Global metal powerhouses, Baron Carta, are out for the kill with their new EP, Shards Of Black, out now. With no-holds barred, the EP assembles a killer lineup of Primal Fear, Kill II This, and Pyramaze alums, for an electrifying and pounding 5-track ride. Exploring themes of war, exploration, and humanity itself, Shards Of Black is a head-banging critique of crucial societal issues, all scored by big voices, and bigger riffs.


The EP’s lead single, "Lethality", encapsulates this mission perfectly. From the lows of its growling guitars to the highs of its soaring vocal performance, Lethality weaves a rich sonic texture throughout. The single churns between the crunchy riffs of its opening, to big choruses, tied together by powerful vocals and a relentless energy that will have you moving before you can do anything about it. Running throughout is Lethality’s message, an ode to those brave explorers who dared to put their lives on the line to conquer worlds unknown…


The single’s accompanying music video shows this with out-of-this-world production. Chronicling the journey of an astronaut from childhood to their bold adventure beyond our planet’s orbit. Stunning visuals accompany Lethality’s powerful sound for an adventure that pays tributes to great explorers, past and future. Watch the video below.




"For the third Baron Carta record we wanted to really move the needle... but still get laser-focused on our evolving style. I feel like Step Into The Plague created the formula, Into A Concrete Room shaped it, and now Shards Of Black is starting to explore the boundaries of the kind of metal we like to make. I am super-proud of everyone for the this record. Ralf delivered some of his best work yet, Morten absolutely crushed it on the drums (with an incredible drum recording by Jacob Hansen), and for this record we welcomed a new producer, Mark Mynett, who mixed and mastered. Everything sounds tight as hell...heavy, melodic, and some surprises along the way. I can't wait for fans to check it out!" - Jono Bacon


Baron Carta is the brainchild of band guitarist/bassist/songwriter, Jono Bacon, who assembled an international team of greats on the EP. This includes legendary Primal Fear frontman Ralf Scheepers, unreal drummer Morten Gade Sørensen (Pyramaze, Anubis Gate), phenomenal mixer/engineer/guitarist, Mark Mynett (Kill II This), and grammy-nominated mixer/engineer Jacob Hansen (Pyramaze, Volbeat, Primal Fear).


"For me, it was the energy...the rawness...the down-tuned guitars... and the heaviness of Baron Carta that got me so excited to be a part of this. I love all the different colors and textures across the songs, but all staying heavy and powerful." - Ralf Scheepers


Shards Of Black follows the band’s previous celebrated EPs: 2021’s In a Concrete Room and Step Into The Plague. The seasoned industry titans are on a mission to challenge the music scene’s typical album release. Putting audiences first, Baron Carta are dedicated to building a meaningful relationship with their fans by delivering high-quality releases more often, breaking the typical 2-3 year album cycle. They back this up with a deep lore for audiences to explore between projects.


"The mechanics of making and selling music are tough, so I wanted to go soup-to-nuts with Baron Carta. What do most fans want? More music, more often. So, my theory is that by putting out music more regularly…fans get a fresh hit of new metal...we get an opportunity to promote a new record...and everyone gets to have fun in the process. My hope is that from this comes more Baron Carta fans...and then more and more opportunities from there. Who the hell knows though?...but we are having fun trying." - Jono Bacon


The Baron Carta experience starts and ends with incredible music and performances but is made richer by its treasure trove of in-artwork easter eggs, tales weaved across projects in a three-act trilogy, and constant new content for die-hards to dive into.


Shards Of Black marks a new chapter for Baron Carta. Powerful vocals, rich yet catchy, and masterful instrumentation are the name of the game as the band is set to take the metal world by storm.





Tracklisting:


"Relanar"
"Lethality"
"Athelstan's Pharaoh"
"Ceasefire"
"Act 3: Purged"


"Lethality" video:

Light The Torch - Howard Jones (vocals), Francesco Artusato (guitar), and Ryan Wombacher (bass) - have released a video for "Become The Martyr". The song appears on the band's latest album, You Will Be The Death Of Me, out now through Nuclear Blast.


"Not all relationships end with friends going separate ways," Jones says about the song's meaning. "Sometimes, peace can be found in taking all the blame."







Light The Torch will hit the road with Avatar on July 6. All dates are below.


July
6  - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
7 - Montreal, QC - Corona
8 - Portland, ME - AURA
9 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater
10 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
12 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
13 - Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe
14 - Pittsburgh, PA — Mr Smalls Theatre *
15 - Chicago, IL — Bottom Lounge *
17 - Knoxville, TN - Concourse
19 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
20 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
22 - Fargo, ND - Outdoors at Fargo Brewing
24 - Calgary, AB - The Palace
25 - Edmonton, AB - Midway Bar
27 - Vancouver, BC - The Vogue
29 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
30 - Santa Ana, CA - Observatory
31 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre


* headline date, no Avatar

QUEENSRŸCHE's Todd La Torre has lamented the lack of "real singers" in heavy metal, saying that they are a "dying breed."

The 48-year-old vocalist, who has fronted QUEENSRŸCHE for the past decade, took to his Twitter on Monday (June 27) to write: "I love gutturals don't get me wrong, and I do them occasionally in some of my own music. They provide an attitude you can't get without it. BUT, I remember when metal had actual real singers. Those that still do it are the minority now imo [in my opinion]. It's a dying breed folks."

Just a few months after he joined QUEENSRŸCHE, La Torre dismissed comparisons to the band's original frontman Geoff Tate, saying: "A lot of people like to throw around, 'Oh, he's a clone, he's an imitator, he's this, he's that.' And I feel like I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't.

"My style of singing and phrasing is very similar to Geoff Tate and Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford. I mean, a lot of my high metal screams are grittier and dirtier, like Rob Halford. My vibrato is more similar to Bruce Dickinson or Geoff Tate. A lot of the crying and ways of entering a vocal phrase and phonating, the way I say words, are very similar to Geoff Tate.

"I wear my influences on my sleeve, but I also think that I have a heavier vibe than Geoff Tate ever had," he added. "With a lot of the heavier, gritty, thrashier metal style… I mean, I love to do some of the death growls like Chuck Billy [TESTAMENT] does. Is that QUEENSRŸCHE sound? No. But if they want it kicked up and give it a heavier edge, I think that I have that, and that's something that Geoff Tate never did. Not taking anything away from him, but I think I do show a wide range of versatility.

"It's kind of frustrating for me when people say, 'Oh, he's come in and just tries to copy [Geoff].' Well, if I sing [the songs] so close to the original [versions]… Obviously, I want to represent the songs in [their] truest form that I can do. I think, live, I still kind of end up phrasing things a little different and will do things kind of my way, but I try to stay as true as I can. So if I do that, people are like, 'Oh, he's a clone, he's a copycat, and it's never the same without Geoff Tate,' which I do respect. On the other hand, if I'm so different, then they're gonna say, 'It's nothing like Geoff Tate. It's nothing like QUEENSRŸCHE sound. This isn't QUEENSRŸCHE. It's not even close to the same style.' . . .So if the fans wanna hear the hardcore, classic heavy high-screaming stuff that they haven't heard in many, many, many years, we're gonna stay true to the classic material that the fans have been wanting to hear for so long."

La Torre joined his first band BLACKWELL as the drummer, performing in high school talent shows and entering into the club rock music scene in Tampa Bay, Florida. In 2009, Todd was suggested to CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Jon Drenning by a mutual friend to help with some vocal rehearsals in preparation for a CRIMSON GLORY memorial concert. This would pave the way for more collaborations with the band, eventually joining as the band’s new permanent vocalist. La Torre was the lead singer for CRIMSON GLORY from late 2010 until resigned from the band in early 2013. In 2012, Todd became a household name in the metal world when he officially became the new lead vocalist of QUEENSRŸCHE. The band immediately began touring globally and started writing new material for the self-titled 2013 album "Queensrÿche". To date, QUEENSRŸCHE has released three studio albums with La Torre: "Queensrÿche", "Condition Hüman" (2015) and "The Verdict" (2019). The band recently completed work on its fourth release for Century Media Records, "Digital Noise Alliance", due on October 7.

La Torre's debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", was released in February 2021 via Rat Pak Records.
I love gutturals don't get me wrong, and I do them occasionally in some of my own music. They provide an attitude you can't get without it. BUT, I remember when metal had actual real singers. Those that still do it are the minority now imo. It's a dying breed folks.

— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) June 27, 2022

PRIMUS has canceled the previously announced European leg of its "A Tribute To Kings" tour "due to unavoidable logistical challenges."

The trek, which was supposed to see the members of PRIMUS pay tribute to their musical heroes RUSH by covering the "A Farewell To Kings" album in its entirety, was scheduled to kick off in Sweden on September 9 and make its way across Europe before finishing off with three shows in the U.K. and one final show in Dublin on October 1.

Late Monday night (June 27),PRIMUS released the following statement via social media: "We are very sorry to announce that due to unavoidable logistical challenges, PRIMUS has cancelled the upcoming European tour dates scheduled for the Fall of 2022.

"We apologize to our fans who were planning to attend and look forward to performing in Europe again soon. Ticket refunds will be available at the original point of purchase."

PRIMUS frontman Les Claypool recently told the Nashville Tennessean about why he and his bandmates decided on "A Farewell To Kings": We always joked that we were going to play 'Hemispheres' in its entirety. And then it was, like, 'Well, maybe we should do something like that.' '2112' seemed a little too obvious. 'Moving Pictures' seemed a little too obvious. So, 'A Farewell To Kings' seemed like the right choice."

Regarding how PRIMUS approaches a tribute show, Claypool said: "I was one of those guys as a high schooler, sitting in the audience ... knowing every single note. RUSH fans are very scrutinizing. They'll tell you, we were one of the only bands accepted by the RUSH crowd back in the day when we were touring with them. That being said, it's very precious to a lot of people. We're taking it very seriously. I'll tell you, we've never rehearsed as a band this much in our lives as we did for this RUSH thing. We're doing it as close as we possibly can to the way they would do it."

As for PRIMUS's relationship with RUSH fans at each show, Les said: "There's usually like four or five people scattered towards the front [who] are so into it. They're singing all the words and some of them get teared up. It's pretty amazing. I know for me, as a teenager, RUSH was such a big part of me starting out as a musician. I see these people [who] all these years have been so devoted to that band. To have people have that experience is very endearing."

Claypool previously told Rolling Stone that the "A Tribute To Kings" tour was about paying tribute to a band that has given him so much inspiration over the years.

"'Hemispheres' was my first concert," Claypool said, referring to RUSH's 1978 album and tour. "Originally we'd always kind of joked around about doing 'Hemispheres'… but we settled on 'Kings', because A) it was the first RUSH record I ever heard and B) it contains 'Cygnus X-1', which has always been my favorite RUSH tune. It seems to be a good one for us to tackle; '2112' seemed a little obvious."

"A Tribute To Kings" is just the latest in a long series of RUSH-related milestones for PRIMUS, which first opened for its musical heroes in 1992.

"Geddy, Alex and Neil had been superheroes to Larry, Herb and I in our teens," Claypool recalled, "so when we all became pals while touring together in the early '90s, we were pretty delighted; partially because of the musical geek-out factor but mostly because the three guys whom we had admired so much from afar turned out to be truly great, down-to-earth humans, and like us, a tad eccentric."

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Relapse Records has reissued Amorphis’ legendary Tales From The Thousand Lakes album on vinyl as a deluxe package with a 6” tall Eagle Statue. Limited to 230 pieces, the vinyl comes on Royal Blue and Swamp Green Quad Effect with Cyan Blue and White Splatter. Order at relapse.com.





Tales From The Thousand Lakes lineup:




Tomi Koivusaari – vocals, guitars
Esa Holopainen – guitars
Olli-Pekka Laine – bass 
Jan Rechberger – drums
Kasper Mårtenson – keyboards, organ 





Amorphis' new full-length, Halo, has hit the #1 spot on the official Finnish album charts, and has also entered the Top 10 in many other countries including the US.


#1 - Finland
#3 - Germany
#3 - Sweden (physical charts), #2 (Hard Rock Charts)
#4 - Switzerland
#4 - UK Rock Metal charts
#7 - Austria





Halo is adorned by artwork provided by Valnoir. The album was recorded, produced and mixed Jens Bogren (Fascination Street Studios) while mastering duties were handled by Tony Lindgren.


Order the album physically, save it or order it digitally, here.





Halo tracklisting:


"Northwards"
"On The Dark Waters"
"The Moon"
"Windmane"
"A New Land"
"When The Gods Came"
"Seven Roads Come Together"
"War"
"Halo"
"The Wolf"
"My Name Is Night"


"Northwards" 3D art video:





"The Moon" video:





(Photo - Sam Jamsen)

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons says that Ace Frehley and Peter Criss wouldn't physically be able to play a full concert on the iconic group's final tour.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to at least early 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

In the months after KISS announced "End Of The Road", fans wondered openly if original members Frehley (guitar) and Criss (drums) would be involved in the tour, especially considering the apparent recent goodwill between Simmons and Paul Stanley and Ace. Frehley's latest all-original album "Spaceman" — a title suggested by Simmons himself — features two songs the pair wrote together, and the duo completed a joint summer 2018 tour of Australia, after which Frehley fired his solo backing band and hired Simmons's.

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Simmons was asked if Frehley and Peter will have any involvement in KISS's final concert. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've tried. I keep trying. Paul and I met with Ace, trying to convince him to come back. He said, 'I want this. I want that.' Well, we can't do that. I asked Ace and Peter to be in the documentary ['Biography: KISStory', which premiered on A&E in June 2021]. They said no. They might do it if they have complete control of the edit. I said, 'We can't do that, because even we don't have that. But I won't control what you say; you can say whatever you want.' The answer is no — both of them. I asked Ace and Peter, 'Come out on tour. We'll get you your own room and everything. Come out on the encores.' Ace said, 'No. The only way I'll come out is if I'm the Spaceman and you ask Tommy [Thayer, KISS's current guitarist] to leave.' I go, 'Well, that's not gonna happen.' First of all, I care about Ace, but he's not in shape — he can't play that way and doesn't have the physical stamina to do that…

"Look, we care about them," Gene added. "We started this thing together and they were equally important to the beginning of the band with Paul and I — no question. But as time went on… Not everybody is designed to run a marathon. Some people are designed to be in a band for a year or two, or a few years, and then that's all they can do. And both of them have been in the band three different times. How many chances in life do you get? All I know is when I put my hand in fire the first time, I got burnt; I didn't get a second or third chance.

"So, the answer is the door's always open," Simmons said. "If they wanna jump on stage at any time and do the encores with us, terrific. But no, we're not gonna get rid of Tommy or Eric [Singer, current KISS drummer]. In fact, Tommy and Eric are the best things that happened to us. They gave us new life [and] new appreciation for what we do because they were fans first. And every once in a while, Eric or Tommy will turn around and say, 'Wow! Isn't this great?' And it makes us realize, 'Yeah! Wow! Isn't this great?'"

Gene was also asked if he saw any of the video footage from last month's Creatures Fest in Nashville where Criss, Frehley and fellow former KISS members Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick all performed. He responded: "Somebody showed me about 30 seconds, yeah. It was very sad. I felt sad for Peter… When I called to invite Peter to be in the documentary, his health isn't what it should be. I don't wanna get too specific because it's part of his private life. But no, physically, he wouldn't be able to do it. Neither would Ace."

In 2018, Frehley told VintageRock.com that "the only way" he would "seriously consider" taking part in "End Of The Road" is "if I took back my make-up and costume and my character — which I designed." He added that Thayer "is not a bad guitar player, but he basically just mimics everything I wrote, and tries to imitate my persona. He's been doing it for 15 years," he said. "But the reality is I'm the original guy. And nobody can really copy the way I play guitar."

Asked if he would still consider participating in the tour if Criss was not involved, Ace said: "I think it would be great if Peter was involved. Obviously, at this point in his life, he wouldn't be able to do a two-hour show. But I can see if we worked out a situation where Peter came out at the end and did three or four songs — sang 'Beth', did 'Black Diamond' and a couple of others, I think that would be fun."

Prior to the "End Of The Road" launch, Stanley and Simmons weren't very enthusiastic about the prospect of an onstage collaboration with Vinnie Vincent. "Now Vinnie, that's one exception, and for so many reasons," Stanley told Guitar World. "I would say that's not someone who I want to celebrate."

Simmons also chimed in, explaining that "it's worth stating that Vinnie has sued the band and lost 14 times. I'm not here to cast any aspersions. He's a talented guy. That's why he was in the band. But would I depend on him to get up onstage and do anything? Never. … Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never."

Geoff Tate, who has spent much of the last couple of years on the road celebrating the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums, has confirmed to "The Jasta Show" that his backing band is playing the music tuned a half step down to accommodate his aging voice.

"I can't hit those high notes like that anymore in standard tuning. Jesus Christ. I mean, not doing a show," he laughed (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I could do it on its own if I was just gonna sing the song, but doing it night after night, no. You'll kill yourself. I could barely do it when I recorded it. [Laughs]"

According to Tate, tuning down a half step "doesn't make a big difference at all" when it comes to the way the music is represented and the fans' enjoyment of the live shows. "It's mostly to save the singer's voice," the former QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist explained. "And also, my backup singers, they have to hit all those notes too. And we're doing it night after night after night. It's hard on you as a singer to do that. So you find ways of… Tuning down a half step makes a huge difference 'cause you're not just killing yourself to hit the note, and you can do it consistently seven days a week. But if you are tuned up to standard tuning, I think you'd probably only get three shows before you'd have to take a break. And economically, that's just really, really hard to do, to make it work. So we tour just about seven days a week, if we can help it. It depends on the travel."

Back in 2014, Tate's replacement in QUEENSRŸCHE, Todd La Torre, said that the fact that he sings the band's songs in their original key is one of the reasons he has been able to win over so many of the QUEENSRŸCHE fans following Geoff's departure.

"We don't drop-tune," he said. "When I first got in the band, [the other guys in QUEENSRŸCHE] said, 'Hey, if you want us to tune down a half a step, if it's easier for you, don't be afraid to ask us.' And I said, 'No. I wanna do this the best way that I can to represent the songs the way that they really go, and if it's a struggle for me, I just have more work to do for me. But let me keep trying to do this.' So I think the fact that those old songs weren't being played [in the last few years with Geoff in the band]… I mean, some of them were played, but a lot of times they were tuned down or songs were not played in their entirety, like 'Roads To Madness'; we play that song in its entirety. We play 'NM 156' in its entirety. And those fans, they really love hearing that. So the fact that that wasn't happening, and then when I came into the band, it started happening, it really kind of made it easier, I think, for fans to kind of rally around and go, 'Awesome!'"

Earlier this month, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet admitted that he and his bandmates no longer attempt to perform their songs in the original key.

"We finally dropped down a half step (D) and I have found that it's not only much easier to hit the 'high' notes but it's just much easier to sing these songs," he said. "We did an 18-show run and I made it through without any vocal issues. I was able to retain my range and high end and sing much more consistently night after night."

Three years ago, IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson said that he takes pride in the fact that he and his bandmates perform their songs in the original key. "We don't detune, like some other people do," he said. "We don't do any of that. I suppose if one day we have to, we have to, but we don't have to do it now, and I think the songs sound better as a result of it. They're meant to be played in that key."

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine told the Phoenix New Times in a 2017 interview that the aging process has forced him and his bandmates to scale down their touring activities — they no longer play three shows in a row or even attempt to perform some of the earlier songs in the original key. He said: "When you listen to songs from 'Blackout', like 'No One Like You', [or] 'Big City Nights', it's physically impossible [now] to do those songs in the original keys. You want to play those songs, but you want to survive 100 shows a year. So some of the songs we play in different keys, but the energy is still there. You're still at the top of your voice. Even now, you've got to go to the edge, but maybe the edge has moved a little bit."

Stevie Nicks has issued a statement blasting the U.S. Supreme Court for ruling Friday (June 24) that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court's decision ruling came in a case involving Mississippi's request to overturn Roe v. Wade — the court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the United States — and uphold a state law that bars the procedure 15 weeks after conception.

Roe v. Wade affirmed the right to receive an abortion under the 14th Amendment, ruling that abortions were constitutionally protected up until about 23 weeks when a fetus can typically live outside the womb.

Friday's decision overturned what was previously a federal legalization of abortion and has returned the issue to individual states to decide the matter for themselves.

On Monday (June 27),Nicks shared the following statement via social media: "Dear people ~

"I got home from the tour late Wednesday night exhausted.

"It was great to be back in my world doing what I love for the first time in three years… AND I did not get covid! We definitely proved that it can be done if you follow the rules.

"That is the good news.

"The bad news is that our women's rights have been taken away.

"Before I say everything I want to say, I would like for everyone to watch the documentary called The Janes. I watched it tonight. It is a huge Déjà Vu for me as it is about my generation leading up to Roe v Wade. Please watch it. It will blow your mind.

"Much love, Stevie Nicks

"P.S. History is repeating itself…and its even more frightening this time…"

According to the Pew Research Center, a 61% majority of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are 42 percentage points more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases (80% vs. 38%).

Critics have said that tossing out the landmark rulings establishing abortion rights would tarnish the court's reputation and open the floodgates to other challenges to well-settled law.

According to CNN, nearly half of the states have or will pass laws that ban abortion, while others have enacted strict measures regulating the procedure.

Thirteen states have so-called "trigger laws" in place, which would effectively ban abortions almost immediately upon Roe v. Wade being overturned. According to Axios, the restrictions that would follow Roe being struck down by the Supreme Court would mean almost 30% of people would be more than 200 miles away from an abortion provider.

According to a Forbes, Americans largely oppose harsh abortion laws, with 75% against policies that make it a criminal offense to perform an abortion, 69% opposing policies that ban abortion six to eight weeks into a pregnancy, 80% opposing laws that allow private citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion and 63% supporting "safe haven laws" in Democratic-led states that would protect people who travel in from other states to get an abortion.
pic.twitter.com/Z5wZHQr5T4

— Stevie Nicks (@StevieNicks) June 27, 2022

Ex-SEPULTURA drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera says that "it would be amazing" if the group's classic lineup reunited but insists that "the real reunion" is him and his brother Max playing together.

The Brazilian four-piece fell apart in 1996 with the exit of Max after the rest of the band split with the vocalist/guitarist's wife Gloria as their manager. Igor stuck around with the group for another ten years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

Igor addressed the possibility of the classic SEPULTURA lineup reunion in a new interview with the "Mike Nelson Show". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have to be honest with you, man. The reunion, in my opinion, it's me and my brother — that's the person that I wanna be united with. So, for me, if the other stuff, it doesn't happen, I can't really be too bummed about it. Of course, it would be amazing, but the real reunion for me is just me and my brother being together. That's what makes me happy."

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's nearly four-decade history, Max-era albums "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

Max was asked in a December 2021 interview with "General Population With Marco Lesher" what he thinks of his replacement in SEPULTURA, vocalist Derrick Green. "It doesn't bother me," he insisted. "It is what it is. At the end of the day, the fans know what the band was and what it is now, the difference [between the two]. And I really don't care. I'm not bitter. They do what they do; I do what I do. It's been like that for a long time now. But you can't touch the classics; those records that we did [in the 1980s and 1990s]. It still goes, but it is what it is.

"If you wanna really hear something that sounds close to what it was, you have to come see me and Igor play," he added. "That's the only thing that is gonna be close to what it was, to that time."

Igor and Max have spent much of the last six years celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" albums on tour all over the world.

In 2020, SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. said that he has had "zero" contact with Max, adding that a reunion with the band's original frontman would have to happen "naturally."

Back in 2017, Igor told The Salt Lake Tribune that he and Max "believe SEPULTURA doesn't really make sense nowadays, to do what they're doing." The drummer also downplayed the possibility of a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, saying: "Unless it's something really solid — and we haven't seen that from their part — of doing something totally professional and coming together, trying to do something like that. At the end of the day, it would be special for the fans, so it's not like a closed door, but at the same time, we have no time to spend energy with this kind of thing. So we just move forward."

Max echoed his brother's sentiments, telling The Salt Lake Tribune that he doesn't even think about his former bandmates much. "For a time — for a long time — there was a war in the press, like, 'He'll talk this, I'll talk that,'" he explained. "I got really tired of it, honestly. I'm not gonna do that anymore. So let them go their way and do their thing, and we're gonna do our thing, and I think that's the best for everybody."

While stopping short of completely ruling out a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, Max said: "Right now, we don't even need it. It's been so much of that kind of bad vibes through the years that I don't even know how that would even really work out. I think what [Igor and I] are doing is the closest thing to that, and it works great, it works like a charm. It's amazing."

SEPULTURA's current lineup — Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Eloy Casagrande — released its latest studio album, "Quadra", in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Fan-filmed video of Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp performing on June 28 at Amager Bio in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

Beck and Depp will release a collaborative album, "18", on July 15.

Beck found a kindred spirit in Depp when the two met in 2016. They bonded quickly over cars and guitars and spent most of their time together trying to make each other laugh. At the same time, Beck's appreciation grew for Depp's serious songwriting skills and his ear for music. That talent and their chemistry convinced Beck they should make an album together.

Depp agreed and they started in 2019. Over the next three years, they recorded a mix of Depp originals along with a wide range of covers that touches on everything from Celtic and Motown, to the BEACH BOYS and KILLING JOKE. In 2020, during the pandemic, they previewed their collaboration with their well-timed cover of John Lennon's "Isolation".

Beck explains the "18" album title: "When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again, so that just became the album title too."

"18" will be available on CD and digitally, with a 180-gram black vinyl version coming on September 30. The cover features an illustration of Beck and Depp as 18-year-olds that was drawn and designed by Beck's wife Sandra. All formats are available for pre-save/pre-add.

Leading up to the release of "18", Beck has launched a European tour, with Depp as special guest, which will conclude on July 25 at L'Olympia in Paris.

For the last 12 years, Depp has recorded and toured with the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, a band he started with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. The supergroup has released two studio albums that include guest appearances by some of rocks biggest names: Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl and Joe Walsh. The list also includes Beck, who played guitar on "Welcome To Bushwackers", a song on "Rise", the VAMPIRES' second album, which came out in 2019.

Soon after, Depp asked Beck to play lead on a tune he'd written, the album's first single "This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr", an homage to the actress/inventor. Beck says it was the catalyst for the collaboration and is one of his favorite songs on the new album. "I was blown away by it," he says. "That song is one of the reasons I asked him to make an album with me." The track is available today digitally, along with an accompanying music video. Watch it below.

Of Beck, Depp adds, "It's an extraordinary honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother."

In the studio, Beck says he and Depp challenged each other to leave their comfort zones with the songs they chose to cover. "I haven't had another creative partner like him for ages," Beck says. "He was a major force on this record. I just hope people will take him seriously as a musician because it's a hard thing for some people to accept that Johnny Depp can sing rock and roll."

Depp justifies Beck's faith on the new album by showing off his incredible emotional range on songs like THE VELVET UNDERGROUND's "Venus In Furs", THE EVERLY BROTHERS' ballad "Let It Be Me" and Marvin Gaye's soul classic "What's Going On". On the instrumentals, Beck demonstrates why he's universally revered as a guitar god with stunning versions of Davy Spillane's "Midnight Walker" and two songs from the BEACH BOYS' masterpiece "Pet Sounds" — "Caroline, No" and "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)".

"18" track listing

01. Midnight Walker (Davy Spillane cover)
02. Death And Resurrection Show (KILLING JOKE cover)
03. Time (Dennis Wilson cover)
04. Sad Motherfuckin' Parade (Johnny Depp original)
05. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (BEACH BOYS cover)
06. This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr (Johnny Depp original)
07. Caroline, No (BEACH BOYS cover)
08. Ooo Baby Baby (THE MIRACLES cover)
09. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye cover)
10. Venus In Furs (THE VELVET UNDERGROUND cover)
11. Let It Be Me (THE EVERLY BROTHERS cover)
12. Stars (Janis Ian cover)
13. Isolation (John Lennon cover)*

* Available on digital and CD version only

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", RATT singer Stephen Pearcy once again opened up about his private three-year battle with liver cancer. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Right now I am] just monitoring [everything regularly]. And it's all good. And I support people who give me a chat back on health and this and that. You never know. I went in for a test, and that's how I found out. Blood check, which is what you should do. And they went, lo and behold. So it kind of wakes you up now. And then everybody is passing, is dying around me — family and friends and musicians — of cancer, and it's so disturbing; it really is disturbing. Live life, love… Every day the foot above ground is a good day."

Pearcy previously discussed his cancer battle in a summer 2021 interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic. At the time he said: "Everything's kind of copacetic now. I'm on a ritual and monitoring things. And do I really wanna put myself through all this stuff, with taking care of your health and the broken bones and knees, staph infection.

"I don't know why I'm still here," he continued. "But, look, I'm appreciating every day and minute above ground here, because all of our peers are seemingly disappearing. And it's such a drag. But it's under control. And I never wanted to bring it up until I really started feeling guilty about it."

Pearcy revealed that he found out about his cancer "through a blood test. I had hepatitis," he said. "Well, then, getting another checkup, I found out, 'By the way, you've got a bit of cancer thing going there. We've gotta get in there.' Then your whole world changes. Still, I didn't feel like it needed to be out there until I started feeling guilty. Like, 'Wow, man, I can help some people.' Get blood tests. Take care of yourself. Find out if you have hepatitis. If you have hepatitis, hopefully it doesn't turn into a cancerous thing, because it easily can. And now I'm the advocate of, hey, take care of yourself. It's a little personal to me, but I felt it was time to share it."

According to Stephen, he "went on the road nine days after surgery, not even knowing the outcome of my surgery, removing the cancer and stuff. So that was pretty interesting," he said. "So if I'm devoted and into something, I'm into it. But then again, I have to start thinking about how long I want to be out here doing this. And you start thinking about other things — life things."

Pearcy admitted that he "should have monitored" himself better and "took it easy. The knees are one thing. I mean, yeah, that was enough," he said, referencing his January 2019 knee replacement surgery. "But then the double whammy with finding out about the C. But now I feel like I need to say something just because, hey, take care of yourselves. I wanna see our fans and friends, I wanna see them around. I mean, we've gotten to know a lot of these people 36, 37 years later. And if it can help one or two or however many people, then great. I know some really good friends of mine that are in worse shape, and it's just a terrible thing. I've lost family through it, and it was time to step up and say, 'Well, unfortunately, you got smacked, Stephen, so do something positive about it.' You know, without being poster child, which I really don't wanna be."

Stephen added: "I've lost a lot of friends — I mean, a lot of friends — from this. And look, we're getting older. It's okay. I still feel like I'm 20-something, but I just don't act it. And you've just gotta really take care of yourselves. 'Cause I talk to some of my friends out there, and, they let me in and I talk to 'em. And it doesn't need to be public. I'll talk to somebody if they're having a life trip. And why not? I mean, hey, if you can help somebody, you can help somebody."

Pearcy's knee surgery came three months after two disastrous RATT shows that saw the now-65-year-old singer incapacitated to the point where he had trouble remembering the words to some of the band's biggest hits. "My one knee was totally blown out and I couldn't deal with it," he later told The Morning Call. "That got all better, and then my left knee blew out, which happens. And I was in so much pain out there, and I just got a little too tweaked one night or two nights. And then I went, 'I’m going in to get this done. I can't be out here beating myself up and having shitty shows.' And what all I had to do, I'm gonna need knee surgery. But it's so difficult. People don't understand."

Pearcy's fifth solo LP, "View To A Thrill", came out in November 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "Smash" was produced by Matt Thorne and Pearcy and was mixed and mastered by Thorne and guitarist Erik Ferentinos.

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Jasta Show", the video podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton spoke about his band's songwriting process. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We really don't have a strategy at all going in. There were a couple of records where we kind of wavered, maybe six [or] eight years ago… [But] almost always — pretty much always — are just really trying to be genuine and authentic. And for five of us to like something, it's really difficult. So when we all five like it, we know that that's what it is. There's no strategy, like, 'On this record we're gonna tune down and we're gonna be djent in this part and we're gonna do black metal in this part.' We just kind of throw riffs and stuff, and when they start sounding good strung together and Randy [Blythe, vocals] starts barking on it, it starts sounding like LAMB OF GOD at some point. And then we get excited. 'Oh, that's LAMB OF GOD. That's cool.'"

Two years ago, Morton told American Songwriter that the writing for LAMB OF GOD "usually starts with a guitar riff. We kind of build the song around riffs," he explained. "Our other guitar player Willie [Adler] and I both sort of approach it that way. Sometimes on our own individually, and then we'll bring it into the group as a more composed arrangement. And other times it's just a riff or two that we'll bounce off of each other and sort of build from that, add things or subtract things. I'm a songwriter, but I play guitar and I write songs primarily on guitar. So it starts usually with a riff. Lyrically, I just write about life experiences. I think I write lyrics regardless, kind of using that to navigate life experiences and things I've gone through. Some of that winds up making its way into songs [but] not all of it. I've had some solo releases as well, and I've written around a melody line before, but we're primarily writing riffs and music first. I think I used to be more focused on bedazzling, kind of acrobatic riffs, and now I'm more interested in song structure, how the instruments support each other and make room for each other, and the way the song moves. That's how it has evolved. I've just become more focused on songcraft. Rather than building a song out of riffs that exist, now I'm leaning more toward starting with the song and kind of inserting riffs to fit the bones and structure of what that song is."

LAMB OF GOD's new album, "Omens", will be released on October 7 via Epic Records. The band tracked the effort with longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH) live in the room together at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.

The "Omens" album pre-order is live now at Lamb-Of-God.com, boasting several exclusive items, including a signed colored vinyl variant, shirt, hoodie, and signed CDs with an alternate color cover. All physical CD and vinyl releases will include a free access code to watch the livestream viewing of "The Making Of Omens" documentary, which will premiere the week of album release.

LAMB OF GOD will support the new album with a massive Live Nation-produced U.S. headlining tour featuring special guests KILLSWITCH ENGAGE on all dates. Different legs will also see support from BARONESS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, SPIRITBOX, ANIMALS AS LEADERS as well as SUICIDE SILENCE and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY. The tour kicks off September 9 in Brooklyn and runs through October 20.

"Omens" will be the follow-up to LAMB OF GOD's self-titled album, which was released in June 2020 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. That LP marked LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.

"Lamb Of God" was recorded with Wilbur and included special guest appearances by Jasta and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Danny Elfman has announced "Bigger. Messier.", a brand new genre-defying album of remixed and reimagined versions of songs from his acclaimed 2021 record "Big Mess". Comprised of collaborations and guest vocal features from a sprawling array of artists, including Trent Reznor, Iggy Pop, HEALTH, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Zach Hill of DEATH GRIPS, Xiu Xiu, Squarepusher, Ghostemane and many more, the 21-track project brings the songs of "Big Mess" to life in a completely new light while marking the first time Elfman has ever released a remix collection of his work on this scale. Available in vinyl, CD and digital formats, with two exclusive bonus tracks featured on the digital edition, "Bigger. Messier." will officially be released August 12 via ANTI-/Epitaph Records.

Alongside the announcement today, Elfman has debuted a new version of "Kick Me" re-envisioned by punk legend Iggy Pop. A frenetic commentary on fame, fortune and celebrity, Iggy's rendition is imbued with his signature conversational essence along with instrumental contributions from his longtime collaborator Leron Thomas. "Kick Me (Feat. Iggy Pop)" was preceded by a string of dynamic singles that have previously been released from the album to-date, including Elfman's momentous collaborations with Trent Reznor for "True" and "Native Intelligence", as well as additional remixes from Kid606 ("Sorry"),Zach Hill of DEATH GRIPS ("Kick Me"),Squarepusher ("We Belong") and Xiu Xiu ("Serious Ground").

Elfman said: "At the onset of the 'Bigger. Messier.' I asked the same thing of every artist: 'express me through your own eyes.' Not only was I surprised at the artists that wanted to participate, but completely blown away by what everyone contributed. There's a tremendous amount of diversity represented throughout, and I couldn't be more excited to announce the record with Iggy's version of 'Kick Me', which not only serves as a reinvention of the song vocally, but instrumentally as well. This record became such an enjoyment of experimentation and relinquishing control of my own work in a way that I've never done before."

With the help of his collaborators Stu Brooks and Berit Gwendolyn Gilma, Elfman enlisted a variety of artists he admires to contribute to "Bigger. Messier." Using his original songs as their canvases, each artist was given free reign to experiment in their own distinct voice, making for a wholly unique collection of songs that span decades and genres. The album was executive produced by Stu Brooks and Elfman's longtime manager Laura Engel.

"Bigger. Messier." track listing:

01. We Belong (Squarepusher Remix) - 7:13
02. Happy (Little Snake Dying In The Club Edition) - 2:47
03. Happy (33EMYBW Remix) - 3:00
04. Sorry (Kid606 Remix) - 6:09
05. We Belong (Rafiq Bhatia Remix) - 3:38
06. Kick Me (Zach Hill Remix) - 3:03
07. Insects (Machine Girl Insecticidal Tendencies Remix) - 4:29
08. Serious Ground (Xiu Xiu Remix) - 5:15
09. Cruel Compensation (The Locust Remix) - 2:21
10. Everybody Loves You (Boris Remix) - 5:38
11. True (feat. Trent Reznor) - 5:18
12. In Time (feat. Blixa Bargeld) - 4:41
13. In Time (Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Remix) - 3:10
14. Native Intelligence (feat. Trent Reznor) - 4:29
15. Kick Me (feat. Iggy Pop) - 3:37
16. Kick Me (feat. Fever333) - 2:05
17. In Time (HEALTH Remix) - 4:58
18. Native Intelligence (feat. Trent Reznor - Ghostemane Natural Selection Remix) - 3:33
19. Happy (Boy Harsher Remix) - 4:48
20. True (feat. Trent Reznor - Stu Brooks Remix) - 5:59
21. Happy (Little Snake Lunar Climax Edition) - 4:26
22. Serious Dub (Scientist Remix) (Digital Bonus Track) - 5:00
23. Happy (A. Fruit Remix) (Digital Bonus Track) - 3:17

Having architected one of music's most prolific and eclectic careers, "Bigger. Messier." finds Elfman delivering the unexpected yet again and building upon a monstrous year that's already proven to be a showcase of his unparalleled versatility as an artist. The album boasts a radically diverse range of styles, with a tracklist that leaps between experimental electronic music, blitzing industrial rock, dark wave pop and beyond.

"Bigger. Messier." channels the thrilling unpredictability that has pulsed through all of Elfman's projects to-date, from his early days with the theatrical MYSTIC KNIGHTS to the rock band OINGO BOINGO, to his prolific work scoring over 100 films and television series, including Marvel's new blockbuster "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness", his symphonic classical violin, cello and percussion concertos, and even his recent internet-shattering performances at both weekends of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2022. Titled "Danny Elfman: From Boingo To Batman To Big Mess And Beyond!", the heralded sets saw him perform tracks from "Big Mess" live for the first time ever along with retooled OINGO BOINGO songs, which he has not performed since their 1995 farewell tour, as well as other music spanning his entire career. The performances drew accolades across the board and went down as one of the festival's most talked-about appearances.

Officially unleashed in June 2021, the original "Big Mess" album clocks in at 18 tracks and finds the four-times-Oscar-nominated, Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning composer breaking bold new ground as both a songwriter and a performer. Joined on the album by drummer Josh Freese (DEVO, WEEZER, THE VANDALS),bassist Stu Brooks (DUB TRIO, Lady Gaga, Lauryn Hill),and guitarists Robin Finck (NINE INCH NAILS, GUNS N' ROSES) and Nili Brosh (Tony MacAlpine, Paul Gilbert),the project has garnered widespread praise since its release, including the Los Angeles Times, which called it a "a fiercely political work filled with bombastic peaks and strikingly meditative valleys."

Danny Elfman photo credit: Jonathan Williamson / Iggy Pop photo credit: Rob Baker Ashton

Ted Nugent says that the U.S. Supreme Court "did a good job" by ruling Friday (June 24) that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court's ruling came in a case involving Mississippi's request to overturn Roe v. Wade — the court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the United States — and uphold a state law that bars the procedure 15 weeks after conception.

Roe v. Wade affirmed the right to receive an abortion under the 14th Amendment, ruling that abortions were constitutionally protected up until about 23 weeks when a fetus can typically live outside the womb.

Friday's decision overturned what was previously a federal legalization of abortion and has returned the issue to individual states to decide the matter for themselves.

As a result of the Supreme Court's decision, terminating a pregnancy is expected to be banned or significantly curtailed in roughly half of all states in the nation — including nearly every state in the Midwest.

Nugent addressed the Supreme Court's ruling during the latest edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which the outspoken conservative rocker offers his take on the news of our world. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When the left keeps saying that, 'We lost our constitutional right to an abortion,' share that phrase in the Constitution with me where it gives you the right to kill the unborn… My point being, it isn't mentioned in the Constitution, so I'm gonna repeat once again, 'Any rights herein not enumerated are left up to the States.'

"Clearly, the abortion issue, like any other issue, idea or hunch that is not enumerated in the Constitution or the Bill Of Rights clearly is up to the states," he continued. "Even a guitar player doesn't need any translator for that one. So once again, it is the hysteria…

"And I've gotta tell ya, the word 'cruelty' from the left… I've witnessed some artists out there, like Billie Armstrong of GREEN DAY — he's incredibly talented, but he's just lost his soul — and Pink, an incredibly talented, work-ethic artist, who just scream and just attack people who choose not to have an abortion.

"By the way, as you and I speak right now, if anybody wants an abortion in America, guess what — they can get one," Nugent added. "It's not the banning of abortions; it's bringing it back to constitutionality and common sense.

"And again, there are medical concerns… Can you imagine, trying to make the decision where you have a choice to save the mother or the baby? Well, that is a spiritual moment between you and God and your health professional and the husband and the wife or at least the mother and the father.

"So, I am, and my family believes in, abortion should be legal, it should be safe and it should be rare," Ted said. "But don't send me the bill because I don't subscribe to murdering this innocent baby who the science has proven that it feels the pain when you kill it in the womb.

"This issue is just volatile. So the Supreme Court did a good job."

Despite Nugent's claim to the contrary, scientific research does not prove a 20-week-old fetus can feel pain.

According to FactCheck.org, scientific research on pain in the fetus is extremely complicated, primarily because pain is a subjective experience and a fetus cannot indicate if something hurts.

Last Friday, Armstrong told fans at a GREEN DAY concert in London that he intends to renounce his United States citizenship following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

During a performance as part of the band's "Hella Mega" tour at the London Stadium, Armstrong expressed his frustration as he told the crowd: "Fuck America. I'm fucking renouncing my citizenship. I'm fucking coming here."

He went on to say there's "too much fucking stupid in the world to go back to that miserable fucking excuse for a country," before urging fans to be prepared, saying: "You're going to get a lot more of me in the coming days."

According to Bloomberg, at least 22 U.S. states have laws on the books that will now outlaw abortion in all or most cases, and four others have indicated they will likely move in a similar direction. People living in those places will have to travel an average of 276 miles each way to access the procedure in parts of the country where abortion remains legal, according to Bloomberg News calculations based on data from the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health researcher.

According to a CBS News/YouGov poll, a 59% majority of U.S. adults disapprove of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, with 41% approving. About half (52%) call the decision a step backward for America, with 31% calling it a step forward and 17% saying it's neither. Among women, two-thirds (67%) disapprove of the ruling, with just 33% approving. A 56% majority of women say that the decision will make the lives of most American women worse.

According to a Forbes, Americans largely oppose harsh abortion laws, with 75% against policies that make it a criminal offense to perform an abortion, 69% opposing policies that ban abortion six to eight weeks into a pregnancy, 80% opposing laws that allow private citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion and 63% supporting "safe haven laws" in Democratic-led states that would protect people who travel in from other states to get an abortion.

BLOODBATH, the Swedish/British death metal supergroup which features in its ranks KATATONIA's Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström, along with ex-OPETH drummer Martin "Axe" Axenrot and PARADISE LOST frontman Nick Holmes, will release its sixth full-length album, "Survival Of The Sickest", on September 9 via Napalm Records.

Produced by BLOODBATH and co-produced and mixed by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, "Survival Of The Sickest" offers no respite from the horrors of reality. Instead, with the addition of new guitarist Tomas "Plytet" Åkvik (LIK),BLOODBATH's latest and greatest album gleefully confronts the slavering ghoul lurking in the shadows, and treats him to ten songs of ripping death metal frenzy. Alongside BLOODBATH's official alumni, "Survival Of The Sickest" boasts a smattering of irresistible cameos from the great, good and ghoulish of the metal underground, including Barney Greenway (NAPALM DEATH),Luc Lemay (GORGUTS) and Marc Grewe (MORGOTH).

Alongside its pre-order kickoff, BLOODBATH has released the Ash Pears-directed music video for the crushing new single and album opener, "Zombie Inferno", a thrashing death metal assault set to draw the listener into a lunatic outburst of ferocity. The song breaks in with anxiety-inducing riffs and the insanely killer vocals of Holmes, and is visually highlighted via a fast-paced, gory music video, acting as a tribute to the glory days of 1980s splatter flicks.

BLOODBATH comments on "Zombie Inferno": "One man's struggle to rid the world of zombie infestation that seems to have inconveniently taken over the planet. Particularly, as he's just refueled his 1969 Dodge Super Bee 440."

From the thuggish brain-smash of opener "Zombie Inferno" to the bleak, obsidian ooze of closer "No God Before Me", "Survival Of The Sickest" is the sound of a great band in blistering form. In contrast with "The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn", which borrowed heavily from the blackened end of the death metal world, the new BLOODBATH goes straight for the jugular in true old-school fashion. With strong echoes of everything from MORBID ANGEL and DEATH to DEICIDE and OBITUARY, songs like the rampaging "Putrefying Corpse", the disgustingly slow and heavy "Dead Parade", and the deliciously twisted "Tales Of Melting Flesh" breathe fresh fire into an arcane, perpetually rotting formula.

Formed by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström (both of KATATONIA),Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH) and Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY) in 1998, BLOODBATH devoted themselves to resurrecting the increasingly forgotten art of pure death metal. In 2014, they unveiled a new frontman — legendary PARADISE LOST vocalist Nick Holmes, now redubbed Old Nick — and yet another macabre musical evolution. With this new lineup, the only way to go was grim. On "Survival Of The Sickest", BLOODBATH evoke their most horrifying sonic scenarios to date, from the death-by-munching nightmare of "Malignant Maggot Therapy" to the murderous nihilism of "Affliction Of Extinction". A glorious comeback from a legendarily wicked musical force, "Survival Of The Sickest" provides yet more proof that BLOODBATH are the kings of the old school.

BLOODBATH adds: "If there was a declaration of goods attached to this album, it would say Florida death metal exported from Sweden."

"Survival Of The Sickest" track listing:

01. Zombie Inferno
02. Putrefying Corpse
03. Dead Parade
04. Malignant Maggot Therapy
05. Carved
06. Born Infernal
07. To Die
08. Affliction Of Extinction
09. Tales Of Melting Flesh
10. Environcide
11. No God Before Me

BLOODBATH is:

Nick Holmes - vocals
Anders Nyström - guitar
Tomas Åkvik - guitar
Jonas Renkse - bass
Martin "Axe" Axenrot - drums

Photo credit: Ester Segarra

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale has issued a statement blasting the U.S. Supreme Court for ruling Friday (June 24) that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court's ruling came in a case involving Mississippi's request to overturn Roe v. Wade — the court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the United States — and uphold a state law that bars the procedure 15 weeks after conception.

Roe v. Wade affirmed the right to receive an abortion under the 14th Amendment, ruling that abortions were constitutionally protected up until about 23 weeks when a fetus can typically live outside the womb.

Friday's decision overturned what was previously a federal legalization of abortion and has returned the issue to individual states to decide the matter for themselves.

On Tuesday (June 28), Hale shared the following statement via Instagram (in part): "I would've posted something on Friday, but we were filming a music video and then I ran off to celebrate pride weekend. I wanted to feel the unbridled joy of the city around me, and exult the beauty of all the kindness and love I still feel in this world. I needed time before I sat down with this weight.

"I wear being a woman as a badge of honor. I've had to break down barriers, move immovable mountains, and work twice as hard because of my gender to get where I am today. I've made it part of my mission statement to empower, inspire, and be a beacon of positive force for the young women that surround me. That's what I have CHOSEN to do with my body. NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO WITH MY BODY.

"I've seen us as women make tremendous strides in our endless fight. I've seen us make huge leaps in equality and freedom. But some of those strides have been stripped from us overnight. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. What comes next?

"I'm angry, disgusted, heartbroken and terrified.

"This overturn is going to cause so much pain, division, immense mental anguish, and death. The majority of America does NOT agree with this decision. It's truly the tyranny of the minority.

"So I proudly stand with my sisters and allies.We will fight back. We will not be quiet. We will not behave. This can be undone.

"Mine is a message of hope."

According to a CBS News/YouGov poll, a 59% majority of U.S. adults disapprove of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, with 41% approving. About half (52%) call the decision a step backward for America, with 31% calling it a step forward and 17% saying it's neither. Among women, two-thirds (67%) disapprove of the ruling, with just 33% approving. A 56% majority of women say that the decision will make the lives of most American women worse.

Critics have said that tossing out the landmark rulings establishing abortion rights would tarnish the court's reputation and open the floodgates to other challenges to well-settled law.

According to CNN, nearly half of the states have or will pass laws that ban abortion, while others have enacted strict measures regulating the procedure.

Thirteen states have so-called "trigger laws" in place, which would effectively ban abortions almost immediately upon Roe v. Wade being overturned. According to Axios, the restrictions that would follow Roe being struck down by the Supreme Court would mean almost 30% of people would be more than 200 miles away from an abortion provider.

According to a Forbes, Americans largely oppose harsh abortion laws, with 75% against policies that make it a criminal offense to perform an abortion, 69% opposing policies that ban abortion six to eight weeks into a pregnancy, 80% opposing laws that allow private citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion and 63% supporting "safe haven laws" in Democratic-led states that would protect people who travel in from other states to get an abortion.

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A post shared by LZZY HALE (@officiallzzyhale)

JUDAS PRIEST, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, JINJER, IF I DIE FIRST and Nita Strauss have pulled out of this year's this year's Aftershock festival. No reason was given for their cancelation. Replacing them on the bill will be DANZIG, IN FLAMES, PRONG and SET IT OFF.

Aftershock festival will return to Discovery Park in Sacramento, California on October 6-9, expanding to four full days (after a half fourth day in 2021),adding a fourth music stage and featuring over 90 bands.

Earlier today, the Aftershock organizers released the following statement via social media: "Aftershock Rockers! Unfortunately, JUDAS PRIEST, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, JINJER, IF I DIE FIRST and Nita Strauss are no longer able to perform at Aftershock 2022. Please join us in welcoming @officialdanzigverotik, @joeyvalence, @inflames, @prongtheband and @setitoff to the Aftershock 2022 lineup".

The weekend's lineup of rock and metal heavyweights also features headliners SLIPKNOT, ROB ZOMBIE and EVANESCENCE (Thursday),KISS and LAMB OF GOD (Friday),MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, PAPA ROACH and A DAY TO REMEMBER (Saturday) and SHINEDOWN, MUSE and BRING ME THE HORIZON (Sunday),along with a range of additional top music artists including ARCHITECTS, HALESTORM, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, CHEVELLE, and many more.

Sacramento Bee has called Aftershock "one of the country's most anticipated hard rock events." The 2021 event is estimated to have brought in $30 million to the local economy, with 75% of the attendees traveling to Aftershock from outside the region, according to Mike Testa, CEO of Visit Sacramento.

The amended daily lineup can be found on the poster below.

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