Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of the upcoming new studio album, One 4 The Road, from Swedish melodic rockers, Palace, on July 15. Watch a lyric video for the album opener "Fifteen Minutes" below, and pre-order/save One 4 The Road here.


Palace, the brainchild of Lithuanian born Swedish vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Michael Palace, returns with a fourth album, One 4 The Road. Once again, Michael Palace handles all the instrumentation, songwriting, and production for the effort, which showcases his love for the imagery and sounds of the glorious ‘80s. One 4 The Road is an unabashedly massive AOR/melodic rock album, as has come to be expected from this gifted Swede's output under the Palace moniker. Palace's sound can best be described as a carefully curated blend of all the greatest arena rock, AOR, and hard rock from the 80’s delivered in a tight-knit package. Unforgettable choruses, virtuosic guitars, clever lyricism, and a true passion for the retro aesthetic...Palace tickles the nostalgia nerve, while maintaining a firm foothold in the now.


Michael Palace first began collaborating with Frontiers as a songwriter and guitarist for First Signal, which of course features legendary Harem Scarem vocalist Harry Hess, Cry of Dawn featuring Goran Edman, Kryptonite featuring The Poodles vocalist Jakob Samuel, and Pride Of Lions vocalist Toby Hitchcock. Those successful (and musically delightful) collaborations led to a deal with Frontiers where Michael could deliver songs in his own vision without other musicians in mind under the name Palace. One 4 The Road is the fourth release by Michael's solo vehicle, which he has been releasing albums by bi-annually since 2016.




Michael Palace is best known for his namesake project, where he is responsible for every part of the production. Michael does it, not out of necessity, but rather a deep love for the entire craft, and frequently collaborates with a vast number of artists and musicians around the world. Michael Palace has honed his skills as a musician, songwriter, and studio whiz with several different acts over the years, including, but not limited to Kent Hilli (Perfect Plan), Fans Of The Dark, The Murder Of My Sweet, Houston, Find Me (Featuring Robbie Lablanc), First Signal (featuring Harry Hess), and more.


Fans of Palace’s previous three releases, Master Of The Universe, Binary Music, and Rock and Roll Radio, will have no shortage of joy upon hearing the band’s latest entry into Michael Palace’s impressive and growing catalog.





One 4 The Road tracklisting:


"Fifteen Minutes"
"Westbound"
"Too Old For This"
"Money Can Kill"
"The Driver"
"Time Crisis"
"Facing The Music"
"World Gone Mad"
"Living The Life"
"Cancel The Flight"
"Loneliest Night"


"Fifteen Minutes" lyric video:





"Westbound" video:

On June 19th, Down performed at Hellfest 2022 in Val de Moine, Clisson, France. Pro-shot video of the band's entire set can be viewed below courtesy of ARTE Concert.


The setlist was as follows:


"Lysergik Funeral Procession"
"Hail the Leaf"
"Lifer"
"The Seed"
"Ghosts Along the Mississippi"
"Losing All"
"Pillars of Eternity"
"Swan Song"
"Eyes of the South"
"Stone the Crow"
"Bury Me In Smoke"







(Photo - Tomoko Inoue)

Although DEATH is considered to be one of the most important and influential death metal acts of all time, the Florida-based band did not release its debut album, "Scream Bloody Gore", until 1987 — two years after the arrival of "Seven Churches" by California's POSSESSED, whose bassist/vocalist, Jeff Becerra, is credited by some with initially creating the term "death metal" in 1983.

In a new interview with the "The Haunting Chapel" podcast, Becerra, who was shot in a robbery in 1989, leaving him partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, weighed in on the never-ending debate on who can lay claim to being the first "true" death metal band: DEATH or POSSESSED. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We [POSSESSED] were selling ourselves as a death metal band, and that was what we went with. And to this day, it's both a blessing and a curse because it's highly debated and contested. And we literally, after I got shot, certain revisionists tried to block me out of history. The POSSESSED Wiki is the most vandalized page of Wikipedia. There was a certain person — he recently passed away — that was just relentlessly retitling our YouTube, moving our dates forward, messing with the timeline. It was like a battle. When I left, we were the death metal guys. When I came back, it was no more. So I had to fight for my own history back, which was weird. 'Cause there's no cool way to do that, because it sounds like you're tooting your own horn.

"I'm not saying I created death metal; I'm saying POSSESSED was the first death metal band," Jeff explained. "And it's a bone of contention with many DEATH fans. And because of the way that their management spun it and the way that the magazines spun it… Remember, me and Chuck [Schuldiner, DEATH guitarist/vocalist] were friends. He literally was like my protégé. He moved out to Antioch [California from Orlando]; he lived at the [house of the then-]POSSESSED fan club [president Krystal Mahoney]. He was pen paling for a while and tape trading. And he very much modeled himself after me. I was so honored because, remember, I'm just a young teenager. But he was the first person to really get what we were doing, what I was doing, and he was the first person that really understood what it was about. And he was so smart that way because it was undefined and so hard to explain what it is, without putting rules on it, because the last thing you wanna do is put rules on anything and stifle it. But he would just grasp it; he loved it. He said, 'Listen, Jeff. I sound just like you.' And he was proud of that. And I was proud of him. And there was a bromance going there. It was a respect.

"I've never been jealous of another band," Becerra clarified. "I've never claimed anything that wasn't mine. And it's just so obscure to see people trying to claim what they know they wouldn't do in front of me. They know what they didn't do; I was fucking there. And I'm not hating on anybody, but it's a very coveted position.

"What makes me mad is when the magazines spin this 'DEATH or POSSESSED, DEATH versus POSSESSED.' And it even tainted the relationship between DEATH and POSSESSED, and that pisses me off, because we were friends.

"I realize that metal is supposed to be fun," Jeff added. "But there's also something very valid about true history and not revising stuff — not just with POSSESSED but any band. And the way it's spun is, like, bands will exaggerate what they did and the writers will be eager to impress who they're writing about, because the last thing a writer wants is for the band to go, 'This is fucking fucked up.'

"In the old days, it was very truthful. People did their research. They didn't have clickbait. There was no 'POSSESSED versus DEATH.' I hate that shit. Because if Chuck was alive today, I'd like [us to] collaborate. And I don't like it fucking with my remembrance of what it really was. I like the history. Maybe I'm being weird about it, but I think that the truth is so much better than the tale."

Becerra told Antihero in 2017 that Schuldiner cited POSSESSED as a "primary influence" in "countless" magazine interviews. But even though DEATH was inspired by POSSESSED, "they ran with it and went in their own direction and created their own vibe," Jeff said. "To go a step further: Chuck used ['80s death/thrash producer] Randy Burns, who did 'Seven Churches' to do 'Scream Bloody Gore', his first album. He also did a cover of [POSSESSED's] 'The Exorcist'."

Schuldiner died in December 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.

POSSESSED originally split in 1987, leaving behind a short but highly influential legacy, most notably "Seven Churches". Internal tensions after the release of 1987's "The Eyes Of Horror" EP led to the band's dissolution, with guitarist Larry Lalonde joining Bay Area tech-thrashers BLIND ILLUSION, then PRIMUS, while Becerra, guitarist Mike Torrao and drummer Mike Sus each going separate directions.

Two years after POSSESSED's split, Becerra was the victim of the aforementioned failed armed robbery attempt, sending him into a spiral of drug and alcohol abuse. POSSESSED was reactivated by Torrao in 1990 with a completely different lineup, but only released two demos before dissolving in 1993. Becerra then reformed POSSESSED in 2007 with his own lineup, which released its first studio album in 33 years, "Revelations Of Oblivion", in 2019.

Ozzy Osbourne will release a new solo single, "Patient Number 9", on Friday, June 24. A teaser for the track, which features a guest appearance by legendary guitarist Jeff Beck, is available below.

"Patient Number 9" will receive its world premiere on Thursday (June 23) on "Ozzy Speaks" on SiriusXM channel 38 Ozzy's Boneyard at 11:45 p.m. ET / 8:45 p.m. PT. Ozzy and Billy Morrison will play the new track and talk about the making of the song.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman shared the news of the upcoming single in a social media post earlier today. Along with the 20-second clip, he included the message "new music coming Friday" and added the hashtag #PatientNumber9. Legendary artist and comic book creator Todd McFarlane is also tagged in the post, suggesting that McFarlane animated the song's accompanying music video.

Last year, Ozzy told SiriusXM that the lyrics for "Patient Number 9", which he co-wrote with producer Andrew Watt, were inspired by his relationship with his wife and manager, Sharon.

"Patient Number 9" is expected to appear on Ozzy's upcoming studio album, tentatively due in September. The effort will include an appearance by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, who also played on Ozzy's last studio album, 2020's "Ordinary Man".

This past March, Smith revealed during an appearance on the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast that the new Ozzy album would be mastered the following day.

"We've got Robert Trujillo [METALLICA] playing on some songs, who's been in Ozzy's band," he said. "Duff's [McKagan, GUNS N' ROSES bassist] on a couple again. Me and [producer/guitarist] Andrew [Watt] are doing it."

Chad went on to say that "the English royalty of guitar players" has been recruited to guest on Osbourne's new album. "Tony Iommi and Ozzy have never collaborated outside of BLACK SABBATH," he said. "Tony sent us a bunch of riffs and we took what we thought was the best of 'em, which was fucking great. So Andy's on the bass doing fucking great — the bass on the song is amazing. And Tony sent us the riffs — files; he's in England — and we played to it. It's fucking got everything. It's got all the stuff that you would want. Ozzy loves it. And so he's on that track. Then Eric Clapton plays a fucking wah-wah CREAM-type solo. We're, like, 'Eric, can you solo on this song? Wah-wah, please. Eric, what do you think about this, with the wah-wah?' Because that's his fucking thing. And so he's soloing all over this other track. Then Jeff Beck is on two songs. We tried to get Jimmy Page [LED ZEPPELIN], we tried to get the holy trinity, but I don't think Page plays anymore too much, unfortunately. But Mike McCready's [PEARL JAM] on a track. Josh Homme, my neighbor from QUEENS [OF THE STONE AGE], solos on a track. And then Zakk Wylde [BLACK LABEL SOCIETY] is on the record as well, all over it. So it's like if you're a guitar player, [it's] pretty fucking good."

Last year, Ozzy confirmed that 15 songs had been recorded for his follow-up to "Ordinary Man". In October, he told Metal Hammer magazine that his new album will be "similar in tone to 'Ordinary Man', but I can't describe it completely. I've not heard it for a while because it keeps going over to the next person to add their parts — we're fucking around with it all the time," he said.

Watt connected with Osbourne after meeting Ozzy's daughter Kelly at a friend's party and pitching her on the idea of Post Malone and Ozzy collaborating together.

In December 2020, Watt told Guitar World that Ozzy's next album would feature guest appearances by a number of notable musicians. "There's a bunch of people involved," he said. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo, who used to play in Ozzy's band. And Taylor Hawkins [FOO FIGHTERS] also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair — it kind of harkened back to Ozzy's '80s era, in a great way. And I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins. And you know, the last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."



New Music Coming Friday! #PatientNumber9 Todd McFarlane

Posted by Ozzy Osbourne on Wednesday, June 22, 2022

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


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







A previous message from BangerTV:


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


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


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





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

ProgPower USA Memories is a fan-filmed weekly video with a trip down memory lane to some of the most memorable performances during the most recent editions of the acclaimed North American progressive and power metal festival, ProgPower USA.


Episode #1 features Arizona thrash and speed metal icons, Flotsam And Jetsam. Watch below:







ICYMI: Video footage of Flotsam And Jetsam's full set from Hellfest 2022 in Clisson, France on June 18 can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"Dreams Of Death"
"Hammerhead"
"Iron Maiden"
"She Took An Axe"
"The Walls"
"Desecrator"
"Prisoner Of Time"
"I Live You Die"
"Brace For Impact"
"No Place For Disgrace"





Find Flotsam And Jetsam's upcoming tour schedule here.

In a new interview with Australia's "KG On Triple T", KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza spoke about his decision to become a vegan in 2009. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm very active in animal rights. I'm connected with PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the international organization that protects the rights of animals from people] in Germany. I did an interview for a vegan magazine just recently, and I try to spread the word without preaching. I'm not forcing or telling anyone what to do or what to eat or what to think or whatever. If you were to ask me about veganism, I would tell you about the benefits and I would tell you why I'm doing it. And I think that's just the way is very healthy also for people that are a little afraid to go vegan because they think they're missing out. You just cook for them, for example. If some friends are asking me about veganism, I invite them and I cook for them and they don't miss a thing. And I think that's the way I see it. I don't wanna make the mistake to be too preachy about it, but I want to be really, really… I try to explain it to people — if they want to know; only if they want to know."

Four years ago, Mille told Czech Republic's Spark TV that he does "some stuff" with PETA because he has a friend who works for PETA2, the youth division of PETA. He added: "They're very radical — some of their stuff is very graphic — but I think there is a necessity to show the graphic details in order to give people a wake-up call. I sometimes, on my Facebook timeline, block PETA1 [referring to the main PETA organization] because sometimes they show very horrible things. I know about these horrible things, so I just block it. But I support the idea of making sure that people become aware of the cruelty that is being done to animals. So I know it's radical, I know it's very graphic and I know it's horror, and there's a lot of people that criticize PETA for that. I think it's definitely necessary that people become aware."

In 2017, PETA Deutschland uploaded a video clip of Petrozza cooking his favorite vegan curry. That same year, Mille told Metal Master Kingdom that being a vegan is "a choice. I know a lot of people have problems if you preach the vegan life," he said. "Like, 'Get the fuck out! I eat my steak.' I don't wanna preach, though. If anyone wants to… Do whatever you want. To me, it's a choice that I made, and I don't feel powerless. I feel very powerful, and I feel very energetic. Talking about the vegan thing, if you become a vegan, you have to make sure that you don't become one of those fast-food vegans and you eat everything only because it's vegan and you eat worse than any other person. You have to make sure that you eat your vegetables and eat fresh. Eat clean — that's the bottom line."

A while back, Mille was asked by Noisey if people are ever surprised that KREATOR's lead singer is vegan. He said: "Not in this day and age, man. There's so many vegans nowadays, it's become kinda trendy. People are interested more than anything. Even people who aren't vegan love vegan food! Of course the whole world will never become vegan, even though it'd be better for the planet, but it's an interesting genre of food, so to speak."

KREATOR's fifteenth studio album, "Hate Über Alles", was released on June 10. The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

The "Hate Über Alles" cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marks KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

In March 2020, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, "666 - World Divided". The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios.

The music video for "666 - World Divided" was created under the direction of Jörn Heitmann, who was responsible for the music videos for "Radio" and "Ausländer" by RAMMSTEIN.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.

KREATOR's previously announced "State Of Unrest" European tour with LAMB OF GOD has been rescheduled for November/December 2022 in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

KREATOR released a live set, "London Apocalypticon - Live At The Roundhouse", in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The effort was professionally filmed and recorded on December 16, 2018 at the Roundhouse in London, England.

Finland’s notorious serial death-fiends strike back for the first time since 2013 with their new EP: Dead Inside - a gallows-end head stomper with more hooks than a cenobite in a meat locker. Torture Killer was formed in 2002 in Turku, Finland, with the goal of pursuing their passion for mid-paced, riff-driven, old-school influenced death metal. In the ensuing years, they’ve produced four full length albums and two EPs, refined their craft and gained further recognition from their neck-breaking live performances.


In 2022, they enter the void once more with Dead Inside, the new three-song EP which takes another step forward in their path of darkness, further solidifying their position in both the Finnish and global death metal undergrounds. Dead Inside features cover art by none other than Wes Benscoter (Slayer, Cattle Decapitation, Autopsy, Kreator). The current lineup remains concrete, consisting of Pessi Haltsonen (vocals), Jari Laine (guitars), Tuomas Karppinen (guitars), Kim Torniainen (bass) and Tuomo Latvala (drums).







Tracklisting:


"Dead Inside"
"The Omen"
"Iniquity"


For further details, follow Torture Killer on Facebook.


 

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Uncut With Jay Cutler" video podcast, STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis was asked if he has always been interested in politics. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As I got older, I got more vocal about it. And I think that that's a natural progression that happens. You get older, you taste real responsibility in life, you have commitments and obligations, and things start getting a little bit more real. When you've got a wife and kids and a house and bills and responsibilities, you start thinking about things a little bit differently. It starts mattering a lot more. And the fact of the matter [is] I'm 50 years old. It's now my turn. This is now my generation. I'm now the generation that is responsible for the well-being of this country. So I'm not gonna be quiet about it. Now is my time to not be quiet about it in any way because it's in my hands now. This is just generationally passed down to each next generation, and every generation is responsible for protecting it so that our kids and our grandkids enjoy as much, if not more than, we did when we grew up. And that's lost. I don't even know what the fuck is going on."

Lewis, an outspoken conservative rocker who reinvented himself as a solo country artist in the last decade, also touched upon claims that public school teachers and administrators around the U.S. are indoctrinating students to think a certain way, particularly in the teaching of sex education, gender identity, racial injustice.

"Have you seen some of the shit that Disney is responsible for putting into the classrooms of our children?" Aaron asked. "And this is just Disney. Forget about the rest of the factions of it that are just hard-pressing, turning our kids' education into an indoctrination of their movement. Which, their movement is as anti-America as you can possibly create in one movement — every facet of it." He later added: "The gender thing, the critical race theory thing [Editor's note: Referring to an academic legal framework that asserts that racism is systemic and embedded in many American institutions]… This is criminal what they are doing — criminal. Every teacher out there that has taught a child anything that has to do with sexual orientation should be in jail. There's laws for grooming on the books. You have no business talking to my children, or anybody's children, about that. They're not adults — not even close. I can't even believe the argument is about up to eight years old. After eight, you're gonna tell me that after eight years old, it's okay for a complete stranger to talk about their sexuality or my child's sexuality with them without me knowing it or being there. Is this really what is going on in this fucking country? Eight! How about at least high school. How about once you're in high school you've still gotta get written permission from the parents to talk about that shit? Maybe they've already got their speech worked out.

"A teacher's responsibility is to teach curriculum," Lewis said. "It was never the job of a stranger [to talk to my kids about their sexuality]. It's a stranger. I don't know what a teacher is doing after hours; I just know how they are when they interact with my kids. It is a stranger talking to your children not only about sex but all sorts of aspects of sex, from the most depraved things to the most normal of things. Who the fuck do you think you are that you have any right to talk to my child about any of that?"

In recent months, dozens of bills have been introduced that seek to restrict how gender and gender identity are taught at schools. Some of the bills also include language restricting how schools can teach about race and racism. Several bills targeted critical race theory directly, despite the fact that critical race theory is not taught in K-12 schools.

Conservatives have been vocal about the notion that "critical race theory" is taught in secondary public schools and it must be eradicated because, as they say, it unfairly makes white children feel bad.

Disney recently became embroiled in a controversy over its support of the LGBTQ community following its botched response to a proposed Florida law, labelled "Don't Say Gay" by its critics, to restrict discussion of sexual or gender identity in primary schools. Disney was initially reluctant to speak out against the bill, which was viewed as dangerous and discriminatory by staff at its Orlando theme parks, but eventually reversed course and condemned the bill. In response, some conservatives accused the company of producing content aimed at "grooming" American children.

At many of his recent solo concerts, Lewis bashed President Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci over vaccine mandates and other policies.

Last November, Lewis claimed that he beat COVID-19 by taking ivermectin, a drug with no evidence of being a safe or effective treatment for the novel coronavirus. He said he also used Z-Pak, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections by inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the body.

Lewis made headlines last September when he urged his fans to chant "Fuck Joe Biden" during a STAIND concert in Pennsylvania.

Max Cavalera (SEPULTURA, SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY) was a guest on a recent episode of the "Hardcore Humanism With Dr. Mike" podcast. During his conversation with clinical psychologist and life coach Dr. Mike Friedman, Max talked about coping with poverty as a child in Brazil when his father died, about his DIY approach to starting his music career with his brother, former SEPULTURA drummer Igor Cavalera, his struggles with substance abuse and how his passion for music helped him to get sober.

Speaking about how he finally got clean after struggling with substance abuse for years, Max said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "My path to straight edge is kind of a bizarre one, because I was a total wildman. Coming from Brazil, I have some stories. I remember one time we played fucking Manaus — that's in the rain forest in the Amazon — and I did the best coke you could probably do. After the show, this guy showed up with the purest Bolivian white powder. I did a shitload of that. I was up all night. I ended up going to the rooftop of the building and I sang the entire 'Beneath The Remains' [SEPULTURA album], air guitaring by myself on the rooftop of the building and I watched the sun come up — super high on fucking cocaine. It was an amazing experience, man. Maybe the cocaine was just good. I don't know. But it was an amazing experience. And I had some many interactions like that throughout my life.

"My brother was straight edge, but he never tried to get me to go straight edge," Max continued. "It's kind of sad in a way, but [he has said in the past], 'I couldn't drink because I had to take care of him. If we would both drink, we would both be dead. If we would both get fucked up, we're just gonna die together. So I had to be a little bit more responsible and not drink so I can take care a little bit of him.' And then once he got married, he passed that torch to my wife: 'You deal with him now. Now that's your job.' And there was many years of struggling because I was hard to deal with, with that shit. Some epic stories. All the shit, it's all true. Partying with MINISTRY and puking on Eddie Vedder, that happened. It's fucked up and it's insane, but it did happen.

"Little by little, I was getting older. And I hated hangovers, man. If they would have invented a medicine for hangovers, I probably would never stop drinking 'cause I like the buzz. But I hated hangovers; it was fucking hard to deal with hangovers. So to deal with hangovers, I'd take painkillers during the day. 'Cause that killed the hangover right away and you get some kind of a high going again."

According to Max, "one of the final straws" that made him decide he had to change his life was a particularly "crazy" incident on the road.

"[We were on] some European tour and I wanted to drink real bad and there was nothing on the bus to drink," he recalled. "I ended up going to the bathroom and drinking hand soap, liquid hand soap. I got busted doing that. My wife opened the door, and I've got the whole jug of hand sanitizer. She was, like, 'What the fuck are you doing?' I [was], like, 'I'm drinking hand sanitizer. I need help.' It was one of those crazy moments.

"Little by little, I went through the different phases of to stop drinking, stop taking drugs," Max added. "One of the main ones was actually going to a place, going to a facility. It's very cliché, but I think it does [help].

"Everybody is different. Some people can do it on their own; they have that willpower. I really couldn't; I didn't have that much willpower. So I went to a place. I was there six to eight months. It was in Florida. And it was a miserable experience there, just learning. They drill that shit in you 24 hours a day in the classes. I missed my family a lot. But because of that, because of missing my family, being in this place, I kind of looked around and realized what I really love most. Do I love getting fucked up and drinking and doing drugs more than my family and music. No, I don't think so. I really like music a lot and I like my family a lot. So it was kind of one of those kind of moments. When I got out of there, I was, like, 'All right, so…' I made the decision what my prio… I have different priorities. It's back to my first love — metal, music. It's as simple as that.

"There was a doctor that talked to my wife," Max said. "He pretty much said, 'If he keeps doing what he's doing, he will be dead in a couple of years. No question about it.' Those things are eye-opener reality checks that you get. I started to put things in perspective. And I'm, like, I worked so hard my whole life. I made it out of Brazil. The odds were one in a billion against [me doing that]. I did all this. And I'm throw all this away for fucking drugs and alcohol? No, man. I don't wanna do that. But it is hard.

"I'm probably an addict by nature, so it's probably just dormant, it's probably just sleeping. I'm not totally cured. It's there, and always will be there."

Last month, Max and Igor kicked off the 2022 "Return Beneath Arise" tour at the Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The trek sees them performing select tracks from SEPULTURA's seminal "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" albums. Joining Max and Igor on the tour are Mike Leon of SOULFLY and Daniel Gonzalez of POSSESSED.

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band split with his wife Gloria as their manager.

The clip below features Trivium frontman Matt Heafy covering the Johnny Cash rendition of "Hurt". The song was originally recorded by Nine Inch Nails 1994, and it became a hit for Cash when he covered the track in 2002 for his American IV: The Man Comes Around album.













Epiphone, the accessible brand for every stage, presents the new Matt Heafy Les Paul™ Custom Origins Collection. The collection of guitars marks the third official collaboration between Epiphone luthiers and Matt Heafy, the guitarist and lead vocalist for heavy metal band Trivium. The Matt Heafy Les Paul™ Custom Origins Collection guitars are available worldwide through authorized Epiphone dealers and via epiphone.com.





Matt worked closely with Epiphone luthiers to create a collection of guitars that is made for metal. The Matt Heafy Les Paul™ Custom Origins Collection is available in 6 and 7-String versions, in both Ebony and Bone White, and each guitar is also available in right and left-handed versions. The Matt Heafy Les Paul™ Custom Origins and a Les Paul Custom Origins in 6 and 7-String models. Each guitar features a pair of Matt Heafy’s Fishman Fluence® Custom Series Signature Humbucker pickups that deliver three distinct tones – two standard Modern voices, and one crystal clear single coil tone. These tonal options are selected with push/pull volume and tone pots. The maple-capped mahogany body has modern weight relief for hours of comfortable play, and the mahogany neck has a fast-playing SpeedTaper™ D profile and a contoured heel for exceptional upper-fret access. Gold hardware, including locking Grover® Rotomatic® tuners with Tulip buttons, and classic Les Paul Custom cosmetics make this a standout guitar on-stage. Available in Ebony and Bone White gloss finishes, a custom hardshell case is included.


In addition to global tours with Trivium, Heafy has launched a new solo project, the black-metal influenced Ibaraki, who released their debut album Rashomon on May 6. The album was inspired by Heafy's Japanese heritage, drawing from Japanese mythology and folklore and features Nergal of Behemoth, and Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, in addition to Ihsahn of the black metal band Emperor.

On June 17th, vocalist Floor Jansen played back-to-back shows at PinkPop Festival 2022 in Landgraaf, Netherlands. Following a twelve-song solo show, Jansen returned to stage later the same day with Nightwish. Check out pro-shot video of both sets below.


Jansen posted the following message to the fans on June 18th: 


"I woke up this morning not believing what really happened at Pinkpop Festival yesterday It was busy, nerve-racking, and exciting but ultimately it was a beautiful day of worlds colliding and sharing music with 60,000 of you and everyone online, twice. Thank you so much for all your support. Without you, it would not have been possible." 




Floor Jansen (solo)


"Fire"
"Storm In A Glass" (Northward)
"Dangerous Game" (Jekyll & Hyde cover with Henk Poort)
"Sweet Curse" (ReVamp)
"Face Your Demons" (After Forever)
"Winner" (Tim Akkerman)
"Euphoria" (Loreen)
"Storm" (live debut)
"Energize Me" (After Forever)
"Oblivion" (M83)
"Let It Go" (from the movie Frozen)
"Wolf And Dog" (ReVamp)
"Phantom Of The Opera" (with Henk Poort)





Nightwish


"Noise"
"Planet Hell"
"Tribal"
"Élan"
"Storytime"
"I Want My Tears Back"
"Nemo"
"Shoemaker"
"Last Ride of The Day"
"Ghost Love Score"

In February 2021, Delain keyboardist Martijn Westerholt issued the following statement, announcing the band had splintered and that he would be taking it in a different direction:


"For the last year or so, the collaboration within the band ceased to work as well as it once had. Some of us were no longer happy with the current roles in the band. We all tried very hard to find a solution for over a year, but sadly we were unable to find one.


As a result, we will all be going our own ways and pursuing our own endeavours. I am very sad our cooperation has come to end, but at the same time I am very grateful for all the years we were able to work together. Together we toured the world, shared highs and lows, and met with many successes as well as times that pushed us to learn and grow. We all enjoyed meeting our fans and making new friends all over the globe. I would like to thank my fellow bandmates and wish Timo, Otto, Joey, and especially Charlotte the very best for the future. And I hope that will mean onwards and upwards to new musical adventures for each of them!




That being said, Delain will live on. The others have chosen to pursue different paths. I have decided to keep Delain alive by continuing on with writing and producing the music for Delain as I always have. I started Delain as a project in 2002 and for the next album I will take it back to a project form, releasing music with special guests. As it looks now many familiar faces will be returning to join me on this journey.


I can’t express my gratitude enough to all of you Delainers that have supported us over so many years. Your dedication to the music and the community you created for us has been overwhelming. Even though this situation is not ideal, change never usually is at first, I hope you will continue to join Delain on its new journey. This is not the end of Delain. It’s the end of a chapter, but also the beginning of a new one."


Westerholt has checekd in with a new update:


"Exciting announcement! We will be playing at ProgPower USA in 2023! We are so looking forward to returning to the ProgPower stage and we can't wait to see you there! Along with that, we are currently working on putting a couple of tours together so we will have some tour dates to announce in the coming months.


Also, last week we promised to give you the date of the first single which will also be the revealing of the singer.  We finally have it and the date is...  drumroll please.. August 9th!"





Delain's first show of 2022 is scheduled for November 4th at Hedon in Zwolle, Netherlands. Tickets can be purchased here.


Delain was formed in 2002 by former Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, intending for the band to be a project. Singer Charlotte Wessels was invited to join in 2005. They released six full length studio albums and two EPs before parting ways with Wessels in 2021.


Check out some teasers of new music from Delain below.