, but he pretty much said fuck me, Raymond [Herrera, former FEAR FACTORY drummer] and Christian [Olde Wolbers, former FEAR FACTORY bassist] — everybody. Fuck everybody."

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's latest LP, "Aggression Continuum".

"Aggression Continuum" was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside drummer Mike Heller.
Listen to "Dino Cazares, Fear Factor" on Spreaker.Rock’N’SeXXXyU thank you Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares for a great show pictured with host Amber Lynn, and Joe Williamson if you missed the live show replay on our blog at https://t.co/DGNjAaJfx7 or UNBGO Ch1 also Spotify pic.twitter.com/p08vbe8JBL

— Rock'N'SeXXXyU™ (@RockNSeXXXyU) August 26, 2022

Chuck D of PUBLIC ENEMY joined ANTHRAX on stage this past Friday night (August 26) at Coney Island Amphitheater in Brooklyn, New York to perform "Bring The Noise", the song ANTHRAX and PUBLIC ENEMY recorded together in 1991. Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Chuck D previously performed "Bring The Noise" with ANTHRAX on July 29 at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.

During the recording of ANTHRAX's "Persistence Of Time" album, guitarist Scott Ian suggested the band — all big PUBLIC ENEMY fans — record a cover of PUBLIC ENEMY's "Bring The Noise". He loved the idea of recording a metal version of the song, of melding his guitar sound with Chuck D's voice, plus, PUBLIC ENEMY had name-checked ANTHRAX in the lyrics. Once the demo was arranged and recorded, Scott sent a cassette of it to Chuck D with the pitch for Chuck and Flavor Flav to record a version of the track with ANTHRAX. After hearing the demo, Chuck D wholeheartedly agreed. In June, 1991, the ANTHRAX-PUBLIC ENEMY collaboration of "Bring The Noise" was released on ANTHRAX's B-sides/rarities album "Attack Of The Killer B's", and then on PUBLIC ENEMY's "Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black" album in October of that same year. The song blew up, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance." Then, on September 24, 1991, as part of ANTHRAX's "Persistence Of Time" touring cycle, the two bands went out on the road together, the "Bring The Noise Tour" — ANTHRAX and PUBLIC ENEMY, with PRIMUS and the YOUNG BLACK TEENAGERS supporting. The shows ended with ANTHRAX and PUBLIC ENEMY on stage together performing "Bring The Noise".

Asked in a 2013 interview with The National Student if he thinks the backlash in the collaboration ANTHRAX did with PUBLIC ENEMY helped to form any of the nu-metal music today, Ian said: "You know, people ask us, do we think we created certain genres of music that the press named after we did what we did with PUBLIC ENEMY. I never thought we invented it. It certainly opened a door, even just a window for people to jump out of. I truly believe that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE were the band that drove a train through that door; they took the influences in their individuals and came together to make a band out of it. Whereas with us and PUBLIC ENEMY, it's not like ANTHRAX became a rap group and it's not like PUBLIC ENEMY became a metal group, we just collaborated together and did something great. We didn't then become one unit and continue to make music like that. Whereas, RAGE AGAINST were that unit and this is the music that they were creating from their souls which blew up massively on a worldwide level. So I think if anything, whether or not they'd want the credit for it, it's definitely RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE for me that created rap metal, nu-metal, whatever you want to call it. Everything that came after them showed that a direct line had to go back to RAGE. The only thing I can personally take credit for is, there have been guys in bands that have come up to me and personally told me the influence that we bring to them specifically some of the dudes from LINKIN PARK told me years and years ago that the first concert they ever saw was ANTHRAX and PUBLIC ENEMY in Los Angeles. And they left that show saying that's the kind of band we want me to make. I know the guys in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and I know Tom [Morello, guitar] and he was a fan of ours and PUBLIC ENEMY's and what we did. I'm not saying 'Bring The Noise' was a direct responsibility for RAGE, but I know that it's something they are certainly fans of."

In a separate interview with the Cleveland Music Examiner, Ian stated about ANTHRAX's original decision to record a cover of "Bring The Noise": "By that point, there was a new audience, and we certainly reached a lot of new people with that PUBLIC ENEMY track. People who maybe weren't into what we'd done before, or who weren't metalheads. So that track crossed over for us and took us into a new zone. But it's funny, because we haven't done anything rap or crossed over since 'Bring The Noise', yet people once again still talk about it, which shows me how special it was. People still want to hear it and people still reference it all the time, and it's almost 25 years old. And sometimes we're categorized as a 'rap metal' band, when we only ever did the two songs — other then maybe screwing around with 'Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun' with the BEASTIE BOYS as a B-side — but yeah. People still talk about it as if that's what we do."