Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, Swedish guitarist/vocalist Guilherme Miranda (formerly of ENTOMBED A.D.) and drummer Michał Łysejko (ex-DECAPITATED) have come together to launch a new death/thrash metal band DIETH. Based in Gdansk, Poland the group has released the music video for its first single, "In The Hall Of The Hanging Serpents", which can be viewed below.

According to a press release, Ellefson, Miranda and Łysejko "pushed beyond the stereotypes of their genres to create a charismatic new sound, one which is rich with inventive guitar riffs, tight drum grooves, technical prowess, guttural vocals and catchy melodies, serving as the passageway for their new declaration."

Explains Guilherme: "It has been so much happening lately (in life),feeling the need to express ourselves accordingly. Create something new, have a fresh start. Personally, it was a matter of life or death to come back playing music. To do something truly meaningful and finally cope with the anger and grief. Sometimes you have to die inside to be reborn. This is what DIETH represents, a new sonic driving force that leave the past behind."

Ellefson adds: "The three of us have all been recognized in our respective bands and careers but at some point, we had to close the door on those exploits to let something new begin and now we have found it in DIETH. In fact, the name itself is about dying to one's past so that something new can spring forth to create the next chapter of life. And that is a connection the three of us hold in common."

Łysejko states: "For me, DIETH is awakening from a creative lethargy, with the full feeling that the time has come. The lightness with which DIETH's music flows from us, combining our inspirations and experiences into a whole, is proof of this. The fact that the band was formed in the Tri-City I come from has a symbolic meaning for me."

The video for "In The Hall Of The Hanging Serpents" was filmed in Gdańsk and directed by Maciej Pieloch of MP Productions.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine ended up hiring TESTAMENT's Steve DiGiorgio to re-record Ellefson's bass parts on the band's upcoming album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", before inviting MEGADETH alumnus James LoMenzo to rejoin the group as permanent bass player.

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

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

DIETH:

David Ellefson, Guilherme Miranda, Michał Łysejko

Photography: Maciej Pieloch Photography

Posted by DIETH on Wednesday, July 13, 2022

THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — will release its debut album, "Days Of The Lost", on August 12 via Nuclear Blast. Asked in a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine if he and the other members of THE HALO EFFECT had a clear idea about their musical direction from the band's inception, Stanne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We decided to… It was just, like, 'We can do anything. It doesn't matter. Let's make music that feels good.' And those first demos were very indicative of, 'Okay. Wow. We're going in a direction that we like. And this is easy.' I guess we decided early on, let's rather not invent something new but rather play to our strengths. What are we good at? What can we do that we know we are good at? So, that way it was so much easier to put together songs too, because it's not like you have to be original or anything — it doesn't have to be something unique — it just has to be really good. And that's all that mattered. And that's what we said, 'If it feels good, then we do it.' Otherwise we won't. We're at a certain age and a certain level of experience that we're not gonna force anything out of this; we're gonna make sure that this is a fun, cool project where we have a great time writing together, great time recording and playing. And that's it. That's the main draw for us."

Stanne, whose main focus continues to be DARK TRANQUILLITY, went on to say that "it was great to reconnect with old friends" during the making of THE HALO EFFECT album. "That's what really made it such a great experience for me," he said. "Because I'm constantly traveling, and we don't see each other enough, I think. So finally we could just hang out in the studio and just talk about music and write a little bit, record some and just hang out and talk about the good old days when we met in the early '90s or talk about records we love and concerts we went to see… So this was a great opportunity for that. And then just doing something at home as well. You're stuck; you're not going out that much. It was basically just studio, home studio, family and bands — that's all I met during the pandemic. But it was great. [Whether] it was [DARK TRANQUILLITY] or GRAND CADAVER or THE HALO EFFECT, it was a really, really good time and super creative. So, creatively, this has been the best years or my life. But it's also been miserable in many other ways."

THE HALO EFFECT made its live debut on June 11 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Asked in a recent interview with "The Back Lounge" podcast about some fans' perception that THE HALO EFFECT was formed primarily with the intention of "sticking it" to IN FLAMES, Peter said: "No, no, no. It couldn't be further from the truth. Somebody said it to me perfectly… When you get that question, well, it's like talking about your ex-wife. You had it, it was great at the time, but then you moved on. So THE HALO EFFECT started out of love for music — not at all to spite anybody or to create some rivalry; nothing like that at all. And it needs to be said, and it probably will be said a bunch of times. The love for music and the love for each other is a hundred percent what it's all about."

Peter added that forming a band with the intention of competing with someone else "would be totally the wrong reason" to do it. "Everything I do I base upon how I feel," he explained. "I try to do everything with a good vibe and everything that makes me feel good, feel great. And that's what it's all about with everything that I do. So if I would ever start something to piss somebody else off, then it wouldn't make me feel good, and I couldn't keep on doing it. It's real simple in my world, but I understand how people think that and how some people would like to think that. But there's no rivalry. IN FLAMES, I was a member for 20 years. And it is what it is. It's a great band and they always will be."

Last month, Iwers was asked in an interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast if he would agree that "Days Of The Lost" is, in some ways, a "spiritual successor" to "Reroute To Remain", IN FLAMES' sixth album, which came out in 2022. Peter said: "Ooh, interesting. I haven't really thought about it. When you make music, like we do, you tend not to overthink stuff — you just go in and you write music and kind of know that what comes out will sound a certain way because of the style that we are playing and how we are playing and performing our music. So I haven't really thought about it, but maybe — maybe. It was definitely nothing intentional. We just went in. We had a bunch of ideas and we came out with a bunch of songs that happen to sound a certain way. But none of us really overthought it and it was never meant to 'it's gonna sound like this' or 'it's gonna sound like that.' We just [went], 'Let's write this music and see what happens.' And because of, like I said, how we're playing, it will sound a certain way."

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stanne recently told the "Heavy Hops" podcast about THE HALO EFFECT's musical direction: "Niclas started writing a few songs, just based on what he has and what he kind of digs. And I immediately felt, like, 'Oh, this is super cool. We're on to something here.' It's super heavy, it's melodic — it's all those things that we kind of grew up trying to do. Then Jesper got involved and he started changing a little bit of that or adding stuff to it. And we were, like, 'Okay, this is awesome.' It doesn't feel new at all, it doesn't feel super different, but at the same time, why should we? Let's focus on the things that we know best and try to kind of recapture that feeling that we had when we were kids, when we wanted to play together and that kind of playful atmosphere. Because the longer you play together with your main band or what have you, you try to constantly reinvent yourself, and so much energy goes into trying to be different from what you have done before. Whereas starting something new like this with a very familiar genre of music meant that you could be very free about it. It doesn't have to be anything in particular, it doesn't have to conform to any rules — it just needs to fucking kick ass and feel good."

Shortly after leaving IN FLAMES, Iwers joined CYHRA, the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and Strömblad. He announced his departure from that band in May 2018.

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

Photo credit: Markus Esselmark

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, JOURNEY guitarist and founder Neal Schon discussed what the future holds for the band's live shows. In fact, Schon said that after JOURNEY's stadium tours, fans could see "An Evening With"-type performances that could stretch well beyond three hours with a much bigger production than anything he and his bandmates have ever tackled before.

"Next year is my 50th anniversary with JOURNEY, from the beginning of it, with Herbie Herbert and myself, and starting in mid-1972, Neal explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I know it says on the Internet that '73, that it was formed — maybe the name JOURNEY was, but the beginning of the band started in '72 with Herbie and myself. And so taking all into account to that, I felt like I wanted to encompass it all. And what I'm still really looking forward to doing, and I know that we're on our way there, because we're selling out these arenas very quickly now, and we're gonna be going into some stadiums — in '23, probably the end of '23 and '24, we'll be back in stadiums. But what I do wanna do is somewhat what RUSH had been doing for a long time, is 'An Evening With…'. And I've had the opportunity to kind of do that in a few different situations to test it out with audiences and see what they think, and they just absolutely love it."

Asked if that means that fans could JOURNEY fans could potentially see Bruce Springsteen-style live performances from the band that last more than three hours, Schon said: "I think so, definitely. We're definitely capable of doing it. Not only do we have Arnel Pineda, who's a phenomenal singer — and now singing better yet than he's ever sung because we got the right mixer in front and got his headset sorted out. Just think about that — he's been with us 15 years and he didn't know how to explain it; he couldn't hear correctly until just most recently. And I'm, like, 'This is just bizarre.' And now it sounds like a record in front every night. But not only do we have Arnel, we have [drummer] Deen Castronovo, who's been my little brother forever; he sings his ass off as well. Then we have Jason Derlatka, our second keyboardist, that also sings. And so we're really, really covered vocally to where the ball can be passed around a bit and it's not so much strain all on Arnel to be able to do a three-and-a-half-hour show, with an intermission in the middle. Plus when we get to that [point], I'm really gonna put some thought into creating a really mind-effin' show, to where we're doing bits and pieces of where we came from — whether it's just used between songs. There's ways to use those musical pieces. We don't have to play the whole song. It doesn't have to sound like Las Vegas either, like a cliché greatest hits — let's just do this verse, this chorus. No — I'm talking like using obscure pieces that haven't seen the light of day in many, many years and using it in between songs to make the audience go, 'Wow!' I mean, it's all sitting there. It's just sitting there. The only thing that's stopping you is yourself from doing it. That's kind of where I'm at right now."

JOURNEY's new album, "Freedom", arrived today (Friday, July 8) via BMG except in Europe and Japan, where it was issued via Frontiers Music Srl.

"Freedom" is the first album of new JOURNEY material to be released in 11 years, since 2011's "Eclipse", and in addition to longtime keyboard player and primary lyricist Jonathan Cain and Pineda, one more member was recruited for the LP — bassist extraordinaire Randy Jackson, who had played on JOURNEY's 1986 effort "Raised On Radio".

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than 1 million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan", a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame. Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Pineda as lead singer after Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube.

Fan-filmed video of SKID ROW's July 9 performance at the Sauna Open Air festival in Tampere, Finland can be seen below.

SKID ROW's new album, "The Gang's All Here", will be released on October 14 via earMUSIC. The band recorded most of the effort in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

In May, SKID ROW shared the music video for "The Gang's All Here" title track.

"'The Gang's All Here', for me, represents the brotherhood of this band," said guitarist Scotti Hill. "And with the addition of [new singer] Erik [Grönwall], our bond is more solid than ever."

Grönwall joined SKID ROW in January as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years. Theart played his final gig with SKID ROW in February before being officially given the boot.

Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. Six months later, he announced that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant in August. "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life," he told Headbangers Lifestyle in January. "Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."

Last September, Grönwall released his cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan recently told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about Grönwall's addition to the band: "Just the way he does things and his work ethic is one I've never seen other than the four of us that are already in the band. He just doesn't stop until he gets things absolutely right. Whether it's his version, what he thinks is right, or what we think is right, he works hard — he works hard. And you can see why he had the success he did overseas because he's a really, really hard-working singer that takes care of his instrument and that takes pride in his craft."

Rachel also reflected on SKID ROW's first live performance with Grönwall, saying: "Honestly, dude, from the minute he opened his mouth… His timing is impeccable. We knew it was gonna be cool. And each show has gotten even better, 'cause we're learning each other's rhythm on stage. When I walked away from that show, I said to Erik, I go, 'This was show one. I cannot wait for show one hundred. It's gonna be amazing.'"

Bolan previously talked about how Erik came to join SKID ROW during an appearance on an episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion", recorded just hours before SKID ROW's first performance with the Swedish singer. "We toured together. H.E.A.T. was on tour with SKID ROW. What year was that? '18? And we'd hear him every night from the dressing room," he said. "And a couple of times, I was, like, 'Man, listen to this guy sing. He's phenomenal.' And then, I forget who told me, someone that was with us, 'Yeah, he won 'Idol' in Sweden.' And I was, like, 'Man, he's got pipes.' And I was listening. Then I went behind the monitor board a couple of times. And in my head, I'm, like, 'Wow! When SKID ROW has some downtime, I'm gonna get in touch with this dude and start a side project with him.' And obviously, that never happened. But as time went on and we got to the point to where we were with ZP and stuff, Erik was our first… I told Snake, I go, 'We've gotta check this guy out.' And along with Snake and the rest of the guys, and Nick, our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, were, like, 'He's the guy, man. Send him some songs.' So we sent him some songs that we were recording, just with a guide vocal on it, and it came back about 24 hours later, and we were, like, 'All right. He's the guy. Get him on a plane. Let's do this.'"

The title track of METALLICA's third album, "Master Of Puppets", is seeing new life 36 years after its release after its inclusion in season four of Netflix's hit series "Stranger Things". The popularity of the 1986 song brought it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever in the band's lengthy career.

In the season four finale of "Stranger Things", the Eddie Munson character performs what he calls "the most metal concert ever" — including shredding "Master Of Puppets" on his beloved Warlock guitar — in "Stranger Things"' "Upside Down" alternate universe during an attempt to help his friends vanquish the Big Bad of the season, a demon named Vecna.

On July 5, METALLICA released a statement regarding "Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer's decision to use the group's music in the show. The band said: "The way The Duffer Brothers have incorporated music into 'Stranger Things' has always been next level, so we were beyond psyched for them to not only include 'Master Of Puppets' in the show but to have such a pivotal scene built around it.

"We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away... it's so extremely well done, so much so, that some folks were able to guess the song just by seeing a few seconds of Joseph Quinn's hands in the trailer!! How crazy cool is that?

"It's an incredible honor to be such a big part of Eddie's journey and to once again be keeping company with all of the other amazing artists featured in the show."

Two weeks ago, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo revealed that his 17-year-old son Tye contributed "additional guitar tracks" to the version of "Master Of Puppets" which appears in "Stranger Things".

Apparently as a result of the renewed attention "Master Of Puppets" has received thanks to being featured in Netflix's hit original series, the song is currently sitting at position No. 22 on Spotify's Top 50 Global chart.

"Master Of Puppets" was released on February 24, 1986 and was the first album METALLICA recorded after signing a major label deal with Elektra Records.

The set only reached No. 29 on the Billboard album chart but has sold over six million copies in the U.S. since.

It is the last record to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who was killed later that year in a tour bus crash.

Several songs from the album are still staples of METALLICA's live set, including "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and the title track.

Many fans consider it METALLICA's finest album, a fact that the band acknowledged by playing it in its entirety on a European tour in 2006.

"Master Of Puppets" continues to sell several thousand copies a week in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In 2016, "Master Of Puppets" was among the albums that were selected for induction into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

Several years ago, METALLICA collaborated with an author named Matt Taylor on a book about the making of "Master Of Puppets".
.@Metallica's "Master of Puppets" enters the Hot 100 for the first time ever following #StrangerThings, 36 years after release.

— chart data (@chartdata) July 11, 2022

YouTube channel LYNDA LOVELL has uploaded fan-filmed video of GREAT WHITE's July 7 performance at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. Check out the clips below.

Last month, LAST IN LINE singer Andrew Freeman, who recently joined GREAT WHITE as the replacement for Mitch Malloy, discussed his latest gig during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Regarding how he approaches singing the classic GREAT WHITE songs originally recorded by the band's founding vocalist Jack Russell, Freeman said: "When I'm playing with GREAT WHITE, that's their thing, and I'm just there to try to do the songs like Jack. If we do original material, great. We're talking about it.

"I wanna make that band tough again, like it was when Jack was in it," he explained. "Jack would do a show and then bust a bottle over your head off the side of the stage."

Freeman, who has played less than a dozen shows so far with GREAT WHITE since he joined the group, continued: "The hits — the 'Once Bitten' [1987] and '...Twice Shy' [1989] and that stuff — they're fun songs to play, but I think if the wrong person is presenting them, they come off like — I don't want anybody to get mad at me — they come off like a lesser, more glammy type of band. And I've never seen GREAT WHITE as that, as a glammy-type band. Everybody had the big hair; even Ozzy [Osbourne] had the big hair and the glitter and all that stuff… I never really saw them as that. I always see them as… when everybody was in the leather pants and the leather jackets and the cuts over the leather jackets with their band name on the back and stuff — that's how I see 'em. I see Jack… Even now when I see him on the road, 'cause I've done gigs with him — he doesn't know me from Adam — but he still seems like that guy [who's] gonna hit you with his cane. [Laughs]"

Andrew went on to say that he was a GREAT WHITE fan from the early 1980s. "I really loved the first album," he said. "I got the first album when I was young, alongside with MÖTLEY CRÜE's 'Too Fast For Love'."

Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

In a recent interview with Dr. Music, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall stated about the band's latest addition: "[Andrew] sat in with us [several months ago when Mitch wasn't able to make the show]; we played with FOREIGNER up north [in Modesto, California in October of 2021]. And he blew our minds. So right then we kind of knew we wanted him. But because he was doing something, and we were really busy — [there was] not enough time to rehearse and stuff like that. And we saw this window of opportunity, [and] he was totally into it."

Kendall continued: "There's a lot of different sides to his voice too, so he's not one-dimensional, even though he delivers the LAST IN LINE thing [like] an in-your-face metal screamer. But he can sing a ballad like Satan; I mean, it's killer. So that's what I like. His voice is so well rounded. And the guy, he vibrates at a frequency that you like to be around — he's just this chill dude. There's no nonsense, no ego, no weird trips or anything, so you feel the brotherhood forming straight away. And that's what we like. We're into being a band — all of us, together — go places together, do things together and just enjoy each other. No weird trips. Because we've been through it all. If somebody's a little funny, it's, like, 'Really?' It's almost like if you see cocaine, you go, 'You still have that?' [Laughs] So any kind of weird head trips, we just don't understand it.

"So, yeah, we're just loving it," Kendall added. "We cannot wait for the fans to hear this guy sing some of our big songs. And we're real pumped about making new music, 'cause I have a lot of stuff, Michael [Lardie, guitar/keyboards] has a lot of stuff. We've done things together and just haven't quite put it together. But now we've got this guy that can do anything. Believe me, man, we wanna get something with him on it, 'cause it's gonna be ridiculous."

As for Mitch's departure, Mark said: "We were going in separate ways in the sense that he was always by himself; he didn't really talk to us much. He just kind of showed up… That's just not the way a band works, as far as we're concerned. He's a wonderful singer. I don't think he's used to him not being in full control of everything because he's been a solo artist for so many years. He's a sweet guy. I really liked him. I think a few of our songs are a little out of his range, so it's a little bit of a struggle. But nothing real heavy — no big, huge fights. Nothing ever came to fisticuffs, if you will. [Laughs] So it wasn't a case of that.

"We canceled a gig — or we were going to have to cancel a gig for him to do a VAN HALEN show, a tribute show," Kendall explained. "He gave us warning about this. But when FOREIGNER canceled [our show with them] because of some COVID thing, we rescheduled the date and it fell right on when he was gonna do that VAN HALEN show that he warned us about. So, regardless, it was probably pretty tough for him to get out of it. But it ended up being a blessing for us because we got Andrew to fill in. When we heard him do that show… And the whole band FOREIGNER was on the side of the stage going, 'Oh my God, man. This is pretty good.' So that was nice of them to acknowledge we had a good show. So that's when the seed of the idea was, like, 'Man. God.'"

Kendall went on to say that he doesn't think Malloy is upset about being out of GREAT WHITE. "He likes his solo career," Mark said. "I saw his post [about his exit from GREAT WHITE] where he said, 'Get ready for my VAN HALEN experience. And I'm gonna be doing an acoustic show, a storytellers show,' and all this stuff. So I'm encouraging people to go check him out when he gets in your area and wishing him to do well."

Asked if he and his bandmates had given any thought at all to the idea of reuniting with original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell, Mark said: "That's the other thing. [People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…

"My goal has always been to deliver the best show we can possibly deliver and have the fans be beyond impressed," Kendall explained. "And the way Andrew sings, I really like the way he delivers the songs, because it's what you wanna hear. So that's important to me, just to have the songs — the big songs, especially — be sung right and with full power. It just makes everything — it makes us play better, believe it or not. So that's the whole thing with me."

GREAT WHITE's current lineup is rounded out by Audie Desbrow (drums) and Scott Snyder (bass).

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums.

DESCENDENTS have publicly distanced themselves from an ex-Oath Keepers spokesperson who testified before the January 6 committee while wearing the band's merchandise.

Jason Van Tatenhove was the former national media director of the Oath Keepers, a radical far-right anti-government group. He began working with them in 2014 but said he stopped when they he heard them falsely claiming that the Holocaust hadn't happened.

Earlier today (Tuesday, July 12), Van Tatenhove wore a shirt with the DESCENDENTS logo while testifying on in front of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, prompting the long-running Californian hardcore punk group to release the following statement via Twitter: "We completely disavow groups like the Oath Keepers and in no way condone their hateful ideology."

The committee has been probing whether extremist groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys coordinated with allies in the White House before the violence erupted at the Capitol.

During his testimony, Van Tatenhove said: "In my opinion, the Oath Keepers are a very dangerous organization. I can tell you that they may not like to call themselves a militia, but they are. They're a violent militia. I think the best illustration for what the Oath Keepers are happened January 6th, when we saw that stacked military formation going up the stairs of our Capitol. What it was going to be was an armed revolution. I think we've gotten exceedingly lucky that more bloodshed did not happen."

ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer is one of more than two dozen members of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys who were sued by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine last December in an effort to recover the millions of dollars the city spent to defend the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 attack.

According to CNN, the lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., accused 31 members of the extremist groups of "conspiring to terrorize the District" on Jan. 6, calling their actions "a coordinated act of domestic terrorism." The lawsuit cited the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal law created after the Civil War to protect civil rights and, as Racine noted, "to protect against vigilantes and insurrectionists."

"I think the damages are substantial," Racine told The Washington Post. "If it so happens that it bankrupts or puts these individuals and entities in financial peril, so be it."

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sells lifetime memberships for $1,200, has not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. According to federal authorities, Kelly and Connie Meggs plotted for weeks ahead of the attack, attended training sessions and recruited others. Kelly Meggs is the head of the Oath Keepers' chapter in Florida.
We completely disavow groups like the Oath Keepers and in no way condone their hateful ideology.

The second release from Denver, CO’s Celestial Wizard is a veritable blend of power metal and death metal. Winds Of The Cosmos is nine tracks of crushing and aggressive vocals with thrash and melodic style of guitar playing. The drums are clear, and punchy to give a solid foundation and framework for the music to thrive. All these elements together create something new and unique in its own right, blazing a new trail of melodic heavy metal.


The lyrics guide the listener through a choice mix of fantasy and sci-fi themes, ranging from frosty Dungeons and Dragons excitement to space travelers and black holes. The lyrics also delve into personal struggle and growth, allowing fans to connect with the music on a deeper level. The band shares their thoughts on the release:


“We’re over the moon to finally be releasing Winds Of The Cosmos to everyone. We’re all so incredibly proud of what we’ve made. We worked so hard on this record and pushed ourselves to outperform anything we’ve done previously, and I think we’ve achieved that. We made a point to record everything with the most passion and conviction we could and to give our absolute best from start to finish. We’re so thankful for everyone that’s stuck with us since the beginning and especially thankful for everyone who had a hand in seeing this album to completion.”




Celestial Wizard wanted every song on this album to be able to stand on its own, giving the fans a different experience with each track. At the same time, they wanted there to be a flow and connection from song to song, allowing listeners to sit down with the album and enjoy the ride from beginning to end. Those wanting more from the band won’t be disappointed, as they have already started the writing process on new material.


Melodic, and high energy, Winds Of The Cosmos is recommended for fans of Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, and Galaktikon.


The album Winds Of The Cosmos comes out on July 15, 2022 and can be heard in full via its premiere on BraveWords! Listen below:


Winds Of The Cosmos by Celestial Wizard


Preorders are available on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Andromeda”
“Revenant”
“Ice Realm”
“Powerthrone”
“Eternal Scourge”
“Steel Chrysalis”
“Undead Renegade”
“Cyberhawk”
“Winds Of The Cosmos”


Album Band Line Up: 
Nick Daggers – Guitar
Vocals Guillermo Jurado - Guitar, Bass 
Tim Gillman - Drums 
Amethyst Noir - Vocals

Former Cradle Of Filth keyboardist / backing vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft has checked in with the following update on the 10th anniversary celebration for ghis first solo EP, Rushing Through The Sky.


Lindsay: "I've been hinting that something special was gonna happen for Rushing Through The Sky's 10th Anniversary, and here it is! Since the beginning of the year my team and I have been slaving away at making this all possibl, especially this gorgeous 12" Vinyl.


All vinyl will be signed and personally addressed to the buyer and there is a Discounted Bundle that includes a shirt and signed prints, too. And all vinyl pre-orders get a very special modern version of 'December Rain' as a download.




There are less than 100 copies left now. Make sure you grab yours!


I cannot believe my first EP is turning 10 this September. More news news about this anniversary is just around the corner."


Pre-order Rushing Through The Sky 10th Anniversary edition here.





Tracklist:


"Into the Night"
"Your Mind"
"December Rain"
"You Forever"
"Masquerade"
"Darkness Falls"
"December Rain" (instrumental)

Oceans Of Slumber release their new track and cover of “House Of The Rising Sun” today via Century Media Records. Check out the visualizer video for the track, which is the 4th song released off their upcoming album, Starlight And Ash, out July 22 via Century Media Records. 


“With leanings and inspirations from the Texas/Louisiana border, we felt that this cover was a perfect fit to the storytelling essence of the album,” says Oceans Of Slumber about their version of “House Of The Rising Sun”. “Going back to the female perspective of the song’s original version, we capture the troubled story of a traveler along the coast.”


Oceans Of Slumber have also recently announced The Lighthouse East Tour. The band will be hitting the road this fall for a handful of headline shows starting in their hometown, Houston, on August 27 and wrapping in Austin on September 11.







Starlight and Ash was produced by Joel Hamilton (Violet Road, Battle of Mice) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Yes, Voivod). The stunning artwork was created by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Heaven Shall Burn and many more).


The album will be available in the following formats:


- Ltd. CD Digipak
- black LP & LP-Booklet
- 300x transp. light blue LP & LP-Booklet available at CM Distro Wholesale EU, CMDistro.de and EMP
- 300x dark green LP & LP-Booklet available from the band
- 1000x transp. orange LP & LP-Booklet available in the US
- Digital album


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Waters Rising"
"Hearts Of Stone"
"The Lighthouse"
"Red Forest Roads"
"The Hanging Tree"
"Salvation"
"Star Altar"
"The Spring Of '21"
"Just A Day"
"House Of The Rising Sun"
"The Shipbuilder's Son"


"House Of The Rising Sun":





"The Lighthouse" video:





"Hearts Of Stone" visualizer:





"The Waters Rising" video:





Fronted by the inimitable power, range, and grace of vocalist Cammie Beverly, Starlight and Ash posits Oceans Of Slumber in a league of their own. This is as much eloquent extensions of famed singer-songwriters Nick Cave and Chris Stapleton as it is the heartbreaking pulse of Type O Negative and Katatonia. Starlight And Ash isn’t metal, but its edges are.


Oceans Of Slumber is:


Cammie Beverly (vocals)
Xan Fernandez (guitar)
Jessie Santos (guitar)
Mathew Aleman (synth)
Semir Ozerkan (bass)
Dobber Beverly (drums and piano)


(Photo - TheHeavyGlow/Jamie LaCombe)

Platinum-certified and twice GRAMMY-nominated Michigan rock powerhouse I Prevail — Brian Burkheiser (vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (vocals), Steve Menoian (guitars/bass), Dylan Bowman (guitars), and Gabe Helguera (drums) — have shared the new video for "Bad Things."





The video finds the band in performance mode — capturing the visceral nature of the song, as well as the band in its most natural state. Elsewhere, follow the knives.




"Bad Things" appears on I Prevail's forthcoming album True Power. The much-anticipated album arrives via Fearless Records on August 19. The track will go live on all DSPs at midnight ET on Wednesday, July 13.


I Prevail previously shared the explosive first single "Body Bag," which heralded a new era for the band.


The band will also embark on the True Power tour this fall. Pierce The Veil and Fit For a King will support. Yours Truly will appear on the first leg, while Stand Atlantic will appear on the second leg. The first leg kicks off in Asbury Park, New Jersey and runs through October 9 in Chicago. The second leg picks up in Las Vegas on October 22 with an appearance at the When We Were Young Festival. It wraps on November 22 in Detroit in the band's native Michigan.





Leg 1:


September
9 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony Summer Stage
10 - Danville, VA - Blue Ridge Rock Fest*#
11 - Pittsburgh, PA - UPMC Events Center
13 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
14 - Oshkosh, WI - Oshkosh Arena#
16 - St. Paul, MN - Myth Live
17 - Ralston, NE - Liberty First Credit Union Arena#
18 - Wichita, KS - Wave#
20 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
21 - San Antonio, TX - Tech Port Center#
23 - Lubbock, TX - Lonestar Amphitheater#
24 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom
25 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall#
27 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
28 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
29 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues


October
1 - Silvers Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
2 - New York, NY - The Rooftop at Pier 17
4 - Montreal, QC - L'Olympia#
5 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
7 - Ft. Wayne, IN - The Clyde Theatre
8 - Grand Rapids, MI - GLC Live at 20 Monroe
9 - Chicago, IL - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom


* I Prevail & Pierce The Veil Only // Festival Date
# Non-Live Nation Date


Leg 2:


October
22 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Fest*
23 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Fest*
24 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
26 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic
28 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
29 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Fest*
31 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort & Casino


November
1 - Boise, ID - Revolution Concert House and Event Center
2 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
4 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
6 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
8 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave#
9 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory
11 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
12 - Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J Brady Music Center
13 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
15 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
18 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
19 - Cambridge, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
20 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Riverworks#
22 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore


* I Prevail & Pierce The Veil Only // Festival Date
# Non-Live Nation Date

Frontiers Music Srl announces that the dynamic trio of Anette Olzon, Russell Allen, and Magnus Karlsson have crafted a follow-up to the well-received debut Anette/Olzon album, Worlds Apart. The follow-up album, Army Of Dreamers, set for release on September 9, once again pairs two world class singers in Olzon and Allen together for a tour-de-force of stunning melodic metal that only the ever-talented Karlsson could craft.  


A new single, the title track, is out today. Listen below, and pre-order/save Army Of Dreamers on CD, Limited Edition Color Vinyl (Limited to 500 copies worldwide), & Digital here.


As fans have come to expect over the course of the initial Allen/Lande albums and the debut from Allen/Olzon, Army Of Dreamers is purebred melodic metal of the highest order.




Inimitable singer Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) and acclaimed Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and producer Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear, Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall) have collaborated successfully on three critically acclaimed albums where Russell duetted with Norwegian singer, Jorn Lande. After a break in their collaboration on said albums, where Timo Tolkki stepped in and oversaw an album, Magnus returned to the fold, but with an exciting new twist to the formula. This time, Russell and Magnus welcomed none other than the amazingly talented Anette Olzon (ex-Nightwish, The Dark Element) to the fold as Allen’s vocal partner and offered up an unbelievable debut album, Worlds Apart.


If you love the debut Allen/Olzon album, Allen/Lande’s first three albums, but also Delain, Within Temptation, Nightwish, and the like (but with a slightly heavier edge), then this is simply an absolute must hear for your melodic metal loving ears.





Army Of Dreamers tracklisting:


"Army Of Dreamers"
"So Quiet Here"
"Out Of Nowhere"
"A Million Skies"
"Carved Into Stone"
"All Alone"
"Look At Me"
"Until It's Over"
"I Am Gone"
"Are We Really Strangers"
"Never Too Late"


"Army Of Dreamers":





Lineup:


Vocals - Russell Allen, Anette Olzon
Guitars, Bass & Keyboards - Magnus Karlsson
Drums - Anders Köllerfors


- Produced & Written by Magnus Karlsson
- Mixed by Jacob Hansen
- Executive Producer/A&R: Serafino Perugino

Ultima Grace is a new metal project formed by keyboardist Yuhki (Galneryus, Alhambra) featuring lead vocals by none other than Anette Olzon (The Dark Element, ex-Nightwish). Their self-titled debut album was released on March 16 in Japan, but Frontiers Music Srl is now releasing it in the rest of the world on September 9. The single “Getting On With Life” is now available everywhere. Preorder/save Ultima Grace here.


Ultima Grace’s debut album features 11 songs, all sung by Swedish vocalist Anette Olzon, who is well-known and respected in the metal community for her five years fronting symphonic metal legends Nightwish and current project The Dark Element, where she has joined forces with ex-Sonata Arctica and current Insomnium guitarist Jani Liimatainen. She also recently released a new solo album and is preparing to release her second duets record with Russell Allen (Symphony X) under the moniker Allen/Olzon.


In addition to Olzon, Ultima Grace also features guitarist Toshihiro Kajihara (Alhambra), drummer Hideki (Mahatma, Alhambra), and bassist Atsushi Hasegawa (Gerard).







Tracklisting:


“A Legend Begins”
“Getting On With Life”
“Cry For The Rain”
“Powers Of North And East”
“Beguile The Night”
“Ripples”
“Rise”
“Night Hunt”
“Double Caution”
“The Lost”
“Requiem”


“Getting On With Life”:

Metal Blade Records has announced the official reissue of the debut EP from Akron, OH's If These Trees Could Talk. The first release from this instrumental post rock band was recorded in 2006 at NE Meadow Studios in Bath, OH and originally released independently by the band on September 27, 2006.


The self-titled release that has been out of print for over 10 years has been mastered for vinyl by Patrick Engel (Temple of Disharmony) and features brand new artwork and packaging.


If These Trees Could Talk’s self-titled EP is now available for pre-order and will be available as a Digipak and with multiple vinyl variants at metalblade.com.




US Vinyl Variants:
Gold
Smoky Black


EU Vinyl Variants:
180g Black
Marbled Gold / Black Vinyl (ltd. 500)
Milky White (ltd. 500)





Tracklisting:


“Malabar Front”
“Smoke Stacks”
“The Friscalating Dusklight”
“Signal Tree”
“The Death Of Paradigm”
“41°4'23n, -81°31'4w”

Puscifer, the Arizona-born band featuring Maynard James Keenan, Mat Mitchell, and Carina Round have extended their Existential Reckoning tour, announcing a fall leg that sees the theatrically-infused concert experience adding six weeks of additional performances including the group’s first Canadian outings in support of the critically-acclaimed album.


News of the dates arrives as the band wrapped up their first trek in support of the 2020 album, a month-long outing that saw Puscifer bring audiences their largest scale productions to date, performing at the Greek Theatre (Los Angeles), Brooklyn’s Kings Theater and the state-of-the-art Mission Ballroom in Denver.


Puscifer also recently released a two-song single featuring re-imagined versions of “Bullet Train To Iowa” and ”The Underwhelming” from Existential Reckoning. The new mixes come from Keenan’s A Perfect Circle bandmates Billy Howerdel (“Bullet Train To Iowa”) and James Iha (“The Underwhelming”). A Meats Meier-created video for “Bullet Train To Iowa (Re-Imagined by Billy Howerdel)” was released this morning. Watch below:







The audio companion to the 2021 livestream event, “Billy D and The Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring Money $hot by Puscifer,” is available for the first time ever on vinyl, and DVD/CD as of June 15. The 11-song collection can be purchased directly from Puscifer.com, as well as indie retailers. The film is currently available for streaming/downloading via Puscifer TV.





Existential Reckoning tour dates:


October
13 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
15 - Reno,  -  Grand Theatre at the Grand Sierra Resort
16 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Amphitheatre
18 - Escondido, CA - California Center for Arts Escondido – Concert Hall
20 - Tucson, AZ - The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall (formerly Tucson Music Hall)
21 - El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theatre
22 - San Antonio, TX - Tech Port Center & Arena
25 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall
26 - Ft. Worth, TX - Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium
28 - New Orleans, LA - Mahalia Jackson Theater
29 - Baton Rouge, LA - River Center Theatre
31 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium


November
1 - Charlotte, NC - Ovens Auditorium
3 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall
4 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
5 - Atlantic City, NJ - Sound Waves at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
7 - Montreal, QC - MTelus
8 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
10 - Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J. Brady Music Center
11 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace
12 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
13 - Madison, WI - The Orpheum Theater
15 - Grand Rapids, MI - DeVos Performance Hall
17 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory
18 - Kansas City, MO - The Midland Theatre
19 - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa Theater
22 - Prescott, AZ - Yavapai College Performing Arts Center


Tickets are on-sale this Friday at 10 AM, local time with VIP packages available simultaneously. For additional details, and ticketing links, visit Puscifer.com. Night Club opens on all dates.


(Photo - Travis Shinn)

BangerTV has released the video below, along with the following message:


"Leave it to Exhorder to bring such grit and thunder to a cover that it sheds new meaning onto a Motörhead classic. Their version of 'Sacrifice' is so heavy, the lyrics of unreciprocated love from an angry God to a violent humanity never sounded so biblical. If you want to mosh and headbang in your room to Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead, this is the track that’ll leave the place in shambles. Lemmy was himself a war historian, but this tribute is a nuclear war on waxx. Humanity has made countless mistakes over the centuries, but 'Sacrifice' puts us back in the favor of the Gods. 'Sacrifice' and Löve Me Förever: A Tribute to Motörhead are now available on all digital streaming platforms."







Previous messages from BangerTV follow:


"Motörhead was the perfect rock and roll trio. They were a tight knit pack, each member just as wild as the next. The Gods of rock and roll have invested Psycho Waxx with the power to anoint a new trio with the same crown that once fit Lemmy and company, but the speed demons in Midnight prefer to keep their hoods. That’s right, every Psycho’s favorite gang of marauders cover Motörhead’s 'Dirty Love' on Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead. This isn’t Midnight going soft on everyone, singing about romance for once, this is Midnight making love dangerous again by penetrating your earholes raw. Midnight are Motörhead’s bastard spawn made from dirty love with the devil. It’s tracks like these that rev the “motor” in Motörhead up in the first place, pure sonic uppers from start to finish."





"Motörhead's 'Ace Of Spades' is one of rock and roll’s most beloved and sacred anthems. Covering the bombastic ode to gamblers everywhere is a heavy crown to bear for any musician up for the task. That’s why when Psycho Waxx proposed this sacred rite, it was asked of Psycho Las Vegas’ most prestigious alumni and metal heavyweights. Rockers whose cred cannot be questioned were challenged to make this legendary piece of music sound fresh, heavy and ring true to Motörhead fans all over the world. With honoring Lemmy’s legacy always being at the forefront of Psycho Waxx’s mind, they hereby present you with the opening track off Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead, the one and only 'Ace Of Spades' as performed by Phil Anselmo, Gary Holt, Nick Oliveri, Dwid Hellion, Chuck Garric, Sacha Dunable, Kelley Juett, Kyle Juett, Tom Polzine and Zach Wheeler.


"Every rock and roll all-star featured on the song contributes a different offering in worship of Lemmy. Phil Anselmo’s jagged molasses vocals bounce off Dwid Hellion’s demon howls while Gary Holt’s signature shredding gives the track an extreme outlaw’s metallic edge. If you hear that desert rock vibe with a hardcore kick in it, you got Nick Oliveri to thank for that. Kelley and Kyle Juett from Mothership contribute the space rock rhythms that blast this message off through the atmosphere to deliver it straight to Lemmy. Zach Wheeler and Tom Polzine contribute Howling Giant’s crushing rock and roll to keep the track grounded close to the Earth, adding that massive, unmistakable groove. Sprinkle in Sacha Dunable’s awesome virtuosity on guitar and Chuck Garric’s legendary bass and you have a recipe for one of the greatest covers in rock and metal history.


"Psycho Las Vegas is a place where gamblers go to vision-quest between wheelin’ and dealin’ and now, Psycho Waxx has provided them the soundtrack for an unforgettable looting spree. There’s not a damn thing the world can do to stop a Psycho with a plan anymore. Bombers, rockers, gamblers, Gonzos and Psychos, join us in this grand celebration of the life of Lemmy Kilmister and the music of Motörhead. Get your copy of Löve Me Förever: A Tribute to Motörhead today and let the Earth tremble so loudly that the angels in heaven and devils in hell can’t help but acknowledge and remember the spirit and vision of Lemmy Kilmister."





Pre-orders of lavish Oxblood 2LP vinyl available now at the PsychoWaxx Bandcamp, here.

QUEEN's Brian May has joined 10CC founder Graham Gouldman to mark historic first images to be delivered from James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) with new music track "Floating In Heaven".

The most powerful telescope ever launched into space, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched December 2021 and which entered orbit in January 2022, finally becomes operational this week.

Intended to succeed Hubble as NASA's flagship mission in astrophysics, the NASA space agency has scheduled the first official JWST science images release event for Tuesday, July 12.

With a well-renowned passion for astronomy, having earned a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College, London, in 2007 and a "science team collaborator" with NASA's New Horizons Pluto mission, May notably launched his track "New Horizons" from NASA headquarters on New Year's Day 2019 to mark the flyby of the distant object Ultima Thule. May now teams with fellow space science enthusiast Gouldman to recognize this discovery moment with new music.

"Floating In Heaven", written and performed by Gouldman and featuring May on guitar and vocals, had a special digital and streaming release on July 12 to coincide with the highly anticipated release of first pictures brought to earth by the JWST.

The track has come with a specially created new video which premiered on Tuesday on QUEEN's official YouTube channel.

Talking of his fascination with space exploration, May says: "There is nothing more exciting in a world of exploration than going to a place about which you know nothing. The sky's the limit for what we could find out."

May's most widely recognized space-related song, of course, dates back to his earliest days with QUEEN: his song, "39", the story of a group of space explorers who return home to find that, during their one year of travel, a century had passed on Earth, first appeared on QUEEN's 1975 "A Night At The Opera" album. May continues to routinely perform the song in the band's live concerts.

U.S. metal veterans VICIOUS RUMORS have announced the addition of vocalist Ronny Munroe to the group's ranks.

Munroe rose to notoriety in the metal world as lead vocalist for METAL CHURCH and cemented his name even further in TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Along with three solo albums and a new release with BETWEEN WORLDS, Ronny is a seasoned pro who continues to amaze audiences the world over with his distinctive, melodic, and powerful voice and stage presence.

VICIOUS RUMORS guitarist Geoff Thorpe says: "I've been following Ronny for years, always intrigued with the power, tone, and professionalism he delivers. The possibility of working together has been on my mind since we met and became friends in 2007. Now that time is here!! The band and I couldn't be more excited for the future and for our next studio album on SPV/Steamhammer in 2023!"

Munroe adds: "I've been a fan of VICIOUS RUMORS since their inception and it's an honor for me to step in and add my touch to the already stellar legacy of the band. Great songs, great musicians. It doesn't get any better than that! See you all soon!"

Geoff and Ronny are already collaborating on new material while preparing for a massive VICIOUS RUMORS world tour in 2023.

Munroe first came to prominence in the metal world when he stepped into the role of frontman for the legendary band METAL CHURCH. During an audition for a project principal METAL CHURCH member Kurdt Vanderhoof was working on, Ronny was first put on Kurdt's radar. After watching Munroe's performance, Vanderhoof decided to resurrect METAL CHURCH with Ronny on lead vocals. He would go on to sing four albums with the band, "The Weight Of The World" (2004),"A Light In The Dark" (2006),"This Present Wasteland" (2008),and "Generation Nothing" (2013). Ronny would also wind up singing for Vanderhoof's progressive rock project, PRESTO BALLET, further showcasing his vocal talents.

In another sign of the power of his voice, in 2011, Ronny was asked to join the mighty TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, which further highlighted his vocal talents and showcased his voice to the popular act's audience.

After a break from music for personal reasons, Ronny joined Steve Smyth's (FORBIDDEN, NEVERMORE) band ONE MACHINE in 2019 before starting work on what became the BETWEEN WORLDS project with Alessandro Del Vecchio.

VICIOUS RUMORS is an American heavy metal band founded in 1979 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The brainchild of Geoff Thorpe, the group has been active on the metal scene for most of the last four decades, touring internationally for more than 30 years.

"Pam & Tommy", Hulu's limited series about MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's and "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson's infamous leaked sex tape, received ten nominations for the 2022 prime-time Emmy Awards, announced Tuesday by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

In addition to individual performance nominations for Lily James (as Anderson) and Sebastian Stan (as Lee),"Pam & Tommy" has been nominated in the "Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series", "Outstanding Period And/Or Character Makeup", "Outstanding Period And/Or Character Hairstyling" and "Outstanding Contemporary Costumes" categories, to name a few. Seth Rogen also notched a nomination for "Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series".

The 2022 Emmy Awards are set to air live coast-to-coast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Monday, September 12 on NBC. The show will also stream live on Peacock.

Last month, Lionsgate announced the official release date for the Blu-ray and DVD versions of "Pam & Tommy". The mini-series will be available on DVD and Blu-ray in stores on August 9. The disc will include the entire five hours and forty minutes of the TV-MA drama, the option to watch the entire series with Spanish subtitles, and will be available for the retail price of $19.98.

Last year, Tommy said that he had no problem with "Pam & Tommy". Speaking with ET's Rachel Smith at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, Tommy admitted that he hadn't seen the photos of Stan portraying him, but he said: "I know Sebastian; he's playing me. And from what he's told me, it's a really beautiful story. I think a lot of people would think that it's one thing, but it's really about privacy and how things got crazy then. And there's different laws now. The story's actually cool. What actually happened wasn't, but he told me it's pretty wild."

Asked if he was surprised the story was being told now, Tommy said: "Yeah. It's such a… God, I feel like it was forever ago. But it's a cool story, and people need to know. I mean, it's cool. I'm stoked. That's cool."

The series focuses on the duo's salacious relationship in the 1990s, including the leak of the private honeymoon video and the legal battle that ensued.

Lee and Anderson were not involved with the series, which was written by Robert Siegel and DV DeVincentis and produced by Annapurna.

Anderson and Lee got married on a beach in Mexico in 1995 after dating for just four days. The couple, who divorced in 1998, share two sons, Brandon, 24, and Dylan, 22.

The sex tape Lee made with Anderson during their 1998 honeymoon ended up finding its way online after being stolen from their home by an electrician. 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.

"I've never seen it," Anderson said on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2015. "I made not one dollar. It was stolen property. We made a deal to stop all the shenanigans. I was seven months pregnant with Dylan and thinking it was affecting the pregnancy with the stress and said, 'I'm not going to court anymore. I'm not being deposed anymore by these horny, weird lawyer men. I don't want to talk about my vagina anymore or my public sex — anything."
Pam & Tommy is nominated for 10 Emmys, including Outstanding Limited Series! #Emmys2022#PamAndTommypic.twitter.com/B8Zku5F2hj

— Pam & Tommy on Hulu (@pamandtommy) July 12, 2022

Funko will celebrate the 30th anniversary of ALICE IN CHAINS' "Dirt" album with a Pop! Albums figure. You can pre-order it now at Gamestop. It is expected to ship in late November.

Never forget the iconic album or the music of ALICE IN CHAINS by collecting this deluxe "Dirt" Pop! Album, featuring each of the band members as Pop! figures and the album cover art. Packaged together in a protective hardcase, this Deluxe Pop! Album can be hung on a wall or placed on a shelf next to your music collection. Pop! Layne Staley, Pop! Jerry Cantrell, Pop! Sean Kinney and Pop! Mike Starr are ready to rock in their legendary stage outfits.

Vinyl figures are approximately four inches tall. Approximate dimensions of the protective case: 23.5"W x 12.25"H x 3.75"D. Please note: Pop! Deluxe Album does not include a playable vinyl record.

Previous classic LPs which have gotten the Pop! Albums treatment include METALLICA's "Metallica", AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" and MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades".

Two years ago, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich stated about "Dirt": "It's so inspiring. I think it's crazy just how transparent and courageous the lyrics are, and it's a cohesive piece of work. It still sounds as raw, transparent, honest, and courageous to my ears as ever before. I think in the earlier days I was just listening to the music and the riffs and now, hearing the vocals, lyrics, and themes, what an incredible record. It just still sounds so timely. It sounds literally like this could have been made last week."

Over the course of its remarkable career, ALICE IN CHAINS has garnered multiple Grammy nominations, sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and amassed a diehard international fanbase whose members number in the millions. Their discography features some of the biggest and most important albums in rock history, including 1992's quadruple-platinum-certified "Dirt", 1994's triple-platinum-certified EP "Jar Of Flies", which was the first EP in music history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and 1995's self-titled double-platinum-certified "Alice In Chains", which also entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 1. They returned in grand style in 2009 with the critically acclaimed "Black Gives Way To Blue", which hit No. 1 across the rock and alternative charts, earned a Grammy nomination, was certified gold and hailed by Vice as "a record that's as powerful as anything the band has done." The band’s latest album released in 2018, "Rainier Fog", hit No. 1 across Billboard's Rock, Alternative and Hard Music charts and No. 1 on the iTunes Rock album chart and earned them a Grammy nod for "Best Rock Album." ALICE IN CHAINS remains one of the most successful and influential American rock bands of all time.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Alice in Chains’ second album DIRT. Celebrate with their Dirt POP! Deluxe Album! No excuses. Add this POP! Deluxe Album to your collection today! https://t.co/C1o17bKumm#Funko#FunkoPOPpic.twitter.com/3YFKsqXnC3

— Funko (@OriginalFunko) July 12, 2022

According to the Los Angeles Times, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife/manager Sharon have listed their Los Angeles home for $18 million. Built in 1929, the six-bedroom-and-11-bathroom Mediterranean villa-style manor, which is located in Hancock Park, includes over 11,000 square feet of living space.

Ozzy and Sharon bought the home in 2015 for $11.85 million from Oren Koules, a film producer best known for the "Saw" franchise. Koules purchased the house in 2010 for $4.2 million and reportedly completely renovated the home's interiors.

This past March, Mirror reported that Ozzy and Sharon were leaving Los Angeles and returning to their native United Kingdom due to rising taxes in California.

The legendary heavy metal singer and his wife will reportedly spend most of their time at their home Welders House, in Buckinghamshire.

"We are leaving L.A.," the 73-year-old BLACK SABBATH frontman said, according to Mirror. "We are a bit sad. But the tax is getting too much. I am sad because I really, really like staying and living there."

He added: "If they do the taxes better, then I may come back. I do not know. I am taking my recording studio with me. I am going to build a barn there and make my own studio at Welders. I will still be making music and my band will come over."

Ozzy and Sharon reportedly purchased Welders House from two-time Academy Award-winning special effects legend John Stears in 1993. In her 2013 autobiography, "Extreme: My Autobiography", Sharon said she purchased the home due to its "extreme" distance from any public houses nearby.

Last October, Variety reported that Ozzy and Sharon had partnered with Sony Pictures and Polygram Entertainment for their upcoming biopic. The as-yet-untitled film, which will focus on the love story between the BLACK SABBATH frontman and his wife and manager, will be scripted by Lee Hall, who previously worked on Elton John's "Rocketman". The film is being produced by Sharon and her children Jack and Aimée Osbourne via their label Osbourne Media (which was also behind the Showtime documentary "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" and A&E's "Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne"),alongside Michele Anthony and David Blackman on behalf of Polygram Entertainment. Andrea Giannetti is overseeing development for Sony.

In 2020, Ozzy stated about the biopic: "From what I understand, it's about Sharon and I and our relationship. It's how we met, fell in love, and how we married. She's my other half. She grew up a lot with me, and I grew up a lot with her."

"I hope it will be a story that everybody can relate to," Sharon said. "You don't have to be a fan of the music, because it's a story about a survivor. No matter what life throws at you, you pick yourself up and you start again. It's just an amazing story of overcoming everything that's thrown at you in your life."

Sharon added that the film will be "a lot more real" than the QUEEN biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody". "We don't want it to be squeaky, shiny clean and all of that," she said. "We're not making it for kids. It's an adult movie for adults."

Sharon's father, former music mogul Don Arden, became known as the "Al Capone of pop" and the "English Godfather" for his tough-guy business practices while overseeing the careers of acts ranging from ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA to BLACK SABBATH. Arden and his daughter became estranged in 1982 after she took over the management of Ozzy's solo career, also marrying the singer. Father and daughter were not on good terms for nearly 20 years until reconciling in 2002.

Sharon had to pay her father $1 million in a court settlement after she gained control of Ozzy's affairs.
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne ask $18 million for Hancock Park estate https://t.co/2Jls0kBJlU

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 12, 2022


Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne's Hancock Park estate https://t.co/d22D8UU7bn

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 12, 2022

International metal group VENUS 5 made its live debut this past Saturday, July 9 at the Zurbarán Rock Burgos festival in Burgos, Spain. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

VENUS 5's self-titled debut album was released last month via Frontiers Music Srl.

VENUS 5, which has been called by some the "heavy metal version of SPICE GIRLS," is composed of five singers: Italy's Greta Di Iacovo (a.k.a. Herma; also of SICK N' BEAUTIFUL, another Frontiers recording artist),Slovenia's Karmen Klinc, Serbia's Jelena Milovanovic, Sweden's Tezzi Persson (also of INFINITE & DIVINE, another Frontiers recording artist) and Albania's Erina Seitllari. Each vocalist is an outstanding singer in her own right, so the combination of the five together produces stunning results.

Born from an idea dreamed up by Serafino Perugino, Frontiers president and head of A&R, VENUS 5 is primed to be one of the most fresh and exciting new musical prospects to emerge from the European rock and metal scene in recent years. Assembling the vocalists and musicians required a tremendous amount of time and energy as the right talent had to be in place to work together cohesively and with true chemistry. After all, this many lead singers in one band is a daunting task, but the end result is that five outstanding vocal stars in the making were brought together from different musical environments with the vision of creating a monster album.

Of course, many people will see five women and instantly make references to this being a "metal version" of pop projects, but please make no mistake, the vocal talents of the singers and the music is front and center. Musically, the songs are a team effort by producer Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, SWEET OBLIVION) and his team of writers, including Jake E. (CYRHA, ex-AMARANTHE) who co-produced the vocals, Stefan Helleblad (WITHIN TEMPTATION, who also plays guitars on the album),and Per Aldeheim (DEF LEPPARD, H.E.A.T., STANFOUR).

Karmen said: "Recording this album was one of the best experiences for me. The whole team got along so well, everyone was very professional and relaxed at the same time. With the girls, we basically became like sisters and I think that's the kind of energy you can also feel on the album. I think the album is a true masterpiece, and everyone can find something for their taste on it. It's very powerful, emotional, energetic, joyful and motivational. It has something that really moves you in any possible way. After all, isn't that what music's all about?"

Herma stated: "At the beginning, when we spoke about the VENUS 5 project, one thing that we aimed for was to respect and enhance each girl's personality. This was something that once we met, was undeniably impossible to avoid - you can feel each of our energy in the songs and in the videos and I personally think that this is the most interesting fact about the band. There are so many shades of color in this album — and not only in our hairstyles, as some of you might joke about! ;)"

Tezzi said: "I was quite nervous going to Italy to meet up with the rest of the girls, but that feeling vanished instantly when we met. Everything just felt so natural and easy and they truly are a fantastic group of girls. We bonded immediately. The songs have a "popish" metal vibe to it with melodies that get stuck in your head. I'm really happy about this album."

Jelena said: "It's been an amazing experience getting to be a part of this thing. Us five, we saw each other and the connection was instant, the respect was instant. Everybody was so talented and genuine, crazy! I feel like the vibe you get from this album is different and probably heavier than you expect, so give it a play, be surprised!"

Erina stated: "Being part of the band is totally awesome! Since the first moment we met, I felt a spark with each one of the girls! The album sounds great. It's rock n' roll dude!"

"Venus 5" track listing:

01. Lioness
02. The Simulation
03. Nothing But A Heartache
04. Bride With Blackened Eyes
05. Monster Under Your Bed
06. Inside
07. Tom And Ms. Amy Lee
08. Because Of You
09. We Are Dynamite
10. Save You
11. Bury Me

VENUS 5 recording lineup:

Vocals:

Greta Di Iacovo (a.k.a. Herma)
Karmen Klinc
Jelena Milovanovic
Tezzi Persson
Erina Seitllari

Guitars:

Stefan Helleblad
Aldo Lonobile
Gabriele Robotti

Bass: Dann Arisi

Drums: Alfonso Mocerino

Keyboards, Piano and Electro arrangements: Antonio Agate

Posted by Frontiers Music srl on Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Posted by Frontiers Music srl on Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Posted by Frontiers Music srl on Tuesday, July 12, 2022

SKID ROW has released "Tear It Down", the second single from the band's upcoming studio album, "The Gang's All Here", which will arrive on October 14 via earMUSIC. The official music video for the song will premiere today (Wednesday, July 13) at 9:00 a.m. PDT / 12:00 noon EDT.

Commented SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan: "'Tear It Down' is about breaking down barriers, because coexisting isn't about building walls, it's about getting rid of them."

The video, produced by Take 2 Productions / Rosey Media, was filmed in SKID ROW's former home state of New Jersey and perfectly captures the raw and gritty nature of the band's music.

SKID ROW recorded most of "The Gang's All Here" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

In May, SKID ROW shared the music video for "The Gang's All Here" title track.

"By the fans, for the fans!" was the mantra for "The Gang's All Here" video, as SKID ROW called upon its loyal and dedicated fanbase to help create the video by submitting live footage and photos from SKID ROW's recent 2022 concerts, as well as behind-the-scenes rehearsal moments. The video is a testament to the power SKID ROW has both on and off stage, as well as the chemistry within the band and with their fans.

"'The Gang's All Here', for me, represents the brotherhood of this band," said guitarist Scotti Hill. "And with the addition of [new singer] Erik [Grönwall], our bond is more solid than ever. Our fans have always been part of the family, so when it was time to shoot a video, we handed the camera work over to them. After all, they have the best perspective to capture the excitement of a SKID ROW show."

"The Gang's All Here" track listing:

01. Hell Or High Water
02. The Gang's All Here
03. Not Dead Yet
04. Time Bomb
05. Resurrected
06. Nowhere Fast
07. When The Lights Come On
08. Tear It Down
09. October's Song
10. World's On Fire

Grönwall joined SKID ROW in January as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years. Theart played his final gig with SKID ROW in February before being officially given the boot.

Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. Six months later, he announced that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant in August. "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life," he told Headbangers Lifestyle in January. "Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."

Last September, Grönwall released his cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

Bolan recently told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about Grönwall's addition to the band: "Just the way he does things and his work ethic is one I've never seen other than the four of us that are already in the band. He just doesn't stop until he gets things absolutely right. Whether it's his version, what he thinks is right, or what we think is right, he works hard — he works hard. And you can see why he had the success he did overseas because he's a really, really hard-working singer that takes care of his instrument and that takes pride in his craft."

Rachel also reflected on SKID ROW's first live performance with Grönwall, saying: "Honestly, dude, from the minute he opened his mouth… His timing is impeccable. We knew it was gonna be cool. And each show has gotten even better, 'cause we're learning each other's rhythm on stage. When I walked away from that show, I said to Erik, I go, 'This was show one. I cannot wait for show one hundred. It's gonna be amazing.'"

Bolan previously talked about how Erik came to join SKID ROW during an appearance on an episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion", recorded just hours before SKID ROW's first performance with the Swedish singer. "We toured together. H.E.A.T. was on tour with SKID ROW. What year was that? '18? And we'd hear him every night from the dressing room," he said. "And a couple of times, I was, like, 'Man, listen to this guy sing. He's phenomenal.' And then, I forget who told me, someone that was with us, 'Yeah, he won 'Idol' in Sweden.' And I was, like, 'Man, he's got pipes.' And I was listening. Then I went behind the monitor board a couple of times. And in my head, I'm, like, 'Wow! When SKID ROW has some downtime, I'm gonna get in touch with this dude and start a side project with him.' And obviously, that never happened. But as time went on and we got to the point to where we were with ZP and stuff, Erik was our first… I told Snake, I go, 'We've gotta check this guy out.' And along with Snake and the rest of the guys, and Nick, our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, were, like, 'He's the guy, man. Send him some songs.' So we sent him some songs that we were recording, just with a guide vocal on it, and it came back about 24 hours later, and we were, like, 'All right. He's the guy. Get him on a plane. Let's do this.'"

Critically acclaimed fan-favorite American violinist, songwriter, and dancer Lindsey Stirling has released the music video for her song "Love Goes On And On". The track, which features a guest appearance by EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee, is taken from Stirling's 2019 album, "Artemis".

Back in 2017, Stirling guested on "Hi-Lo", one of two new songs that were included on EVANESCENCE's "Synthesis" album. The set was a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE's best-loved tracks. In support of the LP, Stirling and EVANESCENCE teamed up for a U.S. tour, a trek which saw Stirling join the band onstage for a cover of Ozzy Osbourne's classic "No More Tears".

Asked how Amy ended up guesting on "Love Goes On And On", Lindsey told The Morning Call: "Well, when we worked together for 'Hi-Lo', she had been, like, 'Okay, thanks so much for being on my album. I loved working with you. Please let me know if I can return the favor for your album someday.' And I put that in my back pocket — like, 'I'm going to take you up on that.' And when I was working on this song and did the instrumental version, the song just needed something more. I knew it was — it's like a super epic song and it just needed something more, and I couldn’t think of anyone else besides Amy Lee. Her voice on this song would just be so cool. Of course, when I reached out, she was so sweet and excited to be on it. And added so much to the song. There were no lyrics when I sent it to her. I just had been, like, 'I want you to sing 'Ahhs' and 'Ooos' and she sent back all these lyrics. And I'm, like, that's feakin' awesome. So yeah, it really transformed, it was rally collaborative and she really brought her own to the song. And it's really fun to do live. That song live is just so fun."

Lindsey told the Arizona Republic in a 2018 interview: " I loved EVANESCENCE [in high school]. And I still do. To this day, I have so much respect for Amy Lee. And getting to watch her perform every night, she's such an incredible powerhouse. I feel like I have a lot to learn from her and what she's done."

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have released a music video for the song "More Than I Could Chew". The clip, which was directed by Zev Deans, who has previously helmed videos for BEHEMOTH, GHOST, GOJIRA and more, nods to classic psychedelic horror with its bright color palette and tense take on the story of the Garden Of Eden.

In the visual, Lisa Saeboe assumes the role of Eve, while Brenden McGowan inhabits a ghastly Lucifer. As this timeless fable of temptation and lust plays out for nearly seven minutes, the bandmembers perform awash in ruddy colors. Brann Dailor and Troy Sanders lock into an earthquaking call-and-response as thunderous as the track's sonic ebb and flow. Guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher weave a dark yet melodic texture in and around the rhythm to color and complete the expressive track. The clip reaches a harrowing climax in tandem with one last exhale of distortion.

MASTODON will support GHOST of the next North American leg of the "Imperatour". The trek will see the Grammy Award-winning Swedish theatrical rock band headlining 19 arenas across the U.S. and Canada (plus an appearance at Virginia's Blue Ridge Rock Fest),kicking off August 26 at San Diego's Pechanga Arena and running through September 23 at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Additional support on all dates (with the exception of Green Bay which will feature support from CARCASS, and the Blue Ridge Rock Fest) will come from SPIRITBOX.

MASTODON was one of the "Best Metal Performance" nominees at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on April 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The progressive metallers were nominated for their song "Pushing The Tides", the first single from their latest album, "Hushed And Grim", which came out in October.

The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand", "Hushed And Grim"was recorded at West End Sound, which is located inside of Ember City, the rehearsal facility that members of MASTODON manage in Atlanta. Helming the effort was Grammy-winning producer/mixer/engineer David Bottrill, who has previously worked with MUSE, DREAM THEATER and TOOL, among many others.

The "Hushed And Grim" artwork was created by longtime MASTODON collaborator Paul Romano, who also designed the sleeves for "Crack The Skye", "Blood Mountain", "Leviathan" and more.

"Emperor Of Sand" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. That LP was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," and its opening track, "Sultan's Curse", won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 17 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they have raised over $600,000.

Asked in a new interview with Sona Oganesyan what the experience of releasing new SYSTEM OF A DOWN music to the fans after so long has been like for him, drummer John Dolmayan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, there's positives and negatives of it, because the road of getting somewhere is also important; how you achieve something is part of the process. So that wasn't the greatest for me. But at the end of the day, because it wasn't for me… I'll never make a dollar off those songs. I've given my lifetime publishing for those songs, any royalties, it all goes to Armenian causes. So it was never about the financials for me. So in that way, it was incredibly successful for me personally. And although it was nice to have something come out, that also reminds you of the potential, 'cause, obviously, we still have something to give to the world. And when you put something out that actually makes an impact, you're, like, 'Why aren't we doing this all the time?' And then I go down the rabbit hole of frustration and anger."

He continued: "I'm a sensitive person, so I can't just hold this stuff in; it has to come out one way or the other. And it takes me a long time to deal with it and to cope with it, because I also am realistic in that life is finite; you only have a certain amount of time. And here we are. We have this gift that came from God or wherever, and we're squandering it. It's an insult to everybody else that tries to make it in whatever endeavor they're trying to make. And here we are — we've made it, we have the talent, we have the ability, we have an adoring fanbase, we've sold, I don't know, whatever it is — 30 million albums or more — and they're hungry for it, and we just don't do it. That's like the worst — having the ability to do something and not doing it is, I think, the worst thing in the world as far as in the perspective of being an artist. You're just hurting yourself."

Pressed about whether he sees a path or a way forward where he and the other members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN can agree on how to make a new full-length album, John said: "Yeah, if my bandmembers listened to me and put everything to the side and just said, 'Okay, let's just go in and make the best album we can make and not care about where the music comes from or who wrote the lyrics or what this person did in the past.' I'm willing to put all that aside. I'm not in a band that'll do that, unfortunately."

In 2018, guitarist Daron Malakian publicly accused singer Serj Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only bandmember to speak to the press.

In an interview with Guitar World magazine, Malakian was asked about the chances of more new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN in the near future. He responded: "I never say never, but at the same time, I'm not expecting to do any more with SYSTEM OF A DOWN right away or immediately after [these two songs]. It really does seem like our fans like these new songs. That's important to me."

He continued: "We've added two new songs to the SYSTEM catalog that are on the level with everything else that we've put out and our fans have accepted it that way, which means a lot to me. That's kinda where we're gonna leave it for now. If more happens later on, then we'll talk about that, but for now I will continue doing what I'm doing and everyone else will just continue what they're doing. It's all cool though, I'm really pleased with the response we got."

A little over a year ago, SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian discussed his band's inability to record a full-length follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005. During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, Shavo stated about the overwhelmingly positive reaction to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz": "To me, this is all bittersweet, because I think we can still do it, but because of misunderstandings [between] bandmembers, we're not doing it. Look at us — we have a common cause. We get together, we do two songs, two videos.

"I'm that member that still everyone is like the best friend of mine, but they're not best friends with each other so much," he explained. "They are, but they have differences in opinions and stuff. I have a way of understanding each member and saying, 'Dude, we can overcome this.' It's not that big of a deal — no one fucking banged anyone's wife; no one did any of those things that can really destroy a relationship. It's just a difference in opinion of things. And I think people should be [able to] work it out. But because, I think, of what we had, I think it's, like, some people are stuck in what we had and some people wanna move forward and not do what we had and do something totally different, which is wrong too. I don't think we should do something totally different; I think we should do something that both agree [on]. And we're having a hard time [agreeing on a direction], and that's where we are.

"So, to me, it's bittersweet, because I see everybody, and everyone's, like, 'We love Shavo.' And I'm, like, 'I love you,' but then they can't work together."

Shavo went on to reiterate his belief that the differences between the SYSTEM members are not insurmountable. "I don't think anything so horrible has happened," he said. "We're all alive. We're all friends. I swear, when there's conversations going on, it's very legit, very loving. No one's hating on each other. They're very polite towards each other. Serj and Daron, when they talk, they're connected, they're nice to each other. No one's hating, no one's cussing, no one's saying 'fuck you', no one's saying 'you ruined…', 'you did this.' It's just that section that's fucked up.

"Daron brought these songs in," Shavo said, referring to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". "And we've worked that way before. A song like 'War?' was brought in by Daron — that was a Daron song; Daron brought that in, and that happened. And then there's a song like 'Sugar', where I brought that in. And there's a song like 'Question!' where Serj brought it [in]. So we have different ways of writing songs, [and] it should be like that again. But because of what's happened, I feel like it's kind of like become this big issue now.

"I think at the end of things, when we're old and gray, we're gonna look back and be, like, 'Fuck, we were idiots,' for not taking the time and seizing the day. I believe in seizing the day in everything I do, and that's what I do — that's why I'm so busy nowadays.

"Like I said, I'm telling you here, there's nothing that's happened that can't be worked out. So I always have hope. I'm doing everything knowing that SYSTEM's not dead, and it hasn't been dead."

The "classic" lineup of the Swedish heavy rock band SISTER SIN played its second show in seven years on July 8 at the Sauna Open Air festival in Tampere, Finland. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Although the SISTER SIN reunion was announced back in December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic delayed the band's return to the live stage until June 18 when the group performed at Backstage Rockbar in Trollhättan, Sweden.

SISTER SIN's 2022 lineup consists of Liv Jagrell on vocals, Jimmy Hiltula on guitar, Andreas Strandh on bass and Dave Sundberg on drums.

Jagrell announced the SISTER SIN reunion after revealing that her post-SISTER SIN outfit LIV SIN was "taking a little bit of a break" following the departures of guitarist Chris Bertzell and bassist Tommie Winther.

SISTER SIN announced its split in November 2015, saying in a statement that the band's "relentless" touring and recording schedule took its toll and "the motivation for some members just wasn't there anymore." However, the group left the door open for a possible comeback, saying: "It is our hope that the flame will burn once again and hopefully resurrect this Swedish bastard sometime in the future. Time will tell…"

Seven years ago, Liv told Sleaze Roxx about the end of SISTER SIN: "We toured too much and we got burned out. That's the simple answer. They just felt like they did not want to do this anymore. [In 2015], we had been out for almost four months or something so it's a lot of time away from family. It's a lot of time away from friends. And also just to survive in the business is hard, so I think we maybe worked too hard in the last years."

SISTER SIN's fifth studio album, "Black Lotus", was released in October 2014 via Victory.

LIV SIN released two full-length albums, "Follow Me" (2017) and "Burning Sermons" (2019),as well as one EP, "Inverted" (2018). This past April, LIV SIN returned with a new single, "The Process", via Mighty Music. A new LIV SIN full-length album is expected to be released in 2023.