BEARTOOTH singer Caleb Shomo spoke to WSOU 89.5 FM radio station about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Half of the record is done. I went out to L.A. — over the last month, I spent about three weeks there in total — and I've just been writing and working and coming up with kind of the new sound for this record. And it's just been happening really, really fast. And it's my favorite stuff I've ever written. I know a lot of people say that about their new stuff that's not out yet, but truly for me, it just couldn't describe more about where I'm at in my life, and I think the sound reflects that."

Caleb elaborated on the musical direction of the new BEARTOOTH material, saying: "I'm trying to kind of push myself in a lot of ways, try new things that I've never tried before, try and show off different parts of my voice that I haven't used before. Yeah, it's going to be a wild ride."

As for a possible release date for the next BEARTOOTH LP, Shomo said: "We're hoping we have some stuff sooner than later that people can start to get their heads around. I am really working hard on what's going on, and it is going to rule and I'm really excited to share it with the world. Obviously, we've still got some stuff to do with [2021's] 'Below' — with the whole pandemic stuff, we've got some ground to make up when it comes to touring and getting that out to everybody — but it doesn't mean people can't be ready for some new stuff at some point."

BEARTOOTH has just released the deluxe edition of its critically acclaimed 2021 album "Below". "Below Deluxe" is expanded to include 32 tracks. For this edition, BEARTOOTH added two new bonus tracks, "Fighting Back" and "Permanently Sealed", as well as a refreshed version of current radio single "Skin (Alternate Universe Version)", which mixes acoustics and electrics. It also includes the full, 17-track live recordings from the "Live From The Journey Below" livestream, recorded at the historic Clyde Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana in July 2021. An exclusive 52-track "Special Video Edition" Apple eMix bundle includes all the official videos plus the videos from "Live From The Journey Below".

Rob Flynn (MACHINE HEAD) and Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN) joined the BLACK SABBATH tribute band BACK STABBATH on stage on March 19 at the Elbo Room Jack London in Oakland, California to perform a set of BLACK SABBATH classics. Fan-filmed video of the concert is available below.

Back in 2015, Flynn told Metal Talk that he was 13 years old when he was first introduced to SABBATH's music.

"My family moved around a lot so it was kind of hard to make friends," he recalled. "As a kid, I was pretty introverted. The one thing I did get really into was Bruce Lee; I was obsessed with him. My dad signed me up to take judo and jiu-jitsu lessons with this guy who took me under his wing and brought out a lot of confidence in me. I got to be an orange belt, about halfway towards black belt."

After another move, Flynn found himself away from his mentor and in a new environment where he was sparring with older kids. "I'm going up against dudes who were turning into men," he remembered. "They just kicked my ass — they beat the crap out of me.

"My new sensei demoted me from orange belt back down to a yellow belt, and I was furious. I was, like, 'Fuck this.' A week later, my friend Elvis said, 'Let's go smoke weed.' We raided his dad's stash and got high."

According to Flynn, a turning point came when his friend put on SABBATH's "We Sold Our Souls For Rock'N'Roll". "It had this creepy picture of this dead girl in a coffin and she's got this huge chrome cross laying on her chest," he said. "I just remember being high as fuck and terrified of the music that was coming out of the speakers. I had never heard anything so terrifying and dark and evil. It was a revelation. I wanted to make the sound that was coming out of the speakers. I didn't know what it was, or how to do it. But they were the band that made me want to smoke weed, fuck girls, get snowblind and get drunk. And play the darkest, heaviest, most extreme stuff that I could get my hands on."

MACHINE HEAD recently completed work on a new full-length album for a tentative summer release. Much of the LP was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with producer Zack Ohren.

MACHINE HEAD will team up with Sweden's Viking metal overlords AMON AMARTH for a co-headline "Vikings And Lionhearts" European arena tour in September and October. Support on the trek will come from THE HALO EFFECT, the new band featuring five former members of IN FLAMES: Peter Iwers, Daniel Svensson, Jesper Strömblad, Niclas Engelin and Mikael Stanne.










Hell Yeah! Word on the street is that Rob Flynn from Machine Head is playing in Back Stabbath!

Posted by Elbo Room Jack London on Saturday, March 19, 2022

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS have released another new single, "Not The One". The song, which can be streamed below, is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Unlimited Love", which will arrive on April 1 via Warner.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS's first new LP with guitarist John Frusciante since 2006's "Stadium Arcadium" was once again produced by Rick Rubin who previously worked on "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (1991), "Californication" (1999), "By The Way" (2002) and the aforementioned "Stadium Arcadium".

The band stated about the new record: "Our only goal is to get lost in the music. We (John, Anthony, Chad and Flea) spent thousands of hours, collectively and individually, honing our craft and showing up for one another, to make the best album we could. Our antennae attuned to the divine cosmos, we were just so damn grateful for the opportunity to be in a room together, and, once again, try to get better. Days, weeks and months spent listening to each other, composing, jamming freely, and arranging the fruit of those jams with great care and purpose. The sounds, rhythms, vibrations, words and melodies had us enrapt.

"We yearn to shine a light in the world, to uplift, connect, and bring people together. Each of the songs on our new album 'Unlimited Love' is a facet of us, reflecting our view of the universe. This is our life’s mission. We work, focus, and prepare, so that when the biggest wave comes, we are ready to ride it. The ocean has gifted us a mighty wave and this record is the ride that is the sum of our lives. Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy it."

Frusciante said: "When we started writing material, we began by playing old songs by people like Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, THE KINKS, THE NEW YORK DOLLS, Richard Barrett and others. Ever so gradually, we started bringing in new ideas, and turning jams into songs, and after a couple of months the new stuff was all we were playing. The feeling of effortless fun we had when we were playing songs by other people, stayed with us the whole time we were writing. For me, this record represents our love for, and faith in each other."

On lead track "Black Summer", ethereal guitar underlines introspective lyrics as the rhythm unlocks a hypnotic drum groove highlighted by evocative bass. It quietly inhales only to exhale with a massive refrain, "It's been a long time since I made a new friend, waiting on another black summer to end," before a guitar solo echoes to the heavens and back. For the music video, the group teamed up with acclaimed director Deborah Chow (Disney+'s "The Mandalorian", "Obi-Wan Kenobi"). The result continues a tradition of captivating cinematic visuals — with a twist.

The interplay between the band borders on intergalactic once again — yet elevated to another stratosphere altogether. "Unlimited Love" represents the united spirit of four individual souls still fearlessly exploring the future of their eternal friendship and musical congregation.

"Here Ever After" follows a staccato bassline down a rhythmic wormhole as the hook promises, "She's the kinda girl that make you wanna go faster now." And whether it be wrangling wild horns and boisterous bass on "Aquatic Mouth Dance" or the poetic dreamscape of confessional ballad "Not The One", the album twists and turns with gleeful unpredictability. On "Poster Child", a funky riff spiked with wah pedal magic wobbles in tandem with the delivery as a blissful chorus takes hold. "The Great Apes" charges forward towards a primal clarion call. For nearly six minutes, "It's Only Natural" slips in and out of hypnotic harmonies and magnetic grooves. The slinky funk of "She's A Lover" bleeds into a chantable gang vocal and dancefloor-ready refrain, while "These Are The Ways" sees a soft melody give way to guitar and vocal catharsis.

"Whatchu Thinkin'" leans on head-nodding percussion as the vocals flutter with the tempo only for guitar to ignite the chorus. An analog synth choir colors the intro of "Bastards Of Light" while a heavenly crescendo elevates "White Braids & Pillow Chair" beyond the clouds. Hitting the highways, "One Way Traffic" revs up funk at an intersection of airy bass and drums. "Veronica" trades the band's sunny Los Angeles for the South Side of Chicago and a near-cinematic story about the title character. Then, there's "Let 'Em Cry" where trumpet punctuates the momentum before peaking on an emotionally charged guitar solo. "The Heavy Wing" takes flight on a climactic burst of distortion and vocal conjurations. The ride culminates on "Tangelo". Threaded together with delicate guitar and emotionally charged vocals, this otherworldly lullaby leaves off on a vibrant, vulnerable, and vital final note as it slips into the arms of feedback.

"Unlimited Love" track listing:

01. Black Summer

02. Here Ever After

03. Aquatic Mouth Dance

04. Not The One

05. Poster Child

06. The Great Apes

07. It's Only Natural

08. She's A Lover

09. These Are The Ways

10. Whatchu Thinkin'

11. Bastards Of Light

12. White Braids & Pillow Chair

13. One Way Traffic

14. Veronica

15. Let 'Em Cry

16. The Heavy Wing

17. Tangelo

Last fall, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith told Rolling Stone that the four members of the band were "getting along great", and were "really listening to each other in a new way".

"All of our records are just real good snapshots of where we're at that time," he said. "You can't really go, 'Oh, gee, I hope it's as good as...' Then you're starting to have preconceived notions about what you want to write.

"Look, John hasn't been in our group in 10 years. That's a long time. So of course it's going to sound different, but it's going to sound like the four of us because we do have this special chemistry together. It sounds like RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, but it's different and new, and to me that's great.

"We really like it and we're proud of it and it has to start there. If other people like it, great. If people compare it to this or [say] it doesn't sound like that, we have no control over that. But yeah, we're all really happy with the record."

Regarding the return of Frusciante, Smith said: "He is so dedicated. He's so into it. He's working so hard. We're all working hard, but he's in there with all the overdubs and the magic that he brings."

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS will embark on a world tour this summer. The North American leg will kick off in Denver, Colorado on July 23 at Empower Field at Mile High. It will conclude in Arlington, Texas on September 18 at Globe Life Field.

Frusciante originally joined RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS following the death of founding guitarist Hillel Slovak in 1988. This lineup recorded two highly successful albums that brought the group mainstream popularity: "Mother's Milk" and "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". Sadly, Frusciante fell into a deep heroin addiction that caused him to leave the band while touring to support "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". Frusciante rejoined CHILI PEPPERS six years later, playing on 1999 album "Californication", 2002's "By The Way" and 2006's "Stadium Arcadium" before quitting the band again in September 2009.

In October 2020, Frusciante told the Australian digital radio station Double J that playing with his RHCP bandmates Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Smith once again was like "returning to family. I'm extremely comfortable with those people. It was as if no time had gone by at all when we started playing, pretty much, with a couple of minor exceptions, like how Chad and I gradually got our communication together in a new way. Basically, we're all just as comfortable with each other as we ever were, and it just felt like that right off the bat."

Photo credit: Sandy Kim

“Mythological occult metal” act Proscriptor McGovern’s Apsû has premiered a lyric/visualizer video for the third single taken from their debut/self-titled album, which is out now on Agonia Records. The song and video “symbolize a Fourth–Dimensional Universe in two dimensions as a square surrounded by 30 concentric circles,” as commented by the band's founder, Proscriptor. Watch the video and learn more about its symbolism below.





“The 30 concentric circles are known as the 30 Æthyrs or Aires,” Proscriptor continues. “The Watchtower Ritual (Liber Chanokh) consists of two ‘Adeptus Minor’ parts, which features an opening within and a closing without. The opening begins with three sacramental sections:




A) Invoking The Watchtowers (four quadrangle vibrations)
B) Rending The Veils (centralized self-placement of the multiverse)
C) Forming The Vortex (Crossing The Abyss)


Rending the veils places the ceremonialist to a South altar, which becomes the traversing process. Therefore, an anti–clockwise widdershin dissipates the vortex and the ritual’s temple is finally closed – classified as a totemic threshold. This lyrical machine, of the aforementioned topic, is so subtle that the most highly sensitized mind antennae cannot pick up its grossest vibrations. The spirit of magick remains inviolate, but the act of separating the self from any past shadow (and of fusing its essence with future semblance) is the act requiring noble skill – for it must be willfully achieved.”


Proscriptor McGovern’s Apsû constitutes a new incarnation and direct continuation of Absu’s legacy. Touted as one of the most important bands in the history of American Black Metal, Absu was dissolved by drummer/vocalist Proscriptor McGovern (Russ R. Givens) on January 27th, 2020, after 30 years of existence. Since the band’s last, unreleased album was to be penned as “Apsû,” McGovern fused the title with his name to form this new group, Proscriptor McGovern’s Apsû. Securing the ranks, alongside McGovern, are continuing bassist Ezezu (Absu: 2008-2020), new guitar virtuoso Vaggreaz (Possessed, Gruesome) and keyboardist Vorskaath (Zemial, Agatus). With this much anticipated, self-titled album, McGovern’s objective was to append the signature sound of “mythological occult metal,” but to convolute it with bouts of psychedelia, fusion and vintage electronics.


When asked about the album’s final outcome, McGovern stated the following: “Having the opportunity to assemble these band members, in the development of this album, was a remarkable honour and I strongly feel this album captures the band’s true, yet frenzied potential.” McGovern, who also produced and co–engineered the album, added: “I specifically appointed these three to augment and heighten the overall sound portrait of these recordings, hoping that our emphasis on ‘mythological occult metal,’ coupled with progressive and psychedelic elements, clutches the listener’s momentum. Most importantly, I highly commend Agonia Records for migrating our musical and arcane foresight onto the next level.”


The album was chronicled at studios around the world with final mixing handled in Dallas, Texas by both McGovern and J.T. Longoria (Absu, King Diamond, Solitude Aeternus) and mastering by Swedish Grammy nominee Karl Daniel Lidén in Sweden. The album also features guest appearances from Ross Friedman (Ross The Boss, ex-Manowar), Rune Eriksen (Aura Noir, Vltimas, ex-Mayhem), Alex Colin-Tocquaine (Agressor) and The Dark (Agatus).


In assembling the album’s packaging, the band re-commissioned the expertise of renowned Polish artist Zbigniew Bielak (Darkthrone, Portal, Watain). Not only did he administer the front cover, but also was assigned to create eight separate “plate illustrations” tailored around the lyrical conceptions. Regarding Bielak’s work, McGovern stated: “With incredible rapidity, he was able to resuscitate the artistic pulse after I presented the album’s subject speculations and lyrical themes. Some plate illustrations are affiliated with multiple songs; others integrated to only one song, yet Zbigniew perfectly surmounted each piece reflecting my oblique and ‘in–betweeness’ motifs.”


McGovern continues regarding the album’s lyrical approach: “This album was written for those who are curious and unwearied in their quest of arcane knowledge. I have (with vast exertion and detriment of time and space) collected knowledge deemed, in regard to my subject theories of ‘mythological occult metal:’ from Thelemic Magick and The Zos Vel Thanatos Formula to Fractal Ontology and (obviously) Near East Mythology.”





Formats:


- Jewelcase CD
- Digi Slipcase CD
- Clam–Shell Box CD (Limited To 1000 Numbered Copies With Pin & Front Cover Flag)
- Black LP
- Swamp Green LP
- Gold LP
- Mercurial Silver LP
- Ultra Clear LP
- Picture LP
- Mephitic Vapour Splatter LP
- Cassette
- Digital


Clothing:
- T-shirt 1 – Quasaric Pestilence (White On Black)
- T-shirt 2 – Tantrums Of Azag-Kkû (Black On Gray)
- T-shirt 3 – Logo With Sleeve Prints (Red On Black)
- Black HSW Zipper


Order here





Album stream:





Lineup:


Proscriptor McGovern – Drums/Percussion, Lyricism, Maestro Echoplex, Papago Flute, Digital Synthesizers & Voices (Protagonist/Dramatic Monologue Versus Omniscient/Interior Monologue)
Vorskaath – (Analogue & Digital) Synthesizers, Classical/Acoustic Guitar, Mellotron & Signal Generator
Vaggreaz – Electric Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic & Bass Guitar
Ezezû – Electric Bass Guitar & Implements





(Photo - Scott Kincade & M. Zvyagina)

Don your bandanas, leather jackets and distressed jeans, because heavy metal is about to shine brighter than ever as Swedish newcomers Bomber bring back the hottest era in hard rock history. Asserting their own trademark blend of 70s and 80s inspired classic and hard rock with catchy hooks, top-notch guitar solos and a vibrant aesthetic, Bomber brings you their debut album, Nocturnal Creatures, via Napalm Records - out this Friday, March 25.


Today, the Swedish upstarts enter the last round before the release of their debut album, revealing their third single "Fever Eyes". It ensnares with wistful weeping choirs and guarantees a quickly increasing temperature. With tours through Europe and a passionate following under their belts, Bomber are sure to leave their mark on modern hard rock with their debut album, Nocturnal Creatures.


Bomber on “Fever Eyes”: “So here we are. After over a year of hard work, our debut album Nocturnal Creatures is finally on its way to fans and music lovers world-wide. This is without any doubt an emotional moment for us. We went into the studio without a dime on our pockets, we we're truly chasing a dream. The only thing we could be certain of was how much these songs meant to us - and how much love we felt for each other as friends. How we got discovered by Napalm Records within minutes is well known by now. But perhaps even more important is all you fans who've discovered us during these last few months. Your response has been overwhelming and heart-warming. We would now like to present the album 'Nocturnal Creatures' in it's full glory. From us in Bomber: thank you. And Enjoy!”







Nocturnal Creatures marks the great comeback of hard rock’s golden age.


After explosive live shows in Sweden and a subsequent tour of Germany, Sweden’s hard rock upstarts Bomber prove that the glorious era of rock isn’t over and that they’re already setting the highest standards on Nocturnal Creatures. On ten powerful tracks, the four piece turns the night into an intoxicating adventure that convinces both old and new fans of the prominent classic and hard rock genre. Album opener and title track “Nocturnal Creatures” opens the gates with epic storytelling and interludes the following passionate ride through “Zarathustra”, while “Fever Eyes” ensnares with wistful weeping choirs and guarantees a quickly increasing temperature. “Black Pants Magic” emerges into an unforgettable high-class rock experience through its industrious and catchy hook, while songs like “A Walk Of Titans (Hearts Will Break)” and “You’ve Got Demons” surprise with dynamic melodies and Anton Sköld’s powerful voice. On “The Tiger”, Bomber send their listeners right into the eye of a raging thunderstorm of riffs driven by brilliant grooves, while “Kassiopeia” sets the strings on fire with its marvelous solos. Bursting album closer “Aurora” presents Nocturnal Creatures’ crowning achievement, bringing the 40-minute escapade to the edge of the world.


With their new studio album, Nocturnal Creatures, the rising stars of Sweden establish a milestone in the legacy of hard rock that leads the once so majestic genre to new glory - marked by their very own special vision.


Bomber on Nocturnal Creatures: “This is an album filled with big drums, loud guitars and great vocal performances. But there are certainly many layers and emotional depth to this album as well. We all went through some difficult times during the writing process. We strongly believe that having put our heart and souls into the songs makes them more relatable to a wider audience, so we did just that. The conceptual theme of the album is the night, and all that belongs to it. Night-time is when set our imaginations free, and we can truly release whatever is living deep inside of us. Sometimes the night can summon fears, but it can also be a comforting place. We used these concepts as songwriters to bring you stories of what can happen under the cover of darkness. From tales of spirits and ghosts to the stars above - to stories of love and heartbreak. Going through life has many challenges, it can mean going through a lot of hardships and sacrifice – but it’s also about finding our joy, meanings, and the good in all of us. That´s what this album is about. Welcome to the night… We're all nocturnal creatures.”





Nocturnal Creatures will be available in the following formats:


- Jewel Case CD Edition
- 1LP Gatefold BLACK
- 1LP Gatefold MARBLED Crystal clear  & sky blue  - limited to 300 copies worldwide
- Shirt & JC Bundle
- Digital Full Length Album


Pre-order here.





Nocturnal Creatures tracklisting:


"Nocturnal Creatures"
"Zarathustra"
"Fever Eyes"
"A Walk Of Titans (Hearts Will Break)"
"Black Pants Magic"
"The Tiger"
"You've Got Demons"
"Hungry For Your Heart"
"Kassiopeia"
"Aurora"


“A Walk Of Titans (Hearts Will Break)” video:





"Zarathustra" video:





Bomber is:


Love Andersson: Bass   
Anton Sköld: Vocals & Guitars
Rasmus Grahn: Drums & Backup Vocals
Max Huddén: Guitars & Backup Vocals  


(Photo - Mikey Lennartsson)

German power metallers, Iron Savior, have released a lyric video for "Heavy Metal Never Dies", featured on the special edition of their classic album, The Landing. Watch below.


This new 10th Anniversary Edition includes three bonus tracks and was remixed / remastered by frontman / founder Piet Sielck. It also features revised artwork by Felipe Machado Franco.


The Landing became one of the most successful albums of the Hamburg-based band and was heralding a kind of resurgence for Iron Savior back then. It contains several classic tracks such as "Starlight", "Hall Of The Heroes", and the metal hymn "Heavy Metal Never Dies" – a song that has been streamed over 10 million times.




The Landing - 10th Anniversary Edition is out now via AFM Records.





Tracklisting:


"Descending" (Intro)
"The Savior"
"Starlight"
"March Of Doom"
"Heavy Metal Never Dies"
"Moment In Time"
"Hall Of The Heroes"
"R. U. Ready"
"Faster Than All"
"Before The Pain"
"No Guts No Glory"
"Coming Home" (re-recorded)
"Atlantis Falling" (re-recorded)
"Underneath The Radar" (Bonus Track)


"Heavy Metal Never Dies" lyric video:





(Photo - Thomas Sprenger)

Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill is featured in a new interview with The Aquarian discussing the band's current 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour. He also comments on guitarist Richie Faulkner's recent health scare and complete recovery, as well as the possibility of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden touring together in the future.


Q: On this tour, you’re doing some songs that haven’t been performed live in quite some time. How does it feel to revisit some of these deeper cuts?


Ian Hill: "Off Painkiller, we’re doing 'One Shot at Glory' – we’ve never played that before, so that’s exciting. Things like 'Rocka Rolla', we hadn’t played in 40-odd years. That was the first single from the first album. 'Invader' is another song we’ve never played before… or if we did, it was so long ago, nobody can remember (laughs). So, we’ve got some surprises in there.




It’s been great revisiting some of these old songs and trying to get them in the show. We’ve only got a finite time onstage so every new song you put in, you might have to drop an old favorite, so you have to be careful, because you don’t want to start cheesing people off. 


When we were rehearsing the song 'Rocka Rolla', we all started listening to that album, and we thought, 'Hey, this is a good album!' It’s just stuff we don’t think of listening to. It’s really nostalgic and it brings back memories of the things you were doing at the time."


Q: For years, there have been rumors floating around about a co-headlining tour with Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. I don’t know how realistic those rumors are. As great as it would be for fans, I’m sure it’s tough to put together a tour like that. 


Ian Hill: "We get asked about that all the time. We’d love to, you know. I’m sure the Maiden lads would love to do it, as well. With schedules, everybody is doing something all the time. Trying to get a gap where people are available is tough, but it’s a really attractive prospect. Two big British heavy metal bands on the same stage… it would be a great thing."


Read the complete interview here.


Courtesy of Live Rock Music by Scott Perry, the clip below features footage of Judas Priest's entire show at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on March 15th shot from the photo pit.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"One Shot at Glory"
"Lightning Strike"
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
"Freewheel Burning"
"Turbo Lover"
"Hell Patrol"
"The Sentinel"
"A Touch of Evil"
"Rocka Rolla"
"Victim of Changes"
"Desert Plains"
"Blood Red Skies"
"Diamonds & Rust" (Joan Baez)
"Painkiller"


Encore:
"The Hellion / Electric Eye"
"Hell Bent for Leather"
"Metal Gods" (with GlennTipton)
"Breaking the Law" (with GlennTipton)
"Living After Midnight" (with GlennTipton)





Upcoming Judas Priest dates are listed below.





March
23 - Nashville Municipal Auditorium - Nashville, TN
25 - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre - Alpharetta, GA
27 - Charleston Civic Center Coliseum - Charleston, WV
29 - The Met - Philadelphia, PA
30 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
31 - MGM National Harbor - Washington, DC


April
2 - Foxwoods Casino Arena - Mashantucket, CT
4 - Paul E. Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
7 - Halifax Scotiabank Centre - Halifax, Nova Scotia
10 - Videotron Center - Quebec City, Quebec
11 - Place Bell - Montreal, Quebec
13 - FirstOntario Centre - Hamilton, Ontario

In the fading light of evening you stand alone beneath the trees as a gentle wind plucks the dying leaves from the branches above. They tumble around you in their muted reds and yellows, ochres and ambers, like discarded memories. Each one that catches your unblinking stare stirs the embers of an ash covered moment in your mind. Loss and regrets swell and subside inside you like a moon ruled tide, as the pieces of your life settle at your feet. And still you stand motionless in the waves of remembered emotion as the pale colours of autumn drain away into the darkness of the quietly encroaching night.


While there is no single English word to capture the meaning of "waldeinsamkeit", there is Waldeinsamkeit, the second album from Sylvan Realm that grasps that essence of bittersweet, melancholic isolation. Guitarist/vocalist Sylvan formed Sylvan Realm in 2010, after the dissolution of his solo project Reverie, recruiting drummer Evan Madden (Woe, Woods Of Ypres) and bassist Jason Ian-Vaughn Eckert (Aurora Borealis) to help him breathe life into his sounds of dusk and twilight. 2011 saw the release of debut album The Lodge Of Transcendence, which Nocturnal Hall ‘zine described as a “magical journey”. The band then began work on Waldeinsamkeit in 2012, only for personal circumstances to force the project into hibernation until 2019. The album was completed in 2020, with a release planned for September of 2020, but all the planning and strategies were once again laid low as the Covid-19 pandemic raged around the globe. 


With Sylvan working in the frontline of mental health care there was simply no time to give Waldeinsamkeit the launch it deserved, so it has stood silently in the shadows, largely unnoticed until now; but now it is finally time for this exquisite album that blends the mysteries of dark rock, neo-folk and black metal to step forth. The ruminative sounds of enthralling tracks like "On The Wings Of The Spiritual Dragon" will prompt personal, individual reflections and reactions from all who hear them – but none will be left unmoved by the warp, weft and dream weaving of Sylvan Realm.




Engineered by Augustine Oritz (Fields Of Elysium, Martorn) and Ron Vento (Aurora Borealis, Rumplestiltskin Grinder) and mixed and mastered by Mell Dettmer (Acid King, Witch Mountain, Wolves In The Throne Room), Waldeinsamkeit is blessed with a rich, organic sound that illuminates each shadowy layer of the music, giving life and vibrancy to the immaculately crafted songs. At last it is time for these beautifully singing solos to be heard, the thrilling interplay between gifted musicians to be uncovered and the atmosphere of mist and dew to be embraced. Waldeinsamkeit in name, waldeinsamkeit in nature, open your heart to this album and step into the Sylvan Realm.





Tracklist:


"Monumental Abandonment"
"On The Wings Of The Spiritual Dragon"
"A Dirge For The Lost"
"Quietus"
"Twilight Kingdom"
"Waldeinsamkeit"





Line-up:
Sylvan – guitar / vocals
Jason Ian-Vaughn Eckert - bass
Evan Madden - drums

Kid Rock said Donald Trump once asked him for advice about U.S. policy on Islamic State and North Korea.

In an interview with the Fox News host Tucker Carlson broadcast on Monday night (March 21), the 51-year-old musician, who visited White House in 2017 with Ted Nugent and Sarah Palin, said that he was "there with [Trump] one day when he ended the caliphate," referencing U.S. efforts against the Islamic State.

"[Trump] wanted to put out a tweet … I don't like to speak out of school. I hope I'm not. But … the tweet was, and I'm paraphrasing, but it's like, you know, 'If you ever joined the caliphate, you know, trying to do this, you're going to be dead.'

"He goes, 'What do you think?' [I said] 'Awesome. I can't add any better.' But then it comes out and it's … reworded and more political, to look politically correct. And just, 'be afraid."

He also said he and Trump were once "looking at maps. I'm, like, you know, like, 'Am I supposed to be in on this shit?' Like I make dirty records sometimes. I do.

"'What do you think we should do about North Korea?' I'm like, 'What? I don't think I'm qualified to answer this.'"

Kid Rock also praised Trump for speaking "off the cuff".

"See now, if you watch a Joe Biden interview, and you watch a Trump interview, there's no comparison. And Trump speaks off the cuff.

"I understand what it's like, sometimes you get it wrong. But I would way rather hear somebody come from here [the heart] and get it wrong once in a while."

Kid Rock had previously described himself to The Guardian as "definitely a Republican on fiscal issues and the military, but I lean to the middle on social issues."

"I am no fan of abortion," he said, "but it's not up to a man to tell a woman what to do. As an ordained minister I don't look forward to marrying gay people, but I'm not opposed to it."

He also said he "played Barack Obama's inauguration [in 2009] even though I didn't vote for him. I didn't agree with his policies, but there was an exciting sense of change in the air. That promise hasn't been fulfilled — the country is more divided than ever."

Kid Rock is currently promoting his new album, "Bad Reputation", which was made available digitally on March 21. Physical CDs will arrive on April 6.

"Bad Reputation" includes the three songs Kid Rock released in January — "We The People", "The Last Dance" and "Rockin'" — as well as his November 2021 single "Don't Tell Me How To Live", which was recorded with Canadian hard rockers MONSTER TRUCK.

"We The People" features the chorus of "Let's go, Brandon," conservative code for "Fuck Joe Biden" (born when a NASCAR reporter misheard a crowd, reporting that they chanted in support of racer Brandon Brown when they were actually chanting expletives toward the U.S. president), and also takes aim at the mainstream media, CNN, TMZ, Twitter and Facebook, as well as mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.




I can't tell if he's serious about Trump soliciting his advice on North Korea pic.twitter.com/kCCxq8JcBz

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 22, 2022

On March 9, former CHILDREN OF BODOM members Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä (bass) and Janne Wirman (keyboards) were interviewed by Chaoszine about the band's second beer collaboration with Fat Lizard brewery titled Murder Point. During the chat, they were asked if they would consider playing a tribute concert for their former bandmate, late CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho, who died in December 2020 at the age of 41.

"Well, it's a tricky question, and then even the three of us, we have not really discussed about it," Janne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

"The way I personally feel about this is Alexi would not like a tribute show. Alexi would like just CHILDREN OF BODOM playing a show. And even though he would be replaced, which is a really hard thing for us, and it's a really hard thing in the whole world of heavy metal vocals and guitar playing… I know from experience with Alexi and going to tribute shows and stuff like that that he wouldn't [want there to be a tribute show for him].

"So, we have no passion to try to put together a tribute show for Alexi," Janne explained. "We might play a show someday. Never say never… But for us, it would not feel natural to try to put a [tribute] show together right now."

Henkka concurred, saying: "It would be weird to play a tribute show for Alexi. And like [Janne] said, I'm pretty sure that he would want somebody else to be there to play a tribute show for him. It would feel awkward to play a tribute show. I'm not against if some other people play CHILDREN OF BODOM music for his memory… And every time I see somebody [covering our songs], we always share them because that's the best thing to do. Alexi's music will live forever."

Alexi passed away on December 29, 2020 in his home in Helsinki, Finland. He died of alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue. Furthermore, Laiho had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

Alexi's ashes were buried in December 2021 — nearly a year after his tragic passing. He was laid to rest at the Malmi Cemetery, a large cemetery located in the Malmi district in Helsinki, Finland.

Alexi and Jaska founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. In 2020, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, all of which were released posthumously.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman announced their departures from CHILDREN OF BODOM in October 2019. Two months later, they confirmed that they were the rightful owners of the CHILDREN OF BODOM brand.

CHILDREN OF BODOM played its final show on December 15, 2019 at the Black Box in Helsinki Ice Hall. A short time later, Finnish music magazine Soundi reported that the rights to the CHILDREN OF BODOM name are held by AA & Sewira Consulting Oy, the company owned by Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman. In June 2019, the trio filed an application with the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland, and their application was subsequently granted for a five-year period starting on October 1, 2019. As a result, Laiho, who was CHILDREN OF BODOM's singer, guitarist and main songwriter, wasn't authorized to use the band's name without permission from Wirman, Raatikainen and Seppälä.

SKID ROW has parted ways with singer ZP Theart and has replaced him with ex-H.E.A.T. vocalist Erik Grönwall (pictured). Grönwall will make his recording debut with SKID ROW on the band's upcoming album, "The Gang's All Here", due on October 14 via earMUSIC. The LP's first single, the title track, will be made available on Friday, March 25.

A snippet of "The Gang's All Here", which received its world premiere earlier today (Wednesday, March 23) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", can be heard below.

SKID ROW said in a statement: "It's a new era for SKID ROW. With a new album, a new single and a world tour, we've added a new voice. Welcome powerhouse vocalist Erik Grönwall, formerly from the band H.E.A.T. from Sweden."

Grönwall added: "Ladies and gents. I hereby declare the circle of all fucking circles complete. You're looking at the new singer of @officialskidrow #skidrow #erikgronwall".

Last September, Grönwall released his cover version of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms. At the time, he said about his version of the track: "This song was basically the starting point of my professional career as an artist. I performed this song during my 'Swedish Idol' audition back in 2009. 12 years later it's time to give this bad boy a try again. Here's my version of the SKID ROW song '18 And Life'."

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

Grönwall sang on H.E.A.T.'s last four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012), "Tearing Down The Walls" (2014), "Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.

Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. A short time later, he wrote on his social media: "I am extremely privileged and grateful to live at a day and age where a disease like this is curable. There's been so much progress made in this field. My body is reacting well to the treatment but it's a long treatment and it's going to be the toughest challenge of my life so far, for me and my family."

Theart, a former member of DRAGONFORCE, joined SKID ROW in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).

As previously reported, SKID ROW has replaced QUEENSRŸCHE as the support act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS' "Sin City Nights" Las Vegas residency. The run of shows, which was originally slated to take place in July 2020 and was later pushed back to May 2021, will now happen starting on March 26 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Last August, SKID ROW celebrated the 30th anniversary of its classic second album, "Slave To The Grind", by performing it in its entirety at The Amphitheater at Rolling Hills Casino And Resort in Corning, California.

Sebastian Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by Theart, the South African-born, British-based singer who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.
























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Ladies and gents. I herby declare the circle of all fucking circles complete. You’re looking at the new singer of @officialskidrow #skidrow #erikgronwall

Posted by Erik Grönwall on Wednesday, March 23, 2022





Say hi to Erik Grönwall SKID ROW

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbdcqRNPZUC/

Posted by Scotti Hill on Wednesday, March 23, 2022