THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT, the musical meeting of minds between Grammy-nominated STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand and PARALANDRA vocalist/guitarist Casandra Carson, made its live debut on April 30 at The Riff in Springfield, Missouri. Joining Rand and Carson at the gig were keyboardist/backing vocalist Diana Weishaar, bassist Jaron Gulino and drummer Celestino Ramirez.

Professionally filmed video of the "Purgatory" song performance from The Riff concert can be seen below.

Several days prior to the show, Carson commented on social media: "It's crazy to think that Josh and I started writing songs together 2 YEARS ago and we're finally taking taking it to the stage! I couldn't be happier with the people we've chosen to join us on this journey. Absolutely incredible musicians and all around great human beings (one of which I might be a little biased towards). Rehearsals have been going amazing, and I truly can't wait for you guys to see the show we've put together! See ya this Saturday in Springfield, MO at The Riff for THE LIFE PROJECT's live debut!"

In a recent interview with HardDrive Radio's Lou Brutus, Rand stated about THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT: "In a sense, it was just something that I started doing a couple of years ago, just writing music myself. And then I just decided I wanted to get a female vocalist, basically, to work on these songs and sing on them. And I found Casandra through a mutual friend — actually, STONE SOUR's A&R person, Dave Rath — and we hit it off. And then we've just been working on stuff for the last two years kind of just here and there. Obviously, with COVID and all that stuff going on in the world, it really restricted going out, so there's really not been a desire to do that up until recently. So now we're gonna end up being a full band and actually play our first show April 30th in Springfield, Missouri, which I'm really excited about finally getting back out there. 'Cause for me, it's been a bit, I guess — like, three years — since I've been on a stage.

"So, that's really what it's about," he continued. "It's just me musically trying different stuff, but also getting back to where I originally came from, as far as my musical journey. So it's kind of getting back to my roots and just having fun with it. That's what THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is for me — it's a different vehicle to express myself, I guess, artistically with truly no boundaries, but leaning more towards, musically, I think, coming at it as an educated teenager. What I mean by that is it's the fire of that teenager — that drive, that style of music that I was playing 30 years ago — but now doing it with the experience, the knowledge and all that. So it's kind of like revisiting the past, in a way, or going home in some ways."

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT released a new four-song EP, titled "Big F.O.U.R.", on March 18 via Bloodblast. The collection features a clutch of cover versions, one each from heavy music's pioneering icons METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.

Rand previously stated about the EP: "Recording a 'Big F.O.U.R.' cover EP is something that I have wanted to do for a very very long time, and last fall I decided to finally do it with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT.

"Without these four bands (METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER),my musical career wouldn't be where it is today. In some ways, you could say this project is paying homage to them or, how I see it, a return to where it all started in my parents' house as a teenager trying to learn just a piece of the music.

"Each of the four songs that I picked were pivotal in my development as a musician, whether it was learning the intro to 'One' on guitar, drums on 'Symphony [Of Destruction]' or bass lines in 'Caught In A Mosh'.

"This EP was a true love and passion project for myself. I feel I captured the vibe and the spirit of the original but with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT sound. Hopefully you hear it too!"

Stylistically, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand's penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy.

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT's debut self-titled EP came out last summer and is available exclusively through the band's webstore or via the Nuclear Blast store.

Josh and Casandra's debut single, "The Nothingness", was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms, including Rock Hard on Spotify, Breaking Metal on Apple Music, Break Through Rock on Amazon and Metal Radar on Deezer. "The Nothingness" was also included on SiriusXM Octane's "Test Drive" show on release.

Vocalist Zak Tell of the long-running Swedish rap/metal combo CLAWFINGER has apologized for spitting on a photographer during the band's recent concert in the Czech Republic. The incident took place at the Roxy Club in Prague on May 29 at what marked CLAWFINGER's first appearance in the country in four years.

Earlier today, Tell took to CLAWFINGER's social media to share a few photos from the Prague gig, and he included the following message: "Let me tell you about one of my more embarrassing Moments. We played the Roxy Club in Prague a few weeks ago, it was an amazing crowd and we were pretty damn good too if I may say so. I have a tendency to spit alot onstage and sometimes even on myself. For obvious reasons I try to avoid spitting on band members or the audience but this time I misfired and hit a photographer right on the cheek, she was standing up at the front next to my monitor. I felt so embarrassed and I quickly swooped down to wipe her cheek, say I was sorry and give her a beer to make up for my mistake. She looked very surprised and slightly disgusted and rightly so, poor thing. I gave her one more beer later on in the show and then spent the next week or so feeling bad about the whole thing. As she was a photographer I kept my eyes on instagram for shots from the gig and finally one showed up of Bård, I saw that it was a female photographer and that it was taken from close to the stage so I figured it might be her, I sent her a message and BAM, she was the one. I told I was sorry once again and then said that I would love to post her photos on our social medias if she was interested…and here they are. So one final time, Drahoslava Letáková, please accept my sincerest apologies and thank you for the amazing photos!"

This past March, CLAWFINGER released the official music video for its new single, "Environmental Patients". The track marked the first new music from CLAWFINGER in more than two years.

Prior to the arrival of "Environmental Patients", CLAWFINGER released a single called "Tear You Down" in September 2019 and "Save Our Souls" in 2017. "Save Our Souls" was made available four years after CLAWFINGER announced it was calling it quits.

During the break from the studio, the members of CLAWFINGER were reportedly taking care of their families while performing sporadic reunion shows, mostly at European festivals. "CLAWFINGER no longer is our main job," the band explained at the time. "We all have other jobs and families to love."

CLAWFINGER's last studio album, "Life Will Kill You", was released in the U.S. in July 2008 via Locomotive Records. The CD, which entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 89 upon its European release in 2007, was recorded and produced at Sweden's Fear And Loathing Studios, a facility that CLAWFINGER runs along with the members of MESHUGGAH.

CLAWFINGER's debut album, 1993's "Deaf Dumb Blind", included the controversial single "N****r", an anti-racism statement that caused quite a stir and was a massive success.

"Deaf Dumb Blind" sold over 600,000 copies worldwide and was critically acclaimed in Swedish press.

Let me tell you about one of my more embarrassing Moments. We played the Roxy Club in Prague a few weeks ago, it was an...

Posted by CLAWFINGER on Thursday, June 16, 2022

Taken from the forthcoming Taz Taylor Band release, Nocturnal, check out the video for "Wasting My Time" featuring David Reece (ex-Accept) below. The new album is due July 15th worldwide on Global Rock Records.


Taz describes the song in the following way:


"'Wasting My Time' is a simple riff rocker, kind of in the Van Halen vein maybe? The kind of song I write when I just feel like playing guitar and having fun with it. Barney and Val brought the goods on the bass and drums, and David Reece did an excellent job on the vox! The video by Jeff Forest is fun too and I have no idea who those other people are…so don’t ask!"







Guitarist Taz Taylor, already familiar to many in the hard rock world via his previous albums Welcome To America, Straight Up, and 2017's Pressure & Time, is back with his latest album, Nocturnal, featuring some of rock's finest vocalists:  Doogie White,  David Reece, Mark Boals and previous Taz Taylor Band collaborators Chandler Mogel & Graham Bonnet.


Nocturnal is an album of Classic Hard Rock, performed by "lifer" musicians who are in it because they have nothing they would rather be doing! On this album guitarist Taz Taylor, bassist B.L. Firks and drummer Val Trainor team up with some of hard rock’s greatest vocalists. Together they have managed to combine the swagger and attitude of 80's Sunset Strip with the musical virtuosity of the shred guitar boom which also peaked in that decade... whilst simultaneously raising a huge musical middle finger to the decade that followed!.


Says Taz: "It's only 2022 if you look at a calendar and tune into today's crap mainstream radio! So grab a copy of Nocturnal and remind yourself what Rock and Roll is supposed to sound like!"

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, in which he and Wiki Violin perform an acoustic guitar cover of "The Time Machine", from Iron Maiden's 2021 album, Senjutsu.





More of Zwijsen's Maiden covers can be found below:

After announcing their signing to Atomic Fire Records, progressive power metal quintet, Induction, unveiled a downright anthem and the first milestone in the row of several singles waiting be unleashed this year with "Sacrifice". Watch a new drum playthrough for the song:





A bass playthrough follows:







Mixed and mastered by renowned Jacob Hansen, "Sacrifice" draws you right into a refreshing world of soaring vocals, melodic guitars, heavy riffs, and an incredibly catchy chorus that won't leave your brain anytime soon. With this mix of virtuosic progressive twists and symphonic elements, Induction is setting the new status quo of the genre and following the reformation of the band, this song is the first to put listeners to the test, and sets exceedingly high expectations for what’s yet to come.








The band’s eponymous debut, signed by guitarist Tim Kanoa Hansen, is available via the Atomic Fire Records webshop.


Originally founded in 2014, the band left their first mark with first single, “The Outwitted Consecration” (2016) before officially entering the metal world with their self-titled debut album in 2019. Its enormously positive reception paved the way to touring across Europe alongside Brazilian power metallers Armored Dawn in November of the same year. It was a notable career start for the quintet that was unfortunately halted by the still-ongoing pandemic ultimately leading to a break (at least on the live front) that was to work on their sophomore album and renew their power. Atomic Fire Records is pleased to welcome Induction and their new lineup - vocalist Craig Cairns (ex-Midnight Prophecy), guitarists Tim Kanoa Hansen and Marcos Rodriguez (ex-Rage), bassist Dominik Gusch, and drummer Kian Kiesling - to its roster.


(Photo - Fotograf Franz Schepers)

Quebec City's hardcore scene trailblazers, Get The Shot, have shared the video for "Survival Denied". Watch below. The track and accompanying visual boast a powerful message. It's an anthemic, fist-in-the-air, and groove-centric metal x hardcore jam. And it has a lot to say.





"'Survival Denied' was inspired by the conjunction of two tragic, timeless, and implacable observations made respectively by Thomas Hobbes and Arthur Schopenhauer: Man is a wolf to man, and life is nothing more than a perpetual struggle for mere existence with the certainty of losing it at last," the band states. "In a world that glorifies the pursuit of self-interest and disregards cooperation, everyone becomes a potential enemy, a persecutor in power. There is no way one can lead a good existence in such an alienated and self-destructive life. So this song builds on this fatalistic conclusion: If nothing can save us from ourselves, may we all get what we deserve and may humanity burn in hell."







Get the Shot previously unleashed the video for the single "Deathbound", which features Lionheart's Rob Watson. Check it out below:





As with No Peace In Hell (2014) and Infinite Punishment (2017),  Get The Shot continue exploring new territories of extreme music, while sticking to its roots and its fierce DIY approach to music. Over countless tours across the globe, the band has taken inspiration from many bands along the way and refined its sound, while also taking influence from some of the top heavy artists such as Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, and Machine Head. After more than 500 concerts on three continents, including some on the biggest international stages such as Hellfest, Jera On Air, Summerbreeze, and Groezrock, the five members remain committed to the core values of authenticity, integrity, and equality at the heart of the hardcore movement, while addressing with disillusioned realism the flaws of an era defined by blind individualism.


The truth is what we get with Get The Shot: straight forward, no sugar coating. As brutal and cruel as reality can be, the ability to confront and overcome it depends on our ability to face it head-on.


Get The Shot are also touring through the year. More info on new music is coming soon, so standby.


Lineup:


Tom Chiasson - Guitar
David St-Pierre - Drums
Jean-Philippe Lagacé - Vocals
Dany Roberge - Bass + Vocals
Guy-Pierre Genest - Guitar

Austin, Texas-based rock band, Bull y los Búfalos, was founded in Spain by Diego "Bull" Avello who took the road less traveled and brought his music from Europe, to all around Mexico and ultimately to the USA.


With many successful national and international tours, a powerful live  performance, songs featured in the globally distributed TV series, "Mayans MC", three studio albums, several singles and video releases, a live album, Gibson & Epiphone endorsements, music awards... Now, coming out with a first single and music video, "Dinero Primero", their new EP, explosive, fresh, raw and definitely full of fury.


In 2022 they signed to Paramour Group Management, and under the label Paramour Records they launch the Fury EP - explosive, fresh, raw and definitely full of fury! You can stream the EP here.







Tracklisting:


"Dinero Primero"
"One Life One Chance"
"This Veil"


"Dinero Primero" video:





Austin, TX, May 2022: This unusual band is currently located in Austin, TX, ready to burn any night with a powerful live show. The appeal of Bull y los Búfalos lies in the power of their concerts based on the charisma and unleashed energy of a 6´6¨ front man like Diego "Bull" Avello  and musicians who distill the most genuine Rock & Roll with a subtle Spanish vibe. Their songs in English and Spanish represent a fascinating musical crossover feeking like ZZ Top  meets Robert Rodriguez.


They named their sound as "Stubborn Rock", based on their philosophy of never giving up or losing sight of their goals. That determination, love for music and overcoming has led Bull and his Bufalos to participate in major Biker festivals in the United States and Mexico, perform at the South By Southwest Festival, NBA half time game for the San Antonio Spurs, set on fire the iconic Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles, 3 songs placed on a mayor TV show, awards, music videos, live and studio albums… this is the story:


Asturias, Spain: Starting Point: Bull, leader of Bull and the Bufalos, was born in a small town in northern Spain, Cangas del  Narcea, located in the beautiful state of Asturias. From there, his life has taken him to Madrid, Mexico, Los Angeles and Austin chasing the dream of rock and roll.


The music of Little Richard, Elvis and Eddie Cochram changed his life as a child. As a teenager, he soon founded his first band working hard to buy their first instruments, selling breakfast buns among their neighbors to collect the money. Soon after, they managed to get some nuns to give them a place to rehearse in their monastery. After a few months of feasts and wild rehearsals, the nuns made a curious request: to play during a mass. The mass became a rock homily. The songs of the band resonated throughout Spain due to the unexpected presence of a journalist who published a report on his performance in national newspapers.


Bull y los Búfalos are born in Madrid: Shortly after, Bull moves to Madrid. There he founded Bull y los Búfalos, just one hour after arriving in the city with several musicians from the Madrid rock scene. Its name is due to a National Geographic article dedicated to the buffalo that would describe how they faced the storms to cross them as soon as possible instead of waiting for them to finish. It was the attitude he wanted to express in his music and in his band.


After several tours in Spain, they launch their first album “Quien dijo miedo?” Check it out on Spotify here: http://tiny.cc/f76suz


Alternating music and different jobs, Bull opens an Adventure Off-Roading Company. This company absorbed most of the Bull’s time with frequent trips to the Sahara desert in North Africa, the beaches of Portugal, and the mountains of Spain. Finally, Bull decided to devote himself completely to his musical project and took it to the other side of the ocean. First stop: Mexico.


The Mexican Adventure: No friends, no contacts, no place to stay, but even with those conditions, Bull lived three years of pure Rock & Roll in the Mexican capital, Mexico City. He found brilliant Mexican musicians who he toured with incessantly throughout the country performing for big crowds at Harley Davidson events and participating in Biker Rallies such as Mazatlan Motorcycle Week with an astounding show to 18,000 motorcyclists.


They also launched their second album Más tiempo que vida, mastered by Vlado Meller, mastering engineer of Metallica, Rolling Stones, Kid Rock…


After many kilometers of road alternating big and small venues, a lot of adventures, some of them kind of dangerous… he said goodbye to his Mexican experience playing at the MotoFiesta de León for 25,000 spectators. Behind were songs, video clips, press tours and an extensive tour, but also a fascination for the Mexican culture that accompanies him in his songs and his tattoos. We are in 2014, next step… USA!


USA: Bull arrives in Austin Texas in November 2014, where inmideately felt very inspired by the Texas Blues Rock music and Country sounds. With just a suitcase, a guitar and a few dollars the beginnings were hard. Trying to get a work Visa was the first task. Finally he got honored with the artist Visa “Extraordinary abilities in the art of music” and starts playing in 2015. After that, he recruits new musicians and records his first full English album Animal .The band didn’t stop since that, releasesing different singles and music videos, like “Hasta que la Muerte nos separe (Till death do us part)” where western music meets Rock and Roll or “Alone with the King” an Elvis Presley tribute song about a trip Bull made to Graceland were he had the luck to visit the King’s mansion just by himself.


The English and Spanish crossover set him apart from the other Texas Rock bands and has led him to perform in the NBA playoffs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, in major festivals such as the SXSW, and in different Biker events throughout Texas including ROT Rally.  


During a brief stint in Los Angeles in 2018, Bull y los Búfalos opened for Dizzy Reed, keyboardist of Guns N' Roses, in the legendary Whisky a Go-Go and performed in various L.A. venues.  


2019 was a great year, Bull ends up being sponsored by "Gibson USA" and "Lethal Threat  Designs" a biker clothing brand from New York. They were awarded “Best Hard Rock Band in Texas” by the prestigious MXD Magazine - Dallas, Texas. Also, on September 3, FX broadcasted the premiere of the second season of Mayans MC in the United States with Bull y Los Búfalos as part of the soundtrack. Mayans MC is more than a TV show, it is a worldwide icon. The series is the sequel to the award-winning Sons of Anarchy and has had a successful public and critical reception that has made it one of the top series of the  year.


With three studio albums and several singles and music videos, in January 2020, they launched Handmade - Live in Texas, recorded in Austin,TX. Their first live album where you can hear and feel their powerful live performance.


Pandemic Break… Bad times for everyone, specially for the music industry. Bull decides to minimalize his life style and expenses. He goes to primitive camping in Lake Georgetown, Texas. There, into the wild, Bull finds the necessary inspiration to write new songs and also record a demo with just a hand recorder. That demo leads to the new EP, Fury.


There is still a long way to go for Bull and his Buffalos, many battles to fight. A route that began more than 5000 miles from the United States and that has taken him to explore the wildest and most honest face of rock, demonstrating something that Diego “Bull” often points out: Rock and Roll is for the brave.

Baltimore-based death metal savants, Misery Index, recently released their new record, Complete Control, via Century Media Records. Order here, and watch a drum playthrough of the track, "Necessary Suffering", below:





Complete Control was mixed by Will Putney, mastered by Jens Bogren / Fascination Street studios and features artwork by Matt Lombard, which can be seen below.




Complete Control, the seventh studio album and Century Media debut for Misery Index, is a riff-driven assault that captures the tension of the modern condition and channels it into 9 songs of ripping end-times death metal. Spewing with Orwellian invective and razor-sharp songwriting, Complete Control is a much-needed hammer to the face; a wake-up call for the disaffected and dispossessed.





Complete Control tracklisting:


"Administer The Dagger"
"The Eaters And The Eaten"
"Complete Control"
"Necessary Suffering"
"Rites Of Cruelty"
"Conspiracy Of None"
"Infiltrators"
"Reciprocal Repulsion"
"Now Defied!"


“Complete Control” video:





"Infiltrators" video:





"The Eaters And The Eaten" video:





Misery Index lineup:


Darin Morris: guitar
Mark Kloeppel: guitar, vocals
Adam Jarvis: drums
Jason Netherton: bass, vocals


(Photo - Ryan Philipps)

Atlanta, GA-based group, Pistols At Dawn, deliver hard-hitting hooks, magnetic melodies and intricate instrumentation with old school arena-size ambition on their debut studio album, Ascension, due August 19 via Megaforce/MRI Entertainment.


After independently amassing over 6 million streams across streaming and video platforms via previously released singles from their debut 2021 EP Nocturnal Youth, Pistols At Dawn returned to the studio to work with Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Sylvia Massy (Tool, System Of A Down, Johnny Cash) on the new release.


"Pistols At Dawn is bright, modern, driving aggression with a halo of vintage darkness,” says Massy. “Angular guitars and other-worldly vocals crown the super-human strength of these tracks, yet lyrically they describe a fragile earth-bound mortality. Pistols At Dawn are poised to roar into a post-isolation world."




Pistols At Dawn have debuted the riveting music video for the album’s first single, “The Truth”, which introduces new vocalist Cris Hodges who also fronts In The End: The Premiere Linkin Park Experience and has written music for several blockbuster movies including Top Gun: Maverick and Baywatch. Watch “The Truth” music video below. “The Truth” nods to nineties alternative with a distinct and dynamic twist. It’s scheduled for release this Friday, June 17 across all digital platforms; pre-save it here.


“‘The Truth’ revolves the around the constant noise we have in our head pushing and pulling our emotions so much that we sometimes lose total control and explode,” explains drummer Adam Jaffe. “We have to be careful to maintain our thoughts and emotions, or ‘The Truth’ is that they could ‘tear us apart.’ The inspiration behind the music video was to show the constant emotional pinball game our minds play on us privately, coupled with the explosive reality of what can happen if we are truly triggered into chaos.”


Jaffe further remarks on adding Hodges to the lineup: “Cris Hodges joining PAD can only be equated to what it must have felt like when Taylor Hakwins joined Foo Fighters or Grohl joined Nirvana. From our very first hour-long conversation to our very first rehearsal and video shoot, it just felt like it was and is meant to be. Cris is an elite front man with vocal abilities sent from the gods. Our guitarist Devin said it best, ‘it feels like home now.’”





Tracklisting:


"Under The Surface"
"Fly"
"Keep Me Guessing"
"For You"
"The Truth"
"Gravity"
"Get Away"
"Dictator"


"The Truth" video:





Pistols At Dawn were originally formed in 2015 but disintegrated after the tragic passing of guitarist Mike Buffa in 2018. They reformed in 2019 before releasing Nocturnal Youth in 2021 which was recorded with Jeff Tomei (Smashing Pumpkins, Matchbox 20). With live music at a halt due to the global pandemic, the band engaged fans worldwide with an immersive online campaign for the EP’s singles “Cold” “Voices,” “Crown,” and “Now Is The Time” which exploded with over 2 million Spotify streams and 6 million video streams combined.


(Photo - Michael Mueller/ M3 Creative)

Sacred Oath have released the video below, stating: "This excerpt from a concert at Streets in New Rochelle, NY during the tour for A Crystal Vision, caught on VHS tape from back near the bar by Gil Cruciani, was only recently discovered in the vaults."





Currently celebrating A Crystal Vision with their 35th Anniversary Tour, Sacred Oath have announced that they will be performing a special "one night only" concert in New York with Attacker and the recently reunited all-female thrash band, Meanstreak.




All three bands were signed to the Mercenary Records label in 1987 and released their debut albums just prior to the label folding in 1989. This is the first time all three bands will perform on the same stage together.


“I heard about the Meanstreak reunion and reached out to Rena (Petrucci) right away,” said Rob Thorne of Sacred Oath. “I thought a ‘Mercenary Records Night’ would be a cool show, and it looks like this will be the very first show for Meanstreak in almost 30 years. We’re excited about the whole thing, all of it.”





Sacred Oath (CT), Meanstreak (NY), and Attacker (NJ) were up-and-coming bands to watch in 1988, frequently playing the NYC metro area metal clubs such as L’Amour and Streets. The Manhattan-based Mercenary Records signed each of them and released their debut albums worldwide via Celluloid before folding in 1989. Sacred Oath and Attacker have continued to perform and release albums since then, but Meanstreak broke up in 1994. A reunion was announced in early 2022.


“Of course we’ll be playing through the entire A Crystal Vision album at this show,” says Thorne. “The whole evening will be a trip down metal memory lane. I can’t wait.”


The show is happening Saturday, August 27 at 6 PM at Sovereign, 173 Morgan Ave in Brooklyn, NY and tickets are now on sale and available through dice.fm.

Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp have released a visualizer for their cover of The Velvet Underground's "Venus In Furs", featured on the duo's upcoming 18 album. Watch below:





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




Depp agreed and they started in 2019. Over the next three years, they recorded a mix of Depp originals along with a wide range of covers that touches on everything from Celtic and Motown to the Beach Boys and Killing Joke. In 2020, during the pandemic, they previewed their collaboration with their well-timed cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation”.


The duo’s 13-track album, dubbed 18, will arrive on July 15. Beck explains the album title: “When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again so that just became the album title too.”


18 will be available on CD and digitally, with a 180-gram black vinyl version coming on September 30. The cover features an illustration of Beck and Depp as 18-year-olds that was drawn and designed by Beck’s wife, Sandra.


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


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


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


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


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


Depp justifies Beck’s faith on the new album by showing off his incredible emotional range on songs like The Velvet Underground’s “Venus In Furs,” the Everly Brothers’ ballad “Let It Be Me” and Marvin Gaye’s soul classic “What’s Going On.” On the instrumentals, Beck demonstrates why he’s universally revered as a guitar god with stunning versions of Davy Spillane’s “Midnight Walker” and two songs from the Beach Boys’ masterpiece, Pet Sounds – “Caroline, No” and “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder).”





18 tracklisting:


"Midnight Walker" (Davy Spillane cover)
"Death And Resurrection Show" (Killing Joke cover)
"Time" (Dennis Wilson cover)
"Sad Motherfuckin’ Parade" (Johnny Depp original)
"Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" (Beach Boys cover)
"This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr" (Johnny Depp original)
"Caroline, No" (Beach Boys cover)
"Ooo Baby Baby" (The Miracles cover)
"What’s Going On" (Marvin Gaye cover)
"Venus In Furs" (The Velvet Underground cover)
"Let It Be Me" (The Everly Brothers cover)
"Stars" (Janis Ian cover)
"Isolation" (John Lennon cover) *


* available on digital and CD versions only


"This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr" video:

MEGADETH is teasing a June 23 release date for what will apparently be the first single from the band's upcoming album, "The Sick, The Dying And The Dead". A captionless image was shared on MEGADETH's social media earlier today featuring the numbers "6:23", referring to the aforementioned date.

During an appearance at last weekend's Download festival in the United Kingdom, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine told the crowd that the single would arrive on July 23 (see video below), but it is now believed that he misspoke and gave the wrong month. Mustaine also revealed that "The Sick, The Dying And The Dead" will now be released in September, after he previously said the LP was expected on July 8.

The follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia", "The Sick, The Dying And The Dead" features a cover of DEAD KENNEDYS' "Police Truck" and Sammy Hagar's "This Planet's On Fire", the latter of which includes vocals from Hagar himself.

This past March, Mustaine told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the upcoming MEGADETH album: "I know that we've got a single that is gonna be serviced to radio any day now. It's a song called 'Killing Time'. Obviously, that's [written about] somebody in my past, but it's not as obvious as it sounds; it's wasting your time, not time to kill things. And it had to do with some of the situations that myself and the different band guys have gotten themselves into with the band over time. And I'm sure a lot of people are gonna relate with that. So that one, it's gonna be sent to radio, gosh, any day now."

Dave also said that he hoped to open some of the upcoming MEGADETH shows with a new song called "Night Stalker". "It's got some sounds in it that is something we're gonna incorporate into the beginning of our show," he said. "And it's a track that we have… my buddy Ice-T had guested on."

Mustaine spoke in more detail about "Night Stalker" in a separate interview with Jose Mangin of SiriusXM Liquid Metal. He said: "It's a brutal song. I can't remember if that was the fastest one [on the new album] or not. But 'Night Stalker' is about the 160th Battalion with the United States Army, and it's all the black-ops helicopters that go in at night — nobody knows they're there; they're in, they're out. And I had my buddy Ice-T join me on a part in the middle of it, because Ice was a ranger for the army, and he did two tours over in Afghanistan, I think it was. I think that was back in '91, when I first met him. It might have been a little earlier than that, but I know he was a ranger. And I had just done something on his last record. But when I asked him, I thought it would be great to have him because of his bravado and then the fact that he's got real credibility as someone who was there. And then we've got several other guys to participate in the track just to make it as real as possible. We're going up to the base to go film a bunch of helicopter footage and sounds and stuff like that. We've got three videos that we're making for this record right now down in Brazil, and we're combining all that production and the stuff from the base, with the helicopters and everything together, to make this first three-song video offering up."

Regarding Hagar's contribution to "This Planet's On Fire", Mustaine told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "It's a super-heavy song. And the good thing about this [is] we didn't just do the song; [Sammy] played on it too. So we've got a little bit of some guitar; we've got a lot of bit of singing. I think it's super badass."

As for MEGADETH's decision to cover "Police Truck", Mustaine said: "It's no secret I'm a big DEAD KENNEDYS fan, and I had wanted to do 'Holiday In Cambodia', but my friends in LÄÄZ ROCKIT had done that, and I felt that [I would] just let them have their glory off of that rendition of that song, and if the time comes, I'm sure there's another song that'll stick out to me. And there was — it was the song 'Police Truck'. So we recorded that one."

Earlier this year, Mustaine confirmed that TESTAMENT bassist Steve DiGiorgio laid down the bass tracks on "The Sick, The Dying And The Dead".

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee. A short time later, he raved about his performance on the record, telling the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire" that his musical chemistry with Verbeuren was comparable to the interplay between Geddy Lee and Neil Peart on classic RUSH albums. "I feel like on the new MEGADETH record, me and Dirk have those same moments," he said. "It's MEGADETH — it's not RUSH, obviously — but in the field of what we do, there were these moments that I was just going, 'Oh, my God.' This is me as a kid going, 'This is my Geddy/Neil moment right here.'"

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

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

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Ronnie James Dio would have turned 80 years old on July 10. Among the greatest heavy metal singers of all time, Dio's career spanned five decades, touched millions of fans and pioneered his signature "devil's horns," one of the most popular hand gestures in the world. Dio also provided vocals and lyrics for some of the most iconic rock albums of all time with BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW, before establishing his own band DIO as a metal force with their 1983 debut "Holy Diver".

"Holy Diver" was a double-platinum-certified smash and one of the late singer-songwriter's most groundbreaking achievements. Rhino revisits this epic metal moment on "Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition", available on July 8 as a four-CD boxed set ($59.98) and digitally.

The collection comes with two versions of "Holy Diver". The first is a new mix of the album made by Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SLIPKNOT). He used the original analog tapes to remix all nine tracks on the album. The second is a newly remastered version of the original 1983 mix. The Super Deluxe Edition also features unreleased live performances and outtakes, along with a selection of rarities from the era.

In a new interview with Rob Rush Radio, Ronnie's wife and longtime manager Wendy Dio said about the reasoning behind "Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were just — Rhino and myself — were thinking that it would be nice to re-release it with a newly remixed version. And I went through lots of different producers and thinking who would make a good job of it for Ronnie and bring it a bit more modern. So we picked Joe Barresi, who's done lots of stuff with TOOL and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and so on. And he was quite reluctant in the beginning to do it because he said, 'Oh, I can't improve on what Ronnie did.' And I said, 'Well, it's not really to improve on it. It's just to make it a little bit different and to bring it up to today's standards.' And so he did it, and I'm very pleased. I think he did an absolutely amazing job with it. And [next month] being Ronnie's 80th birthday, we wanted to bring something out to celebrate it. So it's a two-LP set and there's a vinyl with it and lots of outtakes that nobody's ever heard of before. We went into the vault and found lots of outtakes, and Joe said, 'What about these?' And I said, 'Fine. Let's do that too.' And there's also, on the deluxe version, a show that Wyn Davis, a longtime engineer and friend of Ronnie's, he remastered that one. And so that one's coming out as well on there. It was done in 1983 on the 'Holy Diver' tour at the Selland Arena in Fresno. So he mixed it — it was a concert, a live recording, so he mixed it. And that's on there as well. It's gonna be a wonderful deluxe version and a super celebration of Ronnie's life."

Barresi's new mix of the "Holy Diver" title track is available digitally as a preview to the new album mix. Check it out below.

In addition, Barresi's new mix of "Holy Diver" will be released the same day as a two-LP set on 180-gram vinyl ($34.98). It includes the original nine tracks, plus the 1983 B-side version of "Evil Eyes" as a bonus track. Side four is decorated with an etching of the legendary demon Murry that graces the album's iconic cover. The vinyl is kept in a gatefold sleeve that shows off newly commissioned artwork by longtime DIO artist Marc Sasso. The same artwork is also used for the four-CD Super Deluxe Edition.

Critically acclaimed and a commercial success, "Holy Diver" contributed two timeless classics to the heavy metal canon — "Rainbow In The Dark" and its title track. The album also ranks No. 16 on Rolling Stone's current list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time."

After departing BLACK SABBATH in early 1982, Dio began composing songs that would eventually appear on the album. After writing both "Holy Diver" and "Don't Talk To Strangers", Dio then assembled an amazing group of musicians, two familiar faces and one fresh recruit, with drummer Vinny Appice (Dio's BLACK SABBATH bandmate),bassist/keyboardist Jimmy Bain (Dio's RAINBOW bandmate) and guitarist Vivian Campbell joining him to record the "Holy Diver" album.

In the illustrated liner notes that accompany the Super Deluxe Edition, music journalist Mick Wall shares the album's creation story, including the making of its crown jewel, "Rainbow In The Dark".

He writes: "Lyrically, it was Ronnie James Dio at his poetic best… Musically, 'Rainbow In The Dark' was also the band's first truly collaborative endeavor. The inspiration for the monster guitar riff came from something Viv had written when he was 16. Vinny added his distinctive battle-cry beat, and Jimmy added the final touch with the infectiously simple keyboard motif." The song was finished in 10 minutes, he adds.

"Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition" goes beyond the original album with a previously unreleased recording of the quartet performing live in 1983 at Selland Arena in Fresno, California during the "Holy Diver" tour. Wyn Davis mixed the concert recording, which spotlights live versions of songs from "Holy Diver" ("Stand Up And Shout" and "Rainbow In The Dark"),RAINBOW classics ("Man On The Silver Mountain" and "Starstruck"),and SABBATH staples ("Children Of The Sea" and "Heaven And Hell").

The Super Deluxe Edition also revisits the "Holy Diver" recording sessions to uncover unreleased outtakes for several album cuts, including unheard takes for "Invisible", "Straight Through The Heart" and a version of "Rainbow In The Dark" that boasts an alternative guitar solo. There's also an early version of "Evil Eyes", a song that would resurface on DIO's 1984 follow-up album, "The Last In Line". A selection of rarities rounds out the new collection with mono and stereo 7" single edits for "Rainbow In The Dark" and a version of "Evil Eyes" that was released in 1983 as the B-side to "Holy Diver".

"Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition" CD track listing:

CD1: Holy Diver (2022 Joe Barresi Mix) *

CD2: Holy Diver (2022 Remaster)

01. Stand Up And Shout
02. Holy Diver
03. Gypsy
04. Caught In The Middle
05. Don't Talk To Strangers
06. Straight Through The Heart
07. Invisible
08. Rainbow In The Dark
09. Shame On The Night

CD3: Live at Selland Arena, Fresno, CA, 1983

01. Intro *
02. Stand Up And Shout *
03. Straight Through The Heart *
04. Shame On The Night *
05. Children Of The Sea *
06. Holy Diver *
07. Heaven And Hell – including guitar solo *
08. Rainbow In The Dark *
09. Man On The Silver Mountain *
10. Starstuck *
11. Man On The Silver Mountain – reprise *
12. Don't Talk To Strangers *

CD4: Outtakes, Singles & B-Sides

Tracks 1-7 unreleased

01. Evil Eyes – Wyn Davis remix *
02. Don't Talk To Strangers – Take 1 (Joe Barresi mix) *
03. Invisible – Take 1 (Joe Barresi mix) *
04. Invisible – Take 3 (Joe Barresi mix) *
05. Rainbow In The Dark – Alternative Guitar Solo Version (Joe Barresi mix) *
06. Straight Through The Heart – Take 2 (Joe Barresi mix) *
07. Straight Through The Heart – Take 3 (Joe Barresi mix)*
08. Rainbow In The Dark – 7" Mono Edit
09. Evil Eyes – 1983 Version. B-Side of "Holy Diver"
10. Rainbow In The Dark – 7" Stereo Edit

* previously unreleased

"Holy Diver: 2022 Joe Barresi Mix" 2-LP clear vinyl track listing:

LP1: Side One

01. Stand Up And Shout
02. Holy Diver
03. Gypsy
04. Caught In The Middle

LP1: Side Two

01. Don't Talk To Strangers
02. Straight Through The Heart
03. Invisible

LP2: Side One

01. Rainbow In The Dark
02. Shame On The Night

Bonus Track

03. Evil Eyes – 1983 Version. B-Side of "Holy Diver"

LP2: Side Two

Etching

VIXEN singer Lorraine Lewis has confirmed to SW Wall Interviews that she and her bandmates are planning to release a new single soon. "I want people to understand: this is not an album release yet," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We've decided that we're releasing singles. So that's what our plan is. Will there be a VIXEN album eventually? Of course there will be. But we've decided instead of taking all the time to really do things right, which would mean all of us being together probably in the same place for quite a while, and it's not really conducive for all of us… Even though myself, Julia [Lage, VIXEN bassist] and Britt [Lightning, a.k.a. Brittany Denaro, VIXEN guitarist], we're all in California. But I'm in Palm Springs now. It's only a 45-minute flight. But Roxy [Petrucci, VIXEN drummer] is in Michigan. So for us to really do a full record would mean us being locked away for a couple of month all together, and I would love to do that, but we don't really have that luxury. So instead, we are releasing singles. So my guess is within the next two months — I don't think it's gonna be longer than that — we're going to be bringing you, everyone a new VIXEN single. Britt is going in on Wednesday to lay her solo guitars down. It's Fred Coury [CINDERELLA drummer] that is producing. And, yeah, it's gonna be really, really fun, and I can't wait for people to hear it. I laid my lead vocals down about two months ago, and I'm really happy with it. And Fred was really happy. Fred was really great to work with."

Asked if she and her VIXEN bandmates began working on new music relatively quickly after she officially joined the group in early 2019, Lorraine said: "Right away. I would say within six months we were in the studio. We were in a rehearsal studio in the Valley and we were working on ideas. And then Britt and I, during COVID, we were working together just on Zoom, at least trying, 'cause there's a weird feedback thing. But we wrote quite a few songs together. And so there's another song that we're hoping to get recorded very soon, and that is possibly going to be with [producer] Toby Wright. So we've got things cooking. But it didn't take long. When we were in the rehearsal studio together, working on music too, and this is when Share [Ross, longtime VIXEN bassist] was with us, [it was] just super natural. They'd lay down something and I would just come in with something over it and Share would add a vocal line and a melody line and words. And it was just easy peasy. We haven't had that luxury to do it with Julia yet, but I'm sure it will happen. And I know Julia is a prolific songwriter herself, so I think that we'll get some new music going with her as well."

Four months ago, Ross announced that she was "taking a hiatus" from VIXEN. Her replacement is Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and wife of Richie Kotzen. Lage made her live debut with VIXEN on February 8 at the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida.

When Ross made the news of her departure public at the aforementioned pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert, she told the crowd that "life got a little complicated" and that "something has to give," resulting to her decision to "step away from VIXEN for a while." She then introduced her "amazing" replacement and urged the VIXEN fans to "graciously" open their arms and welcome Lage to the group. At that point, Julia and her new bandmates launched into the track "Streets In Paradise" and played the last couple of songs of the set with Ross watching the proceedings from the side of the stage.

During a February 11 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Julia spoke about how she ended up hooking up with VIXEN, saying: "Share is taking a hiatus. She wants to do her thing [and focus on her real estate career]. She's kicking ass. She's gonna be writing and playing forever — I mean, she's a badass artist and bass player, singer, everything, songwriter. So I got the invitation, and I'm, like, 'Yeah, of course I'm gonna join. Of course.'"

Asked how the other members of VIXEN reached out to her about joining the band, Julia said: "Well, actually, funnily enough, before Britt joined VIXEN, me and her tried to put together a band, right when she moved to L.A. But that didn't work out, and then she joined VIXEN, and I was super happy for her. So, fast forward, she actually called me a few months ago and she told me about the scenario, and I was, like, 'Yeah. I would love [to do it]. I mean, it's an honor for me to join VIXEN.' So that happened. And that was it. It was that quick. And I was just, 'Okay. Sign me in. Where can I go?' [Laughs]"

Lage also reflected on her first performance with VIXEN at the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert, saying: "[Share played] a little more than half of the set, and then [before] the last three songs, she stopped [the show] and talked about [her plans] a little bit and told everybody what's gonna happen and introduced me. And then I stepped in and played the last three songs with them. And then actually she came back for the last song and sang along with us. It was just very nice. I thought it was very emotional too. It was a good way to transition."

Pressed about whether her position with VIXEN is just a temporary one or she will join the band permanently, Julia said: "We didn't really discuss that, but [Share is] taking her time. She might come back; she might [not]. I don't know. Whenever they need me, I'm there for them. And I'm gonna do my best to honor her bass lines and everything. And I'm gonna be having with it, that's for sure."

The only remaining member of VIXEN's "classic" lineup is Petrucci.

In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.

Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.

Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, Petrucci, Ross and Denaro vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

Recording backup vocals on the new Vixen single..coming soon!! 🦊🎙🎶 #newmusic #vixen #vixenband

Posted by Vixen on Tuesday, May 24, 2022

It’s been an exhilarating 40 year ride for Voivod, the Jonquière, Quebec quartet that has, over the years, defied the odds, faced tragedy head on and also seen the band rise above many of the contemporaries to a point where the band’s intricate progressively fuelled heavy metal sound also brings with it honours and awards. The 2018 Voivod album, The Wake, won the band a Juno Award for Heavy Metal Album Of The Year, while the previous year, Away had picked up the Visionary Award at that year’s Progressive Music Awards in London.


It might all seem a far cry from four music-obsessed youngsters who began living out their music fantasies in their garages and the basement of one of their father’s work places back in the early 1980’s. But there was always something that set Voivod apart from their peers. They may have been as enthralled with the ever-evolving sounds of heavy metal, hardcore and punk rock that were distilling in the early 80’s, but Voivod also brought with them a love of progressive rock and science fiction that has been as much of an influence on their music. If heavy metal was the sound of the outsider in those early 80’s days, then prog rock was an even more unlikely bedfellow. Prog was about as uncool as you could get. But nobody told Voivod. And it’s that willingness to blend such seemingly disparate sounds that has always set the band apart. Prog metal as a concept was largely unheard of when Voivod released their debut album War And Pain in 1984.


The music contained in this set proves that Voivod were very much pioneers of the sound, as their own music became more refined and experimental. You can hear the development of the band’s sound over the three albums contained here (Rrröööaarrr, Killing Technology & Dimension Hatröss). In the five year span from 1984’s War And Pain debut to 1989’s Nothingface, Voivod forged a defiant progressive metal sound that they would expand upon with later albums and ensure that they are one of the most exhilarating metal bands in existence today.




Forgotten In Space is a deluxe celebration of Voivod’s Noise Records discography and is the definitive collection of their recorded work plus rare and previously unreleased material. Order here, and watch an unboxing video below.





Set contains:


- Rrröööaarrr (Remastered on red & black splatter vinyl)
- Killing Technology (Remastered on green & purple swirl vinyl)
- Dimension Hatröss (Remastered on grey & red swirl vinyl)
- No Speed Limit Live ‘86 (First time on vinyl, green & black splatter)
- Dimension Hatröss - The Demos (First time on vinyl, blue & white splatter)
- Cosmic Drama, 40-Page Book (40-page book containing new sleeve note interviews with Michel ‘Away’ Langevin telling the story of the early years of Voivod. Contains rare and previously unseen photos)
- Chaosmongers DVD (Mini documentary of interviews, live performances, behind the scenes & promotional videos from 1985 to 1989. Also includes previously unreleased video concert, live in Chicago ’88 and audio concert from World War III festival 1985)
- Korgüll The Exterminator USB (Contains all the tracks from the expanded studio albums plus the live & demo albums)


Forgotten In Space will also be available as a 5xCD and DVD clamshell box set containing all the studio albums, bonus rare demo and live albums, the DVD containing the mini documentary and previously unreleased live concerts and a 20 page booklet.








Voivod will be inducted into the 2022 Metal Hall Of Fame at the Pure Filth Festival, June 18, 2022 at Sharkey’s in Liverpool, NY.


Pat Gesualdo, founder / CEO of the Metal Hall of Fame, and "Metal" Tim Henderson, founder / CEO of BraveWords, will induct Voivod on stage during their performance at the festival. Original album cover artist Ioannis will also be on hand with some of his original, legendary artwork that he has created for numerous iconic rock bands.


Credited as one of the “Big Four” Canadian thrash metal bands, Voivod  created their own unique metal style, helping to pioneer the Technical Thrash Metal Genre. Their Nothingface album hit the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at #114, in 1989. In 2019, Voivod's fourteenth studio album, The Wake, won the Juno Award for Metal / Hard Music Album of the Year. Voivod's most recent studio album, Synchro Anarchy, was released in February 2022.


"We are proud to induct Canadian technical thrash metal pioneers Voivod into the 2022 Metal Hall of Fame during their performance at the Pure Filth Festival, says Gesualdo. "Thrash metal is a crucial part of heavy metal. It is also a huge foundation for the Metal Hall of Fame. BraveWords founder / CEO 'Metal' Tim Henderson is going to join us for the Voivod Induction on stage as well. It is a great honor to have Tim and BraveWords take part in such an important event for both us and all of the Voivod fans."


Henderson comments: "Voivod are one of the most forward-thinking metal bands of all time, every album, every note, a surprise journey into the unknown. BraveWords is honored to be part of the Metal Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Without bands like Voivod, BraveWords wouldn’t exist today. Congratulations!"





About the Metal Hall of Fame


The Metal Hall of Fame is a volunteer organization that enshrines forever, those Legendary musicians, artists, and music industry executives who are responsible for making Hard Rock, Thrash, and Heavy Metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they keep inspiring fans throughout the world, from generation to generation. The Metal Hall of Fame is part of the 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization D.A.D. (Drums and Disabilities).


The Metal Hall of Fame holds the Annual Metal Hall of Fame Celebrity Gala every January. 100% of the profits from all D.A.D. and Metal Hall of Fame events are dedicated to bringing free music programs to help special needs children, adults, and wounded veterans throughout the United States.


For more information, or to volunteer or donate, please contact: info@themetalhalloffame.org, or call 973-263-0420. Go to the official website here.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory spoke to Rock Feed about the band's upcoming album, "AfterLife", which is due on August 19. Regarding the bandmembers' general mindset when approaching the making of the LP, Zoltan said: "When we started this record… We always had this kind of rule of you go to the studio and you just record everything. And no crazy idea is crazy. Let's see what happens. So that was always the attitude, but this time somehow this was even more emphasized. So we really went to the studio, like, look, this is the ninth album. We have a sound. Fans know exactly who we are. So our sound and how we've sounded for nine albums, that's established; you hear the first riffs and you hear Ivan's [Moody, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] voice and you know who this is — there's no guessing. And that kind of gave us this opportunity, like, 'You know what? Let's just venture a little bit farther.' And also it's that whole idea that this is a new phase for the band as well; we had a couple of lineup changes. So there was this new energy. We went in there happy and the whole process was sort of easy."

He continued: "This was one of my favorite records to make, and also is one of my favorite records. There was this energy of creation. And I think the fingerprints of that [are] all over the record. So it's very special."

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

"You'll never find an interview that I said negative stuff about past bandmembers or even other bands; that's not my thing," Zoltan said. "In this case, we got to the point where relationships come to an end, and so therefore there are some lineup changes. And that's actually healthy. Because if something doesn't work, you've gotta move on. It's just as simple as that."

The "Afterlife" title track, which was released as a single in April, recently gave FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH the most consecutive No. 1s on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The song is the band's 12th total No. 1 and eighth entry on the chart in a row. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH broke out of a tie with DISTURBED and SHINEDOWN, each of whom has seven consecutive No. 1s on the chart.

According to Billboard, only three artists boast more No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, which began in 1981: SHINEDOWN (with 17), THREE DAYS GRACE (with 16) and VAN HALEN (with 13).

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

Bathory previously said that "Afterlife" was "hands down" his favorite record to make. "It is our ninth album, so at this point we have legions of loyal fans and our signature sound is more than established," he explained. "It became its own island, our ground zero we operate from and we can always come back to. So when we started this record, there was an excitement of impending musical adventures. We knew we could step away as far as we wanted to; there was a freedom of truly 'anything goes.' This resulted in an album that is way more diverse than our previous ones while it feels more unified, because there is a framework of overarching stories in Ivan's lyrics and interconnecting musical motifs between songs. It was not planned as a concept album, but we were so hyper-focused on painting a complete picture, it somehow feels like one... We are very proud of it and are just as impatient as the fans waiting for the release. Can't wait to share it."

Exclusively curated by the band, various limited-edition "AfterLife" vinyl and merchandise offerings and collectibles are also available for pre-order in the official band and label stores.

Since FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's debut album, "The Way Of The Fist", came out in 2007, the band has released six consecutive albums that were certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.

"F8" debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. It produced four No. 1 hit singles with "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off", "Living The Dream" and "Darkness Settles In". The band has amassed over eight billion streams and three billion video views to date and has sold over one million tickets between 2018 and 2020 alone.

This past April, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced a 2022 U.S. headlining tour presented by Live Nation. Kicking off in Portland, Oregon on August 19, the trek will span over 30 dates, closing out on October 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band will be joined on tour by rock icons MEGADETH, with additional support from THE HU and FIRE FROM THE GODS, promising an intense multi-faceted night of heavy rock music.

Jack Starr's Burning Starr have announced that their forthcoming new album, Souls Of The Innocent, will be released by Global Rock Records on July 15 worldwide. 200 early pre-order copies are shipping immediately for those who would like the first listen to this great new metal masterpiece. Pre-order here.


Souls Of The Innocent continues Jack and the bands commitment to true US style power metal... new vocalist Alexx Panza also continues the band's legacy of discovering great vocal talent.


Jack has the following to say about the new album: "When Virgin Steele put out its first album in 1982 we were asked by the record company to say a few words about it and why people should buy it... I remember all of us discussing the various influences we had and what the songs were about, I recall one member saying people should buy the album because it has some great songs that were very heavy and had cool riffs, I recall someone else in the band saying the vocals were killer and the drums were like thunder and that metal fans would like it, Someone else said the guitar playing is really great. But what I remember most is when the bass player uttered these simple words "Buy It...It's Good"."




Now its forty years later and that sentence makes even more sense. Burning Starr, the band Jack Starr founded in 1984, is on its tenth album... Yes they have gotten better... Yes they have thunderous drums provided by Rhino (former drummer of Manowar) and yes they have killer vocals that some would describe as "pillar crumbling" provided by Alexx Panza, and yes again they have massive and agile playing by long time Burning Starr bassist Ned Meloni... last but not least some great guitar playing by ex-Virgin Steele guitarist Jack Starr.


But after all the hype and catch phrases fade away, the bottom line still remains... and the words still ring true... "Buy it...It's Good".





Souls Of The Innocent tracklisting:


"The Ascension"
"Demons Behind Me"
"I Am The Sinner"
"River Of Blood"
"Souls Of The Innocent"
"Winds Of War"
"Ships In The Night"
"The Wrath Of Attila"
"Road To Hell"
"All Out War"
"Where Eagles Fly"
"When Evil Calls" (Bonus Track)


Burning Starr is:


Jack Starr - Guitars
Alexx Panza - Vocals
Ned Meloni - Bass
Rhino - Drums

In a new interview with RAMzine conducted at last weekend's Download festival in the United Kingdom, Mark "Barney" Greenway spoke about the fact that NAPALM DEATH is often classified as a political band, a perception he says is not entirely accurate.

"Well, the thing is is this: I would say we're equally apolitical because the ideas that we actually espouse are human ideas, and human ideas surely, and should, transcend politics," the singer explained.

"But, yeah, for sure, I'm a person — I come from the left; that's how I grew up; that was where my ideas kind of came from. So, yeah, it's that. That's what we are — we are a 'human ideas' band."

Asked if he ever encounters fans who begrudge him for his opinions and how he feels and what he represents, Greenway said: "From time to time, you get people that are in opposition to what you say, but you know what? That's fine, man. I'm not here to beat people with a stick; that's not the point. 'Cause that's kind of entrapment in a way. And I'm not there. But I am here to say there is a better way; there are better ways. It doesn't mean I'm here to say, 'You must do what I say and do what I do.' The whole essence of where NAPALM takes ideas was about actually true freedom, anarchy in a way — peaceful anarchy. So that's where I continue to… that's where my path goes."

More than a decade ago, Greenway told Washington Post Express that he wasn't a fan of "mainstream" politics. "The power structures really bug me," he said. "I won't go into this too deeply because we'll be at this forever, but I think the structures that are in place at the moment give the people in power more rights than you and me have, and how can that be right? Systems evolve and systems change, and maybe there's an argument that the whole worldwide system really needs to change so the people at the bottom of the scale right now really get more input, because it's just not happening and it needs to at some point if we want to maintain a peaceful, tolerant world — it's just got to. So, in that sense, NAPALM's not really — I'm probably playing cat among the pigeons right here — but is it really a political band at the end of the day? I don't know. I see it as an extension of the things I believe in, and the band does: humanitarianism and peace and tolerance. Is that politics? Maybe it is and maybe it isn't; I don't know. But would I still be involved [in social issues] if the band were to go on pause? Well, yeah, because I was of that nature before I joined the band. It wasn't like I flipped a coin overnight and decided this was how I was gonna direct myself; I was that way, to be honest, since I was 6 or 7 years old. My dad was involved with trade unions, and I understand what I believe to be injustice. So, I will always be involved with something, because I can't really see me working for someone in a suit, making money for them, and getting really bored. [Laughs]"

This past February, NAPALM DEATH released a new mini-album, "Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes", via Century Media Records.

"Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" is a partner recording to NAPALM DEATH's latest album, "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", concluding matters through vital, tumultuous grindcore and shockwave ambience.

The eight-song "Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" comes with a total playing time of 29 minutes and is available as a limited CD digipak, vinyl as well as in the digital album format.

"Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism" came out in September 2020 via Century Media Records. The band's 16th studio LP was recorded with longtime producer Russ Russell and features artwork by Frode Sylthe.

On June 9th, German thrash metal legends Sodom performed at Sweden Rock Festival 2022 in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the band's entire set is available below.


Setlist:


"Blind Superstition"
"Sodom & Gomorrah"
"Sodomized"
"Agent Orange"
"Conflagration"
"Sodomy and Lust"
"Outbreak of Evil"
"Surfin' Bird" (The Trashmen)
"Glock 'n' Roll"
"The Saw Is the Law"
"Nuclear Winter"
"Iron Fist" (Motörhead cover)
"Caligula"
"Bombenhagel"







On June 5th, Sodom made an unhrehearsed surprise appearance at Rock Hard Festival 2022 in Gelsenkirchen. Celebrating the 30th anniverasary of their Tapping The Vein album, the band performed three songs with former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings (Double Crush Syndrome), who was a band member at that time.


Setlist:


"Body Parts"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Wachturm"





Tapping the Vein is the Sodom's fifth studio album, rekeased on August 1st, 1992 via Steamhammer / SPV. It is the last Sodom album to feature original drummer, Christian "Witchhunter" Dudek.





Tracklist:


"Body Parts"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over the Line"
"Deadline"
"Bullet in the Head"
"The Crippler"
"Wachturm"
"Tapping the Vein"
"Back to War"
"Hunting Season"
"Reincarnation"

Indian metal veterans Demonic Resurrection have just released their fourth song in four months. Since March 2022, the band has been releasing a song a month. Each track has been inspired by an artwork done for their 20th anniversary merchandise which was released in 2021. The track “Non Serviam” has been inspired by the artwork done by designer Gaurav Basu also known as Acid Toad.





This band has roped in Obscura drummer David Diepold for this track along with Earth Caller keyboardist Misstiq. Vocalist Pratika Prabhune who featured on the band's 2017 album Dashavatar also returns to add her vocals to the track. 







“When looking at the artwork all I could think about is the atrocities women have had to endure. India is not particularly a good place for women, heck the world isn't always a good place. Every day you hear of terrible crimes being committed and then you see a mockery of real issues made online by people and all that just really pushed me to write this track. To me music has always been a way to express everything I feel and the change I'd like to see in the world and I think I put that into this song.” - Demonstealer (Vocals/Guitar)


The track has been mixed and mastered by ex-Demonic Resurrection guitarist Daniel Kenneth Rego and the lyric video was created by Abshishek Goswami from Sonicspawn Studios.


Fans who have purchased the 20th-anniversary merchandise are getting a free download of the song from the band as well.

Mad Max has announced the release of their new album Wings Of Time.


It all began in the year 1982 when the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" stormed in from Great Britain all over Europe. This was the starting point for Mad Max founder and guitar player Juergen Breforth to make his musical dreams come true. Mad Max was born and now 2022, after 15 albums and concerts all around the world, Mad Max are celebrating their 40th anniversary. Wings Of Time is Juergen’s vision of Mad Max. 


With Julian Rolinger on lead vocals Mad Max capture perfectly the style and vibe of their ‘80s roots but also take the Mad Max sound way further. The first single "Too Hot To Handle" is a heavy melodic rocker with a magic groove. Radio DJs that already heard the song couldn't believe that this band is from Germany. They thought it must be a newcomer from the USA and not a band from Germany with a history of 40 years. Check out "Best Part Of Me" which was inspired by the wonderful spirit of Jimi Jamison from Survivor and you know exactly what the radio DJs are talking about. With Wings Of Time you will discover the new Mad Max but there are also lots of classic guitar riffs and melodies for all the true and loyal fans who kept the Mad Max spirit alive for 40 years.




Wings Of Time will be released on September 2, 2022 as digipack CD and digital streaming/download format and on November 4, 2022 as Gold vinyl as well as Blue/Gold Splatter vinyl. Both vinyl editions are limited to 300 copies worldwide. Preorder at rockworld24.com.





Tracklisting:


“Too Hot To Handle”
“Days Of Passion”
“A Woman Like That”
“Best Part Of Me”
“Rock Solid”
“The Stage Is For You”
“When It Stops”
“Stormchild Rising”
“Heroes Never Die”
“Miss Sacrifice”
“Freedom”


Mad Max are:
Julian Rolinger – Lead & Backing Vocals
Juergen Breforth – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Axel Kruse – Drums, still no vocals
Fabian "Fabs" Ranft – Bass, Backing Vocals

Lonely Robot, the project masterminded by vocalist, guitarist & producer John Mitchell, have announced the release of their fifth studio album A Model Life on August 26, 2022.


John comments: “Making A Model Life was very much a lifeline and indeed wakeup 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.”


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.







The album will be available as Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP+CD & as Digital Album, with pre-orders starting on June 24.


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)

Previously unreleased drum-cam footage of late Megadeth drummer Nick Menza playing along to the band's classic song "Trust" can be seen below.





The HD video, shot in a two-camera-angle mix, was filmed in March 2014 at Uberbeatz Studios in Seattle, Washington. The audio was mixed by Richard Easterling / KRM Studios and is believed to be some of the final studio drum recordings of Menza before he passed away more than two years later.




The footage was supposed to be used for the late drummer's first-ever instructional DVD, Intense Mega Drumming, that was to feature ten re-recorded classic Megadeth drum tracks with tons of tips and tricks from Menza's arsenal to help teach anybody out there become a better player. The DVD, which was produced and directed by Kari Pearson and edited by Menza's manager, Robert Bolger, has since been shelved.


The unreleased video footage from the session will be a featured highlight in the recently announced official Menza documentary film This Was My Life - The Story of Nick Menza. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family.


David Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late Megadeth drummer's life.


Mollohan said: "This Was My Life: The Story of Nick Menza is now deep into the production phase of the film. The generous support of the fans during our Indiegogo campaign, as well as the amazing participation of the interviewees has enabled us to gather some truly unique memories and stories. For this, we are truly grateful.


The recent Los Angeles portion of interviews went extremely well and we look forward to traveling to Seattle this coming weekend, June 17 and then to New York City in July for the final set of interviews. This project is proving to be an interesting and rewarding one, and we look forward to sharing Nick's story."


Ellefson added: "The making of the Nick Menza documentary has been such a joy for all of us, like a sort of MEGA family reunion where we share stories, laughs and even a few tears around Nick and what he meant to so many of us. I think this film and Soundtrack will touch the hearts of the fans and viewers in the same way, as we remember his larger-than-life character behind the drum kit, but also his lovable charm and warmth that made him the beloved one of a treasured musical legacy."


The Menza family said: "We are excited for the fans to see the life Nick lived before, during, and after Megadeth, it was quite the journey. Stay tuned for an epic documentary. As Nick would say, 'It's gonna be RAD.'"


Menza's longtime personal manager Robert Bolger said: "Nick loved his fans and always said without the fans none this would be possible. I really think Nick's fans will enjoy this journey through his life. Thank you everyone for the continued support in keeping Nick's legacy alive."





This Was My Life will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life Including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic Rust In Peace lineup.


This Was My Life will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with.


The soundtrack will feature a very diverse posthumous album worth of heavy music that will consist of 8-9 tracks from Nick's un-earthed / un-released drum riffs late drummer recorded for a project he started working on between 2013 / 2015. David Ellefson will play bass on a few of the tracks and will also helm the position as executive producer.


The cover photo for the film was shot by Los Angeles music photographer Alex Solca and designed by Brazilian artwork designer Alcides Burn of Burn Artworks.


Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at the Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.


Nick rightfully earned his place as one of heavy metal's fiercest drummers during Megadeth's 10-year commercial peak. The highlight of his career, Nick said, was playing Rock In Rio in 1991 before more than 100,000 people.

Enticing listeners with a smooth blend of psychedelic groove and rocking stoner licks, Halifax, Canada’s Elektric Mistress have a banging EP coming out entitled Chapter 99 on June 17, and before it officially drops they have teamed up with BraveWords for its full stream premiere.


Chapter 99 EP by Elektric Mistress


For “Chapter 99”, they toned down a bit of the spacey stuff in favour of classic, straightforward stoner rock, inspired heavily by Black Sabbath, and explore lyrical themes such as madness, the occult, the dangers of substance abuse, and lost love. They share their excitement for the release:




"Friends, this EP has been a long time coming. As a lot of other bands experienced at the beginning of the pandemic, not being able to gather as a full band or find open studio space kind of made making music difficult. So we decided to do it mostly by ourselves, at a distance. With some help, we got it done. We're stoked to finally present it for streaming everywhere. We hope it's worth a listen or three."


An immersive rock experience, both live and on record, Elektric Mistress is the kind of band you turn up loud and vibe out to. Musically proficient, the mood gets set with the initial riffs and the group intuitively jams everything out, employing genre influences such as sludge and blues.


The EP is entirely self-recorded, which is a process the band is still working out, and with pockets full of original riff ideas, they have a slew of new tracks ready to go, so fans of this release won't have long to wait for the next batch.


Akin to ‘smoke rings in a blizzard’, Elektric Mistress offers high-energy psychedelic heartache along with some witchcraft! They are recommended listening for fans of Pink Floyd, Kyuss, and Sleep.


Preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Magic Dust”
“Radio”
“Cocaine Johnny”
“Chapter 99”


“Chapter 99”:

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale has shared a personal message in celebration of Pride Month, saying that she is "unapologetically bisexual" and admitting that she hid her "bisexuality for a long time."

Lzzy, who has been in a relationship with HALESTORM guitarist Joe Hottinger for nearly two decades, took to Instagram on Wednesday (June 15) to write: "I've been approached by many outlets this month talking about pride … but I'm deciding to post this …straight from this lil bi – horses mouth.

"I understood there was something different about me from an early age.
Growing up in a semi Christian household, all of the things I was feeling were inherently wrong. So I hid my bisexuality for a long time. It was through being in a band getting out of organized religion, finding my tribe and trudging through the dark murky waters of life that I was then able to be truly comfortable owning all the things that make me…Me.

"I'm unapologetically bisexual. Navigating within my own spectrum of this tremendous rainbow that we are all a part of. What I hope to pass onto you, whether you are in a state of pride or still riding the high seas… is that by being your true self, embracing what makes you stand out to others, and owning your weird… these things ultimately become your superpowers. Your true self Is precious, no one can take it from you unless you let them. Wield it like a secret weapon.

"As far as I know…We only get one time around this ride. So Live and breathe every single part of you. The good the bad, the colorful and the queer.

"Rock on motherfuckers! I celebrate you!

"#pridemonth #happypride #halestorm #lzzbians".

Last year, during a Twitter Q&A session, when a fan mentioned that it was not easy living as a gay man in the Bahamas, Lzzy responded: "You are living your truth … and that's all that matters. I'm a bi gal in an 18-year relationship with a man. We write our own stories, my dear."

In April 2020, when one fan asked her on Twitter when she and Hottinger were getting married, Lzzy responded: "I truly have never had the desire. Personal preference. Technically I was asked, have a ring passed down that my SO [significant other] was given from my dad. But I'm living a #newmodernlove"

When another fan asked Lzzy if she knew of any good dating sites or apps, she wrote: "Ha! No. I've never used a dating app. I either meet people the old fashioned way by being out at concerts or clubs around the world and me and my anchor have been together for 17 years," as of early 2020.

Back in October 2015, HALESTORM bassist Josh Smith confirmed the long-standing rumor that Lzzy and Joe were involved in a romantic relationship. He told the 103.9 The Bear radio station: "They're pretty open about their relationship. They don't talk about it openly, but, you know… At the end of the day, we're all like family, and that's more or less the road we take is… You know… Whatever the case may be relationship-wise, it's not gonna break up our band, and that's the… I guess, the big thing is the band is the marriage here."

That same year, Lzzy was asked in an interview if she found it difficult to maintain a relationship while on the road. Hale replied: "In a relationship, you have to literally have everything out there to this other person, and they have to do the same thing with you, or it's not gonna work. I've never been a jealous person either, and as of right now, I'm dating someone who is the same way. So we have a very amazing trust thing going on."

She added: "I think you have to work hard, no matter what, at a relationship, but, really, the first couple of steps — laying everything out there — has been total saving graces for me and my relationship."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed HALESTORM in 1998 while in middle school. Hottinger joined the band in 2003, followed by Smith in 2004.

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Frank Bello and Rare Bird have announced the ANTHRAX bassist's debut solo EP, "Then I'm Gone". Issued as a deluxe gatefold split 12-inch, the EP contains three songs alongside excerpts from his 2021 autobiography, read by the author and accompanied by additional new music.

Bello performs all instruments (except drums) on "Then I'm Gone", "It Won't Be Long" and "See Me Now", as well as the score accompanying the narrated pieces, each selected and read from the book released with Rare Bird last year, "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax".

"I revisited some really dark times in my life when I was writing my book, and writing these songs was the result of reliving them," explains Bello, who appears on every ANTHRAX release since 1985. "Music has always been a great outlet for me as a coping mechanism. I felt it was a good time to put out these songs for people who connected with the book and maybe some who haven't yet. Thanks for listening!"

A cornerstone of the legendary "Big Four" of metal alongside METALLICA, MEGADETH and SLAYER, ANTHRAX has sold over ten million albums, traveled the globe countless times, and collaborated with a diverse list of creative icons, including PUBLIC ENEMY, Keanu Reeves and the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons" details the tragedy and triumph of the music industry and Bello's intense personal life.

Like the book, the songs on "Then I'm Gone" are intimate, revealing, and powerful. "Then I'm Gone" EP deluxe gatefold vinyl is available for preorder now in limited-edition purple and white/purple splatter variants, as well as standard black vinyl, direct through Rare Bird (www.rarebirdlit.com) and Experience Vinyl (www.experiencevinyl.com). All preorders include a digital download code with the full vinyl audiobook in the sealed vinyl jacket and a monthly email with links to audio, video, instrumentals, and bonus material.

Last fall, Bello told the "Highway 81 Revisited" podcast that he had "written some music" that he "didn't know what" he was going to do with. "'Cause after going through this cathartic thing with the book, it opened up a lot of things in my mind," he explained ."So I started writing during it, and it was really helpful with the book. So I've recorded these songs in a studio and all that — I have some great musicians on it. And yeah, eventually I'm gonna release some solo stuff. And if people like the ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE thing that I did with [former MEGADETH bassist] David Ellefson, it's probably like a continuation of that; it could be on those records. So it's kind of like a continuation of that. And I look forward to putting it out at the right time."

"Then I'm Gone" is scheduled for release on November 4, 2022.

Track listing:

Side A:

01. Then I'm Gone
02. It Won't Be Long
03. See Me Now

Side B:

01. First Kiss
02. Compass Point
03. See Me Now (Revisited)

Born and raised in the Bronx, Bello started playing when he was 12, learning bass parts on guitar; idolizing bass heroes such as Geddy Lee, Steve Harris and Geezer Butler; and frequently jamming with his uncle, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. Bello joined ANTHRAX in time for 1985's "Spreading The Disease" album, and fans loved his high-energy stage presence and deftly inventive bass style. Since that time, ANTHRAX quickly reached the upper echelons of metal stardom with a series of classic punk/speed metal albums fueled by Bello's ferociously riffing bass work. On stage and off, Bello is a veritable bass ambassador who doesn't pull any musical punches.

ANTHRAX is working on material for its next studio album, tentatively due in 2023. The follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" will be ANTHRAX's third full-length release since the 2010 return of singer Joey Belladonna, who came back into the fold for the "Big Four" shows with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, in the process helping inspire a new wave of creativity.

Photo by Jeremy Saffer