Progressive/power metal group, Immortal Guardian, have released "Echoes", the second new song and music video this year. The digital single can be heard at all streaming/download platforms or watch the video below.


“Echoes’” message is further explained by singer Carlos Zema, “For generations, humanity has longed for a truth. The right to unite what has been divided. We long to be free from all our differences, genders, colors, nationalities, religions, beliefs and any other type of separation. This real freedom relies on our minds, in being free from all these fears, repressions, oppressions, and everything else that stops us from being united. In the name of this truth, our voice will echo endlessly – Freedom!”







The talented and hard-working quartet are feverishly putting the finishing touches on a new album since coming home from their recent 5-weeks across the US and Canada with video game-inspired shredders PowerGlove, where in the midst of dates they dropped their first new song since last year’s acclaimed Psychosomatic album with “Ozona”.





The newly-released music videos for “Echoes” and “Ozona” are just a small taste of the new territory that Immortal Guardian plans to take their sound in 2022. More information on additional new music and touring in 2022 will be revealed in the months to come.


Lineup:


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


(Photo - Brett Rivera)

Nashville metal band, Orthodox, have just announced their new full-length album, Learning To Dissolve, which is set for release on August 19 via Century Media Records. Pre-orders are available starting today, here.


To celebrate the album announcement, the band have released their new track and music video for “Head On A Spike”. Watch the video, which was directed by Nick Chance, below.


“This is essentially the first song I have ever written to gloat about my backbone,” states Orthodox frontman Adam Easterling about “Head On A Spike”. “Orthodox as a band has been called ‘corny’ and been continually overlooked year in, year out. But we haven’t given up. This is a song to anyone who thinks we should’ve thrown in the towel, because we don’t feel like we’ve even peaked.”







Learning To Dissolve tracklisting:


"Feel It Linger"
"Head On A Spike"
"Cave In"
"Become Divine"
"Digging Through Glass"
"Nothing To See"
"1 1 7 6 2"
"Dissolve"
"Fast Asleep"
"All That I Am"
"Voice In The Choir"


"Head On A Spike" video:





The sound of Orthodox is the opposite of what most associate with the laid-back energy and country-fied twang of their native Nashville, Tennessee. Orthodox’s distinct, nu-metal-tinged brand of metallic hardcore has carved its own lane with their Century Media debut, Learning to Dissolve. Learning To Dissolve is the punctuation on a journey that began with 2017’s Sounds of Loss. From the inception, Orthodox were nothing short of a standout, blending together riffs that wouldn’t be out of place on a Slipknot record coupled with Easterling’s blunt, Jonathan Davis-esque howls. But, like their sonic brethren in Knocked Loose or Vein.FM, while the influence of the 90’s/00’s is there, Orthodox doesn’t merely pay homage to their influences, it exceeds them.


Written during the global pandemic and world shutdown of 2020, Learning to Dissolve was born of frustration. That is, until Easterling and guitarist Austin Evans began to really dig in. Recording in the dead heat of Summer with producer and mixer Randy Lebooeuf (Thy Art Is Murder, Kublai Khan) at Graphic Nature Audio in Belleville, New Jersey, found the band in creative overdrive, ripping their songs apart.


While 2019’s Let It Take Its Course focused on the duality of love and anger Learning to Dissolve is born of intense self-reflection. It digs deeper than most metal or hardcore records. Not surprisingly, that ethos has echoed throughout Orthodox’s existence as a band, whose members past and present come from backgrounds rooted in straight-edge hardcore.


Orthodox is:


Adam Easterling (vocals)
Austin Evans (guitar)
Shiloh Krebs (bass)
Mike White (drums)

Lonely Robot, the project masterminded by vocalist, guitarist & producer John Mitchell, recently announced the release of their fifth studio album, A Model Life, on August 26. Today, sees the launch of the album's first single, "Recalibrating". Listen below.


John comments: “A post apocalyptic breakup...the world you once knew has burned to the ground like Nero’s Rome. The only thing for it is to move forward and reset your mind. To ‘recalibrate’ if you will.”


An album that brims with frustration at the state of things, while tugging remorselessly at the heart strings, A Model Life is plainly the most honest and vulnerable Lonely Robot record to date. From opener Recalibrating, which muses on the aftermath of a broken relationship, and Digital God Machine – a sardonic tribute to keyboard warriors everywhere, to the boys-don’t-cry pathos of Rain Kings and the absurdly moving, adoption-themed Duty Of Care, these new songs provide a scattershot but profoundly emotional soundtrack to a restless and uncertain world.




John comments: “Making A Model Life was very much a lifeline and indeed wake up call at the end of a particularly personally challenging couple of years. Creating it made me realise that ultimately, life is impermanent and the one true thing that gives me a focus and anchor is and has always been music. Long may that be the case.”


The album will be available as Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP+CD & as Digital Album. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Recalibrating"
"Digital God Machine"
"Species In Transition"
"Starlit Stardust"
"The Island Of Misfit Toys"
"A Model Life"
"Mandalay"
"Rain Kings"
"Duty Of Care"
"In Memoriam"


"Recalibrating":





A lone soldier on the frontlines of creativity, John Mitchell has been at the forefront of forward-thinking and progressive rock for decades now. As a member of such revered prog ensembles as It Bites, Arena, Frost* and his own projects Kino and The Urbane, he has become a uniquely vital contributor to the modern scene, while his credentials as a producer for countless contemporary rock acts are unquestionable. But since 2015, John has been operating under name Lonely Robot: a solo project in all but name, it has enabled him to fully express his own musical vision, via some of the most vivid and fascinating music of his career to date.


(Photo – Tom Barnes)

Hot on the heels of the release of their track “Golden Woman”, hard rockers Monster Truck release their new single, “Get My Things & Go”, via BMG on all streaming platforms. Listen here, and below.


“Get My Things & Go” is a swampy, bluesy rock 'n' roll blast to the face. It follows the band’s recent release of “Golden Woman,” a fast-paced, unrelenting, rock 'n' roll jam that marked the first track off their highly anticipated forthcoming album.


“The lyrics for ‘Get My Things & Go’ are a fictional story of betrayal and freedom. I think a lot of people wait until something pivotal happens, like infidelity, to address the issues of their happiness. These lyrics are about reaching that breaking point, starting the engine, and putting that foot on the floor, forgetting about everyone else for the sake of sanity. I’m sure all of us can relate,” said Jon Harvey, bassist, and lead singer of Monster Truck.




“The music was written by Jer, who was jamming the main riff when I walked in one day and he was just miles deep in his groove pocket. I bet he’d been playing it for hours, in fact, it was so groovy it felt like he’d been in there for days! I thought, “damn I better write some words and a melody worthy of this delicious jam”, and it seems as though we were on the exact same page.”





Since the release of their debut self-titled EP in 2010, Monster Truck, comprised of bassist and lead singer Jon Harvey, guitarist Jeremy Widerman, keyboardist Brandon Bliss, and former drummer Steve Kiely, have become known as one of Canada’s hardest-working rock 'n' roll bands, a reputation they've cemented by touring relentlessly and consistently upping their game.


Monster Truck performed in front of a huge crowd at Download Festival in the UK on June 11, and will return to the UK later this year for a headlining tour. For more information on the tour, head here.





(Photo - James Heaslip)

Spirit Adrift expand their prolific catalog with 20 Centuries Gone, a collection of two new original songs and six cover songs that span the timeline of the band’s most foundational influences.


Featuring artwork by Brian Mercer (Lamb Of God, High On Fire, Mastodon), and mixed by Zeuss (Overkill, Crowbar, Municipal Waste), this release is a powerful journey through the past, present, and future of trad-metal’s most exciting new band.


On 20 Centuries Gone, out August 19 via Century Media, Spirit Adrift put their trademark swagger on classics from Type O Negative, Pantera, Metallica, Thin Lizzy, ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Pre-order the album here, and watch a video for "Mass Formation Psychosis" below.




Spirit Adrift mastermind Nate Garrett comments:  “I always thought it would be a cool experience to record some songs by bands that are foundational to the DNA of Spirit Adrift. These choices are obvious and on the nose to me, but maybe unexpected to the fans.  That made the whole thing a lot of fun.  A band like Lynyrd Skynyrd might not be the first thing you think of when considering Spirit Adrift’s influences, so the task for me became figuring out how to honor these great songs, but in the distinct Spirit Adrift style.  To make the whole thing even more special, I channeled these influences and wrote a couple of new songs to kick things off.  There’s a lyric in "Sorcerer’s Fate" that mentions ‘past and future both aligned,’ and that became the concept here.  The whole thing is presented in reverse chronological order.  That way, you get a sense of where Spirit Adrift is headed, but you’re also taken on a journey back in time through our most fundamental influences. Hope y’all enjoy it!”





Tracklisting:


“Sorcerer’s Fate”
“Mass Formation Psychosis”
“Everything Dies” (Type O Negative)
“Hollow” (Pantera)
“Escape” (Metallica)
“Waiting For An Alibi” (Thin Lizzy)
“Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings” (ZZ Top)
“Poison Whiskey” (Lynyrd Skynyrd)


“Mass Formation Psychosis” video:





“Sorcerer’s Fate”:





“Hollow”:





(Photo - Dave Creaney)

Canadian rockers, Headstones, have been teasing fans of the arrival of new music, and today they finally share what they’ve been working on. Their brand new track, “Tangled”, has a laid-back quality that’s coupled with lyrical depth; that combined creates a track that’s both unassuming and barbed.


Hugh Dillon and the band return to their stripped down, punk-rock roots with this lament to what it’s like to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. “We don’t learn a thing” opines Dillon on the track. This new single is the first of much more to come with new music releasing throughout 2022.


Stream the single here, and watch the video below.







Lineup:


Hugh Dillon – vocals, harmonica
Trent Carr – guitar, vocals
Tim White – bass, vocals
Steve Carr – keys
Jesse Labovitz – drums

Sepultura have reissued Live In São Paulo on smokey 2LP for the first time, and on CD+DVD.





Order here, and watch a live video for "Roots Bloody" Roots" below.










Sepultura have announced that guitarist, Andreas Kisser, has been forced to leave the band's ongoing "Quadra Summer Tour Europe 2022".


A message from the band states: "Unfortunately, Andreas Kisser has returned home due to a family emergency. However, the show must go on🤘🤘, so we've tapped fellow 🇧🇷Brazilian🇧🇷 Jean Patton (🎸of Project46) to riff with until Andreas' return. Huge thanks to him for jumping in on short notice (practice is sounding great already!). Please join us in welcoming Jean and wishing Andreas the best. Tour continues (today) at 🇱🇹 Kilkim Žaibu festival 🇱🇹!"

The Stadium Tour featuring Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, with Poison, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Classless Act is underway.


Mötley Crüe have released the recap video below, from the June 22 date at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.


Says the band: "Right before our set was about to begin we were forced to evacuate all the fans to a shelter in place. The stadium curfew was 11 PM, so it wasn’t looking like we would go on. Almost a solid hour passed with pouring rain and lightning, it was looking more than likely we would have to reschedule the show. We were all extremely bummed after eating to play for our fans. At the last minute, we got the call - the show could go on! The fans came back in and got drenched along with us, and the energy and support was unmatched by the time the band got on. We could feel that special connection between the fans and the band and you can see on our faces how much we loved this show. What an eclectic night - see you again Washington DC."







Produced by Live Nation, "The Stadium Tour" is set to steamroll through North America for the remainder of the summer. Dates are listed below.





June
24 - Citi Field - Flushing, NY
25 - Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
28 - Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC
30 - Nissan Stadium - Nashville, TN


July
2 - EverBank Field - Jacksonville, FL
5 - Busch Stadium - St Louis, MO
8 - Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL
10  - Comerica Park - Detroit, MI
12 - Hersheypark Stadium - Hershey, PA
14 - FirstEnergy Stadium - Cleveland, OH
15 - Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati, OH
17 - American Family Field - Milwaukee, WI
19 - Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MO
21 - Coors Field - Denver, CO


August
5 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA
6 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA
8 - Rogers Centre - Toronto, ON
10 - The Stadium Tour - Orchard Park, NY
12 - PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
14 - US Bank Stadium - Minneapolis, MN
16 - Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
19 - Minute Made Park - Houston, TX
21 - Alamodome - San Antonio, TX
22 - Globe Life Park in Arlington - Arlington, TX
25 - State Farm Stadium - Phoenix, AZ
27 - SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, CA
28 - Petco Park - San Diego, CA
31 - T-Mobile Park - Seattle, WA


September
2 - BC Place - Vancouver, BC
4 - Commonwealth Stadium - Edmonton, AB
7 - Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
9 - Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, NV

The legendary Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister, founder of Motörhead and Grammy Award winning cultural icon, has had a portion of his ashes enshrined at this year’s Hellfest Festival in Clisson, France within a new, giant statue of the man. The official ceremony to recognize this unique memorialization took place on June 23. Watch a new "making of" video:





With bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee present, it was the perfect moment to honor Lemmy’s life. After the Scorpions closed the show, bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee said a few words, a tribute video to Lemmy played, and Phil and Mikkey raised a toast to the immortal and eternally popular Kilmister at the monument itself.




The ceremony formally recognized Lemmy’s love of both the road and the fans, which is where he always felt most comfortable.





Hellfest was one of Lemmy's favorite festivals (Motörhead played the first ever Hellfest and were staples of the festival ever since), and the band have always had a tremendous bond with their French rock’n’roll family. It is therefore fitting that Lemmy will forever be present at the site, with fans able to congregate and pay their respects to him at every Hellfest from here on out. This ceremony will also give fans an opportunity to participate in their own memorialization of Lemmy and see a miniature replica of the custom urn that houses Lemmy’s ashes at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood California.


For fans that wish to share their own tributes, memories, experiences or pay their respects, can post using the hashtag #LemmyLivesAtHellfest. All Hail (the immortal legend) Lemmy!

Ted Nugent sounded off on news that the Internal Revenue Service, Railroad Retirement Board and other federal agencies have been stocking up on thousands of rounds of ammunition.

As of January 2019, the IRS had stockpiled 4,600 guns and five million rounds of ammunition, according to a report from the watchdog group Open The Books published in 2020.

Earlier this week, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz — an ardent Donald Trump ally who spread false claims that Antifa was behind the U.S. Capitol violence in January 2021— said the IRS spent approximately $700,000 "between March and June 1" purchasing ammunition. Gaetz described the ammunition acquisition as "bizarre."

Nugent, who recently resigned from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years, weighed in on IRS's purchase of ammunition during today's (Wednesday, June 22) edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted offers his take on the news of our world.

"I have a lot of friends in the federal law enforcement agencies and I respect their warrior dedication for law and order — most of them," Ted said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "But unfortunately, the scammers and the power abusers are now running things. And I've gotta tell you, when you see that everybody now knows that the IRS is an illegal, immoral bureaucracy. Why in the hell would a tax agency need military artillery, like the Bureau Of Land Management and the Department Of The Interior and the U.S. Forest Service?

"Remember when they confronted the ranchers out in Nevada, I believe it was, because they overgrazed their grazing rights and they went after 'em with full military commandos in bureaucracies that are supposed to manage wild horses, which they completely mismanage.

"So I could go into more and more details, but the IRS is bad. The IRS is illegal. Lois Lerner used the power of the IRS — unlimited power — to abuse conservative families and conservative charities. [Editor's note: In 2013, IRS official Lois Lerner revealed that conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status had been getting extra scrutiny, based on words such as "tea party" or "patriots" in their names.]

"Lois Lerner, why is she not in jail? She represents the atrocity of abuse of power by the Internal Revenue Service. Damn them all."

IRS has reportedly been stockpiling heavy weapons for much of the past two decades, having spent more than $10 million on guns, ammunition and military-style equipment since 2004. IRS spent $2.3 million in 2011 on heavy weapons before dropping to $1.1 million in 2014, according to a report by Open The Books.

Last August, Nugent defended his right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, arguing that he "got it from God." The 73-year-old musician discussed his natural-born rights as an American while talking to Tucker Carlson for an episode of Fox Nation's "Tucker Carlson Today".

"I was born with the right to keep and bear arms. I was born with the right to speak up. I was born with the right to privacy from my government intrusion without just cause. I was born with that," Ted said. "I could come here naked without any Constitution and I know I could say what I want to say. I don't have to get the king's permission.

"Kings, emperors, tyrants, kiss my ass," he continued. "We are a self-government. We are in charge, we hire people to represent us based on these self-evident truths. And if you infringe on them, we will fire your ass and don't make us arrest you."

Nugent went on to say that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to protect the nation from tyranny.

"[The Second Amendment] says any rights here that are not numerated are up to the states. It's here and enumerated," he said. "It's written down, I can keep bear arms in America, in every building, on every street corner, wherever I want. I got it from God. The Founding Fathers just happened to write it down in case somebody wanted to play king."

Ryo Okumoto, long-time keyboardist for prog rock group Spock’s Beard, recently announced his new solo album, The Myth Of The Mostrophus, due out on July 29 via InsideOutMusic. The six song prog extravaganza features Okumoto’s signature style accompanied by the talents of a who’s who of progressive rock.


Today, Ryo is pleased to share the lyric video for the single, “The Watchmaker”, which you can see below.


"The Watchmaker" features the heavy rhythm and searing guitar leads of Lyle Workman, along with the thundering bass of Dave Meros, both in perfect sync with the propulsive drumming of Jonathan Mover, underneath the unmistakably classic sounds of Hammond B3, Jupiter 8 and Minimoog synths of keyboard wizard Ryo Okumoto, and christened by the soaring vocals of album co-writer Michael Whiteman; this track provides a tantalizing taste of what is to come on this star-studded progressive rock extravaganza!




Ryo had this to say about the single: “Immerse yourself in the tale of 'The Watchmaker', wherein our eponymous character sets off on an odyssey through past, present and future. Time is literally on his side, as the watch on his workbench allows him the opportunity to try his hand at setting things right again.”





The album features guest appearances by a number of incredible musicians including current and former Spock’s Beard bandmates:


Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard) - Drums & Vocals
Al Morse (Spock’s Beard) - Guitar
Dave Meros (Spock’s Beard) - Bass
Ted Leonard (Spock’s Beard. Transatlantic) - Vocals
Jimmy Keegan (Spock’s Beard) - Vocals
Steve Hackett (Genesis) - Guitar
Michael Sadler (Saga, ProgJect) - Vocals
Mike Keneally (Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, ProgJect) - Guitar
Jonathan Mover (Joe Satriani, ProgJect) - Drums
Marc Bonila (Keith Emerson/Kevin Gilbert) - Guitar
Doug Wimbish (Living Colour) – Bass
Randy McStine (McStine & Minnemann, Porcupine Tree) – Guitars & Vocals
Lyle Workman (Todd Rundgren) – Guitar
Michael Whiteman (I Am the Manic Whale) – Guitars & Vocals


Twenty years since Ryo Okumoto’s last solo album Coming Home (2002), work on the new album began in November 2000, when Okumoto reached out to I Am The Manic Whale vocalist/bassist Michael Whiteman, following that band’s performance on a livestream event that Okumoto had taken part in.  An exchange of demos resulted in the writing of the initial tracks for the album. Okumoto then reached out the fellow Spock’s Beard bandmates (Nick D’Virgilio, Alan Morse, Dave Meros, Ted Leonard and Jimmy Keegan) to join in and the album started to take shape before rounding out with additional guest stars through his Okumoto’s new group ProgJect including Michael Sadler, Jonathan Mover and Mike Keneally. With the additions of Steve Hackett, Marc Bonila, Doug Wimbish, Randy McStine, and Lyle Workman, the star-studded lineup was complete. The result is a prog rock tour de force from one of the most entertaining and influential artists of prog’s modern era.


Engineered and mixed by Rich Mouser, the album is now available for pre-order here. You can watch the trailer for the album below.





Tracklisting:


"Mirror Mirror"
"Turning Point"
"The Watchmaker (Time On His Side)"
"Maximum Velocity"
"Chrysalis"
"The Myth Of The Mostrophus"


Trailer:





(Photo - Alex Solca)

In a new interview with the "Talk Toomey" video podcast, Fred Coury was asked if there could ever be a CINDERELLA reunion without guitarist Jeff LaBar. Jeff died last year at his apartment in Nashville. He was 58 years old.

"We always said that it's the four of us," the drummer said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH>NET). "That's why you don't see Tom [Keifer, CINDERELLA frontman] out there touring as CINDERELLA. Because it's really his band — he can say what he wants. He can say [his current solo band] is CINDERELLA, but it's not — it doesn't feel like it, it doesn't sound like it, it doesn't look like it. And we always said it's the four of us.

"So, could there be something without Jeff? I don't know," Fred continued. "I think it'd be weird. We always say 'never say never.' But why? Why go do it? For who? The fans would like to see it, but then they're all gonna miss Jeff. We're gonna always look over at that side of the stage and we're gonna miss Jeff. Our keyboard player Gary [Corbett] died on the same fricking day. So stage right — gone. You look over and it's just so… so wacky.

"So, I don't see it," Coury added. "If something miraculous happens and Slash [GUNS N' ROSES] was, like, 'I really like you guys and I wanna do something with you guys and it would be cool to do and let's do a tribute [to Jeff]' type of thing, sure. But I don't think anybody has the time as well."

Asked about the possibility of CINDERELLA carrying on with Jeff's son Sebastian LaBar, who is the guitar player for the band TANTRIC, Fred said: "People bring that up all the time. He plays like him and he looks like him and we've all watched him grow up. He's like all of our illegitimate stepchild. And we love the guy; he's really salt of the earth, as they say."

Three months ago, Keifer publicly discussed LaBar's passing for the first time during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "I've gotta tell you, you're never really ready for that kind of loss; you're not prepared to hear that kind of thing. And everyone is still trying to grieve and process it. It's an emotional topic. Jeff was just such a passionate, amazing person, musician, human. He had a huge heart. And it was a tough one, man. It still is, for everybody."

Tom continued: "Jeff and I had a really good relationship throughout out career. Obviously, in bands there's times when you have differences; that's part of being in a band. It's true what people say about bands — that they're like a family, but, honestly, it's like that and even more intense, because there's so many different facets that inform the dynamics between bands; everything from business to creativity and everything in between. But despite any differences that we've had over the years, and the band in general, as I've always said, we've never aired anything like that.

"Jeff and I had a great relationship," Keifer repeated. "I loved Jeff — I really did — and have so many great memories of our journey together. He was amazing, and not just what he contributed to the music. Jeff had such a great sense of humor, and some of my favorite memories with Jeff are just kind of cutting up together on the bus. We were both big movie fans and could quote pretty much all our favorite movies. And we'd sit in the front lounge and quote 'Arthur' and 'The Big Lebowski' and 'Caddyshack'. He was just a really passionate, really fun guy to be around, and obviously, an amazing performer. He was a huge part of CINDERELLA.

"Like I said, you're never ready for that. And everyone is really honestly… I'm in touch with Eric [Brittingham, bass] and Fred regularly — everybody close to him — and we're still trying to process it. We really are."

When host Eddie Trunk noted that CINDERELLA fans were very supportive immediately after LaBar's passing, Tom said: "That's all I saw online — was really, really positive, because he projected that. He was a good soul and a good friend to me. Obviously, when you're in a band, you try to hold each other up. And anything that Jeff was going through in his life I would try to have his back on, and he did the same for me. Especially when I had my voice challenges," referencing his early '90s battle with vocal cord paresis, a neurological condition on the left side of his voice box that almost put an end to Keifer's career, "he was really supportive. There was a point where I was just at an all-time low before I met [vocal coach] Ron Anderson. And I was so self-conscious about my voice that I didn't want anyone in the rehearsal room when I was trying to work through it. And I asked Jeff if he would just come in and play guitar and let me sing, 'cause there was so much brain power [required] just trying to work through the vocal issues that I couldn't even play the guitar and sing at the same time. And he came every day. It was just me and him, and he just played the guitar and I sang the songs. And he heard a lot of really bad things come out of my mouth [laughs], and he would just always look at me and say, 'You're doing great.' And I always tried to return and have his back on… He had his challenges too."

With his voice cracking with emotion, Keifer continued: "We had a good relationship. We really did. I loved him, and I know in my heart he loved me. And in the end, that's what's most important. And I have great memories of him and they're forever in my heart. And I cherish them."

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largely inactive for the last few years while Keifer focused on his solo career.

Back in 2016, LaBar accepted blame for CINDERELLA's prolonged period of inactivity, explaining that his "drinking problem" caused a rift between him and his bandmates. He told "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley": "I can only speculate, but I believe it's all my fault. It's no secret that I've had a drinking problem. And it showed its ugly face on one of those [cruises that CINDERELLA played]. I guess that's what caused a rift… When I fell out on one of those cruise ships in front of everybody — like, basically O.D.'d — that's when the band, and mostly Tom, took notice and was, like, 'What the fuck?'"

Asked if he was sober at the time of the interview, LaBar said: "No, I'm not. Which is the problem. Which is probably the problem. Like I said, I can only speculate, because I don't talk to the other guys anymore. I talk to Fred every now and then. Eric [Brittingham, bass] lives 20 minutes from me. We haven't talked lately, but Eric and I have been the most consistent of all my bandmates throughout the past 32 years. It's just Tom and I that don't talk anymore. And I can only speculate that he's very disappointed and doesn't wanna see me die. He doesn't wanna witness me dying."

LaBar went on to say that the touring lifestyle "fed [his] appetite for partying… all the way back to the '80s." He explained: "I have a history. It's not just these past issues. I have a history of drinking and cocaine… In the '80s, it was cocaine abuse. In the '90s, it was heroin. I went through every cliché phase that a rock star could go through. It just wasn't highly publicized. I was arrested, I went through rehab, I did all the things MÖTLEY CRÜE did. I just didn't publicize it. I was MÖTLEY CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES all wrapped into one. As a band, we tried to hide our dirty laundry, and most of our dirty laundry was me. We didn't try to hide it; we just didn't publicize it. We just didn't tell people. 'Oh, yeah, Jeff's in rehab. Jeff's in jail. Jeff's in… whatever.' We just didn't publicize it. We actually kept it to ourselves. It was our family. It was our family business, and that's how we treated it."

Despite the fact that he hadn't spoken to Keifer for a couple of years prior to the "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley" interview, LaBar said that he didn't hold a grudge against his longtime friend and bandmate. "I understand why he doesn't return my calls, and I don't blame him," he said. "I understand. And hey, you know, he's been the major talent of CINDERELLA all this time, and he deserves to be solo. Not deserves to be solo, but, you know, it was inevitable for him to go solo. He's just one of those guys — lead singer, main songwriter. It's inevitable that he should go solo and basically dump [laughs], dump the dead weight."

Organizers of the Barcelona Rock Fest 2022, which runs from June 30th to July 2nd in Barcelona, Spain, recently issued the following update regarding Manowar's scheduled appearance:


"As of today, June 21, the situation is complex. For months now, we've been wanting to sign a contract that clearly and accurately reflects the agreements reached without last-minute demands. The signing of a contract with clear, understandable and without errors terms that assure us their performance, is being a really complicated work and ten days from the festival we continue to try in all possible ways. We're working on it every day for a while.


With that, we are not saying that they won't act but that right now, we don't know, however strange it may seem.




We are very sorry about this situation for all of you who support Barcelona Rock Fest and specially for Manowar fans."


Manowar issued a statement shortly thereafter, which read in part: "The festival promoter and Manowar reached an agreement in June 2020 regarding Manowar's performance at Barcelona Rock Fest; otherwise we would not have authorized and supported the festival’s announcement of our participation and their promotional efforts. The promoters of this festival are now trying to unilaterally modify the terms.


We are ready to fulfill our obligations under the deal and have made substantial efforts preparing for this show. The only party that is refusing to comply with their side of the deal are the promoters of Barcelona Rock Fest by demanding to change significant terms at the last minute."


On June 26th, it was confirmed that Avantasia had been added to the June 30th line-up for the festival. Manowar's name had been wiped from the promotional poster entirely.





Manowar has since issued the following update:


"We just found out at the same time as you that the BRF Promoter is not counting on us for the performance on June 30th. We must tell you that whatever he is posting about Manowar is completely false and we will take appropriate legal action against him.


The promoter agreed with us in September 2021 some conditions for the performance and now refuses to comply with them. We are aware that he had already signed a performance with Avantasia, when we were still trying to sort the issue out with him. He's done it all behind our backs.


We reiterate that, unfortunately in the organization of the Festival there have been many irregularities that sooner or later will have to come to light. We didn't demand any last-minute conditions. What we demand as logically is what was agreed and that now the promoter refuses to comply provoking for reasons solely attributable to him that we do not perform at the Festival.


The sole responsible for this whole situation is the Promoter. We tried until the last moment, to keep the contract we had. In fact, we thought we still had time to fix all this when we got surprised by the announcement of the new group. The only thing the Promoter is after is enriching himself at the expense of us by acting ruthlessly and without considering the preferences of you, the fans.


We deeply regret this situation as we had a great desire to reunite with our fans at the Barcelona Rock Festival 2022.


Don't doubt that the truth will come out, with the help of Spanish justice if necessary."

Arch Enemy drummer Daniel Erlandsson has just shared a live playthrough video of the song "Deceiver Deceiver", filmed May 4, 2022 at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO.


Daniel is sponsored by: Pearl Drums, Sabian, REMO, Wincent, Steinberg, Roland, On Trigger, and SE Electronics.







"Deceiver Deceiver" appears on Arch Enemy's new album, Deceivers, which will be released on August 12, 2022 via Century Media Records. The studio version of the song can be enjoyed below.





A collection of 11 tracks that are ruthlessly catchy and mercilessly violent, Deceivers stands toe-to-toe with the highlights of Arch Enemy's storied catalogue.


Guitarist Michael Amott comments: "Having just celebrated our 25th anniversary as a group and now releasing our 11th studio album, one could easily assume that we would be cruising along and going through the motions at this point. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to Arch Enemy and our new album, Deceivers. It is without a doubt always a challenge to raise the bar each time in both the songwriting and production side of things, and it can feel a bit daunting before we get into it. But once we do get started and fully immerse ourselves in the creative process, it's really like there is nothing else in the world and we are very focused. And believe it or not, for the most part, we have a ton of fun making this music! Creating Deceivers was no different, once again we shut out the outside world and went deep into the artistic zone. I believe we pulled out some really interesting musical and lyrical themes this time, a few things might even raise an eyebrow or two - while retaining all the signature elements of the band. In the end, it's Arch Enemy at full speed and power!"





Deceivers tracklisting:


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


"House Of Mirrors" video:





"Handshake With Hell" video:





"Sunset Over The Empire" video:





 

Pro-shot footage from Kreator's May 22 performance at the 2010 edition of Germany's Rock Hard Festival has surfaced, and is available for streaming below:





Kreator recently released a music video for "Become Immortal", the latest single from the band's new album, Hate Über Alles (out now).




Says Kreator: "The video is based on the lyrics, which is a full circle look back through the years and celebrating our early beginnings, through to the release of our latest record, Hate Über Alles."





For 37 years, Kreator has spear-headed a thrash metal crusade, inspiring generations of metal heads and musicians alike. The collision of traditional and contemporary values is a sentiment that Mille Petrozza has breathed in to the soul of this monumental new album; recruiting visionary producer Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Cavalera Conspiracy, Ghostmane and Turnstile) from Philadelphia to work with the band at the legendary Hansa Studio in Berlin. “Hate Über Alles” features gorgeously grim cover artwork by renowned artist Eliran Kantor (Testament, Thy Art Is Murder, Helloween), serving a bold statement against hate and division in today's society.


Mille Petrozza comments: "Hate Über Alles reflects the time we’re living in. Everything is really loud and aggressive. The way we communicate has changed, thanks to social media. It causes a lot of imbalance. The world is in a state of disrepair. Life is not harmonic right now, it’s disharmonic… that’s where I was going with the title."


Get the new album here.





Tracklist:


"Sergio Corbucci Is Dead"
"Hate Über Alles"
"Killer Of Jesus"
"Crush The Tyrants"
"Strongest Of The Strong"
"Become Immortal"
"Conquer And Destroy"
"Midnight Sun"
"Demonic Future"
"Pride Comes Before The Fall"
"Dying Planet"


"Midnight Sun" video:





"Strongest Of The Strong" video:





"Hate Über Alles" video:





"Hate Über Alles" behind the scenes:

Notorious Swedish black metal collective, Watain, performed at the 2022 edition of Hellfest in Clisson, France on June 19. You can watch professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set below.


Setlist:


"Death's Cold Dark"
"Malfeitor"
"The Howling"
"Leper’s Grace"
"Black Flames March"
"Reaping Death"
"Serimosa"
Ecstasies In Night Infinite"
"Stellarvore"
"Towards The Sanctuary"
"The Serpent's Chalice"







Watain's new studio album, The Agony & Ecstasy Of Watain, can be ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Ecstasies In Night Infinite"
"The Howling"
"Serimosa"
"Black Cunt"
"Leper's Grace"
"Not Sun Nor Man Nor God"
"Before The Cataclysm"
"We Remain"
"Funeral Winter"
"Septentrion"


"Ecstasies In Night Infinite" live video:





"We Remain" video:





"Serimosa" lyric video:





"The Howling" video:





Norwegian metal icons, Abbath, are joining forces with Watain for a co-headlining European tour, launching in September.


The Chariots Of Fire tour will kick off at the Elysee Montmartre in Paris, France, and will wreak havoc in 13 more countries before a final curtain at the Vanha venue in Helsinki, Finland. A full list of confirmed shows can be found below.


Special guests will be Tribulation and Bølzer for all shows.





Tour dates:


September
15 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre
16 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
17 - Munich, Germany - Backstage  
18 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
20 - Toulouse, France - Le Bikini  
22 - Lisbon, Portugal - Lisboa Ao Vivo
23 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
24 - Barcelona, Spain - Apolo  
25 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur  
27 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex 457
28 - Filderstadt, Germany - Filharmonie
29 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013  
30 - London, England - Earth


October
2 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
4 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle  
5 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
6 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fallan
9 - Helsinki, Finland - Vanha

Brazilian death metal heavyweights, Krisiun, have released the new single, “Sworn Enemies”, the opening track of the band’s upcoming new studio album, Mortem Solis, to be released on July 29 via Century Media Records. Check out the lyric video, created by Alcides Burn / Burn Artworks, below.


“'Sworn Enemies' carries out the true essence of Krisiun. It's an extremely fast, brutal and savage song. It relies on nothing but pure relentless death metal. The message speaks for itself. It represents our endless war to stay alive and keep moving forward. Don't miss it, check it out, crank it up," states Krisiun about "Sworn Enemies".







For Mortem Solis, the trio - brothers Alex Camargo (bass/vocals), Max Kolesne (drums), and Moyses Kolesne (guitars) - recorded their new material locally at Family Mob Studio (Ratos De Porão, Crypta) in São Paulo, Brazil and mixed/mastered with Mark Lewis (Kataklysm, Deicide, The Black Dahlia Murder, etc.) in Nashville, Tennessee.


Mortem Solis comes with artwork designed by Marcelo Vasco (Slayer, Venom, Dark Funeral).


“Mortem Solis - which is Latin for “Death of the Sun” - will be available as a limited Digipak edition (with the exclusive bonus track “Death Of The Sun), as Digital Album, and as LP on 180g vinyl in the following variants:


- Black LP - Unlimited
- Transparent Orange LP - Limited to 300x copies via CM Distro & Webshop Europe
- Clear LP - Limited to 300x copies via EMP
- Golden LP – Limited to 300x copies via Nuclear Blast


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Sworn Enemies"
"Serpent Messiah"
"Swords Into Flesh"
"Necronomical"
"Tomb Of The Nameless"
"Dawn Sun Carnage" (Intro)
"Temple Of The Abattoir"
"War Blood Hammer"
"As Angels Burn"
 "Worm God"
"Death Of The Sun" (CD Bonus Track)


"Serpent Messiah" video:





(Photo - Maya Melchers)

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael, who recently admitted that he relapsed with alcohol nearly two years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, spoke to France's Loud TV about how he maintains his sobriety while on tour in Europe. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In the States, alcohol is kind of taboo until you're 21. They have the religious dominance — you can't do this; you can't do that — and kind of a puritanical kind of thing going on over there. Here in Europe, though, it's part of the culture. You've got wine with dinner, you have a beer. It's just a different outlook on alcohol mainly over here. I don't know as far as drugs; I haven't dabbled too much in that over here in Europe. I did my own fair share in the States, which brought me to all that. [Laughs]

"But it's actually funny," he continued. "I was looking for AA meetings over here [in Europe], 'cause I always hit meetings when I'm over here. It's crazy, living in Las Vegas, the number of meetings that are available — one every hour; I mean, several every hour. And then I was in — what? — Düsseldorf and, what was the other city I was looking in? Berlin? And there was, like, two or three in a day. But with our travel schedule, I wasn't able to fit one of those meetings in, so I just did a couple of online things.

"But, yeah, I don't know what the difference is [between the drinking culture in Europe and that in the U.S.]. All I can say is from my own personal experience that I'm grateful that I put all that stuff down, have the support and the camaraderie with that sort of community and love speaking freely about it as well. A big, strong, tough dude, alpha male like me talking about problems gives hope to other strong, hard-headed dudes to be able to open up and look at their own lives as well. That's what I hope anyway. All I can do is just me. If that's an example for you guys, that's cool too."

For much of the last four years, Kael had touted having a sober lifestyle, saying that he was the "strongest" he had ever been after coming out of rehab. However, the 48-year-old bassist told Jason Rockman of Canada's "The Rockman Power Hour" in March that he fell off the wagon as the coronavirus lockdown continued, saying that "it was not good."

"I got sober February 3rd, 2018," Chris said. "Were it not for a mishap during the pandemic, which I haven't spoken publicly about until today, a mishap over the pandemic, it would have been four years [sober]. But right now I think I am… I have to go back and look at the date, honestly."

He continued: "I remember I went to a concert and I was trying to do… I was, like, 'All right. I fell off the wagon. I've been back on the wagon. I'm going in. I'm gonna try to control drinking this time. I'm gonna allow myself to have two. And if I do two, cool.' Nope. Did three. Haven't had a drink since. I said, 'I can't do it.' Even trying to limit myself to two, I couldn't do that."

When Rockman commented that if having three drinks one night was the extent of Chris's relapse, it wasn't so bad, Kael countered with: "No, no. It was much worse before that. August of 2020, post-breakup, post-being in a house by myself, it was not good. So as I turned to not wanting to feel for a little while… Now, [I'm] back to it again — I'm doing my meetings, doing all the stuff, working with my sponsor, working the steps and all that stuff now."

Kael said that he actually tried to get sober a couple of years before he went into rehab. "I was trying to do it on my own — and I'd been vocal about, 'Yup. I gave it up. I did this,'" he said. "I did an interview with [comedian] Dean Delray and I was talking about it. A short time thereafter, I was out on the road and I caught a case of the fuckits with whatever I was going through at that point — overdramatizing everything 'cause that's what I liked to do back in the day. Now I'm much more centered, much more focused. But I had just poured a drink and I was walking off the bus and a fan came running up to me: 'Kael, I wanna thank you. You going sober made me think about myself going sober.' And there I am standing with a fucking [drink] in my hand. 'Yeah, man. I'm just doing what I can to help out.' And I felt like such garbage.

"So it was important for me, for my own accountability, to be vocal about it," Kael explained. "'Cause I'm a people pleaser — I wanna make people happy; I don't want people to be disappointed in me — so, in the beginning, it was very important for me to be vocal about it so that others would know and I kind of have that babysitter collectively around the world watching. I'm much better at self-accountability and not needing other people to have their eye on me. I think I'm out from under that rock at this point. But collectively, we do the groups, we do our meetings — all kinds of stuff. So I still have that support system — even tighter support system. My God, [during] the pandemic, I did more meetings in Zoom than I ever did before the pandemic.

"Obviously, COVID was awful, but if you look for the silver lining to things, you can turn a negative into a positive if you just clear your mind, look around and take a full scope of what's going on and just really continue to do the right thing," he added.

Kael previously opened up about his battle with alcohol and drug addiction in a February 2021 interview with MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael. At the time, he stated about his decision to get sober: "I was doing blow, but I realized when I went to rehab, I was always the key bump guy. So just keeping the levels up just enough to fight any sort of depression. And then also through that time, Ivan [Moody, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] was very much the focus of the issues [with drugs and alcohol] that he was going through at that point. No surprise and no secrets there — we've all seen the stuff that happened back then. But he was the focal point for everybody. So I was kind of able to hide in the background while he was dealing with his stuff. So I got to slide under the radar most of the time.

"The real decline for me started maybe two months before I cleaned up," he continued. "Just life situations — I was going through a divorce at the time… We got divorced after I got out of rehab, but the process had kind of been started before. And honestly, my goal going into rehab was — I wrote [my then-wife] a note; she may still have it; I'm sure she probably does. It was basically, like, 'Hey, I'm going to get help' and become the guy that she married in the first place and not this person I had become. So I very much wanted to get back and get out of rehab and go back to being married and whatnot. But it changed. And it was real bad probably the last three weeks of it. I didn't get too out of control. [There were] a couple of times here and there where I would really let go and there were indications that things were getting worse for me. But I basically ended up in just like a real depressed period, and I decided, 'Fuck, man. I can't do this anymore.' I called my buddy Greg, and he took me to rehab that day. And it was the weakest I've ever felt in my life, walking into that rehab. But then once I got out of rehab, I was, like, that's the fucking strongest I've ever been, is admitting that I can't deal with this and I need to figure something else out."

Kael went on to say that things got so bad for him at one point that he didn't always enjoy performing live. "When you're on stage at Wembley, sold-out show, and you're on stage going, 'Ah. Can we just get the fuck off here?', something's fucking wrong with your endorphin levels," he laughed. "My body was just so beat up. I never played fucked up on stage, but I definitely played tired from the night before many times. And that was one of those nights. My body was beat up from the night before. We probably had a day off in London. Me and my bass tech used to daydrink all day long."

Back in April 2018, Kael told the KLAQ radio station that he was "going through about an eight-ball of cocaine a week" at the height of his addiction. "That got to be the biggest problem for me," he revealed. "That and depression, the two things, were not good. I didn't realize it until I got into rehab that I was self-medicating with cocaine to get my dopamine levels up to fight the depression. I never even thought about that. And then when you come off it, you crash hard."

Kael first revealed his battle with addiction in a series of tweets, saying that his then-wife played a "major role" in helping him get clean. "Had she not busted me trying to restock after burning through $1300 in blow in two days in late January [2018], I truly believe that I would not be here today," he wrote.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will release a new album, "AfterLife", on August 19.

On Thursday (June 23),L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns performed his band's entire set in Plano, Texas from a backstage bathroom.

The 56-year-old guitarist explained the "unique situation" in a social media post prior to the gig. He wrote: "A lot of people know I have a panic disorder. While I have it 95 percent under control, Heat is the remaining trigger and I simply cannot play in the heat. BUT!!! We have found a solution for todays show I will be playing in a comfy bathroom directly behind the stage where there is air conditioning. I will do an Instagram live stream during the set if y'all really need to watch me play. I apologize for my crazy brain."

For the concert, L.A. GUNS roadies ran cables to the nearby bathroom where Guns set audio equipment up so he could listen to, and perform with, his bandmates onstage.

L.A. GUNS bassist Johnny Martin came up with the idea to have Tracii play from the bathroom, explaining in a social media post: "Tracii wasn't gonna play the show at all. Because his anxiety is still pretty prevalent. He said to me that he wasn't going to do the show, because the heat was just too unbearable to his condition. And that we'll just have Ace [Von Johnson, L.A. GUNS' other guitarist] cover his parts. So, basically, us play as a four piece. I proposed that we find an air conditioned spot near the stage. And … VOILA! … Here we are. Much better than him opting out, all together. I'M A F**KING GENIUS!"

L.A. GUNS is currently on the road the U.S. with Tom Keifer and FASTER PUSSYCAT as part of the "Sonic Slam 2022" tour.

L.A. GUNS' latest album, "Checkered Past", was released last November via Frontiers Music Srl. The effort marked L.A. GUNS' third album since the 2016 reunion of the band's core members Guns and singer Phil Lewis. It followed 2017's "The Missing Peace" and 2019's "The Devil You Know".

L.A. GUNS was formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records, including 1988's "L.A. Guns" and 1990's "Cocked And Loaded", both of which were certified gold. "Cocked And Loaded" contained the hit single "The Ballad Of Jayne" that went to No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. From the mid-'90s to the mid 2000s, L.A. GUNS continued to tour and release new music. Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's Hair Nation festival in September 2016, L.A. GUNS went into the studio to record the critically acclaimed "The Missing Peace", which was the highest-selling release for Frontiers Music Srl in 2017. Their 12th album, "The Devil You Know", was released in 2019 to the same critical acclaim.



Doing Speed in the bathroom while my band is on stage 20 feet away. Not ideal but, it worked!!!

Posted by TRACII GUNS on Thursday, June 23, 2022