KORN singer Jonathan Davis says that he is "still fatigued like crazy" by his battle with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Last August, it was announced that Davis tested positive for COVID-19. As a result of his infection, the band postponed six dates and canceled two on its summer 2021 U.S. tour. A month later, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer also contracted COVID-19 and was temporarily replaced by J.R. Bareis, who is also in the band LOVE AND DEATH with KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. In October, KORN drummer Ray Luzier became the third member of the band to get infected, forcing him to miss three shows on KORN's U.S. tour. Filling in for him was FEVER 333's Aric Improta.

Davis discussed his COVID-19 experience in a new interview with "Lipps Service With Scott Lipps". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think I got that long COVID stuff. I'm still fatigued like crazy. I'm doing the best I can. But I'm alive. And hopefully in time this will get better.

Asked how he feels about touring during the pandemic, Jonathan said: "I'm gonna live my life and get on with it. I definitely cater my life around not getting sick, though, because if I get sick, there's no show. COVID or not, that's been my life my whole career. I've got my own bus. I stay away from people on purpose because if I get sick, there's no one to fill in for me. With the other guys, when they all got sick with COVID, we had people on standby; they flew out instantly, they could fill in and we could do a show. But with me, I've gotta be careful. I always have been, but it's now to the point where I'm like… A year ago, that was, like… I was freaking out. [Laughs] I was, like, 'I don't wanna get this.' And I go out on tour and I get it. And there you go."

Last November, Davis told Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio that he tested positive for COVID-19 on August 14, 2021. "I was at a gig in Scranton," he recalled. "My girl had tested positive three days prior, I believe. So I was hoping [I wouldn't get infected]. I kept testing. I was, like, negative, negative, negative. I was, like 'Oh, I just dodged a bullet.' Then [I tested] positive. And I was scared shitless; I was freaking out. They rushed me right to the hospital and they did all these tests on me. They said, 'Okay, it doesn't look like you have the markers for the bad. We'll let you go.' And it never went into my lungs. I was totally wiped out. I couldn't move — just the body aches. I didn't eat for a month, damn near. But thank God it didn't get into my lungs; that would have freaked me really out. But I got through it and tested negative on the 25th, I think, and I played a show the next day. And I was beat up, but I just couldn't find it in my heart… I just wanted to get through it because I saw how happy people were to see live music. And I just didn't wanna let anyone down. So I'm, like, 'I'm gonna just sit down and get through this. At least it's a live show. And I'm just gonna give it all.' And we just pulled it off. I did the whole tour. Unfortunately, Munky got it and Ray got it. But we got through it. We just had some bad luck. But it is what it is. And we're here all alive and happy. So it was overall a good thing."

Davis, who was reportedly fully vaccinated, had been taking a seat on a custom throne near the drum riser at KORN's later shows due to lingering effects of his bout with COVID-19.

In video footage of KORN's August 27, 2021 concert in Tinley Park, Illinois — Jonathan's first gig back after revealing his positive diagnosis — he could be seen walking slowly around the stage, coughing and appearing to take a minute to catch his breath. According to TMZ, Davis also took occasional hits from an oxygen tank set up near this throne.

KORN's new album, "Requiem", arrived on February 4, 2022 via Loma Vista Recordings. The disc was produced by Chris Collier and KORN

Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon from The Metal Voice spoke to lead singer Rick Hughes of Canada's Sword. Hughes spoke about the timeline of the upcoming Sword studio album release, and also spoke about opening for Metallica on the Master Of Puppets tour and how Metallica were big fans of the band. Watch interview below.


About the new Sword studio album Hughes said, "First and foremost I want to apologize to the fans that have waited a very very long time. Listen, you have waited 30 years for this the album it is ready, it's been ready for two years. We were supposed to release it before, in 2020. When March 2020 happened we had a band meeting and we said let's wait (until pandemic is over). Now we are almost ready, I have the date, they didn't (record label) give me the ok to announce yet, but it's coming out this year. I won't tell you the date but I will tell you this it will be fall 2022. The album is incredible from beginning to end everything about this album is good."


The new Sword album will be released via Massacre Records.

Rock sensation Laszlo Jones is raising suicide prevention awareness with his latest single, “Kill Myself”, available now.


Featured on his recent EP, Beyond The Door, the hard-hitting song includes special guest guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testament), as well as production by Michael Buyens (Life of Agony, The Gathering) and mixing by Kane Churko (5 Finger Death Punch, Ozzy Osbourne).


In true Jones fashion, the song packs a sonic punch, and Skolnick’s thunderous industrious metal axemanship shines as the two artists deliver on their mission to ensure music fans get the help and support they need.




Inspiration for the song stemmed from the two artists hearing about unimaginably high suicide rates amidst a still-early understanding of COVID’s impact on society. During the recording process, Jones and Skolnick discussed the issue, and it was clear they needed to communicate to fans through music to help draw attention to the issue.


“It’s a song about the general lack of well-being and depression endured by many people that can lead to self-hate and self-destruction — which can sometimes lead to dangerous games with death,” Jones explains.  


The pulsating song offering isn’t afraid to be daring, loud, and bold; “Kill Myself” stares at the problem and gets right in its face. The track takes a spectacular interest in telling the story like it is, complete with heart-racing guitar licks, electrified screamo, and heavy percussion, all mingled with smart lyrics and fire-catching melodies.


According to Jones, the lyrics reflect that young people, in particular, are considered at risk. “They haven't been able to have normal social contacts for two years now,” he considers, adding that “it’s been hard for them to maintain what’s essential for adolescents.”


“Kill Myself” is the latest song to arrive from Jones’ 2021 release, Beyond The Door — a five-song strong album that delves deep into Jones’ creativity and versatility as a songwriter and composer. A multi-instrumentalist and visionary, the album takes the listener on a soundscape journey through Jones’ inexplicable mind, chasing him through his innate ability to captivate and intrigue. His music videos are equally as impressive, adding an additional layer of thought to the music, directing where Jones wants the song to lead the listener.


On the pounding truth bomb that is “Kill Myself,” Laszlo Jones showcases his most vulnerable side yet. Through a dark and desperate trash-metal anthem comes a plea for understanding — and an ask that the world not forget yet another soul.


“Above all, it’s important that people in suicidal crisis, and their relatives, are able to reach a nationwide emergency number at any time,” Jones insists — reminding that professional and psychological support is available.


“Be attentive,” Jones says. “Being there for each other and offering help is just as important for helping to stall a potential death.”


“Kill Myself” and Beyond The Door are available now.

Once there was Waltari... and Head First.


There's no denying the status of Finnish crossover monster Waltari as the first "metal-like" band export from their home country back in the early 1990s. But only a few can still remember that their singer Kärtsy Hatakka already had another band back then under the name Head First: the only real funk metal band from Finland. And now this very band is releasing their debut, on May 27 via Metalville Records, after 30 years of waiting.


Kärtsy initially played in two bands at the same time, Waltari and Head First. The latter achieved considerable success in the Helsinki area with their danceable mix of funk, metal, and prog rock. In some of the first Waltari songs, the funky influence of Head First was also clearly audible.




"Head First was hip," Kärtsy remembers. "All the big Helsinki live venues loved the band, and bigger and bigger crowds came."


But then Waltari surprisingly got an international record deal in 1991, and the rest is history. And so Head First was put on hold indefinitely. But now, after 30 years, they are back.


A few years ago, the band took the first steps towards re-activation by playing some shows in Helsinki and the surrounding area. So, the wish to finally release a first album became the declared goal of Head First.


Based on the biggest live killers, the existing song material was adapted to today's sound expectations. In addition, some brand-new songs were created. In addition to the three original members Kärtsy, Jaani Marttila, and Sami Timonen, a new bass player, Jesper Anastasiadis, was brought into the band.





Head First means old-school funk metal with a fresh edge of groovy beats and infectious energy.


Further details to follow.


Lineup:


Kärtsy Hatakka - vocals
Jaani Marttila - guitars
Jesper Anastasiadis - bass and backing vocals
Sami Timonen - drums

Avantasia / Edguy mastermind Tobias Sammet has checked in with a new message reflecting on the 18th anniversary of Edguy’s 2004 album, Hellfire Club.





“Happy 18th anniversary, Hellfire Club! 




“It was our first album on a big record label and I think that's when we were at the beginning of our real prime. 


“It was my first album after the first Avantasia chapter had been closed. The Metal Operas had fueled my creativity and given me a new visional angle, and the success of Avantasia had helped putting us on the map of new fans and bigger record labels alike. 


“As a songwriter I had gained a lot of experience which inspired me to move on to the next level. HC and Rocket Ride had been very important albums in this regard, as I managed to incorporate both, my love for European speed metal and classic rock.


“It was a good time for metal and music in general, the record label was hungry, so was the band. All gear wheels intertwined.


“An extreme album and when a friend of mine says that some of the attitude of my new Avantasia album reminds him of my approach in those years, I guess he means it as a compliment and I am proud of that!


“On a funny side note, I just realized that the title reflected my love for Old-English eerie occult things even back then. It's like a thread that runs through everything I do. I read a lot about secret societies back then already, and I had to call the album that, even though it meant it wouldn't have a title track.”

GHOST performed the song "Call Me Little Sunshine" on last night's (Wednesday, March 16) episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". Video of the band's appearance can be seen below.

The Swedish occult rockers were scheduled to perform on the January 20 episode of the ABC show, but pulled out just hours before, explaining that they "had a bit too much going on in Reno, getting all our shit together" for the band's U.S. co-headlining tour with VOLBEAT.

GHOST's 26-date arena tour with VOLBEAT and special guests TWIN TEMPLE kicked off on January 25 in Reno, Nevada and concluded on March 3 in Anaheim, California.

GHOST released its fifth album, "Impera", on March 11 via Loma Vista/Concord. The band's mastermind Tobias Forge worked on the follow-up to 2018's "Prequelle" with producer Klas Åhlund and Swedish co-writers Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, whose credits include Madonna and Lady Gaga.

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who would front the act for its next LP phase.

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of "Prequelle".

SLIPKNOT has finally officially confirmed the identity of its latest recruit, the percussionist nicknamed Tortilla Man. As widely speculated, SLIPKNOT's newest member is the multi-instrumentalist Michael Pfaff. Pfaff previously played keyboards with SLIPKNOT's Shawn "Clown" Crahan in the band DIRTY LITTLE RABBITS and is also a member of the Iowa-based duo THE SNACKS.

Earlier today, the band's official Instagram account released a photo of a masked Pfaff promoting his upcoming Reddit AMA, with Michael holding a handwritten sign in the picture that says: "I Am Michael Pfaff, AMA Wednesday 3/16/22, 2 pm CT".

Tortilla Man joined SLIPKNOT in May 2019, when he was first featured in the video for comeback single "Unsainted". Since then, there has been much speculation about his name, with some SLIPKNOT fans getting quite obsessed with trying to work out the real identity of the band's latest recruit.

In February 2020, several photos were posted to the Postojna Cave Facebook account supporting the theory that Pfaff was Tortilla Man.

Pfaff's name was first brought up in relation to Tortilla Man in August 2019 when SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root gave an interview to "The Art And Span Show" in which he described the mystery man as "a world-class pianist" and "a great percussionist" who is "schooled in music."

Pfaff was apparently introduced to Crahan years ago by SLIPKNOT's resident DJ Sid Wilson, which may explain why Tortilla Man has such good onstage chemistry with Sid and Clown. In addition, Pfaff has a similar build and height as Tortilla Man, and Redditors have found that Pfaff's family members are following "#tortillaman" and other hashtags on social media related to the newest member of SLIPKNOT.

Crahan refused to reveal the identity of the band's mysterious new ninth member in an interview with Kerrang! magazine, saying it was "nobody's fucking business."

SLIPKNOT's previous percussionist, Chris Fehn, sued the band in March 2019, claiming he hadn't been properly compensated for his years of touring and recording with the group. Fehn, a member since 1998, was officially dismissed from the band in 2019.

In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor said Tortilla Man had won the respect of bands and fans. "He's doing great and is a great dude," he said. "He's killing it, man."

Asked how anyone becomes an official member of SLIPKNOT, Taylor said: "First of all, you've got to wear the tortilla on your face. And the audience has to figure out who you are. With Tortilla Man, it's kinda cool. It's brought this whole new energy to everybody as well, so it's a lot of fun to watch him as well."

SLIPKNOT's sixth studio album, "We Are Not Your Kind", arrived in August 2019.
























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Finland's Without Warning keep evolving as they release their second single, "Insanity", via Inverse Records. The band is slowly forming their identity as a new band in the scene and they’ve decided to take a darker turn with their new single.





Michaela: "Our second single, 'Insanity', is definitely going to paint our identity clearer and this is the route we’ve decided to continue on as we grow with the band. I’ve always been a fan of darker sounds and horror aspects, so I’m obviously super excited to have that incorporated."




"Delusion"





Line-up:


Vocals: Michaela Tuomenoksa
Guitars: Juuso Javanainen
Bass: Joakim Keuru
Drums: Lauri Tuomenoksa


Photo by Michaela Tuomenoksa

Germany gothic/symphonic metal act Aeternitas has announced the ending of the band after 23 years.


The band says in a statement:


“Dear fans, friends and partners,




“As you may have noticed, there has been a period of silence and we now unfortunately share some sad news. It is with regret that we announce our decision to bring an end to the Aeternitas story.


“As you can imagine, this decision was truly the hardest in the history of the band, especially considering we have recently announced a new female singer and bass player.


“The reasons for our decision are hard to explain in detail and also complex. However, after the cancellation of our planned European tour in January we had a lot of time to reflect, consider the future, our collective and individual musical goals, wishes and expectations, which ultimately brought us to this outcome.
“On reflection, we are very thankful for more than 20 unbelievable years, including six album releases and many incredible live shows we experienced together with you all. However, now it is time for a new chapter.





“And so, we part as friends, proud of what we have achieved over all the years, which was only possible with your help and your support. 


“For sure, we shall all continue our own metal or other musical endeavours and we are looking forward to seeing you in one of our future projects. You can already follow Miss ScarRed with her solo project https://instagram.com/miss_scarred_official. She is currently in the process of preparing an EP release this year, starting the production in April.


“Thank you all very much for your support and loyalty!


“Alex, Anja, Daniel, Frank, Rusad and Miss ScarRed"

Threshold's 2009 box set Paradox: The Singles Collection will be reissued on March 25 as a double CD edition. The 24 track collection features singles, exclusive remixes and previously unreleased tracks. 


The original 2009 collector's box set contained eight discs packaged in individual wallets and a 20 page booklet. The 2022 reissue includes all 24 tracks across two CDs in a double jewel case and an updated 12 page booklet.


The reissue is part of Threshold's Direct-To-Fan series and is only available from the band's official website.







Tracklisting:


CD 1
“Paradox (Radio Version)”
“Conceal The Face”
“Shifting Sands”
“Sunseeker (Radio Version)”
“Fist Of Tongues”
“Half Way Home”
“Virtual Isolation (Radio Version)”
“Somatography (Alternative Version)”
“Smile At The Moon”
“Freaks (Radio Version)”
“Voyager II (Urban Version)”
“Change (Acoustic Version)”


CD 2
“Light And Space (Radio Version)”
“Long Way Home (Alternative Version)”
“Turn On Tune In (Compound Version)”
“Phenomenon (Radio Version)”
“New Beginning”
“Round And Round (Acoustic Version)”
“Mission Profile (Radio Version)”
“Flags And Footprints (Acoustic Version)”
“The Ravages Of Time (Live Version)”
“Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams (Radio Version)”
“Elusive (Radio Version)”
“Safe To Fly (Acoustic Version)”

Rochester, NY death metal act Undeath have today shared "Necrobionics", the bludgeoning third single to be taken from their upcoming sophomore album, It's Time... To Rise from the Grave. Alongside the track's release, Undeath have shared the accompanying music video. "Necrobionics'" visual component is a homage to the classic video game series Doom.


Of the single, Kyle Beam (guitar) comments: "'Necrobionics' is the defacto mosh track off 'It's Time...'. When we drop this one live, it's going to leave the pit looking much like the chorus says, with 'Piles of death, corpses en masse'. The track's lyrics draws a lot of aesthetic influence from the early Doom/Quake games, with the video paying homage to some of my favorite pastimes."


It's Time... To Rise from the Grave shows the reconfigured quintet - Kyle Beam (guitars), Alexander Jones (vocals), Tommy Wall (bass), Jared Welch (guitars) and Matt Browning (drums) - have retained their mind-infecting sonic savagery but weren't satisfied in their pursuit to improve it through wicked (yet studied) reformulation. It's Time... To Rise from the Grave isn't just an early contender for death metal album of 2022 - it's destined to be a modern-day classic.




Undeath traveled to Philadelphia to record It's Time... To Rise from the Grave with Scoops Dardaris at Headroom Studios in March-April 2021. Dardaris rough-mixed on the fly during the recording sessions, and then required two more weeks after to finalize the mix. Not ones to sacrifice a working team, they brought on Arthur Rizk (Creeping Death, Enforced) to master.


Artwork by Matt Browning:





Tracklisting:


“Fiend For Corpses”
“Defiled Again”
“Rise From The Grave”
“Necrobionics”
“Enhancing The Dead”
“The Funeral Within”
“Head Splattered In Seven Ways”
“Human Chandelier”
“Bone Wrought”
“Trampled Headstones”


"Necrobionics" video:





“Head Splattered In Seven Ways” (WARNING: NSFW):





(Photo – Errick Easterday)

You might know their names from the big rock stages but it all started in the end of the 1970’s, in a small Dalecarlian town of Sweden. The sleepy town was Mora and the band was Tryckvåg (Tryckvag). As it later turned out, this was the start of their international careers to come on the hard rock and heavy metal scenes.


- Mikael Höglund - bass (Great King Rat, Thunder)
- Thomas Brown - drums (Great King Rat, Electric Boys, Michael Schenker Group, John Norum, Glenn Hughes, Send No Flowers)
- Mats Attaque - vocals/guitars (Mogg, Baltimoore)


In 1985 they released their only official effort (7” single) and left for fame and glory in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. Soon thereafter they were scattered by the wind and disbanded.




But despite their new individual international careers, the three childhood friends gathered for the occasional live gig every now and then.
In 2007 they even recorded one of these shows and released it on CD as Dalecarlian Riot.


Were they satisfied with this musical imprint of Tryckvag? Was it enough of a legacy for the afterworld? The obvious answer was NO. Therefore, Tryckvag has now entered the studio to showcase their contemporary sound and songwriting.


A full-length album, Legacy, with brand new compositions will be released during 2022. As a bonus you will also find one or two of their "classic" songs re-recorded and included on this release.


Second single, “I Surrender”, is an up-tempo rocker with a catchy chorus and soaring guitar playing from Attaque. “I Surrender” is out Friday, March 18. Pre-save here.


The first single, "Pull The Trigger", is out now. Stream it here.

Former MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman has blasted re-recorded versions of the band's classic albums, saying the original LPs were "untouchable."

A founding member of MANOWAR, Ross recorded six albums with the band before leaving after 1988's "Kings Of Metal". His work with MANOWAR included such classic LPs as 1982's "Battle Hymns", 1983's "Into Glory Ride" and 1984's "Hail To England".

Friedman reflected on his involvement with MANOWAR during a recent interview with Sofa King Cool. Speaking about the 40th anniversary of "Battle Hymns", Ross said: "It is obviously an iconic record that has pretty much started power metal. We pretty much put power metal on the map with that record. 'Cause there really wasn't power metal before that. I mean, [Ronnie James] Dio did some things amazingly, and Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, of course, but I think 'Battle Hymns' was the first real, true power metal record. That was my baby."

Asked if there are any plans to reissue "Battle Hymns" for its 40th anniversary, Ross said: "That record has been reissued so many times. I was asked to leave MANOWAR in 1988, right after the release of 'Kings Of Metal'. And [Joey] has repackaged everything up so many times… He re-recorded 'Battle Hymns'; he re-recorded 'Kings Of Metal'. Both suck. 'Cause you can't re-record a record; you can't redo it. It's like TWISTED SISTER redoing 'Stay Hungry'; you just can't do it. Especially, he did it without me. I mean, I could see if he had the original lineup playing 'Battle Hymns' and the original lineup playing 'Kings Of Metal', with just [drummer] Donnie [Hamzik] instead of Scott [Columbus]; Scott's not with us no more. But without me? And you tune down those songs. They were written in standard pitch. And then MANOWAR's tuning 'em down for [singer] Eric [Adams]. Those songs lose all their energy. No. Nah nah nah nah nah nah. You've gotta leave genius alone, leave greatness alone. They're untouchable."

Pressed about the chances of him reuniting with MANOWAR for a tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of "Battle Hymns", Ross said: "You wouldn't say that I don't have a good relationship with my old partner, but it's just not there. I'm not saying things can't magically patch up. But [Joey] doesn't want any part of me telling him what he should be doing. And it's okay. I'm happy with my band, I'm happy with DEATH DEALER, I'm happy with THE DICTATORS. Hopefully I'm gonna be very, very busy. I don't have to be in a band with a tyrant."

This is not the first time Friedman has been critical of his former band and DeMaio in particular. Last September, Friedman told Waste Some Time With Jason Green about the circumstances surrounding his exit from the group more than three decades ago: "When a band gets big and the money hits, greed, avarice and evil takes place. A guy that I thought was my partner wasn't," he said, referring to DeMaio. "So he wanted me [out]. He goes, 'You've gotta go.' I go, 'Really? I've gotta go why? I've gotta go why? We're equal partners, 50 percent. Why do I have to go? Why don't you go?' The whole thing is he was so — his antics and his bullshit was so insane that I had it up to [my neck] with him. When you have it up to [your neck] with someone, you've just gotta go, 'Get the fuck outta here. I can't take this anymore.'

"[It was] ego, greed, avarice, evil [that caused me to depart]," he explained. "When [Joey] met me, I had already four major albums. He had done zero. Joey DeMaio was nobody. When he met me, I had already done four. I had no will to fight him. If I were to fight him, I would have killed him. He's just a fucking pariah… You can't live with that. My heart couldn't take it. I can't take evil. And I know people are gonna be… [It's gonna be] hard [for them] to hear that, but I'm better off now. I really am."

Ross went on to say that he had never been approached about returning to MANOWAR. As for whether he would consider playing with the band again, he said: "Well, if the financial arrangements were right. But [Joey is] the kind of scumbag that would never have that… I'll never say no, but you never know. I just called him a scumbag, so… It's not gonna happen. He's secure in the fact that MANOWAR are mediocre fucking pieces of shit right now. What they're putting out to the public [is] just terrible."

After BLABBERMOUTH.NET published Ross's comments from the Waste Some Time With Jason Green interview, he sent a short statement conveying a more conciliatory tone. "I would like to apologize to MANOWAR, the fans and Joey for the insult," he wrote. "If anyone knows me, you know that's not my style for saying things like that. I violated my own rule. Again, I am truly sorry."

Ross later expressed his remorse further in an interview with Italy's TrueMetal.it, explaining that he never should have allowed his original comments to reach the general public.

"Let me say right from the start it came out of my mouth and I take full responsibility for what I said," Ross said. "But I usually edit all my interviews. Journalists will send it back to me. Jason Green is a good guy, and he said, 'I will send it back to you and we'll go over it.' 'Cause you never know if you want it to go out to the public. For some reason, I never did that in this situation with that interview. I know part one I did, and part two I didn't, for some reason. Now, if I would have saw that, do you think I would have let that out? No. But you know something? People say things, and sometimes they just say things. And I definitely said that.

"Let's just say MANOWAR's music now is different," he continued. "I'm not gonna say what I said; I'm just gonna call it different. It's different from my six records, the band that was playing when I was in the band. That's all I'm gonna say.

"And as far as my attack on Mr. DeMaio, well, that's my business with him. And I aired it, and I shouldn't have aired it — calling him the 's-bag' word. And it was quite unprofessional of me. And I violated my own rule. My own rule being… I always knew this. My father told me when I first started — God rest his soul — he goes, 'Ross, if you don't have anything good to say about someone, don't say it. You'll do better in life.' If I didn't have anything good to say, I shouldn't have said it. And it was unprofessional of me.

"I still think that MANOWAR is different, and I have my issues with Joey," Ross added. "But as far as everything else, I do apologize for my unprofessionality."

Ross was one of the pioneers of both punk rock and heavy metal. First crashing on the scene with THE DICTATORS and with such classic albums as 1975's "Go Girl Crazy!", 1977's "Manifest Destiny" and 1978's "Bloodbrothers", Ross helped trailblaze punk rock (just to put it all in perspective, "Go Girl Crazy!" arrived a full year before the RAMONES' debut, and two years before THE CLASH's and SEX PISTOLS' debuts). By the end of the '80s, Ross had reconnected with his DICTATORS bandmates in MANITOBA'S WILD KINGDOM, which served as a bridge between his love of punk and metal, as heard on the group's popular 1990 debut, "…And You?" Throughout the remainder of the decade, Ross also played with such groups as THE HELLACOPTERS and THE SPINATRAS, before THE DICTATORS reunited, which resulted in several new releases starting from the late '90s all the way through the early 21st century. Also around this time, Ross joined forces with former of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT drummer Albert Bouchard in the band BRAIN SURGEONS. With Ross's main focus turning to metal music at this time, two additional projects were launched — DEATH DEALER and his solo outfit, ROSS THE BOSS.

Stockholm progressive metallers Seventh Wonder featuring Kamelot singer Tommy Karevik will release their new album, The Testament, June 10 via Frontiers Records Srl. The Testament is the follow-up to 2018’s Tiara. 


The band says in a statement: “The big news is out: Seventh Wonder's new album The Testament will arrive on the 10th of June on Frontiers Records! Check out the incredible album cover, done by Giannis Nakos from Remedy Art Design!”







The Testament will be the band’s sixth full-length album. More information to follow soon. 


 

During a recent appearance on "Vox&Hops", the podcast hosted by Matt McGachy, frontman of extreme metal band CRYPTOPSY, ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for her long-in-the-works debut solo album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What happened was it was announced [in September 2016] that I signed [with Napalm Records] for a solo album. All I did was sign to do one, but I think a lot of people interpreted that I had an album that I was ready to put out. So, basically, when the news came out about this solo album, the only thing that happened at that point was that I just agreed to do one. And then I was on tour for, like, three hundred days of the year up until 2020. And so now it's done, because now I've actually been home long enough to write the songs and get them done. And it's awesome and I love it."

Regarding a possible release date for the effort, Alissa said: "There's nothing holding it back — it's done — but I need to be careful with how I release it, because now there's so many releases happening that I wanna make sure that the music gets the attention it deserves. So it's not gonna come out at the same time as an ARCH ENEMY album, for sure, because that's just not a good idea, but I will find a time to release it in a way that makes sense."

As for the musical direction of her solo material, Alissa said: "It doesn't really sound like ARCH ENEMY, actually. It's still me, so it's gonna sound a little bit like ARCH ENEMY, but it's kind of different. I feel like it's kind of an amalgam of that really interesting place that you're at when you're a beginner musician, because although I'm not a beginner vocalist or songwriter, I am a beginner guitarist — I'm very bad at guitar. So when I'm writing songs on guitar, I have an approach that is probably totally wrong, and that's what, I think, makes it cool. It's different — it's an unorthodox approach. I mean, I can still play it, but it's not my main instrument, so when I'm writing riffs on a guitar, I'm writing like a vocalist writing riffs on a guitar. Some could argue that that's kind of how Michael [Amott, ARCH ENEMY] writes too, actually, because his riffs are so 'sing-songy.' But, yeah, so I wrote a bunch with Jeff [Loomis, ARCH ENEMY guitarist] and I wrote a bunch with a lot of other people, actually, which I don't wanna spoil and announce them all now. But there's clean singing, there's growling, of course, and other interesting vocal techniques with the note screaming and some operatic stuff. It's a heavy album. I don't know what genre to call it. It's totally self-produced in that sense. It's honest. It's exactly what I just felt like writing for this. So there's some prog elements, there's some rock and roll elements, there's a lot of metal in it, obviously. But, yeah, I'm really happy with it. So I hope that other people like it too, basically."

Back in 2017, Alissa said that her debut solo album would feature collaborations with a member of KAMELOT and at least one of her bandmates in ARCH ENEMY.

The ARCH ENEMY frontwoman said that the idea for a solo project came about as a suggestion from the band's former lead singer Angela Gossow, who has been managing ARCH ENEMY's career for more than a decade and also oversees Alissa's personal affairs.

"[Angela] was, like, 'Well, you need something. You need something that you can do, because I know you're a workaholic and you're not gonna be able to just sit there like this waiting for the next ARCH ENEMY tour,'" Alissa told France's Duke TV. "And she's totally right — I needed something else to be able to work on. And also, I have a lot of ideas that maybe don't sound like ARCH ENEMY and it would be kind of silly to just force them into ARCH ENEMY."

According to White-Gluz, her debut solo album will be released under the ALISSA banner because she wanted to "keep it simple" and "make it very clear who it is and what it is." In order to make the disc, Alissa "did a huge life overhaul," which included building a studio and investing a lot of time and money into learning how to engineer and record, program drums and improving at playing guitar. "Of course, on the album itself we're gonna have real musicians playing all of these things, but in terms of just getting the style down and the songwriting, it's something that I need to start on my own," she explained to Duke TV.

At the time of the Duke TV interview, half of Alissa's solo effort had been written, and it contained some musical surprises. "It doesn't really sound like ARCH ENEMY — it's pretty different — but I think it's pretty cool," she said. "For example, a song that I'm writing with Oliver [Palotai, keyboards] from KAMELOT doesn't sound like KAMELOT and it doesn't sound like ARCH ENEMY, but it's members of both."

Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis, who joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, didn't have any of his songwriting ideas included on the latter band's last album, "Will To Power", but will play a prominent role on Alissa's upcoming disc.

"Jeff didn't write with Michael, because Michael was already writing so well with Daniel [Erlandsson, ARCH ENEMY drummer] that we just actually had too many ideas," White-Gluz told France's Loud TV in a separate interview. "But all of Jeff's ideas are really good and I've heard them and they're gonna be released, so people will hear them… Jeff is gonna be one of my collaborators on my solo project, because how can you say no to that? [Laughs]"

ARCH ENEMY's new album, "Deceivers", is scheduled for a July 29 release via Century Media.

During an appearance on "Talking Bollocks", the monthly metal podcast hosted by ACID REIGN frontman-turned-stand-up-comedian Howard H. Smith, VIO-LENCE/ex-MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel, who is currently touring the U.S. with OVERKILL as the temporary replacement for Dave Linsk, confirmed that he will be forced to miss some of VIO-LENCE's upcoming gigs due to his touring commitments with other projects. "There's some VIO-LENCE stuff coming up that I'm not gonna be able to be a part of because of choices that I'm making in my own career," he explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

"VIO-LENCE was a side thing that we were doing. It was understood that I'm doing other stuff and that this would happen," he continued. "They weren't looking at doing full-blown tours, so trying to schedule stuff, it gets difficult. So there will be things that I won't be doing with VIO-LENCE, which is a little heartbreaking in the sense that… I'm the only member of VIO-LENCE that hasn't missed a show. So, yeah, there's a VIO-LENCE club and there's been a lot of former members. But I never quit the band. I carried that torch the whole time and hadn't missed a show."

Demmel went on to say that "it's a selfish move" on his part "to do these other things, but at 55 years old, I need to not regret passing up something to do another thing that may or may not… It's hard to explain. So I'm apologizing in advance for, if there will be a [VIO-LENCE] show that I'm not gonna be at," he said. "But I am 55. I'm in the twilight — maybe in the twilight of my musical career. You never know when it can all… A lot of peers that are… Plenty are dying, dude; they're just gone. And at this point in my career, I need to be a little selfish. And it might be hard to fathom from other people about doing things that aren't part of what VIO-LENCE is… It's emotional and it sucks, but it is what it is. It's not like I'm missing the whole year or anything, but there will be instances when I'm not on stage with those guys, and it's gonna be weird. It is what it is."

Demmel recently filled in for LAMB OF GOD guitarist Willie Adler during the band's January appearance on the ShipRocked cruise.

VIO-LENCE has just released a new EP, "Let The World Burn", via Metal Blade Records. The five-song collection, VIO-LENCE's first original release since 1993's "Nothing To Gain", was tracked at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS), mixed by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and mastered by Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEATH ANGEL).

Formed in 1985, VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they reformed briefly a couple of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time going concern once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet started to think about new music and will deliver "Let The World Burn", showcasing their first new material in 29 years.

Filling out the band's ranks on "Let The World Burn" alongside Demmel, vocalist Sean Killian and original drummer Perry Strickland are former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson and former FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian Olde Wolbers.

VIO-LENCE reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

Heterochrome, from Iran, has a second album coming out this year From The Ashes. Their last album Melancholia came out in 2017. The writing and production of this new offering has taken four years to complete and was recorded in multiple countries including Iran, Finland, Canada, Spain, and South Korea, while the mastering took place in Russia. Unlike the first album, this album features a lot of recorded acoustic instruments including live acoustic drums and cello. The first single is "Baraye Farda, For Tomorrow” and one of the last songs put on the album. 


The band explains how it came to be:


“This track started as Arash was pondering on climate change, global warming, and the general state of danger our world and home planet is in. After writing the first verse and chorus he sent it to Mida, who instantly fell in love with it even before hearing what it meant to Arash. Mida immediately got to writing the second verse, drawing from the sociopolitical environment of Iran and letting Arash know they needed the song in the album. This is one of our favorite tracks, coming from different backgrounds, it can be interpreted differently for any individual listener.”




With a wide variety of influences ranging from progressive rock to '90s and beyond alternative and gothic scenes, Heterochrome merges Iranian social and political issues into melancholy and diverse music. “From the Ashes'' was written as a concept album, with every single track forming a small part in a bigger picture. Each track has a unique story by itself and can be enjoyed individually, but the album has been tailored with smooth transitions between them.


Eclectic and innovative, Heterochrome is recommended for fans of Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and Gojira.





Tracklisting:


“Baraye Farda, For Tomorrow”
“Badbadak, The Flight”
“Rage Against The People”
“WOTB”
“The Bearing”
“Transition”
“Time’s Up”
“Through Evil Within”
“Sargardan, Wanderer”
“The Outlaw” 


“Baraye Farda, For Tomorrow”:

Impellitteri is back in the studio recording their follow-up to 2018’s The Nature Of The Beast.


The band posts in an update:


“Hi friends, in this time of war and chaos Impellitteri are in the studio creating another metal album that takes the band and fans on a new heavy metal adventure! We definitely have some great riffs and melodies in each song as well as some very wild solos on this album!”




Impellitteri: the band who ruled an empire with their aggressive power metal, shredding guitar solos, screaming vocals, and a monstrous rhythm section now bring a highly sought after body of music to the rest of the world.


Hot on the heels of signing Lillian Axe, Global Rock Records, the new label formed by the Store For Music company, welcome Chris Impellitteri to it's roster for full Impellitteri back catalog reissues spanning the 1987 - 2009 period.


Chris Impellitteri is one of the most recognized guitarists in the hard rock / heavy metal genre, standing alongside players such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Paul Gilbert as far as virtuosity and sheer musical ability is concerned.


The band Impellitteri have constantly delivered quality records since its first Black EP release back in 1987.


Viewers of MTV in the late '80s will remember the video for "Stand In Line" being featured prominently and the many albums that have followed, however fans of Chris in western countries have often had trouble locating the Impellitteri albums unavailable outside Asia.


This is about to change as the following catalog albums are due to be re-released on all major digital platforms, with a career spanning anthology due early 2022, followed by physical releases throughout the year:


Impellitteri (EP)
Stand In Line
Grin And Bear It
Victim Of The System (EP)
Answer To The Master
Screaming Symphony
Eye Of The Hurricane
Crunch
System X
Pedal To The Metal
Wicked Maiden


Chris stated, “For years we have rocked with fans in specific countries because they embraced our music and encouraged us to become the band we are today!


Although we have played to some massive audiences in various parts of the world, our band was unaware that our music was being embraced by so many people in other countries that we never played in or released records to. So it is with great pleasure to say we are releasing our back catalog for all those that want it globally... via Global Rock.


A few records that seem to be fan favorites are Screaming Symphony, the Impellitteri Black EP, Answer To The Master, Wicked Maiden, Stand In Line, and System X. Some of my favorite songs to play live from these records are: 'Lost In The Rain', '17th Century Chicken Pick’n', 'Wicked Maiden', 'Speed Demon', and so on...


Impellitteri has also had the honor to have two versions of the band over the years, having both Rob Rock and Graham Bonnet front the band vocally, which created two completely different sonic identities and fan bases. It's great to finally get this music released alongside our latest global releases Venom and The Nature Of The Beast."


Brian Adams of Global Rock adds: "As we are showing with our new acquisitions for Global Rock Records, our artist signings are getting stronger every month. We are delighted and proud to represent the back catalogue of Impellitteri and look forward to working with Chris with a 3 CD set Anthology planned for the spring of 2022 followed during the licence term with some special collector’s gems for all of his fans."