During an appearance Friday (August 19) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was asked if he would ever consider joining another band as opposed to focusing solely on his solo career. He responded: "Well, I'm not saying never for anything, but most likely not. Because I'm in a rock and roll setting, like everybody knows — it's a rock and roll band, basically, on stage — but the way I create is very much like a painter or writer where… I don't paint half a painting and call my friend up and [say], 'Hey, can you come finish half the painting for me?' That's the only thing. It's not because I'm egotistical; it's just an artistic expression thing. Going out with 'Generation Axe' is more than enough to be a band than anything," he added, referencing the "Generation Axe" tour, which took place over several legs between 2016 and 2019, and featured a bill that included Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi. "So I'm doing that too."

Since 1983, Malmsteen has released albums with the bands STEELER and ALCATRAZZ, as well as 22 studio albums of his own, including last year's "Parabellum". He has also been part of Joe Satriani's "G3" tour. In addition, Yngwie has composed a "Concerto Suite For Electric Guitar And Orchestra" and has played on tribute albums to DEEP PURPLE, QUEEN, SAXON, VAN HALEN, OZZY OSBOURNE and others.

"Parabellum" was released in July 2021 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the album feature vocals. The album title "Parabellum" is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

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

In a 2021 interview with Eonmusic, Yngwie was asked how he has managed to maintain his amazing guitar technique after all these years. He responded: "I think that if you dedicate so many years, so much intensity and so much dedication and so much passion into something and you do it and you're very relentless and you have a goal and you refuse to accept any failure on it, if you do that for so many goddamn years, it becomes much more second nature than anything else. You also remember that technique is only a means to get music out; it's not technique for the sake of technique."

He continued: "I use the term 'relentless'; I'm completely unstoppable. If I just put my mind to something, I will not stop until I'm there, and that includes reaching a certain level of the instrument or whatever it may be. It could be anything in life, basically. So, obviously I don't accept any sort of sloppiness or half-assed shit. If I feel inspired, I play more, but then if I'm on the road, I play more than I should, and if I'm in the studio I play a lot too, so it's never really a downtime on it. And if there's no touring or no recording, I play anyway, because I love it."

Image courtesy of MusicJunkie422

Arch Enemy performed at Summer Breeze 2022 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany on April 18th. Pro-shot livestream footage of the band's entire show can be viewed below.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"The World Is Yours"
"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"Ravenous"
"War Eternal"
"In the Eye of the Storm"
"House of Mirrors"
"My Apocalypse"
"The Eagle Flies Alone"
"Handshake With Hell"
"Dead Eyes See No Future"
"The Watcher"
"First Day in Hell"
"Saturnine"
"As the Pages Burn"
"No Gods, No Masters"
"We Will Rise"
"Snow Bound"
"Nemesis"







On August 12th, Arch Enemy unleashed their 11th studio album, Deceivers, via Century Media Records. They have released an official video for the new song "The Watcher"; check it out below.





A collection of 11 tracks that are ruthlessly catchy and mercilessly violent, Deceivers stands toe-to-toe with the highlights of the band's storied catalogue. Roaring to life with "Handshake With Hell", Arch Enemy make it clear they are out for blood, and every track is a hit, from the moody "Poisoned Arrow" to the titanically anthemic "One Last Time". Sounding more energized than ever, the quintet is operating at the highest level, delivering a maelstrom of diamond-hard riffing wrapped around cinematic melodies, thunderous drumming and towering vocals. Arch Enemy has proved, yet again, that they are unstoppable.


Deceivers can be ordered in various formats here.





Deceivers tracklisting:


"Handshake With Hell"
"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"In The Eye Of The Storm"
"The Watcher"
"Poisoned Arrow"
"Sunset Over The Empire"
"House Of Mirrors"
"Spreading Black Wings"
"Mourning Star"
"One Last Time"
"Exiled From Earth"


"Deceiver, Deceiver" video:





"House Of Mirrors" video:





"Handshake With Hell" video:





"Sunset Over The Empire" video:





Arch Enemy lineup:


Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitars
Jeff Loomis - Guitars
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums

Cradle Of Filth leader, Dani Filth, has paid tribute to the band's former guitarist, Stuart Anstis, who has passed away at 48 years of age. Dani took to social media to share the following:


"It is with a deeply saddened heart that I have heard of the passing of my former guitarist Stuart Anstis at 48.


Stuart - despite our eventual differences - was an amazingly talented guitarist who brought a real sense of magick to everything he wrote in Cradle Of Filth.




For a long time he and I were bestest of friends living in a small village here in Suffolk and despite that relationship eventually changing, it did nothing to diminish the fan’s appreciation of his creative flair and talent right up to the present day.


Vempire, Dusk… And Her Embrace’(though written mostly by former members, Stuart played all the guitars on this album), Cruelty And The Beast and From The Cradle To Enslave would have been completely different creatures if it were not for the depth of his astute and deliciously dark musicianship.


It truly is with a heavy sense of loss that we (and extreme music in general) bid farewell to Stuart.


May sombre flights of ravens wing you to your grave mate.


Rest In Phallustein. - Dani Filth, Midian, 2022 e.h."

Anstis was with Cradle Of Filth from 1995 - 1999, writing and recording for Dusk And Her Embrace (1996) and Cruelty And The Beast (1998), as well as the EPs V Empire (1996) and From The Cradle To Enslave (1999).
Guitarist Richard Shaw, who recently left COF's ranks, shared the news of Stuart's passing via Instagram. His post can be viewed below:




 

 
 

 


View this post on Instagram

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

A post shared by Richard Shaw (@richardshawguitarist)







Former Cradle Of Filth guitarist James McIlroy - who was with the band from 2003 until 2005 - shared the following tribute to Anstis:


"Saddened to hear of the passing of Staurt Anstis. Although I never met him, I always deeply admired what he wrote during my time in Cradle. Loved playing the riffs he committed to tape. Most of the songs I really looked forward to playing in the many setlists over the years had his dna in them, and even before that, the albums and EPs I loved the most featured him.


Whilst I think a load of people will post stuff of Cruelty, Dusk, well, have this, a criminally underrated epic from V Empire, which guitar wise (I believe) was all Stuart. It's also one I'd have loved to have been able to play live."





(Top photo - Dani Filth Facebook)

On August 14th, Dream Theater performed at Download Japan in Chiba. Fan-filmed video of their entire set can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"The Alien"
"6:00"
"Awaken the Master"
"Endless Sacrifice"
"Bridges in the Sky"
"Invisible Monster"
"A View From the Top of the World"
"The Count of Tuscany"




Encore:
"Pull Me Under"





The clip below features Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie and guitarist John Petrucci in a Q&A conducted by Download Festival Japan.


Asked about the best advice they received in life respectively, they offered the following responses:


LaBrie: ""The best piece of advice I've ever received was from my father, and he said 'respect others and you'll have that back.' So what you put out is what you get back. And also be true to yourself and just be real. I think people that are grounded are inspirational, and that's the way that I've gone through life; just keeping it real, being respectful and being cool. Period."


Petrucci: "As far as advice, I'll approach it from a musical front. There was a teacher in high school that told me about the metronome, and it was the first time a musician suggested I practice using a metronome; I'd never done that before. It was the greatest piece of musical advice because I still do it, and what it did is it helped me to kind of be able to play things eventually that I couldn't play starting out. Playing to a metronome was a great, great piece of advice that I'll never forget."

At the Gates performed at the UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall in Berkeley, CA on August 19th. Check out the live footage shared by Capital Chaos TV below.
















At The Gates have embarked on a special anniversary Slaughter Of The Soul tour this summer in the US and Canada.


Says the band: "Originally planned for the 25-year anniversary of SOTS in 2020, the Covid-19 situation made us postpone this tour until 2022. Finally, we can present these new dates set for August 2022."


At The Gates will play the entire Slaughter Of The Soul album from start to finish, and also a mix of other tracks from their 30+ year career.


The band adds: "We have been looking forward to return to the US for several years now, and with a great tour package together with Municipal Waste, Enforced & Thrown Into Exile, it is finally time. See you in the pit!"


Remaining tour dates:


August (with Municipal Waste, Enforced)
22 - Denver, CO - Gothic 
23 - Lawrence, KS - Granada
24 - Chicago, IL - Concord 
25 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall 
26 - Montreal, QC - Corona 
28 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
29 - Silver Spring, MD - Fillmore
30 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

Canadian bashers Exes For Eyes have release a new single, "Built To Suffer", featuring a guest appearance by Sons Of Apollo / ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian. The song is available for streaming and below.


BraveWords spoke exclusively with guitarist / founder Dave Sheldon about the collaboration.


Sheldon: "Long in short, I couldn't write a solo.  Nothing I did sounded right, it sounded extremely out of place.  It's hard to describe; not musically out of place, but tonally. All I could hear in my head was a synth / keyboard, and the song sat unfinished for a while. I'd revisit it from time to time, but I'd just be fumbling about the fretboard completely frustrated. I could hear the solo in my head, and it sounded like Sherinian, and I am not Sherinian (laughs).  I shelved the track and basically forgot about it.  




I follow him on IG, and tagged him on something. A day or two, I had a message in my inbox from Derek asking if I was working on any new music. By that time I completely forgot about the song and told him I wasn't.  Fast forward six months, I was looking through hard drives for a friend's session and found the song, and remembered he had asked.  


It took a while but I finally put two and two together and asked him if he'd rip a  solo on the song now known as 'Built To Suffer', and I couldn't be happier with the result. It inspired me to write my own solo to round the track out.  He made me step up my game, for sure."

German rockers Ray Of Light - featuring founding members of Frontline, Robby Boebel (guitar) and Stephan Bayerlein (drums) - formed in April 2021 with plans to release their debut album this year. Sadly, Boebel passed away on July 14th due to an undisclosed illness.  


The band paid tribute to Boebel wih the following message:


"Dear friends, most of you have already heard via our individual announcements that Robby has passed away last Thursday morning. Robby was seriously ill for quite some time and unfortunately lost the the fight. It hit everyone of us very hard, especially since he was much too young. We were not only bandmates but also friends for a very long time. Especially the last years have welded us together very much. However, last year things got quieter around Robby because his energy was draining caused by his illness. 




Unfortunately we couldn´t finish the album together, even though we have enough material for at least a complete album. Robby would have wished that we complete the album and that it´ll see the light of the day, we in any case will make Robby proud, but it´ll take us time to go through these dark times. 


Thank you for your understanding. We will keep you up to date on any progress. Robby has left such an immense legacy of music that will stay here forever and it´ll make him immortal. Fly free brother!"








Boebel's catalogue of material was extensive, having written and recorded with Frontline, Evidence One, Tony Mills, Phantom 5, Carl Dixon and Talon.

Sons Of Apollo - featuring Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Mike Portnoy (drums), Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (guitar), Derek Sherinian (keyboards) and Billy Sheehan (bass) - performed at Circo Voador in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 11th. Fan-filmed video of the entire show is available below.


Sheehan isn't able to take part in the band's South American tour due to "travel restrictions" according to the promoter, Top Link Music. Angra bassist Felipe Andreoli has stepped in to take his place.


The setlist on the night was as follows:




"Goodbye Divinity
"Fall To Ascend
"Signs of the Time
"Wither to Black
"Alive 
"Asphyxiaton
"Lost in Oblivion
"Desolate July
"King of Delusion
"New World Today 
- keyboard solo -
"Coming Home
"God of the Sun

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his solo symphonic power metal performance of Green Day's 1994 hit "Basket Case". Check it out below.


Johansson: "The glorious rock song 'Basket Case' made famous by the outstanding Green Day in a way you’ve never heard it before! Super speed symphonic falsetto one octave challenge power metal!! Yes!


Hidden in the song is also a tribute to the late André Matos - see if you can find it!"







Johansson previously shared his cover of the Elton John classic "I'm Still Standing".


Johansson: "This power metal version of his epic tune is a mix between the movie version (Rocket Man) the original, and a new arranged power metal version."

Svart Records has announced the signing of the Swedish doom quartet Malsten. The new co-operation between Svart and Malsten starts right away with the release of the new epic single “Entr'acte”.





Sweden has been the birthplace to many a remarkable doom metal act since the days Candlemass burst on the scene in the 1980s, and Malsten proudly uphold that tradition of true doom in which vocals soar atop a wailing wall of downtuned guitars, all set against a backdrop of a slow pounding drumbeat. Their debut Svart release is a demanding, but rewarding 14-minute epic, that is a continuation to their previous release The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill - a Doom Horror Story.




“Entr’acte” serves as the tragic intermission to the story. Following the events of The Haunting of Silvåkra Mill, the interlude explores the background to Mortimer Aghardt's misery and follows the vicar’s wife, as she turns her evil eye on the local children. Seeing them trample and destroy the only thing she holds dear, her flowers, she lures them into the basement, where a cruel fate awaits them. Thereby, Madame Aghardt aims to safeguard heavenly order on earth, preserving Eden from the intrinsically sinful young.





Musically, “Entr’acte” embodies the familiar heaviness and sombre mood which have become Malsten's trademark. The driving riffs ooze like slow burning high viscosity lava and the breathtaking vocals guide you on this nightmarish, soul-trembling journey.


Entr’acte is available for international streaming by Svart Records. The band is preparing work on their next album shortly, and it will be released on Svart Records next year.

The Overcoming Project has released their second single “Overcoming”.


The Overcoming Project is a psychedelic metal project featuring world-class metal musicians Mike Heller (Fear Factory, Malignancy) on drums, Jon Howard (Threat Signal, Imonolith) on vocals, and Sergei "Efes" Fomin (FS Projekt) on bass. 







"'Overcoming' depicts a thorny path through the Doctorate degree, burnout, and insane 60-hour working weeks for years to build a Metal studio. 'Overcoming' is a recipe of becoming a better person through brutal self-growth." - Dr. Mike Trubetskov


Executed by Doctor Mike Trubetskov - Guitarist and Producer at EOL Studios.





Overcoming EP depicts a psychedelic journey through immigration, Doctorate degree, Type I Diabetes and insane burnout into discovering the true purpose and becoming a metal producer. 


"Determination,"  "Overcoming," and "Victory" are more than just heavy songs with killer musicianship. These grow into eternal, psychedelic objects that keep evolving into new dimensions after each listen. 


After releasing the “Anxiety” single in 2020 through Heavy Magazine, The Overcoming Project returns with a bang.


(Photo – Dr. Mike Trubetskov)

Iberian black/death metal practitioners Noctem today reveal their latest video for “Credo Certe Ne Cras.” The unholy psalm serves as the title track of the band’s new full-length, set for release on October 28 on MNRK Heavy.


In spirit, presentation, and philosophy, Noctem shares much in common with Watain, Rotting Christ, Belphegor, and Gorgoroth, while sprouting their own decaying branch of a rotten metal tree. Any extreme band with Spanish-style nylon string guitars in their arsenal owes a sizable debt to them.


The band unveiled its fifth full-length studio album, The Black Consecration, in 2019. Credo Certe Ne Cras broadens its old-school-sounding predecessor's raw, filthy fury with bigger production and melody without sacrificing the frostbitten 200 mph winds of anger and blast beats. Indeed, Credo Certe Ne Cras (“I Believe With Certainty That There is No Tomorrow”) is a true work of art merging the crushing cacophony of angry, adrenaline-fueled lust with newfound sorrows and mournful melodic might. The album demands to be experienced as much as listened to, invoking ritualistic examination.




Elaborates the band of the title track, "We're excited to finally bring this latest offering from our upcoming new album to our faithful devilish horde! This title track combines various elements of Credo Certe Ne Cras, all within the confines of one song. Play it loud!"


Credo Certe Ne Cras will be available on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find pre-order options here.





Credo Certe Ne Cras trackisting:


"I Am Alpha"
"Sovereign Providence"
"Sanctum Of Anguish"
"Credo Certe Ne Cras"
"Homilia Of Punishment"
"The Pale Moon Rite"
"The Tolling Of The Nine Bells"
"Chalice Of Turpitude"
"Ceremonial Miasma"
"We Are Omega"


"Credo Certe Ne Cras" video:





"We Are Omega" video:





Noctem:


Beleth - vocals
Varu - bass
Voor - drums
Moss - guitars
Tobal - guitars

NIGHTWISH has announced the addition of bassist Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN) as an official member of the band. Koskinen, who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences, had spent the last year touring with NIGHTWISH as a session musician.

Earlier today (Sunday, August 21),NIGHTWISH released the following statement via social media: "We're delighted to announce our dear friend Jukka Koskinen is officially inaugurated as a member of the band. We've been incredibly thankful to have him on our side while touring and it only feels natural to have him join the band officially."

Koskinen joined NIGHTWISH as the replacement for Marco Hietala, who announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January 2021, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now."

Back in June 2021, Koskinen spoke to Kaaos TV about how he landed the NIGHTWISH gig. He said: "I received a phone call from the NIGHTWISH camp and was being asked if I would be interested [in] the bass player position regarding what has happened, that Marco has left the band. And, of course, obviously, when I got that phone call, I thought it was, like, 'Woah.' As an outsider, obviously, I couldn't think that, especially in NIGHTWISH, I couldn't think of it even that this sort of thing could happen. But, of course, life is life. And, yeah, absolutely, I immediately, of course, said that yes, definitely I would be interested."

He continued: "I always listened to NIGHTWISH; I always liked their music a lot. [It's] very soulful music. And then we made a few arrangements. [In April 2021], approximately, I was in Finland practicing. I had a meet-and-greet. We had a meet-and-greet before as well, but another one where we practiced together for the first time to see how, playing-wise, the chemistry was going, and get to know each other more. Kind of [like] an audition — obviously, of course. Any band who would find new guys to come in or so, you would need to have these things. I would do the same if I would be on the other side of the table, if you know what I mean. So, yeah, everything went good. After the audition thing, everything went very smoothly, and the guys said, 'You're in.' And what did I say more than with the happiest smile, I said back [to them], 'I'm in.' But we're talking, of course, as a session musician spot now for the upcoming 'Human. :II: Nature.' tour."

Asked if he had ever played any NIGHTWISH songs in the past, Jukka said: "No, I hadn't played [any of that material]. I've listened to NIGHTWISH ever since the early Spinefarm days, when they were [signed to the label] — [1998's] 'Oceanborn'; maybe from that [album] onwards. Music-wise, I played in the past with a few kind of, like, not similar, but maybe that style or genre of music in the past. But I never played NIGHTWISH music. That was kind of, like, from a player's point of view, I couldn't believe it that when I started practicing the songs, or trying them out even before everything was settled, I just thought that I would try it out, it just felt that my playing style is something that really fits to this — I had this feeling. And it was really, really, of course, great to see then afterwards, hearing from the other guys — they basically told me that 'it feels like you've always been playing bass here.' It felt very natural."

Koskinen made his live debut with NIGHTWISH at the band's two interactive "An Evening with Nightwish In a Virtual World" concert experiences that kicked off the "Human. :II: Nature." run. NIGHTWISH performed in a tavern called "The Islanders Arms" built in a virtual world for two nights. On both nights, the fans experienced a one-and-a-half-hour performance, hearing songs live off "Human. :II: Nature." for the first time ever. These two nights had their own, slightly different setlists.

In May 2021, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said that Hietala's decision to leave the band "came as a bit of a surprise." He added: "It was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there's no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [Vuorinen], the guitar player, and we were, like, 'You think this is it?' 'Yeah, I think this is it.' I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel's back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it's been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it."

Tuomas elaborated on NIGHTWISH's reasons for carrying on, saying: "I think we still have something to give, and that's the main point. The music is still there. We felt that there's still so much music that needs to come out from this band that, 'Okay, let's give it one more shot.' And then finding the new bass player was really easy."

He added: "It's not like we do this just because we need to do it and there's nothing else to do. On a personal level, I feel that there's still so many stories and melodies that I want to share with the world with one lineup or another, so that's why you want to continue and keep on going.

"I've said this a million times, that a lineup change is the ultimate energy vampire, and that's how it really felt and still feels."

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", "Human. :II: Nature." was a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer for NIGHTWISH
We’re delighted to announce our dear friend Jukka Koskinen (@jukkiskoskinen) is officially inaugurated as a member of the band. 🙏 We've been incredibly thankful to have him on our side while touring and it only feels natural to have him join the band officially. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/l3sm6wUiZk

— Nightwish (@NightwishBand) August 21, 2022

Metal legends Carcass performed at the  Alcatraz Metal Festival 2022 in Kortrijk, Belgium on August 13th. Pro-shot video of their full show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Buried Dreams"
"Kelly´s Meat Emporium"
"Incarneted Solvent Abuse"
"Under the Scalpel Blade"
"Genital Grinder II"
"This Mortal Coil"
"Dance of the Ixtab" (Psychopomp & Circumstance March nº1 in B)
"Keep on Rotting in a Free World"
"The Scythe´s Remorseless Swing"
"Corporal Jigsore Quandary"
"Heartwork"
"Carneous Cacoffiny"







Carcass is:


Bill Steer - Guitars
Jeff Walker - Bass/Vocals
Daniel Wilding - Drums
Ben Ash - Guitars

Progressive metal outfit Taking Balfour have offered up their new single "Neptune" from their upcoming sophomore album Dawn Of Polaris, due out on October 21st, 2022. With a newly completed lineup and having offered an additional tantalizing taste with the album’s first single "The Watcher And The Witness", Taking Balfour bring electric riffs, dynamic instrumental textures and catchy hooks.  





The band comments on "Neptune": "Throughout the history of mankind, the idea of peace and unity has never been achieved on a global scale. War, genocide, poverty, has kept us divided as far back as we have been able to record it. 'Neptune' is the story of our struggle as one. The pain, loss, and hurt we have caused each other throughout the years of being on this planet; this place we call home." 




Taking Balfour elevate their music by exploring beyond the typical boundaries of metal. Breaking out synthesizers and organ parts alongside the metal instrumentation, the band produce a fiery sound with unceasing impact.  





Tracklisting:


"Echoes" 
"Neptune"
"The Watcher And The Witness"
"Awakening" 
"The Jester’s Fool"
"Polaris"
"Touch And Go"
"Light Years Away"
"T.O.A.D."
"Purge Of Darkness"





Taking Balfour create a wall of sound comprised of powerful percussion, thundering bass and epic guitar riffage, all accompanied by compelling synths and piano. “Echoes” is a beautifully haunting introduction to the album, building up anticipation ahead of the heavy thrills of “Neptune”. A gothic seductive tone manifests in “Awakening”, while “Light Years Away” explores contrasting sections of a serene, soaring nature, and high intensity. Blues and funk influences run through Dawn Of Polaris with “The Jester’s Fool” and “T.O.A.D.” prominently incorporating these musical styles. Each track ventures down a different path of Taking Balfour’s sound, revealing something new at every turn. The convergence of these elements is found in the concluding “Purge Of Darkness”. From driving percussion and delicate lead melodies, to immersive atmospheres and an explosive breakdown, this finale goes out with a bang.  


For further details, visit Taking Balfour on Facebook.


 

Dawnbringer, the debut album from Dragon Throne, welcomes listeners to the Dragonverse - a fantastical musical creation exploring sacrifice, the lust for power, facing one's fears and meeting one's destiny - all soundtracked by an atmospheric blend of old school metal riffing, speed and power metal flavor, epic orchestral elements and larger than life choruses.


Production of the album was focused on conveying the big emotions that power metal fans expect, while maintaining a rawness, soul and honesty that is sometimes lost in the genre to help this album stand out as unique amongst its peers. All performances on the album are real recordings without sampling trickery or autotuning, mixed by Patrik “Pate” Oksanen in a way that stays true original essence of the recording.







Dragon Throne was formed in 2019 with the coming together of founding members Antti Liimatainen (Guitar) and Santtu Korhonen (Vocals) over a mutual love for Blind Guardian’s old school speed metal sound and symphonic elements.


With the later arrival of lead guitarist Juuso Korhonen, bassist Joni Pyöriä and drummer Tommi Laitinen, all the pieces were finally in place. The creation of Dawnbringer sees the band beginning to define the first contours of the Dragonverse, a fantastical creative vision that the band hope to expand upon in future releases.

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife, Toyah Willcox, are back with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they perform a cover of Limp Bizkit's "Nookie". Watch below.





A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:

THE PRETTY RECKLESS has released the official music video for the song "Got So High". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Death By Rock And Roll", which was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" is THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS, whose lead singer Taylor Momsen rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl", formed in 2009 and is rounded out by guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.

Last year, Momsen described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."

"I think that that's something that we can all use a little bit more of, especially right now," she said. "We could always use a little more hope, and we could always use a little more rock and roll."

The official PANTERA social media has been updated with the first official teaser for the band's upcoming comeback. The short clip, which features the opening notes of PANTERA's classic song "Cowboys From Hell", can be seen below.

Although no official announcements have yet been made, there are rumors that PANTERA will play Brazil's Knotfest Brasil and Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in December. U.S. dates will likely follow in 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

A year ago, Anselmo said that he was up for reuniting with Brown for a special tour celebrating the music of PANTERA. The 54-year-old singer, who has spent the past few years playing a PANTERA-centric set with his solo band, THE ILLEGALS, discussed the possibility of re-teaming with his former PANTERA bandmate during an interview with Brazil's Inside With Paulo Baron. Asked if he and Rex would be open to playing some shows in celebration of PANTERA's legacy, Anselmo said: "If Rex and I had a show to play, or we were ever gonna be on stage again together, I would welcome it with open arms. I love Rex. And he'd be the same way. We're brothers forever. So playing on stage together, or doing some shows together, is not out of the question. It could happen."

In April 2021, Rex told Eonmusic that he and Philip still get offers for a PANTERA tribute tour. "But if you don't have the other guys in the band, it's not going to sound the same," he said. "If we were ever to do something like that, it would have to be spot-on, or I wouldn't do it. It would be a tribute."

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

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

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

PANTERA is managed by Scott McGhee of 1 Degree Music Entertainment. The band's legal representative is Nick Ferrara And Associates. PANTERA is booked internationally by Rod MacSween at ITB.

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"Days Of The Lost", the debut album from 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) — has entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 1. This is believed to be the first time a debut album from a metal act has ever topped the chart in Sweden in its first week of release. "Days Of The Lost" also landed at No. 6 in Germany.

"Days Of The Lost" came out on August 12 via Nuclear Blast.

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.

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

Stanne was also asked if "Reroute To Remain", IN FLAMES' sixth album, which came out in 2002 and featured Jesper, Peter and Daniel, was an influence on the way THE HALO EFFECT approached the songwriting process. He responded: "I don't think so. I love that album — I think it's fantastic — but no, I don't think so. But, obviously, the other guys were a big part of it, so maybe that's something… They had that experience, so that will color and will somehow affect them. But I don't think it ever came up, so I don't think that was a particular influence. But, of course, everything is a part of what you do, right?!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Markus Esselmark

Our debut album reached number 1 in Sweden. HUGE thanks everyone ❤️. You are all amazing! Thank you so much for getting…

Posted by The Halo Effect on Friday, August 19, 2022

And we've hit #6 in the German album charts!

Thank you all so much. It's inspiring to see how much you like this album. And we are very proud.

Again, thank you!

Danke Schön!

Posted by The Halo Effect on Saturday, August 20, 2022

Ted Kirkpatrick of the Christian metal band TOURNIQUET has died after a brief battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF),a rare terminal lung disease for which there is no cure. He was 62 years old.

Primarily a drummer, Kirkpatrick was the principal songwriter for TOURNIQUET, and played other instruments whenever needed.

The news of Ted's passing was shared by his wife Cristy in a social media post late Friday night (August 19). She wrote: "I have some very sad news to share. My beloved husband went to be with the Lord today, August 19, 2022. He was surrounded by his family and loved ones.

"It was a blessing to see first-hand Ted's amazing passion for so many things that captivated him for life, and it was humbling to stand by and witness his genius, creativity and seemingly never-ending natural talent.

"I know many of you are broken-hearted and certainly Ted's wish would be to celebrate his memory through his music through TOURNIQUET.

"About 4 months ago, Ted was experiencing chest pain and unusual shortness of breath. Up until this point, Ted had not been in a hospital in 40 years and all covid tests came up negative, to the end. After several doctor visits to a general practitioner, Ted was referred to see a pulmonologist who conducted many tests and an accurate diagnosis was made of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF),a rare terminal lung disease of which there is no cure.

"IPF is a serious disease that causes irreversible scarring of the lungs and progresses, or gets worse, over time. This scarring makes it difficult to breathe and eventually the lungs can't inhale enough oxygen for the body to function properly. Typically, IPF causes severe shortness of breath to where the simplest activities of walking across a room seem nearly impossible.

"Ted was able to share a few thoughts the night before he passed.

"'My life has been so full of adventure and wonderment and for the past 30 years all of you have been a great source of joy as you shared your love for our music, my passion for animals, and my desire to share the love of God with all of you. I'm forever grateful for the unending loyalty so many have shown through the years and support of whatever talents the Lord gave me on this earth.

"I leave behind so many wonderful friends, my wonderful family, the greatest family anyone could ask for, my brothers, Doug & Jim, my sister Sue, and my wife Cristy, my forever soul mate, my best friend and the most beautiful person I've ever known. Thank you and I'll see you sometime on the other side. Love, Ted Kirkpatrick'.

"I'll appreciate your prayers, Cristy.

"If you would like to help with Ted's expensive medical bills, a Go Fund me account has been set up."

A founding member of TOURNIQUET, Kirkpatrick's aggressive, musical and often unorthodox approach to drumming has been recognized by thousands — critics and fans alike. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ted began playing drums at age 12. By age 14, Ted was playing drums along with the records of many of his early influences — bands like RUSH, KING CRIMSON and ELP. He held a business degree from the University of Texas, Austin, where he graduated with honors, and often found himself using the skills learned in college in the many facets of successfully operating the band.

Entirely self-taught, Ted began to develop his own unique drumming style through a variety of influences. He was a great admirer of the classical masters and has attended countless classical concerts. His drumming and songwriting are influenced by the power of Beethoven and Mahler symphonies, the staccato bursts of Scarlatti's harpsichord sonatas, and the counterpoint of Bach's fugues, to name a few. His solo release "In The Shadow Of The Masters" featured Ted drumming to classics by Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Chopin, Paganini and others.

"To me, the fantastic music of the classical masters is in a totally different realm — there simply is no other music to compare it to," Ted said. "I believe it was a time in history that will never be repeated — kind of like when dinosaurs roamed the earth. In drumming to these timeless works as with any music, I always strive to treat the drums as a musical instrument — not just a noisy timekeeper."

Ted was well known for his ability to create and execute polyrhythms within the framework of songs, for his advanced double bass technique, and most of all for bringing a musicality to his drumming which is always apparent in TOURNIQUET songs. His approach to the drums as a musical instrument made even more sense in light of his role as TOURNIQUET's primary songwriter. He had written both music and lyrics for fifteen of TOURNIQUET's chart-topping singles, in addition to many other songs that showcase the technical, melodic, and eccentric side of the band evident on every TOURNIQUET album and his independently recorded and produced solo albums. The readers of HM magazine voted Ted "Favorite Drummer" 10 years in a row. He has been featured twice in Modern Drummer magazine, and countless drummers list him as one of their drumming influences.

Since the very first TOURNIQUET release in 1990, "Stop The Bleeding",Ted had been a strong voice for animal welfare. "I have a lifelong passion for helping God's creation — the animals — and it matters greatly to me how they are treated," he said. You can hear and feel that passion in songs like "Ark Of Suffering", "Stereotaxic Atrocities", "Going, Going, Gone" – and in his "opus to animals" "Onward To Freedom". His first solo album, released in 2010 — "Ode To A Roadkill" — featured "vocals" courtesy of authentic haunting animal sounds, reflecting Ted's deep respect for the animal realm. "Ode" is a 42-minute hypnotic heavy wall of sound made possible by vintage Orange and Sunn amps. The title track refers to the sad reality of the millions of animals who die each year on our roadways.

Ted had a special fascination with butterflies and other insects. He had traveled to many places, including the jungles of Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, Malaysia, Taiwan, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and the Solomon Islands. The fantastic, repetitive sounds of the jungle had influenced his drumming as well.

As principal lyricist for the band, his talent for allegory and symbolism, and using unusual and sometimes bizarre examples to convey "God's word" can be found throughout the TOURNIQUET catalog.

Last year, TOURNIQUET turned to the popular crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to help with the necessary funds to record a new studio album. The band's loyal fanbase came through again by fully funding the band's $17,000 goal in only five days. (The campaign has since reached $29,000.) This was the band's sixth Kickstarter campaign — with all six reaching and exceeding the intended goal each time.

Past TOURNIQUET albums have featured a number of guest musicians, including guitarists Marty Friedman (MEGADETH),Chris Poland (MEGADETH),Pat Travers, Scotti Hill (SKID ROW),Bruce Franklin (TROUBLE) and Karl Sanders (NILE),and vocalists Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST),Chris Jericho (FOZZY),Michael Sweet (STRYPER),Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY),Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR) and Doug Pinnick (KING'S X).

This is Cristy, Ted's wife. I have some very sad news to share. My beloved husband went to be with the Lord today,...

Posted by Ted Kirkpatrick on Friday, August 19, 2022

Swedish black / thrash circle Sarcator has revealed the music video for “Grave Maggot Future”, the first single from their upcoming sophomore album, Alkahest. Slated for release on October 21, 2022 via Black Lion Records, Alkshest will be out on CD, vinyl, and cassette, in addition to its availability on digital / streaming platforms. Aged 17 to 23, these maniacs have continued sharpening their blades ever since their emergence in mid-2010.


Regarding the new track, Sarcator states: “‘Grave Maggot Future’ — three words that connected right away with the song. It’s an apocalyptic and thrashy punk bomb that we felt would be a suiting first single. It is the first glimpse of what you may find on this album, along with lawless madness and ambient serenity.”







Pre-order / pre-save Alkahest at this location.





Tracklisting:


"Ascend"
"Perdition’s Hand"
"Grave Maggot Future"
"Dreameater"
"The Long Lost"
"He Who Comes From The Dark"
"Devil Sun"
"Sorrow’s Verse"
"Alkahest"


Having two EPs and an album under their belt, Sarcator beckons new hope for Swedish metal. These young adults from Trollhattan evoke titans of the genre that blurred the lines between the first wave of black metal and the Teutonic thrash. After spawning two mini-albums, they headed to the Studio-MT in their hometown to record their self-titled debut, released in November 2020. Only a few months after the release, they got nominated for the P3 Gold radio listeners award for Best Swedish Metal Group. Even though they didn’t win, it was still significant proof that the band was on the right path and not bad for four guys still in high school.


On the new album Alkahest, Sarcator progresses forward in their approach, with new territories explored. It is a heartfelt album with a broader palette of influences and inspirations. This time, their already discharged merciless blackened thrash triumphantly came to grips with melodic death metal sparks of The Crown, Dissection, and At The Gates. The Crown influences probably came by birth as the lineup includes Mateo Tervonen — the son of Marko Tervonen from The Crown.




 


 

As visionary noise rock/metal outfit Today Is The Day continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, the band presents a special remastered vinyl repress of their seminal Willpower LP, along with a new visualizer video for the track “Sidewinder.”


Today Is The Day’s second album, Willpower was originally released in September of 1994 on the infamous Amphetamine Reptile roster. Having gnawed their way into the scene on their Supernova debut, Willpower showcased the same lineup as its predecessor yet delivered an even more expansive and monstrous demonstration of the band’s demented and singular sound. Drummer Brad Elrod, bassist Mike Herrell, and vocalist/guitarist/producer Steve Austin delivered what would become an instant benchmark in underground metal which remains a fan favorite among the band’s vast catalog nearly three decades later.


Following a CD reissue through Steve Austin’s own SuperNova Records in 2007, and a subsequent vinyl repress through Relapse Records in 2010, Willpower has since remained out of print until now. For its 2022 resurrection, Austin went back to the original analog masters and gave it only slight adjustments to bring the most raw and original sound of the album, expertly crafted for a modern vinyl release. The record sees the original eight songs as well as the bonus track “Execution Style,” found on an installment of the AmRep compilation series Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets.







The 2022 Willpower reissue sees the remastered album pressed on Gold vinyl in a run of 300 copies, alongside a reboot of the classic shirt design from the album’s original release featuring Satan and the decimated US flag.


“This new master made from the original Willpower mixes that were unmastered. I worked to make this sonically accurate to the way it sounded in the studio, in 1994, with the vintage analog outboard gear running into state-of-the-art Audio to Digital converters. This is Willpower in all its glory. I can feel it. I can’t wait for you to experience it.”


The track “Sidewinder” from the new remaster has been resurrected through a new visualizer, directed by David Brenner (Gridfailure) utilizing promo and live photos of the band, the studio gear used on the album, and other graphics and scanned ephemera reflective of the Willpower era.





The Willpower LP reissue can be ordered – where many exclusive items including test pressings, signed LPs, and other unique merch and products from the Today Is The Day vault are available – at the SuperNova Records webshop.


Willpower was also reissued digitally last year alongside the rest of the Today Is The Day catalog which can be found at various streaming services.


Today Is The Day will announce additional back-catalog reissues in the months ahead as well as new music. The current recording lineup gathered at Austin Enterprise in Orland, Maine in March and recorded the bulk of the band’s fifteenth full-length which will be completed for release through SuperNova in early 2023.

Vancouver, Canada's Iron Kingdom has been slicing and shredding NWOTHM anthems for metal fans for over a decade since their inception in 2011. The band will be unleashing their fifth studio album, The Blood Of Creation, on November 4 and they are excited to share its cover artwork and tracklisting.


"This album is quite dark topically, the lyrics speak of war, fear, sacrifice, and pain, and the music although very classical and explorative also has some very evil moments throughout. We were in a dark place due to the pandemic and the music reflects some of those emotions," says guitarist/vocalist Chris Osterman.


The Blood Of Creation continues the reign of classic heavy metal that Iron Kingdom has been presenting over the years to music lovers of the style along with keeping the flame burning for a new generation.




"We wanted to create music in a style of metal that seemed to have been forgotten when we were kids. Since no one else seemed to be doing it, we decided to play metal the way it used to be played in the 70s and 80s. That was the reason for forming Iron Kingdom. Essentially, we wanted to give people an exciting show like an early Iron Maiden, Scorpions, or Saxon show from the 1980s," recalls Osterman on the beginnings of the band.


Iron Kingdom has come a long way since their 2011 debut Curse Of The Voodoo Queen and their next offering is a potent full force of classic shredding heavy metal thunder and will take the fans into some unique fantastic worlds, but will also show a dark side of storytelling.


"I think we started as a bit more of a hard rock band on the first record, taking a progressive metal dive for Gates Of Eternity and Ride For Glory, then for On The Hunt, I’d say we went fully classic metal, leading into this new record being a pretty solid mix of all those styles combined. We also came out of the pandemic, which brought some darker emotions some people may have never experienced previously that I think this album may parallel. In the end though, we want people to get the chance to escape this world for a time and find solace in the music," adds Osterman.


The new album also sees new drummer Max Friesen (ex-Ophelia Falling) making his recording debut with the band to add another angle to their songwriting for this release. The album was self-produced by Iron Kingdom with mixing done by Andy Boldt and mastering by Greg Reely (Overkill, Fear Factory, 3 Inches of Blood).


Pre-order the album here, or here.





Tracklisting:


"Tides Of Desolation"
"Sheathe The Sword"
"Queen Of The Crystal Throne"
"Hunter And Prey"
"Witching Hour"
"In The Grip Of Nightmares"
"Primordial"
"The Blood Of Creation"


Teaser:





In additional news, Iron Kingdom have announced their album launch show for November 4 in Vancouver, BC, at the Wise Hall. For more info, head here.





(Photo - Caitlin Delaplace)

MEGADETH kicked off its summer/fall 2022 U.S. tour as the support act for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH last night (Friday, August 19) at RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington.

MEGADETH's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Hangar 18
02. Dread And The Fugitive Mind
03. Sweating Bullets
04. Dystopia
05. Trust
06. Tornado Of Souls
07. Symphony Of Destruction
08. Peace Sells
09. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

MEGADETH's tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, which features additional support from THE HU and FIRE FROM THE GODS, will conclude on October 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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

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

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

#megadeth

Posted by Kelly M Herndon-oden on Friday, August 19, 2022

Up front for Megadeth and Five Finger Death Punch tonight in Ridgefield. Pretty sure that was my favorite FFDP concert...

Posted by Leslie Stanyer on Saturday, August 20, 2022

San Jose death metallers Mortuous will release their second full-length, Upon Desolation, September 16th via Carbonized in The United States and Extremely Rotten Productions in Europe.


Four years after their debut, Through Wilderness, Mortuous returns with eight new tracks of sheer, twisting brutality. Upon Desolation was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California in December 2021. The offering features violin performances on “Nothing” and “Defiled By Fire” by Andrea Morgan (Exulansis) and album artwork by Marald Van Haasteren (Necrot, After The Bombs, Baroness).


The record’s first single, “Graveyard Rain,” is currently streaming now on all platforms. Comments the band, “‘Graveyard Rain’ brings forth a dark and doomy atmosphere that intertwines to take you on a journey to your grave!”







Upon Desolation will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find pre-orders at the Carbonized webshop and Bandcamp. Extremely Rotten will have all formats available for sale on release date. An exclusive Ultra-Clear Splatter vinyl variant of the record is available through Tankcrimes.





Tracklisting:


"Carve"
"Nothing"
"Metamorphosis"
"Days Of Grey"
"Defiled By Fire"
"Burning Still..."
"Ash And Dismay"
"Graveyard Rain"





Coinciding with the release of Upon Desolation, Mortuous will join Full Of Hell and Blood Incantation for a US tour. The tour begins on September 13th in Denver, Colorado and runs through October 7th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Additional support will be provided by Vermin Womb and God Is War. See all confirmed dates below. 





Tour dates:


September
13 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theater
14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
15 - Boise, ID - The Olympic
16 - Portland, OR - Dante's
17 - Seattle, WA - Substation
20 - Oakland, CA - Starline Social Club
21 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
22 - Santa Ana, CA - The Constellation Room
23 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
24 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Underground
25 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister Bar
26 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street
28 - Davenport, IA - Raccoon Motel
29 - St Paul, MN - Turf Club
30 - Chicago, IL - Reggies


October
1 - Cincinnati, OH - Legends
2 - Detroit, MI - Sanctuary
3 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk
4 - New Haven, CT - State House
5 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East
6 - Brooklyn, NY - Monarch
7 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts


(Photo by Chris Johnston)