Pure Steel Records has announced the signing of one of the hottest newcomers on the metal scene, Kalah for a multi album deal.


Kalah is a female fronted band from outer space: electronic-melodic-modern-metal, blending in varying influences from across the musical spectrum to create a sound all their own.


Band statement: "We are beyond hyped to join forces with the mighty Pure Steel Records and to embark on this new journey together! When we received their proposal it was truly a no-brainer: We feel truly grateful and we cannot wait to share our music with all Metal fans! Get ready for your daily fix of electronic-melodic-modern metal!"




Stay tuned for more information from outer space.


Lineup:
Claudia Gigante (ex-Evil Desire) - vocals
Alessio Monacelli (Stranger Visionn, , Hellcome!, Hidden Lapse, ex-Imago Imperii) - drums
Dario Trentini (ex-Reasons Behind) - keyboards, synths
Marco Monacelli (Hellcome!) - rhythm guitars
Mario Grassi - lead guitars
Enrico Menozzi (ex-Reasons Behind, ex-Dawn of Memories) – bass

Experimental metal outfit Imperial Triumphant have released their new song and music video for “Merkurius Gilded” (ft. Kenny G and Max Gorelick) today via Century Media Records.


"What once was a gilded age of industry and exceptional growth only to be stricken with panic that shall leave the common man in the dust, dried up and faded away. Merkurius looks down upon Forty Second Street mobs releasing their fortunes into the sky of ignorance,” states Imperial Triumphant about “Merkurius Gilded”.


“Merkurius Gilded” follows the release of the band’s debut track, “Maximalist Scream (feat. Snake/Voivod)”, off Imperial Triumphant’s forthcoming full-length album Spirit of Ecstasy out on July 22. The album will be released as Ltd. CD Edition (Mini-Gatefold), Gatefold 2LP & LP-Booklet and on all digital platforms. Pre-orders are available here.




Spirit of Ecstasy follows the band’s previous LPs 2020’s Alphaville, 2018’s Vile Luxury and most recently their 2021 live record, An Evening With Imperial Triumphant, which was was recorded at the infamous Slipper Room in New York City. Just like its predecessors, the album features a handful of special guests including Kenny G on soprano saxophone, Max Gorelick on lead guitar, Snake on vocals, Alex Skolnick on lead guitar, Trey Spruance on lead guitar, Andromeda Anarchia with choirs, Sarai Woods with choirs, Yoshiko Ohara on vocals, J. Walter Hawkes on the  trombone, Ben Hankle on the trumpet, Percy Jones on bass, Seven Suns on strings, Colin Marston on Simmons drums and Youtube, and Jonas Rolef on vocals.





Spirit of Ecstasy tracklisting:


"Chump Change"
"Metrovertigo"
"Tower Of Glory, City Of Shame"
"Merkurius Gilded"
"Death On A Highway"
"In The Pleasure Of Their Company"
"Bezumnaya"
"Maximalist Scream"


"Merkurius Gilded" video:





"Maximalist Scream" video:





(Photo - Alex Krauss)

Wardruna's latest release Kvitravn - First Flight of the White Raven is out now, and to mark the occasion the band have released a live video capture of fan-favourite, "Helvegen". This atmospheric and haunting track is often the conclusion of their live set, providing a rousing finish, as exemplified in the video below.





Wardruna's Kvitravn – First Flight of the White Raven - is now available on 2CD, and digital formats, including the original Kvitravn studio album of 2021, plus an audio release captured from their lauded, boundary-pushing virtual live experience First Flight of the White Raven of March 26, 2021. This new release captures their special set list consisting of songs from Kvitravn and fan favourites from across their discography.







An immersive audio arrangement that underscores the experiential paradigm shift and masterful musicianship of their superlative and boundary-pushing virtual live experience First Flight of the White Raven of March 26, 2021. To mark the event’s exceptional impact, it is available as a limited Boxset Edition including 2LP (black), 2CD, DVD with livestream performance and bonus documentary material and three videos (only available in the boxed set), flag of the CD album cover, certificate of authenticity for the box and an exclusive autographed card signed by Einar Selvik. Order at wardruna.com.


"Kvitravn – First Flight of the White Raven is an audio-visual ‘live-in-studio’ recording that was broadcasted online, as the release show of the Kvitravn album. It was recorded in a time when it was not allowed to perform in front of an audience, which made it very important for me that the recording itself truly captured the energy of a live performance. What you hear is what we performed in that moment in that room. No re-recordings or autotune was done in the afterwork. Just like for a regular concert, the set list was carefully put together with a selection of songs from all our albums, including a handful of songs from the new album, which we performed for the very first time. On the day of recording, we all stood together in the same room for the first time in over a year. Everyone came focused and well prepared and the energy felt like no time had passed. I hope you will agree!” - Einar Selvik





Tracklisting:


Audio (with translations):
"Synkverv" (Turn-sight)
"Kvitravn" (White Raven)
"Skugge" (Shadow)
"Grá" (Grey)
"Fylgjutal" (Speech of the Fetch)
"Munin" (Memory)
"Kvit hjort" (White Stag)
"Viseveiding" (Song-hunting)
"Ni" (Nine)
"Vindavlarljod" (Song of the wind-bred)
"Andvevarljod" (Song of the Spirit-weavers)


Audio from virtual live performance:
“Kvitravn”
“Skugge”
“Solringen”
“Bjarkan”
“Raido”
“Voluspá”
“Isa”
“UruR”
“Grá”
“Vindavlarljod”
“Rotlaust Tre Fell”
“Fehu”
“Helvegen”


DVD:
“Kvitravn”
“Skugge”
“Solringen”
“Bjarkan”
“Raido”
“Voluspá”
“Isa”
“UruR”
“Grá”
“Vindavlarljod”
“Rotlaust Tre Fell” 
“Fehu”
“Helvegen”


Interview 
Behind the Scenes Videos: 
“Grá”
“Kvitravn”
“Lyfjaberg”


Documentary


"Solringen":





(Photo - Ragnarock Film)

German space warriors, Victorius, have released the video below, along with the following message:


"Dinosaurriors! Take a look and a enjoy a glimpse of our live set at Rock in Rautheim (Germany) in May 2022. Our show was a great melange of catchy dinosaur songs and cold drinks. We would love to show you more of this epic battle but some evil ninjas sabotaged the equipment and we had a power blackout on stage during one of the songs. To prevent this in the future you have to come to our shows and fight off any further ninja attacks!"







The band’s upcoming full-length, Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 – The Great Ninja War, will be released via Napalm Records on June 24.


Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War sets off with a monumental introduction, cracking open this mystical world as it flows into “Victorious Dinogods”. The track initiates battle with relentless power metal as the mighty dinogods resurrect to protect mankind against the space ninja attack. Luckily, the dinogods don’t stand alone, as they are proudly joined in battle by the “Mighty Magic Mammoth”, awakened by a fiery comet. But wait, there are more brothers-in-arms (and songs) on their way - like “Jurassic Jetfighters”, “Triceps Ceratops” and “Tyrannosaurus Steel”. The three join forces to fight the ninjas and their fearsome dragon, as fabled on smashing track “Dinos and Dragons”, spiced with an intense guitar solo praising the tradition of speed metal with a remarkable virtuosity. A foreshadowing of what’s to come when the ninjas take command is described with “Katana Kingdom Rising”, setting off with stomping drums that lead to an anthemic chorus. Strong symphonic elements are witnessed on “God of Roar” as well as on the powerful track “Night of the Nuclear Ninja”, which tells the story of the space ninjas transforming into even deadlier, nuclear versions of themselves. This is when another grand figure joins the fold: the giant “Powerzord”, a mighty robot lord, who comes to the aid of the dinosaurs in battle with the aim of finally freeing mankind from the space ninja threat. Will the dinos and their brave supporters manage to prevent the nuclear ninja kingdom from rising? Find out on Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War - a roaring good time for all.


Victorius on Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War: “Mighty Dinosaurriors. Get ready for the next chapter of our epic quest. Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War is nothing more than the most ambitious album we´ve ever made. 12 songs full of speed, melodies, hooks and epic-ness. Together with producer Lars Rettkowitz we’ve created the soundtrack for an intergalactic Power Metal adventure you can´t escape from. The war rages on. Choose your side.”





Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 - The Great Ninja War is available in the following formats:


- Digi Sleevepack
- Digi Sleevepack + Shirt
- 1 LP Gatefold gold (limited to 300 copies, band shop exclusive)
- digital


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Saurus Invictus Lazerus"
"Victorious Dinogods"
"Mighty Magic Mammoth"
"Jurassic Jetfighters"
"Dinos And Dragons"
"Katana Kingdom Rising"
"God Of Roar"
"Night Of The Nuclear Ninja"
"Triceps Ceratops"
"Tyrannosaurus Steel"
"Shadow Of The Shinobi"
"Powerzord"


“Mighty Magic Mammoth” video:





“Victorious Dinogods” lyric video:





"Dinos And Dragons" video:





Lineup:


David Baßin - Vocals
Dirk Scharsich - Guitar
Florian Zack - Guitar
Andreas Dockhorn - Bass
Frank Koppe - Drums

Brought to life by the devious minds of the multi-instrumentalist and producer Alessio NeroArgento and vocalist Claudio Ravinale (Infernalizer, Disarmonia Mundi), The Silverblack is an industrial metal creature that quickly developed its own malicious sound, spitting out extremely catchy tracks, mainly keyboard-driven and supported by a wide range of vocals (from goth deep voices to extremely irate death metal shouts) featuring both sharp and aggressive passages and more atmospheric and eerie moments.


The band's fifth studio album, Judgment is now available via German label darkTunes and marks a substantial evolution in the band's sound, focusing more on aggression and heaviness when compared to their previous records, without forgetting the usual dose of catchy hooks and haunting melodies the band is already known for.


Today, in support of the record, they are also sharing their latest music video for the album's title track, which features guest vocals from industrial metal pioneer and former Fear Factory vocalist, Burton C. Bell. Watch below.




Talking about the prestigious collaboration the band stated: "Doing features is pretty common these days, but we wanted this to be quite special and meaningful. We consider this album the culmination of a process we started a bunch of years ago with the first record: in the beginning, we didn't know where we wanted to go, musically speaking, so we simply developed and evolved our style year after year, album after album. It's been a natural process: as soon as we finished this album we understood this is what we wanted to do since the beginning of the band and to put the proverbial icing on the cake we decided to recruit a singer that with his band started this kind of music in the first place. Burton's tone is unique: he is the voice of industrial metal and we wouldn't be here playing this kind of music if it wasn't for bands like Fear Factory who broke down boundaries within styles paving the way for what came next, so having him on our record is truly an honor and a one of a kind experience. His distinctive vocals brought the song to a whole new level and we can't wait for people to hear it."


The pounding title track opens the album with its bone-crushing rhythm and cinematic atmospheres featuring guest vocals by none other than iconic former Fear Factory singer Burton C. Bell delivers an incredibly strong and inspired performance gifting the song with an amazing chorus. The title track is quickly followed by another two ragers: “Punishment” and “A Lifetime Ago”. Both tracks hit the listener hard balancing aggressive parts with more melodic moments, written with the clear purpose in mind of being absolute live-crushers these two songs represent exactly where the band feels comfortable being at the moment.


“Chasing Ghosts” brings back some gothic elements to the band's sound, with Infernalizer (born Claudio Ravinale, also known for being the vocalist of melodic-death metal veterans Disarmonia Mundi, featuring Soilwork's singer Speed Strid among their ranks) switching from the harsh growly vocals showcased in the previous tracks to a deep crooning voice in the vibe of Type O Negative and Moonspell. The following “Sometimes They Come Back” features an uncompromising aggrotech assault partly mitigated by the catchy chorus by the multi-instrumentalist NeroArgento, who is also responsible for all the melodic vocals on the album besides recording and producing all the instruments and the album itself.


“Chrysalis” develops into a shape-shifting industrial metal interlude before the bleak assault of “Damaged” hits the listener straight in the face with its feral vocals, cyber synths, and crushing rhythm section. “Nocturne” is probably the lightest moment of the whole album featuring heavy retro-wave influences, theatrical gothic vocals, and a huge chorus while “Reality Check” hits hard again with its pounding assault.


“One Last Nail” delivers the last handful of industrial metal kicks in the face supported by a more rock 'n' roll influenced groove before the forlorn melancholy of the almost-ballad “Into Null” closes what can be considered the darkest and heaviest “The Silverblack” album to date.





Tracklisting:


"Judgment" (feat. Burton C. Bell)
"Punishment"
"A Lifetime Ago"
"Chasing Ghosts"
"Sometimes They Come Back"
"Chrysalis"
"Damaged"
"Nocturne"
"Reality Check"
"One Last Nail"
"Into Null"


"Judgment" video:





Album Credits:


Recorded, produced and arranged at Aexeron Studio by NeroArgento Music, instruments and clean vocals by NeroArgento
Lyrics and vocals by Infernalizer
Cover art: “Ares Falls” by Leidbild Design
Label: darkTunes Music Group

SiX By SiX is the exciting new trio formed by Ian Crichton (Saga), Nigel Glockler (Saxon) & Robert Berry (3; Emerson, Berry, Palmer), and their eponymous debut album is set for release on August 19 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music.


This hugely accomplished trio of musicians is also pleased to announce their first single, "Yearning To Fly", and you can watch the video below.


The roots of SiX By SiX can be traced back several decades to when Glockler and Berry were together as part of YES guitarist Steve Howe’s continuation of the band GTR. Then there’s the Asia connection, where Crichton and Glockler contributed to sessions and recordings, while Berry was the link for his guitarist friend Pat Thrall joining that band.




Time marches on, paths cross and fate brings these three musicians together, born from a conversation with an industry insider in the UK who connected Ian Crichton in the Toronto area with Robert Berry outside San Francisco, who in turn reached Glockler at his home on the south coast of England.


Powered by Glockler’s dynamic drumming, the result is an expansive guitar-driven pallet, paired sonically with the unique flavour of the Crichton/Berry songwriting collaboration, which they are very excited to present on this debut album.


Ian Crichton comments: “Throughout my career, I’ve been very selective about what to get involved in outside Saga and when opportunities have arisen, I have said ‘no’ far more often than I have said ‘yes’. When Robert's manager contacted me in 2020 and explained what Robert was seeking to do creatively and how my guitar could be central to the musical vision, I was intrigued. Now it’s over 18 months and many Zoom calls later, but crucially Robert, Nigel and I have also spent plenty of time together at Robert’s base in northern California. We’re three experienced players from three different countries, and with our six hands, we’re here to break the rock music mould. SiX By SiX is a band that we’ve built together and nurtured into a unique style that I'm very proud of.”


Nigel Glockler continues: “When Robert and Ian first approached me about becoming part of this band, I felt very honoured to be asked and absolutely thrilled to be working with a couple of guys I’ve admired for a long time. Robert and I first met during GTR days and we’ve kept in touch ever since. My path has crossed with Ian many times on the road over the years, so once the three of us got together in California it was like a meeting of old friends. Musically it immediately clicked and working within the framework of a three piece allows us to branch out in all directions and really push ourselves. I’m best known as the Saxon drummer, but I’ve always been a massive fan of progressive rock – Genesis and PFM are amongst my favourite bands! SiX By SiX is just the beginning of an exciting journey - bring it on!!”


Robert Berry adds: “After working with the genius of Keith Emerson and losing that musical partnership in 2016 following Keith’s death, I faced a daunting question: whether to bring down the curtain creatively or seek something inspiring which would reach new musical heights. My intuition was to lean into a dramatically more guitar oriented direction. But which guitarist is as impressive as Keith was as a keyboardist? At my manager’s suggestion, an incredible meeting of minds, style and future goals was struck with Ian Crichton. Was it luck, timing or destiny? I think it was all three because 3 is my lucky number. Ian and I were determined to keep this a 3 piece band (there’s that number again) and needed a drummer with a similar mindset and who is a solid, heavy hitter. My friend Nigel Glockler was the perfect fit. And with this extraordinary combination of friendship, musicality, and humor, a Brit, a Canadian and an American have come together as the brand new band SiX By SiX.”


Available as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g LP & as a Digital Album, now available to pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Yearning To Fly"
"China"
"Reason To Feel Calm Again"
"The Upside Of Down"
"Casino"
"Live Forever"
"The Last Words On Earth"
"Skyfall"
"Battle Of A Lifetime"
"Save The Night"


"Yearning To Fly" video:





Background:


Ian Crichton is best known as one of the founding members of Saga, alongside his brother Jim. Saga went on to sell roughly 10 million albums world-wide and continue to perform around the world. As the driving force behind SiX By SiX, Ian takes a cunning turn, in assembling another potent band but one that focuses on his guitar prowess. This time with established players, each with a celebrated past, refined skills, and unlimited potential.


Nigel Glockler began his career in 1980 as the drummer for the British band Krakatoa. In 1981 he found an opportunity with singer Toyah. By the end of the year, he joined metal legends, Saxon. Except for two brief absences, Nigel has been behind his massive drum kit as an integral part of Saxon ever since. His powerhouse drumming is the engine that drives SiX By SiX’s songs forwards relentlessly.


Robert Berry first gained international attention with San Francisco-based Hush, releasing well-received recordings and then touring the USA. In the mid-1980s Berry’s first solo album garnered positive reviews in the most influential trade publications and attracted the attention of several major labels. At the suggestion of one of those labels, Robert moved to the UK to work with guitarist Steve Howe (of Yes fame) along with drummer Nigel Glockler in an effort to revitalize GTR. When GTR stalled, Robert partnered with British rock legends Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer to form ‘3’. With Emerson and Palmer, Robert achieved a top ten charting single and toured the USA. Robert’s melodic sensibilities complement Ian’s extraordinary guitar and Nigel’s signature drumming perfectly.


(Photo - Dave Lepori)

Sordes Dominum hailing from Los Angeles California have released their third official music video entitled “Mendacium Immortalis” from the new EP Immortalis. The toxic visuals are quite a transfigurement, compared to the previous video “Verecundiam” and the debut video “Exillium”, which was banned from YouTube.





The instrumental metal band consists of bassist Zander Reddis, guitarist and producer Alex
Crescioni, and drummer Jorden Mitev. The music combines elements of death, doom, and symphonic metal with a variety of cinematic atmospheres. The song will be included in the new EP Immortalis June 17 on all streaming platforms. Digipacks of the EP will also be available for purchase directly from the band. The track was produced, mixed, and mastered by Alex Crescioni at Stygian Sound with the video directed and edited by Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films.







Mendacium (LIE) Immortalis is track three of a four song concept EP entitled Immortalis. The song engages the listener with a mammoth slaying riff with accents on every gash. It then initiates mutation to the next division through a texture thick guitar break, heavy with fuzz and the room tone of Stygian Sound. The middle chapter morphs into a sluggardly sludgy riff that builds to the climax, the final palm muted low E slaughter.


Purchase the EP on digipack CD from the band’s website.

Kirk Hammett says that METALLICA "warned everyone" about the dangers of peer-to-peer file sharing by launching legal action against Napster in 2000. Although the case was settled out of court, more than 300,000 users were banned from the pioneering music file-sharing service as a result and METALLICA's image took a tremendous beating in the eyes of music fans.

In a new interview Classic Rock magazine, Hammett was asked to reflect on METALLICA's legal dispute with the file-sharing site.

"We warned everyone that this was gonna happen," he said. "We warned everyone that the music industry was gonna lose eighty percent of its net worth, power and influence. When these monumental shifts come, you just either fucking rattle the cage and get nothing done or you move forward.

There's definitely a new way for getting music out there, but it isn't as effective as the music industry pre-Napster," he continued. "But we're stuck with it. There needs to be some sort of midway point where the two come together, or another completely new model comes in."

Two and a half years ago, Hammett said that METALLICA "did not make a difference" by trying to fight Napster.

"The amazing thing now is back then, people were saying, '20 years from now, we're gonna look back and say, 'Goddamn it! We did the right thing,'" the METALLICA guitarist said. "But when people were saying back then we were actually gonna make a difference? We didn't make a difference — we did not make a difference. It happened. And we couldn't stop it, because it was just bigger than any of us — this trend that happened that fucking sunk the fucking music industry. There was no way that we could stop it. It was a perfectly human thing that just happened. And what had happened was all of a sudden, it was just more convenient to get music and it was less convenient to pay for it. And there you have it.

"For me, it was kind of a leveling factor," he continued. "All of a sudden, all of us were brought back to the minstrel age now where musicians' only source of income is actually playing. And it's like that nowadays — except that a lot of these bands [chuckles] aren't really playing; they're pressing 'play' or something. But there are a lot of bands who actually fucking play their instruments and have to play to still be a band and still fucking survive. And that's cool, because it really separates who wants to do this and who is just here for the fucking pose. … You'll see who's passionate about it and who's really into it for the art of it, and then you'll see who's not so passionate about it and into the commerce of it.

"Maybe things might change," Hammett philosophized. "Maybe all of a sudden people will just start to prefer CDs or whatever format as to what's available now. Who's to say? I mean, it changed all so quickly back then; it could fucking change just as quickly now."

METALLICA sued Napster after the band discovered that a leaked demo version of its song "I Disappear" was circulating on the pioneering music file-sharing service before it was released.

In May 2000, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich famously delivered a literal truckload of paper to Napster Inc., listing hundreds of thousands of people who allegedly used the company's software to share unauthorized MP3s of METALLICA's songs.

METALLICA representatives compiled the more than 60,000-page list of 335,435 Napster user IDs over one weekend in response to Napster's promise to terminate the accounts of users who trade material without permission. Real names were not included in the list.

In later years, METALLICA embraced digital music: in December 2012, the band made all of its studio albums, as well as various live material, singles, remixes and collaborations, available on Spotify.

THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar),Daniel Svensson (drums),Peter Iwers (bass),Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — made its live debut earlier today (Saturday, June 11) at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

THE HALO EFFECT will release its debut album, "Days Of The Lost", on August 12 via Nuclear Blast.

In a new interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast, Peter and Daniel were asked if they would agree that "Days Of The Lost" is, in some ways, a "spiritual successor" to "Reroute To Remain", IN FLAMES' sixth album, which came out in 2022. Peter said: "Ooh, interesting. I haven't really thought about it. When you make music, like we do, you tend not to overthink stuff — you just go in and you write music and kind of know that what comes out will sound a certain way because of the style that we are playing and how we are playing and performing our music. So I haven't really thought about it, but maybe — maybe. It was definitely nothing intentional. We just went in. We had a bunch of ideas and we came out with a bunch of songs that happen to sound a certain way. But none of us really overthought it and it was never meant to 'it's gonna sound like this' or 'it's gonna sound like that.' We just [went], 'Let's write this music and see what happens.' And because of, like I said, how we're playing, it will sound a certain way."

Added Daniel: "A lot of people like to analyze music, and, of course, it sounds Gothenburg metal-ish because we all are from that genre and we are some of the people that kind of created it. So, of course, it will sound Gothenburg metal-ish, IN FLAMES-ish. And then which era, I don't know. And as Peter said, we don't really think about how it should sound. This is how we sound today, and with our legacy this is inevitable, that we sound as we do."

Continued Peter: "Obviously, people like to do a lot of comparing between us… It's a difficult topic to discuss because none of us have — even though we've all been in IN FLAMES at some point, none of us have really thought about this as what you're saying. But then a lot of people that we speak to say it. So it's a little hard to take in, as we've been very thorough in just writing music. But I'd say it's a little flattering to hear it."

Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past three years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

Stanne recently told the "Heavy Hops" podcast about THE HALO EFFECT's musical direction: "Niclas started writing a few songs, just based on what he has and what he kind of digs. And I immediately felt, like, 'Oh, this is super cool. We're on to something here.' It's super heavy, it's melodic — it's all those things that we kind of grew up trying to do. Then Jesper got involved and he started changing a little bit of that or adding stuff to it. And we were, like, 'Okay, this is awesome.' It doesn't feel new at all, it doesn't feel super different, but at the same time, why should we? Let's focus on the things that we know best and try to kind of recapture that feeling that we had when we were kids, when we wanted to play together and that kind of playful atmosphere. Because the longer you play together with your main band or what have you, you try to constantly reinvent yourself, and so much energy goes into trying to be different from what you have done before. Whereas starting something new like this with a very familiar genre of music meant that you could be very free about it. It doesn't have to be anything in particular, it doesn't have to conform to any rules — it just needs to fucking kick ass and feel good."

Shortly after leaving IN FLAMES, Iwers joined CYHRA, the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and Strömblad. He announced his departure from that band in May 2018.

THE HALO EFFECT's first-ever tour will be as the support act for Swedish death metal giants AMON AMARTH and U.S. metallers MACHINE HEAD on 31 dates throughout Europe in the summer and fall of 2022.



The Halo Effect 🤘❤️

Posted by Svein Roger Ericsson on Saturday, June 11, 2022



The Halo Effect Sweden Rock Festival

Posted by Stefan Bladh on Saturday, June 11, 2022

THE HALO EFFECT

Just before @thehaloeffectse first live gig ever @swedenrockfestival

Nothing but pure magic!...

Posted by An Odd Story - a book on beer and metal on Saturday, June 11, 2022

IN FLAMES debuted a brand new song, "State Of Slow Decay", during its concert on Friday (June 10) at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

This past March, IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte confirmed that the band's upcoming album was once again recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson and Howard's longtime engineer Mike Plotnikoff.

Gelotte discussed the progress of the recording sessions for IN FLAMES' fourteenth studio album while taking part in an online video chat on "The Metal Tour Of The Year" Instagram.

"We just recorded [our new album], actually," Björn said. "We came home three days before we came [to Germany to start rehearsing for the U.K. tour]. We worked [in Los Angeles] with Howard Benson and his team. It's really, really good, and it suits us perfectly. The weather — January in Sweden is not very fun, and January in L.A., it's amazing."

Asked if Benson has his own recording studio in California, Gelotte said: "He's got a couple [of studios], actually. It's like a house where he has a few rooms, which is the studio. And that's where we do all guitars, bass and drums and all that stuff. But he's doing all the vocals at his house; he's got his own studio set up there. So [IN FLAMES singer] Anders [Fridén records his vocal tracks] there, and I'm in the house with Mike Plotnikoff, working on riffs and stuff. Yeah, it's awesome. This is the third record we [have done] with them, and it just works out really, really good for us."

IN FLAMES' follow-up to 2019's "I, The Mask" is due later in the year. The upcoming album will mark the band's recording debut with American drummer Tanner Wayne, best known for his work with UNDERMINDED, SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS and CHIODOS. Wayne joined IN FLAMES following the departure of Joe Rickard, who played on "I, The Mask" and 2016's "Battles".

Tanner made his live debut with IN FLAMES in July 2018 in Brno, Czech Republic.

Longtime IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced in 2015 that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life.

IN FLAMES' current lineup features American bassist Bryce Paul, who has been playing most of the shows with the group since longtime bassist Peter Iwers's November 2016 exit.

Three years ago, IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin stopped touring with the band to focus on "personal matters." Filling in for him since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

In August 2020, IN FLAMES released a special 20th-anniversary edition of its seminal, critically acclaimed album "Clayman". "Clayman 20th Anniversary Edition" came entirely remastered by Ted Jensen (PANTERA, DEFTONES, GOJIRA) and featured all-new artwork in a 16-page booklet, a brand-new instrumental medley plus four re-recorded versions of fan favorites such as "Only For The Weak" and "Pinball Map".

Former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe and his guitarist Steve Conte joined Alice Cooper on stage last night (Monday, June 6) at K.B. Hallen in Copenhagen, Denmark to perform the Cooper classic "School's Out". Fan-filmed video of their appearance can be seen below.

In a 2005 interview with Hollyweird Glamour, Monroe stated about Cooper: "Well, Alice Cooper could do no wrong in my eyes...I especially dig the '70s band period. 'Love It To Death', 'Killer', 'Billion Dollar Babies' and 'Welcome To My Nightmare' are definitely some of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time. I think 'The Eyes Of Alice Cooper' is excellent. Some of his best work yet. He’s gotten back that cool rock 'n' roll sound from the early days that I love so much while still sounding fresh and new. I received a copy of the 'Dirty Diamonds' and it sounds cool too, although time hasn't allowed me to really sink my teeth in it yet."

In 2011, Monroe spoke to 2Fast2Die about how he was inspired by Cooper's music in his childhood years. "When the Alice Cooper 'Love It To Death' album arrived in our home, I saw the coolest-looking band ever with a killer attitude, who had some fantastic songs with great lyrics," he said. "They were like a street gang and the singer had such a cool and husky, wasted-sounding voice. He was the guy who parents would love to hate and were disturbed and threatened by. He was skinny and 'sick' looking, wearing eye make-up and even had a girl's name — the total opposite of the regular macho, kinda 'manly' man that most guys would aspire to be. He immediately became my hero and a huge inspiration. To this day, I've never stopped loving the way that album sounds and how Alice and the band come across in the music. It really brought something special and essential to rock 'n' roll, which I'm truly thankful for.

"God bless Alice Cooper — the rock world wouldn't be nearly as cool without him and his band, and 'Love It To Death'," he added. "Not to mention all the other fantastic records that followed in years to come."

Monroe will release his new album, "I Live Too Fast To Die Young", on June 10 via Silver Lining Music.

Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including GUNS N' ROSES and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

HANOI ROCKS originally broke on to the hard rock scene in the first half of the 1980s, becoming one of the first Finnish bands to make an international impact. HANOI ROCKS's career was subsequently derailed after the 1984 death of drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley, who was killed in a car accident caused by MÖTLEY CRÜE's Vince Neil. Internal tensions and the commercial disappointment that was 1985's "Rock & Roll Divorce" led to Monroe leaving the band that year, thus putting an early end to HANOI ROCKS.

Professionally filmed video of EVANESCENCE's June 9 performance at this year's edition of the Nova Rock festival, which is being held on the Pannonia Fields in Nickelsdorf, Austria, can be seen below.

EVANESCENCE kicked off its spring/summer European tour last Sunday night (June 5) in Athens, Greece. The concert marked the band's first live appearance with EVANESCENCE's new lineup, featuring Emma Anzai of SICK PUPPIES on bass and EVANESCENCE's longtime bassist Tim McCord on guitar.

EVANESCENCE's latest lineup changes, including the departure of guitarist Jen Majura, were announced last month.

In a statement welcoming Anzai to the band, EVANESCENCE wrote: "We've been friends and fans for years, and the time has finally come to join forces. Emma will be pulling double duty as we have some shows with SICK PUPPIES coming up soon, so get ready for that!"

Regarding McCord's switch to the bass guitar, EVANESCENCE said: "After 16 years in the band as our rock solid bass player, Tim is taking a turn on his original instrument. Spoiler alert- he's great at it."

In the comments section below EVANESCENCE's Instagram post, singer Amy Lee added: "Making positive change in your life (and band) can be really hard. Some choices we make, some are made for us. But who we are in the end is how we handle whatever comes our way.

"Today is a big day in my band. Taking another step forward with my brothers who have been beside me for 15+ years, and welcoming in a beautiful friend we are so excited to share the stage with…. I'm happy.

"You never know whats around the corner, but when something is right you know it's right. And this feels so right. Welcome Emma! Love all you guys."

Jen's exit from EVANESCENCE was announced via social media on May 21.

"It has been a very special chapter in the band with our dear friend Jen Majura, but we have decided it's time to go our separate ways," EVANESCENCE said in a statement. "We will always love her and support her, and can't wait to see what she does next! We are so grateful for the good times and great music we made all around the world together."

A few hours later, Jen took to her social media to clarify: "I feel the need to address that none of this was my decision! I have no hard feelings against anybody and I wish EVANESCENCE all the best. I am allowed to carry beautiful memories of these past years, I am grateful."

The 38-year-old musician, a self-described "half-Asian living in Germany," joined EVANESCENCE in August 2015 as the replacement for Terry Balsamo.

In 2019, Lee said she was happy to have Majura in the band. "She has added a lot to our live shows because she's a singer," Amy explained. "It has been a really awesome thing to have live background vocals for the first time. I am such a fan of layered vocals, and to have that better represented at our show has been a cool breakthrough for me. And also, she's just rad energy. She's got a great attitude, fun personality, very engaging, killer onstage, so she has been a fun addition to our family. And of course, it's awesome having another girl in the band for the first time."

Majura has released two solo albums thus far, 2014's "Jen Majura" and 2017's "InZENity".

Last year, EVANESCENCE released "The Bitter Truth", its first album in 10 years.
We had the BEST time at @NovaRock_at yesterday!! Loved watching @bushofficial, @muse, and all the bands throughout the day. The festival is sending us the full recorded livestream next week to upload to our YouTube channel so stay tuned. Prague tonight!

Photos by David Bitzan pic.twitter.com/E86722goLm

— Evanescence (@evanescence) June 10, 2022

In February of this year, Colorado metal force, Allegaeon, released their latest album, Damnum. Today, the band shares a drum playthrough video for the song, "Of Beasts And Worms". Watch below:





Allegaeon are currently out on their Terrestrial Takeover US headlining tour. The journey runs through July 1 in Fresno, California. Support is provided by Arkaik, Aenimus, and Summoning The Lich.







Upcoming dates:


June
7 - Amplified Live - Dallas, TX
8 - Come And Take It Live - Austin, TX
9 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX
10 - Onyx Theater - Baton Rouge, LA
11 - Boggs Social - Atlanta, GA
12 - The Haven - Orlando, FL
14 - The Blind Tiger - Greensboro, NC
15 - Metro Gallery - Baltimore, MD
16 - Dingbatz - Clifton, NJ
17 - The Meadows - Brooklyn, NY
18 - Jewel Nightclub - Manchester, NH
19 - The Crafthouse - Pittsburgh, PA
20 - The Sanctuary - Detroit, MI
21 - Reggies - Chicago, IL
22 - Amsterdam Bar & Hall - St. Paul, MN
23 - Wildwood - Iowa City, IA
24 - The Royal Grove - Lincoln, NE
25 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
26 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
28 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
29 - Dante's - Portland, OR
30 - The X Bar - Cupertino, CA


July
1 - Full Circle Brewing District - Fresno, CA


* Allegaeon only





(Photo - Caleb Dane Young)

In a new interview with Brazil's Wikimetal, NAPALM DEATH frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway spoke about the rise of right-wing populism around the globe, including the election of Donald Trump in the United States, the Brexit vote in Britain, as well as the ascent of populist parties in countries such as Austria, Brazil, Italy, India, Indonesia and Poland.

"The thing is that the world has always been a shitty place, and it's also been a fantastic place," Greenway said (see video below). "You can go back periods in history — even if you take the last hundred years, you can point out time periods in every decade that were really shit for people in general, or more smaller groups of people. So this is nothing new.

"There was always a possibility it was gonna go this way, because populism and the idea of protectionism… More people want for themselves, or they're told, they're conditioned to believe that they should want more for themselves than that person down the street who looks different or is different in other ways," he continued. "There was always a possibility. And it was repelled in the 1930s, and hopefully it will be repelled again — for the sake of the human race. This is actually really important stuff.

"To my mind, it should be that the human race learns from its mistakes in the past and doesn't repeat the same things or go backwards; we should be moving forwards."

Greenway added: "The people who espouse all these really inhumane ideas, it almost seems like they don't care if the human race goes completely to shit, because that's a very real possibility, if you increase that whole sort of dynamic and you go down that road.

"I want human beings to have a better future; I want human beings to live in dignity. Not just a few — everybody. That's the only way things are gonna be sustainable into the future."

NAPALM DEATH will release its new studio album, "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", on September 18 via Century Media Records.

Scott Gorham says that he is focusing on making a new 21 GUNS album after exiting BLACK STAR RIDERS last year.

Gorham was in BLACK STAR RIDERS for nearly a decade, having formed the band in 2013 with other THIN LIZZY members after deciding to write and record new music under a new moniker. BLACK STAR RIDERS' original lineup was completed by vocalist Ricky Warwick, guitarist Damon Johnson, bassist Marco Mendoza and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso.

BLACK STAR RIDERS announced Gorham's departure last September, with Warwick saying in a statement: "We are very sad to see Scott go, but we discussed a very heavy world touring commitment on the new record and Scott decided he wanted to concentrate just on THIN LIZZY — and being the legend he is, none of us can blame him."

Gorham discussed his decision to leave BLACK STAR RIDERS in a June 1 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ricky and I, we had done it for 10 years. I think we had done maybe five albums, I wanna say — but at least four. So that's a pretty good glop of time. I just felt it was time. Here's the pandemic; everything's coming to a standstill. This is probably the right time to kind of let that side of my life go. Let Ricky and the boys go ahead and keep it going. And it frees me up, really, to do other things. If I wanted to go out and do the THIN LIZZY thing again, I'm freed up to do that, no problem. If I wanted to go out — which I'm really seriously thinking of doing — is going in and doing a third 21 GUNS album, which is pretty near and dear to my heart. So I've been writing songs for that project there. So hopefully by the end of the year I'm gonna be able to get into the studio with [bassist] Leif Johanson, who's my partner in 21 GUNS, and go over to Oslo in Norway and get that thing going. So we'll see what happens on that one."

Reflecting on why 21 GUNS failed to make more of a mark when it was originally active in the 1990s, Gorham said: "We got kind of crushed — and I'll admit it — we got crushed by grunge. [Laughs] It was almost like the month we finally got that [first] album ['Salute'] out [in July 1992], PEARL JAM and all these bands came out and just kind of swept the boards with everything. And anything that was just a nanosecond behind was kind of dusted. So it was a case of really bad timing. If you go back and listen to that album, I love it; I just think it's a great album. For me, it was a great album but really the wrong time to bring it out. So hopefully [laughs], hopefully our timing will be a little bit better this time."

Circling back to BLACK STAR RIDERS, host Eddie Trunk asked Gorham if it was frustrating to hang in with a project for so long where he couldn't "get it to the next level and over the hump" in terms of commercial success. Scott responded: "Well, of course it is. But I love these guys so much — I love playing with them, I love writing with them, going out on the road. All of our personalities just jelled to a tee, so that makes everything that much easier to hang in there. And I thought we actually wrote some really cool songs, we recorded some good albums. But every band needs that bit of luck — THIN LIZZY needed it, every band out there, you need that — right song at the right time with the right people listening and buying. We just didn't have it at that point, and I'll be the first one to admit that. It just didn't quite work; we were just kind of a little bit of a nano's hair away from it almost working. It seemed like every album we put out, it would get in the Top Five of every rock chart. And so you think, 'Well, okay, we're on our way. That's great. That's really good news.' But you need those national charts. The rock charts are great, the indie charts are great, but what really matters is those… Are you really reaching the mass public? So you need to write those songs that are going to appeal to a mass audience.

"Like I said, we missed the mark a little bit with BLACK STAR RIDERS," he admitted. "'Cause I love Ricky to death and all the guys — I really do. I hope they go out and make 10 million dollars apiece and have multiple Number One albums; I think that would just be the greatest thing. So I'm kind of looking towards the future for me with the whole 21 GUNS thing. And with the LIZZY thing, we'll see what happens down the road."

Gorham said in a February 2022 interview that THIN LIZZY's lineup will continue to include Warwick and Johnson, with the drummer and bassist positions yet to be filled.

BLACK STAR RIDERS said that they would not seek a replacement for Gorham and would instead carry on as a four-piece, with Ricky handling a lot of the guitar parts alongside Christian Martucci, who joined the band after album number three in 2018.

BLACK STAR RIDERS entered the studio in Los Angeles last October with longtime producer Jay Ruston (STONE SOUR, STEEL PANTHER, URIAH HEEP, ANTHRAX) to record the follow-up to 2019's "Another State Of Grace". The as-yet untitled fifth album will arrive in early 2023, and dates are booked to start within a couple of weeks of release. Los Angeles drummer Zak St. John joined BLACK STAR RIDERS to track the new album.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE frontman Chris "Motionless" Cerulli was asked if there were any musicians he tried to get to guest on the band's upcoming album, "Scoring The End Of The World", who weren't able to make an appearance. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This is a really amazing story for me, and I don't know whether or not he would want this to be known, but interestingly enough, for the song 'Meltdown', I reached out to David [Draiman] from DISTURBED. Because I felt like although the song is not exactly — it doesn't sound very much like a DISTURBED song, there's something about it that I felt like his voice would really take this song to a level that would be insanity. I feel like the song has elements of that early DISTURBED kind of electronic industrial stuff. So we reached out. And I was met with a really cool fanboy moment. Whereas most people just have their management say they're not available, he wrote an e-mail back directly to me saying very nice things about the band and me. And I was reading this, and I was, like, 'Is this real?' I know that he's really supportive of new bands — he's not one of those jaded, 'nope' kind of dudes. And I read that, and it inspired me so much to see people that paved the way for our band to be what we are… I don't know. It blew my mind."

Chris went on to say that David "wasn't able to" guest on the new MOTIONLESS IN WHITE album because DISTURBED "were working on their new stuff and he didn't wanna get pulled away from that, understandably, but just getting that note back was better than even having him on the song. So it was really awesome."

According to Cerulli, Draiman went a step further in voicing his support for MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. "Not long after that, he tweeted about a few of the bands that are on the radar now, like NOTHING MORE and, I think, POP EVIL, us, and a few others, and it was just, like, man, this guy recognizes his influence and his voice and he's using it to support music and rock," Chris said. "And that is such a cool thing to see."

Due on June 10 via Roadrunner, "Scoring The End Of The World" is available to pre-save on all streaming platforms, with exclusive merch bundles available for pre-order in the band's official store.

Earlier this month, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE released the "Scoring The End Of The World" title track. Prior to that, the band shared "Slaughterhouse", featuring KNOCKED LOOSE's Bryan Garris, as well as "Masterpiece" and "Cyberhex", the official videos for which quickly trended Top 10 on YouTube and have since amassed over eight million views.

"Scoring The End Of The World" marks MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's first full-length body of work since 2019's "Disguise". The latter has quietly made a major impact on rock music and culture. The single "Another Life" stands out as MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's most-streamed song ever with over 23 million YouTube views on the music video.

Having recently wrapped its massively successful triple-co-headline "Trinity Of Terror" tour with BLACK VEIL BRIDES and ICE NINE KILLS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE is set to make several U.S. festival appearances this year with anticipated performances slated for Sacramento, California's Aftershock festival (October 7) and Las Vegas, Nevada's When We Were Young festival (October 22, October 23, October 29). Additional upcoming international dates for MOTIONLESS IN WHITE include a summer run in Australia with I PREVAIL and then a 2023 European tour with BEARTOOTH.

Finnish supergroup UHRIJUHLA will release its self-titled debut album on December 7 through Svart Records. Featuring members of XYSMA and CALLISTO, UHRIJULHA's full-length CD follows a seven-inch single release and two videos.

Even though the band themselves would shun the description, there are enough reasons to call UHRIJUHLA a "supergroup." Male vocalist Janitor Muurinen is best known from XYSMA, the world's most criminally underrated death metal group, and guitarist Markus Myllykangas is the leading member of post-metal band CALLISTO. Female vocalist Olga is a successful solo artist in her own right. Most of the music and all of the lyrics are written by Kauko Röyhkä, one of the most respected Finnish singer-songwriters, with a 30-year career and a few dozen albums under his belt.

UHRIJUHLA ("Sacrificial Feast" in English — although the name is inspired by the cult classic movie "The Wicker Man", which is called "Uhrijuhla" in Finland) came together three years ago with the purpose of playing a new kind of progressive rock — partially homage to the grand masters from the '70s but also influenced by modern progressive pop such as PORTISHEAD and MASSIVE ATTACK. After a few fruitless attempts to get the band going, CALLISTO guitarist Myllykangas joined the fold in 2012 and suddendly everything just clicked. The eponymous album was recorded in the springtime and finished in September. The result is a multi-faceted, lush, and adventurous progressive vintage pop album with moods ranging from HAWKWIND-style guitar psychedelia to Linda Perhacs-like introspection.

Svart Records, having already worked with both XYSMA and CALLISTO, snapped the new band up quickly. The debut seven-inch single and music video, "Liian Kaukana", appeared in October and the second video, "Avaruuden Lapsi", in November. The band is now gearing up to play live dates with such acts as HEXVESSEL and SAMMAL and is already writing new material.

"Uhrijuhla" track listing:

01. Avaruuden Lapsi
02. Se Minkä Maa Voi Antaa
03. Kotona
04. Liian Kaukana
05. Kevään Airut
06. Maaliskuun Yössä
07. Yökello
08. Pikimusta Tähtikirkas Yö
09. Tunturit

Fan-filmed video of JUDAS PRIEST's June 8 concert at Helsinki Ice Hall (Helsingin Jäähalli) in Helsinki, Finland can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. One Shot At Glory
02. Lightning Strike
03. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
04. Freewheel Burning
05. Turbo Lover
06. Hell Patrol
07. The Sentinel
08. A Touch Of Evil
09. Rocka Rolla
10. Victim Of Changes
11. Desert Plains
12. Blood Red Skies
13. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
14. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
15. Painkiller

Encore:

16. The Hellion / Electric Eye
17. Hell Bent For Leather
18. Breaking The Law
19. Living After Midnight

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off its spring/summer 2022 European tour with an intimate concert on May 31 in Berlin, Germany. For the gig, which was held at the 1,600-capacity Huxleys Neue Welt venue, Rob Halford and his bandmates ditched their traditional leather-and-studs look in favor of a more stripped-down appearance.

Last month, Halford told ABC Audio that PRIEST was in the process of "tracking" follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album.

"You can never have enough songs when you're making an album," he said. "Songs that you didn't even know you had bits and pieces and fragments of, suddenly they become an incredibly important part of your record."

Regarding the musical direction of the new JUDAS PRIEST material, Rob said: "The music that we're making now is representative of where PRIEST is at this probably sixth decade of our existence when it comes out… It sounds great. I'm really pleased. I'm really, really happy that… we're not dropping the ball. Not that we ever have. But it's good, because there are some elements in there that we've never… kind of discovered before."

More than a year ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album will see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". He was replaced by Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

This past March, Faulkner told the "Metal From The Inside" podcast about the recording process for the new PRIEST album: "It's been slowed down a lot because of, obviously, the pandemic. We wanted to get together, like we did on 'Firepower', and record it together, but, obviously, the lockdowns and everything like that slowed that process [down]. Some of us live in the U.S., some of us live in the U.K., so getting together proved to be a bit difficult over the last couple of years. Now everything is kind of opening up, it's a bit easier, but now we're on the road, so we've got a touring cycle [to get through]. So, if we can, we might be able to do it in between the touring cycles."

As for when fans can expect to get the next PRIEST album, Faulkner said: "We don't have a release date. It's not finished. We've got the songs, but we've gotta record it. We've got drums down. I don't know if that's even been said yet. So we're gonna try and build it up as we move through this touring cycle. But as Rob always says, it'll be finished when it's finished. At this point in their career, there's no point in rushing anything, especially when we've waited this long through the pandemic to start doing it. It'll be done when it's done. But there will be another PRIEST record. We've got some great songs."

Regarding the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Richie said: "It's different to 'Firepower', but it's definitely… You can hear where it's coming from. It's not even 'Firepower 2'… It's hard to say anything these days without people getting… If I say it's like a continuation of 'Firepower', people think it's 'Firepower 2'. It's got its own character, it's got its own legs, and we're looking forward to releasing it on to the world when it's done."

In February, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's recent comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

That same month, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."

JUDAS PRIEST will receive the Musical Excellence Award at this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, which will honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The induction ceremony will be held on November 5, 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Halford, Hill, Tipton and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.