Little Caesar is best remembered for its version of the soul music song "Chain Of Fools,” a 1989 hit single from its self-titled debut album on DGC Records, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. John Kalodner did A&R work for the group, and Bob Rock (Metallica, Mötley Crüe, etc.) produced its debut self-titled album, which was released to positive reviews. On the strength of the singles "Chain Of Fools" (a cover of the Aretha Franklin song) and "In Your Arms," Little Caesar hit #139 on the US Billboard 200 in 1990.


The band recently reissued its 2009 release Redemption and 2012’s American Dream. Both had been remastered and repackaged for a limited deluxe edition featuring four accompanying live tracks. Due to the great response to those releases, they are now remastering and releasing 1998’s This Time It’s Different in its entirety.


This album features the classic line up of Ron Young, Loren Molinare, Tom Morris, Fidel Paniagua, as well Earl Slick (David Bowie, John Lennon), and a guest appearance by Randy Bachman (The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive).




Ron Young had this to say, "We are excited to rerelease these oddball gems. It's sort of a behind the scenes look into our music and features some songs that had alternate lyrics, song demos, and tracks that the corporate ears passed on for a major release.”


This is the third in a series of reissues coming through the bands new imprint label Dirty Deeds Records/Deko Entertainment. The band will also be kicking off their European tour on September 8, in Belgium, making stops in France, Austria, Spain, and the Netherlands, before wrapping up in Germany on October 1.


There are limited edition bundles (while supplies last) for This Time It’s Different, which can be ordered here.


Product Includes:
- (1) CD Album of Little Caesar – This Time It’s Different - Autographed
- (1) Little Caesar T-Shirt
- (1) Little Caesar Sticker





Tracklisting:


“Hell To Pay”
“Downtown Mama”
“Ain't Got It”
“So Damn Tired”
“Tell Me That You Love Me”
“Same Old Story”
“Old Enough To Know Better”
“New Life”
“All Revved Up”
“Good Lickin’”
“Ridin' On”
“Down And Dirty (Live)”      
"Ballad Of Johnny (Live)”

American deathcore mainstays OCEANO have released a new song, "Mass Produced", via Sumerian Records. The official music video for the track, which was directed by Tim Burton (not the famous American filmmaker),can be seen below.

OCEANO vocalist Adam Warren commented: "As we unleash 'Mass Produced', it signifies a new chapter for OCEANO. I'm very excited for OCEANO fans everywhere to enjoy this song and video.

"To all the die-hards who connect with this band, thank you for your excitement. We have so much more to share with you on this journey. I'm fired up! Check our tour dates now! I'd love to see you while we're on tour soon, I hope!"

Fans will have the chance to see OCEANO at Kentucky Irate festival next weekend as well as on the "Dead In My Arms" 15th-anniversary tour with CARNIFEX, SPITE, LEFT TO SUFFER and CROWN MAGNETAR starting in September.

OCEANO's ability to encode such transmission within the framework of tight and technical heavy music remains a key to the band's success since 2006. Over the years, the group has ignited a diehard fan base. Picking up where critically acclaimed 2015's "Ascendants" and 2017's "Revelation" left off, the band expands its patented deathcore punch with brutal heaviness and moments of unrelenting technicality and precision in "Mass Produced".

Photo credit Nox Nohi

Destrage, who will release their 3DOT Recordings’ debut and sixth full-length album, SO MUCH. too much., on September 16, have shared a third and final preview of the forthcoming album with today’s release of “Private Party”, a track that features guest guitar player Devin Townsend. Listen here, and watch a visualizer below.


Federico Paulovich explains how the foursome came to work with Townsend: “We’re so excited to have Devin Townsend on one of our new songs! As the writing process for ‘Private Party’ was getting to its final stages, it started to feel evident that the song seemed to be written to feature his guest appearance. However, we knew that due to the insane amount of requests he constantly gets, Devin usually declines them all. The only reason he accepted this one was that I had the chance to record a song for his upcoming album and he thought it would be a good way to ‘return the favor.’ Devin is what I consider a true artist and a great source of inspiration of generations of musicians, we really can’t thank him enough for putting a bit of his magic into this song!”







Album pre-orders, which include two limited-edition vinyl variants, CDs and an album themed capsule collection of merchandise, are available now via the 3DOT Recordings’ webstore, here. Digital pre-saves can be found here.





SO MUCH. too much. tracklisting:


"A Commercial Break That Lasts Forever"
"Everything Sucks And I Think I’m A Big Part Of It"
"Venice Has Sunk"
"Italian Boi"
"Private Party" (feat. Devin Townsend)
"Sometimes I Forget What I Was About To"
"An Imposter"
"Is It Still Today"
"Vasoline"
"Rimashi"
"Unisex Unibrow"
"Everything Sucks Less"


"Italian Boi":





"Everything Sucks And I Think I’m A Big Part Of It" video:





Destrage is:


Paolo Colavolpe (vocals)
Matteo Di Gioia (guitar)
Federico Paulovich (drums)
Ralph Guido Salati (guitar)


(Photo - Pietro Agostini)

Wolfheart forms a raging blizzard of heavy metal with the release of second single, “The King”, cut from their upcoming full-length, King Of The North, out September 16 via Napalm Records. King Of The North picks up right where their last two releases - Wolves Of Karelia (2020) and the Skull Soldiers EP (2021) - left off, taking every aspect of their trademark blend of colossal melodies, earth-shaking vocals, gripping lyricism and driving rhythms to searing new levels.


Scorching gutturals from frontman Tuomas Saukkonen break through the ice on the new single as he is accompanied by epic orchestration packed with strings and horns. Heavy guitar chugs and powerful pummeling drums march through the track as Tuomas tells the tale of the hunt of the mighty forest god. “The King” is the album’s most glorious epic that unleashes Wolfheart’s exquisite balance of grandiose melodic atmosphere with crushing heavy guitars and pounding drums, premiering today alongside a new music video.


Wolfheart’s Tuomas Saukkonen about “The King”: "'The King' is about a broken sacred rule that forbids the hunt of a bear in winter. Hunter was only allowed to face the king when it was in its full strength. Bear was carried out from the forest head first because bears spirit was believed to live forever and only dead were carried feet first. The skull was hung in a sacred tree facing east where the spirits were believed to travel. Bear was truly the ruler of the woodlands and especially the death of the king was full of rituals and beliefs. The song also introduces our guitarist Vageliss as a vocalist in a leading role and his magnificent execution brings Wolfheart trademark sound into a new level."    







Each song on King Of The North is dedicated to a different story of Finnish mythology – underlined by Wolfheart’s grand, crushing songwriting and production. “The King”, for instance, tells the tale of the forest god with horns and pianos accompanying heavy guitar riffs and solos, before raising the energy levels once more on the relentless “Cold Flame” featuring Karl Sanders of legendary extreme metal group Nile. King Of The North is a true masterpiece of melodic death metal, crafted with loads of attention to detail and intricate mythology-driven storytelling – showcasing Wolfheart at never-before-heard artistic levels!


Tuomas Saukkonen about King Of The North: "After Wolves of Karelia it made a lot of sense to continue writing thematic albums, but this time I wanted to travel a lot further in history than 2nd world war and went straight to the tales about creation of nordic world, ancient gods of north and the majestic nature. The colorful theme also inspired me to write the musically most diverse Wolfheart album and also bring the biggest variation of vocals than ever before, putting Lauri and Vageliss in their well-earned spotlight."


King Of The North will be available in the following formats:


- LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Die-Hard Edition Marbled Crystal Clear/Black + Poster + Slipmat (limited to 300)
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Orange/Yellow
- CD 6-page Digisleeve
- Digital album


Pre-order here.





King Of The North tracklisting:


"Skyforger"
"Ancestor" feat. Jesse Leach
"Knell"
"Desolated Land"
"The King"
"Cold Flame" feat. Karl Sanders
"Headstones"
"Fires of the Fallen"
"Eternal Slumber"


"Ancestor" video:





Wolfheart are:


Tuomas Saukkonen - guitar, vocals
Joonas Kauppinen - drums
Lauri Silvonen - bass, vocals
Vagelis Karzis - guitar, vocals


(Photo - Teppo Ristola)

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the debut album, We Belong To The Stars, from Sweden's Ginevra, a new group comprised of vocalist Kristian Fyhr (Seventh Crystal), guitarist Magnus Karlsson (The Ferrymen, Primal Fear), bassist Jimmy Jay (H.E.A.T.), and drummer Magnus Ulfstedt (ex-Eclipse, Nordic Union).


The album will be available on September 16. Pre-order here, and watch a visualizer/b-roll video for the song "Apologize" below.


Ginevra came to be after Kristian Fyhr sent Serafino Perugino, Frontiers Records President, some songs he had written for consideration to be used on future Frontiers' label projects. One particular song, "My Rock N' Roll" jumped out at Perugino and he asked Fyhr if he would be interested in fronting a new band that would craft an entire album in a musical direction illustrated in that song, which was substantially different from Fyhr's main band Seventh Crystal. The final results brought Ginevra's sound under the same big umbrella of excellent Nordic melodic hard rock like H.E.A.T, Eclipse, Crowne, and the like, but without necessarily sounding like those bands. Ginevra is hooky and melodic, but mostly heavier and more guitar/riff oriented than traditional melodic rock. Perugino thought that Magnus Karlsson, who contributed to the songwriting for the album as well, seemed the perfect fit to play guitar for Ginevra and when approached about participating, he was keen on the idea.




With a powerful vocalist like Fyhr and a monster guitarist like Magnus Karlsson, whose resume speaks for itself, a top notch rhythm section needed to join the fold. Jona Tee, whom Frontiers has worked with as a musician and/or producer on releases from New Horizon, Crowne, and Temple Balls, recommended his H.E.A.T. bandmate Jimmy Jay for the bass position and he was the perfect fit. For the drum stool, Magnus Ulfstedt, who has played with Eclipse, Nordic Union, and Jimi Jamison, was asked to join the band and complete this excellent Swedish foursome.


Kristian Fyhr first came to the label's attention with Seventh Crystal, the other band he is lead vocalist for. Seventh Crystal's 2021 debut album, Delirium was a real breath of fresh air in the melodic rock scene considering the band managed to acknowledge the traditions of the genre, while also bringing in modern hard rock elements. Fhyr has also contributed to the songwriting of recent albums from the label, including Giant's Shifting Time. The pairing of Fhyr's vocal and songwriting talents with Karlsson's stunning guitar playing and songwriting has birthed something truly special and melodic hard rock fans can look forward to yet another gem from the ever fruitful Swedish hard rock scene.





Tracklisting:


"Siren’s Calling"
"Unbreakable"
"Apologize"
"Masquerade" Feat. Chez Kane
"Break The Silence"
"Brokenhearted"
"We Belong To The Stars"
"I’ll Be Around"
"Falling To Pieces"
"The Fight"
"My Rock’n’roll"


"Apologize" visualizer/b-roll video:





"Unbreakable" video:





"Siren’s Calling" video:





Lineup:


Kristian Fhyr - Vocals, Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Magnus Karlsson - Guitar, Keyboards
Jimmy Jay - Bass
Magnus Ulfstedt - Drums


Additional musicians:


Chez Kane - Vocals on "Masquerade"
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards


Produced, mixed & mastered by Alessandro Del Vecchio
Executive Producer / A&R - Serafino Perugino

Morbidity Triumphant, the long-awaited full-length return of US death metal pioneers, Autopsy, is set for release on September 30 via Peaceville Records. The band have revealed the first track in the form of the darkly sickening, creepily menacingly delicious “Skin By Skin” lyric video.


Says Chris Reifert: “Here’s one to crawl under your skin and rot you from the inside out. Eric Cutler has a knack for writing riffs that creep even us, the band out and this song is a perfect example of that. Get ready to feel uncomfortable, foam at the mouth and bang your fiendish head at the same time!”







Since first bursting onto the death metal scene with the now genre classic Severed Survival back in 1989 and following up with the equally revered Mental Funeral album, the influential quartet has carved an unwavering legacy over three decades as masters and purveyors of the vile sides of the extreme metal spectrum. And now, Autopsy marks its reinvigorated return, presenting the first new full-length studio opus since 2014’s Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves with Morbidity Triumphant; a savage offering of brutal death, showing the US legends still have an unbridled hunger for the sadistic, never reluctant to step beyond the threshold of decency.


Morbidity Triumphant, the band’s eighth album, is truly a dark delight for seasoned and new listeners alike, with a raw organic sound perfectly encapsulating what makes Autopsy so distinguishable among its peers, for what could easily be considered one of its strongest offerings to date.


The driving force of Autopsy as ever is the virtuoso guitar pairing of Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles, effortlessly trading off their schizophrenic leads and switching from all-out death metal madness to groove-laden heavy doom, with unmistakable drum/vocal legend Chris Reifert being master of proceedings, spewing his own infinitely creative maniacal musings. Morbidity Triumphant also notably marks the first album to feature new bassist Greg Wilkinson, currently also seen in Static Abyss along with Chris “working with Greg on the Autopsy record was totally different than the Static Abyss one, mostly since Autopsy is a complete band with their own pre-established ways of doing things – we just abducted him into the band and had him roll with our ways, which he took to like a fish to gasoline so much so that he contributed a song musically which fit in perfectly with the rest of the sickening anthems on the album.”


Morbidity Triumphant was recorded at Opus Studios, with long-associated engineer Adam Munoz at the helm. Mastering was completed by Ken Lee.


The cover artwork appears courtesy of Wes Benscoter (Slayer, Bloodbath), with a new work of twisted and sinister genius. Chris exclaims, “Wes delivered another stunner. What a maniac!” He explains, “We didn’t give him much to work with as usual. I think, maybe, just a couple of song titles and themes maybe and his imagination did most of the work. The album title came along after the fact. After having our minds blown by Wes’ art we arrived at “Morbidity Triumphant” which seemed to fit the theme of the painting as well as the way we feel about the state of the band in general. We’ve been working hard at our sick craft with zero compromise and it seems we’re still hitting our stride somehow.”


Turn out the lights, crank it up until your speakers puke and see where it takes you. You might be surprised at the thoughts and visions that enter your head. Get the ticket, take the ride and be prepared for your mind to eat itself alive.


Morbidity Triumphant will be released in the following formats: CD / black vinyl LP / ltd edition violet coloured LP – exclusive to the Peaceville label stores / other colours available in various territories / cassette / digital. Pre-order here.





Morbidity Triumphant tracklisting:


"Stab The Brain"
"Final Frost"
"The Voracious One"
"Born In Blood"
"Flesh Strewn Temple"
"Tapestry Of Scars"
"Knife Slice, Axe Chop"
"Skin By Skin"
"Maggots In The Mirror"
"Slaughterer Of Souls"
"Your Eyes Will Turn To Dust"


Trailer:

Cianuro, the Chilean metal band has recently released in all streaming platforms their new and third album called Odio Total (Total Hate in English) including the promotional video “Odio A La Sociedad” (“Hatred Society” in English).


This new album was produced by the legend Flemming Rasmussen, at Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark. Better known as producer of prominent albums such as RideTthe Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice For All, among others.







Along with this album, the band confirmed its own sound with strong social theme lyrics written by a personal perception. 12 songs filled with tones of energy and anger, twelve songs which the band go through thrash metal, groove metal, hardcore punk and even some influences from death metal. 


Odio Total is now available in all streaming platforms and also in DIGIPACK PRO by direct selling with the official channels of the band.

Dave Mustaine has revealed in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station that MEGADETH recently recorded a cover of a JUDAS PRIEST song "for an Amazon project that they asked us to do." Regarding how he and his bandmates approached the recording of the track, the MEGADETH leader said: "We went and listened to the song and charted out the performance. And going into that kind of micromanaging of the song, that minutiae production, we started to see a lot of things in the song where it seemed like there was no guide for the song. So we did everything the way that we do our recordings. And I believe it got a little more straightforward with the riffing and everything."

A few years ago, Mustaine picked JUDAS PRIEST's "Sad Wings Of Destiny" as one of the albums that changed his life. He said: "When it comes to classic heavy metal, JUDAS PRIEST's 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' is definitely one of the all-time great opuses. Hearing Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's unison guitar playing and hearing Rob Halford let rip … Who sings like that? Nobody. I was so entranced by that band and everything about them, that I went to a hat store and bought a Fedora because Glenn Tipton was wearing one on the back of 'Sad Wings…' I have curly hair so hats don't stay on so well. It didn't last very long. [Laughs]"

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 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.
Sad Wings Of Destiny by far is my fave @judaspriest record and i will always hail Glen and KK as a great guitar duo! https://t.co/GEvb6mlhpR

— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) April 9, 2016

On August 6th, Bay Area titans Testament performed at Razzmatazz is Barcelona, Spain. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be veiwed below. The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Rise Up"
"The New Order"
"The Pale King"
"Children of the Next Level"
"Practice What You Preach"
"WWIII"
"D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)"
"Night of the Witch"
"The Formation of Damnation"
- bass solo -
"Souls of Black"
"First Strike Is Deadly"
"Over the Wall"
"Into the Pit"
"Alone in the Dark"







Testament unleashed their thirteenth studio album, Titans Of Creation, via Nuclear Blast in 2020.


Today, Testament has announced they will release a Titans Of Creation Video Album on September 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. The limited-edition collectible features performance videos of all the tracks on the record. The footage was compiled at a soundstage in San Francisco and was edited into music video-style clips that will be available on Blu-Ray accompanying the CD with bonus photos and liner notes plus a button and sticker in a longbox. Staying true to the record, the performances feature Gene Hoglan behind the kit! This version will be limited to 6,500 units worldwide.


In celebration of the news, the band releases the music video for the track "Curse Of Osiris", which can be seen below.





Chuck Billy comments, "I’m very excited and proud to release the video play through for the Titans of Creation album. We were fortunate enough to have Gene Hoglan on drums before his departure. Now fans can watch us play the entire album in their homes with friends and start their own mosh pit in their living rooms."


Eric Peterson comments, “We are pleased to announce something we have always wanted to do! A performance video for each song on our latest release Titans Of Creation. It almost didn’t happen as we got the news from Gene that he was going to go his separate way, but we left on a good note and we agreed that we should nail this last idea I think it came out really killer & can’t wait for everybody to see it! We kept it simple, and added a couple of visual elements on some songs for a certain vibe of the song, overall great to listen to and watch us jam these new killer songs! Looking forward to doing it again on the next record too!"





Pre-orders available at nuclearblast.com.

Billy Idol is back with The Cage EP, which is set for release on September 23 via Dark Horse Records. A video for the song "Cage" can be viewed below, and you can stream the single here.


The new music follows the release of Idol’s 2021 The Roadside EP, which included the Top 15 hit “Bitter Taste” and received praise from fans and critics alike. As on The Roadside EP, Idol is joined on the new project by his longtime collaborator, co-writer and guitarist Steve Stevens.


Order The Cage EP on your choice of CD, vinyl LP, and limited edition red vinyl LP with a limited amount of signed copies available while they last, here.







Tracklisting:


"Cage"
"Running From The Ghost"
"Rebel Like You"
"Miss Nobody"


"Cage" video:

In a new interview with This Day In Metal, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares once again opened up about his band's search for a new vocalist following the departure of Burton C. Bell nearly two years ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A lot of people online are asking me about FEAR FACTORY: 'When the fuck are you gonna release a song? When are you gonna announce a singer' Blah blah blah, and all that stuff. And I'm, like, look, I'm just taking my time and I want this to be right. I'm taking my time, and it's gonna be fucking amazing. People want me to rush things right away, and I just don't wanna rush things. 'Just fucking tell us who the singer is, you fuck.' Everybody is just yelling at me, telling me things like that. And I'm, like, just be patient. Just be patient."

He continued: "I just want this to be amazing. I want the track and the singer to be announced at the same time, so everybody can be excited on the song. 'Cause if I announce the singer right now, 'Ah, fuck that guy.' They haven't even heard the guy yet and they're gonna be talking shit. So I want them to hear it and see him — it's a him, yes — so they can get excited about it."

Cazares also confirmed that ONCE HUMAN's Lauren Hart originally auditioned for the singer position in FEAR FACTORY before he recruited her to front his DIVINE HERESY project.

"During the process of going through all the video submissions for FEAR FACTORY, I discovered some other vocalists," Dino explained. "I've known Lauren for a very, very long time. She sang in a band called ONCE HUMAN. I've known her for — I don't know — probably, I wanna say 10 years maybe. Maybe a little less. I always knew she was a talented vocalist. But not every vocalist is going to fit a particular band. Yes, I did audition her for FEAR FACTORY. But Burton's vocal style is kind of more in the lower register, in the gothic kind of register — he's got a lower register… It's kind of hard to explain, and I don't wanna sound sexist in any way, but sometimes the anatomy of a female's voice just doesn't sound good that low. It was just too low of a register. And so she sounded better for DIVINE HERESY. When I heard her do the song for DIVINE HERESY, 'Failed Creation' — she did the song — I was, like, 'That's it.' She's the new vocalist. It's perfect. It's in her range, and it just sounds amazing. And she's extremely talented, and I just can't wait to release some new stuff."

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

In April, Dino told "The Garza Podcast" that the new FEAR FACTORY singer is emotionally ready to handle the inevitable pushback from some fans that he will get once his identity has been revealed. "I think that they're ready," he said. "When it comes to talent, they're very ready. But 'tour ready' is completely different. Let's hope that… Well, the person that we have has done some touring, but not touring like we do touring. Like, a full U.S. tour can be anywhere from four weeks to six weeks to whatever, then you fly over to Europe and do another four to five weeks, come back to the States, do another tour, then you go to South America and do another few weeks there, then you go to Australia and do another few weeks there, and then you plan for next year. I think one of the other things, too, is when this person is announced, they're gonna have to be able to handle all the criticism. That's gonna be the hard part. 'Well, it didn't sound like Burt.' Well, of course not. I want this person… They do actually sound like Burt — they can handle all the old stuff like Burt — but as far as moving forward, I would like them to have their own identity. We're still gonna have the formula of what makes FEAR FACTORY — for sure — but I want this person to somewhat have his own identity as well."

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

"I'm not gonna push it," Dino added. "I'm not gonna push him or nothing like that. Fans ask me all the time: 'Hey, call him up. Just call him up.' Well, if you saw the stuff he said when he left, he's not exactly a phone call away… He left pretty bitter, and that's pretty much where… It looks like he's having a good time being free. So I'm not gonna force anybody to come back or [any] stuff like that.

"Some people want change in their life, but sometimes fans just can't accept that. Fans are, like, 'He was the singer for 30 years. Come back.' That was his decision. No one pushed him out; no one forced him to leave — none of that stuff. That was his decision."

Asked about his previous comment that he was open to hiring a female vocalist for FEAR FACTORY, Dino told Bucketlist TV: "That was true. I auditioned a few women, yes. But it didn't work out — not because they were female or anything like that. Because I wanted to pick whoever was best for the position, and it turned out to be a guy."

Dino also addressed his statement from last year that he wanted to give an "unknown guy a shot" at fronting FEAR FACTORY. He said: "Well, it wasn't like I was only looking for somebody that nobody knew. I was looking for all different [types of singers]. Sure, if the guy turned out to be, or the girl turned out to be, someone that nobody knew and I gave 'em that shot, yeah, great. I was open to all of it, is what I'm saying. Male, female, whatever, known, unknown — I was open to all of that."

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

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

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

In October 2020, Dino issued a statement in which he said that the door for Burton to come back to FEAR FACTORY wouldn't "stay open forever." The guitarist also revealed that Burton "lost his legal rights" to the FEAR FACTORY name "after a long court battle" with Herrera and Olde Wolbers. "I had the opportunity to do something right, and I felt that obtaining the name in full was the right thing to do for the both of us, so after nearly four years we can continue as FEAR FACTORY, to make more records and to tour," he said. "That is why it is sad to hear that he decided to quit and, in my opinion, for whatever issues he has it seems like it could've been worked out."

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside drummer Mike Heller.

Banger TV has uploaded a new video of Philip Anselmo sharing his MOTÖRHEAD stories and love for the Lemmy-fronted band. The PANTERA singer said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The first thing that attracted me to MOTÖRHEAD was Lemmy Kilmister and the sound of his voice. And then it was solidified… In 1985, I went to a show outside New Orleans, Louisiana, and it was AGNOSTIC FRONT and MOTÖRHEAD. It was a wall of crushing sound and they were just incredible; they sounded great. Lemmy was so long lasting and impressionable, man, on me. He's forever, and I love him."

An official video for a cover of MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" by Anselmo, Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER),Chuck Garric (ALICE COOPER),Sacha Dunable (INTRONAUT),Oliveri (STÖNER, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS),Dwid Hellion (INTEGRITY),and Zach Wheeler and Tom Polzine (HOWLING GIANT) can be seen below. The track is taken from the MOTÖRHEAD tribute album, "Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead", which was released on June 19 via the new in-house label, Psycho Waxx, created by the founders of Psycho Las Vegas festival.

"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's 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.

Every rock and roll all-star featured on the song contributes a different offering in worship of Lemmy. Anselmo's jagged molasses vocals bounce off Hellion's demon howls while 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 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. Wheeler and 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 Dunable's awesome virtuosity on guitar and Garric's legendary bass and you have a recipe for one of the greatest covers in rock and metal history.

MOTÖRHEAD was a dream headliner for the very first Psycho Las Vegas in 2016, and when the world lost the legendary Lemmy Kilmister, his band became an essential part of Psycho's DNA. In commemoration of Lemmy's legacy, Psycho Waxx is unleashing a double album of MOTÖRHEAD tracks by some of the festival's biggest bombers, being cut during the fest last year (August 20-22, 2021) at National Southwestern Recording in downtown Vegas.

"Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead" track listing:

01. KING DUDE - Killed by Death
02. STÖNER - R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
03. HIGH ON FIRE - Iron Fist
04. CEPHALIC CARNAGE - Order / Fade to Black
05. EYEHATEGOD -Motörhead
06. LORD BUFFALO - God Was Never On Your Side
07. HOWLING GIANT w/ Chuck Garric & Calico Cooper - Love Me Like A Reptile
08. MOTHERSHIP - Bomber
09. FOIE GRAS - Born to Lose
10. PSYCHLONA - Iron Horse
11. BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT w/ Matt Pike - Please Don't Touch
12. CREEPING DEATH - In the Name of Tragedy
13. THE BRIDGE CITY SINNERS - Go to Hell
14. EXHORDER - Sacrifice
15. DEATH BY STEREO - Born to Raise Hell
16. MIDNIGHT - Dirty Love
17. RELAXER - America
18. Phil Anselmo / Gary Holt / Kelley Juett / Sacha Dunable / Tom Polzine / Nick Oliveri / Dwid Hellion / Kyle Juett / Chuck Garric / Zach Wheeler - Ace Of Spades

New England extreme metal unit, Escuela Grind, will release its new LP, Memory Theater, on September 30. Produced by Kurt Ballou, the album -- the band's first for MNRK Heavy (High On Fire, Crowbar) -- features nine tracks of sharp, scorching underground music that rages and rips in equal measure. Escuela Grind's Memory Theater is available for pre-order now at this location.


Today, Escuela Grind releases a video for the new song, "All Is Forgiven", which the group calls "a skull cracker." Directed by Michael Jari Davidson (Alice in Chains), the high-intensity clip blends reality with virtual reality. Watch below.







Tracklisting:


"Endowed With Windows"
"My Heart, My Hands"
"Cliffhanger"
"Strange Creature"
"Faulty Blueprints"
"All Is Forgiven"
"Forced Collective Introspection"
"The Feed"
"Memory Theater"


"All Is Forgiven" video:





"Cliffhanger" video:





The music might be terrifying, but the overwhelming spirit behind Escuela Grind is a message of empowerment. As it destroys musical boundaries, the quartet attacks the idea of “gatekeeping” with equal ferocity. Anytime Katerina Economou (vocals), Jesse Fuentes (drums), Kris Morash (guitar), and Tom Sifuentes (bass) convene, an aural apocalypse will ensue. Escuela Grind stitches together a new metallic hardcore monster from the rotten corpses of grind and power violence with gleefully unhinged blasts of percussive bombast and chaos.


Memory Theater, Escuela Grind's sophomore album, is seven minutes shorter than Slayer’s Reign In Blood, but with a few songs running past the three-minute mark, it’s downright epic by grindcore norms.


The album title references a specific historical concept, constructing a “space” from one’s internal ideas, knowledge, and perception. An architect by trade, Economou explores philosophy, politics, and experiential experimentation, building a kind of structure amidst the band's musical cacophony.


(Photo - Jonathan Vahid)

Atlanta-by-way-of-South America band, Irist, return with the Gloria EP on September 16, via Nuclear Blast Records. A preview of the five-song release is available now, with the Scott Rudd-created lyric video for “Heal” available below.


"When we wrote ‘Heal,’ I was trying to describe our inability as humans to face reality,” explains singer Rodrigo Carvalho. “My own dealing with pain and loss was what inspired me to write these lyrics. I never know what people may get out of my lyrics, but I hope that it particularly connects with those going through a rough patch in life.”


The EP, which once again finds the band’s music mixed by Matt Bayles (Mastodon/Isis), comes after a hindered rollout for what many predicted was going to launch the band as one of the more prominent new bands in heavy music. With a release, and tour, slated for the Spring of 2020, the band was sidelined in the wake of international lockdowns, with Carvalho moving back to Brazil and guitar player Pablo Davila moving to Texas to work in an Austin COVID-ward.




“We still wrote a bit despite the distance,” adds Carvalho, “Musically, we began to explore more melodic vocal lines, and we added synth, noise, and electronic element. We write intense melodies and frantic beats to convey what’s in our lyrics.”


Now, with the Gloria EP on the horizon, as well as dates with Pallbearer, Elder and upcoming record releases shows, guitar player Pablo Davila is eager for the band to pick up where they left off: “We couldn’t be more excited and grateful to be releasing new music. It’s really important to me that the music reflect what Rodrigo is saying, and vice versa, and with ‘Heal’ we wanted to convey something painful and at the same time hopeful.”


The digital only EP can be pre-saved here.





Gloria EP tracklisting:


"Gloria"
"Heal"
"III"
"Surging Ablaze"
"Watchful Eye"


"Heal" lyric video:





Irist is:


Rodrigo Carvalho (vocals)
Pablo Davila (guitar)
Adam Mitchell (guitar)
Bruno Segovia (bass)


Drums on all tracks by Jason Belisha.


(Photo - Susy Reyes)

Albert Bouchard has released a music video for the song, “Shadow Of California”, featured on his album, Imaginos II - Bombs Over Germany (minus zero and counting). Watch below:





Albert Bouchard is best known as a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult, along with his brother and bassist Joe Bouchard. The original lineup sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart “Burning For You”, with both contributing to songwriting, and lead vocals on some of their greatest songs, such as “Cites On Flame With Rock and Roll” and “Hot Rails To Hell”.




Imaginos II - Bombs Over Germany (minus zero and counting) continues the Trilogy of Imaginos, a concept album about an alien conspiracy that is brought to fruition during the late 19th and early 20th century through the actions of Imaginos, an agent of evil. The album weaves scripts and poems by the late Sandy Pearlman.


Tracklisting:


“When War Comes”
“Independence Day” (extended version) LP Only
“7 Screaming Dizbusters”
“OD’d On Life Itself”
“II Duce”
“Bombs Over Germany”
“Before The Kiss (A Redcap)”
“Three Sisters”
“Quicklime Girl (Mistress Of The Salmon Salt)”
“The Red And The Black”
“Dominance And Submission”
“Shadow Of California”
“Cities On Flame (With Rock And Roll)”
“Half Life Time”
“When War Comes” (instrumental mix) LP Only


"Independence Day" lyric video:





"OD'd On Life Itself" lyric video:





Albert and Joe Bouchard are currently on tour in the UK. Remaining dates are listed below.





Tour dates:


August
17 - Newcastle, England - Trillians
18 - Stoke-on-Trent, England - Eleven

In a new interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH vocalist Ivan Moody was asked if there were "benefits" to the pandemic-related break for him or if he found that period especially challenging considering that he celebrated his fourth year of sobriety last March. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would have to go with the latter on that one. No, I won't even say that. It was a little bit of both. The hardest part for me was being sober. There was a lot of day drinking going on during COVID, and I'd read a lot of articles [about] a lot of domestic violence disputes — a lot of just unnecessary stuff. And I think it brought out the worst and unfortunately some of the best in people, or fortunately, for that matter. Myself, I had a really hard time, 'cause I have this diabolical voice that sits in the back of me, always trying to convince me that I've been sober long enough, I've been good long enough, and so what's it really gonna damage if I wanted to turn the page and do something radical and bad again?

"So, for me it was really finding a medium, finding out what was gonna keep me on the straight and narrow, I guess you'd say," he explained. "And once again, whether it had been my kids, once again music stood up for me, because beyond my kids and my family there was really nothing to grab on to.

"We're fortunate enough that we play music for a living, but in the same token we have to sit by and watch all these hard-working, blue-collar people lose their jobs, go through what they went through, whether it be the grocery store rioting or collecting toilet paper or just figuring out employment," Ivan added. "It was an eye opener for everybody, and it's something that Zo [guitarist Zoltan Bathory] and I have talked about a few times. This wasn't just something that was quarantined — no pun intended — to one area. This is the first time, really, in history that the entire world was affected by something. Even World War II was segmented; there were parts of the world involved — it wasn't necessarily the world. However, when it came to the pandemic, every single human being on this planet was affected. So, for me, utilizing that energy and digging into what other people were saying and feeling and filtering it and putting it back through my platform is not only a gift but in the same token necessary. So it was tough, man. It was very difficult. But at other times I was very grateful for the tools I've been given and the strength that I have to help me get through it, much less help other people."

Ivan previously said that he nearly died due to an alcohol-related seizure and woke up surrounded by EMTs and his daughter holding him while crying. He also admitted that he went to rehab five times before the last time finally stuck.

Moody's near-death experience was recounted in FIVE FINGER's music video for the song "The Tragic Truth" which was released in January to coincide with Ivan's 42nd birthday.

In September 2018, Moody told the WEBN radio station that he was "back and forth for a while" in his struggle to stay sober. "I'd do three months, then relapse." He added: "Recovery, you have to be committed; it's an honest program, and I wasn't being honest with myself at the time. I'm very, very proud of the progress I've made."

Moody went on to credit several of his friends and musical peers with helping him get through some of his darker moments. "Rob Halford [JUDAS PRIEST] is the person that I called a lot of the time when I was in recovery," he revealed. "I think he's been sober now for going on 40 years — maybe, I think, a little longer than that; I could be wrong. But Jamey Jasta [HATEBREED] — another one. Jamey's been sober now for [two decades]; Jonathan Davis [KORN]; so on and so forth. So these were all people that I looked to when I was struggling, and I was very, very lucky and blessed to have them on my team."

Moody also revealed that he was sober but massively hung over during his onstage meltdown in Europe in 2017, with the band sending him home after that and later welcoming him back on a "probationary" basis after both Phil Labonte from ALL THAT REMAINS and Tommy Vext from BAD WOLVES filled in on a couple of tours.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new album, "AfterLife", is due on August 19. The "Afterlife" title track, which was released as a single in April, recently gave FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH the most consecutive No. 1s on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The song was the band's 13th total No. 1 and eighth entry on the chart in a row. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH broke out of a tie with DISTURBED and SHINEDOWN, each of whom has seven consecutive No. 1s on the chart.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's follow-up to 2020's "F8" was once again recorded at the Hideout Recording Studio, the Las Vegas, Nevada facility owned and operated by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who has worked on all of FIVE FINGER's albums beginning with the band's sophomore release, 2009's "War Is The Answer".

"AfterLife" will be FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first album with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in 2020. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2", which came out in the fall of 2020.

Houston, Texas based melodic hard rock band Love And War has announced the reissue of their 2020 sophomore CD Edge Of The World which includes a bonus CD of their newly remastered 2012 debut CD Up The Annie as a dual two in one CD release.


The CD will be released on September 9, 2022 in Europe via No Dust Records and in North America via Animated Insanity Records.


Love And War has provided the following comment:




“All of us in Love And War are excited about our collaboration with Animated Insanity Records and No Dust Records for our 2 CD release set. Distribution of our Texas melodic rock will finally reach fans worldwide and introduce them to our brand of rock. We thank all involved in believing in us and making it happen.”





No Dust Records have provided the following comment:


“Since their independent debut release Up The Annie back in 2012, the band worked hard on their follow up album Edge Of The World which was also released by the band digitally and in limited quantities on CD in 2020. The band signed to No Dust Records and Animated Insanity Records in 2022 for a stunning two in one double CD package which includes both albums for a worldwide release. Edge Of The World includes an exclusive bonus track, and the full package includes the first Love And War album Up The Annie as bonus disc. Love And War will appeal to fans of classic melodic hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Y&T, Michael Schenker Group, U.F.O., Vicious Rumors, etc.”


Animated Insanity Records have provided the following comment:


“It's been an extremely enjoyable experience working with the band to get these discs reissued. I look forward to them building their fan base even more once this killer music hits the streets in early September.”


Love and War recently announced the addition of former Houston, Texas prog-metal band Z-LOT-Z guitarist/producer Gregg Gill to the band guitar lineup.


Preorders – Europe at No Dust Records and North America at Animated Insanity Records.

Progressive/power metal group, Immortal Guardian, have released “Southern Rain”, the latest new song and music video this year. The digital single can be heard at all streaming/download platforms, and a video for the track can be viewed below.





“For several moments in our history, we have doubted the humane side of humanity. Now, this is the moment we arise to say: ENOUGH! No matter how hard things get, no matter how south things go, we will never back down,” states singer Carlos Zema. “We will not race against the races. We will not stand as victims anymore. We will unite and persevere against all the bullets that our families dodge every day. Together as one, we stand against the next bloodstain in our history, at all costs.”







“Southern Rain” is the third new song the talented and hard-working quartet has released since the spring highlighting their efforts in creating the follow-up to the successful 2021 Psychosomatic album behind “Ozona” and “Echoes” forming a basis for their next conceptual piece.








Lineup:


Gabriel Guardian - guitars/keyboards
Carlos Zema - vocals
Justin Piedimonte - drums
Joshua Lopez - bass


(Photo - Brett Rivera)

Alexisonfire released Otherness, their first full-length album in over 13 years, earlier this summer via Dine Alone Records. Otherness is arguably the band's most cohesive and self-actualized record to date, featuring impassioned anthems with earnest and deeply heartfelt lyrics, and impeccable vocal and musical performances from the iconic five-piece.





Today, the band has shared an official music video for "Mistaken Information." Watch below.




The video was directed by Nedda Afsari and the creative team at Muted Widows, who also shot the album artwork. The same models and actors are featured in the Otherness artwork - and the cinematic clip charts the course of the album art.


"It was a wonderful experience to create the video for 'Mistaken Information' for the incredible Alexisonfire," Muted Windows states, offering insight into the overall vision. "We appreciate how receptive they were to the concept after listening to the song - immediately feeling a sort of hypnotic tone. The video is abstract in nature and much more about feeling."


Afsari concurs, saying, "I love working on all-encompassing projects, making videos that tie into photos for album art. Michael E. Linn shot tons of footage for the album photo shoot and knew we wanted to incorporate that into 'Mistaken Information.' We created a deja vu world where dreams blend with reality, and nothing is certain."





The band are excited for headline shows in the UK and mainland Europe this fall. Renowned for their dynamic, captivating live performances, the dates include a stop off at London's O2 Academy Brixton and a Halloween show at the Palladium in Cologne. Joining them as special guests will be British rock squad, Boston Manor, with Higher Power getting the party started each night.





For a full list of global tour dates or to buy tickets, visit the band's official website here.

British rockers Massive Wagons have teamed up with metal legend Benji Webbe (Skindred, Dub War) for their new single, “Generation Prime” (listen below), taken from their upcoming album Triggered!, out October 28 via Earache Records.


A sugar-buzz punk rock anthem that nods to The Offspring’s 90s singalong glory years, “Generation Prime” takes aim at our need for instant gratification, Wagons’ Barry “Baz” Mills and Benji Webbe trading vocal pot shots over galloping, powerhouse rhythms and ska inflected guitars.


Baz explains the issue that “Generation Prime” addresses, "NOW NOW NOW NOW, got to have it now! Convenience has turned people lazy, addicted to instant gratification, immediate satisfaction, cheap shopping, fast delivery - the prime generation, no awareness of the consequences of the way we live.”




He continues, “This is one of Stephen's riffs, he brought that kinda ska punk vibe and I immediately fell in love with it. I'd had the idea for the song floating around for a while - I wanted to take a stab at consumerism, and it just worked straight away. The song has got so many sides, it keeps changing pace and direction but remains solid and catchy. Then we have the absolute king, the master of ceremonies, Benji Webbe putting his vocals down on it, and writing some great parts. He has character and style by the truck, and it was an absolute honour to have him on board, always bringing the fire!”


Baz adds, "We all had a feeling about this track from the off, I think it has broad appeal and is a live banger, so it was put in the set immediately!! The crowd just get it straight away, and it sets off the energy at shows, it's loads of fun to play.”


Triggered! is available for pre-order here on limited coloured vinyl (including green, orange and pink vinyl), black vinyl, signed CD, cassette and digital download. There are also six white vinyl editions available as part of a special collector's bundle, featuring six different front and back covers.





Tracklisting:


"Fuck The Haters"
"Please Stay Calm"
"Generation Prime"
"A.S.S.H.O.L.E."
"Skateboard"
"Gone Are The Days"
"Triggered"
"Giulia"
"Germ"
"Never Been A Problem"
"Big Time"
"Sawdust"
"No Friend Of Mine"


"Generation Prime":





Massive Wagons are due to co-headline UK venues this year with Ugly Kid Joe on the Comin' For You! '22 tour, starting on November 3r at the O2 Academy Liverpool and finishing at KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton on November 11.


Baz shares his excitement for the tour, “Absolutely banging times ahead, this UK tour feels like a real step up for us. It’s a massive honour to be heading out with Ugly Kid Joe. These guys were a huge part of our musical upbringing, I remember seeing the tees everywhere as a kid, massive hits, the band were all over record stores and radio, so to co-head a tour with them is a proper moment in our story. I think it’s gonna be party central, both bands bring a big high energy show with a plethora of catchy tunes, it’s gonna go off! I always wanted one of their middle finger tees as a kid but was too scared to buy one in case my mother gave me a bollocking haha. Hope to see you on the road, this tour is definitely one not to miss. Rock on ya rad mothers!”


For a full list of upcoming tour dates or to buy tickets, visit the band’s official website here.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, Dave Mustaine spoke about MEGADETH's songwriting process, particularly as it relates to the band's upcoming album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", which will arrive on September 2 via UMe. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, there is no set formula for this. It depends. With Kiko [Loureiro, guitar] and Dirk [Verbeuren, drums] writing music for MEGADETH now, it's been a breath of fresh air to have songwriting approaches from other bandmembers now that is similar to MEGADETH music instead of getting music that wasn't MEGADETH music and having to try and make that work, and it doesn't."

He continued: "My whole thing was trying to have a congenial workplace environment for everybody and to listen to their ideas. But what we did now was we get together and do some pre-production, listening to riffs, and songs, they just start coming together, kind of LEGOs. There's only so many pieces to a song — there are verses and choruses, there are pre-choruses and there's bridges, there's middle sections, there's a lead section. Usually the lead section will be something similar to the chorus or similar to the verse. It might be the verse plus a little something or the verse simplified a little bit. I found that, like in 'Symphony [Of Destruction]', the lead section was pretty much like one of the other riffs in the song. So there's no real way that we stack these things together."

Featuring twelve new tracks, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" 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 first song to be released from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was "We'll Be Back", which was accompanied by the world premiere of "We'll Be Back: Chapter I", a short film chronicling the origins of MEGADETH's mascot Vic Rattlehead. Produced by Mustaine, "We'll Be Back: Chapter I" is a soldier's tale of bravery, personal sacrifice, and the will to survive. It was the first installment of a trilogy of videos to be released in conjunction with the release of "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" reunites Mustaine with co-producer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, PARKWAY DRIVE),who together helmed 2016's "Dystopia". The new album was recorded at Mustaine's home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, with Loureiro and 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.

Earlier this year, Mustaine confirmed that DiGiorgio laid down the bass tracks on "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"

There had been speculation about DiGiorgio's involvement in the new MEGADETH LP since July 2021, based on a Cameo video Mustaine recorded in which he offered the first glimpse of the bassist that re-recorded David Ellefson's bass tracks on the much-anticipated MEGADETH effort.

DiGiorgio is widely renowned as a pioneer on the fretless bass in heavy metal music, having played with TESTAMENT, DEATH and SADUS, among others. Within his genre, Steve is respected for his playing skills, versatility and incredible technique. He has more than 40 studio album recordings and over 20 years of touring the world.

In May, MEGADETH announced bass player James LoMenzo as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and recently stepped back in as a touring member for "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For the past nine years, LoMenzo has been performing with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

LoMenzo played his first show with MEGADETH in nearly 12 years in August 2021 in Austin, Texas. The concert took place three months following Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

In June 2021, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

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