Swedish heavy metal masters, Wolf, have released a video for "The Ill-Fated Mr. Mordrake", featured on their new album, Shadowland, out now via Century Media. Watch the clip below.


Shadowland can be ordered here, and is available in the following formats:


- Black LP + Poster
- White LP + Poster (limited to 300 / available at CM Distro)
- Transp. Red LP + Poster (limited to 300 / available at EMP)
- Transp. Orange LP + Poster (limited to 300 / Band exclusive)
- Ltd. CD Digipak
- Digital Album







Tracklisting:


"Dust"
"Visions For The Blind"
"The Time Machine"
"Evil Lives"
"Seek The Silence"
"Shadowland"
"The Ill-Fated Mr. Mordrake"
"Rasputin"
"Exit Sign"
"Into The Black Hole"
"Trial By Fire" (Bonus Track)
"In The Twilight Zone" (Bonus Track)


"The Ill-Fated Mr. Mordrake" video:





"Shadowland" video:





"Dust" video:





Wolf is:


Niklas Stalvind - Vocals & Guitar
Simon Johansson - Guitar
Pontus Egberg - Bass
Johan Koleberg - Drums

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale has reflected on the passing of FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, whose death shook the music world late last month. Speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We didn't know [Taylor] that well. My little brother [HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale] hung out with him a couple of times. I never got the chance to. But we worked in similar circles. And it was just heartbreaking because we were actually supposed to have a gig with the FOO FIGHTERS in the next couple of months, and so that's not happening now. And it's a shame.

"We've been working with the same producer, Nick Raskulinecz, that did a bunch of those FOOs records with Taylor," she continued. "And every time that — speaking of my little brother — every time Arejay would get off on a tear or something in the studio, he'd [say], 'Dude, you're acting just like Taylor. You guys gotta hang out.'

"I wasn't there when little bro and Taylor met, but I'm sure it was chaos in the room. I just heard from everybody that I know about how wonderful Taylor was.

"It's such a shame, man," Lzzy added. "We're losing so many of our beautiful souls in this community. I know it's just a sign of the times and everyone's getting up there [in age] and all that. But it's just a shame."

Hawkins was found dead on March 25 at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota, Colombia while FOO FIGHTERS were on tour.

An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.

Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.

Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.

Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".

ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti has confirmed to Rock Titan that he and his bandmates have reconvened to record a new album. "I just got off [tour] with [my solo band] TREMONTI about… last week, maybe," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I hit the ground running. I had half a day off and went into the studio with ALTER BRIDGE. We're doing pre-production right now. Drum tracking will probably start in about four days. And then I hit the road [again], head to Europe on May 27th through July 3rd. And then we'll kind of see what happens between the window of that and our ALTER BRIDGE tour that kicks back off in November."

In March 2021, ALTER BRIDGE singer Myles Kennedy, who also sings for Slash's solo band, told the "Lipps Service With Scott Lipps" podcast that ALTER BRIDGE hadn't yet started working on material for the follow-up to 2019's "Walk The Sky" album. "I think everybody's kind of hunkered down in their own solo project," he said. "I know Mark Tremonti is in that world right now. Obviously, I've got [my second solo album coming out]. So I would say we'll start thinking about that more towards the end of the year, early next year. Speaking for myself as a writer, I need to refill the creative well. Having done the ALTER BRIDGE record, and then the second solo record, I need to get those creative juices built back up again."

ALTER BRIDGE released a seven-song EP, "Walk The Sky 2.0", in November 2020 via Napalm Records. The effort contained live versions of a few of the band's favorites from "Walk The Sky" — "Wouldn't You Rather", "Pay No Mind", "Native Son", "Godspeed", "In The Deep" and "Dying Light" — as well as one new studio track, "Last Rites", which was written, recorded and completed entirely during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"Walk The Sky" came out in October 2019 via Napalm Records.

Tremonti issued the fifth album from his solo band TREMONTI, titled "Marching In Time", in September via Napalm Records.

Myles released his sophomore solo album, "The Ides Of March", last May via Napalm Records.

Tremonti recently partnered with National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to release an album of Frank Sinatra covers titled "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". The LP of selections from Frank Sinatra's catalog will be made available as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album — scheduled for release on May 27 — will go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families.


























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Jason Bonham, whose father is drummer John Bonham, one of the original members of the legendary rock band LED ZEPPELIN, spoke to Joe Rock of Long Island, New York's 102.3 WBAB radio station about the recent passing of FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When we lost Taylor, it open[ed] a floodgate of memory for the day that I found out my father passed. And to [Taylor's] family and to his friends and his children, my love and best wishes go to them with every ounce of me. He was a wonderful person. I got to hang with him on several occasions and Dave [Grohl, FOO FIGHTERS frontman], and the whole band are just amazing guys."

Referencing his March 25 performance with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod in Las Vegas, Jason continued: "For me, that was one of the hardest shows I've ever had to play, was 10 minutes after finding that out [that Taylor died]. As I said, it's not just because of him. At that time, for me, and I think for a lot of us, when somebody like that passes, if we've lost somebody close to us, it brings back all of that. But we have to remember it brings back also the joy, the smile, the laughter. I'm fortunate — my dad, there's enough clips on YouTube and the Internet that you can go to, and I can say to my children who never met him, 'This is your grandpa...' So for us, we're blessed — there is footage always there to show them what he was like. And some people don't have that. So I feel very fortunate."

John Bonham died suddenly in 1980 at the age of 32 after choking on his own vomit, following a night of heavy drinking. Within the previous 24 hours he had consumed around 40 shots of 40 percent ABV vodka.

Hawkins was found dead on March 25 at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota, Colombia while FOO FIGHTERS were on tour. An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released, but on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office issued a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.

Jason is currently promoting the spring 2022 U.S. tour from his band JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING. Bonham and his band will perform music from throughout LED ZEPPELIN's career on the 16-date trek which will kick off tonight (Thursday, April 7) in Fort Wayne, Indiana and conclude on April 30 in Austin, Texas.

Bonham spent nearly a decade touring as JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE before changing the band's name to JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING. Bonham later explained that the switch was prompted by a request from the LED ZEPPELIN camp, who wanted to use the "Experience" name for a project involving the archive of ZEP live recordings.

Jason launched JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE two years after taking part in LED ZEPPELIN's one-off performance in 2007 at London's O2 Arena tribute concert for friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The rare live set, which saw Jason behind the drums in place of his late father, was released in 2012 as "Celebration Day"

SEPULTURA played its first show with drummer Bruno Valverde (ANGRA) Wednesday night (April 6) at the House Of Blues in San Diego, California. Bruno is filling in for longtime SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande at the last three shows of the band's North American after Casagrande broke his right leg in a stage accident. The "North American Quadra" 2022 trek with SACRED REICH and CROWBAR kicked off on March 4 in Sacramento and is set to conclude on April 8 in Berkeley, California. SEPULTURA also has a six-date tour of Mexico scheduled for April 12-17.

Fan-filmed video of the San Diego concert is available below.

On Monday (April 4), Eloy took to his Instagram to share X-ray photos of his fractured tibia and fibula bones, and he included the following message: "It is with deep sadness that I announce that I have unfortunately broken my right leg. Yesterday, at the El Paso show, during the break between songs I ended up falling off the stage and fracturing my tibia and fibula. I'm going back to Brazil to start the recovery. I'll see you soon! The tour will continue, but without me. More news coming soon. I ask for your support."

This is not the first health issue that has plagued the "North American Quadra" 2022 tour. Last month, SACRED REICH was forced to cancel more than half dozen shows on the trek due to frontman Phil Rind's "ongoing respiratory illness."

The now-31-year-old Casagrande joined SEPULTURA 10 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

SEPULTURA's latest album, "Quadra", was released in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises Casagrande, vocalist Derrick Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser and bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr.














































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Former SCORPIONS and current KINGDOM COME drummer James Kottak has once again expressed doubt about climate change.

Apparently reacting to the latest report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which lays out the path for averting the worst consequences of climate change, saying the time to act is "now or never," Kottak took to his Twitter to write: "Climate change…total BS. It is a money making machine. Doesn't any one remember the big freeze of 1978? We were going into a deep freeze according to scientists Ha!"

Kottak previously voiced his climate change skepticism a number of times, including in April 2021 when he was reacting to news reports that President Joe Biden was preparing to instruct federal agencies to take sweeping action to combat climate-related financial risks to government and the economy, including moves that could impose new regulations on businesses. "Biden: the dumbest of the dumb," Kottak wrote at the time. "Climate changes it's not exist so don't get worked up I don't care who you are whatever you are if you voted for Biden you made a huge mistake so look what you get".

He added in a separate tweet: "And of course I wrote it like a true dumb person it's the only way to acknowledge his lameness this guys an idiot".

Back in September 2019, Kottak wrote in a series of since-deleted tweets: "So call India and China and call them out...Democrats just go away . We account for 1% of the worlds pollution. Get off your planes dems...dumbs

"Tell me when one time you have seen 'killed from climate change' or 'death from second hand smoke' appeared on a gravestone....and I am a total anti smoker... it's all b s"

A week later, Kottak returned to Twitter to continue to press his point, writing: "For those of us who lived through it, we were told an ice age was coming in 1978/79. Who froze? I am all about 'reduce reuse recycle repurpose' the rest is political b.s...same now . I recycle every piece of paper, containers, and have done since I was 9 years old."

The next day, he added: "Damn, doesn't anyone get it? Hollywood's middle name is LY! As in lie...jeez Zum

"Moreover, Al Gore predicted the end of civilization in 2004 all of Florida would be under water by 2012... Obama just bought a house on the shore of Martha's Vinyard for 15 million...go figure?

"So Germany made an ambitious plan with windmills years ago...they are everywhere. What now? Not enough energy ? So, now ...they are building extreme coal fired plants...like...100's of them. Just when you think the EU is all high mighty...reality..."

In the last few years, Kottak has repeatedly used Twitter as a way to voice his controversial views. In November 2019, he opined that "all law enforcement should be men." In July of that same year, he angered some people on the social media platform when he wrote that "anyone against America is a socialist communist asshole." In June 2019, Kottak, who calls himself a "news political junkie" on Twitter, made BLABBERMOUTH.NET headlines when he said that America should take care of its "homeless problem" before accepting any more "outsiders."

For much of the last four years, Kottak has been touring with the reunited KINGDOM COME, also featuring guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank and singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB).

In September 2016, Kottak was dismissed from SCORPIONS during his well-publicized battle with alcoholism and was replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD member Mikkey Dee.

SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs later said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. "We reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it," Jabs said.

The "Climate Change 2022: Mitigation Of Climate Change" report, which was released on Monday (April 4), states that if urgent action is not taken, humanity will fail to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the threshold for a future of more fires, drought, storms, and more.




Climate change…total BS. It is a money making machine.

Doesn’t any one remember the big freeze of 1978? We were going into a deep freeze according to scientists Ha!

— James Kottak (@JKottak) April 7, 2022

German metal duo and recent Metal Blade Records signees, Mantar, will unleash their scathing new full-length, Pain Is Forever And This Is The End, on July 15, today unveiling the record's cover art, tracklisting, and first single.


Founded in 2012 by guitarist/vocalist Hanno Klänhardt and drummer/vocalist Erinc Sakarya, Mantar stands among the leading forces in extreme metal within the last ten years. Loved by fans and press alike, the band took the world by storm with their truly unique sound, leading them to the Top 10 in the official German album charts with their 2018's The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze and sold out shows throughout Europe.


While they've pushed the limits on every output, Pain Is Forever And This Is The End serves as Mantar's most realized release yet. "I just knew I wanted to write stronger 'songs' in relation to 'songwriting' and rely less on being an 'extreme' metal act that only convinces through a certain sound or general 'heaviness,'" notes Hanno. "I invested more time on trying to write better songs, interesting structures, and catchy tunes." The results speak volumes. This is the most diverse and interesting Mantar album to date, taking things to the proverbial next level.




Much of the influence on Hanno's songwriting came from the artists the bband covered on 2020's collection Grungetown Hooligans II, which featured their renditions of songs from the likes of L7, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, and The Jesus Lizard, formative bands from their respective youths. Songs feature more melody as well as a variety of guitar tones. "I tried to tweak the guitar sound more according to each individual song and its mood. We tried to steer away from 'metal sound' standards and more in a direction where you can hear different nuances in sound. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but we never were a part of any scene, therefore we don't 'owe' a certain sound to anyone." Hanno even sings on occasion "instead of only screaming like a maniac."


With Hanno prolifically writing riffs at his home in Gainesville, Florida - and throwing away whole albums worth of material - and Erinc working in Germany, the record came together over several months, and proved to be a painstaking process. "Nothing came together easily for this album. Everything sucked and I hated most of the process. I wrote it and we recorded it during a very bad time, and even though Covid had not much of an impact on us of course the general fucked up mood in the world and the industry had an impact on the record. Everything was very tedious, up to a point where I literally questioned everything and we were damn close to quitting the band," he states plainly. "I thought I just lost 'it.' There was no fun anymore and with every song I came up with there was a period at some point where I thought it sucked. Then I had moments where I thought it's the best we have ever done. It was bipolar in a way. It was rough and it took a serious toll on me and Erinc that I'm still recovering from. Then again I come from the school of 'no pain no gain,' which obviously is bullshit and self-destructive but unfortunately that is who I am."


After recording their instruments on different continents, Hanno and Erinc entered the studio together in Germany to record vocals and backing vocals, respectively, and decided to take a different, more daring route in terms of production: "With the previous albums I was so focused on making the band sound exactly as we would sound live. That is cool and still important but this time I wanted to make an album that is overall entertaining and not just a forty-five-minute 'live set.' We've proved countless times that we have no problems at all convincing in a live setting, so I had to gather some courage to 'produce' a little more, mostly in order to entertain myself as the songwriter and producer."


In advance of the release of Pain Is Forever And This Is The End, today Mantar unleashes first single, "Hang 'Em Low (So The Rats Can Get 'Em)." Elaborates Hanno on the track, "'Hang 'Em Low…' is one of the catchiest and strongest tunes we ever did. We thought it deserves a cool video that portrays the key Mantar ingredients: stress, hectic and bad vibes plus a whole lot of beautiful sad Florida nature shots… We are an old school band. We can't help it. Good old fashioned music videos still rule."


Watch the video below.





Pain Is Forever And This Is The End will be available on CD, LP, and digital formats. See all options below:


• Box Set (ltd. 1000 w/ Gatefold LP, bonus LP, back patch, slipmat, 12" booklet, and poster)
• Digipak
• 180g Black vinyl
• Violet Marbled vinyl
• Light Blue Marbled vinyl (ltd. 500)
• White vinyl (ltd. 500)
• Orange Beige Marbled vinyl (ltd. 200 - Season of Mist excl.)
• Leaf Green Marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 - EMP excl.)
• Twilight Blue Marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 - Nuclear Blast excl.)
• Clear Ochre Brown Marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 - Metal Blade Eu excl.)
• Maroon Red Marbled vinyl (US excl.)


Pre-order here.





Pain Is Forever And This Is The End tracklisting:


"Egoisto"
"Hang 'Em Low (So the Rats Can Get 'Em)"
"Grim Reaping"
"Orbital Pus"
"Piss Ritual"
"Of Frost and Decay"
"Walking Corpse"
"New Age Pagan"
"Horder"
"Odysseus"


"Hang 'Em Low (So the Rats Can Get 'Em)" video:





Mantar lineup:


Hanno Klänhardt - guitars, vocals
Erinc Sakarya - drums


(Photo - Matthis Van der Meulen)

Vocalist Robin McAuley (McAuley Schenker Group), guitarist Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake), bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, The End Machine, ex-Dokken), and drummer Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big), otherwise known as Black Swan, will return with a second album, Generation Mind, this Friday, April 8.


Find an advanced album stream below, and pre-order/save Generation Mind on CD/LP/Digital here.


Picking up where their stunning, and well-received, debut album Shake The World left off, the foursome once again delivers a powerful hard rock statement. With the entirety of the album written and composed by McAuley, Pilson, and Beach, Generation Mind sees Black Swan an even more cohesive and focused unit from their debut.




Once again produced and recorded by Jeff Pilson at Pilsound Studios in LA, with Matt Starr’s drums being recorded at On Deck Sound Studios, Generation Mind is another outstanding showcase for the musical talents of the instrumental players in the band as well as McAuley’s powerful voice, which seems to defy age. Black Swan has again produced something fresh, heavy, intensely melodic and an album that is certainly not a mish-mash of the members other bands, but it’s own unique sonic entity.


Generation Mind is a killer slice of melodic hard rock/metal from seasoned players who defied all expectations on their debut by having gelled musically so cohesively. And now, having established their sonic signature and being more in tune with one another's songwriting, they have taken the blueprint of Shake The World and taken it to the next level on Generation Mind.


Whether you are a fan from “back in the day” of the members' other bands or brand new to the '80s hard rock scene and just diving in, Generation Mind is going to be essential listening.





Generation Mind tracklisting:


"Before The Light"
"She Hides Behind"
"Generation Mind"
"Eagles Fly"
"See You Cry"
"Killer On The Loose"
"Miracle"
"How Do You Feel"
"Long Way Down"
"Crown"
"Wicked The Day"
"I Will Follow"


Album stream:





"Eagles Fly" video:





"Generation Mind" video:





Lineup:


Robin McAuley - Lead Vocals, Background Vocals
Reb Beach - Guitars, Background Vocals
Jeff Pilson - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Keys, Background Vocals
Matt Starr - Drums, Percussion
Casey McAuley - Additional Background Vocals

I Am The Night have released a music video for "I Am The Night", featured on their upcoming album, While The Gods Are Sleeping, out on May 6. Find the clip below.


The new band, featuring Finnish metal legends, opens an ancient chasm of black metal born of an epic tradition.


Rising from the deep valleys of Kymi in southernmost Finland, I Am The Night is black metal rooted in the classic early ‘90s tradition, where walls of guitars and synthesizers raise the forces of darkness in a battle against the heavens and burning angels light up the night sky.




The band’s debut full-length album, with cover art by scene legend Necrolord, bears the title While The Gods Are Sleeping, and will be released on May 6. The record was birthed during the heaviest blizzard Finland had seen in years in the winter of 2021, with the band holed up at the Soundspiral Audio studio during the height of the pandemic.


“This album, in a way, is both the thing that should not be and something we should have made flesh many moons ago already,” comments Markus Vanhala. He continues, “It is a passage back in time that dark forest of our minds through which we spent our youth traversing.”


Brought forth by underground titans of Finnish Metal, Markus Vanhala (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum), Janne Markkanen (ex-Omnium Gatherum), Okko Solanterä (Horizon Ignited), and Waltteri Väyrynen (Paradise Lost, Bodom After Midnight), the band’s origins date back to the dimly lit subterranean rehearsal rooms of the mid-nineties where the fires of Vanhala and Markkanen’s black metal zeal were ignited.


“Black metal art has been a continuous and serious pursuit in my personal life since my early teenage years”, explains guitarist Vanhala. He continues, “In The Nightside Eclipse, Storm Of The Light’s Bane and De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas opened the gate to the dark side for me years ago, as can be heard from the music we make with I Am The Night.”


In recent years, I Am The Night rapidly began to gather flesh on its old bones, and in 2020 the spark burst into a full blaze when elder statesmen Vanhala and Markkanen hired younger cohorts Väyrynen and Solanteräto to help bring their morbid visions into reality. Vanhala states, “Our debut record, the result of a yearning for ancient darkness, turned out to be just the time capsule we wanted it to be, far removed from modern metal. I’ve seldom found anything interesting in post-90s Black Metal. We wanted to realize this in the underground way that felt fitting to the music, and chose to work with Svart Records.”


“Our songs are stories about the worship of night and the triumph of the powers of darkness. At night, sun to his slumber and shadows all over, the forces of the night rise to the heavens, cast angels out and usher in a new era of individual freedom”, vocalist Solaterä explains, “I Am The Night is a real band, not a project. It is unrestrained creation. A ray of darkness for us in the vacuum created by the pandemic. The future remains unseen, and all the better for it.”


Seldom has an instant classic band and timeless sound reached our ears at Svart Records, but we are certain that there will be hordes of new initiates, prepared to declare I Am The Night their favorite new ray of darkness.


Pre-orders available at Svart Records.





Tracklisting:


“While The Gods Are Sleeping”
“Hear Me O’ Unmaker”
“Dawnbearer”
“Ode To The Nightsky”
“I Am The Night”
“The Owl”
“Among The Unseen Ones”
“Holocaust Of The Angels”


“I Am The Night” video:





“Ode To The Nightsky”:

Driven by Max Cavalera's unrelenting energy, unmistakable growl, and instantly recognizable riffage, the earthy tones and motivational rhythmic bounce of Soulfly maintain a gritty spiritual heart while pushing the boundaries of what's possible in metal. Nowhere is that more apparent than on the four triumphant, redemptive, and crucial eclectic offerings presented in this brand new box set, celebrating the first six years of the band career.


Soulfly (1998) was a riotously heavy escalation of the innovation established on Max's final album with Sepultura, launching a brand-new era. Primitive (2000) and 3 (2002) stomp with tribal groove; Prophecy (2004) is as unsettling but evocative as the tombs of the martyrs across Europe. Max introduced metalheads to the berimbau. He popularized varieties of camouflage and brought football chants to metal shows, while attacking his guitar on the bridge and unleashing classic after classic with Sepultura, Nailbomb, Soulfly, and Cavalera Conspiracy. His music is brutal yet unapologetically transcendent punk-infused extremity. To commune with the burning muse of metal's shamanistic tribal leader is to envelop oneself inside a post-modern sonic sweat lodge. Brutal riffs, trippy esoteric ritual, unrelenting percussion, primal screams; no matter what Cavalera hammers out on his four-string guitar, it always sets souls free.


No one doubts Max Cavalera's commitment to the subculture cause. He sold millions of albums yet walks freely amongst the crustiest of gutter punks with unquestionable credibility. He is one part renegade spiritual guide to the metal community, stretching from the roughest slums of South America to the coldest confines of Siberia, and all-parts old-school headbanger. Max is also a growling savage, cultural revolutionary, unpretentious innovator, American and Brazilian football fanatic, caffeinated soda guzzler, lyrical terrorizer, devoted husband, family man, riff-master, black metal loving, God-fearing, beloved spirit animal to all metal fans.




The Soul Remains Insane is a deluxe collection of the first four studio albums by Soulfly and also contains a bonus album of singles, b-sides, rare cuts and a couple of previously unreleased songs. Also included is a book telling the story of these seminal records through new interviews with Max Cavalera which contains many previously unseen photos from the era. The box set will be available as a 5 album, 8LP vinyl box and 5CD box.


Set for release on June 17, you can pre-order The Soul Remains Insane here.





The Soul Remains contains :


- Soulfly
- Primitive
- 3
- Prophecy
- Soulfire (Bonus LP)


Soulfire (Bonus LP) tracklisting:


"Cangaceiro"
"Ain't No Feeble Bastard"
"Possibility Of Life's Destruction"
"Chaos"
"Soulfire"
"I Will Refuse"
"Under The Sun"
"Tribe" (Tribal Terrorism Mix)
"Quilombo" (Zumbi Dub Mix)
"Umbabarauma" (World Cup Mix)
"Terrorist" (Total Destruction Mix)
"Berimbau Jam"

Sensory Records has welcomed Swiss-Italian cinematic progressive metal outfit Virtual Symmetry to the label’s roster.


Virtual Symmetry’s Marco Pastorino states, "We are thrilled to announce that we are joining Sensory Records for the release of our next album! They are the best team possible to be part of for the next chapter of our career. We are working extremely hard to give you the best Virtual Symmetry album ever and we are looking forward to giving you more updates very soon!”


Label founder Ken Golden adds, “I’ve been following Virtual Symmetry from their first release. Their style of progressive metal fits in perfectly with the Sensory roster. The band has steadily built-up a following in Switzerland, and we are looking forward to presenting them to a worldwide audience."




Watch for details on the new album to post in the months ahead.





Meanwhile, Virtual Symmetry has been confirmed alongside Fractal Universe as support on Evergrey’s extensive 2022 European tour, which runs from September 16th through October 23rd. See all confirmed tour dates and more at the Virtual Symmetry official website.

HIM mastermind Ville Valo will release a new single, "Loveletting", on April 8 under the VV banner. "Loveletting" is taken from VV's forthcoming debut album, "Neon Noir".

Ville explains: "As fun as the funeral rites for HIM were, it took me more than a few moons to lick my wounds in the shadow of the Heartagram and come up with an excuse to strum and hum again. Eventually, I decided to put a leash on my beloved black dog and we started howling together instead of barking at each other. That's how 'Loveletting' was born."

"Loveletting" will be made available across all digital platforms from midnight (local time) tonight. An official video clip will follow tomorrow at 11 a.m. EDT.

"Neon Noir" is scheduled for release in early 2023. Belonging to the same forlorn world of woe and whimsy once conceived and governed by Valo in HIM, VV arrives with additional nuanced notes of a fine aged Cabernet.

Valo adds: "Artistically speaking, the main difference between HIM and VV is the extra line in the Heartagram, but what an exquisite line it is! It's the MAMAS AND THE PAPAS dressed up as METALLICA on their way to a Halloween bash at the Studio 54, and now who wouldn't want to witness that?"

Further details around "Neon Noir" will be released in due course. In the meantime, fans are invited to any number of VV's headline tour dates taking place next year across Europe and North America. Naturally starting in Helsinki, Finland, the 2023 extensive run reaches the U.K. in March before heading to America come April.

U.S. tickets will be available for purchase from Friday, April 15 at 10 a.m. local time.

North American 2023 tour dates:

Apr. 01 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts

Apr. 02 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live

Apr. 04 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theatre

Apr. 05 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues

Apr. 06 - Detroit, MI - St Andrews Hall

Apr. 08 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts

Apr. 09 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues

Apr. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater

Apr. 13 - Denver, CO - Summit

Apr. 14 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot

Apr. 16 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades

Apr. 17 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

Apr. 18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco

Apr. 21 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

Apr. 22 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues

Apr. 23 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren

Apr. 25 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues

Apr. 26 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theater

Apr. 27 - Houston, TX - House of Blues

Apr. 28 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues

Apr. 30 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues

May 01 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Revolution

May 03 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre

May 04 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl

May 05 - Charlotte, NC - Underground

May 07 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore

May 08 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

"Loveletting" will mark Ville's first new music in over two years, following the arrival of the three-track "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" EP, also released under the VV banner, in March 2020.

"Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" bore a strong musical resemblance to HIM and featured the tracks "Salute The Sanguine", "Run Away From The Sun" and "Saturnine Saturnalia".

HIM completed a farewell tour in 2017, closing the final chapter on the band's 26-year career. At the time, Ville explained to Kerrang! magazine why the band decided to call it a day. "We were tired of the same shit," he said. "When you've done it for a long time, at some point it doesn't taste good anymore. We started working on some stuff, it didn't sound good enough, and we didn't get the teenage buzz you're supposed get."

He also discussed the future of his artistic and musical endeavors.

"I'll be figuring out the emotions I'll be going through after the HIM period is done," he said. "That's how I experience life. I experience it through music, I'll pick up the guitar and start writing and I'm sure some of the emotions that come out of this wild ride will come through. My life is not done yet. The HIM part is done, as it is now, the chapter is closed, but the book is still unfinished…"

Formed in 1991 by Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström and bassist Mikko "Migé" Paananen, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as "love metal" (also the title of their fourth album).

HIM in 2015 parted ways with its longtime drummer, Mika Kristian Karppinen (a.k.a. Gas Lipstick), and replaced him with Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger (formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET).

Three years ago, Valo teamed up with guitar legend Esa Pulliainen to record an album based on songs by the late, legendary Finnish singer Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki. The self-titled album by VILLE VALO & AGENTS was released in February 2019 and was followed by a short tour.

Helsott have released a music video for "Independence Night", featuring guest vocals by Tim "Ripper" Owens. The track will be included on the band's upcoming concept album, Will And The Witch, out via M-Theory Audio on May 20. Pre-orders for CD, limited-edition double vinyl, and digital editions of Will And The Witch are available here.


The visualizer video, created by Raf Ortega (Ayreon, Subterranean Masquerade) for “Independence Night” can be viewed below.


Says Dow, “'Independence Night' is a dark and heavy song. We have Tim "Ripper" Owens doing guest vocals for us on this song and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Besides the opening money shot 'Ripper scream' we think you will be pleasantly surprised with the vocal performance by "Ripper". I have been a fan of his ever since I heard 'Bullet Train' from Judas Priest before the Jugulator album was released. I know how hard it must have been to replace someone like Rob Halford and I felt like "Ripper" killed it. It's definitely surreal to be screaming alongside him in this awesome track. Enjoy!"




Says Owens of his guest appearance on the song, “I gotta say I had a blast doing this awesome tune with Helsott, anytime I can show off the wide range of my vocals, it’s a blast and doing the heavy-ass aggressive vocals are some of my favorite. I am ready for more.”





Helsott's newest album, Will And The Witch - mixed and mastered by J-F Dagenais (Kataklysm, Ex Deo) and featuring artwork by Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, Gamma Ray) - is a concept record that tells a fictional story about how Billy The Kid became the fastest gunfighter in the wild west. The first taste of music from the new album was recently unleashed with a visualizer video for the title track, which can be viewed below. The band returns to its musical roots on their latest record with heavier thrash overtones and less orchestral work than their prior record, while catching listeners off-guard with new influences befitting of the album's theme. Thrash metal, power metal, and death metal all converge with acoustic campfire segments, Southern banjo and fiddle, and Native American-inspired hand drums and flutes. The end result is a record that is musically ambitious while remaining melodic, thrashy, and true to the underlying sound of Helsott.





Tracklisting:


"I'll Make Ya Famous"
"Southern Shine"
"Will And The Witch"
"Independence Night"
"Skin Out"
"Babylon: Scarlett's Saloon"
"Everything Hurts"
"Spit Bucket Brawl"
"Navajo Crow"
"Welded As One"
"Reap The Whirlwind"
"Regulators"


"I'll Make Ya Famous" video:





“Will And The Witch” visualizer:

Outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent has defended his comments about the passing of FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, explaining he was simply "being compassionate and empathetic and supportive."

During last Friday's (April 1) edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted offers his take on the news of our world every night, he reflected on Hawkins's death, saying: "It's heartbreaking on so many levels. Fifty years old with a horrible, long-term celebration of substance abuse. I'm not… Well, I am casting judgment because substance abuse is selfish. His wife and daughter, they should have been taken into consideration. Is spending time with your wife and daughter more important than getting high or less important than getting high?

"I've told the story many times, but I've witnessed it," Nugent continued. "My bass player Greg Arama — so gifted at 15; listen to the bass part on 'Journey To The Center Of The Mind' by the AMBOY DUKES — and the guy was just a gifted, a virtuoso, a savant of groove and musicality. And he started smoking dope and ended up with heroin and died when he was — I don't know — early 20s. And the future he could have had. I told Jimi Hendrix, I said, 'No, I don't want your dope, and it's gonna kill you, Jimi.' Bon Scott [AC/DC] would come to the studio when my band was recording 'Weekend Warriors' [1978] out of Miami and AC/DC was coming in [and working on] 'Highway To Hell' — just phenomenal musical powers. And he'd come in drunk every day with a [bottle of] Jack Daniel's or an Old Grand-Dad [whiskey] and he'd go, 'Hey, Teddy, try some of this.' And he smelled like a diaper. What a talent. What a nice guy. These were all nice guys.

"But what happens is the music can be so overwhelming, the delivery of your comedy or your art or your dream, it can be so obsessive that it's hard to get rid of it. You know how with just a guy that doesn't make music, sometimes it's hard to get a song out of your head? Well, think of how difficult it is for those of us that make the art. And if they don't have a bow and arrow — and a lot of people will dismiss this as being just absolutely too simple, but it's not; it's perfectly simple — if you're so obsessed with delivering your art that you can't escape it, they think drugs and alcohol with help. It only makes it worse.

"So, if you loved Taylor Hawkins — I loved him; I loved the man; I still love him," Ted insisted. "But I love his wife and daughter more. Because they didn't break his heart; he broke their heart.

"So, God rest Taylor Hawkins's soul and all those stoners and drunks that died prematurely. Thank God for every day you're above ground. Breathe deep, concentrate on the positive and show reverence for your gift of life and your sacred temple. Do not poison your sacred temple. It's that simple."

On Tuesday (April 5), Ted once again touched upon the subject of Taylor's passing while lamenting the fact that "The Nightly Nuge" keeps "getting labeled as 'hate speech'" by some. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When the great drummer, and I understand he was a great, fun guy and a loving husband and a loving father, Taylor Hawkins of the FOO FIGHTERS, when he died, we did a tribute to him here on 'The Nightly Nuge', and I played a very emotional love song that had come out of me for my brother John when I lost him, showing great compassion, showing great empathy for the band, for his family, for his fans, showing nothing but love but identifying the intentional abuse of substances as being selfish. Well, the tsunami of attacks against me for being compassionate and empathetic and supportive and identifying a booger in someone's nose, labeled as 'hate speech,' it's unbelievable. If that speech wasn't 'love speech,' I don't know what would be love speech. But love speech sincerely and genuinely critiquing or even identifying something you disagree with or that is glar[ing]ly dangerous and irresponsible as hate speech, that's a manifestation of total cultural abandonment of the good will and decency and genuine support for your fellow man that you and I were raised in.

"So everybody out there, speak your mind, be a critical thinker, articulate yourself honestly, and if they call it 'hate speech,' they're the haters," Nugent added. "Those who accuse us of hate speech are the real haters. And I couldn't be more confident of that."

In February 2021, Nugent revealed during a Facebook Live stream that his "mom and dad were alcoholics. I didn't know they were alcoholics. I thought they just had a Tom Collins [cocktail] every night — whatever the hell that is — or a martini with olives," he said. "So my mom and dad were smoking, drinking alcoholics. And I was surrounded, in the rock and roll world, by smoking, drinking, drugged idiots.

"So what's the difference between a person that falls for that versus a person who defies that? I haven't the faintest idea," he admitted. "Because I think God gave all of us everything we need.

"Some people look for an easy way out, and some people don't. I didn't. I think it was just shit luck. 'Cause my brothers and sisters smoked and drank, and they didn't even surround themselves with goofball rock and roll dirtbags. I did."

Ted went on to say that most of his influences "got high — right in front of me. And I admired the living shit out of 'em," he said. "The MC5, they were all stumbling, puking, stupid drunk and stoned, and I admired them beyond description. But then it caught up with them, and I said, 'Oh.' Thank God I didn't go, 'Hey, they're smoking a lot of hashish, and they're just kicking out the jams. Maybe I'll try the hashish.' And luckily, I didn't. Luckily, I watched them blow up. I watched the drugs and alcohol destroy the energy that I admired, destroy the groove that I admired. And to this day, Wayne Kramer is a dear friend of mine. Wayne, I love you, buddy. And he knows I love him. And we have great conversations. And he's probably polar opposite of my ideologies. But not really, because he has a work ethic, and he's a family guy, he's a loving guy, he's a productive guy, he's a conscientious guy, he's a caring guy. But I think to this day, he thinks that dope is essential… I don't wanna presume — I had a conversation with him not that long ago where we disagreed on the use of marijuana and other intoxicants, or whatever category you wanna put 'em in.

"The point is that lucky me, I could differentiate between the delivery of the things I admired versus the occasional and, more often than not, conduct of those that I admired," Ted added.

"Jimi Hendrix offered me his drugs, and I said no. John Belushi offered me his drugs; I said no. Keith Moon offered me his drugs and alcohol, and I said no. Bon Scott offered me his drugs and alcohol, and I said no. I said no to everybody."

Back in 2018, Nugent said that Canada was "absolutely crazy" for its decision to legalize marijuana, explaining that he has "never seen one moment of positive outcome from someone getting high." He said: "I'm all for medical marijuana, I'm all for medical anything, as long as it's really beneficial to people suffering from health issues, but to legalize recreational comfortably numb is a guaranteed script for ruined lives."

Nugent has served on the boards of more than two dozen political and charitable associations, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.), and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) law enforcement program.