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


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


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




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


Manowar have since issued the following response:


"In response to the publication made by Barcelona Rock Fest on their official social media pages regarding our performance scheduled for June 30th, 2022 we must communicate the following:


First, we must clarify that the statements contained in their announcement do not conform with reality.


The festival promoter and Manowar reached an agreement in June 2020 regarding Manowar's performance at Barcelona Rock Fest; otherwise we would not have authorized and supported the festival’s announcement of our participation and their promotional efforts.


The promoters of this festival are now trying to unilaterally modify the terms.


Manowar’s greatest wish is to reunite with our Spanish fans and to perform at Barcelona Rock Fest. This will only be possible if the agreed upon terms will be fulfilled by the promoters.


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


We have the utmost confidence that the situation will be resolved and that the promoters of the festival will finally fulfill their obligations, so that the fans of Barcelona Rock Fest can see the headliner that has been advertised for June 30, 2022.


Unfortunately, several problems with the organization of this year’s edition of the festival have ocurred, that we hope will not have to come to light.


Manowar reiterates that we are prepared to perform at this festival as long as the agreement is met, and we deeply regret all this inconvenience that is being caused by the promoter to the fans.


This situation in Spain does not affect any of our other scheduled performances."


Manowar released an official video trailer earlier this year for the Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour ’22/’23, which celebrates over forty years of true metal and anniversaries of eight immortal Manowar albums: Battle Hymns, Into Glory Ride, Fighting The World, Kings Of Metal, The Triumph Of Steel, Warriors Of The World, Gods Of War, The Lord Of Steel.


A mega-setlist will honor this unique alignment in history and cover the band’s entire career in a brand new, immersive stage production. For all tour details and ticket links, head here.

The deadly duo of Canada's Greber are a harsh hardcore concoction that have a solid new LP Fright Without coming out this September 2022. Since getting together way back in 2006, they have come out with an impressive array of albums including four full-lengths and six splits with a myriad of crushing bands. Fright Without is being teased right now with an enticing short video, and for those that are interested in snagging the full release can pre-order it. Greber shares their excitement for the release:


“Fright Without is a handle-less staircase that disorients as much as it overwhelms. Our testament to suffering and hope, balance and woe, heaven and here. With Kurt Ballou lending his abilities to the mix we’re beyond happy with how the final product came to sound and we hope that the listener finds it to be as much of an escape as they do a confrontation.”


Looking forward to getting feedback from listeners, Greber quotes that the album is “the same but different” from their earlier releases. They’ve given it their all to deliver raw, unrelenting noise and the few who have had the chance to hear it, have mentioned it being a big change.







Fright Without is ten tracks written and performed mostly by Steve Vargas (drums/vocals) (The Great Sabatini, BIIPIIGWAN) and Marc Bourgon (bass, vocals) (ex-Fuck The Facts) who are joined on several of the tracks by various musicians. These additions add new dimensions to the tracks, giving the listener more to chew on.


Risen from the ashes of their former band Tugnut, Vargas and Bourgon figured they weren’t done playing music together, and the seedling of Greber was nurtured from its germination to be a loud and devastating live force that could be used to vent their various creative impulses and have a really fun time doing so. Fast forward almost 16 years and it is still something that delivers on that front for them personally so mission accomplished.


Those that get to see Greber play live can expect a succinct set, with limited banter, no guitar player, high decibel levels, and a few sweet LED lights. They are recommended listening for fans of Unearthly Trance, Man is the Bastard, and Black Sheep Wall.


The teaser video for Fright Without can be checked out now, the full release is slated for September 9, 2022, and will be available from the following labels: Ancient Temple and Nofuneral for Vinyl, CD, and Cassette in Canada, Hibernation Release for Vinyl in the USA, and 7 Degrees and Fresh Outbreak for Vinyl in Europe. Preorder on  Bandcamp.





(Photo – Austin Gibson / Editing – Youth and Rust)

Jen Majura has opened up about her exit from EVANESCENCE, saying she is "still in shock" about being fired from the Amy Lee-fronted band.

The 39-year-old guitarist's departure from EVANESCENCE was announced on May 21 via social media.

"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."

During an appearance on THE HAUNTED guitarist Ola Englund's YouTube show "Coffee With Ola", Majura spoke about her split with EVANESCENCE, saying that she is still "hurt" by the move and comparing the situation to a divorce.

"I believe, honestly, it's three weeks now since I got the news, and I'm still in this blurry, oblivious momentum," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I guess I'm still in shock, kind of, because after being married six years, all of a sudden you're divorced.

"You know me, I always try to find the positive in a situation, so every day, step by step — I'm not doing great yet — but every day I find little tiny things that I'm, like, 'Oh, actually, this is good.'"

Asked how she found out that her services were no longer needed in EVANESCENCE, Jen said: "Honestly, I was cleaning my apartment, and I got the phone call. And first of all, I was, like, 'Is this a bad joke?' And I remember, after I got the news, I hung up, and I have this hallway in between my studio and my living room, and I just lay there on the floor, staring at the ceiling, wondering what that was, and literally looking over to my suitcase that I had already started packing, because I was two weeks from going out on the road until pretty much the end of the year."

Majura went on to say that she has already received offers to join other bands but she is reluctant to jump into another situation so soon after her exit from EVANESCENCE. "I would like to consider [some of these other offers], but not now, not yet," she explained. "Because I feel like it would be not a nice move if I played the okay person when I'm still processing. I'm not ready to jump into the next marriage right now.

"To be really honest, what I wanna do right now is, first of all, focus on me and my music again," she said. "Because what I realize is that you, when you… It's difficult to say… I feel like I lost a little bit of my music inside of me during these past years, because… What I right now do, what I right now want to do is I wanna reconnect with myself and feel and hear and play my music again. And who knows? The plan is, so far — you heard it here first — I'm gonna write my third solo album."

Asked by Ola if she is "okay" with the fact that her tenure with EVANESCENCE has come to an end, Jen said: "I'm hurt. I'm hurt and still in this blurry confusion of what just happened." But she added: "I'm getting there. Like I said, it would be wrong of me if I would play the 'hey, I'm totally okay' Jen. It's tough. And like I said, I'm still not great. But I'm getting there every day with tiny little things that make life beautiful."

Majura, a self-described "half-Asian living in Germany," joined EVANESCENCE in August 2015 as the replacement for Terry Balsamo.

Shortly after she landed the gig, Majura spoke to EMP Rock Invasion about how she came to connect with EVANESCENCE. She said: "My name was somehow recommended by a sweet friend of mine, Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT, and Dave Eggar — he's also known as a very good cellist, and he's a musician working in New York. And all of a sudden, there was this e-mail popping up: 'Are you interested in joining…?' And I was, like, 'What the fuck?' So I stopped breathing until my face turned kind of blue. And then afterwards, I was, like, 'Okay, I've gotta read it again.' Three days later, I found myself suddenly on an airplane, flying over to New York to meet Amy Lee. And we had some very, very cool talks. She's an awesome person. She's a very, very great musician. And so I found myself suddenly inside of his empire called EVANESCENCE."

Regarding the fact that she didn't even have to "audition" for EVANESCENCE, Jen said: "Yeah. To be honest, I was kind of concerned. I told [Amy], 'Do you want me to bring my guitar?' And, 'Would you like me to audition?' And she was totally, like: 'Nah, I know you can play. I've seen plenty of videos of you. And I know your live experience and you're touring the world, so… No, just come over and let's have some food and talk.' Yeah, and that's it. So, actually, what I was surprised by very, very much was that she actually had another guitar player on her list, and that was the guitar player of Alice Cooper [Nita Strauss]. And she's now with Alice Cooper and I'm now with EVANESCENCE. This is, like… I still can't believe it."

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.

EVANESCENCE kicked off its spring/summer European tour on 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.

The fan-filmed clip below features KISS running through their classics "Plaster Caster" and "Got To Choose" during the soundcheck for their June 20th show at Jäähalli  in Helsinki, Finland.










Fan-filmed video of the Helsinki show is avauilable below. The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Detroit Rock City"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Deuce"
"War Machine"
"Heaven's On Fire"
"I Love It Loud"
"Say Yeah"
"Cold Gin"
- Tommy Thayer guitar solo -  (Tommy Thayer)
"Lick It Up"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Tears Are Falling"
"Psycho Circus"
- drum solo - 
"100,000 Years"
- bass solo
"God Of Thunder"
"Love Gun"
"I Was Made For Lovin' You"
"Black Diamond"


Encore:
"Beth"
"Do You Love Me"
"Rock And Roll All Nite"

This Friday, international progressive metal quintet Philosophobia, formed by current and former members of Kamelot, Pain Of Salvation, Wastefall, and more, will release their eponymous debut album through Sensory Records. Today, Ghost Cult Magazine is hosting a premiere for the album’s third single, through a graphic and heartfelt lyric video for the song “Voices Unheard.”


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 new lyric video for “Voices Unheard” was created by Andreas Ballnus, who reveals, “After the release of the album's ballad, ‘Between The Pines,’ we thought we would show the more aggressive and heavy side of Philosophobia. The song lives from its tempo and epic chorus, combined with a softer and melodic part in the middle section.


“Lyrically it deals with animal abuse, factory farming, and so on. Since 3/5 of the band are vegetarian, this topic has a very big meaning for the band. In combination with the video its aim is to give a voice to the voiceless and hopefully help make people aware of the global situation.


“The video itself shows animal abuse from shredded chicken to dog puppies beaten to death for leather to monkeys at laboratories and many more. Due to the fact that the footage might be too shocking, we decided to overlay it with some filters.”


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"


"Voices Unheard":





"Time To Breathe" video:





Lineup:


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

Even after 40 steamy, liver-destroying, gut-stretching years in the name of heavy metal, there's no stopping the Tankard beer train. Just in time for the festivities surrounding their 40th birthday, our favorite Frankfurt band lets Pavlov's Dawgs off the leash, their 18th album in total and debut for the new label Reaper Entertainment.


Just in time for the pre-order-start of the new album on July 1, 2022, the first digital single with the wonderful title "Beerbarians" will also be released. The matching cover of the single was created by Cliff Knese.







Album and single were produced and recorded again in the Gernhard Studio Troisdorf, together with producer Martin Buchwalter.


To shorten the waiting time for the new single, the band presents you an official studio trailer and gives you a look behind the scenes at Gernhard Studio:





Pavlov's Dawgs will be released on CD, colored vinyl, limited earbook with previously unreleased pictures from 40 years of Tankard and as a limited boxset including two demos on cassette.





Tracklisting:


“Pavlov’s Dawg”
“Ex-Fluencer”
“Beerbarians”
“Diary Of A Nihilist”
“Veins Of Terra”
“Momento”
“Metal Cash Machine”
“Dark Self Intruder”
“Lockdown Forever”
“On The Day I Die” 


(Photo - Axel Jusseits)

The debut album from Riot Act, the new band formed by former Riot guitarist Rick Ventura is sure to please old and new fans of the early ‘80s legendary group.





Closer To The Flame - the album, is available now via Global Rock Records, released April 15 as a 2CD set.




The album comes with a 12 track bonus CD of classic Riot tracks recut; these recordings feature the final ever recordings of Lou Kouvaris, who tragically passed away of Covid-19 in early 2020.


The band offers the following statement:


"Riot Act’s new album is a culmination of emotions over the past two years. From the excitement of our early rehearsals, to the loss of our band mate, struggling through a pandemic and not knowing if we were going to continue, the four of us knew that the band had much to offer. The result of that renewed energy is ‘Carry The Torch’ and with joining forces with Global Rock Records we are ready for the world to hear this new music we have been working on for so long. The band has released three videos, first of which is the single ‘Wanted’ along with ‘Stand Or Fall’ and the title track ‘Closer To The Flame’. These songs capture the energy and roots of the band. A taste of things to come!”


Riot Act features former Riot guitarist Rick Ventura, Don Chaffin vocals, Paul Ranieri bass, and Claudio Galinski drums.





“Stand Or Fall” video:





Riot Act will be touring the UK as support to Lillian Axe in the UK throughout August 2022 and with Heavy Pettin in Spain beginning September 2.





Dates:


August
22 – Wolverhampton – The Robin 2
23 – Newcastle – Trillian’s
24 – Bradford – Nightrain
25 – Edinburgh – Bannerman’s
26 – Swansea – Hangar 18
27 – London – Camden Underworld


September
2 – Madrid, Spain
3 – Portugal, Spain
4 – Barcelona, Spain 

Sweetwater’s Nick Bowcott (former Grim Reaper guitarist) is back for another scintillating guitar lesson, this time covering the iconic intro riff from “Iron Man“ off Black Sabbath‘s sophomore album, Paranoid.


A near-ubiquitous track among metalheads of all generations, “Iron Man“ is a great song for beginners to cut their teeth on and veteran players to have in the back pocket. Check it out below:










Tony Iommi receives near-universal recognition as the father of heavy metal. The Gibson Tony Iommi SG Special is a true-to-life re-creation of his prized “Monkey“ SG Special - the axe that produced the sinister proto-metal riffage on Black Sabbath‘s early albums.


This solidbody electric guitar is built around a resonant mahogany body, with a rosewood-capped mahogany neck that‘s ultra-easy on your fingertips or lack thereof. Just like the guitar that inspired it, the Iommi SG Special comes loaded with chrome-covered P-90 pickups that deliver enough high-output, single-coil bite to drive you insane.


In the new video below, Nick Bowcott demos the SG Special:

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of a new studio album from intergalactic metallers, Sick N' Beautiful, with the unleashing of Starstruck on July 15. Watch a video for the new single, "Drop It 2 The B", below.


Sick N' Beautiful is the ultimate rock n' roll sideshow from outer space: a unique concoction of hard rock and modern metal infused with industrial, punk, and electro-pop overtones, blending in varying influences from across the musical spectrum to create a sound all their own. Intrigued yet?


Pre-order/save Starstruck here. Sick N' Beautiful has also launched a Kickstarter campaign for a feature film they are working on. Fans can order special bundles for Starstruck to participate. Head to Kickstarter for more details.




In their own words: "We are intergalactic nomads, performing our numbers for the enjoyment of all species we meet in our travels. Rumor has it that sometimes we resort to "questionable" means to make ends meet: all we will say is that life in space is never easy. We fly the BFS9000, a ship that has seen better days. Even so, the recent massive engine failure came totally unexpected. With nowhere else left to go, we crash-landed on Earth, in the vicinity of Rome, Italy. Our ship is stuck here until we can get enough resources to fix it and resume our voyage.”


They continue, "Sick N' Beautiful is absolutely thrilled with signing up with the Frontiers label! They truly appreciate the "madness" of what we do, and they have left us with complete creative freedom. We trust that their experience of over 25 years in hard rock and metal will propel our eclectic spaceship farther than ever before... We also thank Oracle Management especially for their unique love and support in helping us to make all of this possible!"





Tracklisting:


“Tonight We Go To War”
“Starstruck”
“Drop It 2 The B”
“This Is Not The End”
“Defy The Light”
“Deep End Dark”
“Schadenfreude”
“Pull Of Gravity”
“Angels Be Fallin’”
“YTOPYNONAVEVANONYPOTY”


"Drop It 2 The B" video:





“This Is Not The End” video:

Life Of Agony performed at the 2022 edition of Hellfest in Clisson, France on June 19. You can watch professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set below.


Setlist:


"Plexiglass Gate" (Intro)
"Respect"
"My Eyes"
"River Runs Red"
"Bad Seed"
"Scars"
"Lost At 22"
"Weeds"
"Method Of Groove"
"This Time"
"Through And Through"
"Underground"







Life Of Agony have announced a string of US West Coast tour dates in September. Special guests on select dates will be All Hail The Yeti. For ticket links, visit the band's official website, here.





Tour dates:


September
15 - The Dip - Redding, CA
17 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
18 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
20 - Goldfield - Roseville, CA
21 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
23 - Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
24 - The Whisky - Los Angeles, CA

Ozzy Osbourne will release his new album, "Patient Number 9", on September 9. The LP's title track, featuring a guest appearance by legendary guitarist Jeff Beck, can be streamed below. Artist and comic book creator Todd McFarlane directed the music video for the song, which is set to premiere at 10 a.m. ET / 7:00 a.m. PT on Friday (June 24).

"Patient Number 9" track listing:

01. Patient Number 9 (feat. Jeff Beck)
02. Immortal (feat. Mike McCready)
03. Parasite (feat. Zakk Wylde)
04. No Escape From Now (feat. Tony Iommi)
05. One Of Those Days (feat. Eric Clapton)
06. A Thousand Shades (feat. Jeff Beck)
07. Mr. Darkness (feat. Zakk Wylde)
08. Nothing Feels Right (feat. Zakk Wylde)
09. Evil Shuffle (feat. Zakk Wylde)
10. Degradation Rules (feat. Tony Iommi)
11. Dead And Gone
12. God Only Knows
13. Darkside Blues

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

"The song is about a mental institution," Ozzy said.

In the track, Osbourne sings: "When they call your name, better run and hide / Tell you you're insane, you believe their lies / I'm not getting out, no I'm not getting out alive / I'm not getting out, 'cause I'm patient number 9."

Regarding Beck's contribution to the song, Ozzy said: "Having someone like Jeff Beck play on my album is just incredible, a total honor. There's no other guitar player that plays like him and his solo on 'Patient Number 9' is just jaw-dropping."

As for his renewed collaboration with Iommi, Ozzy said: "It was really great working with Tony. He's the riff master. No one can touch him in that respect. I only wish we had these songs for BLACK SABBATH's '13' album."

"Patient Number 9" will include an appearance by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, who played on Ozzy's last studio album, 2020's "Ordinary Man".

This past March, Smith revealed during an interview with the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast that the new Ozzy album would also feature Robert Trujillo (METALLICA) and Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES).

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

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

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

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

Today, Classless Act, one of the most buzzed-about up-and-coming rock bands, are releasing their much-anticipated debut album, Welcome To The Show, via Better Noise Music. Having already earned more than one million streams, the new album gained early traction with three previously released singles, including the self-titled “Classless Act” that features a guest appearance by Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil, the catchy “This Is For You” with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, and the bombastic “Time To Bleed”.


"Just like the song says, we gave you all our blood, our sweat, our tears, our hate, our sex, our deepest, darkest fears. This is for you!" said frontman Derek Day about the album. 


Also premiering today is the new single and music video, “All That We Are”, the final installment in the four-part, interlocking video series that loosely follows the band as they set the soundtrack for the misadventures of Farley, an unlucky soul in the wrong place at the wrong time. 







"'All that we are' - is it enough for us to survive?" asks Day. "This is a question, a concept we found ourselves asking after all we have been through over the past two years. Hell, the past seven or so years. We’ve been in a wee bit of a less-than-sunny time in our history. So what are we gonna do? Grow or go! Everyone needs to decide. We’ve got a show tonight, so I know what we’re doing!”


Classless Act is poised to find a whole new legion of fans, first with their single “Classless Act” appearing on the soundtrack for The Retaliators film, out this fall, and as they continue in their opening spot on this summer’s 36-date North American Stadium Tour, performing alongside Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett. The tour kicked off June 16 in Atlanta and runs through September 9 in Las Vegas.


While the music tells its own story, so do the members of the band themselves, hailing from all over the globe, including Hawaii, Los Angeles, Argentina, and Dallas. The band, featuring Derek Day (vocals), Dane Pieper (guitar), Griffin Tucker (guitar), Franco Gravante (bass), and Chuck McKissock (drums), first formed in 2018 when the five former strangers met via social media.





Tracklisting:


"Classless Act" (feat. Vince Neil of Motley Crue)
"This Is For You" (feat. Justin Hawkins)
"Time To Bleed"
"On My Phone"
"All That We Are"
"Made In Hell"
"Storm Before The Calm"
"Haunting Love"
"Walking Contradiction"
"Give It To Me"
"Circles"
"Thoughts From A Dying Man"


Digital, CDs, cassettes and colored vinyl copies of the album can be ordered here.


“Time To Bleed” video:





“Classless Act” video:





"This Is For You" video:





"Give It To Me" video:





Remaining dates on The Stadium Tour are as listed:


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


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


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


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





(Artwork & Photo - Travis Shinn)


 

UK-based cult death/doom outfit, Enchantment, will unleash their long-awaited new full-length, Cold Soul Embrace, tomorrow, Friday, June 24, via Transcending Records and Cosmic Key Creations, marking the band’s first new output in nearly 30 years!


Pre-orders can be placed at this location, and you can find an advanced album stream below.


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"


Album stream:





"As Greed As The Eye Beholds" lyric video:





"Of Glorious Vistas Forgot" video:





(Photo - Bobby Pook)

Fit For a King have a very busy 2022 ahead of them - a new album and major tour are on the horizon. Today, the Texas band has dropped the video for the band new single, "Reaper." Watch below.


FFAK come roaring out of the gates, as "Reaper" is the first new track from the band this year. It's got moshable grooves, hellfire riffs, and an ominous, ticking clock that nods to the song's lyrical concept.


"In the studio, I became obsessed with a German TV show called Dark," says vocalist Ryan Kirby. "The show really had me reflect on how finite our time on earth is — that we have no control, no matter how rich, religious, or diligent. Time is truly the Grim Reaper."




The band will drop its seventh album this fall. FFAK will also hit the road with I Prevail and Piece The Veil this summer and fall.





(Photo - Dana Willax)

The popular vinyl collectible company Funko — best known for its big-headed Pop! figures — has announced its latest artist collaboration: JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford.

Due later in the year, the vinyl figure is approximately 3.75 inches tall. It comes packaged in a window display box.

Other artists who have gotten the Pop! treatment in the past include KISS, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, DEF LEPPARD, Rob Zombie, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, GHOST, MOTÖRHEAD and Joan Jett.

A Funko vinyl Pop! figure, or popularly known as a "Pop!", is packaged carefully inside a box with a transparent front. The figurine is made out of vinyl and may come as a bobblehead.

Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, toys, plush, apparel, board games, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters.

Funko reportedly holds more than 150 licenses, including Lucas Films, Marvel, Hasbro, Disney and more. The company reported having 777 full-time employees at the end of 2020, 617 of which were based in the U.S.

After Funko's Q3 results were announced last November — beating expectations on revenue and earnings per share (EPS) — CEO Brian Mariotti said: "As a credit to our brand, we are continuing to expand our product categories and fan base, increasing fan engagement and bringing innovative new products to market."

According to InvestorPlace, Funko also got into the non-fungible token market, releasing limited-edition digital card packs that include rare cards. Buyers can trade these rare cards to profit from the collectibles market.

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P.O.D. has announced the release of When Angels & Serpents Dance on October 14 through Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group.  The album has been remixed and remastered with three bonus tracks not on the original master. View the official music video for “Addicted” below, and pre-order the album here.


When asked about the lead track shared “Addicted”, singer Sonny Sandoval offers, “We all have friends or family going through something. Without trying to just be so obvious, it is. Sometimes that stuff is out of your control. Once you get to that place in life, it really does ruin your life and take over. But again, how much of it is your choice and how much of it is really just being caught up? A lot of it is about my brother-in-law actually. He is homeless and kind of made that choice that he didn’t want to be a part of society. Like it was easier to just be on his own and do what he wanted to do and have no responsibilities. He struggles with substance abuse. It really stemmed from that. It’s never really always about one person. Whatever the topic is. I’m sure you know someone who is stuck in the same thing. It happened to be about a lot of stuff. I grew up around addiction and people that either died from addiction or it ruined their life because of it.”  Guitarist Marcos Curiel adds, “As humans, we all have our demons and addictions, whether it is drugs, alcohol, or otherwise.  We could be addicted to social media, or you could be addicted to a negative person, and have a negative outlook.  So for me it just reminds me that you can’t take life for granted and addiction is a real thing.  I think a lot of it comes from mental health and it is a big deal man.  You see people struggling mentally man, and I think a lot of people try to numb it so they find other ways to numb themselves and they get addicted.”


Looking back at the time Singer Sonny Sandoval shares, “It was special because that’s when Marcos came back to the band. We did two records without Marcos, our guitar player, so this was just getting back together and putting aside whatever we had that caused this. This record has all of the elements of us, but it’s actually darker than it sounds in a lot of ways. It’s not one of our heaviest records, but there are a lot of musical elements in this one. I feel like we were just free to be us when Marcos got back in the band. We just had fun and really enjoyed making a record and dong it together as this united brotherhood. It was special to be able to do a record again with Marcos.” He continues, “Right after this record, we actually stopped doing music for about four years. I was going through some personal stuff and needed to take time off. We didn’t know if we were gonna do anything again. But we are happy that we got back together.”




Guitarist Marcos Curiel offers, “So, I was not in the band for two albums, and this was our first record back.  I basically had something to prove as a songwriter and guitarist. I was like you know what man, I’m back.  I’m one of the OG members with my brothers here we got something to prove. As a songwriter, I was like trying to write something with what was going on with our peers you know what I mean. So, I think that’s what makes this special for me. Personally, I think the overall sound we were flirting with a lot of different elements, and with pop dude, and then you could hear all the different elements on the record.  I am very proud of it actually.  Just stoked for it to be coming out. Because it is a record I think people need to hear.  It is more relevant than it seems the nature of what Sonny is singing about today. Maybe more so than it was then, as the nature of the song topics and all that.”





Tracklisting:


"Addicted
"Shine With Me"
"Condescending"
"It Can’t Rain Everyday"
"Kaliforn-Eye-A" (feat. Mike Muir)
"I’ll Be Ready" (feat. The Marley Girls)
"End Of The World"
"This Ain’t No Ordinary Love Song"
"God Forbid" (feat. Page Hamilton)
"Roman Empire"
"When Angels & Serpents Dance"
"Tell Me Why"
"Rise Against"


Bonus tracks:


"Don’t Fake It"
"Ridin’ With You"
"Walk On Water"

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of the upcoming new studio album, From The New World, from the legendary Alan Parsons on July 15. Fans can get a new preview of the new album with the release of the single & music video, "I Won't Be Led Astray", which features vocalist David Pack, formerly of Ambrosia, and guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa.


Watch the video below, and pre-order/save From The New World on CD, CD/DVD, Color Vinyl, Collector's Box Set, & Digital formats here.


- CD/DVD includes CD + DVD Audio (5.1 Audio Mix of new album)
- LPs available as Limited Edition Crystal color vinyl and Limited Edition Yellow color vinyl. Yellow vinyl is exclusive to the Frontiers US & EU Webstores as well as indie retail in the US
- Collector's Box Set includes CD+DVD (housed in a digipak), Live in Madrid Digifile, T-shirt (size L), LP (180g, gatefold, Blue Transparent), poster, & numbered lithograph. This is exclusive to Frontiers EU webstore and Alan Parsons' webstore







From The New World continues with the classic sound Parsons has become known for during his impressive 50+ year career by fusing progressive, symphonic, and classic rock elements together throughout this stunning new album. Guest appearances include guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, and vocalists Tommy Shaw of Styx, David Pack formerly of Ambrosia, and American Idol alumni James Durbin, who blend seamlessly with Alan and his incredible band.





From The New World tracklisting:


"Fare Thee Well"
"The Secret"
"Uroboros" (featuring Tommy Shaw of Styx)
"Don't Fade Now"
"Give 'Em My Love" (featuring James Durbin, Joe Bonamassa)
"Obstacles"
"I Won't Be Led Astray" (featuring David Pack, Joe Bonamassa)
"You Are The Light"
"Halo"
"Goin' Home"
"Be My Baby"


"I Won't Be Led Astray" video:





"Uroboros" video:





Lineup:


Lead Vocals - Alan Parsons, Tommy Shaw, David Pack, James Durbin, P.J. Olsson, Todd Cooper, Dan Tracey, Mark Mikel, Tabitha Fair
Backing Vocals - Alan Parsons, Tommy Shaw, P.J. Olsson, Todd Cooper, Dan Tracey, Doug Powell, Mark Mikel, Chris Shutters, Scott Hunt
Guitars - Alan Parsons, Jeff Kollman, Dan Tracey, Doug Powell, Jeff Marshall, James Durbin, Tim Pierce
Bass - Guy Erez
Drums - Danny Thompson
Keyboards - Tom Brooks, Doug Powell, Matt McCarrin, Kim Bullard
Sax - Todd Cooper
Cello on “I Won’t Be Led Astray” - Mika Larson
Guitar Solos on “Give ‘Em My Love” and “I Won’t Be Led Astray” - Joe Bonamassa

Steve Vai joined WHITESNAKE on stage earlier tonight (Thursday, June 23) at Hellfest in Clisson, France to perform the band's classic song "Still Of The Night". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Vai had a brief tenure in WHITESNAKE more than three decades ago, having played on the band's 1989 album "Slip Of The Tongue".

Back in August 2020, Vai, singer David Coverdale, guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge reunited — virtually — for the first time since they finished WHITESNAKE's "Slip Of The Tongue" world tour for a question-and-answer session prior to a live stream of the band's legendary "Live At Donington" concert.

WHITESNAKE scored the band's third consecutive platinum record with its eighth studio album, "Slip Of The Tongue". Originally released in November 1989, it peaked at No. 10 on the U.K. and U.S. album charts thanks largely to its two Top 40 hits — "Fool For Your Loving" and "The Deeper The Love". The fan favorite turned 30 in 2019 and Rhino celebrated with several new versions, including a colossal seven-disc boxed set.

Following the eight-times-platinum success of its eponymous album in 1987, WHITESNAKE returned two years later with "Slip Of The Tongue". At the time, the band included Coverdale, Sarzo, Aldridge, Vandenberg and Vai. Vandenberg and Coverdale co-wrote all but one song on the album, but Vandenberg couldn't record them in the studio at the time due to a hand injury. To fill the void, Vai joined the band for the album and tour.

"When I had joined WHITESNAKE, the tracks were already recorded and Adrian had laid down guide rhythm tracks," Vai told Guitar World. "What had happened was Adrian developed this situation with his wrist that persisted throughout the tour. I'm not sure what caused it, but he'd have to soak his wrist after every show.

"Adrian's such a great player, but the injury made it so he couldn't really sustain for too long because of the pain. I've stayed pretty close with Adrian over the years and I see him whenever I'm in Holland, and when I spoke to him a couple of years ago, he was still having that wrist problem — but they located the source of it to his neck.

"So Adrian had made these guide tracks and that were basically chords and structures, and I obviously copped a lot of the riffs from those, but I put my spin on them because it was all like one track of guitar. I went in with 20 tracks on some songs; it's a very dense guitar record and I definitely did my best to decorate it. It was a departure for what WHITESNAKE was normally known for in the guitar department."

Asked if he had any reservations about not staying wholly true to WHITESNAKE's old signature sound, Vai said: "You have to find a balance between what's expected of you from the band, what the fans are expecting, what the song requires and is telling you to do — and also being true to your own voice. I had no choice but to express my own voice because that's all I know.

"If I had tried to sound like Yngwie [Malmsteen] when I had joined ALCATRAZZ, it just wouldn't have worked because I'm very satisfied with the way I play, but I also can't play like Yngwie. It was the same thing when I was playing with Dave [David Lee] Roth; I needed to deliver in a rock context — which was very natural to me — but I'm not going to compete with Edward Van Halen.

"There's no way those records would've been accepted if I didn't have some kind of rock integrity, but I knew what the songs needed and I knew what the audience was expecting and there's a side of me that I knew could deliver that. It was the same thing with WHITESNAKE.

"The foundation of WHITESNAKE's sound was rooted in rock blues, and there's a whole culture that emanated from Europe in that traditional solid rock blues guitar playing that had a real authenticity to it.

"Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Adrian Vandenberg, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page — that was the sound all WHITESNAKE records had been built upon. But WHITESNAKE had gone through different permutations of guitar sounds throughout the years, and the previous one to me was John Sykes, and he absolutely had his own sound.

"Sykes didn't sound like any other previous WHITESNAKE guitarist, but his thumbprint is an indelible part of the WHITESNAKE record he did. The fatness of that record and the rock integrity it had was all Sykes. So I knew I wasn't going to sound like Sykes and I wasn't going to try to.

"You cheat yourself when you try to do that and play like someone else. And the audience is a lot smarter than you think; they're very intuitive and perceptive and if you try to pull anything over on them — like biting someone else's thing — you'll get beat up for it."



Whitesnake/David Coverdale at Hellfest Open Air Festival with Steve Vai
🎥: Twinmusix

Posted by Liz Milz on Thursday, June 23, 2022

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