UK-based cult death/doom outfit Enchantment will unleash their long-awaited new full-length, Cold Soul Embrace, June 24th through Transcending Records and Cosmic Key Creations, marking the band’s first new output in nearly 30 years! Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.


Enchantment was forged in 1991 in the midst of the UK death/doom metal movement alongside the likes of Paradise Lost, Anathema, and My Dying Bride. In that year, they released a self-funded demo, A Tear For Young Eloquence, and were subsequently signed to Century Media Records before recording and releasing their debut album, Dance The Marble Naked, in early 1994. The band played alongside many great death metal bands of the era including Bolt Thrower, Anathema, Cancer, and Cradle Of Filth before disbanding in 1995, leaving behind the compositions of an entire second album that had yet to be recorded.


Fast forward nearly 25 years. With the reissue of their debut album on vinyl for the first time (and after numerous successful reissues earlier on CD), Enchantment officially regrouped. In 2020, the band started the unenviable task of resurrecting all the original rehearsal tapes and lyrical content from that lost second album and started working on demoing the tracks. This caught the attention of both Transcending Records and Cosmic Key Creations with whom the band ultimately decided to sign with, with the prospect of finally recording and co-releasing their sophomore full-length. It is unknown if any other similar band can claim to have written almost a full album in the peak of the British death/doom metal explosion and for it to have never been recorded or released. Yet 28 years to the day exactly that Dance The Marble Naked was first released, the band are now about to unveil Cold Soul Embrace.




Cold Soul Embrace artwork and tracklisting:





"As Greed As The Eye Beholds" 
"A Swanlike Duet" 
"Painting Amongst The Feathers" 
"Of Glorious Vistas Forgot" 
"The Wake Of The Hollering Tide" 
"In A Cello-Felt Glare" 
"The Beauty Of Liars" 
"One Jump Of The Sun" 


"As Greed As The Eye Beholds":





"Of Glorious Vistas Forgot":





(Photo by Bobby Pook)


 

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of Perfect Storm, the debut album from Crossing Rubicon, a new collaboration featuring multi-instrumentalist/producer Cenk Eroglu (ex-Winger, Xcarnation) and singer John Bisaha (The Babys), on July 8.


Today, the band has released a video for the song, "Reason To Die". Watch below, and pre-order the album here.







Perfect Storm tracklisting:


"Perfect Storm"
"Reason To Die"
"Scar"
"Too Late"
"On The Run"
"100 Thousand Years"
"Never Again"
"Cry Me A River"
"Get Away"
"Crash & Burn" (Feat Holly Bisaha)
"Time (Without You)"


"Reason To Die" video:





"Perfect Storm" video:





"100 Thousand Years":





Lineup:


John Bisaha - Lead Vocals, Bass
Cenk Eroglu - Guitars, Keyboards, Background Vocals


Additional Musicians :


Efe Eroglu - Guitars, Keyboards
Reis Ali Eroglu - Drums


All Songs written by Cenk Eroglu & John Bisaha, except "100 Thousand Years" written by Efe Eroglu & John Bisaha. Album produced & mixed by Cenk Eroglu.

Ted Nugent says that there is a "proven" way to stop mass shootings at schools.

The 73-year-old conservative rocker, who recently resigned from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years, weighed in on how to approach the issue of school safety in an interview last Friday (June 10) with Eric Bolling, the host of Newsmax's "Eric Bolling The Balance".

"Well, when we've got this freak in the White House and we've got a culture of depravity running amok in this country, we're gonna have to go all the way back for quality control 'cause right now we're maniacally scrambling for damage control," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And the quality control can be summarized by how my dad raised us: discipline, accountability, true north, responsibility, being the best that you can be. That parenting guideline still exists in this country, but in all these instances where these creeps have turned into violent, evil criminals, all those elements for a proper upbringing have been missing. Now you start adding the celebration of teaching kindergarteners about oral sex and that transgenderism is more normal than heterosexuality.

"We are literally in a whirlwind of cultural abandonment, moral abandonment, parental abandonment," he continued. "And only the guilty need to feel guilty 'cause everybody in my life, they're all good parents, they're all good kids. We don't have any criminals, we don't have any violent people in our life, in my band, in my crew, my neighbors — everybody in my life are good, conscientious, caring, lawful people. But if you really wanna start, in this current cluster that we're in right now, secure the damn schools. And this isn't a guitar player's hunch — it's been proven. One point of entrance, all other entries locked. Have a real commando — I mean, a real tuned-in guy that's trained in tactics and firepower and criminality, and have him looking for trouble. Not kind of casually walking around Parkland and maybe he'll run into trouble — have a commando that values those children's lives and have this commando, well-trained tactical capable individual looking for trouble and stopping it before it gets there.

"The great sheriff in Lee County, Florida, Carmine Marceno, he's got the parameter secured in his schools," Ted added. "My great sheriff here in McLennan County, Texas, Parnell McNamara, nobody's gonna get anywhere near a school if they look suspicious. We're gonna look for trouble and stop it before it can have access to innocent lives.

"This is not mysterious; the jury is not still out. This is a proven methodology. But the Democrats vetoed legislation that would have enacted these proven safety measures."

Ted made his comments in the wake of last month's mass shooting in a Uvalde, Texas elementary school which resulted in the deaths of at least 19 children and two adults.

One day after the shooting in Uvalde, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) pushed for the Luke and Alex School Safety Act to be passed via unanimous consent. The legislation — named after Luke Hoyer and Alex Schachter, who were both killed in a 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida — would require the Department of Homeland Security to establish a "Federal Clearinghouse on School Safety Best Practice" web site. The clearinghouse site would provide parents, school officials and law enforcement with tips for improving school security as well as information on available grant programs and federal resources but would authorize no new money to allow schools to improve security.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) objected to Johnson's request, arguing that "the American people want a real solution to America's gun violence epidemic."

"We are going to vote on gun legislation," he said. "The American people are tired of moments of silence, tired of the kind words offering thoughts and prayers."

The Uvalde massacre came only 10 days after an 18-year-old gunman in body armor killed 10 shoppers and workers at a supermarket in a predominantly black area of Buffalo, New York.

According to CNN, the number of U.S. deaths from gun violence in 2019 was about 4 per 100,000 people. That's 18 times the average rate in other developed countries. Multiple studies show access to guns contributes to higher firearm-related homicide rates.

In March 2021, Nugent threatened President Joe Biden and other Democrats, telling them to "come and take it" just hours before the House of Representatives passed two gun-safety bills.

In a March 11, 2021 Facebook post, Nugent addressed Biden and "all you other oath violating traitors," writing, "Google my address and itinerary and Come and Take It!" He also proclaimed, "If you want to play Concorde bridge again, you will be the British and I will be the Americans, again."

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

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

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

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

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

In a July 29, 2021 e-mail from NRA general counsel John Frazer sent to board members, it was announced that Nugent, who joined the board in 1995, was stepping down "due to ongoing schedule conflicts."

Ted's decision to leave the board came less than a year after he told Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show" that the National Rifle Association was "he most important civil rights organization in the world."

Last July, Nugent blamed the rise in violent crime and gun violence in America on recidivism, a measure of convicted criminals who commit another offense and re-enter prison. "There isn't a gun problem in America," he insisted. "There is an intentional engineered recidivism problem in America. You wanna stop ninety-six percent of the violent crimes. Don't let 'em out."

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, in which he performs an acoustic guitar cover of "Days Of Future Past", from Iron Maiden's 2021 album, Senjutsu.





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

International all-female metal collective, Chaos Rising, have released their twenty-second single and video.


"No Weakness" is a classic heavy metal track, written by Stéphanie Nolf and featuring new vocalist Astrid Anayalation (USA). The song also features drummer Siddhi Shah (India, Dubai) and two other new Chaos Rising musicians, Keira Kenworthy (UK) on bass, plus an amazing guitar solo from Australia’s Andrea Krakovska.







Founded by French multi-instrumentalist Stéphanie Nolf (Unsafe, Syrinx), Chaos Rising is a unique project that brings together female metal musicians from across the globe. "No Weakness" will feature on Chaos Rising’s forthcoming double album, and you can help support the girls by pre-ordering the album on their crowdfunding site, here.

Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate will take the next few months off the road as he recovers from an unspecified medical procedure.

Earlier today (Monday, June 13),the 63-year-old musician, who fronted QUEENSRŸCHE for 30 years — from the band's inception through 2012 — took to his social media to write: "I am having a medical procedure and my health professionals want me to recover over the Summer. I will be back and rocking South America in January. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road."

Tate's recent tour celebrated the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Fellow original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar),Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime" on European and U.S. tours.

“I am having a medical procedure and my health professionals want me to recover over the Summer. I will be back and rocking South America in January. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road." -Geoff Tate

Posted by Geoff Tate on Monday, June 13, 2022

The Dead Daisies, currently on tour in Europe, have shared the new video below, stating: "It has been another fantastic week seeing your smiling faces 😁😁😁 Here's a taste of what's been going on!"🚀





The Dead Daisies recently released the meta cinematic video for "Radiance". Watch below, and listen to the single here.







Says the band: "Today sees the release of our much anticipated Meta Cinematic for the new single ‘Radiance‘.


Entering into a new world which we call the Metaverse, the band have transformed into The Meta Daisies where they become an eternal burning flame of youth and hero like with their Guardian Daisy always looking out for them and guiding them through this wonderful new world. Daisy moves through metaverses, searching through futuristic cities, enchanted forests and to the depths of Hell, discovering mystical energy sources that will change this new world forever.


Set to the soundtrack of ‘Radiance’, the brand new song from The Dead Daisies, this brand new cinematic view of a parallel universe will have plenty for you to discover time and time again as you watch Daisy finding and unlocking secrets on her quest to protect the band.


You can view the entire dramatic story of Daisy moving through different Metaverses online now, here.





"Radiance" is the first single from The Dead Daisies' upcoming new album, set for release in August.  The band have been writing and recording over the last couple of months in Los Angeles with esteemed producer Ben Grosse at the Mix Room studios.


Tour dates:


June
13 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany
14 - Hirsch - Nuremberg, Germany
16 - Schlossgarten / Schloss - Bruchsal, Germany (with Foreigner)
18 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
19 - Graspop Festival - Dessel, Belgium
22 - Rockhal - Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg (with Judas Priest)
23 - Garage - Saarbrucken, Germany
25 - God Save The Kouign Fest - Penmarch, France
27 - Zenith - Munich, Germany (with Judas Priest)
29 - Conrad Sohm - Dornbirn, Austria
30 - Komma - Woergl, Austria


July
2 - Fabrique - Milan, Italy
3 - Castello Di San Giusto - Trieste, Italy
6 - SRC Tasmajdan - Belgrade, Serbia (with Whitesnake)
8 - Masters Of Rock - Vizovice, Czech Republic
9 - Hype Park - Krakow, Poland
11 - Budapest Arena - Budapest, Hungary, (with Judas Priest)
12 - Dvorana Stozice - Ljubljana, Slovenia (with Judas Priest)
15 - Faliro Olympic Indoor Hall - Athens, Greece (with Judas Priest)
17 - Midalidare Rock - Mogilovo, Bulgaria (with Judas Priest)
18 - Arenele Romane - Bucharest, Romania (with Judas Priest)
19 - Skenderija - Sarajevo, Bosnia (with Whitesnake)
26 - Theatre Antique - Vienne, France (with Judas Priest)
27 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
28 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany
30 - Freilichtbuhne Peißnitzinsel - Halle (Saale), Germany (with Judas Priest)
31 - Rudolf Weber Arena - Oberhausen, Germany (with Judas Priest)


August
2 - Brose Arena - Bamberg, Germany (with Judas Priest)
5 - Time To Rock Festival - Knislinge, Sweden

Fan-filmed video of GREAT WHITE's June 11 concert at the Orange Loop Rock Festival at Showboat Festival Grounds in Atlantic City, New Jersey can be seen below.

Late last month, GREAT WHITE announced that it has parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy and has replaced him with Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE). Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

In a new interview with Dr. Music, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall stated about the band's latest addition: "[Andrew] sat in with us, I wanna say maybe eight months ago or so [when Mitch wasn't able to make the show]; we played with FOREIGNER up north [in Modesto, California in October of 2021]. And he blew our minds. So right then we kind of knew we wanted him. But because he was doing something, and we were really busy — [there was] not enough time to rehearse and stuff like that. And we saw this window of opportunity, [and] he was totally into it."

Kendall continued: "There's a lot of different sides to his voice too, so he's not one-dimensional, even though he delivers the LAST IN LINE thing [like] an in-your-face metal screamer. But he can sing a ballad like Satan; I mean, it's killer. So that's what I like. His voice is so well rounded. And the guy, he vibrates at a frequency that you like to be around — he's just this chill dude. There's no nonsense, no ego, no weird trips or anything, so you feel the brotherhood forming straight away. And that's what we like. We're into being a band — all of us, together — go places together, do things together and just enjoy each other. No weird trips. Because we've been through it all. If somebody's a little funny, it's, like, 'Really?' It's almost like if you see cocaine, you go, 'You still have that?' [Laughs] So any kind of weird head trips, we just don't understand it.

"So, yeah, we're just loving it," Kendall added. "We cannot wait for the fans to hear this guy sing some of our big songs. And we're real pumped about making new music, 'cause I have a lot of stuff, Michael [Lardie, guitar/keyboards] has a lot of stuff. We've done things together and just haven't quite put it together. But now we've got this guy that can do anything. Believe me, man, we wanna get something with him on it, 'cause it's gonna be ridiculous."

As for Mitch's departure, Mark said: "We were going in separate ways in the sense that he was always by himself; he didn't really talk to us much. He just kind of showed up… That's just not the way a band works, as far as we're concerned. He's a wonderful singer. I don't think he's used to him not being in full control of everything because he's been a solo artist for so many years. He's a sweet guy. I really liked him. I think a few of our songs are a little out of his range, so it's a little bIt of a struggle. But nothing real heavy — no big, huge fights. Nothing ever came to fisticuffs, if you will. [Laughs] So it wasn't a case of that.

"We canceled a gig — or we were going to have to cancel a gig for him to do a VAN HALEN show, a tribute show," Kendall explained. "He gave us warning about this. But when FOREIGNER canceled [our show with them] because of some COVID thing, we rescheduled the date and it fell right on when he was gonna do that VAN HALEN show that he warned us about. So, regardless, it was probably pretty tough for him to get out of it. But it ended up being a blessing for us because we got Andrew to fill in. When we heard him do that show… And the whole band FOREIGNER was on the side of the stage going, 'Oh my God, man. This is pretty good.' So that was nice of them to acknowledge we had a good show. So that's when the seed of the idea was, like, 'Man. God.'"

Kendall went on to say that he doesn't think Malloy is upset about being out of GREAT WHITE. "He likes his solo career," Mark said. "I saw his post [about his exit from GREAT WHITE] where he said, 'Get ready for my VAN HALEN experience. And I'm gonna be doing an acoustic show, a storytellers show,' and all this stuff. So I'm encouraging people to go check him out when he gets in your area and wishing him to do well."

Asked if he and his bandmates had given any thought at all to the idea of reuniting with original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell, Mark said: "That's the other thing. [People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…

"My goal has always been to deliver the best show we can possibly deliver and have the fans be beyond impressed," Kendall explained. "And the way Andrew sings, I really like the way he delivers the songs, because it's what you wanna hear. So that's important to me, just to have the songs — the big songs, especially — be sung right and with full power. It just makes everything — it makes us play better, believe it or not. So that's the whole thing with me."

GREAT WHITE's current lineup is rounded out by Audie Desbrow (drums) and Scott Snyder (bass).

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums.

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

"Ace Of Spades" is one of rock and roll's most beloved and sacred anthems. Covering the bombastic ode to gamblers everywhere is a heavy crown to bear for any musician up for the task. That's why when Psycho Waxx proposed this sacred rite, it was asked of Psycho Las Vegas's most prestigious alumni and metal heavyweights. Rockers whose cred cannot be questioned were challenged to make this legendary piece of music sound fresh, heavy and ring true to MOTÖRHEAD fans all over the world.

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

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

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

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

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson says that he wants the band to replace him if it turns out that he can't sing anymore.

He told the Daily Star 's "Wired" column: "If tomorrow I don't feel able to sing more than four songs a night, I'd like the guys to continue and I should be able to choose my replacement. I would stick my head in from time to time and the other singer would do the rest.

"When you look at Keith Richards, who suffers from arthritis, he's not on top form every night but he’s supported by other guitarists," he continued. "It's THE ROLLING STONES. I don't think it upsets anyone. In any case, everything I've said isn't going to happen."

Bruce also dismissed the idea of one day performing as ABBA-style hologram replicas.

"That's hell on earth," he said. "I really don't understand the point of it."

When Dickinson left IRON MAIDEN in 1992, the job went to WOLFSBANE vocalist Blaze Bayley, an odd choice considering that Blaze's singing voice is quite clearly a baritone in contrast to Bruce's tenor/alto range.

Bayley recorded two studio albums with IRON MAIDEN — 1995's "The X Factor" and 1998's "Virtual XI" — before Dickinson returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums Blaze appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Five years ago, Dickinson told the "Do You Know Jack?" radio show that he was surprised when MAIDEN chose Bayley as his replacement.

"I really like Blaze," he said. "I like him just as a human being. He's a lovely guy. I remember going to the management offices and there was a guy, he doesn't work for management anymore, but he was telling me how great this whole thing was and how brilliant it was going to be. I said, 'Look, he's got this great gig. Of course, he's going to take the job. He's been offered the job. Of course, he's going to take it.' I said, 'Has anybody given any thought to where he's going to go with the old stuff? Has anyone given any thought to how he is going to manage it? Not just singing, but how are you going to deal with the fan reaction?' Because I was surprised it was Blaze. I was delighted for Blaze, but there was a whole bunch of other really good singers out there. I thought 'Wow, they could have picked somebody with a voice that could do what my voice did.' But they picked Blaze. Obviously, they picked somebody different, but that came with its own set of challenges. I just wondered whether anybody in the management was really giving anybody any serious words of truth on how hard this could be."

IRON MAIDEN kicked off the 2022 leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour on May 22 at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. It marked the band's first live appearance in 31 months.

MAIDEN opened the set with "Senjutsu", the title track of its latest studio album, and followed it up with two more songs from the same LP, "Stratego" and "The Writing On The Wall".

Other tracks aired during MAIDEN's performance included "Revelations", "Blood Brothers", "Sign Of The Cross", "Flight Of Icarus", "Fear Of The Dark", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "The Number Of The Beast" and "Iron Maiden".

MAIDEN also played two encores, consisting of "The Trooper", "The Clansman", "Run To The Hills" and the closing track of the night, "Aces High".

Prior to the Zagreb concert, IRON MAIDEN hadn't performed live in two and a half years — since the completion of its South American tour in October 2019.

The video for “Between The Pines”, the new single from international progressive metal quintet Philosophobia, formed by current and former members of Kamelot, Pain Of Salvation, Wastefall, and more, can be viewed below.. The single is the latest preview of the band’s eponymous debut album, nearing release this month through Sensory Records.


Philosophobia unites vocalist Domenik Papaemmanouil, bassist Kristoffer Gildenlöw, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Tobias Weißgerber, and guitarist Andreas Ballnus. The band is now preparing to issue their eponymous debut album via Sensory Records, the band’s top choice for its release, in conjunction with Kristoffer Gildenlöw‘s return to prog metal on stages worldwide since his departure from Pain Of Salvation.


Together with recording engineer and producer Phil Hillen (Powerwolf, Kamelot, Alyssa White Gluz), Philosophobia recorded an hour-long experience covering a wide range of textures; somber tunes to heavy prog metal tracks to instrumentally artistic roller coaster rides. Philosophobia was mastered by Alan Douches (Fates Warning, Redemption, Mastodon) at West West Side Music in New York, and completed with cover artwork conceived by Ballnus and created by Björn Gooßes/Killustrations.




The video for “Between The Pines” was edited by Andreas Ballnus, who writes with the video’s premiere, "'Between The Pines' lyrically deals with the situation between a stepfather and his stepson. On the surface they get along very well with each other. But deep inside the boy is very insecure because of the experiences with his biological father. The stepfather remembers when he was a child playing in the woods. A place where all sorrow had gone away. A place where it was calm and peaceful. The place between the pines. It was chosen as a single because it shows another side of PHILOSOPHOBIA. Not as heavy or complex as the other tracks on the album. Nearly having a pop chorus. Another facet of Philosophobia."





In 2007, longtime friends Andreas Ballnus (Perzonal War) and Alex Landenburg (Kamelot, Cyrha, Mekong Delta) had the idea of creating a prog metal concept album. After recording a few demos, Landenburg joined Annihilator as their touring drummer while Ballnus became the guitarist for former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Dianno. With both touring around the world for years, unfortunately they had to postpone their prog adventure due to lack of time.


In 2018, Ballnus got in touch with Kristoffer Gildenlöw (ex-Pain Of Salvation, Kayak) for a book project he had written; the two soon became friends and when Kristoffer heard the demos Ballnus and Landenburg had recorded, he was blown away by the quality of the songs, and at that moment Philosophobia was born. Completed by keyboard wizard Tobias Weißgerber and vocalist Domenik Papaemmanouil (Wastefall), the recordings for the band’s debut album began in 2020 against all odds.


Landenburg and Ballnus headed to SU2 Studios in Southern Germany and recorded nine songs of which eight made it onto the album. In fact, six of them remained the same songs that were written in 2007. The two still felt that those songs were timeless and deserved to be recorded for the final album version.


Sensory Records will release Philosophobia on CD and all digital platforms worldwide on June 24. Find physical pre-orders at the label webshop here, and visit Bandcamp for the standard digital here and 24-bit hi-res digital here.





Tracklisting:


"Thorn In Your Pride"
"I Am"
"Time To Breathe"
"Between The Pines"
"As Light Ceased To Exist"
"Thirteen Years Of Silence"
"Voices Unheard"
"Within My Open Eyes"


"Time To Breathe" video:





Lineup:


Kristoffer Gildenlöw - bass
Alex Landenburg - drums
Domenik Papaemmanouil - vocals
Andreas Ballnus - guitars
Tobias Weißgerber - keys

Caliban have release a music video for "Darkness I Became", captured by Sebastian Pielnik during the intimate release shows for the band's latest album, Dystopia. Watch below:





The approach to Dystopia was instinctive and organic. The result was simply darker and heavier. A state of the world address and a sign of these locked-down times. The band members worked in relative isolation, not being able to meet up for writing sessions. Ideas were passed around via the internet. Yet, the anxiety and angst they were all feeling came through. Hence the opening line of the album title track and war-cry: “Welcome Dystopia – Come show me who you are!” Amidst the anger and sonic wreckage, there’s still a ghost of hopefulness as the band searches for identity, solidarity and ultimately rising from dystopian ashes. A long running fixture in the European metal scene, Caliban have reemerged with a furious vision for these dark days. Welcome Dystopia.




Dystopia was produced by Benjamin Richter (Moonspell, Emil Bulls) and guitarist Marc Görtz, as well as co-produced by Callan Orr (Dream On, Dreamer). The eye-catching artwork was crafted by the creative team of Season Zero, who designed the artwork for Zeitgeister.





Tracklist:


"Dystopia" (feat. Christoph Wieczorek)
"Ascent of the Blessed"
"VirUS" (feat. Marcus Bischoff)
"Phantom Pain"
"Alien"
"sWords"
"Darkness I Became"
"Dragon" (feat. Jonny Davy)
"Hibernate"
"mOther"
"The World Breaks Everyone"
"D I V I D E D"


"Alien" video:





"Ascent Of The Blessed":





Caliban is:


Andreas Dörner (vocals)
Marco Schaller (bass)
Denis Schmidt (guitar)
Marc Görtz (guitar)
Patrick Grün (drums)

"Heavy Trip", the 2018 Finnish ensemble comedy about an aspiring metal band, is getting a sequel.

Juuso Laatio, who, along with Jukka Vidgren, co-wrote and directed the original film, has told Metal Hammer magazine that "Heavy Trip 2" is in the works. "We've written a really good script and we were supposed to film it this summer," he said. "We're aiming to film it next year. You never know. The last film took six years, so I hope this one doesn't take so long."

"Heavy Trip" debuted in 2018 at SXSW and was shown in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and more, in conjunction with VOD platforms. Helmed by first-time feature filmmakers, "Heavy Trip" is a satire about the aforementioned metal band's efforts to land its first legitimate gig. In the film, Turo (Johannes Holopainen) is stuck in a small village in the Finnish countryside where his greatest passion is being the lead vocalist for the group IMPALED REKTUM. The only problem is that he and his fellow headbangers have practiced for 12 years without playing a single gig. But that's all about to change when the guys meet the promoter of a huge heavy metal music festival in Norway and decide it's now or never. Hitting the road in a stolen van with a corpse, a coffin, and a new drummer from a local mental hospital in tow, IMPALED REKTUM travels across Scandinavia to make its dreams a reality. This road trip comedy includes a musical brotherhood, grave robbing, Viking heaven, and an armed conflict between Finland and Norway.

According to Juuso, who is a longtime metal fan, "Heavy Trip" initially bombed in Finland, which is widely considered to be the most heavy metal country in the world.

"Nobody went to see it in the Finnish cinemas," Juuso said, "It was marketed very poorly and to the wrong audience; it was marketed to 15-year-olds but it's not a film for them. They don't know the metal references and they don't listen to metal anyway. After the failed opening, it was pretty much, 'Well, there goes our career. Nobody's going to work with us again.'"

"Heavy Trip" currently has a 94% critic score from 32 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the online review aggregation service that allows both critics and the public to rate movies. The same site has an 83% audience score for "Heavy Trip" from more than 250 reviews.

"We have the craziest fans in Japan," Juuso said. "They have cosplay over there and one guy cosplayed as the speed camera! And they had special screenings where the music is turned up extra loud. There's a crazy 'Heavy Trip' scene over there."

Legendary rock band DEF LEPPARD played a special invitation-only concert in Los Angeles at the Whisky A Go Go for SiriusXM listeners. The intimate performance, part of SiriusXM's Small Stage Series, took place on May 26 in celebration of DEF LEPPARD's new album "Diamond Star Halos" which was released the following day (May 27). Professionally filmed video of the "Rock Of Ages" and "Photograph" performances from the Whisky show can be seen below.

Prior to DEF LEPPARD's upcoming "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and Joan Jett, this was the first time fans could see the band perform new songs live from its latest album live in addition to the stadium anthem hits that cemented DEF LEPPARD as rock icons.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Take What You Want
02. Animal
03. Foolin'
04. Armageddon It
05. Kick (live premiere)
06. Love Bites
07. Excitable
08. Rocket
09. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
10. Switch 625
11. Hysteria
12. Pour Some Sugar On Me

Encore:

13. Rock Of Ages
14. Photograph

The performance is being broadcast throughout June on Classic Rewind (ch. 25) and '80s On 8.

Def Leppard Radio launched on May 27 and will run through Saturday, June 25 on the SiriusXM app.

Featuring a slew of guest hosts, Def Leppard Radio delves into the band’s 40-year music career, providing insight behind both their greatest hits and their new album. Def Leppard Radio also spotlights other artists performing on their stadium tour like MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and Joan Jett, as well as artists who influenced DEF LEPPARD, including David Bowie, QUEEN, T.REX, MOTT THE HOOPLE and more.

SiriusXM's Small Stage Series features performances with premier artists spanning music genres and styles, and comedy, and held in small iconic venues. SiriusXM launched its Small Stage Series in August 2021 and to date has announced performances by Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Brandi Carlile, COLDPLAY, Dave Matthews, Ed Sheeran, GLASS ANIMALS, THE GO-GO'S, H.E.R., J Balvin, J. Cole, Jason Aldean, John Mayer, John Mulaney, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Michael Che, Nathaniel Rateliff & THE NIGHT SWEATS, OLD DOMINION, Shaggy and TWENTY ONE PILOTS.

SiriusXM is available to subscribers nationwide on SiriusXM radios, the SXM App, and with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant or however they stream at home. Streaming access is included with all of SiriusXM's trials and most popular plans.

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland spoke about what he did for work after he left the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit in 1987. "I was bussing tables from midnight to 8 a.m. at [American casual diner-style restaurant] Denny's after I left MEGADETH," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And I would be bussing tables on a weekend, and some guy would go, 'Dude, you're Chris Poland.' [Laughs] And I'd have to go, 'Yeah, I am.' [Laughs] And it was so weird, because he just looked at me, like, 'Dude, what the fuck are you doing here?' And I would just say, 'Hey, man, I've gotta eat. I've gotta pay the rent.'

"When you think of it now, it is pretty crazy, because at that time MEGADETH was beyond gold — 'Peace Sells' was really like a train," Chris continued. "And here I am bussing tables in the middle of the night at Denny's.

"I also had shit happen where I'd be at the beach with my girlfriend, and there'd be, like, six guys walking down the boardwalk in Venice wearing MEGADETH shirts," Poland recalled. "And at the time my girlfriend said, 'Hey, you guys. You know who this is? This is Chris Poland from MEGADETH.' And they would just go, 'Yeah, right. Fuck off,' and then walk away. [Laughs] So I've had every little version of weirdness from being in that band, let me tell you."

Asked if ever regretted leaving MEGADETH, Chris said: "It was just meant to be. It got to the point where it was just time… It wasn't working for anybody anymore. Who knows what would have happened if I stayed in the band? It was probably best that I didn't. [Laughs] Probably drugs would have killed somebody, or all of us. Who knows?"

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

This past February, Poland reflected on the lawsuit he reportedly filed against MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine over the 2004 reissue of the band's "Rust In Peace" album, which contained demos on which Chris performed.

"I know there was some flak after when [Dave] released the demo solos or whatever," Poland told Rock Talks. "And I couldn't get hold of Dave. I called his manager 10 times and finally, on the eleventh time, I left a message. I said, 'If you don't call me back, you're gonna be hearing from [my attorney].' And so he calls me back. And then he insults me and tells me, 'Well, Chris, all you did was a couple of solos and Dave and us thought that you would just do it for the fans.' And I'm, like, 'Hey, I did it for the fans, but everybody else is getting paid. I'd like to get paid for it.' So then [it got] totally blown out of proportion. I got belittled by everybody, and it's, like, 'C'mon. Really?'" He added: "People love drama, I guess. I don't know."

Chris went on to say that he hasn't had any contact with Mustaine in nearly two decades. "I haven't spoken with Dave since… I can't remember when. I guess back when I made 'The System [Has Failed]'," he said. "[After the dispute over the 2004 'Rust In Peace' reissue], he was, like, 'That's it. [Chris has] ruined our friendship.' And I'm, like, 'C'mon. Really?' But… whatever."

In a September 2020 interview with Darren Paltrowitz (host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" podcast), Mustaine singled out Poland, saying: "Chris Poland, as much as I don't really like the guy, he was a great guitar player, and I wanted to give him a shot when we did the 2004 reissues for 'Peace Sells' and 'Rust In Peace', and I wanted to put that song out on the 'Rust In Peace' reissue. He got involved in a nuisance lawsuit, I think it was, and we just ended our friendship. And I thought, 'God, that was such a waste.'

"There was a little teeny mountain that was right out by where we live, and I said I could have just as soon bought that piece of dirt there than sell Chris's friendship, and I'm so bummed that this happened," Mustaine added. "'Cause I thought it would have been terrific to have him on the record. [When] people say, 'Hey, this sounds like Marty Friedman.' No, Marty Friedman sounded like this, because Chris played it first."

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. According to MEGADETH's webmaster, Mustaine included the demos because he thought Chris would be "thankful for the promotion, the tipping of the hat, and showing the fans how Marty [Friedman, MEGADETH's guitarist during some of the post-Poland years] had actually been influenced by some of Chris's solo selections for those songs." Chris also allegedly tried to sue Dave for defamation of character because Dave called him a "thief," but Chris's attorney "dropped that after he found out that Chris had actually taken the band's gear and sold it for drugs," according to MEGADETH's webmaster. "Remember, there is a confession in the VH1 'Behind the Music' on MEGADETH," the webmaster said. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

Poland previously discussed the legal issues surrounding the 2004 reissue of "Rust In Peace" in a 2018 interview with the As The Story Grows podcast. He said: "When I did 'The System Has Failed', [Dave] was working on adding the demos to a re-release of 'Rust In Peace'. And I wasn't going to get paid, but I didn't realize that until it came out. I was like, 'Wait a minute — I'm not getting paid for this.' And I tried to call Dave at least a dozen times, and I never heard back from him. Then I called Dave's manager a dozen times, and he wouldn't get back to me. The last time I called him, I said, 'Hey, man. If you don't call me back, I'm going to call [my lawyer], and we're going to have to get into it.' [The manager] calls me back and totally insults me, saying, 'You played a couple solos. So what?' And I'm like, 'What do you mean, 'So what?'' 'Well, Dave thought that you would do it for the fans.' I said, 'Okay. Is everybody else that played on that demo doing it for the fans? Are they getting paid?' He said, 'Chris, that's not the point.' I said, 'Listen, man, we have to do something here. I'm not just going to walk away. I love the fans, but I'm just not going to do it. If everybody else is getting a performance royalty for this, I want one.' I want everybody to know that it wasn't a nuisance suit, it wasn't anything like that. I made every attempt to work it out, and they just ignored me."

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.