"The Swordsman" is the latest single from the forthcoming album, “he Uncertain Hour (out July 15) from Sacramento-based quintet, Graveshadow.


“The Swordsman", available for streaming/download on all digital platforms, is also special as it features guest vocals from Chelsea Murphy (Dawn Of Ouroboros, Cailleach Calling, Tegmentum).


“I’m really excited to release ‘The Swordsmen’ which has kind of snuck up on me as another favorite off the record, explains Graveshadow vocalist Rachl “Raxx” Quinn. “The interplay of the clean and harsh vocals was something I was thrilled with the outcome on. The way they support each other really adds a great dynamic to the song. As a band it was great to have Chelsea guest on the track, her performance is absolutely incredible!”




Watch a visualizer for the track below.


The Uncertain Hour was produced by Miss May I guitarist Justin Aufdemkampe (Clutch, War of Ages), mastered by Roman Ismaylov (Crobot, Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist) and features artwork by Roman Ismaylov (Battle Beast, Beast In Black).


Pre-orders for CD and limited-edition (200) vinyl copies are available here.





Tracklisting:


"Soldier Of 34"
"Gwynnbleidd"
"Sea Of Apparitions"
"The Swordsman"
"Vengeance Of Envy"
"Beautiful End"
"The Betrayer"
"Shadow Battles"
"The Two Lived"
"Damsel's Finesse"


"The Swordsman" visualizer:





"Soldier Of 34" video:





The Uncertain Hour sees the new lineup for Graveshadow continue to refine the enticing mix of symphonic, gothic, doom, and epic progressive-metal elements, now augmented by the newfound energy that has been brought into the band by the soaring melodic vocals of Quinn and the rumbling rhythm section of Rae and Bones. The duo of Walker and Robitsch once again deliver a beautiful display of guitar histrionics that tastefully mix searing shred with warm melody. Graveshadow are back on the scene with a story to tell. Intertwining melodic highs and crushing lows to sweep listeners away on a journey of self-discovery, loss and the will to carry on.

Vangelis, the Greek composer whose rousing electronic theme music for the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots Of Fire became one of the most loved movie scores, has died at the age of 79, reports Reuters.


The Athens News Agency quoted an announcement from his lawyers’ office as saying the composer died late on Tuesday, without giving a cause of death.


In a post on Twitter, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Vangelis “a pioneer of the electronic sound.”




“He began his long journey on the Chariots of Fire,” Mitsotakis wrote. “From there he will always send us his notes.”


Born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou in 1943, the young Vangelis developed an early interest in music and experiments with sounds produced by banging pots and pans or fixing nails, glasses and other objects to the strings of his parents’ piano. He absorbed the tones of Greek folk songs and Orthodox Christian choral music, but he had no formal musical training, which he later said had helped save his sense of creativity.


After a start with local rock bands, Vangelis left for Paris at the age of 25, joining an exodus of young artists following a 1967 coup that installed a military junta in Greece. Away from home, he was attracted by the then-new field of electronic synthesizers that allowed him to create the lush melodic colours that became his trademark sound.


Despite enjoying success in the European “prog rock” scene of the early 1970s with Aphrodite’s Child, a band he formed with fellow Greek musician Demis Roussos, Vangelis was uncomfortable with the expectations on a commercial performing artist and largely retreated to the recording studio he created for himself in London. It was there that he wrote the score for Chariots Of Fire, the story of the triumph of a group of British runners at the 1924 Olympic Games.


Unashamedly non-contemporary, its pulsating synthesizer beats and soaring melody made the slow motion opening sequence of a group of athletes running along a beach a model for the way the cinema portrayed sport.


Vangelis once said the score, which earned him an Academy Award and topped the charts for weeks, was in part a tribute to his father, who had been a keen amateur runner. But he was also slightly dismissive of the enormous popularity it enjoyed. “It’s only another piece of music,” he told an interviewer.


The success of Chariots Of Fire overshadowed his other scores, but he wrote the music for a number of major films including Missing, directed by his compatriot Costa-Gavras, and Ridley Scott’s futuristic thriller Blade Runner.


He was a prolific composer over many decades, his work ranging from advertising music and film scores to elaborate symphonic-style compositions and Jon And Vangelis, his duo with Jon Anderson, lead singer of the prog rock group Yes.


But he remained wary of commercial success, once telling an interviewer he never saw music as just an entertainment.

On July 29, extreme metal masters ARCH ENEMY will unleash their 11th studio album, "Deceivers", via Century Media Records. For fans who can't wait for the record's release, the band is now offering a new seven-inch single, "Sunset Over The Empire", with the title track also appearing on "Deceivers". The official music video for "Sunset Over The Empire", directed by Grupa13, will premiere today (Friday, May 20) at 9:00 a.m. PDT / 12:00 noon EDT.

ARCH ENEMY's founder and chief songwriter Michael Amott comments: "Behold the 'Sunset Over The Empire', the fourth single from our upcoming 'Deceivers' album! This is a faster song with some manic riffs and a relentless beat that I can envision becoming a 'hit in the pit'! Lyrically, it's sadly one of those that seems to ring more true with each and every passing day nowadays... 'Words turned to war, brother fighting brother, another false truce, as the people die...'. The accompanying video was shot in Poland with the Grupa13 team and doesn't follow the lyrics slavishly but has a great message and vibe in its own right. Oh, and I'm stoked that we're releasing 'Sunset Over The Empire' as a limited-edition physical single on 7" vinyl!"

"Sunset Over The Empire" seven-inch single is available in the following versions:

* white vinyl (limited to 1000 copies; available via CM Distro Europe)
* transparent orange vinyl (limited to 500 copies; band exclusive)

"Sunset Over The Empire" track listing

01. Sunset Over The Empire
02. The Judging Eyes

In a recent interview with Tampa Bay Creative Loafing, ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz stated about the band's decision to release more singles than usual this time around.

"I think over the course of the last couple of years everyone has had to rethink how they release because of the way music is consumed now," she said. "We put equal time into all the songs, but then, maybe only two or three of them get highlighted as singles. But that's not to say that the rest of the songs didn't take just as much time and energy and heart to create. We have fans who know every single song, but we wanted to give people an opportunity to discover a little bit more about our sound."

ARCH ENEMY played the first show of "The North American Siege 2022" tour with BEHEMOTH and NAPALM DEATH on April 16 at The Marquee in Tempe, Arizona. ARCH ENEMY's set included the three new songs the group released over the last few months: "Deceiver, Deceiver", "House Of Mirrors" and "Handshake With Hell".

Amott previously stated about "Deceivers": "Having just celebrated our 25th anniversary as a group and now releasing our 11th studio album, one could easily assume that we would be cruising along and going through the motions at this point. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to ARCH ENEMY and our new album, 'Deceivers'.

"It is, without a doubt, always a challenge to raise the bar each time in both the songwriting and production side of things, and it can feel a bit daunting before we get into it. But once we do get started and fully immerse ourselves in the creative process, it's really like there is nothing else in the world and we are very focused. And believe it or not, for the most part, we have a ton of fun making this music! Creating 'Deceivers' was no different. Once again we shut out the outside world and went deep into the artistic zone. I believe we pulled out some really interesting musical and lyrical themes this time, a few things might even raise an eyebrow or two — while retaining all the signature elements of the band. In the end, it's ARCH ENEMY at full speed and power."

After "The North American Siege 2022" tour, ARCH ENEMY will appear at select summer festivals before embarking on the rescheduled "European Siege 2022" trek (with BEHEMOTH, CARCASS, UNTO OTHERS) in the fall.

Deraps have released the official video for "Live Fast Die Slow", the second single from their self-titled debut album, which will be released on June 17 via Metalville Records. The video for the track, which will also be released as a digital single this Friday, May 20th, can be seen below.


The young, explosive Canadian / Australian power-trio Deraps is already considered a small sensation in the hard rock scene. Deraps capture the sound and essence of late '70s rock 'n' roll with their music - a time when a new generation of bands rocked the global scene, led by Van Halen, who strongly influenced the members of Deraps.










The young, up-and-coming rock 'n' roll band consists of Canadian guitarist and lead singer Jacob Deraps (winner of the 2016 Dweezil & Frank Zappa Fellowship Award), Canadian bassist William Lachance, and Australian drummer Josh Gallagher. Deraps brings a breath of fresh air to the scene, with a sound, vibe, and style that can be described as exceptional in this form.


The self-titled explosive debut album combines 11 songs full of energetic rock 'n' roll riffs, polished guitar solos, and perfectly tuned harmony vocals.


From the opening salvo "Invasion" to the energetic debut single "Sex, Drugs & Rock N' Roll", the stomping "Make Ya Groove," the epic "Veins Of My Heart," the mellow Californian summer mood of "On My Mind" to a cover version of The Sweet's worldwide hit "Ballroom Blitz", this first album already has what it takes to become a classic! Cover and tracklisting are as follows:





"Invasion"
"Sex, Drugs & Rock N' Roll"
"My Side Of Town"
"Live Fast Die Slow"
"Veins Of My Heart"
"Élizabeth"
"Make Ya Groove"
"Wild To The Woman"
"On My Mind"
"F*ck Off"
"Ballroom Blitz"


"My Side Of Town" video:








For further details, visit Deraps on Facebook.


 


 

WHITESNAKE has revisited its multi-platinum career by remixing some of its biggest hits for a new collection, "Greatest Hits", which was made available on May 6 on digital and streaming services.

WHITESNAKE founder and lead singer David Coverdale had 16 tracks remixed and remastered for this collection, including "Here I Go Again", which was originally released on the band's 1982 album, "Saints & Sinners". The power ballad was re-recorded for WHITESNAKE's 1987 self-titled album and was released as a single, after which it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 9 on the U.K. Singles chart.

Regarding the decision to re-record "Here I Go Again" and the role of MTV in making the track a worldwide success, Coverdale said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, first off, it was Geffen's idea to re… I never re-recorded things other than a song called 'Blindman' which was on my original solo album, [1977's] 'White Snake', and then we put it on [WHITESNAKE's 1980] 'Ready An' Willing' album because then that's when I felt we really had the solid idea of the early WHITESNAKE, with Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, Jon Lord and Ian Paice, and they did a masterly job on it. But I've never been one for re-recording. And John [Sykes, then-WHITESNAKE guitarist] and I had written enough for an album of original material. But [Geffen] wanted to do — and this has served us incredibly well — redo 'Here I Go Again'. John was not pleased, but history speaks for itself. And I said, 'Well, if we're gonna do that, I wanna redo 'Crying In The Rain',' which I was never really happy with the original recording of it. And we had arranged — John, Neil Murray and I had arranged — a special centerpiece, which was a great solo for John, a solo feature. But also the whole album was pretty much designed for [drummer] Cozy Powell — God rest his soul. And when we featured it in concert, it went from John's amazing, electrifying solo into Cozy's extraordinarily earth-shattering, thunderous drum solo.

"We had a great relationship with radio for the 'Slide It In' album, and they were actually waiting for a new WHITESNAKE album, rock radio. So we delivered this thing. And of course, at that time MTV was a huge element globally. So WHITESNAKE from being successful in a couple of territories became a global entity, which was super validation, as you can imagine."

A year ago, "Here I Go Again" saw a renewed interest following the death of actress Julie E. "Tawny" Kitaen, who appeared in the song's video. Kitaen passed away at her home in Newport Beach on May 7, 2021 at the age of 59.

While WHITESNAKE was working on it 1987 self-titled album, Coverdale started dating Kitaen, who had recently starred opposite Tom Hanks in the movie "Bachelor Party". Kitaen soon appeared in several of WHITESNAKE's music videos, including those for "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love" and "Still Of The Night". Footage of Kitaen writhing around on the hood of a Jaguar in the "Here I Go Again" clip has been called one of the most iconic — and sexiest — video moments ever filmed.

Coverdale and Kitaen tied the knot in 1989 but the union only lasted two years.

Soon after its release in April 1987, "Whitesnake" became a huge success around the world, selling several million copies. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart and spawned four popular singles: "Still Of The Night", "Give Me All Your Love", "Is This Love" (which reached No. 2) and "Here I Go Again".

Coverdale previously stated about the new "Greatest Hits" collection: "We've definitely expanded on the original 'Greatest Hits', took them all out of the sonic time capsule of the '80s and '90s, and brought them up to date, sound-wise … as always, we have the original albums for those who consider them holy relics."

Keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, SONS OF APOLLO),who also appeared on WHITESNAKE's recent "Red, White And Blues" trilogy, adds Hammond organ to more than half the songs on the collection. His scorching contributions can be heard on the No. 1 smash "Here I Go Again", "Fool For Your Loving", "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again" and more. New performances by former WHITESNAKE guitarist Adrian Vandenberg can also be heard on "The Deeper The Love" and "Judgement Day" from the 1989 album "Slip Of The Tongue".

Along with those new additions, Coverdale also went back to the vault to unearth vintage performances by Sykes that didn't appear on the original recordings, including a solo on "Slide It In" and rhythm guitar on "Give Me All Your Love".

"Greatest Hits" focuses extensively on three blockbuster albums the band released during the 1980s: 1984's "Slide It In" (double platinum),1987's "Whitesnake" (eight times platinum),and 1989's "Slip Of The Tongue" (platinum). But the collection goes deeper with songs like "Sweet Lady Luck", a B-side on the 12-inch single for "The Deeper The Love" and "Forevermore", the title track from the band's 2011 album.

WHITESNAKE has just embarked on a farewell tour with special guest EUROPE. The first leg of "Whitesnake: The Farewell Tour" kicked off on May 10 in Dublin.

"Greatest Hits" CD/Blu-ray track listing:

01. Still Of The Night
02. Here I Go Again
03. Is This Love
04. Give Me All Your Love
05. Love Ain't No Stranger
06. Slide It In
07. Slow An' Easy
08. Guilty Of Love
09. Fool For Your Loving
10. Judgment Day
11. The Deeper The Love
12. Now You're Gone
13. You're Gonna Break My Heart Again
14. Sweet Lady Luck
15. Crying In The Rain
16. Forevermore

WHITESNAKE will team up with the SCORPIONS for a North American tour this summer and fall. The two-month-long Live Nation-produced trek will kick off on August 14 in Toronto, with additional concerts in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, and Denver, among others. Also appearing on the bill will be the Swedish band THUNDERMOTHER.

Last July, WHITESNAKE announced that it had enlisted Croatian singer/multi-instrumentalist Dino Jelusick for its current tour. Jelusick is a member of multi-platinum selling band TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and was previously part of DIRTY SHIRLEY (with George Lynch),ANIMAL DRIVE and recorded with many others. The 29-year-old Dino has been singing, touring and recording since the age of five. Other than being a frontman, his main instrument are keyboards but he also plays bass, guitar and drums. He finished music academy and did theater work.

Coverdale, who turned 70 last September, recently confirmed that he plans to retire from touring after WHITESNAKE's next batch of concerts around the world.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Carcinogenic Killtown death trio Chaotian is set to unleash its debut full-length, Effigies Of Obsolescence, on June 24 via a collaboration between Dark Descent Records and Me Saco Un Ojo Records.


Stream the album's first single "Into Megatopheth" now:


Effigies of Obsolescence by Chaotian




Effigies Of Obsolescence was recorded at Ballade Studios from October 4 to October 12, 2021. The album was mixed and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios. Cover art by Alexander Gjerdevik Skjøtt. 





Tracklisting:


"Gangrene Dream"
"Into Megatopheth"
"Effigies Of Obsolescence"
"Adipocere Feast"
"Etched Shadows"
"Fustuarium"
"Festering Carcinolith"


Following up their two hugely respected demos (also available as a compilation) and fairly recent 7-inch, Chaotian is back to release ultimate death metal barbarity into the underground in the form of their debut full length. Storming into life with a rotten amalgamation of putrescent riffing and blast beats, the instrumental unity of this Danish titan is a juggernaut of pure filth. It is telling when a band can have those super groovy pinch harmonic laden riffs and not make them sound like all the others. This may seem a weirdly specific observation (perhaps a guitarist just being a guitarist) but it makes all the difference with heaviness, intensity, and also the catchiness on the records. When met with the sewer-spewing vocals and weird dissonant spasms in the music, it doesn’t take long to recognize this will be a truly warped and maniacally brutal experience of death metal might.


Interlinking primitive hooks that grasp you by the throat and then transcend into these weird effects or spacious riffs, there’s nothing predictable about the album, yet it has that familiar feeling that all good death metal has where it feels a bit daunting, unnerving and yet you cannot escape it. Obviously, Denmark and this trio do not let the scene down. Amazingly this small country seems to have so much diversity in its rotten underground movement and Chaotian is a shining example who embodies the grotesqueries, masterful songwriting, and tight musicianship that has become associated with this otherwise pretty and peaceful nation. It explains that mysterious gurgling from the sewers at least!


Bludgeoning, cavernous, and ultimately otherworldly, Chaotian masterfully combines the cerebral and cosmic with brutish, old-school music that is damned heavy and doesn’t feel pretentious nor directionless. Their debut LP is not just as strong as their previous works, but has a more refined and complete vision, showcasing the band's full potential (so far)… 


Chaotian is:


Søren Willatzen - guitars / vocals
Jonas Grønborg - bass
Andreas Nordgreen - drums / vocals


 

KORN celebrated the arrival of its new album, "Requiem", with a special record-release event on February 3 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California. "Requiem Mass" saw the Southern California heavy music pioneers perform an intimate set in front of a 300 attendees.

A performance of the song "Worst Is On Its Way" from the "Requiem Mass" event can be seen below.

Tickets to attend the gig in person were made available at Amoeba Music's Hollywood location two days before the event on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees were required to wear black funeral attire and had to provide proof of vaccination. KORN-branded masks for all attendees were handed out at the event. Attendees were encouraged to bring an item of remembrance to honor a loved one who has passed. Fans were able to leave those items in the casket as part of the ceremonial procession.

Announcing the show at the time, KORN said the event was to "gather in honor of the souls that have passed during these unprecedented times."

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch and bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have been sighted on numerous occasions sharing the gospel with fans at the band's concerts, praying for them in the lobbies of the venues where they perform.

"People think, 'I'm not good enough to have the Lord come into my life,'" Fieldy told CBN during an interview. "People have got to know, all you've got to do is know what Jesus did for you. He died for your sins, died on the cross and came back three days later. If you ask Him into your heart, it's for life. He's going to be with you forever."

KORN vocalist Jonathan Davis told Metal Hammer magazine about "Worst Is On Its Way": "Right now everything is going good, but always in the back of my head I'm just waiting for that next bad thing to happen. I thought it was an amazing way to end the record because it's all about me battling the darkness and coming out on top, but life is a never-ending loop and there's always more bullshit ahead."

"Requiem", which was produced by Chris Collier and KORN, entered Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 1. The band sold 23,000 equivalent album units in the February 4-10 tracking week, according to Billboard. Of that sum, 20,000 units were from album sales. "Requiem" also landed at No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts. On the all-format Billboard 200, it arrived at No. 14.

In a recent interview with Midwest Beatdown, KORN drummer Ray Luzier spoke about the fact that "Requiem" consists of only nine songs, with just one being more than four minutes long. "We tracked about, I wanna say 16, 17 tunes or something like that," he said. "And there's a lot of records where if you think a song is a filler, it doesn't necessarily mean the next guy thinks it's a filler; they might like the songs that aren't singles better than the singles, so everyone's got opinions. But on this record, we tracked a lot. There's some that didn't make it [where] I was literally, like, 'Wait. How can that not make it? That's an amazing song.' But when you listen to 'Requiem' as a whole, I really believe that that's the best possible material we could pick at this time. It's like giving birth — there's your babies, your songs, and you want everyone to hear 'em and receive them as well as they possibly can.

"We just had such a great time making this record over COVID," Ray continued. "There was no rushing. We just went, 'Hey, let's meet in Bakersfield,' our California studio; Head and I live in Nashville. And we'd fly out there and just take it little by little. There was no, 'Oh, let's rush this [before] we have to go on tour.' It was, like, 'Hey, let's just make good music' and come back and listen to it and weed out the bad and really make the good stuff stick."

In a recent interview with Goldmine magazine, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford — who has roared onstage astride a Harley-Davidson for the intro to "Hell Bent for Leather" for decades — explained how a motorcycle became a part of the band's live act. He said: "There was a moment when we first had the song 'Hell Bent For Leather', and we're at a club, somewhere in U.K., still making our sound happen in any venue we could play in. And we pulled up and there were bikers parked outside the venue, down the alley and stuff. I said out of the blue, 'It would be very cool if we could bring a motorcycle out during 'Hell Bent For Leather'.' I go and speak to a couple of bikers and told them what the idea was. 'Yeah, yeah. But his isn't that big. Use mine.' So, I had the bike, and I had a leather jacket. I put a leather jacket on, and it was like an epiphany. It was a very unplanned epiphany. Everything seemed to feel 100 percent connected at that particular show. And then that was it. You walk off stage going, 'Something's happened' — you know. Now we have the whole manifestation of the look, the sound, the feel, it has all coalesced through that bike. It was like a simple 'On The Waterfront' moment. Marlon Brando and all these things that have already preceded you, but in a non-musical way. Here it is. And that's all she wrote. The fans loved it. They totally went ballistic."

On the last show of the tour supporting PRIEST's 1990 "Painkiller" album, Halford was knocked off the motorcycle he by a misplaced prop. He broke his nose and was rendered unconscious, causing him to miss the last song of what would be his final show with the band for more than a decade.

In an interview with Hellbound, Halford stated about his nightly ritual of cruising out on stage on a motorcycle, "The whole association with motorcycles and JUDAS PRIEST goes back to 'Hell Bent for Leather' — whenever that song was written... When we were touring in England, we thought that it would be cool if we could bring the bike on stage when we did the song, as it seemed like the right thing to do. So when we would go to a city we would ask one of our crew to see if there were any motorcycle guys or girls that had parked their bikes and could we use their bikes and give them a couple of t-shirts, or buy them a drink and that type of thing.

"When we got to America, we basically asked our management company to contact Harley-Davidson and told them what we wanted to do," he continued. "They were really excited about the association of their bikes with this heavy metal band from the U.K. They gave us the 1981 low-rider for a dollar. Prior to that, they would give us Harleys and then we would give them back at the end of the tour. The official one that you see now, which has been customized — the frame, the wheels, the engine all the internal stuff are the original components. So we have had that bike since then."

Regarding the connection between motorcycles and rock and roll, Halford said, "In my mind, in talking about the United States, it's all about Harley-Davidson. There has just been this ongoing relationship in rock and roll with Harley for as long as I can remember. The roots of motorcycles and rock and roll culture goes back all the way to Marlon Brando in that movie 'On The Waterfront' I think that it is still relevant in today's rock world. I've seen guys like AVENGED SEVENFOLD in other metal bands that are using bikes on stage. The MÖTLEY CRÜE boys are using bikes in their videos. We are using bikes in our videos but Harley-Davidson is the most important brand for us. They are American and the represent America, even though for awhile Harleys were made in Japan, which was a bit unusual but eventually they moved back to the States where they belonged.

"Harleys are the perfect American motorcycle to be associated with rock and roll music. And I've always said that the Harleys are synonymous with heavy metal because like heavy metal, Harleys are big and loud and brash and they smell and they piss some people off, and they have all the same attributes that heavy metal does. So it's a very close correlation between rock and roll, heavy metal and motorcycles. It's the independence, the rebel streak — all of those are attached to being on a Harley."

After a seven-year hiatus, Irish rockers THE ANSWER are set to make their long-awaited and highly anticipated return with an exclusive and sole 2022 comeback performance at this year's Planet Rockstock festival on December 3. Not only that, but they have also announced a new album has been recorded and is due for release in 2023, with rising British rock producer Dan Weller (ENTER SHIKARI, BURY TOMORROW) at the helm. The first single from the new record will precede their Planet Rockstock performance and will give fans their first taster of the sheer dynamism imbued in the new music.

A fortuitous "how do you feel about writing again" call from management in early COVID-stricken 2020 planted a seed that slowly gathered real pace as the band started sharing new ideas that felt exiting, fresh and relevant. The now-completed collection of work displays all of the band's trademark raw attitude and lack of compromise. In their own words, "It felt like we were back at the beginning again, a total reset."

Says singer Cormac Neeson: "We've been through a lot as a band, we've toured the world, made six great records we're all proud of, given our live shows everything always and done our best to make honest and timeless music that connects with rock fans and music fans in general. After six albums and a lot of road miles, we felt we needed to step back from it all and reset. Whilst that wasn't an easy decision, with retrospect it possibly he best decision we've ever made because the end result is the album we've been waiting to make our whole lives… full of good-time rock and roll and positive energy created by four brothers who quite frankly just really missed each other. We're back and we're ready to bring our best album ever to you!!"

Undeniably, THE ANSWER — completed by perennially charismatic front man Cormac Neeson, iconic guitarist Paul Mahon and the powerhouse rhythm section of bassist Micky Waters and drummer James Heatley — has achieved a great deal in its career to be proud of. Emerging into the rock world spotlight in 2005, their debut single "Keep Believin'" became the subject of critical acclaim and led THE ANSWER to the "Best New Band" award at that year's Classic Rock Awards. The following year, the young band consolidated that early promise with "Rise", a debut album that received universally great reviews and backed up their burgeoning reputation with fistfuls of gloriously anthemic songs like "Under The Sky", "Into The Gutter" and "Come Follow Me" that delighted everyone from cantankerous classic rock fans to bright-eyed teenagers with a penchant for balls-out rock 'n' roll. "Rise" went on to sell over 125,000 copies worldwide on the independent Albert Productions rock label, a startling debut achievement that ensured when the band released their second album, the mighty "Everyday Demons", three years later, the world was more than ready to embrace THE ANSWER on an even greater scale. The ensuing years saw the band cement their fearsome reputation, both as an astonishing live band and as rock's brightest hopes, securing high-profile support slots with THE ROLLING STONES, AEROSMITH and a two-year stint on AC/DC's "Black Ice" tour, which took them around the world and into some of the biggest venues on the planet.

"We were thrown to the wolves a lot of nights on the road with AC/DC and all we had to fall back on was the four of us playing together," recalls mercurial guitar hero Paul Mahon. "We had to make it work and dig in really hard. It was a super time."

In 2019, longtime über-fan and international independent hard rock label Golden Robot founder Mark Alexander-Erber fulfilled a lifelong ambition by signing THE ANSWER to his Golden Robot Records to secure a brand-new seventh studio album, due for release in 2023; a record which, in the words of Alexander-Erber will be THE ANSWER's "greatest balls-out straight-ahead rock album ever," eclipsing the debut of "Rise" for power, songs and sheer attitude. "To say I am excited is an understatement," he said. "For me, it's a life-long ambition and privilege to work with these guys."

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian spoke to Kyle Meredith about the band's plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We didn't get to tour [for our actual 40th anniversary in 2021], so we're doing the 40th-anniversary tour in our 41st year. [Laughs] Obviously, we couldn't go out last year and do it when we wanted to, so we've got this summer run coming up with BLACK LABEL [SOCIETY] and HATEBREED. And we're calling that part of our 40th anniversary. We've got 40th-anniversary dates in Europe after that, in the fall. And who knows? I like to think this U.S. run with BLACK LABEL is gonna do pretty well, and maybe we get to do a second run of those dates at some point early next year. And then I'm sure next year at some point there should be a [new ANTHRAX] record, depending on when we get in the studio.

"So, yeah, it's all starting to ramp up again," he continued. "Fingers crossed it all doesn't get thrown in the garbage. But I'm being very optimistic that things are moving forward and everyone can go back to work — meaning we get to go play shows again. And I'm very excited about that."

Last month, Scott told Metal Injection about the progress of the writing sessions for the follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album: "We have songs, and all I can say is we will get in the studio when we're ready, which I hope is this year. I would love that. I think we're getting there. I think we have great songs. I think people will be very happy.

"Not to make a weird comparison, but it's our third record back together with [singer] Joey [Belladonna]. Actually, it's an odd comparison. I should just say it's our third album since our kind of our reboot in 2010 and our third album back in the day was 'Among The Living'. I'm not saying that this is [like that album], because it's not 'Among The Living II' in any sense, but I just think we have some great songs and there's like a fucking mountain of great riffs. I think people are going to be very happy."

Ian previously discussed ANTHRAX's upcoming LP during a July 2021 appearance on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "We've been at it for a little while now. We actually started writing in '19 — pre-COVID — and kind of stepped away from things when COVID happened. We were all separate and apart and we would kind of revisit some of the demos, but we weren't actively working on it.

"Yeah, it's the same as it's always been," he said. "I would have to think by the time we get to the other side of the writing process and we decide we're ready to go record it, I would have to assume it's certainly going to represent this time in our lives. And the world having gone through a pandemic, I would imagine certainly that's in some way, shape or form going to come out through this next record. I can't tell you how yet, but I would have to think it's going to."

As previously reported, ANTHRAX and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will team up for a 24-date North American tour this summer. The five-week trek will kick off on Tuesday, July 26 at Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona and wrap on Sunday, August 28 at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both bands will play headline sets. HATEBREED, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "Perseverance" album, will be the special guest.

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Ian is currently promoting "Get Off", the new album from his rock supergroup MOTOR SISTER, also featuring Jim Wilson (MOTHER SUPERIOR),Pearl Aday (Scott's wife and daughter of late actor/musician Meat Loaf),Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING) and John Tempesta (THE CULT). The LP arrived on May 6 via Metal Blade Records.

DETHKLOK, the stars of the Adult Swim series "Metalocalypse", will co-headline the 2022 Adult Swim Festival Block Party, set to take place August 5-7 across four venues — The Fillmore, The Foundry, Punch Line and Brooklyn Bowl — in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DETHKLOK will play on August 7 at The Fillmore. Also scheduled to headline the event are RUN THE JEWELS (August 5 at The Fillmore) and TIERRA WHACK (August 6 at The Fillmore). In addition to music, there will be "live panels, exclusive premieres, watch parties, games, giveaways, and merch."

DETHKLOK last performed in November 2019 as part of the Adult Swim Festival at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The show marked DETHKLOK's first live appearance since taking part in the 2014 edition of Festival Supreme in L.A. DETHKLOK played a 19-song set that included live premieres of the tracks "Impeach God" and "Comet Song". Joining mainman Brendon Small (guitar, vocals) at the gig were Gene Hoglan on drums, Nili Brosh on second guitar and Pete Griffin on bass.

In a 2012 interview with MLive, Small said that he conceptualized DETHKLOK's show after watching a live performance of GORILLAZ, another animated band fronted by Damon Albarn of BLUR.

"I always wanted to make a record, and find a way to tour it," Small said. "I checked out GORILLAZ, who are talented, and have some of the best animation I've ever seen, but [because the musicians hid behind a screen, and the audience couldn't see them,] there was no connection between performer and audience. It was cool and mysterious, but it didn't give the audience what they want. We don't look like [DETHKLOK], and we're not supposed to, but at least you can see us playing. We're like a pit band in that sense."

DETHKLOK's latest album, "Metalocalypse: Dethklok Dethalbum III", was released in October 2012 via Williams Street Records. The disc sold around 20,000 copes in the United States to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Dethalbum II", opened with 45,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 15.

"Dethalbum III" was once again co-produced by Small and Ulrich Wild ("Dethalbum" and "Dethalbum II").

Last year, Adult Swim announced that it will produce a new original movie based on "Metalocalypse". The movie will be released globally on Blu-ray/DVD and on digital transactional video on demand (TVOD) and electronic sell through (EST) for a 90-day exclusive window, followed by premieres on HBO Max and Adult Swim.

"Metalocalypse" was one of the first original productions to air on Adult Swim. "Metalocalypse" first aired on Adult Swim in 2003 and ran for four seasons, ending with the half-hour special "The Doomstar Requeim" in 2013.

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British thrash metal pioneers, Onslaught, will be Inducted into the 2022 Metal Hall Of Fame, during their on-stage performance at Maryland Deathfest, May 28, 2022.


Now celebrating their 40th year, Onslaught are one of the most ferocious, explosive and controversial metal bands ever to come out of the UK. Releasing three now legendary albums in the 80’s (Power From Hell / The Force / In Search Of Sanity) the band marked its path to become a major influence for many metal generations to follow.


Since reforming in 2005 the band have performed countless shows in no less than 70 different countries across the globe, earning themselves the reputation as one of the very best Live Acts in the metal scene today. Onslaught also have the enviable kudos of being the first International thrash band to perform in Vietnam and Lebanon respectively.







Five critically acclaimed albums were released between 2007 & 2015 - Killing Peace / Live Damnation / Sounds Of Violence / VI / Live At The Slaughterhouse - with millions of streams between them. Onslaught have taken their sound to a whole new level of brutality with the release of the latest opus Generation Antichrist’in August 2020. The album charted successfully in the US, the UK, Europe and Asia.


Produced by Grammy award winning Engineer Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah / In Flames / Behemoth) Generation Antichrist gathered huge international acclaim, with many renowned rock and metal pundits declaring it the album of the year.


"We are excited to Induct British thrash metal pioneers Onslaught into the 2022 Metal Hall of Fame during their performance on stage at Maryland Deathfest," says Metal Hall of Fame President/CEO Pat Gesualdo. "Thrash Metal is a crucial part of the entire spectrum of Heavy Metal, and also a huge foundation for the Metal Hall of Fame. We are very proud to have Onslaught represent this genre that we all love so much."


Says Onslaught: "Wow, WTF can we say, this has come completely out of the blue! We are truly honoured to receive this extremely prestigious recognition and join a list of so many awesome and respected names from the world of metal music. This has to be right up there with the best of accolades that this band has ever received in our in our long and illustrious career, it’s a great day for ‘thrash metal’ and a great day for the ‘UK metal scene’. This award could not have arrived at a more perfect time as we celebrate ’40 years of raising hell’, it really is a true validation of Onslaught past and present. This one is for the fans! Thank you all!"